[BigMackCam]

Our old friend Rupert had a "What's for dinner" thread for posting photos of meals, but I thought it might be a nice idea - especially in these socially-distanced, somewhat-isolated times - to share favourite meal recipes. One thing we can still enjoy as always is cooking at home for ourselves and/or close family, right?

I'm just an amateur home cook with very limited skills and repertoire, but I'm always looking for new recipes to try. I've a few favourites of my own to contribute, and whilst nothing especially impressive, they're tasty and - fittingly for my skills - simple and foolproof

Here's one I've made a couple of times recently - "Meditteranean Pork & Potatoes". It's an adaptation of Rick Stein's "Lamb Kleftiko", and works equally well with either meat - but I prefer it with pork shoulder. I made it this past weekend and now have the ingredients, quantities and preparation about right. Depending on the size of the pork shoulder, it should feed six hungry people.

Mediterranean Pork & Potatoes

1 x good-sized shoulder of pork
1 x large white onion, thinkly sliced
1.5lbs x Charlotte potatoes (or other small, waxy variety), halved or cut into large chunks
2 x large red, orange or yellow bell peppers, de-seeded and sliced
3 x good-sized vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
8 x large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat of a knife
4oz x feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
1 x fresh lemon, juiced
3 fl oz x good olive oil
10 fl oz x water
Dried oregano
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375F / 190C (340F / 170C fan-assisted).

Cover the bottom of a high-sided roasting tin or large crock-pot with the sliced onion and add smashed garlic cloves.

Add the potatoes, arranging so they cover the onions.

Thinly score the skin of the pork, pat dry, and place on top of the potatoes.

Add the sliced bell peppers and tomatoes, arranged evenly around the pork.

Pour in the water.

In a jug, mix the lemon juice and olive oil well and pour over the entire dish, coating everything.

Sprinkle generously with dried oregano and season well with sea salt and ground black pepper. A bit more salt than usual is recommended due to the sharpness of the lemon juice, tomatoes and feta cheese. Make sure to get some of the salt into the scoring of the skin, to help season the pork.

If using a roasting tin, cover with aluminium foil and seal tightly (for a crock-pot, just fit the lid).

Cook in the oven for two-and-a-half hours.

Take dish out of oven and remove foil (or lid).

Add crumbled or cubed feta cheese around the pork.

Use a knife to remove the skin and fat from the pork, discard the soft fat and set the skin aside.

Sprinkle a little more dried oregano and sea salt onto the pork, and return the open dish to the oven for twenty minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the grill ("broiler" in the US) to 430F / 220C.

Scrape and discard any remaining fat from the underside of the pork skin, then arrange the skin on a metal tray and place under the grill (broiler) for a minute or two (warning - it will pop and spit aggressively!). When bubbled and golden brown, remove and set aside on some paper towel.

When the dish has finished cooking, remove from oven and transfer the pork onto a warm plate to rest for a few minutes.

Transfer the potatoes, onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cheese to a warmed bowl using a slotted spoon.

Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring back to a simmer on the hob.

Mix one generous teaspoon of cornflour with a little cold water, and add to the liquid. Stir thoroughly until it thickens slightly into a thin sauce. If necessary, add a little more sea salt to taste, but don't overdo it.

Cut the pork into rough chunks and pull them apart slightly with a fork (or you could shred completely if preferred).

To serve, place the potatoes, onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cheese into warm bowls (make sure everyone gets a bit of everything!), lay chunks or shreds of pork on top, then spoon over some of the sauce. Break up the crispy skin and place a little on top of each meal serving.

This really is a favourite of mine because it's so easy to prepare, consistently good, and truly delicious and wholesome. What makes it for me is the sharpness of the lemon, tomatoes and greek feta cheese, offsetting the richness of the pork and potatoes beautifully and resulting in a dish that tastes fresh whilst being really filling and satisfying at the same time.

This fed my Mum, Dad and I well for two days running, with six generous portions (reheated in the oven on day #2) - however, we used up most of the sauce on the first day and needed more for the second For that, I mixed the juice of half a lemon, 2 fl oz olive oil, 7 fl oz water, some garlic paste (from a tube) and a generous amount of dried oregano in a saucepan, brought it to a simmer on the hob and seasoned well with salt and pepper to taste. I then mixed a level teaspoon of cornflour with a small amount of cold water, added it to the liquid, and stirred until it thickened slightly. It's not quite as good as the sauce made from the roasting tin or crock-pot liquid, but close enough and still very tasty. If you want even more sauce, increase the quantities of ingredients proportionately.

I have no photos, but will endeavour to add one next time I make this!

Let us know your favourite recipes - breakfast, lunch or dinner, however simple or complicated? I for one would love to read them and - if I'm up to it - try to make them at home

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 10-19-2020 at 11:58 PM.

[JimS_256]

Great idea for a thread I'll have to see what I can come up with. Pictures would be great too. I love food pictures, my wife calls it food p0rn, LOL.

I miss Rupert... My real first name is Rupert and I always felt a connection.

[robtcorl]

This really is a favourite of mine because it's so easy to prepare,

Easy? Sez you, Mike!

My real first name is Rupert and I always felt a connection.

And Rupert's real first name was Jim.
Yes, he will be forever missed.

[BigMackCam]

Great idea for a thread I'll have to see what I can come up with. Pictures would be great too. I love food pictures, my wife calls it food p0rn, LOL.

Thanks I do hope a few folks here will contribute... I'm certain we have some excellent cooks - not to mention one or two professionals - here on the forums, and I've seen enough photos of barbecued meats and bacon breakfasts in the WIWBAK3 thread to know there's some fine and tasty cooking going on in members' homes

I'll take a photo of the Mediterranean Pork dish next time I make it. Until then, attached is the photo of my first attempt using a half leg of lamb. There are some slight differences - no onions, just one red pepper in amongst the tomatoes, garlic bulb in halves instead of separated into cloves, etc. - but essentially the same basic recipe, and just as delicious. The presentation isn't too good here... it looked much better once I'd arranged it in bowls for serving

---------- Post added 20-10-20 at 19:52 ----------

Easy? Sez you, Mike!

Genuinely easy, Bob - or else it would exceed my meagre cooking skills It's the kind of recipe I like... Most of it is just chopping vegetables (well, tomatoes and peppers are fruits, but no matter), chucking them in a pot with some meat on top, then waiting while it cooks You can't go far wrong with that

Might we convince you to share some of your barbecued meat prep in this thread, perhaps? As and when convenient, of course...

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 10-20-2020 at 11:32 PM.

[BigMackCam]

Here's another dish that goes down well with my family...

A friend of my Dad's had been bragging about his famous frittata, so my Dad asked if I'd try making one. I'm not sure this is legitimately a frittata, but it's my own take on it - cobbled together from things I had left in my salad drawer, left over potatoes from the previous day's dinner, and a pre-cooked chorizo sausage. It's very tasty indeed, even if I do say so myself

I've since made slightly different versions with additional or different vegetables (those that stay firm when cooked, as it adds to the texture and mouth feel) and meats such as smoked bacon lardons or pancetta. They all work well

Quantities below are very approximate and not at all critical - just use what you have

Loaded Six-Egg Chorizo Frittata

2 x small bunches (about 10 or 12) spring onions ("green onions"), sliced into thin discs
1 x medium white onion, diced quite small
1 x large red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced small
6 x waxy salad potatoes
250g / 9oz x white closed-cup or chestnut mushrooms, stalks on, trimmed and thickly sliced
200g / 7oz x pre-cooked Spanish chorizo (spicy, if possible), de-skinned and cut into small chunks
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, picked and stalks discarded
2 x medium vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
6 x large free-range hen's eggs
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce

An hour or two before making this recipe (or even the night before), boil the potatoes for 35 minutes, drain and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut into bite-size chunks.

In a large bowl, break six whole eggs, add a few dashes of hot sauce, season generously with salt and pepper, mix well and set aside.

Add 1 tsp olive oil to a 12" skillet and bring to medium heat on the hob.

Gently sauté mushrooms in the skillet until slightly browned and juices are expressed, pour off juices and set mushrooms aside in a bowl.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet, then sauté the chorizo until crispy (the chorizo should release plenty of flavoursome orange fat!).

Add the spring onions, white onion and bell pepper, and sauté until translucent.

Pour off any remaining oil and fat, then transfer the contents to a bowl lined with absorbent paper kitchen towel.

While the cooked ingredients are cooling slightly, pre-heat grill ("broiler") to 390F / 200C.

Add all of the cooked / cooled ingredients and parsley to the eggs and mix gently but well, turning rather than stirring everything into the mix. It may seem as if there's not enough egg to bind everything, but don't be tempted to add another; it's not necessary.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet and, while bringing it back up to medium heat on the hob, pour in the frittata mixture. Spread everything out evenly before the eggs start to set.

When the edge of the frittata is bubbling and well-cooked (test with a spatula), arrange the tomato slices on top, then transfer skillet to grill (broiler) and cook for 15 minutes or more or until golden and firm to the touch.

Set the skillet on a heat-resistant surface and let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then loosen the frittata with a spatula and transfer to a warm plate.

Cut into six evenly-sized pieces (I use a pizza cutter for this).

Serve with a nice fresh side salad or maybe some coleslaw for a complete meal, or just on its own.

This is a really filling meal (I guess that's down to the eggs!). If you're not serving it with a side salad and you're incredibly hungry, I suppose it might only feed four instead of six... but, really, you can have too much of a good thing

[surfar]

Wholemeal selfRaising flour

Mixed Fruit

Cup of coffee

Method

Line dish with baking paper from 2 angles

Put some fruit in,put some coffee in,put some flour in...stir or mix or shake around.

Repeat until its all gone and mixed up.

Put on cook, then keep putting it on cook until its hardish on top.

It doesnt look like a great cake when it comes out but it tastes great.

ingredient 4 is optional....after the mix is complete,spinkle some wallnuts on top.

[Serkevan]

Okay, those two things look incredibly tasty, Mike. Pics or it didn't happen, @surfar!

I'm staking a claim in the thread just to get ideas... I should cook slightly more elaborately but, work being what it is and me cooking for myself, not so much space for that outside the weekends

[forensicscientist]

for a quick breakfast.... I take a small corn tortilla, cover with picante sauce, and then shredded cheese. Warm in oven or microwave until the cheese is melted, then top with an over-easy fried egg....

[Lhorn]

That looks delicious. Spread some refried beans on that tortilla might take it up notch.

[clackers]

This is how I like to do prawns/shrimp on the barbecue.

3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chilli paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Use the above to marinate shelled and de-veined shrimp for two hours in refrigerator. Put on wooden skewers and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, serve with a tomato/red onion/spinach leaves/lettuce salad, crusty bread rolls and a Corona-style beer. Put on some Dylan and consume on a patio as the sun goes down. Bask in the glory of being alive.

[Serkevan]

This is how I like to do prawns/shrimp on the barbecue.

3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chilli paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Use the above to marinate shelled and de-veined shrimp for two hours in refrigerator. Put on wooden skewers and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, serve with a tomato/red onion/spinach leaves/lettuce salad, crusty bread rolls and a Corona-style beer. Put on some Dylan and consume on a patio as the sun goes down. Bask in the glory of being alive.

Ah, similar to my dad's recipe; we don't do spicy so one can remove the chilli paste and/or parsley like we do. Garlic should be thinly sliced. For home cooking, toss them in a pan, cover it (alu foil works) and cook in the marinade at medium-high heat until shell's red. Eating them is messy business but oh so tasty. Bonus points if the shrimps are freshly caught by gramps, that's just a treat.

The bbq sidesteps the smell issues, however, and it gives a different texture to the shrimp that is just... *Chef's kiss*
Last time I had bbq shrimps was in an all you can eat buffet in India last February and now I'm craving them. Thank you

[BigMackCam]

Last time I had bbq shrimps was in an all you can eat buffet in India last February and now I'm craving them.

India... shrimp... all-you-can-eat buffet? You're brave! The last time I had shrimp in India, I was ill... and that was on top of the customary "Delhi belly" I was already suffering / recovering from

[Serkevan]

India... shrimp... all-you-can-eat buffet? You're brave! The last time I had shrimp in India, I was ill... and that was on top of the customary "Delhi belly" I was already suffering / recovering from

We had very good references to the place and the guarantee that the utmost hygiene was kept . You have no idea how paranoid myself and the Canon lady are . Not a hint of belly problems for two weeks... unlike ten of the Germans who also attended the wedding. I'm told they had three very interesting days

And that was while being completely incapable of getting near chilli without suffering physical pain, so I count that trip and the culinary experience as a flawless victory

[surfar]

Ingredients

3 eggs without shells!

Diced ham

Shredded cheddar cheese

Method

spray oliveoil on bottom of ricecooker bowl

insert eggs...sprinkle in ham...sprinkle in cheese....switch onto cook...wait till its done...slide it out onto a plate.

Breakfast lunch or dinner,take your pick.

Ofcourse a sauce can be added after it hits the plate but its fine without.

PS, i get my eggs with shells on but the ham and chesse are bought ready to use.

---------- Post added 10-29-20 at 08:43 PM ----------
QIK fishNchips
Ingredients

1 packet Aldi crumbed Whiting(but Barra when its on special)

Handful of Shoestring cut chips

Method

Spray airfryer(i use oliveoil)Make sure its the inside!

Insert chips....Insert half the packet of whiting/barra...cook at 180 for 10 mins,then take basket out and shake and turn the foosh over to the soft side.Cook another 5-7 mins depending how crunchy you want the fillets.

Put it on a plate,squeeze some lemon(on the foosh preferably) and eat it.

Add some salad if you feel like it

[aslyfox]

Bacon hmmmm

Hormel Is Releasing Bacon-Scented Face Masks Because That's Just What 2020 Needed

Hormel Is Giving Away Bacon-Scented Facemasks | Allrecipes

THE BACON EXPLOSION

Bacon is the perfect addition to almost any food. Jalapeños, potatoes, and shrimp are all made a little better with bacon wrapped around them, but some cooks take it one step further by wrapping pounds of meat in pounds of bacon. The Bacon Explosion basket from BBQ Addicts weaves seasoned bacon around two pounds of Italian sausage, which is stuffed with fried bacon and barbecue sauce. After two hours of cook time, dinner (and a heart attack) is served.

Bacon Explosion | Allrecipes

BACON-WRAPPED TATER TOTS
Think basic tater tots can't be improved upon? Think again. Bacon-wrapped tater tot bombs are a little work, but are well worth the effort. Cheese and bacon are wrapped around each tot and then baked to crispy perfection. Within 25 minutes, you’ll have the best meat-and-potatoes appetizer ever.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots Recipe (Sweet & Spicy!) - The Cookie Rookie

Homemade Maple Bacon Doughnuts
Homemade Maple Bacon Doughnuts | Sally's Baking Addiction



[ Truth be told, never had any of the above, I have just read ( and then dreamed ) about them ]