The Cooking Thread

[ONeill]

I made a cake today.

Any good cooks/bakers/chefs out there?

[ziggysego]

Yes

[ONeill]

Well what's the quickest and cheapest way of making a dinner that means I'll have an all day pass on Sunday? Thinking of £20 on ingredients and about 30 mins-1 hr cooking time.

[Bensars]

Well what's the quickest and cheapest way of making a dinner that means I'll have an all day pass on Sunday? Thinking of £20 on ingredients and about 30 mins-1 hr cooking time.

Marks and Sparks
3 course and a bottle of wine

[Hardy]

Powdered water is very quick and easy.  Just add water.

[seafoid]

O'Neill

What sort of meal were you thinking of ?  I have a load of easy recipes that look good when made and can e-mail them.
Roast chicken takes 75 minutes and it's lovely with cumin and preserved lemons stuffed inside the skin.
 

[Rois]

Start with beetroot and goats cheese - also impressive but no cooking required and very cheap - just "fresh" beetroot, a wad of goats cheese and a bag of rocket salad. 

Def a roast chicken fan.  Drop into an Asda store and hit the McGee's butchers in them - beautiful fresh meats.  Well presented too. 

[The Real Laoislad]

I like a nice bit of fresh mcGEE meat myself

[ONeill]

Rois, I'd never get out again if i put Goat's Cheese and Beetroot in front of her. She's from West Belfast.

Seafoid - thinking of something to do with prawns or pie-ish.

[ziggysego]

I used to cook when I was a teenage. Made pizzas (from scratch, not heading up) bread, buns, cakes and all sorts of tasty treats. Haven't done anything in years.

[Bensars]

Rois, I'd never get out again if i put Goat's Cheese and Beetroot in front of her. She's from West Belfast.

Seafoid - thinking of something to do with prawns or pie-ish.

Sausage roll bap with red sauce it is then !

[seafoid]

O'Neill-how about this?

Seared Spice Crusted Salmon with Red Lentil and Chili Risotto
This is a great recipe- very easy and very tasty.

Serves 6

6 pieces of unskinned fresh salmon, 5-6 oz (140-170g) in weight
2 teaspoon each of freshly roasted and ground cumin, coriander and fennel seeds
Alternatively use Schwartz Cajun mixture if you can't be arsed finding and roasting the spices.   
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Red Lentil & Chili Risotto

½-1 tablespoon sunflower or peanut oil
2 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ chili sliced
6oz (170g) red lentils
12 fl oz (1½ cups) chicken stock
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish

Rocket leaves

First make red lentil risotto

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the cumin, crushed garlic, grated ginger.  Add the sliced chili, cook for 3-4 minutes, add the lentils and cook for 1-2 minutes, add a ladle full of hot stock.  When it has been almost absorbed, add some more and continue until all the stock has been absorbed – about 20 minutes.  Season with salt & pepper.  Stir in the freshly chopped mint and coriander.  Taste and correct the seasoning, add a little lime juice if necessary.

Salmon crust

Mix the ground spices and sea salt in a bowl.

Dip the salmon in olive oil and then into the spice mixture.  Heat a frying pan, when hot, add a tiny drop of olive oil.  Cook the salmon skin side down for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat, reduce the heat, flip over for a few minutes of the flesh side.  Serve immediately on a bed of Red Lentil and Chili Risotto.

Garnish with rocket leaves and serve.

[seafoid]

This is very tasty. Serve with couscous and takes about 20 minutes

Thai beef salad
1-lb decent quality steak-  sirloin or other
3 medium sized hot chillies  sliced crosswise very thinly (you may also substitute jalapenos or serrano chillies,minced)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. fish sauce
5 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice(1 medium size lime)
1 head lettuce
12 sprigs fresh mint(optional), remove the leaves and discard the stems
1 small cucumber , peeled and sliced thinly
2 to 3 shallots, sliced crosswise very thinly or 1 small red onion, sliced 
3 or 4 sprigs coriander, stems removed
Grill the steak until medium-rare.  Trim off any fat.   Cool and slice thin, into pieces approx. 2 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.
Mix garlic, chillies, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl.  Add the sliced meat and toss with the cucumbers and shallots.  Taste and add more fish sauce if desired.
Make a bed of the lettuce on a serving plate.  Place the beef on top.  Garnish with coriander  Serves 2 to 3 as an appetiser or as part of a meal.

[Rois]

OK - sausages then.  Jenny Bristow has a great recipe

http://www.jennybristow.com/recipes/recipe.asp?Id=20

and serve with some mash with a tablespoon of wholegrain mustard stirred through. 

Or a good spag bol goes down well.

I'm killling myself here, starting the teeth bleaching tonight and keep thinking about red foods like beetroot, spag bol and red onion gravy.  It'll be a while before I see those again 

[Hardy]

Prawns - simple starter.

Prep:
Shell your prawns. Some like to leave the tails on, but I hate having to waste eating time de-tailing them. Better still, buy them de-shelled. 6 to ten big ones per person or twice that amount if they're the little half-inch size ones. Better still, don't buy the little ones.

Tear up a handful of basil leaves.

Cut a big lemon in half.

Crush a clove of garlic.

Cooking:
Melt a good knob of butter and the same amount of olive oil - stops the butter burning. Use a small saucepan - i.e. not a flat frying pan - there'll be plenty of liquid that you want to keep.

Cook the garlic on medium heat in the butter for a minute or so. Don't let it burn.

Add the prawns. Cook for 2 minutes or so, less if they're the little ones - until they're white. Don't overcook or they'll be rubbery.

Throw in the basil and squeeze the half-lemon into the saucepan. Both halves if you like it plenty lemony, as I do. Bring it up to boil again, if necessary and serve.

Serve them in a small dish, not a plate, as you want to use all the liquid as a sauce.

Plenty of good bread for dipping in the sauce.


I can give you a nice fish pie if you want it, too.