23/01/2012 by D.

This is great for little ones as leek is quite mild and the overall pasta bake is whitish…

2 leeks
1 tsp butter
1/2 pint milk
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup ham cubes or broken pieces of sliced ham (optional - you could use tomato or sundried tomatoes)
500g pasta

Heat the oven to 180c.  Clean and chop the leeks.  Sweat them in the teaspoon of butter in a saucepan with the lid on and don’t allow them to brown. 

Add milk, tablespoon butter, flour, nutmeg and mustard to another saucepan and heat gently, whisking occasionally.  As it begins to heat up, concentrate on the whisking and don’t allow it to catch on the bottom.  Once bubbling gently remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese.  Season to taste.  It should have a thick texture.

Break up the leeks with a spoon -they should now be softish.  Add to the cheese sauce.  Mix in the ham.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet.  Drain it before it becomes too soft as it will be cooked further in the oven.  Mix the sauce with the pasta, pour into an oven proof dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until piping hot with a brown cheesy top.

This is great for putting in mini ramikins and freezing for quick suppers (don’t do the last step of putting it in the oven as that will happen when you reheat).

Posted in Milk, Cheese, Ham, Butter, Leek, Recipe, Vegetarian, Pasta, Weaning | Print | No Comments »

12/01/2012 by D.

1 large or two medium potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
2 oz cubed cheddar
6 eggs
tbsp butter
pinch salt

Peel the potato and cut into 1cm cubes.  Boil in salted water until tender (different varieties take longer or shorter, so test after about 5 mins).  When nearly done, tip in the frozen peas for a minute, then drain the lot.

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the salt.  Cube the cheddar.

When you are ready to cook, melt the butter in a frying pan then add the potatoes and peas.  Sprinkle over the cheese, then pour on the egg mix and tip to ensure good distribution.

Cook on a medium heat until you can see a thick layer of egg is cooked, (but you can smell no burning!).  Heat the grill, then put the frying pan under the grill for around 5 minutes until the omelette is golden on top.  Use a knife to ensure the centre has no runny egg - if so, place back under the grill for a minute or two (turn it down a bit to make sure it doesn’t burn), then recheck.

Serve with a leafy green or cucumber salad and a nice mustardy dressing.

Posted in Cheese, Supper, Pea, Eggs, Vegetarian, Recipe, Potato, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

13/05/2010 by D.

This makes a great, simple starter.

1 bunch asaparagus (1/2 bunch per person)
4 slices parma ham (or similar)
1 tbsp crumbly blue cheese (something like Shropshire Blue)

Preheat the oven to 180c.  Snap the hard ends off the asparagus (the woody parts should just snap off at the right point, leaving tender stems.  You can use the ends to make stock).

Boil the asparagus in salted water for 2 or 3 mins.  It should be just tender.  Time will depend on how thick your stalks are, so adjust accordingly.  Try not to overcook them.

Divide the asparagus into four and wrap the thick ends with ham, making four bundles.  Lay them in an ovenproof dish and crumble over the blue cheese.  Bake for 10 mins or until the cheese has melted and browned a little.  Serve with Hackney salad and a lemony vinaigrette.

Posted in Blue cheese, Starter, Parma Ham, Asparagus, Cheese, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

02/05/2010 by D.

These classy little numbers come from the Planet Organic baby & toddler cookbook… but we all love to eat them!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 green pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tins beans, drained
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 egg
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 200c.  Finely chop, mince or grate veg.  Mash beans and puree.  Fry veg and spices for 5 mins.  Add to bean mixture. 

Mix in the rest of the ingredients and roll into golf ball sized patties and flatten slightly.  You can make larger ones if you prefer, just add 5 mins to the cooking time.  (You can freeze some at this point).

Bake on greased tray for 25 mins and turn them after 15 mins.

Serve with soft rolls or pitta pockets, potato wedges and some crunchy salad.  Ketchup, relish, chilli sauce and additional cheese/tomato/pineapple slices make the burger building fun.

Posted in Cheese, Cumin, Coriander, Green Pepper, Eggs, Beans, Carrot, Onion, Vegetarian, Recipe | Print | No Comments »