Lamb Rogan Josh Curry

It has to be said from the start that I am not professing to be any good at cooking authentic curries... But this recipe is definitely a healthier and cheaper option to your Indian takeaway, and probably quicker too if your Indian restaurant is as busy as the ones in York!

The basis of this recipe is the Waitrose Rogan Josh curry paste which I think is a really good quality and flavour. Cooking for just myself I used 2 tablespoons, leaving plenty for another time. A friend told me her mum had used just half a jar for a family of four, so you do get your money's worth out of it! After the curry paste, all you need to buy is some good quality diced lamb from your butcher (200g per person is plenty), some chopped onion, garlic, fresh coriander and tinned chopped tomatoes. Again you can buy a pack of four Waitrose tinned tomatoes for just £2. Cooking for one, I only used half a jar, so that's just 25p... I meant it when I said this recipe was a lot cheaper than a take away! Its also nice that you can use up all the ingredients at another point in the week so nothing gets wasted. If you like your curries hot, I would definitely add some chopped chilli. 

The method for this couldn't be simpler or quicker: 1. Fry off some onion and garlic in a pan for 2 minutes on a medium high heat. 

2. Add your curry paste, stirring for another 2 minutes. 

3 Add your lamb and cook till brown for about five minutes. 

4. Add your chopped tomatoes and reduce down. At this point I would add a cup of water, not too much, but enough just to make sure your sauce isn't too thick or rich. 5. Reduce the heat slightly and let the curry gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is particularly important that you let it cook for enough time because at this time of year lamb isn't as tender as it is in the spring. 6. At this point I would cook your rice or any accompaniments. 7. When everything is cooked, stir in your chopped coriander and serve immediately! 

    

I actually ordered poppadoms and naan bread from the takeaway as a friend was getting one (unfortunately she doesn't like lamb!) but the supermarkets have plenty of products in this line on sale. 

NB: If you were being super lazy, Andrew's sell delicious fresh curry sauces which you can just add to the meat, letting you skip a few stages above... Unfortunately I was too many miles away to pop in and get one! 

Monte Enebro Goat's Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Tart

From the time to time Andrew's like to try new cheeses and offer our customer's something a little different. These last two week's we have started selling a new goat's milk cheese, Monte Enebro, which has been incredibly popular. Perhaps you'll understand how good it is when I tell you that I, who previously avoided all goat's cheese like the plague, am absolutely in love with it. So much so, I made this super easy, but delicious, goat's cheese and sun dried tomato tart. Monte Enebro is an artisanal  Spanish cheese with a unique black rind that is at the same time creamy in texture and complex in flavour. Only 7000 are made a year, so we're extremely lucky to be selling it in our shop!

You will need:
1 sheet of puff pastry, already rolled
100g Andrew's sun dried tomatoes
200g Monte Enebro Cheese
Some olive oil
Black pepper and salt
Thyme leaves, or other herbs.

 1  Preheat your oven to 200C.  2  Dust your pastry sheet with flour and place in a baking tray.  3  Chop sun dried tomatoes and arrange in the middle of the pastry so that there is enough room for the pastry to rise around it at the edges.  4  Slice and chop your Monte Enebro cheese into smaller pieces and arrange on top of the sun dried tomatoes.  5  Drizzle with some olive oil, some fresh herb leaves, and season with salt and pepper.  6  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, cooking until golden brown. Give a few more minutes if necessary.  7  Serve hot and enjoy!

The amount this tart serves is largely dependent on how you want to serve it. As a rectangle, you could slice it into bite size pieces suitable for a party or serve it in four slices, as I have done, to serve four for lunch or a starter.

Mediterranean Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite things to cook from scratch, but if I don't have the necessary store-cupboard ingredients- of which the list can be quite long- it can be expensive and take a considerable amount of time. In such times of need, I love that I picked up this sun-dried tomato and black olive risotto mix that Dad has started to stock in the shop.

I gradually added boiling water to the risotto mix in a pan for 25-30 minutes (instructions are on the back), adding some leftover cooked + sliced chicken breast, grated parmesan, and a knob of butter 5 minutes before the end. So simple yet so yummy!

 I think this recipe would be great for dinner parties when you want to impress with little effort or equally great for mid-week suppers. You can add as much or as little as you want to it as it is so delicious to start with. However if I were to make it really special, I might add some fresh sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs to garnish and give it that extra something.

NB: Click to see my moroccan chicken, couscous, and tzatsiki recipe that I cooked using a Mediterranean Couscous mix from the same range.

Quick Lunch: Rump Steak Roll

It's a quick post this week, but I had to share with you this delicious steak roll I had for lunch last week. Running between lectures, it was so quick and easy to prepare but filled me up and put a big smile on my face too- after all isn't that what good food is all about?! Rump steak is great to buy, as it has exceptional flavour, but is a lot cheaper per kilo than other steak cuts making it great value for money. What's more at a butchers like ours, you can have exactly what size you wish, and be safe in the knowledge it comes from local farms and will have been hung in carcass for a least 28 days. 

To make yourself: simply fry your steak in  olive oil and mixed herbs for however long you prefer, I have gone for medium rare here. While it is cooking prepare your roll with some lovely mayo or chutney, and salad. Leave the steak to rest for a couple of minutes, slice and add to your roll. Be warned the juices make it a messy lunch but the satisfaction that comes from eating it is more than worth it! 

Asparagus, Courgette, Smoked Streaky Bacon Tagliatelle

Asparagus season is finally upon us, so I thought I would show you one of my favourite combinations, asparagus and smoked streaky bacon, in this quick and easy pasta dish. Asparagus goes really well with any cured pork meats especially prosciutto ham and pancetta; I tend to think of it as a posh pea and ham combo... But smoked streaky bacon is something I always use as an alternative as it is packed with flavour, a lot cheaper, and easy to have put by in the freezer to thaw and chop up when you want it. This dish couldn't be simpler, I made it in about ten minutes after getting in late from the library this evening... as it tastes delicious there really is no excuse for 'quick' ready meals or take aways at such times!

 1 Par boil chopped asparagus for about 2 minutes to soften. 2 In a pan fry chopped streaky bacon, and finely sliced courgette. 3 In the meanwhile remove asparagus from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the bacon and courgette. 4 Saving water and pans, add some fresh tagliatelle to the saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. 5 Add a couple of knobs of batter to your veg and bacon. 6 Drain the pasta and add to the pan. 7 Dish up, grate over some parmesan, and eat immediately. The best fast comfort food after a long day!

Moroccan Spiced Chicken, Couscous, Tzatsiki

We are now selling a delicious Mediterranean couscous mix, so I thought I would experiment with some moroccan flavours for a delicious, easy, mid-week meal. The whole pack can be used for feeding 4-5 people, or if like me you are only feeding one, will last you a while. I used an Andrew's chicken thigh over chicken breast: while most people shy away from leg meat, it is a lot cheaper per kilo and stays extremely succulent and moist. I removed the bone quite easily, gradually taking the knife close to the bone to cut the meat away, so the thigh would lay flatter when cooking. Alternatively we sell skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or you can leave the bone in.

Serves 1 

1 Chicken Thigh- 1 packet of Mediterranean Couscous- Harissa Paste- Cumin- Herbs- Olive Oil- Greek Yoghurt- Cucumber- Mint

In a bowl mix a tablespoon of olive oil with the same of harissa paste, adding mixed herbs, coriander and cumin as you wish, to make a paste. 

Apply this to the top side of the thigh, rubbing into the skin. Leave to marinate for 2 hours at least, covered in the fridge. 

In the meantime I made a lovely tzatsiki to calm down the heat of the harissa. Simply take 2 heaped tablespoons of greek yoghurt and add some grated cucumber and a handful of finely chopped fresh mint. This is ever so cheap to make, healthy and lovely as it is so fresh. You could always make a bigger amount and save it as a dip for another occasion! 

When it comes to cooking heat a pan with a teaspoon of butter. When the pan is hot, add the chicken skin side down to crisp up the skin. Turn over perhaps after 4 minutes, making sure it is brown on both sides and cooked through.  In the meantime cook the couscous to the packet instructions. Slice the chicken and place on top of a bed of couscous, with a large spoonful of tzatsiki on the side. Hope you enjoy, L x

N.B this would also be lovely with our new season's lamb cutlets!