Speed Peppered Lamb Chops MS Word document for downloading

Late again! As I was driving home, I was racking my brains for a lamb dish which would cook far more quickly than the one I had planned. I remembered my friend Jane had recently given me a recipe booklet on English Lamb. The recipes sounded delicious. I decided to try Speedy Peppered Lamb Chops, by chef, Oliver Rowe.

Serves 2- easily doubled or trebled

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 25 minutes, depending in the thickness of the chops.

He suggests you serve this dish with Parmesan mash and seasonal vegetables. Sounds wonderful! We had my emergency vegetable - a can of sweet corn! I will certainly make this dish again as it is so quick and very tasty. I did cheat a bit - I used freshly ground black pepper for even more speed and normal salted butter. Read more »

Fruit & Nut Pilaf - MS Word document for downloading

I must remember this recipe after Christmas, as a way of using up the leftover meat. It’s a meal in itself. You can vary the dried fruits you use, according to the meat. Fruit and Nut Pilaf is delicious without meat, in which case, this quantity would probably serve 4. Don’t substitute oil for the butter. The butter is essential for the flavour, unless you are going to be very generous with the seasoning and/or herbs.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes, if you need to cook the rice

This is turning out to be quite a week! No time for lunch again today and it was duty day as well, so I hadn’t managed a coffee at morning break! Both staff are back, I am delighted to say, so I thought things might be getting easier, but not just yet. A kind colleague clearly saw that I was “wilting” as I was going to my afternoon class and offered me some chocolate. Just what I needed! That and a bottle of water kept me going!

After school, another meeting, so I was late going to the supermarket and getting home. I definitely needed a quick to prepare meal this evening! I put the rice onto cook before I started to unpack the shopping. The apricots and sultanas soaked in boiling water for ten minutes, while the onion cooked. Lovely black grapes were on special offer in the supermarket again, so they made a lovely quick pudding.

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Mediterranean Lamb - MS Word document for downloading

I love cooking with fresh herbs! This sauce in Mediterranean Lamb is lovely with fresh basil. This is one herb I have real difficulty in keeping alive and healthy, so I do substitute dried basil sometimes. I couldn’t get black olives for some reason, so substituted green ones. The black ones do provide a more pleasing colour contrast.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes Read more »

Chicken Curry - MS Word document for dowloading 

Serves 4 

You can make this as mild or as hot as you like. You can also use beef, lamb or pork if you prefer and adapt the cooking time accordingly.

I had expected to be home quite early tonight, in time to reheat this and make a Fresh Fruit Salad. As it was a really miserable morning, pouring with rain, I decided to put the curry in the oven, and set the automatic timer. I  had soaked the ingredients for a dried fruit salad overnight, so that it could cook at the same time as the curry and be ready for tomorrow, when I know I will be late home. I had this vision of being really relaxed, with  the cooking well under control!

It didn’t work out like that! An unexpected meeting meant that I was really late. How grateful I was for a little forward planning and a hot meal within minutes of getting home. We ate the dried fruit salad tonight, as well! By the way, read the label on the dried fruit salad packet. I was very surprised to see that the one I had been thinking of buying in one Health Food shop had sulphur in it as a preservative!

5 minutes pre-cooking preparation

1-2 hours to cook, depending on the size of chicken pieces used and the type of casserole dish. I usually use jumbo chicken legs and cook these in a covered Le Creuset casserole dish for two to two and a half hours on the bottom shelf of the oven, as I am cooking the Sunday roast. Store in the fridge, until ready to re heat. Allow one hour for this at 180C or Gas Mark 4. Read more »