Teriyaki Chicken and Black Bean Fried Rice

Cooked this for a night in with my brother at the weekend. I fully intended to write down what I was doing as I went along so I could give you a full recipe, but after a couple of beers it became far more relaxed.
I can tell you that I chopped 2 chicken breasts into chunks and left to marinade in about 3 tbsp of teritakyi marinade for an hour before cooking. Then I cooked some white basmati rice. Then heat 1tbsp sesame oil in a wok and add the chicken. Toss to prevent sticking. After 4-5 minutes add some veg-I used a handful of chopped spring onion, half a red pepper, chopped, some chopped shitake mushrooms and 1 clove of chopped garlic. Crack in 2 eggs and scramble into the mixture. Tip in the rice and half a tin of drained black beans, and mix it all together. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and perhaps some more teriyaki. Taste. If it tastes good and the veg is still crunchy, you're good to go!

Bertinet Kitchen and Bakery

The ever-charming French chef and baker, Richard Bertinet, runs a successful cookery school in Bath. They have a bakery attached to the school which is open Saturday mornings, and when I worked nearby a Saturday morning almond croissant became almost complusory! Having thought I'd escaped temptation (as I no longer work Saturdays so am usually still in my pyjamas by the time the almond beauties sell out) what do I discover? They go and open a bakery right in the centre of town! So on an innocent trip to the library I ended up being very distracted indeed, and walked away with a-rather expensive but totally delicious-rustic loaf. Better not let this become a habit..

http://www.thebertinetkitchen.com

Roast Beef with Homemade Yorkshires

Yesterday's lunch is still on my mind...


...haven't had roast beef in ages, so though I'd treat my sister and her fiancé. I always make my own yorkshire puddings when I cook beef as they come out ENORMOUS. If you're still using Aunt Bessie's then try this super easy recipe. There's really no excuse not to!

makes 12

3 eggs

1 cup plain flour

1 cup milk

vegetable or sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a medium bowl beat the eggs with the milk. Stir in the flour until the mixture is combined and as lump free as you can get it. Now pour oil into the twelve cups of a muffin tray (about 1/3 of the way up). Put the tray in the oven for 5-8 minutes. You want the oil to be really hot, so that is sizzles when you add the batter. This is what causes them to rise! Remove the tray and, using a ladle, distribute the batter evenly among the cups. Place back in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Try not to open the door early on in the cooking or they may deflate!

Give it a go!

heehee

Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork with Homemade Coleslaw

So I think I under-estimated how much time of my life would now be spent studying! At least every now and then I still get to really dedicate some time to cooking something special, and this pulled pork recipe had been on my mind for a while. It also gave me the chance to finally use my slow cooker that lurks around in my kitchen, waiting patiently for it's big moment. Yes it takes a long time, but you can just leave it and get on with your life, then return to a beautiful porky sight.

Here is the recipe I used for the pulled pork: Barbecue Pulled Pork . It served four of us. You basically need to slow cook the pork for about 6 hours, then shred it with two forks, add the BBQ sauce, and return it to the slow cooker for about another hour. But click the link for the full recipe.

I made my own BBQ sauce, based on a few different recipes I had found and tweaked to my own taste and ingredients I had in my cupboard! It was delish and here's how you can make it:

Pour 2 cups of tomato ketchup into a saucepan (nb: 1 american cup is equal to 250ml)

Add 2tbsp red wine vinegar, 2tbsp dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 3/4 cup of water, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper and a 1tsp honey. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for about 20 minutes until you have a nice thick sauce. you can always add a drop more water if you think it is too thick. Taste and adjust if neccessary - you want a nice balance, of sweet, sour and spice. Now it's ready to use!

I served my pork with crusty white buns and homemade coleslaw.

To make a simple coleslaw (that will be better than anything you can buy in a tub):

Finely chop half a small white cabbage and add to a large mixing bowl. Now add 2 large peeled and grated carrots, and 1 finely sliced large white onion. Pour over 1tbsp of white wine vinegar and mix through with your hands. Add 2-3 tbsp of mayonnaise and stir through. Season to taste.