Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

We eat a lot of spicy food here at Roe Manor. Indian, Mexican and Thai are our flavours of choice, but it's usually a curry that wins out. I invented this particular recipe because I love sweet potato in curries and because I had half a bag of spinach in the fridge. Every ingredient in this recipe is from the wonderful Keelham Farm Shop.

Mrs Roe's Sweet Potato & Spinach Curry

Ingredients

2 tsp sunflower oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp curry paste

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 large red chillies, one finely chopped, one thinly sliced

300ml vegetable stock (OXO cube is fine)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

100g spinach

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then gently fry the onion over a low heat for at least ten minutes. It needs to be soft and golden brown.
2. Add the garlic, curry paste and the chopped chilli (keep the sliced chilli to one side). Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and simmer for five minutes, before adding the chopped tomatoes. Continue to simmer until the sweet potato is cooked through.
4. Just before serving, add the sliced chilli and the spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt, then serve with minty yogurt, mango chutney and naan bread.

• The flavours will vary, depending on the curry paste you choose to use. I am a big fan of Mr Huda's Universal Curry Paste. You can buy it online from Spices of India, if you're not lucky enough to find it locally.
• This is a bit of a hottie. If you prefer milder flavours, omit one (or both) of the chillies and/or the cayenne pepper.
• To make minty yogurt, add a decent teaspoonful of mint jelly to a couple of tablespoons of natural yogurt and mix thoroughly.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew (with thanks to the Hairy Dieters)

I'm very fussy about meat. I hate skin and bones and gristly bits. However, I love saving money - not by buying cheap factory farmed meat, but by buying cheaper cuts of meat from local and ethical sources. Slow cooking cheaper cuts of meat helps to break down all the gooey bits and makes removing bones a nice, clean and easy task - perfect for squeamish people like me!

I'd seen this recipe in the Hairy Dieters Cookbook last year and thought it sounded good so, when I bought a pair of chicken leg quarters from Keelham Farm Shop this weekend, it seemed like a good candidate for a slow cooker adaptation.

The original recipe feeds four people and has quite a lot of liquid - a necessity when cooking it in the oven - so I made suitable changes to make the recipe in the slow cooker and to serve two people.

Tender and delicious

Mrs Roe's Hairy Dieters Old Fashioned Chicken & Veg Stew
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp dried thyme
2 good quality chicken leg quarters
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into 1cm strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters
250ml dry cider
100ml chicken stock
200g carrots, cut into large chunks
1 thin leek, sliced into 2cm pieces
Sea salt
Black pepper

Method

1. Mix the flour and thyme with some salt and plenty of black pepper. The original recipe says to use a plastic freezer bag, but I just did mine in a shallow bowl.
2. Break the chicken legs on the joints, and cut into two pieces - you'll have two drumsticks and two thigh pieces. Leave all the bones in, but trim off any excess fat. Remove the skin if you want to (I didn't bother).
3. Evenly coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove and place in the slow cooker.
4. Fry off the bacon, celery and onion for about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and fry for another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining flour, then add to the slow cooker with the chicken pieces.
5. Deglaze the pan with half of the cider, then pour this into the slow cooker, along with the stock and the rest of the cider. Add the carrots and leeks and stir.
6. Cook the stew on low until the chicken is very tender and the bones can be removed cleanly. I left mine for about five hours, but the time needed will depend on your cooker.

• I didn't have any thyme in the cupboard, so I used oregano, which worked well and tasted good. I think rosemary would be worth a try as well.
• I didn't halve the weight of the mushrooms, as 75g seemed rather mean when I weighed them out.
• We ate this with a serving of lovely, fresh green kale. If you want to add potatoes, I think baked would be good.
• Make sure you choose a good quality cider for this recipe, as it really makes a difference to the flavour. Sticking half a can of Strongbow in it probably won't be a good idea. I used Samuel Smith's Organic Cider.

A Greek Inspired Salad

The glorious (if slightly unseasonal) early spring weather we're having is filling me with inspiration right now and sending my imagination off on Mediterranean holidays to hot Greek islands. It was these daydreams, whilst out walking the dogs this morning, that made me begin to crave a Greek salad for lunch.

When we were in Crete last year, we ate amazing salads at many different tavernas and restaurants on the island. Lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives, served with feta and drizzled with olive oil. Often, they were accompanied by chunks of rustic bread for mopping up juices.

Thinking about what ingredients I had a home, I realised there were things missing. I had no olives and no bread. What I did have was potatoes and red pepper. So, I thought I'd throw some in and give it a try.

Delicious! 

Mrs Roe's Greek-inspired Salad
Ingredients
4 small potatoes
2 large tomato
1 cucumber, deseeded
1 small red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 tsp mint
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch sea salt
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil (Greek)
100g feta cheese
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into quarters. Place in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook until just tender (do not over cook). 
2. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and red pepper. Put into a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl (I use a ramekin to do this), mix together the herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and rinse in cold water to cool them. Cut each piece in half, and let them cool thoroughly.
5. When the potatoes are cold, add them to the bowl with the other vegetables. Drizzle over the olive oil and toss gently. Do this by gently agitating the bowl or use your fingers to combine the vegetables and coat them in the oil.
6. Sprinkle over the herb mixture, gently toss again and set aside for about 30 minutes for the flavours to combine.
7. When ready to serve, transfer the salad into a large serving bowl (or divide between two plates) and crumble over the feta cheese. Serve with the lemon wedges, which you can squeeze over the salad for extra zing if you like.

Bean and Pepper Chilli

We've been eating pretty badly recently, as I've been working on loads of job applications (soo time consuming) and, as a result, I have a fridge full of good stuff to use up.

So, in the mood for something spicy I concocted this chilli (chili) recipe last night. It was good, although it could have done with more heat for my tastes. We ate it with baked potatoes and some soured cream that was left from the weekend.

There's plenty left today, so I'd say this recipe serves at least 4 people.

Mrs Roe's Pepper & Bean Chilli

Ingredients

1 tsbp sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

1 large red pepper (capsicum), chopped

1 large yellow pepper (capsicum), chopped

50g red lentils

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 tsp soft dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 can kidney beans in water (drained and rinsed)

1 can chick peas in water (drained and rinsed)

100g closed cap mushrooms, chopped

3 pieces sun-dried tomato, drained thoroughly and chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan (it needs to be a pan with a lid), then add the onions and fry gently for about 15 minutes. You need to get them really soft and they'll start to turn golden in colour. Keep the heat low to stop them burning.
2. Add the smoked paprika and chilli powder and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
3. Add the red & yellow pepper and the red lentils. Mix everything together so the oniony mixture combines with the lentils, then turn up the heat and add about 125ml hot water. Stir and let the mixture come up to the boil.
4. Next, add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and put the lid on the pan. Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
5. Serve with baked potatoes, rice or tortillas, topped with a blob of soured cream or a little grated cheese.

• The lentils help to thicken the dish slightly so you don't get a watery consistency. You could use rice, cous cous or other grains instead, but I'm not sure whether the results would be exactly the same... 
• I used kidney beans and chick peas as this was what I had in the cupboard. You could use any combination of beans you like, but they need to be in water, not sauce. Canned sweetcorn would also be a good addition.
• If you don't have smoked paprika, just omit it from the recipe.
• I would definitely add more chilli powder next time, but adjust the amount to suit your own tastes.
• Feel free to throw in any combination of veg. Even frozen mixed veg would do at a push.

Crock Pot Barbecue Pork Ribs

A few weeks ago I bought a rack of ribs from the bargain reductions in Sainsbury's. They were about £1, and I've been pondering what to do with them ever since. I found this recipe, and thought it was a good place to start.

I intended to serve them up with egg fried rice, but the husband decided that, it being a Friday night, he would rather have a bit of a meat feast (and apparently 4 ribs each does not make a meat feast), so we had them on the side with steakburgers from Keelham Farm Shop and corn on the cob.

I will definitely be making this recipe again, but with more ribs. I'm not normally a fan, to be honest, because I don't like the texture of the fat and I hate picking at the meat, but all the fat had disappeared by the time we ate and the meat just fell off the bones.

I don't have a 'cooked' photo, as we were so hungry that they were devoured before I'd even thought about pictures!

After about 30 minutes in the Crock Pot

Mrs Roe's Crock Pot Pork Ribs

Ingredients

1/2 tsp steak seasoning

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 rack pork ribs (about 8 ribs)

50 ml barbeque sauce (I used Heinz)

50 ml tomato ketchup

25 ml Worcestershire sauce

25 ml light soy sauce

25 ml teriyaki sauce

1 clementine, juice only

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used Encona, you could use Tabasco)

Method

1. Mix together the steak seasoning, chilli powder and black pepper and rub the mixture into the ribs. Place in the Crock Pot.
2. Make the sauce by mixing the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Pour over the ribs, making sure it coats them.
3. Turn on the Crock Pot to the low setting. Cook for about 6-8 hours, until the meat is very tender and the fat has melted away. You might want to turn the ribs after a couple of hours, so that you get plenty of sauce all over them (you could baste them every so often if you're around, but it's not vital).
4. Eat them with your fingers!

• One rack between 2 people was a bit mean on the portion size... more of a starter than a main course. I'll definitely do a rack each next time and use double the ingredients for the rub and the sauce.
• I used a clementine because we have a load of them and they're pretty much inedible as they're incredibly sour. It worked in the sauce though. You could use an orange instead, probably only half for one rack.
• I've run out of barbeque sauce now, so the next time I'll adapt the recipe and see whether it works without it. To get the smoky flavour, I'll probably add some smoked paprika to the rub and some smoked chilli flakes to the sauce.
• My other thought for this recipe is to throw in a couple of chicken breasts, along with the ribs. The sauce would work well with them, and chicken n' ribs is a bit of a classic combo!

Parsnip and bacon risotto

We love this meal sooo much that I thought it only fair that I share the deliciousness with you. It's based on the parsnip risotto recipe from one of the River Cottage books, but has been adapted to suit our taste (and what we have in the cupboard). Risotto purists may sneer at this recipe, but it's a regular for us when parsnips are in cheap abundance at the farm shop.

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Mrs Roe's Parsnip Risotto

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large parsnip, peeled and diced (remove the woody core)

4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped

160g risotto rice

1l vegetable stock

Black peper

Method

1. Put the stock into a pan and keep warm on a low heat, ready to be added to the risotto.
2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the onion. Fry gently over a lowish heat until translucent.
3. Add the parsnip and continue to cook until it starts to soften.
4. Turn up the heat slightly and add the bacon. Cook until it no longer looks raw.
5. Tip in the rice and stir well so the oily/bacony/parsnippy flavours coat the grains.
6. Add a ladle of stock and stir continuously until it has been absorbed by the rice.
7. Add another ladle of stock, stir and wait... You need to keep an eye on it and be ready to add the next ladle of stock, which you will do once all the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Continue adding stock, ladle by ladle, until the rice looks like it's done. Taste it - the grains should be soft on the outside, with a firmness when you bite into it. If it's not quite right, add another ladle of stock (maybe only half a ladle at this point).
9. When it's ready, turn off the heat and leave it to stand for a few minutes before serving.

• I used carnaroli rice to make this, as I prefer the texture to aborio, but arborio works just as well. Don't be tempted to use long grain rice. It won't work out well.
• No cheese in this risotto - I don't think it needs the extra flavour when you've got the bacon in there.
• Incidentally, you don't need the bacon. I don't make a point of only cooking this when I have bacon and it tastes just as good without it.
• If you need the cheese in there, you could do the traditional risotto thing and add Parmesan, or a veggie alternative if you like, or be a bit more daring and try something different. I made it with Cornish brie the other week, which was excellent, or something strong like a quality mature cheddar would be nice. Blue cheese is good with parsnip, too (just saying).

Pot Roast Brisket

I'm not sure how I've managed to get to the wrong side of 35 without having ever made a pot roast. I've done braised beef and beef stew, but I've never pot roasted a brisket. It occurred to me that this was an oversight on my part, especially as I have fond memories of my mum's pot roasts, made with rolled brisket, donkey carrots and old potatoes. The gravy was the best bit - perfect for mopping up with a thick slice of Warburton's Toastie.

So, on our weekly visit to Keelham Farm Shop, I bought a smallish rolled brisket joint - it cost just over £5 - some big thick carrots and a bag of spuds. On Sunday, I chucked them in the slow cooker with some other ingredients and made my very first pot roast. It will not be my last. Unfortunately, the way something tastes doesn't always match the way it looks. It didn't look appetising in the slightest, which is why there isn't a photo here. Maybe next time my efforts will be more photogenic.

Anyway, feel free to give it a try and let me know what you think!

Mrs Roe's Pot Roast Brisket

Ingredients
Rolled brisket (slightly less than 1kg did 4 portions)
1 large onion, peeled and cut into slices
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 white potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 beef stock cube
50ml hot water
30ml Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper
2 tsp gravy granules

Method

1. Turn the Crock Pot onto low. Place the onion slices in the bottom of the Crock Pot and lay the beef on top (you could brown the beef first if you wanted - I didn't have time).
2. Scatter the potatoes and carrots around the joint.
3. Mix the stock cube and Worcestershire sauce into the hot water and pour over the meat. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper.
4. Cook for about 8 hours, then remove the meat. It should be falling apart. Shred it with 2 forks.
5. Mix the gravy granules into the stock to thicken it, then tip the shredded beef back in. Mix thoroughly so the gravy coats the meat.
6. Serve with steamed veg (we had broccoli).

We decided to shred the meat, but you could try slicing it instead.
I think this would be really good in one of those giant Yorkshire puddings (if I was capable of making them!).