Over the summer I get through loads of courgettes, tomatoes and peppers in various dishes so there’s almost always a couple of each lurking in a corner of the fridge waiting to be used. Most of the time I’ve also got a lump of puff pastry in the freezer as I rarely need to use a whole block. The other week I was stuck for ideas for a Sunday lunch and decided to use up some of the leftovers.
Continue reading “Summer vegetable tart”
Tag: recipe
Pigeon with Roast Beetroot
My fiance loves pickled beetroot. She’ll munch through jars of the stuff as a snack but I’ve never been all that fussed by it. It’s too overpowering and annihilates whatever is unfortunate enough to share a plate with it. That’s not to say I don’t like beetroot. It’s the second best root vegetable in the packets of root veg crisps you can buy these days (obviously parsnip is the best) and I’ve had some pretty good beet experiences in the past.
Recently I’ve noticed roast beetroot appearing on cooking programmes and menus more often. I picked up some pigeon breasts at the farmers market and decided it would be a good time to try roasting beets. Continue reading “Pigeon with Roast Beetroot”
Poached Egg and Asparagus
I like to think I can turn my hand to most basic cooking techniques after a few minutes research. I learn quickly and most techniques tend to work as described. But there’s one that has always failed me every single time I’ve tried it. Not just me either. This supposedly simple cooking method has ended in wails of frustration and an empty stomach for millions of us. Of course the technique in question is poaching an egg.
It’s gently cooking an egg in water. How hard can it be!? Yet every time I’ve tried it in the past I end up with an unpleasant pan full of eggy soup. Bits of cooked white floating all over the place while a single ball of yolk hides in a corner, doing its own thing. Even more frustrating is the fact that those people who have master this technique appear to be able to turn then out at will. Their number includes my brother. Frankly that was the final straw. I had to get back on the horse. Continue reading “Poached Egg and Asparagus”
Pork chop with garlic mushrooms and olives
I had some olives and a pork chop leftover (from separate meals) and was looking for something to use them up. So I came up with this simple dish of mushrooms with garlic, tomatoes and olives and a pan fried pork chop. Great for a quick midweek meal as the whole thing just takes 15 minutes. Continue reading “Pork chop with garlic mushrooms and olives”
Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Spaghetti
What am I going to have for tea tonight? That’s a question that takes up a lot of my time. For inspiration I’ll grab a few books and flick through them or trawl recipe websites hoping something jumps out of the screen. But often the best inspiration is my own memory of a dish I’ve eaten somewhere. This sea bass dish is my version of a restaurant dish I had at Sea Breezes on Skye. They used crushed tatties but I’ve done it with spaghetti for a slightly more mediterranean feel. Continue reading “Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Spaghetti”
Mince and Skirlie 