Recipe Database
Below are my various recipes I have adapted or written from scratch. As I find more things
I like or improve on recipes, I will update this database.
Bacon and Leek Lasagne
| Serves: |
6 |
Cost per portion: |
£1.50 |
| Cooking time: |
45 mins |
Calories per portion: |
518 |
| Prepartion time: |
15 mins |
Ingredients
- 4 rashers back bacon, chopped into inch squares
- 4 leeks, sliced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 15g butter
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 100g mushrooms, sliced
| - 250ml milk
- 25g butter
- 25g flour
- 100g mature cheddar, grated
- 4 sheets lasagne, fresh
- 1 jar roasted peppers in brine, drained
|
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 5. Add the oil to a large pan and fry the bacon over a medium heat until starting to crisp. Add a knob of butter and the leeks and continue to stir until the leeks have softened. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the leeks and mix well.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt 25g of butter in a pan, then mix in the flour until it becomes a paste. Gradually add the milk whilst mixing. Simmer the mixture whilst continuously mixing until it starts to thicken (usually 3-4 minutes). Add half the cheese and continue to mix until thickened.
Use half the leek mixture to make the bottom layer in a lasagne dish, followed by pasta sheets, then a layer of peppers, followed by pasta, then the rest of the leek mixture, followed by pasta, then top with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cook in the oven for 30minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Chicken and Bacon Wraps
| Serves: |
4 |
Cost per portion: |
£1.40 |
| Cooking time: |
25 mins |
Calories per portion: |
420 |
| Prepartion time: |
5 mins |
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 chicken breasts
| - 4 slices mature cheddar
- 8 rashers back bacon
|
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/200C/Gas 6. Mix the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and set aside. Open each chicken breast and cut into slightly if necessary.
Put a slice of cheese into each chicken breast, then roll up to enclose the cheese. Wrap each chicken with two rashers of bacon, overlapping them slightly.
Put the wraps onto a baking sheet. Brush with the ketchup mixture and bake for 25 minutes.
Chicken Curry
| Serves: |
2 |
Cost per portion: |
£2.25 |
| Cooking time: |
1 hrs |
Calories per portion: |
|
| Prepartion time: |
10 mins |
Ingredients
- 1 onion, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam massalla
- 4 cardomoms, seeds only
- 8 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250ml water
| - 3 chicken breasts, diced
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 8-10 bird eye chillis, finely chopped
- 5 cm root ginger, grated
- handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- a few coriander leaves, to garnish
|
Method
Be warned - this is a hot one! Reduce the number or potency of the chillies to tone it down.
Heat half the oil on a medium heat. Fry the sliced onion, tomatoes and half the garlic until the onions are translucent (around 10 mins). Add the water, turmeric, garam massalla and simmer for 10 mins, stirring constantly. Pour into a food processor and purée.
Return the pan to a medium heat and add the remaining oil. Fry the remaining onion until translucent. Add the ginger, chillies and the remaining garlic and fry for a further 5 mins.
Make a paste of the curry powder and chilli powder with a little water. Stir in to the pan and fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and fry until sealed. Add the purée and simmer for 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked, stirring constantly. Add the chopped coriander leaves and stir in well. Serve with the whole leaves sprinkled on top.
Chilli Ramen
| Serves: |
1 |
Cost per portion: |
£ |
| Cooking time: |
40 mins |
Calories per portion: |
|
| Prepartion time: |
10 mins |
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp ground nut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 cm ginger, chopped
- 1 small carrot, chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 600ml chicken stock
| - 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 small chicken breast
- 1 pack dried egg noodles
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- a few coriander leaves
|
Method
Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrot and chilli and fry until the onion has softened slightly. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and soy sauce and season. Gently simmer for 15-20mins, strain and discard the solids.
Poach the chicken in the liquid gently for 8-10mins (or until cooked). Remove from the liquid and slice up. Add the noodles to the liquid and cook until done (around 3-4mins).
Meanwhile, hard boil an egg in a separate pan (around 10mins). Slice in half.
To serve, add the noodles, liquid, chicken and egg to a large bowl. Garnish with the spring onion and coriander. Add chilli oil, if necessary, to add additional spice.
Cottage Pie
| Serves: |
4 |
Cost per portion: |
£ |
| Cooking time: |
40 mins |
Calories per portion: |
|
| Prepartion time: |
5 mins |
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g minced beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
| - 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 300ml red wine
- 500ml chicken stock
- 500g potatoes, chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp Parmesan, grated
|
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/Gas5. Heat the oil in a large pan. Season and fry the mince until browned (2-3mins). Add the onion, carrot, garlic, Worcester sauce, tomato purée, thyme and oregano and fry for a further 1-2mins, stirring constantly.
Add the wine and reduce until complete evaporated. Add the stock, return to the boil and simmer until thick (around 15mins).
Boil, drain and mash the potatoes, then add the yolks and half the Parmesan and mix.
Put the meat mixture in an oven-proof dish and spread the mash on top with a fork. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and cook in the oven for 20mins or until slightly golden on top.
Onion Bhajis
| Serves: |
2 |
Cost per portion: |
£ |
| Cooking time: |
10 mins |
Calories per portion: |
|
| Prepartion time: |
10 mins |
Ingredients
- 3 heaped tbsp Gram Flour
- 2 medium Onion, sliced
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
| - handful coriander, chopped
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- vegetable oil
|
Method
Makes 4-6 Bhajis.
Pour the oil into a large pan, enough to get roughly 1cm deep. Warm over a medium heat.
Put all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. The onions should release enough liquid in order to make a thick batter, but if not, add a little water.
Drop balls of the mixture in to the pan and fry until golden brown, turning as necessary.
Thai Chicken Curry
| Serves: |
2 |
Cost per portion: |
£ |
| Cooking time: |
20 mins |
Calories per portion: |
915 |
| Prepartion time: |
10 mins |
Ingredients
- 100g rice
- 1 lime, halved
- 2 chicken breast, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 chilli, finely sliced
- 1 inch lemongrass, grated
| - 3 cm ginger, finely chopped
- small bunch coriander stalks, finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400ml coconut milk
- 1 chilli, finely sliced
- small bunch coriander leaves
|
Method
Add the rice and lime halves to a pan and soak for 4-5mins in 250ml of boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 5mins, then remove from heat and cover.
Meanwhile, marinade the chicken in the lime juice and 1tbsp sugar for a few minutes. Heat 1tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan, then add the chicken and marinade, cumin, turmeric, fish sauce, 1 chilli and lemon grass. Fry for 10-12mins.
Meanwhile, heat 1tbsp of vegetable oil in another pan, then add the ginger, coriander stalks, onion and garlic. Fry until the onion is softened. Add 1 tsp of sugar and the coconut milk and season, then simmer for 2-3mins.
Add a ladle of the coconut mixture to the chicken pan along with 1 chilli and the coriander leaves. Stir and heat through.
To serve, divide the rice between two plates, put the chicken mixture alongside. Spoon the sauce over the rice and any extra over the chicken.
Toad in the Hole
| Serves: |
4 |
Cost per portion: |
£1.20 |
| Cooking time: |
45 mins |
Calories per portion: |
640 |
| Prepartion time: |
10 mins |
Ingredients
- 8 cumberland sausages
- 4 rashers back bacon, cut into inch squares
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- few sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g plain flour
- 1 egg
| - 150ml milk
- 150ml water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 2 tsp English mustard
|
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/220C/Gas 7. Slit the sausages down their length and remove the skins. Shape each sausage into three balls.
Put the sausage balls, bacon and red onion in a small roasting tin and scatter over the thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil, then bake for 20 minutes until the sausage balls are lightly browned.
Mix the plain flour, egg, milk and water. Whisk the batter until smooth. Pour the batter mix all around the ingredients in the tin and return to the oven for 25 minutes.
To make gravy, first heat the vegetable oil in a small pan, then add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15minutes. Season well.
Tuna Bagel Melt
| Serves: |
4 |
Cost per portion: |
£0.75 |
| Cooking time: |
5 mins |
Calories per portion: |
277 |
| Prepartion time: |
5 mins |
Ingredients
- 4 bagels
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 1 tbsp mayonaisse
| - handful iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- handful mature cheddar, grated
|
Method
Split open the bagels and toast under a hot grill on both sides until golden. Meanwhile, season and mix the tuna, mayonnaise and lettuce in a bowl.
Spread the tuna mix over the bottom half of each bagel and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle on the cheese and grill until melted. Top with the remaining bagel halves.