15. Sunday Chinese spiced pork belly & rice & vegetables

This started off as a meal for my mother-in-law during our son's celebrations, however unfortunately my husband's still battling his chest infection and so had to call off her visit. I still enjoyed it very much, pictured here is the green beans which I had, although my husband and daughter had the cauliflower cheese (Sam had been sent out to buy the ingredients and forgot to check the packaging, thus coming home with the wrong brand which contained wheat), if anything thought I think this worked better with green beans as it can become over rich with the cheese sauce and the fat from the pork belly.

Ingredients:

* Pork belly (I use Iceland frozen joint)
* Chinese 5 spice
* Salt
* White pepper
* Rice
* Vegetables of choice

Method:

1. Cook the pork according to package instructions; this one was 1 hour and 10 minutes at 180oC although I should have given it abit longer for the crackerling to get crisper.

2. Place the rice and water in the rice cooker and let it work its magic around 25 minutes before serving (remember to factor in the 10minutes that the pork needs to rest).

3. Cook the vegetables according to package instructions; the cauliflower cheese needed 40 minutes in the oven and the green beans about 20 minutes for the water to warm up to boil and then simmer).

4. 20 minutes before the pork has finished cooking sprinkle on the spice, salt and pepper (before I did this at the beginning and it tended to burn, I did 10 minutes this time and it hadn't fully cooked into the meat)

5. When you take the pork out to rest for 10 minutes cover with tin foil and tea towel to keep warm up soak up some of the juices and stay moist.

6. Serve and enjoy

Review:

Was very yummy, I ended up sprinkling over tamari soy sauce (japanese wheat free) over the rice and pork and it just added that extra level of flavour. I do love this though its a bit of a naughty treat as the belly is quite fatty, although I thought rice over roast potatoes kinda evens it out a little bit...maybe...i'll tell myself this anyways! 

14. Saturday Camembert and wheat free rolls

This was supposed to be leftover lamb however we didn't have any left over! We had a very happy and busy today meeting up with old friends and had a heavy meal for lunch so decided on just something light for dinner. I am in absolute heaven eating melted Camembert; I'm not sure anything else really comes close! It is pure unadulterated pleasure!!!

Ingredients:

* Camembert
* Crusty rolls (I use dietary specialist wheat free cibatta)
* Mixed herbs

Method:

1. Careful slice a flap in the top of the camembert and sprinkle in the mixed herbs, replace the flap and then either put back in the box with the lid (if it came in one) or directly on a baking tray. Put in the oven for 30 minutes at 200oC

2. Cook the rolls according the to packet instructions

3. If someone is eating a wheat roll then divide the camembert up into seperate rolls, dip in and indulge!

Review:

mmm mmm mmm mmm......please can I have some more!!!!

Week 3: 1st birthday celebrations so not much cooking week

So this week is our son's first birthday which is ultra special as he was born at 24 weeks and wasn't expected to actually reach his first birthday! We have been super blessed and he has no developmental or physical disabilities and an absolutely beautiful little boy!

The plan so far for this week is:

Saturday: Meeting friends for lunch so will probably have a light dinner of the Left over lamb not sure how yet maybe as a stirfry or as homemade kebabs

Sunday: Roast pork belly with chinese seasoning & rice & cauliflower and broccoli cheese the mother-in-law is coming for celebrations and so making her favourite foods

Monday: Birthday time!!! Eating at family's house

Tuesday: Late evening hospital appointment so will be eating out

Wednesday: eating at a friend's house

Thursday: Spanish bean stew

Friday: Chinese style braised one pot & rice & pak choi

13. Friday Mutton burra (lamb chops) & Rice & Broccoli, Cauliflower and Green Beans

I had been looking forward to this meal all week, I absolutely LOVE lamb and always if we order an Indian takeaway get the tandoori lamb chops. I had to make a few improvises to the recipe and we had vegetables instead of Indian salad as half the ingredients had gone funny.

The mutton burra recipe is taken from: enjoy curries recipes to make you go mmmm...by Love Food

Ingredients:

* Rice
* Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, green beans
* Sesame oil
* soy sauce (check wheat free)

mutton burra:

* Lamb chops I used Iceland frozen economy chops, defrosted before marinating
* Vegetable oil for brushing I didn't use this as I don't have a food brush
* 40g ghee or butter, melted I didn't use this as trying to be healthy
* chopped fresh coriander 

marinade:

* 300g natural yoghurt, strained through a muslin for at least 2 hours OR 200g greek-style yoghurt I had planned to use the Greek style yoghurt but as I had opened the tub on Sunday when I went to use it this morning there was a suspicious yellowy liquid ontop and it tasted tangy, so I opted for goats yoghurt which we had in but I didn't strain it.
 * 2 large garlic cloves
* 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
* 1tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp ground coriander
* 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
* Pinch ground cloves
* Pinch ground tumeric
* Salt and pepper

Method:

1. To make the marinade, put all the ingredients with some salt and pepper into a polythene bag large enough to hold all the chops (I used a bowl and covered it with tin foil) and mix together well. Add the chops, seal the bag and leave to marinate for 4-24 hours I did 5 hours.

2. When ready to cook, line a grill pan with foil and brush the rack with a little vegetable oil. Remove the chops from the marinade, Arrange the chops on the rack and drizzle with half the ghee. 

3. Cook the chops for 10 minutes, then turn over and drizzle with the remaining ghee. Continue grilling for a further 8 minutes for medium or 10 minutes for well done. I gave it and extra 5 minutes each side as the marinade took a while to dry out. Leave to stand for at least 2 minutes, the sprinkle with coriander and serve. Can be served hot or cold.

4. When putting the lamb in the grill, put rice in the slow cooker as it takes 20 minutes to cook. Also put the vegetables on to boil.

5. When the vegetables have boiled, drain and place on a plate and sprinkle over sesame oil and soy sauce. then serve up rice and lamb and scatter over coriander.

Review:

The flavours on the lamb wern't as strong as I was expecting and was a bit disappointing. This could have been because I used the wrong yoghurt, spices are getting a bit old, didn't marinade for long enough or because I didn't marinade in the plastic bag, but when I make this again I would definitely double up the amount of spices. The sauces on the vegetables gave them a nice exotic flavour and I didn't need to use too much as they are quite strong, however I would also have added them to the rice to add more flavour to it. My husband said adding a splash of soy sauce to the lamb helped to really bring out the flavours. It was a clean flavour and I would cook this again but try and make the flavours stronger on the lamb. My daughter (who until recently refused to eat anything remotely meat-like) actually ate it all which was great :o)    

12. Thursday Spiced Pork chops & chips & mixed veg

I had been planning to do the Swedish meatballs for dinner tonight but went to make them up and discovered the use by date was Monday. As the kids were eating it as well I didn't want to risk it. I had to pop down to our local Tesco express and improvise with what we had in the freezer.

Ingredients:

* Pork chops
* Steak house spice
* Skinny chips (we use lidl's as they are wheat free)
* frozen mixed veg

Method:

1. I have a large grill tray so to save washing up I put the chips and pork in together and sprinkled the spices over the pork, turning the pork half way through cooking. I cooked it on 200oC for 30 minutes.

2. Boil the mixed vegtables

Review:

Not one of my proudest or healthiest meals but as we didn't have much time to play with as had just gotten home from friends it helped feel the appetites. Was a simple quick meal.

11. Wednesday Scrambled eggs on toast and sauages

This was a case of us being out late with friends and everyone being mega hungry when we got home! I had planned to do scrambled eggs this week with peppers and tomatoes but from a throw back from last weeks bug we all had sore throats so settled on just soft foods. The weird sauce on the eggs was Asda's burger sauce as I have reflux and can't have ketchup, although my husband covered it in the red sauce!

Ingredients:

* Sauasages (wheat free)
* Bread (toasted)
* 6 eggs
* Goats milk (we had run out of cows)
* Butter
* Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place sausages on a baking tray in the oven for 30 minutes at 200oC

2. Crack the eggs into the sauce pan, pour in some milk and a few knobs of butter, cook over a medium heat and keep stirring to avoid burning on the bottom. Takes about 5 minutes to cook, I like them firmly cooked which is when liquid starts coming out.

3. Toast the bread, top with eggs and any sauces you like and add sauasages

Review:

Very simple but hit the spot, was feeling and great in a rush although for a faster meal leave out the sausages and its ready in minutes!

10. Monday Broccoli and cauliflower cheese pasta bake & garlic toasts

Bit of a change to the order of the menu plan but I just kinda fancied some pasta tonight. This was really simple to do as the sauce came with the broccoli cauliflower cheese and its one of the only brands I've found that doesn't contain wheat!

Ingredients:

* Pack of Iceland broccoli and cauliflower cheese frozen pack (you cook it from frozen)
* 250g wheat free pasta (this did 2 adults, a toddler and a blended up for a infant, and some left over)
* left of cheddar cut into slices
* Half log of goats cheese cut into slices
* Wheat free bread
* Butter, 2 x slices per slice of bread
* Garlic powder
* Dried mixed herbs

Method:

1. Cook broccoli mix according to packet instructions; which were in a oven proof bowl/dish for 40 minutes at 180oC

2. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the packet instructions

3. Drain the pasta and then mix it in with the broccoli mix then top with cheeses, place bread on a baking tray. Top with butter and then sprinkle garlic powder and mixed herbs on top. Place everything back in the oven at 200oC for 10 minutes.

4. I found I then had to turn the grill on over the pasta just to make the cheese crisp up

Review:

This is very simple and easy to do. The goat's cheese without doubt boosted this dish but adding a nice tang to it, otherwise I think it would have been a bit bland. The garlic toasts are a nice alternative to garlic bread and mop up the cheese sauce nicely. I was worried that the pasta would be dry as there didn't look like there would be enough sauce to cover it all, however there was enough that it was all saucy.