Posts Tagged ‘cherry tomatoes’
Butterflied leg of lamb with minty salsa verde
Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Ingredients
1 boned leg of lamb, (ask your butcher to bone it out and trim it for you)
2 lemons, juice only
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
3 tbsp chopped mint leaves
8 peppercorns, lightly crushed
For the minty salsa verde
1 large handfuls spearmint leaves
4-5 sprigs peppermint, leaves only
1 bunches parsley
1 large handfuls basil
6 tinned anchovies
2 tbsp capers
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 slices bread, crusts removed, torn up (about 60g after crusts have been cut off)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
150-250 ml olive oil
For the parsley, tomato and shallot salad
1 large bunches flat leaf parsley, leaves and finest stems only
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Put the lamb in a large, hole-free plastic bag and sit it in a baking dish or bowl.
2. Combine lemon juice, onion, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, mint and peppercorns and pour the mixture over the lamb.
3. Turn the lamb over a few times so that the marinade coats it well, then knot the bag loosely and marinade for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 48 hours in the fridge. Turn the lamb occasionally.
4. Bring the lamb back to room temperature before cooking, allowing 1-2 hours out of the fridge for it to lose its chill, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
5. Preheat a griddle, grill or barbecue until extremely hot. Remove the lamb from the marinade, brushing off any solids. Reserve the marinade for basting the meat.
6. Grill the lamb, cut side down at first, for 5-7 minutes on each side to brown the crust. Then, either move the grill rack a little further away from the charcoal or, if you’re using a griddle or grill, turn it down a little and leave the lamb to cook for a further 12-19 minutes on each side, depending on how well you like it done. Baste frequently with the reserved marinade. Test frequently and, as soon as the scarlet translucence of raw meat has disappeared from the centre, lift the lamb onto a warm serving dish and leave to relax for 15 minutes or so in a warm place before carving.
7. For the minty salsa verde: put all the herbs into a food processor with the anchovies, capers, garlic, bread, sugar, vinegar and some freshly ground black pepper and process in short bursts, scraping down the sides, until finely chopped.
8. With the motor running, trickle in enough of the olive oil to give a thickish, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning: the anchovies and capers should make it salty enough, so only add extra salt if it really needs it.
9. Spoon the sauce into a bowl, cover with cling film and keep cool until needed.
10. For the parsley, tomato and shallot salad: toss all the ingredients together just before serving and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
11. To serve, carve the lamb and serve with minty salsa verde and the parsley, tomato and shallot salad.
Tags: anchovies, basil, bay leaf, Capers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, lamb, lemon, mint, onion, parsley, peppercorns, shallot
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Salmon with Roast Asparagus
Monday, March 26th, 2012
For an easy side dish to complement a spring roast, just cook this recipe without the salmon
Ingredients
400g new potatoes , halved if large
2 tbsp olive oil
8 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 salmon fillets , about 140g/5oz each
handful basil leaves
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the potatoes and 1 tbsp of olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then roast the potatoes for 20 mins until starting to brown. Toss the asparagus in with the potatoes, then return to the oven for 15 mins.
Throw in the cherry tomatoes and vinegar and nestle the salmon amongst the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven for a final 10-15 mins until the salmon is cooked. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve everything scooped straight from the dish.
Tags: asparagus, basil, cherry tomatoes, potato, salmon
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Summer in Winter Chicken – Chicken for all seasons
Monday, March 12th, 2012
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
200g pack cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp pesto
3 tbsp crème fraîche (half fat is fine)
fresh basil , if you have it
Heat the oil in a frying pan, preferably non-stick.
Add the chicken and fry without moving it until it takes on a bit of colour. Turn the chicken and cook on the other side. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins until the chicken is cooked through.
Season all over with a little salt and pepper.
Halve the tomatoes and throw them into the pan, stirring them around for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
Reduce the heat and stir in the pesto and crème fraîche until it makes a sauce. Scatter with a few basil leaves if you have them, then serve with rice and salad or mash and broccoli.
Making it veggie Fry the tomatoes in the oil, add the pesto and creme fraiche and serve over griddled halloumi slices or spoon over some spinach and ricotta-stuffed ravioli.
Tags: basil, cherry tomatoes, chicken
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Chicken Cacciatore
Monday, March 12th, 2012
A tasty tomato and chicken dish to feed the family – serve with short pasta or a big bowl of roast potatoes
-
Ingredients
1 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
olive oil
2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp mascarpone
a handful basil
6 chicken breasts , skin on
-
Method
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Fry 1 finely chopped onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves in 3 tbsp olive oil until softened but not coloured.
Add 2 x 400g tins of cherry tomatoes, season, then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until thick and glossy.
Take off the heat and stir in 4 tbsp mascarpone and half a handful of basil, roughly torn.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry 6 chicken breasts on both sides until golden.
Transfer to a baking dish and pour over the sauce. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Scatter over the remaining half handful of basil.
Know-how Serve with a short pasta, like fusilli, or a big bowl of potatoes roasted with olive oil and rosemary.
Tags: cherry tomatoes, chicken, garlic, onion
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Speedy Salmon and Leek One Pot
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3359/speedy-salmon-and-leek-onepot
* 700g leeks , finely sliced
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
* 2 tbsp clear honey
* juice of half a lemon
* 250g pack cherry tomatoes , halved
* 4 skinless salmon fillets , about 175g/6oz each
Method
1. Cook the leeks: Put the leeks into a large microwave dish and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons water. Cover the dish with cling film and pierce a couple of times with a fork. Cook on 850W for 3 minutes, then leave to stand for 1 minute.
2. Make the sauce: Whisk the olive oil, mustard, honey and lemon juice together and season with a little salt and pepper. Scatter the tomatoes on top of the leeks and spoon over half the sauce.
3. Cook the salmon: Lay the salmon fillets side by side on top of the vegetables and spoon the remaining sauce over them. Replace the cling film and continue cooking on 850W for 9 minutes. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes before serving.
To serve:
Serve with crusty bread to mop up the tasty juices
Per serving
471 kcalories, protein 39g, carbohydrate 13g, fat 29 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 5g, sugar 6g, salt 0.54 g
Tags: cherry tomatoes, leek, lemon
Posted in All Recipes, Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Toasty feta kebabs
Friday, May 28th, 2010
Ingredients
* 200g pack of reduced fat feta cheese , cut into 8 chunks
* 1/2 French stick , cut into bite-size chunks
* 8 cherry tomatoes
* 1 lemon , zested and halved lengthways
* 2 sprigs of rosemary , chopped
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 4 wooden skewers
Method
1. Heat the grill to high. Cut one lemon half into wedges, and slice the other half. Thread a piece of the bread onto a skewer, then a piece of feta, a lemon slice and a cherry tomato. Repeat, then finish with a piece of bread. Do this on three more skewers and place kebabs onto a baking tray.
2. Sprinkle over the zest and rosemary then drizzle over the oil. Grill kebabs for 1-2 mins on each side until feta is browned. Serve with lemon wedges.
Tags: cherry tomatoes, lemon, rosemary
Posted in BBQ | No Comments »
VEGETABLE KEBABS
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Vegetables of your choice are marinated first, then pushed onto a skewer and grilled over the barbecue. Serves 4-6
For the kebabs, you will need:
350g (12oz) button mushrooms, cleaned
350g (12oz) courgette, in mouthful-sized chunks with a piece of the green skin on each
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
10–12 cherry tomatoes
2 medium onions, each cut into six segments
For the marinade, you will need:
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon basil leaves, torn
1 tablespoon mint leaves, torn
2 cloves garlic, crushed
In a bowl, mix together the olive oil, the lemon juice, the salt and freshly ground black pepper, the sugar, the torn basil and mint leaves, and the crushed garlic. Add the button mushrooms, the courgette and pepper chunks and the cherry tomatoes. Cover and leave for about an hour.
Thread the onion segments on to the skewers, and then thread on the marinated vegetables. Grill the kebabs until they are browned.
Tags: basil, cherry tomatoes, courgette, garlic, mint, mushrooms, onions, red pepper
Posted in BBQ | No Comments »
Cherry tomato and spinach bread
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Ingredients
150g/5½oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
85g/3oz butter, cubed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp milk
2 handfuls spinach leaves, torn
6 cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Place the flour, baking powder, butter and salt and freshly ground black pepper into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and milk to bind the mixture, adding more flour or milk as necessary, then pulse again to form a dough. Add the torn spinach leaves to the food processor and pulse until roughly combined.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface, then shape into a round and transfer onto a baking sheet. Using your fingertips, make six indentations, large enough to hold the cherry tomatoes in the top of the dough. Press the cherry tomatoes into the indentations, drizzle over the olive oil and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.
4. Serve warm, in slices, with butter for spreading.
Tags: cherry tomatoes, spinich
Posted in Veg Ideas | No Comments »
Sweet chilli jam
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Ingredients
* 8 red peppers , deseeded and roughly chopped
* 10 red chillies , roughly chopped
* finger-sized piece fresh root ginger , peeled and roughly chopped
* 8 garlic cloves , peeled
* 400g can cherry tomatoes
* 750g golden caster sugar
* 250ml red wine vinegar
Method
1. Tip the peppers, chillies (with seeds), ginger and garlic into a food processor, then whizz until very finely chopped. Scrape into a heavy-bottomed pan with the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, then bring everything to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 50 mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the jam is becoming sticky, continue cooking for 10-15 mins more, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t catch and burn. It should now look like thick, bubbling lava. Cool slightly, transfer to sterilised jars, then leave to cool completely. Keeps for 3 months in a cool, dark cupboard – refrigerate once opened.
Tags: cherry tomatoes, chilli, garlic, ginger, pepper
Posted in Pudding and desserts | No Comments »
Roasted butternut squash with goat’s cheese
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Ingredients
* 2 small butternut squash
* garlic clove , crushed
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* a pinch dried chilli flakes
* 1 tsp thyme , chopped
* courgette , cut into 2cm chunks
* red pepper , cut into 2cm chunks
* 2 small red onions , cut into thin wedges
* 200g cherry tomatoes
* 50g pine nuts
* 100g goat’s cheese , crumbled
* 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
* 1 tbsp parsley , chopped
* 1 tbsp parmesan
Method
1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds then cut criss-cross patterns over the cut-side of each one. Mix together the garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, chilli and thyme and brush this mixture over the flesh. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the flesh is tender.
2. To make the filling, put the courgette, pepper and onion in a roasting tin and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season and roast for about 20-25 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges. Add the cherry tomatoes and pine nuts and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley and parmesan. Arrange the roasted vegetables and goat’s cheese in the squash halves, scatter with the breadcrumb mix and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Tags: butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, courgette, garlic, parsley, pepper, red onion, thyme
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »