Stuffed Avocado

Avocados are such a strange ingredient - I often buy them when they are on offer and they sit in the fridge never actually getting used.   That is exactly how this dish was created.  We were looking for something to use up what I had in the cupboard and initially I threw this together.  Although we have now had it a few times, having bought the ingredients or saved them on purpose.

So what did I have in my fridge:

2 Avocados
oil
1/2 a large aubergine chopped to bite sized chunks
chilli  chopped finely 
onions chopped finely
garlic chopped finely
red pepper chopped in to slices
cheese





Fry the onions and as they soften add the garlic and chilli

Add in the aubergines and maybe a touch more oil followed by the peppers.  Allow all the vegetables to cook through particularly the aubergines.




Mean while  cut the avocados in half and take out the stone.  Place on a baking tray.





When the stirred vegetables are ready, fill the avocados with the mix and sprinkle liberally with cheese.  I used cheddar but stilton would go well with its strong taste.  Feta or even parmisan would both be good. 



Cook for about 20 minutes in a hot oven - if you cook straight from the preparation you could grill these but I prefer the Avocados to be piping hot all the way through.   

Bring to the table and serve.  We eat this as a complete meal; two half avocados each with a watercress salad.  You could serve just one as a starter or even as an accompaniment to cold meats and pickle.

Try it with your cupboard ingredients and see how it turns out like.

Enjoy 

Tiggy 

see what I have been up to on my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Tip of the Week - Mashing Swede

Swede is definitely a winter vegetable but I used to find it went all mushy and no matter how well I tried to drain it, water still remained.

It is such a simple trick but add a potato to the diced swede before boiling.   Something in the starch will soak up the water and your swede is nice and firm to eat.

Enjoy

Check out my other blog on Tiggy Hayes

Minestrone Soup

Weekend lunches are always a bit hit and miss.  As the children grow they have different activities.  A formal lunchtime is no longer an option, so I try to create lunches which can be eaten as they and their extra friends pass through the house.

Soups are warming, welcoming and they can be as hearty and cleverly filled with vegetables without the children realising.   Minestrone is a particular favourite.  It takes a little more preparation but is definitely worth the extra effort.  The earlier you prepare it in the day the better the flavours blend and the richer the soup tastes.

Ingredients 
oil
onions finely chopped 
bacon small lardons
leeks finely chopped 
carrots finely chopped
other vegetables you wish to use up - chop finely
splash of sherry
tinned tomatoes 
chicken stock
spaghetti  chopped into tiny pieces
grated parmesan or cheddar to garnish





Heat the oil and add the onions and begin to soften

Add the bacon lardons and let them start to cook.

Add the other vegetables depending on how long they need cooking carrots should be early on with green beans if you are using followed by softer vegetables like leeks.

Keep stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.


Add a splash of Sherry or sometimes I use Masala if I have no Sherry.  Stir well.

Stir in the tinned tomatoes and then add the chicken stock. bring to the boil.  Allow it to boil well for a few minutes.

Keeping it boiling add the broken up pasta, allowing it to continue cooking for long enough to cook the pasta "al dente".  Add extra water if required.



Keep cooking this for as long as required on a low heat, remembering to stir occaisionally.

When the time comes serve with the grated cheese and with warm crusty bread of your choice. warming, popular and great to stretch for unexpected guests.

Enjoy and let me have your soup recipes to try out.

Tiggy 

take a look at my complex and busy life in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Oven Chips

Not everybody has a deep fat fryer in the kitchen or the luxury of a chippy in close proximity to their home.

This is an easy recipe that anyone can do.

Ingredients
Potatoes cut into large chips
Lard rather than oil
Paprika



Add the chip potatoes to a pan of water  and bring them to the boil

In the meantime melt the lard in a hot oven









When the potatoes are soft but still in shape drain them and add them to the melted lard sprinkle with paprika and put in the oven for about an hour.





Serve and enjoy.

Tiggy


Take a look at my other blog and see what I have been up to,  Tiggy Hayes 

Tip of the Week - Cheese Sauce

With cheese being so expensive this simple little addition to cheese sauce makes the taste deeper and appear cheesier but by using less.

As you make your roux (butter and flour) add a dollop of dijon mustard to the mix.  

Continue with your sauce.

Add boiling milk rather than cold in small batches to help the silky smoothness of the sauce. This works for in all bechamel sauces.

Then use a strong / mature cheese to give lots of flavour without using too much cheese.

If you are using this as a topping (lasagne/moussaka)  beat two eggs really well, allow the sauce to cool slightly before mixing them in well.  This will give a richer taste and give it a light fluffy feel to the topping.  You can still add a light sprinkling of cheese on top but the eggs will brown nicely.

Stir Fry Veg

How often do we have odd vegetables left over; not quite enough to feed the whole family but you don't want to throw them out? In my house they sit there and fester and end up being thrown out and I am annoyed at the waste and that I have not used them in something. 

A curry or a stew can take any left over vegetables cut up small and added to the pot.   One of my favourite methods however is stir frying them with sweet chilli sauce at the last minute and then serving them with the main meal.

Necessary ingredients 
Oil 
Onions  chopped finely 
Ginger chopped small 
Garlic chopped small
Sweet Chilli Sauce 
Spinach and or Watercress  -This is added at the very end and not cooked

Optional ingredients 
Carrots sliced
Green beans sliced
Courgettes sliced
Red and Green peppars
Fennel, Mange Tout, Celeriac cut very small 
Bacon Lardons 
Chilli chopped small depending on how hot you like it
Button Mushrooms or larger Mushrooms cut into small chunks 

Have all your vegetables ready chopped so you can concentrate on stir frying, take you eye off it and that is the point it will burn.   I find a wok the most useful pan for this , but a frying pan will do the job just as well.

We like the freshness of this dish and the crunch of vegetables. You can pre-boil the vegetables if you want but remember you take away the texture and goodness if you do this.  I don't pre-cook them for this recipe.




About 5 minutes before serving heat the oil then add the onions and garlic to fry gently.  

Add the remaining vegetables,  root veg first with lighter vegetables at the end.  Keep the spinach and watercress out at this time.   If you are using bacon add it early as it requires thorough cooking.  Cut up small enough it will cook very quickly.  




Keep stirring  adding the other vegetables (keeping back the watercress and spinach still) as you stir.



Just before serving add in the sweet chilli sauce and make sure all the vegetables are coated.  You do not need a lot. 

Turn the heat off and put in the Spinach and Watercress, stir gently. Cover the pan and take to the table.  The steam and heat will wilt these leaves and allow them to retain all their goodness and vibrant colour.


Serve as a side dish or as a topping for baked potatoes. 

We had it with Risotto.   My children will not eat risotto with any additions so instead I add a separate dish and serve it as a topping. They are quite happy with this - so am I.  Not only do the children eat their vegetables, I have cleared the fridge of all the odds and ends.  

I have sometimes added left over cooked vegetables at the last minute as well.

See how this goes down.  It also would be great for a student all in one pot - add some sliced new potatoes (pre-boiled if possible) and keep the bacon, then use the vegetables available.    They could add kale or  spring greens a few seconds before end if they cannot get watercress or spinach.  

Let me know any other combinations that could be added.  I have served it with bbq sauce instead of sweet chilli, as a warm side salad to burgers or sausages.

Tiggy

See how life is treating us in  my other blog Tiggy Hayes

5 Minute Meal

Five minutes and Five easy steps! 

This is such a fabulous store-cupboard quickie and absolutely perfect to send off to those youngsters starting out in the unknown territory of student digs.     I rarely do this as with a family of five it no longer takes just five minutes and I forget that just because it is a fast foods it still provides all the essentials needed at mealtimes.   I would agree it is not the most elegant meal served up but quick, convenient and cheap are all essentials a young student will need.

I use packet mash potato as this was given to me by a vegetarian cook who balanced all her meals. Packet mash contains certain necessary nutrients lacking from real mash, it also means the meal can be produced in 5 minutes. 

Packet of instant mashed potato
Tin of Tuna 
Tin of baked beans 
Cheese - cheddar grated




Mix the mash according to packet instructions.  

Empty the tin of tuna and mix in






Add the baked beans and again mix in 







Finally put in half the cheese and stir through 



Top with remaining cheese and cook in the oven, under the grill or I have been known to zap in the microwave.  As the potato is already hot when you begin this all takes minutes to prepare.  When the potato browns and the cheese melts it is ready.  My son loves it with lashings of tomato sauce,  I prefer a sprinkling of course ground pepper.  You don't really have to add anything it is fine as it is.

Sit down at the table and enjoy before rushing back to finish that essay.

See how this goes down,  it is easier and quicker for one person than for a family but is such a great standby in case.  Do you have any student recipes let me have them to share?


Tiggy 

See how I am coping with the business of day to day living in my other blog  Tiggy Hayes