Recipes!

Just for fun - besides music I love cooking and trying out new dishes; these are some of my favourites.

Fish Pie (with thanks to my girlfriend's mum!)

       This recipe gives five to six good helpings.

       Peel four or five large potatoes and chop them up into cubes, and put them on to boil until just starting to soften. Put the oven on to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

       Put 700g of fish (haddock, cod, salmon, trout - mixed or just one type) in a bowl with about half a cup of milk and microwave on high for about four minutes. It should then flake easily. Put the fish on one side and keep the milk - use it to make a white sauce; melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan and stir in 4 tablespoons of plain flour, then add the milk a bit at a time, stirring constantly to make it smooth. You'll need to add more milk (maybe another half a cup), but then stir and simmer for about five minutes until it thickens.

       When the sauce is ready, put the fish into it in the pan; add 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley and (suggestions only!) some peas, a handful of prawns, boiled eggs...... Stir it all together and tip into a glass baking dish. Drain and mash the potatoes and pile on top of the fish mixture, spreading it out evenly. Stick it in the oven for half an hour until the mash starts going golden brown and serve with green veg, sweetcorn (or corn-on-the-cob), salad and fresh crusty bread.

Banoffee Cheesecake

       Put a 225g tin of condensed milk, unopened, into a pan of water; bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and leave for 1.5 hours, checking often and topping up the water if necessary. (I can't often find 225g tins - use 397g if that's all you can get; you can also get Carnation Caramel, which doesn't need to be boiled.)

       Crush 150g chocolatey biscuits and mix the crumbs with 2 tablespoons of runny honey and 25g softened butter. Press into a pie dish, or lid of a casserole dish, or five or six individual ramekins/chef's rings, and put in the fridge.

       Mix 400g cream cheese (Philadelphia - you can use low fat versions if you prefer!) with 4tbsp of icing sugar until it's smooth, then stir in 1tbsp of maple syrup and the condensed milk/Carnation Caramel (if you're using the larger tins only use about three quarters of it) until smooth. Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuity base and return to the fridge for at least half an hour.

       To finish, slice three medium bananas and arrange slices on top.

BE WARNED - this is probably the sweetest thing you'll ever eat!! You won't need big portions, and you won't need anything else (chocolate sauce, ice cream etc) with it!

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

       Get the oven ready by heating it up to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5. While it's warming up put half a cup (about 100g) unsalted butter in a large bowl and beat it until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated orange peel, beat again until combined; then add half a cup of granulated sugar and quarter of a cup of brown sugar, beat again until combined; add two egg yolks and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, beat until combined.

       Add 1 cup (140g) plain flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix it up well, scraping round the sides of the bowl occasionally. Finally add 1 cup (180g) of chocolate chips and stir well.

       Drop by the tablespoon onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, if you have some. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned, and leave them on the tray for 5 minutes when you take them out of the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy at your leisure.

Cold Creamy Chicken Pasta

       This makes masses of food, good for about 12 sides or 6-8 mains.

       Firstly saute 1lb chicken breasts in 3oz melted butter. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil and cook half a pound of pasta - penne (tubes), conchiglie (shells), farfalle (bow ties) or fusilli (spirals) are all good, or a mixture - according to the instructions on the packet. Don't make it too soft or it will fall apart when mixing the salad.

       In a large bowl make the dressing - mix 2 cups of sour cream, 3 cups of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of dill weed, half a cup of grated parmesan (or imitation!), some freshly ground black pepper and a good pinch of salt. For colour I also add some spring onions and red peppers. Stir it all up and set aside for 15 minutes for the flavours to stew.

       Slice the chicken into strips, not too thin. Peel two ripe avocados, take the stone out and slice into strips, also not too thin. Mix the chicken and pasta into the dressing, then (gently) the avocado. This recipe should be made the day before it's needed so it can sit in the fridge overnight. Try it before you serve it - if it's become dry, just add some more mayo. Serve with tomato wedges, and sprinkle with a little dill weed if you have some left over.

Chicken & Prawn Creole

       This recipe makes enough for 7 to 8 people.

       In a large wok, fry 675g chicken (cut into cubes) in 1tbsp vegetable oil (or you could use something nutty like peanut/walnut/sesame oil to give it a nice smoky flavour) until lightly browned. Add 2 chopped onions and 3 chopped garlic cloves and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.

       Stir in 1 each chopped red and green peppers and 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes. This is why you need a big pan - next pour in 1 litre of chicken stock, season with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 of dried oregano, quarter of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or chilli powder according to your taste); bring carefully to the boil.

       Add 450g of uncooked long grain rice, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes while the liquid is absorbed. Give it a stir occasionally to prevent the rice getting stuck to the bottom. For the last five minutes (when most of the liquid has gone) add 450g prawns (ready ones are fine, or you can prepare fresh ones if you prefer) and 20g chopped fresh parsley.