The beautiful game – Asian Spiced Gallimaufry

When you're ready to cook it will take minutes. Don't forget to pre-heat your oven on low to warm the bowls.

Plan of action

Heat 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a pre-heated wok or large frying pan. I used a wok. Seal the fillet slices on either side quickly and then set aside – don't overcrowd – cook in batches. Add the onion and sweet peppers to the wok and stir fry for 2/3 minutes, then add the cooked potatoes, stir fry again for 2/3 minutes. Add the broad beans, asparagus and sealed, sliced fillet along with any residual juices. Finally add the stir fry sauce of dark soy, rice wine and sweet chilli sauce. Toss to stir fry for another 3 minutes.

Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Here's the beginning of the photo-guide :

More photos …

A bowlful for the beautiful game

It's another gallimaufry – warm salad in other words!

Asian Spiced Gallimaufry

Serves 2

The marinade

2 x 4oz fillet steak, sliced thinly

110 – 120g in grams (*see note below)

2 roasted garlic cloves

1 tsp powdered star anise or one whole star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the marinade and pour over the fillet slices, ensuring that the slices are thoroughly coated. Box and leave in the fridge for an hour or so – it won't hurt to leave it longer.

The stir fry sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (dry sherry will do)

1 dessert spoon of sweet chill sauce

mix together – can be made ahead, covered and fridged

Ahead of the game

Choose vegetables that are in season and that you love. I chose :

Cooked Jersey Royal potatoes – 500g

quartered

100g asparagus, blanched, plunged into ice

cold water, pat dry, box and fridge

100g baby broad beans – blanched and popped – box and fridge

100g small sweet mini peppers, finely sliced – bag and fridge

100g (2 large) salad onions, finely sliced - ditto

The amounts given are not set in stone – they are a guide to help you - build your own recipe.

*A note about weights – an ounce is exactly 28g but is usually written as either 25 or 30 – whichever suits you best but stick to what you decide – don't confuse yourself!

Plan of action up next.

The browse …

… I've chosen dishes from the blog that require very little effort – you just need to have a look and see what takes your fancy. I've given you the appropriate label so you can check out the recipes.

I'd settle down in your favourite chair and browse – armed with a pad and a pen and of course a glass of whatever you fancy.

The easiest and least complicated is the “one pot” principle - “pot” can be substituted with platter, wok, large frying pan.

Chicken is a versatile protein but on its own is boring, I think we'd all agree.

Checkout the “Chicken” label

Chicken Gallimaufry

Chicken Salad – but not as you know it

Chicken Tray Bake

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken with Maple Glazed veggies

Checkout the “Salads” label

Salad revival Italian style

a sharing platter – a mezze in any other name

Have a look at Stromboli – an easy “rolled up” pizza

Frittata too, makes an easy and tasty part of a sharing plate

served cold, cut into triangles

There's coleslaw – from basic to a

Coronation version

Checkout the “Indonesian” label

An all time favourite in our house is Nasi Goreng -

one for the wok

Pies

Under the “Chicken” label there's a Chicken & Mushroom

Pie

Under the “Comfort Food” label there's a Rummage Pie

Under the “Crowd Pleasers” label there's the Homity Pie -

there's also koftas and burgers too

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list – just food for thought – sorry about that.

I have a new dish for you – which also qualifies – again pardon the pun in football speak.

The Beautiful Game …

I hate to break it to you but there's a month of football (soccer) from 14^th June to 15^th July. In the UK we also have two weeks of Wimbledon in that mix so it is going to be a stressful time if you're not that keen on sport!

You may decide to embrace the football – it's every day and lots of matches – will you have a get together at weekends or will you want to fill the fridge with food so that everyone can help themselves whilst you beat a hasty retreat – a spot of retail therapy? In our house it's supper on a tray in front of the tv – I do use plates too.

My plan is to do just that – plan – if only in a relaxed fashion. I'm going to make life easy and decide what to cook – freeze as much as I can so that I can then pull it out as the mood takes. I concede that I will shop for fresh stuff and may be beer and snacks too.

I thought you might like to share my thoughts.

I always begin in the same place – if the oven is on then I'll do my best to fill it. I'll bake jacket potatoes and cook double the amount of roast potatoes and vegetables. I'll fill the slow cooker too.

I think the mantra for the month is quick, easy and tasty. You'll not get any accolades because quite frankly they are too busy watching. I would definitely advise not planning on cooking that really complicated cordon bleu meal you've been thinking about yet awhile. Unless of course you have an urge to drive yourself bonkers.

There's no doubt that the biggest problem is not the cooking but what to cook. I'd definitely recommend you add a bottle of your favourite tipple to your shopping list – if all else fails you can retire to a darkened room with said bottle and a straw – who needs a glass – more washing up!

I'm going to do my best to help ...

Saucepans – the funny side

I said in my previous post that I replaced my saucepans because of the wooden handles not being suitable for a dishwasher – it wasn't the only reason …

In the early 90ies I lived in Kent and commuted into The Temple in London for my then day job. H worked 5 minutes away from where we lived. He was asked to mentor an accountancy student. The student was living away from home for the first time and so to help her settle in we invited her to supper.

Midweek entertaining when I'd done a full days work - plus a minimum 2-3hr commute each day wasn't usually the norm but because of the circumstances I made an exception.

I caught an earlier train and arrived home in good time. I'd prepped what I could but had to zoom around the corner to the supermarket for an item I'd forgotten. I placed a pan of potatoes on the hob leaving strict instructions to keep an eye for them coming to the boil and then to turn down to a gentle simmer. At the same time a little pixie on my shoulder whispered in my ear “don't do this”.

Our guest arrived whilst I was out. I should just mention that our back door was on the side of the house. We had a stable door into the kitchen. When I pulled onto the drive I could smell the burning … whoever said that men can't multitask especially when it concerns the kitchen … were entirely correct.

The smell was horrible and I suppose I should be grateful I had a house left and a kitchen come to that. I have never seen a saucepan so burnt – you could actually see the imprint of each potato as it had welded itself and turned to carbon on the bottom of the pan. I could have wept, my beautiful copper bottom saucepan. All I can say is it's a good job we had a guest!

Fast forward to the next day. When I arrived home the following evening the saucepan was clean. I have to say it was a great effort, the saucepan was not the same again, it had lost its shine – still usable but sad somehow.

Which is why I bought another set of Prestige copper bottom pans. After service above and beyond what any normal saucepan should have to suffer, they deserved my dosh.

The moral of the story – a pot that's not watched boils dry and burns!

Kitchen Kit – saucepans

It has been a while since we talked about kitchen kit and I don't think I've ever mentioned saucepans.

I think long and hard these days before I spend dosh on kitchen equipment. I don't want to repeat the bread maker debacle. You remember – everyone needed a bread maker and couldn't possibly survive without. Three months later when you'd used it three times and you got so fed up with moving it to create space you finally committed it to the top shelf in the garage so that it could gather dust until you forgot about it altogether!

These days we are bombarded with advertisements promoting expensive kitchen kit – usually endorsed by a celebrity chef. Where saucepans are concerned you'd think they'd been in the foundry forging the pans themselves – pardon the sarcasm.

I've used the same make of saucepans since “Adam was a lad” - stick with what you know is my motto! My Dad bought me my first saucepans - a set of Prestige saucepans with copper bottoms. They served me well for 20 years and so when they became tired and it transpired that the wooden handles weren't suitable for a dishwasher, I replaced them with a new set complete with handles that would. If it ain't broke ...

Fast forward to last week.

On holiday in Cornwall for a week with friends (Rose came too) we rented a house. The house had a very well equipped kitchen – very impressed. I was even more impressed with the saucepans.

If you're in the market for new pans check out “Procook Gourmet Stainless Steel Induction Strain & Pour”. There are offers out there – I found a set of 4 pans reduced from £204 to £79.99 with free delivery. What I loved about these pans, apart from being a good weight – it's a fine balance between breaking your wrist trying to lift without any contents, or so lightweight that the pan will tip over without any help – not good and certainly not safe. The strain and pour element worked really well too – you may never need a colander again! Finally, as well as being suitable for induction the pans are suitable for any hob – gas, electric and ceramic. Dishwasher safe and oven safe too, up to 260c – which is very hot, that would be 240fan and gas mark 10 - in other words you can move from the hob straight to the oven. I think a pair of industrial oven gloves would be in order too.

I'm sure you know what's coming next – the new saucepans are on their way as I write.

Excited and what a bargain – how sad am I?!

P.s. I'm not deserting my copper bottoms – it's a bit like a shoeaholic except with saucepans.

SHS – Mac n Cheese Photos – Part II

The end is in sight!

I ate the vegetarian version, i.e. without the chorizo and oil drizzle. Believe me I am my own worst critic – I ate the lot and may be I shouldn't say so – it was delicious.

I hope you'll give it a try.