Spaghetti garlic chilli parsley

After another expensive trip to the vets I find myself with no money two days after pay day. Miserable. Anyway, one of the cheapest and tastiest meals is this tres simple pasta dish. While the spaghetti is cooking (I hate people who call it Spag...or worst Spag Bol) melt some butter and olive oil together and then throw in some finelay chopped garlic and dried chilli flakes (or fresh if you have) and allow to warm in the oil. Add the finely chopped parsley and season. Turn the heat down or off to prevent the garlic form burning and tasting bitter.

Drain the past, reserve a little of the water to moisten the finished dish if so required. Turn the flame on under the sauce again and toss the pasta into the flavoured oil. Coat well and serve. If you have the luxury of parmesan cheese, or similar, by all means add. But I didn't so it was just more seasoning!

Haggis Scotch Eggs

 Apologies for the tiny photo, I am using my iPad for the first time and experiencing a slight technical hitch!

These Scotch eggs are so easy to make, I am not putting quantities here as I just used what I had in the fridge - six eggs, which I hard boiled, a big handful of haggis to about two big handfuls of pork mince. 

Mix the meats together and season. Take a quantity, about a small handful, flatten into an rough oval and lay on a larger piece of cling film. Place an egg on top and gather the film and meat around the egg, gently massaging and teasing the meat around the egg until it it completely encased.

Now roll the covered egg in flour, then beaten egg and finally toss in breadcrumbs.

Ideally you can deep fry until the meat is cooked and breadcrumbs golden. I did shallow fry these but it was tricky - by the time the breadcrumbs were golden , the meat was nowhere near hot enough. So I started them off in the oven, about 20 mins at 180, I then shallow fried them.

Cenci

1/2 lb flour, 1oz butter, 1oz Castor sugar, 2 eggs, Cognac, grated lemon peel and pinch of salt.

Combine together all of the above ingredients into a dough, wrap and leave to rest for a while.
Roll a small piece of dough out at a time, very thinly, and cut out shapes or into strips using a Ravioli wheel.
Heat some oil & turn the Cenci briefly in this and then remove.
Allow to cool and then dust with icing sugar

Moules Mariniere

I have decided that to consecutively cook every recipe in Elizabeth David's Mediterranean food isn't fitting in with my life, I can't bring myself to feed R & G soup every night, this means it is taking me weeks just to cook through the first chapter! Where as I am quite happy to eat meagre meals, G especially likes a 'proper meal' after work. Now, I don't bow down to such chauvinistic demands and, even though, when he gets home from work, he likes to tease me about what meat he's getting for his supper, he knows better than to refuse any food that I have prepared

So, slight change of plan, I am going to cook the recipes which suit the weather, my time, what's cheap in the shops and what I fancy...oh and what keeps the rest of my family happy.

Today they had rope grown Scottish mussels in the supermarket, the sun was shining (a little) and I fancied mussels...

3 quarts (2 pints) mussels, 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 small glass of white wine, a small stalk celery, parsley.

Put a splash of olive oil into a deep saucepan and start to cook the onion, celery and garlic, don't let it colour, just heat. Add some pepper. Throw in the mussels and then the wine and a splash of water. Put on the lid and let the mussels steam until they are all open (disregard any which remain closed) Remove the cooked mussels and keep hot while you boil the liquor to reduce slightly, you can thicken this with butter and flour or add cream. Once you have achieved your desired or preferred liquor, pour over the mussels and serve. Sprinkle with parsley and serve very hot with warm bread.

Avgolemono

2 Pints Chicken Stock, strained
2 oz Rice
2 eggs
1 Lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the rice to the chicken stock and boil until the rice is cooked.
In a basin beat the eggs and the juice from the lemon.
Add the boiling broth to the eggs in the basin, a spoonful at a time and keep stirring. Add this back into the broth and stir for a few minutes over a low heat.

This soup is actually delicious and perfect for summer, well worth having a go making. It is refreshing and very moorish.

Soupe Basque

1/4 Onions, chopped
1/4 lb Pumpkin (I used Butternut Squash), cut into pieces
Lard
1 White Cabbage, leaves cut up
1/2 lb Dried Haricot Beans, previously soaked
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper
4 Pints of stock or water.

Brown the onions in the lard, add the remaining ingredients, seasoning and liquid. Cook, covered, for 3 hours.

*Served this with griddled Sour Dough Bread - surprisingly good. Excellent on such a cold winter, sorry,  summer, evening!!

Soupe Au Pistou

                                                     
1lb French Beans cut into inch lengths

3 Pints of Boiling Water

4 Medium sized Potatoes, chopped finely

3 Chopped, peeled Tomatoes

1/4 lb Vermicelli

Salt and Pepper

Into the boiling water throw the beans, potatoes and tomatoes. When the vegetables are almost cooked add the vermicelli.

For the Aillade

3 Cloves of Garlic
Sweet basil, a good handful
1 grilled tomato, skin & seeds removed

Pound these ingredients together until smooth, add 3 tablespoons of the Pistou.

Pour the Pistou into a tureen, stir in the Aillade and some grated Gruyere