Egg, bacon and mushroom fried rice

When hunger strikes and you don't feel like spending loads of time cooking, this is a great cheating meal for 2. It makes a great brunch. I use some ready prepared ingredients that we always have in the fridge or cupboard, plus other basic stores from the fridge.

Ingredients

1 pack of ready cubed pancetta/bacon bits 1 large Spring onion, finely sliced 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 large chestnut mushroom, roughly chopped 1 packet of ready cooked basmati rice 2 free range eggs, lightly whisked with a fork chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Method

Use a nonstick frying pan on a medium heat, pop in the bacon and frazzle until browning, add the spring onions and garlic and continue cooking for another minute, add the mushroom, cook for another minute. Add the rice, break down with a wooden spoon and fry for another 2 minutes. Scrape the rice to the edges and add the egg to the middle, keep stirring and start mixing in with the rice, continue cooking until all cooked and mixed in. If you like coriander, add this now and continue stirring in to rice. Serve You don't need any oil in the pan or salt as the bacon has enough of each.

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Jäger Schnitzel

For years I wouldn't eat veal as I didn't agree with how it was reared, then in 2012 I watched the Jimmy Doherty TV programme where he explained how rose veal production should increase as it is a by product of the dairy industry.
I now have no guilt and actively look for veal if it is available so that we help the UK farming industry.
We were lucky enough this weekend to spot a couple of veal escalopes at our favourite farm shop Danestream.
I found a brilliant recipe on the web for Jäger Schnitzel and as our daughter is currently on a gluten and lactose free diet, used gluten free breadcrumbs (whizzed a couple of slices in my food processor), gluten free flour, lacto free butter, cream and milk, plus fresh thyme from the garden.
It was very scrummy and will definitely cook again.

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Bolognese sauce (ragu)

 Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces, or 1 pack of cubed pancetta/bacon lardons
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
500g/1lb minced beef
1 carrot, finely diced
1 tbsp tomato purée
100ml/ 1/4pt milk
1/4 nutmeg grated (use fresh, it's much nicer)
1 glass red wine (there won't be any alcohol left after cooking)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 oxo cube
Water
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large saucepan, add the onions and celery and gently fry until they are soft, add in the bacon and fry for about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the garlic and minced beef, break up the mince as you fry it, it should start to crumble, fry until none of the mince is pink. Add in the carrot, tomato purée, nutmeg and milk, bubble until the milk has vanished. Now add the wine, again bubble until it has vanished. Sprinkle over the oxo cube add the tinned tomatoes and enough water to just cover the ingredients, season. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a very low simmer so that the odd bubble breaks the surface, cook for a good hour, stirring occasionally. At this stage you could pop this in a slow cooker and leave on low all day to cook.

Check seasoning and then serve.

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Coq au Vin

I love reading cookery books, but sometimes I just cook from the heart. Today was one of those days, my daughter wanted coq-au-vin, I decided to just go with the flow, so here's my recipe.

Ingredients
1 onion sliced
2 whole garlic cloves
1 tbsp butter
1 pack of smoked bacon lardons
chicken portions
1 large tomato chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 bottle of red wine
1 chicken stock cube
salt and pepper
Butter
Button mushrooms
Baby onions (if you have some)

Method
Start by gently frying the onion in the butter, (I had some bacon fat left from cooking carbonara for lunch). Add to 2 whole garlic cloves, continue frying.
Add the pack of bacon lardons, continue to fry. Add the chicken and brown. Pop in the tomato then the entire bottle of wine (I know it seems a lot, but it really is worth it). Crumble over the chicken stock cube, season.
Make the bouquet garni and add, I used a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, some parsley stalks, a bay leaf and half a stick of celery with it's leaves. I tied it together with some string and popped it in the pot.
Simmer until the chicken is tender, this is about 1 1/2 hours.
Heat some butter and then in small batches fry the mushrooms until golden adding them to the casserole, do the same with the onions if you are using. Stir thoroughly and leave with a lid on until you need to reheat for lunch/dinner.

If you have some fresh parsley, chop and garnish the finished casserole.

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Pasta Carbonara

This is one of those recipes that is really quick to make and is great to rustle up when you have to fill starving kids. It is also great as a power lunch before rehearsals etc.
It is so easy, it's great as a dish for the kids to learn to cook. If you have leftover ham, use that instead of the bacon, it also doesn't need to be frazzled first either. I always have little packets of pancetta in the fridge, there's normally some double cream and parmesan is a staple. This makes a great starter or main course.

If you wish to make a traditional carbonara, then you can leave out the cream.

To serve 4
Ingredients
250g spaghetti or linguine (cook amount you would normally cook for 4)
150g cubed pancetta or streaky bacon cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 eggs (free-range if possible)
150 ml double cream
75g parmesan cheese freshly grated
Salt and Pepper

Method
Put the pasta in to boil in lots of salted boiling water, check the pasta for timing, you want the pasta to be just al dente.
Whilst the pasta is cooking fry off the bacon/pancetta in the olive oil until browned.
In a bowl mix the eggs, cream and salt & pepper, beat well together.
As soon as the pasta has finished cooking, turn off the pasta and strain in a colander, return to the pan add in the egg mixture, toss through the pasta, the residual heat in the pasta and pan will cook it, throw in the parmesan and continue tossing, then add the bacon and toss through. It should be lovely and creamy and cling to the pasta. If the "sauce" seems a little too thin, carefully put the heat back on very low and toss carefully and quickly, you want it to thicken and not turn into scrambled eggs.

Serve. For a dinner party, you could serve with a green salad and some garlic bread.


You can also add sliced mushrooms when frying the bacon to make a change.

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