Tag Archives: Cooking

Sweet & Sour Lamb

Sweet and Sour Lamb recipe from the Dairy Diary

A quick dish that delivers bags of flavour

serves 2
time 35 mins
390 calories per portion
18g fat of which 6.7g is saturated

Loin of lamb fillet 300–350g (11–12oz), trimmed weight
Whisky, dry sherry or saki 2 tbsp
Soy sauce 4 tbsp
Rice or white wine vinegar 1 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger 2 tbsp
Tomato purée 1½ tbsp
Soft dark or light brown sugar 1 tbsp
Light olive oil 1 tbsp
Red pepper 1 small, halved, deseeded and cut into thin strips
Spring onions 4, trimmed and chopped
Lychees 8–12, peeled and stoned, optional

1 Cut lamb fillet diagonally into very thin slices and put into bowl. Add whisky, sherry or saki and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Mix well, cover and leave while preparing remaining ingredients.

2 In a small bowl, mix together remaining soy sauce, vinegar, chopped ginger, tomato purée and brown sugar.

3 Drain marinated lamb. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan, add red pepper and spring onions and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Add lamb and continue stir-frying for 2–3 minutes until lamb is only just cooked.

4 Add ginger sauce and continue stir-frying until bubbling hot. Add lychees and serve immediately – on cooked Chinese noodles, linguini or rice.

Cook’s tip
For speedy cooking, prepare all ingredients before you start.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Facebook! Become a fan

New cookbook plans

Nail-biting times in the office this week. We are awaiting a crucial print quote that decides the fate of our next cookery book.

Of the three ideas, this project is definitely my favourite and I really hope we can afford to do it! It’s a very different environment to those hazy days of the Milk Marketing Board when they had pots of money to spend on their cookery books. I am lucky to get 20 pence these days!

However, I am very determined and quite optimistic, so I may just get my dream project – to create that cookery bible, which is indispensable in every home. Fingers crossed everyone for Dairy Book of Home Cookery new edition for the 2010s.

The re-think of this book has inspired me to go back to basics at home and cook some real classics. Many can benefit from age-worn recipes handed down through their family (see Recipe cards on the table) but sadly I have no such luxury. My Grandad was a fantastic cook – cooking for the troups in the war with meagre rations – but sadly I don’t think he ever recorded any of his culinary creations on paper. So, it’s the Dairy Book of Home Cookery for me and my first old-school recipe shall be Rice Pudding. I am ashamed to say I have never cooked it before. If you’re watching from somewhere, sorry Grandad!

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

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?

Egg and Bacon Toastie

If you’re wanting a comforting, filling breakfast, this combination of bacon and egg can’t be beaten.

Egg and Bacon Toastie

Egg and Bacon Toastie

Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Calories per toastie 275 Kcal
Fat per toastie 12g
of which saturated 3.2g
Makes 1 toastie

Egg 1, hard-boiled
Light mayonnaise 1 tsp
Low fat natural fromage frais 1 tsp
Mustard powder a pinch
Lean unsmoked back bacon 2 rashers, trimmed of any visible fat
Wholemeal bread 1 large slice
Cherry tomatoes 3
Wild rocket leaves or watercress sprigs a handful

1 Peel and mash the egg and mix with the mayonnaise, fromage frais and mustard. Set aside until ready to serve.

2 Preheat the grill to medium/hot and cook the bacon on the grill rack for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm. Toast the bread lightly on each side.

3 To serve, arrange the bacon on the toast and pile the egg on top. Cut each tomato in half and place on top and sprinkle with a few rocket leaves. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

Vegetable Curry

A scrumptiously spicy dish, which is easy to prepare and ideal for vegetarians.

Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry

The carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which our bodies turn into vitamin A. Betacarotene also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes.

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Calories per portion 249 Kcal
Fat per portion 3g
of which saturated 0.9g
Serves 4
Suitable for vegetarians

Spray oil a few bursts
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Curry powder 1 tbsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Tomato purée 2 tsp
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Apricot jam or redcurrant jelly 1 tbsp
Semi-skimmed milk 300ml (½ pint)
Raisins or sultanas 50g (2oz)
Carrots 400g (14oz), peeled and sliced
Cauliflower 400g (14oz), broken into florets
Potatoes 400g (14oz), peeled and cubed

1 Spray a large pan with oil and add the onion. Fry gently for a few minutes, without browning. Add the curry powder and paprika and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

2 Add the tomato purée, lemon juice, jam or jelly, milk and raisins or sultanas. Bring to the boil and then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, cook the vegetables in a pan of boiling water for 5–10 minutes, until tender, adding shredded green cauliflower leaves, if any, for the last 2 minutes.

4 Drain the vegetables and stir them into the curry sauce. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, topping up with extra milk if sauce boils dry. Serve the curry with basmati or brown rice.

Cook’s tip
If you want to serve with raita, simply mix some chopped mint and cucumber with low fat natural yogurt.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

1 … 3 4 5 … 12
Blog at WordPress.com.