Really Easy Beefburgers

Ralph's decided to share his easy and tasty Beefburger recipe and they're so easy the kids can make them, plus they're extra tasty and they freeze well.  

From start to serving they'll only take just over an hour to make, perfect for when the kids get a hunger attack!



Ingredients:

• 500g pack lean minced beef , preferably organic
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder
• 4 slices mild cheddar , if you want to make cheeseburgers

• 4 burger buns
• choice of lettuce , cucumber, gherkin, tomato and red onion
• ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise , or all three!

Method:

1. Flavour the meat: Put the meat in a mixing bowl, then sprinkle over the chilli powder and a little salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands or use a fork. The mild chilli powder gives the meat added flavour without making it too spicy.
2. Shape into burgers: Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces, then shape with your hands into round burgers about the width of the buns, or pack the mixture into large presentation rings (if you have them) placed on a chopping board. You need to press down on the meat to compact it, then carefully lift off the rings - a bit like making sandcastles.
3. Now get cooking: Fry the burgers on a hot griddle or grill them outside on the barbecue for 5 mins on each side, turning them carefully with a metal spatula. Take care as hot fat from the meat may spit a little.
4. Top with cheese and toast the buns: If you want to make cheeseburgers, put a slice of cheese on top of the burgers when you turn them over and let it melt while the other side cooks. When they are ready, cut the burger baps in half and warm them in the toaster or on the barbecue - take care that you don't burn them.
5. Prepare the toppings: Meanwhile, prepare the toppings of your choice. Separate the lettuce into leaves. Then, using a sharp knife, thinly slice the tomato, cucumber and gherkin on a separate board to the one you prepared the burgers on. Peel and finely chop the red onion.
6. Assemble and enjoy: Spread a little mayonnaise, American mustard, ketchup - or all three if you like - onto the toasted buns, then top with your burgers and salads of your choice, followed by the remaining half bun.

One-pot Chicken Pilaf

here's another great one-pot recipe in Ralph's mission to bring you easy, no-hassle, tasty and quick to make food.   
This one-pot Chicken Pilaf only takes 20 minutes to cook and is the ideal quick supper dish for one and you can even eat it out the cooking dish so less washing up...result!  Needless to say you can just double up for two.....


Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 1 large or 2 small boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp curry paste (choose your favourite)
• a third of a mug basmati rice
• two-thirds of a mug chicken stock
• 1 mug frozen mixed vegetables
• half a mug frozen leaf spinach

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the onion for 5-6 mins until softened. Add the chicken pieces, fry for a further couple of mins just to colour the outside, then stir in curry paste and rice. Cook for another min.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and throw in any larger bits of frozen veg. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 10 mins, then stir in the remaining veg. Scatter over the spinach, cover, then cook for 10 mins more until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender. Give everything a good stir, season to taste, then tuck in.

Nutrition per Serving:

663 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 92g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 0g, sugar 13g, salt 1.94 g

One-Pot Mexican Chilli Beef.....

This delicious one-pot Spicy Mexican braised beef recipe is a real crowd pleaser.  Not only is it easy to make, delicious, spicy and filling.....it's stress free!  This recipe is enough to feed 14 - 15 so it's perfect for a party or to feed the family and freeze the rest or needless to say just reduce the amounts by half. 

Ingredients:

• 
  
• up to 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4kg stewing beef
• 4 white onions , sliced
• 4 tbsp chipotle paste
• 8 garlic cloves , crushed
• 50g ginger , grated
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2l beef stock
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 5 x 400g cans pinto or kidney beans , drained
• 
  
• 
  

Method:

Heat a small drizzle of the oil in an extra-large flameproof dish. Brown the meat in batches, adding a drop more oil, remove from the dish and set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil to the dish, then the onions, and cook for 7-10 mins or until caramelised.

Stir the chipotle paste, garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and flour in with the onions and cook for a couple of mins. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time, so it's fully mixed in with the other ingredients. Add the tomatoes and oregano, season and simmer for 10 mins.

Now tip in the beef, cover and simmer very gently for about 1 hr 45 mins until tender, removing the lid and adding the beans for the final 15 mins. If the sauce is thin, let it boil down for a further 5-10 mins with the lid off. Before serving, adjust the seasoning. Serve with the garlic bread and salsa.

• 

Microwave Crisps

Ingredients:

600g Roosters red potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed

2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Method:

Slice potatoes into 1/8-inch rounds for thicker potato chips.

For thinner ones if you have a mandolin use it to cut very thin slices. 

Toss slices in a medium bowl with oil and salt to coat evenly.

Coat a large microwave-proof plate with cooking spray.

Arrange some potato slices in a single layer on the plate.

Microwave, uncovered, on High until some slices start to brown, 2 to 3 minutes 
(depending upon potato thickness and microwave power). 

Turn slices over (they will be hot, so take care with your fingers) and continue microwaving 
until they start to crisp and brown around the edges, about 35 seconds for very thin potato slices 
to 2 to 4 minutes for thicker slices. 

Check frequently and rearrange slices as needed to prevent scorching. 

Transfer chips to another plate and allow to cool completely (they'll crisp up more as they cool) 
and repeat the process with remaining slices.

One-pot Moroccan Chicken.....no tagine required

Ok those fancy Moroccan tagines may look great but they're expensive and easy to break, which when you're a Jack Russell would be often.....so I've come up with this delicious, quick and easy to cook one-pot Moroccan Chicken Casserole  that's not only tasty and filling it's nutritious and inexpensive to make as it'll serve six.  Just chuck it in a casserole dish and top with feta, fresh mint and lemon for a fragrant taste of North Africa.....

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions , 1 roughly chopped, 1 sliced
• 100g tomatoes
• 100g ginger , roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp each ground cumin , coriander and cinnamon
• 1 large butternut squash , deseeded and cut into big chunks
• 600ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 100g dried cherries

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• To serve
• 
  
• 1 small red onion , finely chopped
• zest 1 lemon
• handful mint leaves
• 100g feta cheese , crumbled
• couscous and natural yogurt

Season the chicken. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a flameproof dish, then brown the chicken 
on all sides.

Remove the chicken to a plate. 

Whizz the chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic into a rough paste. 

Fry the sliced onion in the remaining oil in the dish until softened, then add the spices and fry for 1 min more until fragrant.

Add the paste and fry for another few mins to soften.

Return the chicken to the dish with the squash, stock, sugar and vinegar. 

Bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 mins until the chicken is cooked through. 

Lift the chicken out and stir in the cherries, then continue simmering the sauce to thicken while you shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. 

Stir the chicken back into the sauce and season.

Mix the red onion, lemon zest, mint and feta. 

Scatter over the dish, then serve with some couscous and yogurt.

Vicars Cafe Bistro.....Social Enterprise at it's best.....

Having looked at the Saltaire Festival last year one of the local eateries took my eye.  Vicars Cafe Bistro is a busy cafe in the very heart of the famous Saltaire World Heritage site which is run with a Christian outlook and a vision to serve the community, aiming to encourage people to look at Christianity in a different light and recently it achieved Social Enterprise status (businesses whose prime purpose is social, who operate ethically and are democratically owned and governed).





Alongside the busy Café they run an evening Bistro on Fridays and Saturdays. A selection of seasoned dishes (including meat, fish, and vegetarian options) are available, with a menu which changes on a monthly basis. From a table for one to a group of 24, they can cater to your needs so if you’re planning a celebratory meal out, why not choose Vicars?

If you're looking for a recommendation for any eatery then what more could you ask for than a visit from a Michelin Star chef.....Alan Murchison visited the cafe back in May and cooked up a storm.

He's executive chef of L'Ortolan, a restaurant in Shinfield near Reading with a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and 8/10 in The Good Food Guide.

As Managing Director of 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group, he's set himself a goal to open 10 Michelin star restaurants by 2018.  






They host several group events in the Red Room Lounge, such as the popular weekday Mum and Baby Groups, ‘Knitterati’ knitting sessions, and weekend Storytelling group 'Tell Me Another' . The Red Room is also available for local artists to exhibit their work, and the space is available to hire for events. They proudly continue to support the efforts of local events and groups such as the Arts Trail and Saltaire Festival.



They support the Red Fund a charity working to aid HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe.  As much as possible their goods are sourced locally or Fair Trade with cakes baked on site and food prepared fresh for each customer.  They are always keen to hear new ideas of how to create community within the area.

As a Cafe they are open Monday, Wednesday - Saturday between 10-5pm. And as a 5 course meal Bistro on Friday and Saturday nights from 7:30pm ..... (booking is essential for the evenings).  

So if you're local or just visiting, nip in for a cuppa and a chat, find out what they're about or even join in, they'll be more than pleased to see you.

Spiced Plum and Blackberry Crumble

Well summer's definitely gone so it's time for some tummy warming pudding recipes and where better to start than with a crumble.  This ones a Spiced Plum and Blackberry crumble with an Oat topping, delicious with some home made custard or even better for a contrast some home made ice cream.

It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and the lightly spiced fruit is an absolute delight.....perfect for an autumn Sunday dinner table.....and I've included an easy to do, no equipment necessary ice cream recipe for you to try.....don't say I'm not good to you!




Ingredients.....topping

• 140g plain flour
• 140g butter, cut into small dice
• 85g soft brown sugar
• 50g porridge oats
• custard, cream or ice cream to serve

Ingredients.....fruit

• 
  
• 1 kg ripe plums (about 14), halved and stoned
• 1 tbsp soft   brown sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 300g blackberries

Method

First, make the crumble topping. Put the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse to the texture of wet sand. Tip into a bowl and add the sugar and oats. 

Sprinkle the mixture with 2 tbsp cold water, then use a fork to mix everything together, creating a crumbly texture with a few large clumps. Chill until needed.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip all the fruit ingredients, except the blackberries, into a large ovenproof dish. Add 50ml water, cover with foil and bake for 1 hr. 

Remove the foil and discard star anise. Add the blackberries to the dish, sprinkle over the crumble mixture and return to the oven for a further 25-30 mins until the top is golden. Serve hot with custard.

Home made ice cream 

Ingredients.....

• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 140g caster sugar
• 300ml pot double cream

Method.....

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks and and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until light and foamy. 

Clean the whisk, then in another bowl whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the caster sugar until it is thick and glossy, a bit like making meringues.


Lightly whip the double cream until it softly holds its shape. Mix with the yolks and egg white mixture until everything is combined. 

Turn into a container, cover and freeze until solid. 

Take out of the fridge about 10 mins before serving.




Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2011