Liberation!

I find slow-cooking liberating – not a word that immediately springs to mind where cooking is concerned – there'll be no bra burning!

It might sound a touch dramatic but to illustrate how much time, effort and money you'll save I give you, the gammon, chicken and leek pie. There are three options here from the same recipe. The first is a healthy version, the second is not and the third is somewhere in between.

I will concede that you'll have to think about your shopping list but if you are now subscribing to the “multi-tasking method” you'll have jacket potatoes on your list ready to throw in the oven.

Here we go :

Option 1 – healthy

Gammon, Chicken and Leek pie

Serves 4 generous portions

Gammon joint – smoked or unsmoked to suit your taste – approx 500g

4 chicken breast fillets

2 stock pots – chicken or vegetable

4 medium leeks, topped, tailed and sliced thickly

Rapeseed oil – approx 1 tbsp

black pepper

2 tins (295g) of Campbell's condensed low fat chicken soup (this is now low salt, low fat and only 77 calories per serving)

3 large jacket potatoes, baked, cooled, then peeled and sliced

Salt and black pepper for potato topping

Seal your gammon joint and slow cook in the stock pots, do the same with the chicken fillet. If your slow cooker is big enough cook them all together. 4 hours is fine but longer won't hurt. If you have left over chicken and gammon in the freezer its an alternative quick recipe! Leave to cool.

Break up the gammon and the chicken into medium chunks and transfer for the moment into the casserole or foil tray that you'll be using to cook the pie. Reserve the stock.

Peel and slice your leeks, then soften in the rapeseed oil, set aside.

Tip the soup into a large mixing bowl. Next add a ladle of stock into the soup to loosen it, then fold in the gammon, chicken and leeks. Transfer the mixture back into your casserole.

Place your sliced potato on top, season with a little salt and black pepper.

Pre-heat your oven and bake at 200/180fan/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes – check after 30 - until the top is golden and crispy.

Option 2 – not as healthy!

Replace the soup with a Velouté sauce. A Velouté sauce is one of the “Mother Sauces” - a light white sauce made with chicken or fish stock and a roux – used as a base for other sauces i.e. a Sauce Supreme.

Use half a pint (300ml) of your stock. Strain the stock, cover and refrigerate until cold, ready to make your sauce.

You'll need:

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2/3 mins, stirring continuously – do not walk away.

Then tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fold your gammon, chicken and leeks into the sauce.

Top your sliced potatoes with seasoning and 2/3 knobs of butter, finish with a mixture of grated Red Leicester and mature Cheddar cheese. Bake as before.

Option 3 – somewhere in between

Omit the potato, butter and cheese topping and replace with a puff pastry lid. This option can also apply to Options 1 or 2. Bake as before. You could “hit the middle” and make Option 1 enriching the tinned soup by adding double cream. The world is your lobster.

So, for those sceptics among us who think that a slow-cooker is only capable of producing stews and casseroles I hope you might be persuaded otherwise.

GOM Chapter 22: Roast beef and Husk.

By request it's roast beef with all the trimmings for Sunday lunch – in particular roast potatoes – not something you see in the US – since I won't be able to source semolina in it's natural form I'll improvise and use all purpose flour (plain to us Brits) to toss my little beauties in. I may even accept a mission and try and find a parsnip or six, you never know your luck. Yorkshire pudding here I come.

Since it's our last weekend it's appropriate to push the boat out (sorry!). I'll also do a “rib-sticking” pudding. Banana cake with sticky toffee sauce, spiked with a drop of banana liqueur.

Harris Teeter beckons.

Now it's time for the Husk bit - a treat – lunch at a restaurant called Husk in Queen Street, Charleston. This restaurant has long been on my list of places to visit so I'm very excited at the prospect.

Husk is famous for Southern food using Lowcountry ingredients. First impressions are wonderful the restaurant is bright and inviting and the staff attentive as is the norm hereabouts. The menu does not disappoint – it is changed twice daily although there are two exceptions – its cheeseburger and shrimp and grits remain steadfast. We begin with snacks of Southern Fried Chicken Skins and Crostini with Cheddar Pimento. Cheeseburgers and wedges for the GOM, Fried Catlish “BLT” with spicy mayo for me (although I don't include the bacon I'm afraid) with a side of cornbread.

You won't be surprised to hear that there'll not be a big meal this evening – expanding waistlines – phew - a truly memorable experience, hopefully to be repeated next time.

Hold the front page – roast parsnips for Sunday lunch, mission accomplished!

GOM Chapter 21 : What lurks beneath or the one that got away

Fishing is a very popular sport in this neck of the woods. My grumpy old man friend is a keen fisherman and very often sets out his stall on the bottom dock. His nemesis is the gar – aka garfish. This monster has proved to be a slippery customer. We would know it as pike. It is found in brackish water so the creek is perfect - they live close to the water surface and feast on the small fish. You can eat gar – but you'll need to catch it first!

Weekends produce a steady stream (sorry!) of boats that “park” and fish, some lucky, some not. The boats vary from a “Jon Boat” - which looks like a basic rowing boat but with a small motor added – to mega smega very expensive larger vessels. Photograph attached of the largest I've ever seen on the creek which came past and “parked” next door – gob-smacked is the word I think! You will by now have gathered that I am not in any way nautical.

Tonight it's supper at home and so am going to try something new – a cheeseless pizza! I do like pizza but unless you are fortunate enough to own a pizza oven in your back yard (garden) they vary so much. Making your own pizza base is a definite plus but it's not always convenient. If you don't want to be bothered you can buy a ready-made 12inch base or a mix that will do the job.

What's certain is that it will not take long to cook, so, pre-heat your oven as per the instructions.

You'll need :

Sour cream (half cup) or 4 fl oz

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

6oz smoked salmon – slices or these days you can buy packets of the trimmings which would be perfect for the pizza topping

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp capers, drained

6 baby cornichons, finely chopped

Cook your pizza base according to the instructions and allow it to cool.

Mix the sour cream with the lemon juice and half the dill. Spread onto the cooled base, top with the smoked salmon and then sprinkle the onion, capers and cornichons. Sprinkle the remaining dill over the top – serve and enjoy, with baked potatoes (optional grated cheese), coleslaw, a huge mixed salad and beetroot. I think that'll do the job!

some time later …..

it definitely did and I'd recommend it for the “throw it all together”, easy-peasy type supper.

Congratulations your new slow cooker – a marriage made in heaven!

There are so many books on slow cooking – add one or two to your cookery book library and they are not expensive so will not break the bank. You'll have the usual instruction booklet with your cooker and no doubt a recipe book too. 

Carrying on after Falling into Autumn I thought you'd like a few basics on the finer points of Slow Cooking, á la me. 

The settings on your cooker will vary, depending on the model you've bought. The low setting is used for all day or overnight cooking and the high is for 3-6 hours which is the quicker method.

There is no end to what you can do with this magical piece of equipment.

The general rule is seal your meat or poultry before cooking. Some cookers are stainless steel and enable you to use directly on a hob, others are ceramic and not suitable, in which event you'll need to seal your meat and vegetables in a frying pan. Soften vegetables and garlic in a little rapeseed oil before adding flavourings like tomato paste which will enrich a casserole. Tomato paste should be “cooked” i.e. added to the pan after sealing your meat and before adding your stock. If you squirt tomato paste directly into the slow cooker you get a bitter and unpleasant flavour and you'll wreck your casserole. Hot stock should be added to whatever you're cooking and the general rule is that there should be sufficient stock to be half to two thirds deep.

If I slow cook a joint of gammon (smoked or unsmoked) I use vegetable stock. When I've removed the joint from the stock I freeze that stock when it has cooled. What that stock gives you is the base for anything you like, for example, a veloute sauce which, with gammon, chicken and leek makes a scrumptious pie or a base for a soup.

I suppose what I love about the slow cooker is the ability to cook cheaper cuts of meat that take forever but that have the most flavour. For example, buy braising steak or shin beef when it's on offer – add onions and beef stock - leave it to do its magic. That can be a meal in its own right with mashed potato, or you can turn that into a base for a pie. Adding (cheating of course) a puff pastry sheet as a lid.

Herbs and Spices –

Whole spices are best crushed – ground variety are fine but both should be added to the frying pan when you are softening onions, etc., to release their flavour.

Dried mixed herbs should be treated the same way. Soft herbs i.e. parsley should be added at the end of the cooking time.

Hope this has helped. As always there's more …..... and rules are made to be broken.

Fall into Autumn – or what's coming next!

My original posts began with the multi-tasking morning (MTM) and then the sequel, resulting in a week of suppers from the MTM - making the best use of the time you spent in the kitchen and getting the best out of your oven.

Coming next is a repeat of that same formula but using different ingredients and therefore different recipes and suppers for a new week and the Autumn. As the season begins so our needs and requirements change, the kids are back at school and although the weather isn't immediately horrible, it is certainly more changeable.

Reacquaint yourself with your slow cooker – if you haven't got one, may I respectfully suggest that you treat yourself, although treat is the wrong word – a slow cooker is an absolute must on every level. An electric slow cooker saves on your fuel bills – much cheaper than using a traditional oven – economical, saving time, money and waste. I could drone on, and on.

If there is anyone out there saying “but they are huge, I'm only cooking for one” - wrong on two counts – I cook for one carnivore using a medium/large slow cooker – I never slow cook for just one meal – I cook and freeze. I would accept that the larger versions take up space and not everyone has a large kitchen – you can buy tiny slow cookers, ideal for one person. If you've never used one, you'll never look back. The smallest capacity is 1 litre for one person, 1.5 would be sufficient for 1-2 people. They are inexpensive but shop around, the cheaper supermarkets have great deals so keep your eyes peeled!

Check out reviews – personally I'd go for a larger capacity than you think you'll need – you'll regret not buying a slightly larger version - give it some thought before you invest. Just imagine coming home to liver, bacon and onion casserole on a chilly Autumn night. I rest my case!

Just before I go, if you're new to the blog you might want to glance at the early post called “The joys of meal planning and grated cheese” – it poses questions and answers that you may find helpful.

I shall stop waffling on and finish off by saying thank you for reading my blog and I hope you'll carry on and enjoy the next season.

Mwah

Mélange de Champignons or a mixture of mushrooms! - Part 3

In my continuing quest for an outstanding “veggie burger” or even a version that doesn't look and taste like its a pile of sawdust, the following recipe is my contribution. If you are a lover of the archetypal chip butty with all that loveliness dribbling down your chin then this is for you. You also get two recipes for the price of one.

Mushroom and Taleggio Burgers

or

Mushroom and Taleggio as a starter

Serves 4

4 Portobello mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

300g Taleggio cheese

4 tbsp caramelised onion marmalade or chutney

2 tsp cider vinegar

4 wholemeal buns (burgers)

4 slices of wholemeal bread, cut into circles (starter)

Chopped flat leaf parsley (starter)

Pre-heat your oven 180/160 fan/Gas 4. Brush the mushrooms with the oil and season. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once until soft and juicy – you could alternatively place under a preheated grill for 10 minutes if you prefer. Towards the end of the cooking time place 75g each of the cheese on each of the mushrooms and let it melt slightly.

Heat the marmalade or chutney in a pan with the vinegar and 1 tsp of water until bubbling slightly.

Serve the mushrooms in the buns, topped with a spoonful of the marmalade or chutney.

As a starter, serve the mushrooms on toasted circles of wholemeal bread and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

You don't have to use Taleggio cheese, you could try Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert, goats cheese or any cheese that tastes good melted.

Hope this tickles your taste-buds and you've found the mushroom mixture tempting.

Mélange de Champignons or a mixture of mushrooms - Part 2

I mentioned the following recipe in the “Risotto” post. I'm repeating it here because, as they say in the advert, “it's worth it!”

Mushrooms in Balsamic

4 tbsp rapeseed oil or similar

500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch of salt

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

60g grated/shaved parmesan

Heat the oil, add the mushrooms and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook on high for 5 minutes until browned. Mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the mushrooms.

Stir until syrupy – 1-2 minutes, serve on toasted broad. Sprinkle with parmesan to serve.

Would serve 6 as a bruschetta/crostini topping

or

quarter the mushrooms and serve as a topping on a risotto and add shavings of parmesan – would not recommend using grated parmesan.

The next recipe is ideal for those that do – eat meat that is.

Chorooms!

200g diced chorizo

500g mushrooms – chestnut, portabellini

or portabello would be suitable,

finely sliced

Drop of Amontillado sherry

4 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

60g parmesan – grated or shavings

paninis to serve

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a frying pan, then add the diced chorizo so that the oil is released and the chorizo is crispy – put aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic and a pinch of salt – cook on high for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

Mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the mushrooms, stir until syrupy (1-2 mins), add the cooked diced chorizo.

Serve on toasted paninis, sprinkle with parmesan and chopped parsley.

Above and beyond the normal lunch or supper and can be made more substantial served with a huge mixed salad.

I hope you also think “it's worth it!”