Category: Mr Greedy’s Kitchen

 

Mushroom Soup

25g butter

1 med/large onion, peeled and finely chopped

250g flat or chestnut mushrooms chopped

25g flour

300ml milk [full fat]

salt

fresh ground black pepper

600ml hot chicken stock [use 2 oxos]

4 tbsp. double cream

A few button mushrooms, thinly sliced, to garnish

Melt the butter in a large/med saucepan over a med heat [don’t burn the butter]. Stir in the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the flour, mix well. Gradually blend in the milk. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook for about 2/3 mins. Stir in the hot stock and mix well. Puree in a blender, food proces-sor or with a hand-held blender. Return to the saucepan, adjust seasoning add the cream and re-heat. Pour into serving bowls, garnish with the sliced mushrooms. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Take care when blending, the liquid will be hot!!.

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

350g broccoli florets and stalks cut into small pieces

500ml hot vegetable stock [use 2 oxos]

25g butter

4 spring onions, finely sliced

50/60 g Stilton crumbled, or to taste

100 ml double cream

salt

fresh black pepper

pinch nutmeg

Place the broccoli in a microwave bowl, cover and cook until just tender. Heat the butter in a saucepan and fry the spring onions for about 1 min. Transfer the broccoli and stock to the spring onions saucepan and mix well. Pour into a food processor, add the cream, stilton and blend until smooth, or use a blender or hand-held blender. Return to the sauce-pan and bring gently to a simmer. Season to taste with the salt and black pepper and add a good pinch of nutmeg. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Take care when blending, the liquid will be hot!!

 

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Leftover Turkey Jambalaya

4 tsp garlic olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red and green pepper, de-seeded and chopped
4 sticks of celery, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
4 spicy sausages or chorizo, cut into chunks
450g leftover Christmas meats [turkey, ham, pork] cut into chunks
2 large red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
500 long grain rice
2 tbsp. turmeric
2 tbsp. Cajun spices
1 tsp Tabasco
2 pints chicken stock [use two oxo cubes]
3 med tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp. frozen peas
450g prawns
sea salt and fresh black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan or a deep Wok. Fry the
onions, peppers, celery, garlic and sausage for about
10 minutes.
Add the cooked meats, chillies, rice, spices and Tabasco,
stirring well so the rice is well mixed in. Pour
in the stock and bring to the boil. Then add the tomatoes,
peas and prawns. Reduce the heat to simmer
for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste
for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and more spices if
required. Serve, enjoy with a good chunk of fresh
bread and a cool glass of wine

 

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Italian Christmas Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 carton [ 15 ounces ] ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

4 cups of plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 to 4 cups icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 tbsp. milk

coloured sugar [optional golden caster sugar]

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla. Combine flour with the salt and baking soda. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Heat oven to 180C. Drop rounded tea-spoons of mixture onto prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 – 12 mins until lightly brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Topping. In a large bowl, cream butter, icing sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach spreading con-sistency. Frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with sugar. Store in a cool place. Makes quite a few cookies.

 

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Christmas Cookies

Italian Lemon Cookies

1cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

3 eggs separated

2 tsp grated lemon peel

2½ cups of plain flour

coloured sugar [optional golden caster sugar]

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and lemon peel. Gradually beat in the flour. Refrigerate, cov-ered, for 1 hour or until firm enough to shape. Pre-heat oven 180C. Shape [roll] level tablespoons of dough into 6 inch ropes. Shape each rope into as ‘S’, an then coil each end until it touches the centre. [this will make an ‘8’ shape]. Place 2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets [non stick]. Whisk egg whites, brush over cookies. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 12-14 mins until bottoms are brown. Cool on wire racks. Should make about 36 cookies

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Spiced Swede Fritters [vegetarian]

1 swede, about 650 – 700g, peeled and diced into small chunks

75g plain flour

100ml crème fraiche

1 egg beaten

1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 med red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

small handful fresh coriander, chopped

sunflower oil, for frying

mango chutney to serve

Cook the swede in boiling water until tender. Drain well. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, crème fraiche and egg to make a smooth thick batter. Stir in the chilli, onion, spices and coriander, then season generously. Roughly mash the swede and stir into the mixture. Heat a splash of the oil in a large non-stick pan and cook small, flattened spoonfuls of the mixture for about 2 mins on each side until crisp and browned. Serve with mango chutney and maybe a nice glass of wine

 

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Caramelised Onion Tart [vegetarian]

375g ready rolled shortcrust pastry

500g onions, finely slice

3 tbsp. olive oil

few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

3 eggs

300ml milk 100g ready grated emmental cheese

Heat oven to 190C/fan. Pre-warm a baking tray. Prepare a 23cm fluted flan tin. Roll out the pastry and line the tin. Chill for 10 mins. Blind bake for 10 mins, remove from the oven, remove baking beads and bake for a further 5 mins. until light golden. In a large frying pan add the oil and cook the onions until starting to soften, add the thyme and salt and fresh pepper. Cook slowly for a further 15 mins, until the onions are soft and tinged brown. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, beat in the milk and half of the cheese and some fresh pepper. Spread the onions over the flan case and pour over the egg mix. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake on the baking sheet for 30-40 mins until the filling is firm and golden, and the pastry is crisp. Serve hot with buttered new potatoes and green vegetables.

 

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