Mushroom Crisp

For all you veggies out there

• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cups (8 oz, 225 g) fine breadcrumbs
• 1½ cups (6 oz, 180 g) finely chopped nuts
• 1 large onion, chopped
• One 14-oz (400 g) can of tomatoes
• 8 - 10 mushrooms (7 - 10 oz, 200 - 250 g), sliced
• ½ tsp. dried parsley or thyme

Warm half the olive oil in a skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and the nuts, and cook for about ten minutes over medium heat, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking.
In a separate pan, sauté the onions in the remaining oil. When they are soft, add the remaining ingredients. Cook for a further five minutes.
Arrange the two mixtures in layers in an oiled oven-proof dish, starting and ending with a layer of the breadcrumbs. Cook for 30 minutes at 190C.

Tomato Risotto

Should serve 4

900ml good-quality vegetable stock
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
8 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
275g risotto rice, such as vialone nano, carnaroli or arborio
½ glass white wine, about 75ml
8 firm tomatoes, deseeded and coarsely chopped
100g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra to serve
a large handful of fresh basil, leaves torn
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the stock in a saucepan. Heat until almost boiling, then reduce the heat until barely simmering to keep it hot.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan or heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and mix well.
3. Add the rice and stir, using a wooden spoon, until the grains are well coated and glistening, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and stir until it has been completely absorbed.
4. Add 1 ladle of hot stock and simmer, stirring until it has been absorbed. Repeat. After 10 minutes, add the tomatoes. Continue to add the stock at intervals and cook as before, for a further 8-10 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the tomatoes and rice are tender but still firm (al dente). Reserve the last ladle of stock.
5. Add the reserved stock, Parmesan, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 2 minutes.
6. Spoon into warmed bowls, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Very tastey, very easy.

Nice chicken recipe

Serves two thin people or one fat person

2 7-ounce skinless chicken breasts
1 handful of dried porcini
9 ounces of mixed mushrooms, torn up
1 large wineglass of white wine
3 large pats of butter
1 handful of fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

Using wide aluminum foil, make your bag by placing two pieces on top of each other (about as big as two shoeboxes in length), folding three sides in and leaving one side open. Mix everything together in a bowl, including the chicken. Place in your bag, with all the wine, making sure you do not pierce the foil. Close up the final edge, making sure it is tightly sealed and secure on the sides, and slide it onto a roasting pan. Place the pan on a high heat for one minute to get the heat going, and then bake in the middle of a 425-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chilli Beef Stir Fry

Usually serves 2

All you need is:
200g frying steaks, sliced into thin strips
1 x sachet Uncle Ben’s Thai Red Chilli with Coconut and Cream stir fry sauce
1 x 250g pouch Uncle Ben’s Basmati Wok Rice
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 small green pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
150g sugar snap peas or mange tout
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan or wok. Add the beef and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes over a high heat
2. Add the spring onions, pepper and mange tout and continue to cook for 3-5mins
3. Add the Uncle Ben’s Thai Red Chilli with Coconut and Cream stir fry sauce, reduce the heat and cook for a further 1-2 mins. Stir in the Uncle Ben’s Basmati Wok Rice until hot and serve immediately

One of my favorites!

Tomato Pasta Sauce

 Very easy to make

• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 500 ml carton of passata (or a tin of chopped tomatoes) 
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Gently fry the onion and garlic on a low heat for a few minutes, in some olive oil.

Add the tomato puree and cook for a further couple of minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well, then cover the pan and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and blend you prefer a smooth sauce.

Simple.

Blended breakfast

Simply shove the following into a blender

• 1 apple/pear cored
• large mug of porridge
• 2 banannas
• a handful of stoned dates
• glug of maple syrup
• ½-1 pt milk

Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Hand little recipe that a friend gave me

Serves 4
You need:

• 500g beef mince.
• 2 small onions, chopped.
• 400g tin of kidney beans in chilli sauce.
• 400g tin of tomatoes.
• Splash of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (or any sauce you have to hand that you normally use to "pep things up" a bit).
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder.
• extra chilli sauces of your choosing if you like it HOT.

 Then, simply

1. Chop the onions and fry. Fry the mince.
2. Combine the mince and onions, add the kidney beans, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, chilli powder and any other chilli sauces if required.
3. Mix thoroughly in a large saucepan, put the lid on and bring to the boil.
4. Keeping the lid on, turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring often. Keep tasting it too in case you want to add a bit more chilli :)