Kitchen Chemist

An easy dinner based on an idea from a colleague, who in turn got it from Jamie Oliver (I think). I adapt the meal to suit the time of year - the type of veg in the roasting pan varies. In winter it's root veg and in late summer it's home-grown onions, tomatoes and courgettes. But at the moment we're still relying on the veg box. Roughly chop your veg, I went for onion, courgette, pepper, tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and add herbs of choice. In winter I use fennel seeds but this time I used oregano. Roast at 170 - 180 °C for 20 minutes. Add the pork steaks / chop and continue to cook for 40 minutes more.

This is probably the first "summery" meal I've cooked this year. It's well and truly time the casserole dishes were left in the cupboard and the salad bowl was getting more use, but the weather hasn't exactly been normal. This is a quick and easy salmon dish for one - my wife (less fish-loving) had some chilli con carne from the freezer. 1 salmon fillet (or similar) 1 courgette 1 pepper 2 tomatoes or handful of cherry tomatoes balsamic vinegar Roughly chop the courgette, pepper and tomatoes (if using large, or leave whole if cherry). Add to a roasting dish, toss with oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 mins on 170°C (fan). 10 minutes before the veg is done, heat a little oil in an oven safe frying pan, place the salmon skin side down in the pan. Turn off the heat, allow approximately 1 minute and transfer the pan to the oven. Drizzle the veg with balsamic vinegar. Serve, pouring the balsamic glaze from the roast veggie...

A lovely way to enjoy asparagus A quick meal to enjoy what might be our last English asparagus of the season. That's steamed asparagus, a poached egg, grated cheddar and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Slightly late, as the box arrived last Thursday, but here's my soon to be weekly veg box post. This weeks veg box contained (in addition to the weekly potatoes, carrots and onions): Kale Leek (a whopper) Broccoli Cauliflower By now most has been used, but pretending I wrote this last Thursday... here's my planned menu. Rabbit stew Haddock with a tomato sauce Roast beef Chicken and leek casserole Pasta arrabiata Cornish pasty Wild Boar stroganoff Plus Stilton and Broccoli soup & black-pudding scotch eggs.

First meal to use up some black pudding. This one-tray-only bake is nice and simple and the mix of vegetables makes for a more colorful meal. 1/2 butternut squash 4 carrots (small)  1 onion 1 celery stick 2 potatoes (small) 3 sausages 2 oz (50 g) black pudding 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp rosemary Dice the vegetables, season with salt, pepper, fennel & rosemary and drizzle with oil. Roast at 180 °C for 40 mins, stir to ensure it crisps after 20 mins. Remove the sausage meat from the skins and blend with the black pudding. Roll into approximately 16 balls and add to the roasting veg for a further 20 mins cooking.

No veg box to blog about until Thursday but I have the assorted leftovers of New Year to use up this week. Meat (not able to be frozen unless cooked) : bacon x 4, sausages x 4, black pudding 450g Veg : cabbage, brocolli, leeks, butternut squash, peppers, celery, carrots, spud and onions. Cheese : brie, camembert, stilton, black sticks, dolcelatta, cheddar 12 eggs The plan (subject to change). Stilton and brocolli soup Brie sandwich Bacon, cheese and pepper flan Sausage, black pudding and butternut squash bake Beef stew (what I bought the leeks for) Black pudding scotch eggs (baked, using recipe in new cookbook)

Perhaps this coming year I'll make better use of my blog.