Pork & Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 4

4tbsp veg oil
200g minced pork
3tsp fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2tbsp light soy sauce
1 cabbage, such as sweetheart, shredded
50g shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
50g oyster mushrooms, finely sliced
50g chesnut or button mushrooms, finely sliced
400g fine rice noodles, cooked to pack instructions
8 spring onions, shredded into 5cm strips
toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Heat 2tbsp oil and fry the pork until tender and crispy.  Remove and set aside.
Add the remaining oil, heat it up and add the ginger, then the garlic.  Stir fry briefly until the aroma is released, then add the wine or sherry and soy sauce.
Add the cabbage and stir fry for 30 secs until wilted.  Add all the mushrooms and stir fry for a further 30-60 secs until tender.
Return the pork to the wok, add the noodles and spring onions and stir fry until warmed through and combined - add 1-2tbsp water or stock, if needed.
Serve, topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Pork, Roast Squash, Apple & Chestnut Salad

Serves 4

50g butter
4tbsp olive oil
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground ginger
1kg squash or pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges
salt and pepper
2tsp caster sugar
2 apples, halved, cored and cut into wedges
100g cooked chestnuts
100g spicy pork sausage, in chunks
200g leftover cooked pork, in chunks
25g hazelnuts, toasted
150g watercress or baby spinach, or a mixture

Dressing
1 1/2tbsp balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
4tbsp olive oil
3tbsp hazelnut oil

Preheat the oven to 190, gas mark 5.  Melt 1/2 the butter, then add 3tbsp of the olive oil, the cinnamon and ginger.  Put the squash in a roasting tin, pour the spicy mixture over and toss to coat.  Season, then sprinkle on 1/2 the sugar.  Roast for 25 mins, until tender and slightly caramelised.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by simply whisking everything together and seasoning.
Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan and saute the apple wedges until golden.  Add the chestnuts to heat through, then set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the sausage chunks until cooked and brown, then add the leftover pork and heat through.  Season to taste.  Add the warm squash and nuts, then toss everything together with the salad.  Add the dressing and serve.

Hungarian Goulash (slow cooker)

Serves 4
Cooking time - 8-10 hours

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1lb 6oz pork, diced
1 large onion, chopped
5oz button mushrooms, halved
2tsp paprika, plus extra to garnish
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp ground allspice
1tsp caraway seeds
2tbsp plain flour
400g can chopped tomatoes
450ml chicken stock, hot
salt and pepper
soured cream, to serve

Preheat the slow cooker.  Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the pork, a few pieces at a time, until it has all been added to the pan.  Stir in the onion and cook for 5 mins until lightly browned.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins.  Stir in the spices and the flour and cook for 1 min.  Mix in the canned tomatoes then bring the mixture to the boil.
Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker pot.  Stir in the stock and season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Spoon the goulash on to plates, top with spoonfuls of soured cream and sprinkle with a little extra paprika.

Five Spice Pork & Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 4

3tbsp oyster sauce
2tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper
450g pork loin, trimmed and sliced
2tbsp groundnut oil (or any oil)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 1/2cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated
1tsp dried chilli flakes, crushed
2 carrots, cut into fine sticks
175g pak choi, washed and sliced
200g large flat mushrooms, sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
300ml chicken stock
1/2tsp Chinese five spice powder
1tbsp cornflour mixed with 2tbsp cold water
sliced spring onion, to garnish

Mix together the oyster sauce and cornflour.  Season, add the pork and mix.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the groundnut oil.  Add the pork and stir fry for 3-4 mins until golden brown.

Add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and stir fry for 30 secs.  Add the carrots, pak choi and mushrooms and stir fry for another 2 mins.

Next, add the soy sauce, rice wine, chicken stock and five spice.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 min.  Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook for a further 1 min, stirring until the sauce thickens.  

Sprinkle over the spring onions and serve with rice.

Verdict

We have this meal every week, it's one of our favourites and it takes no time at all.  The pork is cheap to buy and it's soooo tender because you don't cook it for long.  We don't have it with rice as there's always loads of it for just 2 of us but if you're making it for 4 people I would have it with rice or rice noodles.  I always put the spring onions in for a minute's cooking before serving so they're not raw and overpowering.  

Sausage & Bean Stew

Serves 4

12 pork sausages
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 x 300g pots fresh tomato and herb sauce
540g jar large butter beans, drained and rinsed
freshly chopped herbs to garnish

Put the sausages and onion in a pan and cook until the sausages are beginning to brown, turning them occasionally.  Stir in the tomato and herb sauce.
Fill one of the empty sauce pots with water and add to the pan.  Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins.
Add the drained beans and simmer for a further 5-10 mins or until the beans are heated through, the sausages are cooked and the sauce has thickened and is the required consistency.
Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and serve immediately, while still warm.

Pork & Pepper Goulash

Serves 4

550g pork fillet or pork belly
1tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1tbsp mild paprika
600ml chicken stock
2tbsp tomato puree
salt and pepper
1 large red pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces
200g mushrooms
2tsp cornflour
parsley, to serve
rice or egg noodles, to serve

Cut the pork into cubes, trimming off the fat.  Heat 1/2 the oil and fry the pork over a high heat until browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil and fry the onion and garlic for 5 mins.  Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 min.  Gradually pour in the stock and bring to the boil.  Stir in the tomato puree and return the pork to the pan.
Season and simmer for 15 mins.  Add the pepper and mushrooms and simmer for 10 mins until tender.
Mix the cornflour with a little water and stir in.  Simmer for 3-4 mins, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
Scatter with parsley and serve with buttery rice or egg noodles.

Sausage Meat Pasta, Chicory & Watercress Salad, Frangipane Tarts

I made this last week and as most of you are aware, I am pregnant so I thought I'd enjoy it and I did - very much so!  I didn't make the Frangipane Tarts however as I don't like anything almondy so whoever makes them first can you let me know what they're like?  Thank you!  I used 2 full chillies with the seeds and found it ever so slightly too hot (and I like hot food) so next time I will only be using 1 chilli.  Adapt the recipe to match your tastes.

Tips - before you chop the sausages up remove the skins, they got stuck in my hand held blender and clogged it up.  I also didn't use the stick of celery, I begrudged buying a whole celery for 1 stick.  I'm sure it didn't make the taste any different.  I couldn't find chicory in Tesco so I used Little Gem Lettuces and it was actually a really nice salad that I've made a few more times this week.

Serves 6

Pasta
4 spring onions
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
1 - 2 fresh red chillies
1 x 6 pack of good quality sausages
1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
500g dried penne
4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
a few sprigs of Greek basil, or regular basil

Salad
2 red chicory
1 x 100g mixed bag of prewashed rocket and watercress
Parmesan cheese, for shaving over
1 lemon

Seasonings
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

Tarts
6 small deep shortcrust pastry cases
1 egg
100g ground almonds
100g butter
90g golden caster sugar
1 orange
1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract
1/2 a 350g jar of good-quality raspberry jam
1 x 250g tub of creme fraiche, to serve

To Start
Get ingredients and equipment ready.  Set your oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 5.  Fill and boil the kettle.  Put a large frying pan on a high heat.  Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor or use a hand held blender.

Pasta
Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery.  Chop all the vegetables, and blitz in the food processor or with the hand held blender along with the chillies.  Add the chopped up sausages, 1 heaped tsp of fennel seeds and 1 tsp of oregano.  Mix well, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a splash of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring.  Put a large deep saucepan on a low heat and fill with boiled water.  Fill and reboil the kettle.

Tarts
Put 6 pastry cases on a baking tray. Make the frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g of almonds, 100g of butter and 90g of golden caster sugar.  Grate over the zest of 1/2 an orange and add 1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract.  Mix it all together.

Spoon a small tsp of jam into each pastry base.  Top with a heaped tsp of frangipane, add another small tsp of jam, and finally another heaped tsp of frangipane.  Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and cook for exactly 18 minutes.

Pasta 
Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if necessary.  Season, then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid on but leaving a small air gap.

Salad
Trim off the bases of the chicory, then pull apart the leaves and quarter the heart.  Scatter over a platter, sprinkle the rocket and watercress on top and toss quickly.

Pasta
Crush 4 cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes.  Add a little of the cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

Salad
Speed peel or shave some of the Parmesan over the chicory salad and take it over to the table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon wedges for dressing right before eating.

Pasta
Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water.  Tip the pasta into the pan of save and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency.  Taste, correct seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over.  Scatter over a few basil leaves.

Tarts 
When the little tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out.  Serve them warm with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side.