Category: Spring

Pan-fried Duck & Butterbeans

4/13/2021

A super easy recipe for a fancy, delicious dish.

This is a recipe I found from Jamie Oliver, and is extremely healthy and tasty. You only need a few ingredients and it doesn't take very long at all. It's a great meal to have in spring or winter as all ingredients should be available locally-sourced. You could actually make this any time of year and be within season, but I find it's better to bring this dish out as a treat in the bleaker months when the variety of ingredients are a bit more scarce, so I would say you'd appreciate this meal more between say November and April.

All you need is...

Duck breast (free-range or higher welfare)
1/3rd tin of butterbeans
50g spinach (or more)
2 bacon medallions (organic, pasture-raised or higher welfare) or better yet, I dice up some of my own home-smoked, Honey & Clementine Gammon which I smoke outdoors every Boxing Day and freeze what is leftover to use for meals like this!
garlic
rosemary
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

(ingredients per person)

Lightly score the skin of the duck breast width ways about 1 or 2cm apart, this will allow the juices to come out more to make a thicker and tastier sauce. Season the skin side with a little salt and black pepper.
Place the duck breast skin-side down on a cold pan and turn the hob to medium-high heat. Cook this side for 8-minutes without touching it, meanwhile dice the bacon medallions. Then, turn the duck breast over and fry for a further 4-minutes skin-side up. Remove the duck breast and put onto a separate plate to rest (leave the fat in the pan)
Add the bacon (or smoked gammon), rosemary and chopped garlic (or granules if you don't have fresh garlic) to the pan with the duck fat and cook.
Once the bacon/gammon is cooked, add a dash of vinegar to help scrape up anything that has stuck to the pan, add the butterbeans with their juices, allow to simmer for a while, and then add the spinach.
I like to use a lot of spinach as it has so much goodness, so once some has partially wilted, add a little more and cook until wilted. It always appears that you've got way too much spinach -- until you cook it and realise you should have made more, so make sure you give yourself plenty. Serve up and enjoy!

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Fresh Spring Chicken Pot with Mint

3/13/2021

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This seems to have just about every ingredient from your spring garden! It’s light and bright - and so quick to make. I know that when I come home from The Den, super late and hungry, that I’ll still be able to prepare this dinner - fresh!

4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
2 shallots
350g broccoli florets
350g spring green, shredded
180g peas
Bunch of spring onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
200ml chicken stock
2 tbsp creme fraiche
Fresh mint, chopped (approx 15g)

Heat a little coconut oil or olive oil in a pot or deep pan. Throw in the diced shallot and crushed garlic, mix and then add the chicken breasts. Cook for 6-minutes on each side. Add the chicken stock then gently simmer for around 10-minutes. Pop in the peas, broccoli florets, shredded spring greens and sliced spring onions and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Add the creme fraiche along with the finely chopped fresh mint, mix well and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken a little.

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Cauliflower Garlic Bread (serve w/ Lean Beef Bolognese)

3/13/2021

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Cauliflower Garlic Bread

3 cups riced cauliflower
6 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup almond flour OR 1/2 cup coconut flour (I used)
1 tbsp baking powder
6 tbsp melted butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt

Cauliflower is a good source of fibre, contains lots of vitamins and is in season all year round; normally from Cornwall in the winter and from the north in Summer. Where I look to keep my body fat down I avoid bread made from wheat (as much as I can) so that is where something seasonal and healthy like a Cauliflower Garlic Bread recipe comes in handy!

Preheat oven to 180℃. Grate or blend 3 cups of cauliflower (approximately a whole cauli). Microwave riced cauliflower in a small bowl for 3-4 minutes and allow to cool, while you separate the egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and the whites into a separate bowl. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, like a meringue, and set aside. Add the flour, baking powder, melted butter and garlic to large mixing bowl with the egg yolks with about a quarter of the whipped egg whites. Mix well.

Now that the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, soak up as much moisture as you can and then add to the mixed ingredients along with the remaining egg white. Again, mix well then stir in most of the herbs (but leave a little for the topping).

Line a 24cm loaf tin with parchment paper and spoon in the batter. Bake for 50 minutes.

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EASY Homemade BBQ Slow Cooked Brisket

3/13/2021

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Please note this method is an easy way to cook indoors at home, but I use my smoker outside all year round for EVEN better results. Smoking meat on a smoker outdoors is an entirely different method... Recipe in a future book ;-)

Homemade BBQ Rub:
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons paprika
A generous amount of black pepper all over
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
(for approx 1kg brisket, increase measurements for larger size)

Brisket is a tough and hard-working slab of meat, so it needs some time and love to bring out its flavour - but when you do the flavour is incredible. This recipe is very straightforward and easy, so don't feel daunted that the time means too much effort, it's super simple! I prefer to use a smoker but this guide is for an indoor cook!

First, put the brisket into a large bowl, leave out of the fridge for at least 20-mins (this helps the oven work a bit more efficiently - a little greener decision!).
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well with your hands, blending all of this homemade rub over the meat.
Place the rubbed brisket into your oven at 200C for 2hrs per kilo.
After this you can choose to turn your grill on, up to about 250C, carefully place the brisket under the grill for a few minutes or so until the outer lay turns into a dark, rich, tree-like "bark". Your brisket is now be ready to either slice or shred - either tastes delicious! Serve with corn on the cob and perhaps a homemade slaw - or, my favourite, chilli and lime butter

This is perfect all year round; for summer (best cooked on the BBQ though) or using the above procedure for winter or if you don't have a smoker!

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Seasons

Pan-fried Duck & Butterbeans

Fresh Spring Chicken Pot with Mint

Cauliflower Garlic Bread (serve w/ Lean Beef Bolognese)

EASY Homemade BBQ Slow Cooked Brisket

by Shane

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