Category: Mr Greedy’s Kitchen

Courgette and Tomato Tart

375 ready rolled puff pastry

200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

250g good mature cheddar cheese

3 – 4 medium/large sized courgettes, cut into rounds

Olive oil

1 tbsp dried mixed herbs

Fresh black pepper and sea salt

I egg beaten

Heat oven to 195C. Lightly oil a 25cm x 38cm bak-ing tray. Roll out pastry [if required to fit tray]. Transfer pastry to the tray and score a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry. [Don’t cut through]. Spread the cheese over the pastry up to the score line. Cover the cheese with the sliced courgettes, over lapping as required. Gently brush the courgettes with olive oil. Scatter the cut tomatoes evenly on to the courgettes. Sprinkle the mixed herbs over the top. Add the black pepper and sea salt. Brush the edge with the beaten egg. Bake in the oven for about 20 – 25 mins until the cheese has melted and the edge has risen and golden.

Serve with baby, buttered new potatoes and a selec​tion of meats cooked on the BBQ.

Raspberry Dessert Cake.

250g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

225g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

1 tbsp. strong, dark coffee

5 large eggs

100g golden caster sugar

85g plain flour

1tsp. ground cinnamon

175g fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve

Icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line the bottom of a 23cm spring form tin. Put the chocolate, butter and coffee in a small heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs and caster together in a separate bowl until pale and thick. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and cinnamon into another bowl, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle the rasp-berries evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for about 35 – 45 mins, or until the cake is well risen and springy to touch. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15 mins and remove outer spring of tin. Use a cake slice to remove cake from paper and slide onto a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Serve with whipped double cream and extra raspberries.

 

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Cod with Tomato and Thyme

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 heaped tsp light brown soft sugar

few sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped

1tbsp soy sauce

4 good sized cod fillets or Pollack

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, fry for about 5 – 8 mins until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and soy sauce, bring to the boil. Simmer for about 5 mins, then add fish to the sauce. Cover and gently cook for about 8 – 10 mins until the fish flakes easily. Serve with boiled potatoes and a green vegetables.

 

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Roast Chicken Thighs with Asparagus and Garlic

8 chicken thighs, boned, skin on

750g Jersey Royals, cut into bit sized pieces

1 large whole garlic bulb, cloves separated

1 tbsp. garlic olive oil

1 lemon

small handful fresh rosemary sprigs

300g large asparagus, woody ends removed

2 med leeks trimmed, green end removed

Heat oven to 180C. Par boil potatoes for about 5 mins, drain and set aside. Half the lemon and squeeze out the juice, cut the lemon halves into chunks. Cut the leeks into about 1 inch lengths. In a large bowl add all the ingredients except the aspara-gus and rosemary. Mix well to cover with the oil and lemon, transfer to a large baking tin or casserole dish. Arrange the chicken on the top of the veg. Roast for about 30 mins, stir now and again. Re-move dish from the oven stir in the asparagus and rosemary to coat with the juices. Cook for about 15 mins more until the potatoes are tender. Serve with buttered green beans and broccoli or veg of your choice.

 

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Roast Squash with
Moroccan Spices

! butternut squash, about 1kg
8 small shallots
1 tbsp. harissa
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil + extra for drizzling
450g can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
100g baby spinach leaves
1 rounded tsp clear honey

To serve: Couscous flecked with chopped coriander, lemon wedges
Heat oven to 180C. Cut squash into chunky wedges, deseed and peel. Scatter the squash onto a large shallow baking tray. Peel and halve the shallots lengthways. Scatter over the squash. Mix the harissa and oil together and pour over the vegetables. Gen-tle toss together with your fingers and season with fresh black pepper. Roast for about 2o mins until squash is tender and the shallots starting to brown. Shake tray half way through cooking. A few mins before the end of roasting, tip the butter beans over the squash, toss briefly in the juices, then return to the oven to warm through. Remove from the oven and scatter the spinach over. Gently toss together without breaking the squash until the spinach starts to wilt. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Serve with the couscous and lemon wedges.

Pasta with Garlicky Greens

1 tbsp garlic olive oil
3 leeks finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250g baby spinach leaves
200ml double cream
400g orecchiette or other short pasta
75g blue cheese, crumbled

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leeks and garlic and soften for about 10 mins. Stir in spinach leaves and allow to wilt for a few mins. Add the cream, stir and remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Drain well and return to the sauce pan, stir in the leek sauce. Serve in bowls with crumbled blue cheese on top. Serve with good crusty fresh bread, and may be a glass or two of good Italian white wine.

 

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White Fish with Sweet and Sour Peppers

1 tbsp olive oil

3 mixed peppers, deseeded and finely sliced

1 fennel bulb, finely sliced

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

50ml white wine vinegar

zest and juice of 1 large orange

handful of chopped parsley + extra to serve

400g can chopped tomatoes

4 fillets white fish, 150g each [ cod, coley, hake, or pollack ]

Preheat oven 180C. In a large pan, heat oil, peppers and fennel. Cook gently until softened, stirring now and again. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 min, then stir in vinegar, zest and the juice of the orange. Bubble for a short time until the smell of the vinegar has gone. Stir in the parsley and the tomatoes, and cook for about 5 mins. Season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Transfer to an oven proof dish. Sit the fish on the top and bake for about 10 – 15 mins until fish is cooked through. Serve with extra parsley. Serve with a green veg and buttered baby new potatoes.

Fish and Prawn Gratins with Oaty breadcrumbs [An evening meal for 2]

340g bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped

400g can of chopped tomatoes, with garlic and herbs

250g white fish fillets, cut into large chunks

small bunch basil, shredded

150g cooked and peeled prawns

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

2 tbsp. breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. oats

Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over boiling water. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water then season. Tip the tomatoes into a frying pan, season, and simmer for about 5 mins to thicken. Add the fish and heat for about 5 mins. Stir in the basil. Heat oven to180C. Divide the spinach, fish, prawns and tomato sauce between 2 gratin dishes. Mix the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and oats together and sprinkle over the top. Bake for about 15 – 20 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve with cooked buttered broccoli and fresh crusty bread.

 

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Easter Chocolate Fudge Cake

150g unsalted butter, softened

150g light muscovado sugar

40g cocoa powder

150g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bi-carb of soda

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

142ml soured cream

2 tbsp. golden syrup

For the ganache;

250ml double cream

250g dark chocolate [Bournville is ideal ]

To decorate;

1 chocolate flake, crumbled

120g tub mini eggs

Heat oven to 180C, grease and line two 200mm sponge sandwich tins. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale. In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, bi-carb and a pinch of salt, mix well together. Add to the creamed butter and sugar. In a jug, whisk the eggs with vanilla, soured cream and syrup. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together. Divide the mixture between the two tins. Bake for about 20 – 25 mins until springy. Leave to cool for a few mins and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. For the ganache. In a bowl over simmering water melt the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat, stir briefly until combined and smooth [DON’T OVERSTIR]. Leave to cool for about 1 hr, or thick enough to spread. Use slightly less than half to sandwich the cakes together. Spread the remaining ganache all over the cake [top and sides] the decorate with the eggs and flake.

 

 

Spanish Orange and Almond Cake

2 oranges, about 280g in total, scrubbed and rough-ly chopped [ with skin ]

5 eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

225 ground almonds

2 tbsp. flaked almonds

sifted icing sugar to decorate

Put the chopped orange in a small sauce pan, dis-carding any pips. add 1 tbsp. of water, cover and gently simmer for about 30 mins until all excess liquid has evaporated. leave to cool. Preheat oven to

180C. Line the bottom and side of a 23cm spring form tin with parchment. Finely chop the oranges in a food processor. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in half the caster sugar, then whisk for 1 min. Using the same whisk, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining caster sugar in another bowl for 2 – 3 mins or until pale and quite thick. Whisk in the finely chopped oranges, then carefully fold in the ground almonds. Stir in 3 table spoons of the egg white to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites with a large metal spoon. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle with the flaked al-monds. Bake for 50 – 55 mins or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Check the cake after 20mins and again at 30mins, and cover lightly with foil if it is browning too quickly. Leave cake to cool in tin, then transfer to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar. Cut and serve.

 

 

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Leek and Goat's Cheese Tartlets

4 med leeks, trimmed, halved and finely sliced

large knob of butter

2 tbsp thyme leaves and 4 nice sprigs

375g block of puff pastry

4 good slices goats cheese [with rind]

truffle oil or walnut oil [optional]

Wash the leeks and drain. Heat the butter in a wide pan until sizzling, [don’t bun it] then add the wet leeks, thyme leaves, fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Turn heat down low and cook for about 20 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured. Add a little more butter if required. Set aside and allow to cool. Heat oven to 200C Roll out pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out saucer sized circles and place on a prepared baking sheet. Divide the leeks to each circle and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Place a slice of cheese on each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edges together to encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for about 20 – 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzle with flavoured oil. Serve alongside a green salad and sliced cherry tomatoes.

 

Fish Cakes with a difference

600g potatoes, cut into med sized chunks

2 x 120g sardines in spring water [drained]

4 tbsp chopped parsley

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp. light mayonnaise

4 tbsp. fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. seasoned plain flour

4 tsp sunflower oil

Cook potatoes and drain, Mash well with a little butter. In a large bowl, coarsely mash the sardines, [no need to remove the bones] Mix in 3 tbsp. of the parsley and half of the lemon zest and juice and fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Gently mix into the mashed potatoes and season. shape into 8 fat fish cakes using floured hands, then dust with the seasoned flour. In a serving bowl mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, zest, parsley and seasoning. Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan and fry half the fish cakes for about 3 – 4 mins on each side. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining fish cakes. Serve with the lemony mayonnaise, green salad and lemon wedges

 

 

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