Five-a-day Sausage, Apple, Spaghetti

Don't let anyone dictate you won't get enough of your five-a-day

when there is this all in one dish.

 

Five-a-day Sausage, Apple, Spaghetti

Cut 2 good quality sausages into bite sized pieces and dice 1 large shallot and 3" piece leek. Place in a microwavable dish along with 1 large thin sliced brocolli floret, 2" pieces each of sliced red, green and orange peppers, 3 diced garlic cloves and 1 green chilli. Add a lid and microwave for 4 minutes. If you have chosen a too fatty sausage you will have to drain off the fat.

Stir in 1 tbsp wholemeal plain flour, add 1 quartered large tomato, 1 tbsp red ketchup, 1 diced apple, 8 sticks of uncooked wholewheat spaghetti snapped into 2" pieces, 1 handful of baby spinach, a 1" round of aubergine cut into long slices, 1tsp each dried oregano and basil, freshly ground black pepper and half pt stock mixing well.

Lid on a microwave for 15 minutes stirring halfway through cooking time.

Sprinkle on a handful of fresh parsley to serve.

Large strawberries are in season now and I followed this dish with a simple bowl of strawberries with a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar which really brings out the flavoursome sweetness of the strawberries.

Jacket potato with a choice of 7 fillings

For the jacket potato
1 medium baking potato (about 180g/6oz)
For the leek, apple, cheese and bacon filling
½ leek
black pepper
15g/½oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese
15g/½oz cooked bacon or ham
1 eating apple
For the tuna and sweetcorn filling
1 x 80g/2¾oz can tuna (in spring water)
½ x 198g/7oz can sweetcorn
1 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
black pepper


For the salmon and peas filling
50g/1¾oz frozen peas
1 x 80g/2¾oz can skinless and boneless salmon
1 tbsp salad cream
For the mushroom and tomato filling
5 button mushrooms
black pepper
140g/5oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp lemon juice



Preparation method

1. Wash the potato and prick with a sharp knife several times on all sides.
2. Dry the potato well with kitchen paper and place on a microwave-safe plate.
3. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for four minutes.
4. Remove the plate using oven gloves and turn the potato over. Dry the potato and the plate and put back into the microwave.
5. Heat on full power for a further four minutes.
6. Remove the plate and leave the potato to stand for a minute, as it will continue to cook. Check that the potato is soft by pushing a sharp knife into the centre. Return to the microwave for another 30 seconds if it is still hard in any part.
7. ADD ONE OF THE SEVEN TOPPINGS -
8. For the leek, apple, cheese and bacon filling, wash and slice the leek. Place in a small bowl and grind over some black pepper, if using. Cover the bowl with cling film, leaving a small area open, and microwave on full power for two minutes. Grate the cheese, chop the bacon and grate the apple into the leeks.
9. Cut the potato in half, scoop out the fluffy middle and add to the cheese and vegetables. Mix well and spoon back into the ‘jackets’. Put the filled ‘jackets’ on a microwave-safe plate and heat for one minute, or until the cheese has melted.
10. For the tuna and sweetcorn, open the cans of tuna and sweetcorn and drain, then tip into the bowl with the mayonnaise and mix with black pepper, if using.
11. Split the jacket potato in half, roughly mash the middle with a fork, and spoon over the topping.
12. For the salmon and peas, put the peas into a mixing bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Leave for five minutes, then drain and return the peas to the bowl.
13. Open the can and drain the salmon, then add to the peas in the mixing bowl.
14. Measure in the salad cream and mix well.
15. Split the jacket potato in half, roughly mash the middle with a fork, and spoon over the topping.
16. For the mushroom and tomato filling, wipe the mushrooms clean with a piece of damp kitchen paper. Slice them and place into a microwave-safe bowl and grind over some black pepper, if using. Microwave on full power for one minute, stir, and then heat for a further minute.
17. Allow to cool, then mix in the other ingredients.
18. Split the jacket potato in half, roughly mash the middle with a fork, and spoon over the topping.

Pea and Ham Soup



Place 25g butter, 1 medium chopped onion, 450g frozen peas, 1 stick fine diced celery and medium potato in a large bowl and microwave covered for 8 minutes stirring halfway through.

Sprinkle 2 level tbsp plain flour over the veg and mix to coat.

Add 1050ml chicken stock fresh ground black pepper and salt, cover and cook 14 minutes, stirring halway through.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes then place in a blender for 1 minute.

When ready to serve, dice thick sliced cooked ham into the soup stirring well then microwave for 6 minutes, Serve 6 as is or with sprigs of fresh mint on top.

Pork Curried Rice



Serves 1:

Small dice 1 onion, 1 small carrot, 2 small new potatoes and 1 pork medallion. Add to a deep serving/cooking microwavable dish. Evenly add 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir, cover and microwave for 4 minutes.

Prepare spices:

in a dish put half a tsp each of garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder, white pepper, dried chillies, mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Add 2 cardamon pods and 1 tsp curry powder. Sprinkle all of this over the mixture after the 4 minutes. Add 1tbsp frozen peas, frozen sliced peppers and sliced green beans.

Add 7 tbsp rinsed brown rice evenly and top with 300ml boiling water, stir.

Microwave covered for 7 minutes, add half tsp fenugreek powder, stir and microwave for another 7 minutes. Leave covered for 3 minutes. Serve in the dish used to cook it - saves washing up.



Polenta Mock Bean Lasagne



Polenta can seem like a boring ingredient but you can jazz it up by making this mock gluten-free bean and mince lasagne. It can be prepared and eaten later, next day, frozen when cold or served immediately.

Serve 4

Make mince:

Dice 1 large onion and 1 carrot, place with 1tbsp oil in a microwavable bow, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add 400g mince of your choice (I used lamb) and cook for 3 minutes breaking up the mince and stirring half way through. Add 450g can of baked beans in tomato sauce, 2 tbsp tomato puree (or ketchup) half tsp ground nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Microwave for 10 minutes, stirring half way through.

Make the polenta:

Bring to boil one and a half pints veg stock. Reduce to a fast simmer. Add 2tsp turmeric. Gradually stir in 200g quick cook polenta (cornmeal) whisking the whole time or using a spatula. After three minutes there should be large bubbles and a really thick volumed mixture with no lumps which is why you should never stop stirring until it is ready.

Have four equal sized portion dishes ready. Whilst the polenta is still hot put 2tbsp in each dish and smooth out evenly. Add a layer of mince mixture, another layer of polenta and a final layer of mince mixture. Top each mock lasagne with 50g grated cheddar cheese.

Either place dishes under a preheated grill or microwave for 4 minutes.
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Dill sea bass with mixed roast veg

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Aubergine buffalo mozzarella with mango sauce

Chunky veg n pork stir fry

Chorizo and nip ribbons

Tabasco bean meatballs with blended squash sauce

ot pepper thick kangaroo steaks with pan fried maple pepper veg

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Fillet steak with 3 onion pan fried cake

Brownies for one

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Scallops, chorizo with white kidney beans

Pork and chorizo bake

Breaded white fish with simple cabbage rosti

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Spicy Sausage Casserole



Fine dice half an onion and 1 carrot. Cut 2 sausages into bite size pieces and place in a covered microwavable dish with the onion and carrot. Microwave for 4 minutes. Drain off any fat. Stir in 1tbsp plain wholemeal flour.

Add 1tbsp each of frozen cauliflower, brocolli, sliced peppers, peas, broad beans and green beans. Peel and dice 1 small sweet potato and add to the other veg in the bowl. Put 1tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 1tbsp tomato puree or ketchup in a measuring jug with 1tsp oregano and 1tsp sage and top up with boiling water to half a pint then pour over the veg.

Microwave covered for 10 minutes stirring half way through.Leave 3 minutes and sprinkle with dried basil before serving.

Orange Meringue Pie



I'm often left with eggs coming near the use-by date so I decided to use up some with this lovely pie. Can hardly believe it comes out perfect using a microwave and the orange is a novel twist on the usual lemon meringue pie. If you want the lemon version just use the rind of 2 lemons and 4fl oz lemon juice. It's a very easy to make pastry which doesn't need rolling!

Use an 8" deep dish.

Place 6oz wholewheat flour in a bowl. Either use a processor to blitz in 40g lard and 40g margarine (which have been cut into small diced pieces) for 1 minute or use your fingers to rub in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add 2tbsp cold water and mix to form a firm but pliable dough. Press into your pie dish with your knuckles pressing down and upwards around the rim edge - no holes just level it well. Use a fork to prick well over base and sides. Put it in the fridge whilst making pie filling.

Zest 2 oranges and squeeze the juice out of both into a bowl and make up to 300ml (half pt) with cold water. In another bowl mix 25g (1oz) cornflour with a little of the orange water and gradually stir it all in blending well. Microwave for 3.5minutes whisking briefly after each minute has passed or until it thickens.

Microwave the pie case for 5 minutes.

In another bowl whisk 2 eggs yolks with 75g (3oz) castor sugar. Then beat into the orange mixture 2 minutes with an electric mixer on low setting, same if done by hand.

Make meringue using and electric mixer on the highest setting stiffly whisk 2 egg whites for 10 minutes. Fold in 100g 4oz castor sugar. On a plate form into round the size of your pie dish.  Use a fork to peak the top of the meringue and microwave for 1 min. Brown the meringue for about 5 minutes under the preheated grill.

Assemble the pie by adding the orange mixture on top of the pastry then carefully slide the meringue on top. Or just serve separately if you wish.