Category Archives: Main Courses

Beef Chasseur

Beef, Family Favourites, Holidays, Main Courses

  • 2lb porterhouse steak or skirt, cut in one piece
  • 3 shallots or 1 small onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 11/2 oz butter
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1/2-3/4 pint of jellied brown stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2lb button mushrooms
  • 2 wineglasses red wine
  • 1 dessertspoon tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish

1. Cut the meat into 2 inch squares. Chop the shallots or onion and garlic very finely. Heat a saute pan or shallow stew pan, add the oil and, when hot, drop in 1oz of the butter. Fry the meat a few pieces at a time until nicely brown on both sides, then remove it from the pan.

2. Reduce the heat, add the shallot and garlic and cook slowly until soft. Dust in the flour and continue cooking to a rich russet-brown. Draw pan aside, blend in the stock, then replace on heat and stir until boiling. Return the meat to the pan and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Wash and trim the mushrooms, quarter them or leave whole, depending on their size. Heat a pan, drop in 1/2oz butter and mushrooms and cook quickly for about 2 minutes. Tip on the wine and boil hard until reduced by half. Stir in the tomato puree.

4. Add the mushroom mixture to the meat and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Turn into a hot serving dish and dust with chopped parsley. Serve with saute potatoes and leaf spinach.

Spicy Tomato Beans

Hot & Spicy, Main Courses, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

  • 225g/8oz french beans, trimmed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 large beef tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
  • 2 tbsp low-fat yoghurt

1. Cut the french beans in half. Heat up a pan of salted water, add the beans, cook for 5 minutes, then drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the sliced onion and crushed garlic and fry gently until soft and just beginning to brown. Then add the chopped beef tomato, tomato puree, water, tabasco sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3. Add the cooked beans tot he tomato mixture along with the chopped basil and salt and pepper. Cover again and cook for a further 5 minutes over a medium heat. Finally, stir in the natural yoghurt and serve.

Serves 4

Linda’s Potato & Chilli Pie

Hot & Spicy, Lamb, Main Courses
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1lb lamb mince
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 14oz can kidney beans
  • 14oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp mild chilli powder
  • 1 3/4lb potatoes, chopped

1. Fry onions for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside half the onions. Add lamb and garlic to pan and brown. Add kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, cumin, 1/2 chilli powder and seasoning. Simmer for 25 minutes.

2. Boil potatoes for 8 minutes. Add reserved onions, chilli powder and seasoning. Put lamb mixture in shallow dish and spoon potatoes on top. Cook in oven until brown.

Portugese Style Shellfish Rice

Family Favourites, Fish, Main Courses

  • 10oz mixed shellfish -I use tiger prawns and scallops but mussels ,monkfish or other shellfish are all possible.
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup risotto rice
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Same volume of water plus 1 chicken stock cube
  • pinch dried chilli flakes(optional)
  • 1tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • SERVES TWO

Heat olive oil in a shallow non stick pan with a lid and fry onion and garlic until transparent
Add rice and stir until coated with oil
Add chilli flakes and tin tomatoes
Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer
Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer for 45 mins stirring occasionally as necessary.
We are aimimg for a slightly soupy consistency
When rice is tender add the shellfish and coriander adnd return to a simmer for about 5 mins or until cooked.

Cheese Crusted Gammon Steak

Main Courses, Pork

  • For two
  • two small gammon steaks or bacon chops
  • 2 med slices white bread processed into crumbs
  • 2oz cheddar coarsley grated
  • 1oz butter melted
  • 2 oz soft goats cheese such as Chavroux

Snip the rind of the steaks or chops to prevent curlins
Mix breadcrumbs, grated cheese and butter with some ground black pepper.
Grill the gammon for two or three minutes then spread with the goats cheese and top with the cheddar crumb mix. Continue to grill a bit further from the heat for 3-4 more minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
NB It is important to use a solid tray to grill not a rack in order to cook the underside of the gammon