Corned beef hash omlette

This dish was a pure accident, but A happy one.

I had some corned beef hash left over from last night (See previous recipe) which I was going to have for my dinner, but completely forgot and started making an omlette. When I went to get some cheese from the fridge I realised what I'd done and just chucked in the corned beef hash with the eggs which had just started to cook.

The result was fantastic.

This recipe couldn't be easier. All you need is 3 eggs and some left over corned beef hash. Don't have any corned beef hash? Then why not follow the great recipe in my previous post and have this dish tomorrow instead!

Whisk your eggs in a bowl, transfer to a frying pan with some melted butter. Allow to just start to cook (10 seconds or so depending on how hot your pan is) then throw in the left over corned beef hash. Mash together and warm through, making sure all the egg is cooked.

Serve with some Branny Pickle

A happy accident, and one ill deliberately make again.

Posh Corned Beef Hash

Ok so the environmentalist in me knows corned beef is bad, that it comes from Brazil where their pulling down the rainforest for pasture land, but corned beef is of my guilty pleasures. To compensate I don't buy it often, and this one tin has been sat in my cupboard for 2 months so it was time to use it.

Usually when making corned beef I do it the old fashioned way. Boil spuds, chop corned beef, add beans, bake in the oven, add cheese. If im feeling adventurous I might even brown an onion.

I tried this recipe from a cook book I have. I won't mention names but some of you might be able to guess who's cookbook this is from when I say that he has a face you want to punch, A smug, upper class twattish voice, but does cook some pretty good things. On writing that I realise I could be talking about half a dozen tv chefs. What made me try this recipe? I'm using the last of the sprouts from the allotment and thought why not.

If im honest I really like the sloppiness of just chucking everything in the old fashioned way, but this proved to be a good alternative that was alot lighter than its sloppy counterpart.

The Dish I made last night serves to. To make it serve more use more sprouts and more potatoes.

3 - 4 medium size spuds

1 tin of corned beef (I try to use lean)

Aprox 15 sprouts.

125ml milk (Full fat if possible)

1 spoon of english mustard

Cheddar or similar cheese

Start by part boiling the spuds for 10 mins, or just under depending on thickness. Drain and leave to steam off.

Wash ,peel, wash again, and half the sprouts. Cook in a pan with a knob of butter. When their browning nicely add a splash of water and reduce until the water is gone. They should still have some bite left to them. Throw in the chopped corned beef and mix, before spreading evenly is the dish you will put into the oven.

Take the now steamed off potatoes and grate on the largest setting on the grater. Grate all over the corned beef and sprout mixture (This is where more potatoes could make a bigger portion).

Mix a spoon full of mustard into the milk (if you can be bothered use warm milk, it will mix easier but its not essential). The mustard wont be overpowering, but just adds a nice, subtle flavour. Pour the milk mixture over the corned beef hash and bake in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. 5 Minutes before the end add some cut/grated cheese and allow to melt. Serve on its own or with some green veg.

sweet potato and feta cheese salad

Suzanne made this tea. Its a recipe I got off the guardian thats really easy, simple, healthy, and tasty.

serves 4.

3 sweet potato's

bag of baby spinach leaves

block of feta cheese

seasame and pumpkin seeds

sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, juice of half a lime

Peel and slice the spuds and slice about 1 cm thick. Place on a greased baking tray and put into a pre heated oven. Cook for 40 mins and turn half way through to cook both sides.

In a bowl mix the lime, soy, and chilli sauce. I add a glug of olive oil here to.

Cut the Feta into rough blocks

Toast the seeds for around 30 seconds to no more than one min. They should just be slightly toasted.

Now start to plate up your food. Spinach 1st, then the potatoes, then the feta, before finishing the dish off by sprinkling the seeds over the dish and pouring over the dressing.

Delish!

Steak Night

I over cooked the steaks on this one. I got them from the butchers on Hesketh Drive. Last time I got steak from there it was perfect. It was also a little bigger which is why perhaps my timing was off. Alex did the suateed potatoes and I steamed the veg. It was his trial run at cooking them before cooking them for his girlfriend on valentines.

Steak

New potatoes preferably. If not normal size diced into 3s or 4s

Veg - I used carrots and Broccoli

Wash potatoes. If using new slice in half, if using larger ones slice into 3s or 4s depending on size. Part boil for 8 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to steam off for at least 5 mins.

heat some oil and butter in a pan, add the potatoes and reduce the heat. If frying they will take 10 to 15 mins and you will need to keep adding additional oil and butter. If using a lidded pan your looking at half an hour and you will still need to add additional oil/butter, only in lesser amounts.

Steam Veg 15 mins from end.

Steak - cook to your liking. For medium I usually do 2 minutes one one side, and turn over and immeditely turn the heat off and allow to cook through. Cover the pan with tin foil and leave to rest for a few minutes.

Serve

Suzanne's Macaroni Cheese

My sister Suzanne made Mac and Cheese for tea tonight. It was ok for the 1st few bites. I didn't feel as bad for saying it was a bit bland after she herself said she wasn't eating any more. Ill probably eat whats left for my dinner at work tomorrow though - free meal and all that

Sunday 31st January Roast Shoulder of Lamb

Ingredients:

1.5kg shoulder of lamb

2-3 large spuds

2 parsnips

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

fresh or dried thyme

dried sage

*note* the veg used here was based on what I could fit into a large, lidded, oven dish. If cooking for more than 2 people then make this dish go further by doing more veg separately, like greens or something.

In a bowl mix salt, pepper, chopped rosemary leaves and dried sage. Then with a sharp knife score the fatty part of the lamb, drizzle with olive oil and rub in the seasoning and herbs. Place in a lidded oven dish (preferably cast iron) and put in enough boiling water until the water comes up to 1/5th of the lamb. Place into a pre heated oven of 200 degrees then reduce to 150 after 10 mins. Cook for around 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Cook longer at a lower heat for more tender meat. Check occasionally and add more water if it looks like the pot is drying out.

Meanwhile, peel the spuds and quarter, peel the parsnips and cut into 3rds. On this occasion I part boiled them then put them in the pot towards the end of cooking, making sure there is a little water left. Alternatives are to try putting the veg in earlier, or cooking the meat well in advance, removing it, and roasting the veg in the meat juices.

When putting the veg in with the meat i lifted the meat out, put as much veg as I could in the bottom of the pot, putting the lamb back on top, and cramming the rest of the veg round the sides.

When the meat is done, remove from the oven and leave the lid on for the meat to rest for 15 mins. The residual heat will keep the veg hot.

For the Gravy, pour the juices into a pan, sieve a table spoon or so of flour into the mixture, add more water if needed, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, keep stirring until the gravy is thickened.

Shred meat and serve with warm veg and gravy.

mmmmmm

What I had for tea last night - the 1st supper

Welcome to the 1st entry to what I had for tea last night. If you live up north you will of course know that when I refer to tea I don't mean the lovely drink made from dry leaves, but of course the meal that is eaten in the evening that is more commonly know as dinner.

As well as keeping a written diary for myself to remind me of what I had for tea, as a reminder when I'm stuck for things to cook, and as a guide for others, I had created this blog for the benefit of all to peruse, and will be asking family and friends to contribute. At this point that I would also like to point out that this blog is not strictly tied down to writing about your evening meal, and that if people have cooked a lunch, bakes some bread or a cake that they feel is worth writing about, then they are encouraged to write about it here.

So on with tonight's tea then...

Monday 25th January 2010 - Veggie Pasta Bake - Serves 4

Ingredients (you don't have to be exact with the veg - just use whatever you like or think will work)

250 - 300 grams of pasta shells of your choice

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 tin of sweet corn

1 or 2 medium onions

1 broccoli head

1 courgette

1 red pepper

a handful of plum tomatoes (optional)

Some cheese to melt on top. I use whatever is on hand which is usually cheddar but tonight we had some Mozzarella and hard parmesan cheese, grated

Start by boiling the pasta, do this for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to steam off.

Turn the oven to 200 degrees to heat

whilst the pasta is boiling thinly slice and gentle fry to onion on a low heat for 5 minutes until softened. Feel free to use a nob of butter on top of the oil if you like.

Chop the broccoli heads into thin slices and steam/boil so that the broccoli is softened slightly but still reasonably firm (it will cook more in the oven). Put to one side.

slice the courgette, pepper, and tomatoes if using.

when the onions are ready add the tin of chopped tomatoes and sweetcorn to the pan. Mix and stir for 2 minutes. Add a few glugs of worcester sauce if you have some, and some extra virgin olive oil if you like.

Get a deep baking/casserole dish and add the pasta and other veg, cover with the mixture from the frying pan and mix well. Place in the over for 20 minutes, stirring twice.

5 minutes before the end add whatever cheese you are using. Unless using a soft cheese like Mozzarella you will need to grate your cheese. Spread over the top generously and melt.

Serve on its own, with garlic bread, or a side salad. I always make extra for dinner (or lunch as you may call it) the next day.