Recipes for scrumptious and reasonably healthy food

[Marco]

It’s a Catholic thing, mate. Yup, we’ve given up all alcohol, for the duration of Lent, not just wine.

TBH, we don’t miss it that much as we’re not big drinkers. Normally, it’s a bottle or (maybe) two of red wine between us at the weekend, and maybe a few beers during the week (I mean two or three small bottles of continental lager), and that’s it.

On Sunday, for lunch or dinner, whichever we decide to do for the main meal of the day, Del will cook something special, so I always open a really nice bottle of red (French claret or burgundy usually) to go with it. *That* is when we miss alcohol, as drinking mineral water, or something else non-alcoholic, with a lovely roast leg of lamb (or whatever) doesn’t really do it!!

Marco.

[struth]

well done anyways....could be worse you might have had to go without other things.

[Marco]

Lol!

Well done? Nah, that’s sacrilege... Pinkish in the middle, and nicely done on the outside, cut into neat slices (and served with lashings of home-made gravy, created from the meat juices, with a little red wine added), after being slowly roasted and studded with loads of fresh garlic and rosemary!

Marco.

[Marco]

Re-reading this thread, I’ve just realised I’ve misunderstood what you meant by “well done”!

I iz a dafteeeeeeee……..

Marco.

[Andrei]

This is what I did for a Pot-Luck dinner we went to last night; it is a salad.
Throw together the following, apart from the silverbeet, corn and salmon everything is uncooked:

- Handful of cherry tomatoes;
- Small quantity of finely chopped celery;
- Small quantity of finely chopped spring onion;
- 1 small radish, finely chopped;
- Small quantity of fetta cheese;
- Large bush of Silverbeet;
- A second leafy green - lettuce or rocket (or both for that matter)
- 1 diced cucumber;
- small handful of pumpkin seeds;
- good sprinkling of sesame seeds;
- Pitted and chopped Kalamata olives;
- 1 cob of corn
- 1 Very finely sliced or shredded carrot
- 250 gram salmon steak.

The silverbeet should be chopped finely and and boiled. When cooked, cool it with running water and then squeeze it in your hands to all the water out. You will notice it appears about a tenth of the size you began with, so make sure you start with heaps.
The corn can be microwaved for 3 mins in its sleeve. Take it out of the magnatron and peel off the leaves under cold running water. Then take all the corn off the cob and allow to cool.

The key to the look of this salad is all the great colours. The key to the flavour is in the salmon. Buy a largish smoked salmon steak. On that has cajun spices is ideal. It is the salmon and the salmon oil that imparts the flavour.

The net result is a salad that is a substantial meal in its own right. The salmon gives a good aroma and there are a full range of colours to make it welcoming.

Options. Tuna is ok as a cheaper option but I only use if I am making it for just myself, otherwise it is worthwhile getting a really good salmon.
The silverbeet can be replaced with spinach.
You can add one sliced picked cucumber - what what ever you do do not use a pickled cucumber that has been sweetened in any way.
If you want it without fish at all you can add a little more fetta and olives to impart their flavour and use some hummus as a dressing, or a spoonful of basil pesto into a good quality mayonnaise.

[Marco]

Sounds nice, Andrei. Just one question: what’s silverbeet? It’s not something we’re familiar with in this country. Perhaps we call it something else… Got a pic?

Marco.

[Marco]

Just had a Google around… We know it as Swiss chard

Marco.

[User211]

OK - proper white bread time. This will make amazing toast.

700g cheap white flour (I used Waitrose Essential Strong - 1.5KG at £1.10 - though LIDL at about 60p works well). One teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Frozen fresh yeast - about a 4g blob defrosted with luke warm water. Mix dry ingredients first, then hydrate with tap water until all the flour becomes one and the dough is fairly wet.

Hydration is important - get it fairly wet but not too wet. You need to be able to handle it as dough, so think about it. Just stir it with a fork and DO NOT knead it. There's little point in specifying an amount of water as it varies with the flour. You need to judge it.



I used about 2/3s of the blob on the left. The amount is NOT critical as it multiplies all by itself.

[User211]

Oil plus yeast plus dry ingredients under the tap. Just add water until all the dry flour in the bowl joins the "blob". That will give you "about" the right hydration.



When it looks like this you are spot on.

[User211]

Leave for 12 hours in a warm place should look like this. Put cling film on top of the bowl for the 12 hours stops the top drying out.



Drop the dough onto a floured surface. Cover your hands in flour and pat it onto the top of the dough. This will make it "handleable". Then fold it but stick your fingers in it first to form aeration pockets. This is critical if you want a light texture. See picture later on.

Pot bake with lid on for 25 minutes at 250 deg C in a cast iron pot that you have pre-heated in the oven.



Lid off for another 25 minutes.





When cool and sliced:



Note the holes that make the bread aerated and light. That was you sticking fingers in the dough like this:



If you don't use the finger method it will still be excellent but really quite dense. Still makes fabulous toast you might even prefer it that way. This loaf would cost you a fiver at my local deli.