Student Doodle Noodles

The average University/Further Education student will tell you, when you live away from home in lodgings and digs, your grant was probably spent within the first month of your course on various forms of expenditure. And most of the time your diet may have consisted of junk food of one form or another. Well, never fear, I am here with a few inexpensive recipe ideas that may help you keep nourished for less.

 

The recipes are Extra Creamy Carbonara, Sticky Soy and Honey Ribs and Smoky Bacon Pot Noodle for One.

 

My first recipe is Extra Creamy Carbonara Recipe by Fiona Beckett, courtesy of www.beyondbakedbeans.org

Serves 1, Ready in 20-25mins, Costs approx. £1.25-£1.50 (price may vary)

1tbsp x Cooking Oil
4-5 x Streaky Bacon Rashers or 2-3 x Back Rashers, rinded and chopped (about 75g in total)
1 x Small or Medium Onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 x Eggs
2tbsp x Double or Whipping Cream
2tbsp x Freshly Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano + extra for serving
75-100g x Dried Spaghetti or Tagliatelle
Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon until the fat begins to run. Add the onion, turn the heat down low and fry for another 5 minutes or until soft. Beat the eggs and cream with 2tbsp of the Parmesan or Grana Padano and season with pepper and a little salt.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling water following the instructions on the pack. Once it’s cooked, drain it thoroughly, saving a bit of the cooking water and return it to the pan off the heat. Quickly tip in the bacon, onion and beaten eggs and mix thoroughly so the egg ‘cooks’ in the hot pasta. Add a spoonful or two of the cooking water, add extra seasoning if needed then serve immediately with extra Parmesan or Grana Padano.

Alternatives and additions
* you could add a few frozen peas to the recipe. Pop them in once you’ve cooked the onion.
* You could replace the bacon with chopped, cooked ham – just add it to the onions to heat through
* for a veggie version fry 3-4 sliced or chopped mushrooms in place of the bacon

What to do with the rest of the cream
* Stir a spoonful into your porridge.
* Use to top fresh strawberries or stewed fruit like apples or plums
* Work some in to a mashed banana and sprinkle with brown sugar

 

My next recipe is Sticky Soy and Honey Ribs Recipe by Fiona Beckett, courtesy of www.beyondbakedbeans.org

Serves 2, Ready in just over an hour, Costs £1.25-£1,75 a head, depending how many of the other ingredients you have.

350-400g x Meaty Pork Spare Ribs*, ideally cut into short lengths
2tbsp x Soy Sauce
1/2tsp x Grated Ginger or Ginger Paste
1 x Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
2tbsp x Runny Honey
A Few Drops of Hot Pepper Sauce (optional)
Approx 1tbsp x Cooking Oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Pour the oil into a small roasting tin or baking dish, add the ribs and turn them in the oil. Roast for 30 minutes, turning them half way through. Just before the initial cooking time is up put the soy sauce in a saucepan with the grated ginger, garlic and honey and hot sauce if you like it and heat gently until the honey has melted. Take the ribs out of the oven, pour off the fat (into a bowl rather than down the sink) and pour over the sauce making sure the ribs are well coated. Turn the oven down to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and return the ribs to the oven for another half hour. Take them out and turn them every 10 minutes spooning over the sauce and adding a spoonful of hot (boiled) water if the sauce seems to be sticking. Serve in bowls with a bowl of warm water and plenty of paper towels.

TOP TIPS
* Put the roasting tin in hot water to soak immediately after you take out the ribs or you’ll never get it clean.
* Don’t confuse ribs with spare rib chops. You want the kind of ribs you put on the barbecue

 

And my final recipe is Smoky Bacon Pot Noodle for One courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine, first published November 2008.

Serves 1, Prep 2mins, Cook 5mins

1 x Smoked Back Bacon Rasher, trimmed and chopped
2 x Spring Onions, white and green separated and finely sliced
50g x Frozen Peas
1/4tsp x Paprika
2tsp x Cornflour
200ml x Vegetable Stock
150g x Straight-to-Wok Wheat Noodles, or equivalent of dried, cooked
A Splash of Worcestershire Sauce

In a small non-stick pan, fry the bacon for a few minutes, add the white parts of the spring onions, peas and paprika, then cook for 1min more. Mix the cornflour with a little of the stock to get a paste, then stir this into the pan with the rest of the stock, noodles and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes until thick and saucy, then scatter with the green parts of spring onion.

 

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

 

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

 

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

 

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
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www.6towns.co.uk

Water Water Everywhere But Not A Drop To Drink

That is literally the state of the UK at the moment, the statisticians have said that January 2014 has been the wettest ever known, a total of 146.9mm of rain fell in January, smashing the previous record of 138.7mm in 1852, and with the continual battering from the storms coming from the Atlantic there seems to be no rest from it. The ground is totally saturated creating vast lakes where there used to be pastures and cutting off isolated communities from their nearest neighbours and the outside world.

On a lighter note, this coming Friday sees the return of the day, which either us men dread or tend to show a side of ourselves which is rarely seen to our loved ones, Valentines Day. Dependant upon your culinary skills, this day is the day where you can cook up something special for your other half, and the following recipes are especially for you.

They are:- Steak & Chips, Spiced Braised Venison with Chilli & Chocolate and Slow-Cooked Beetroot & Beef Curry.

Steak & Chips Recipe by Barney Desmazery courtesy of Good Food Magazine first published October 2011

Serves 2, Prep 20mins + chill time, Cook 30mins

600g x Medium-Sized King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes
sunflower oil, for frying
2 x 200g/8oz beef steaks
2 Handfuls of Mixed Leaves
Dressing of your choice, to serve

For the butter
50g x Butter, softened
A Small Handful of Parsley Leaves, finely chopped
1 x Small Garlic Clove, minced (optional)
A Small Squeeze of Lemon Juice

First make the butter: mash all the ingredients together with lots of cracked black pepper. Pat the butter flat between cling film (it’ll chill quicker when thinner) and put in the fridge or freezer to harden.

Cut the potatoes into neat chips, rinse under hot water, then dry on a tea towel. Place the chips in a deep saucepan (they should only come up a third of the way) and just cover with cold oil. Place the pan on a medium heat, bring the oil to a simmer and give the chips a stir with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat so the oil bubbles really quickly and fry the chips, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick, until crisp and golden – the whole process will take 15-20mins. When they are done, scoop out with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the griddle pan until smoking hot. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and rub with a little oil – how you cook your steak will depend on the cut you have chosen and its thickness. For a steak that’s 2cm thick, cook it for 2mins on each side for rare, adding 1 minute more for every increasing degree of doneness. Just before lifting the steaks off the griddle, place half the butter on top of each. Serve the steaks with the chips, some mixed leaves and a tangy dressing.

Spiced Braised Venison with Chilli & Chocolate Recipe By Barney Desmazery courtesy of Good Food Magazine first published February 2014.

Serves 6, Prep 5mins, Cook 2hrs 50mins

2tbsp x Vegetable Oil
1½kg x Diced Stewing Venison
3 x Large Carrots, roughly chopped
1 x Onion, roughly chopped
1tbsp x Cumin Seed
1tsp x Ground Coriander
A Large Pinch of Chilli Powder
A Small Cinnamon Stick or half a large one
1 x Red Chilli, whole
1 Heaped tbsp x Plain Flour
500ml x Red Wine
300ml x Organic Beef Stock
1 x 400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
1 x Large Sprig of Thyme
2 x Bay Leaves
50g x Dark Chocolate (more than 70% cocoa solids)

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the meat in batches. Add the vegetables in the dish and brown lightly, then stir in the spices, chilli and flour, and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the wine, stock and tomatoes, then add the herbs. Bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1.1/2hrs, then remove the lid and cook for a further 1hr until the meat is really tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then stir in the chocolate and serve.

Slow-Cooked Beetroot & Beef Curry Recipe by Sumayya Usmani courtesy of Good Food Magazine first published January 2014.

Serves 3, Prep 15mins, Cook 1hr 40mins

3-4tbsp x Corn Oil or Sunflower Oil
1 x Black Cardamom Pod (preferable) or 3 x Green Cardamom Pods
1 x 2.5cm Cinnamon Stick
1tsp x Cumin Seeds
1tsp x Coriander Seeds
2 x Medium Red Onions, sliced
1tsp x Grated Garlic
1tsp x Grated Ginger
2 x Medium Tomatoes, chopped
1tsp x Red Chilli Powder
450g x Stewing Beef, cut into 2½ cm chunks
350g x Raw Beetroot, grated

To serve
A Small Pack of Coriander Leaves
1 x Green Chilli, chopped
A Squeeze of ½ Lime
Naan Bread or Cooked Basmati Rice

Using a large, non-stick lidded wok or saucepan, heat the oil over a medium flame, add the cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and coriander seeds. Once the spices start to sizzle, add the onions and stir-fry until light golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1min until it no longer smells raw. Add a splash of water if the garlic and ginger start to stick to the pan, then add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add 1tsp of salt, red chilli powder and the beef, turn up the heat and stir-fry until the meat is sealed on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover loosely and cook for about 10mins.

Turn up the heat and add the grated beetroot. Stir-fry for a few minutes, then cover the pan, reduce the heat and cook for 1hr1/4 or until the meat is tender. Stir from time to time and add a little water if the curry becomes dry. The finished dish should be a thick mushy curry with chunky, tender beef pieces and softened beetroot. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves and green chilli, add a squeeze of lime, and serve with naan or basmati rice.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk/
www.6towns.co.uk