Monthly Archives: February 2010

Spicy Pork, Pasta and Beans

This hearty and heathly pasta dish is perfect for chilly winter evenings.

An all-in-one pot recipe that’s great for family cooking, but make sure it’s a big pot! It provides fibre, protein and carbohydrate and so needs no accompaniment. If left to stand, the pasta will absorb the sauce, so if it gets too thick, just add boiling water and stir well.

This is another fabulous recipe from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook, available from our website now for a staggering £2.99 (plus £2.00 P&P). Order now this offer ends Sunday 28 February.

Spicy Pork, Pasta and BeansPreparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Calories per portion 445 Kcal
Fat per portion 10g
of which saturated 2.6g
Serves 4

Olive oil 2 tsp
Pork fillet 375g (13oz), trimmed of any visible fat and sinew and cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
Onion 1, peeled and sliced
Green pepper 1, deseeded and sliced
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
Red chilli 1, deseeded and finely chopped
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Passata 500g (1lb 2oz)
Chicken stock 750ml (1¼ pints)
Pasta, e.g. penne 175g (6oz)
Cannellini beans 420g can, drained and rinsed
Chopped parsley 4 tbsp

1 Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the pork and let it colour all over for 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin seeds into the pan and stir well. Cook for another minute.

2 Pour in the passata and stock, bring to the boil then add the pasta. Bring it back to the boil and add the beans and half the parsley. Season to taste and stir well.

3 Cook, uncovered, over a low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender and coated in a thick sauce (add a little hot water if the sauce gets too thick).

4 Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and then let the stew stand for 5 minutes before serving straight from the pot.

Cook’s tip
With the cumin seeds and chilli this dish could be quite spicy (depends on the chilli). Take the heat out by adding some tomato ketchup or sugar.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook

I love pancakes

Hurray, it’s Shrove Tuesday tomorrow and a great excuse to eat pancakes. Although I love them – savoury or sweet – I never think to make them at any other time of year.

PancakesMy love affair with the humble pancake began on a French exchange holiday when I was fourteen. The family I stayed with were extremely eccentric (half of their home was a ‘Havishamesque’ abandoned theatre/shop, covered in cobwebs and unchanged for decades) but fantastic cooks; making the most amazing crepes.

Although I have never been able to replicate such pancake excellence, I have a go at making a new savoury version each year, finished off with a classic sugar and lemon. I may defy convention tomorrow with these Fruity Coffee Pancakes from Year Round Dairy Cookbook. Incidentally, a contestant on Come Dine with Me will soon be cooking from this book on TV, so let’s hope they do it justice!

As you know the majority of our Dairy Diaries are still sold by the milkmen, so we are firm supporters of this valuable British Institution. Pancake Day has always been a great reason to buy extra ‘pintas’.

For Mark Smith’s (the Guardian) intriguing foray into the world of the milkman see ‘Deliverance: out on a milk round’.

Fruity coffee pancakes

This dessert is wonderfully light and fruity and so works well after a heavy main course. If you make the batter in advance, it is quick to cook, too.

Fruity Coffee Pancakes15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
305 Kcal per portion
8.3g fat per portion of which
4.5g is saturated
4 servings
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 110g (4oz)
Instant coffee granules 1 tsp
Egg 1, beaten
Milk 300ml (1⁄2 pint)
Butter 25g (1oz)
Oranges 2
Cornflour 2 tsp
Clear honey 2 tbsp
Bananas 2, peeled and chopped
Greek-style natural yogurt to serve

1 Place the flour and coffee granules in a mixing bowl and gradually stir in the egg and then the milk to form a smooth batter.

2 Heat a little butter of the in a frying pan. When hot, pour in 3 tbsp of the batter, tilting the pan to cover the base. Cook the batter until the pancake moves freely, then flip it over and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat to make 8 pancakes, keeping them warm while making the filling.

3 Remove the rind from the oranges with a zester. Using a small, sharp knife, take away as much of the pith as possible. Holding each orange over a bowl, slice in between each segment to release the flesh and juice into the bowl. Mix the orange juice, cornflour and honey and heat in a small pan until thickened. Add the fruit.

4 Fold the pancakes into triangles and fill with the fruit. Serve immediately with the Greek yogurt.

Cook’s tips
Use a heavy frying pan with a diameter of up to 18cm (7in) – the batter won’t spread as evenly in a larger one.
Use only a little fat (butter is best), but re-grease after cooking each pancake.

Recipe taken from Year Round Dairy Cookbook

Valentine’s Treats

Is it really Valentine’s Day on Sunday? I can’t believe it has come round so quickly.

During my lunch hours I have been painting a picture of Venice (where he proposed) for my fiancé as a gift. However, as it is only about a fifth complete I think I might have to resort to plan B – cook!

Perhaps the lamb shank recipe (Quick & Easy Dairy Cookbook), which I cooked for our first date?

I think we should definitely start the day with Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and perhaps finish with a really nice bottle of red and Duck with Plum Sauce. Both these recipes are from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook, which is now back in stock after selling out twice!

I know Valentine’s Day is a bit commercial but we all neglect to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us, so why not give your special someone a real feel-good treat on Sunday?

Duck with Plum Sauce

A bed of noodles with rich and succulent duck breasts and fruity sauce.

Duck with Plum SaucePreparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 733 Kcal
Fat per portion 21g
of which saturated 3.9g
Serves 2

For the plum sauce
Red plums 200g (7oz), halved, stoned and quartered
Cinnamon stick 1, halved
Dried red chilli 1, crumbled
Preserving or granulated sugar 75g (3oz) (or to taste)
Red wine vinegar 3 tbsp

For the duck
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Red onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
Root ginger 5cm (2in) piece, peeled and chopped
Skinless, boneless mini duck fillets 225g packet, or larger fillets, sliced
Pak choi 3, trimmed and sliced
Straight-to-wok noodles 300g packet

1 For the plum sauce, cook the plums in a wok with the cinnamon, chilli and sugar over a gentle heat for a minute or so. Then add the vinegar, stir well and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the plums are tender and the liquid has reduced. The exact time will depend on the ripeness of the plums. Stir often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the wok. Tip into a bowl and remove the cinnamon stick. Rinse the wok.

2 To cook the duck, heat the oil in the wok, add the onion and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or so. Then add the duck and stir-fry for about 6 minutes or until the meat is golden and tender. Add the pak choi and noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3 Add half the plum sauce, mix well and serve on warm plates with the rest of the plum sauce in a separate bowl.

Cook’s tip
Oriental food specialists Amoy make great straight-to-wok noodles. After cooking your stir-fry ingredients, you just add to the wok and cook for 1–2 minutes.

Recipe taken from  Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon

A European twist on this classic breakfast dish.

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon

Preparation time 4 minutes
Cooking time 3 minutes
Calories per portion 766 Kcal
Fat per portion 55g
of which saturated 25.2g
Serves 2

Butter 75g (3oz), softened
Tomato purée 2 tsp
Chopped dill 2 tbsp, plus a few fronds to garnish
Capers 2–3 tbsp, well drained and roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Mediterranean-style bread with olives 4 slices, approximately 2cm (¾in) thick, cut diagonally
Eggs 5 large, beaten
Smoked salmon slices 100g packet, cut into thin strips
Beefsteak tomato 1, deseeded and diced, to garnish (optional)

1 Put 50g (2oz) of the butter into a small bowl, then add the tomato purée, chopped dill and capers. Season with black pepper, then mix well together and set aside.

2 Toast the bread and keep warm.

3 Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan (preferably non-stick), add the eggs and half of the salmon strips. Then cook over a moderate heat, stirring continuously, until the eggs are softly scrambled – taking care not to overcook, as they will become dry.

4 Spread the toasted bread with the tomato butter and put onto two serving plates. Spoon the scrambled eggs on top, garnish with the remaining strips of salmon, dill and the chopped tomato, and serve immediately.

Cook’s Tip
For quick assembly, prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook and toast the bread while scrambling the eggs.

Recipe from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook

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