Owner: Ryans Recipe Blog URL:http://ryansrecipeblog.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:35:50 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: This is my blog of recipes. Recipes I have made up or modified, recipes I have found and cooked and enjoyed. The recipes can come from friends, family, websites, magazines and newspapers. I love cooking so I wanted to share my recipes in this blog. Site statistics:Click here
Spciy Thai Burger 2008-03-10 03:46:00 This burger is a bit of a variation on the traditional beef burger. I was just experimenting with what I could add into the beef to make it more tasty. I think pretty much anything can be added, depending on what you like. Curry powder could be a good one, or maybe tomato and basil for an Italian style.For this Thai style burger, I just took the burger recipe I used before and added a chilli, garlic, 4 cherry tomatoes, and some fresh coriander. Chopped up everything really finely and added it into the burger mix.I had a bit of Emmental cheese in the fridge so used that to melt on the top, then served in a bun with some crispy salad.Yum!
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My Herb Garden 2008-03-09 15:02:00 I was in Homebase shopping for furniture at the weekend (not one of my favourite pass times I have to say), and saw they had a special offer on herbs. I got 2 large ones (sage and rosemary) for £5 and 4 small ones for £5 - these were thyme, oregano, chives, and mint. I got straight homeSo I now have my own little herb garden set up with plenty of flavour to add to my meals. I am not going to make the mistake of picking too many of the herbs early on and killing them off, which is what I have done in previous years. For now, I am just going to let them settle in and grow for a month or two before I start using them.Anyway, I have taken a few pictures of my herb garden just to show off!Here is some thyme - this one had a bit of a lemony scent to it when the leaves are pressed.The next Read more:Garden
Light Yoghurt and Lemon Drizzle Cake 2008-03-09 14:40:00 My girlfriend made this cake today. Instead of using butter, the fat in the cake is yoghurt which makes for a very moist cake. The recipe she took it from said to use artificial sweetener, which I think tastes awful, it always has a really bitter funny after taste. For a 'diet' cake, this is still quite healthy even with real sugar. It originally came from the Weight Watchers recipe book but as she has changed the recipe, it is not quite as low - calorie!IngredientsLow fat cooking spray150 g low fat plain yoghurt175 g self raising flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder8 tablespoons caster sugar7 teaspoons sunflower oil2 egg whitesFor the drizzle toppingGrated zest and juice of 1 lemon2 tablespoons caster sugarHeat the oven to 160C. Line an 18 cm cake tin with baking paper and grease with the Read more:Lemon
Carrot and Coriander Soup 2008-03-09 14:08:00 I sort of made this recipe up myself. Knowing that carrot and coriander go well together, but not having an exact recipe I just made it up as I went along. The result was not bad at all if I do say so myself. I added in a splash of orange juice with this soup, just to take a little bit of the sweetness of the carrots away. I always use the stalks of the coriander as well as the leaves, as there is a lot of flavour in these too.Ingredients1 tablespoon olive oil8 large carrots1 small potato1/2 onion1 clove garlic1 tsp dried coriander500 mL vegetable stock1 tsp cumin1 tsp hot curry powder1 handful fresh coriander - stalks and leaves included.1 dash orange juiceChop the onion and garlic and fry in the oil until soft. Next add the peeled and chopped potato and carrots, mixing well. Add t Read more:Carrot
, Coriander
The chilli so hot you need gloves - from Times Online 2008-03-09 10:55:00 I was forwarded a link to this article the other day by a friend at work. In the summer I normally grow some chilli's out on the patio, although with last years distinct lack of summer, I did not have much luck and they all rotted on the bush before getting ripe. I found this article very interesting indeed. These chilli farmers in Dorset have grown some record breakingly hot chilli's, called the Dorset Naga.I found it quite hard to believe how hot these are, especially considering where they are grown, I mean I normally associate chilli's with coming from hot, exotic countries like India, Thailand, South America, and then Dorset!Anyway, the scale to measure the heat of a chilli is called the Scoville scale. To give you an idea of just how hot these are lets put it into context -FROM H Read more:Times
Spciy Coconut and Ginger Cod 2008-03-08 13:39:00 This is a very tasty spicy cod recipe. The flavour of the coconut and spices really suits this fish. I would recommend that you use ethically fished cod of course.Tamarind can be either fresh or dried. If using fresh just chop and add to the recipe with the garlic and chilli's. If using dried tamarind, add about 25 g to some 50 mL of boiling water. Leave to soak for about 15 minutes or so, breaking up the tamarind with a teaspoon. Sieve the liquid into the sauce.This recipe takes about half an hour and should make enough for 4 people with some rice/ naan bread and vegetables.Ingredients1 tablespoon oil1 onion, peeled and chopped finely1 tin chopped tomatoes200 mL coconut milk2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger1 chilli, finely chopped1 teaspoon fresh tamarind or 25 g dried tamarind2 clov Read more:Ginger
Beef in Designer Beer 2008-03-07 02:59:00 This is a great recipe. My friend Richard adapted it from Delia Smiths. It is very easy to make, and quite tasty too. In terms of the beef to use, it should be braising steak, preferably marbled with quite a lot of fat in it. Don't go for anything like 'Finest' or 'Taste the Difference' ranges, and most certainly not 'Lean' meat. The fat is needed to really make the stew nice and moist. If at all possible, go to a local butcher and ask for some nice braising steak.Beer wise go for something rich and malty: Hobgoblin, Old Peculiar and Guinness Foreign Extra are all good bets. Delia recommended serving this with some cheesy croutons on top, but in my opinion that just makes it too rich. So I would serve with some plain boiled or mashed potatoes, and some nice green veg like spring greens or Read more:Designer
Sweet Potato and Lime Soup with Basil Cream 2008-03-04 13:30:00 My friend at work, M, is a long suffering vegetarian. I say that because he is a meat eater, but lives with his lady who is a vegetarian, so he has to live off a diet of mainly lentils, beans and sweet potatoes. As a result, he was the perfect person to turn to for some sweet potato recipe tips. This is a very easy soup to make, and is very quick, it took about half an hour at the most to prepare.The basil cream swirled into the soup at the end adds a very professional chef style touch, making the soup look pretty smart.The resulting soup should be enough to serve 2 people. It should turn out very rich, thick and a delicious orange colour.Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped1 onion, chopped finely4 cloves garlic, chopped finely500 mL chicken stock1 lim Read more:Basil
, Cream
, Potato
, Sweet
, Sweet Potato
Tasty Beef Burger and Blue Cheese 2008-03-02 12:45:00 I had a bit too much wine and beer last night, which made me feel a tad ill today. The best solution for this is plenty of greasy junk food in my opinion. So to cure my hangover I cooked some tasty burgers with blue cheese and a side order of potato wedges. It has worked as well, I feel a lot better with some greasy stodge inside me!Ingredients450 g minced beef - the best quality you can afford.1 small onionSalt and pepper1 egg (beaten)To serveBlue cheese4 Soft, floury bread rollsSaladMayonnaiseBurger
relish / tomato chutneyChop the onion up very finely, or use a grater or food processor if possible. Add to a bowl along with the beef and season to your taste. Mix well - I find it works best using your hands.When its all mixed up nicely, divide into 4 equal balls and shape into burger Read more:Cheese
, Tasty
Potato Wedges 2008-03-02 11:03:00 Ingredients2 large baking potatoes2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons groundnut oilHeat the oven to 200C.Chop the potatoes into wedges about 2 cm thick. Put in a roasting tin with the oil and mix around to ensure all the wedges are coated in oil.Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve straight away sprinkled with salt and pepper, and your favourite sauce - I like mayonnaise best personally.
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, Wedges
Chocolate Birthday Cake 2008-03-02 10:21:00 This cake is dangerously rich and very tasty! This is what I baked for my girlfriends birthday last year. She loved it! The plain chocolate used in the recipe makes the chocolate flavour very intense as well. As it is so rich, 1 small slice is quite filling, however as its so tasty it is difficult to stop at one slice. Yum. Also, try and use the best quality chocolate you can for the best flavour.Ingredients8 oz butter6 oz plain chocolate (best possible quality!)4 eggs1 tsp vanilla essence8 oz plain flour1.5 tsp baking powder0.5 pint milk1.25 lbs caster sugarHeat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 5. Butter and line three 9" cake tins with greaseproof paper.Melt the chocolate over a bowl of boiling water (Bain marie method) or in a microwave. If you do it in the microwave, keep a clos Read more:Birthday
, Chocolate
Broccoli Chicken 2008-03-02 04:10:00 This is quite an involved recipe, with several steps, so make sure you have plenty of room to put all the various bits that are needed. It is very tasty at the end, and comes from another recipe by Ken Hom. It is apparently based on a Vietnamese style dish.To make a nice Chinese meal, we served this with some ginger and garlic carrots and some garlic spinach. I think we may have been stinking of garlic the following day, but I am sure it helps keep colds away.Next time, I think I will use less salt as the dish was just a little bit too salty for my tastes. This dish takes about an hour to prepare and cook, and should be enough for 4 people with rice and vegetables.Ingredients450 g broccoli450 g skinless, boneless chicken thighsCornflour400 mL groundnut oil3 tablespoons roughly chopped Read more:Broccoli
, Chicken
Stir - Fried Spinach 2008-03-01 04:37:00 I love spinach, in all kinds of ways, but normally end up with it in a curry or a cheese sauce of some kind.This is a very quick, slightly Eastern style, way to cook spinach.Ingredients450 g fresh spinach3 tablespoons garlic1 tsp sugar1 tsp salt2 tablespoons groundnut oilHeat up your wok or pan, then add the oil. Make sure it is very hot and gently smoking. Next add the garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds, until slightly golden.Add the spinach, and stir fry for a further 1 minute or so. Season with the salt and sugar and serve immediately.Spinach
has a high water content, so you may need to drain off some of the water before serving.
Read more:Fried
Banana, Mango and Strawberry Smoothie 2008-03-01 04:25:00 Today I bring you a rather exotic tasting smoothie. A tip of mine is to chop up the fruit and put it in your freezer for about half an hour before blending. This way you don't need to use any ice cubes, which can make it a little bit watery.Ingredients1 mango1 banana10 strawberries500 mL apple juiceChuck all the ingredients into a smoothie maker, having chopped them up into small chunks, and blend for about a minute.Enjoy!
Read more:Mango
, Strawberry
Garlic and Ginger Carrots 2008-02-29 15:14:00 This is a favourite of mine and my lady friends. We often have this with a Chinese meal as a side dish of vegetables. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes to cook, and comes from Ken Homs "Top 100 Stir Fry Recipes" book. The original Ken Hom version uses spring onions, but I am not a fan of them so usually leave them out.Ingredients450 g carrots1 tablespoon groundnut oil3 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated fresh root ginger3-4 tablespoons water2 tablespoons roughly chopped corianderSalt and freshly ground black pepperStart off by peeling the carrots, then slice them at a slight diagonal, thinly. I think this makes for a more professional look than straight slicing.Heat up your wok to a high heat, add the oil. Heat the oil again until it is very hot. Add Read more:Carrots
, Garlic
, Ginger
Stir Fried Peas With Fresh Coriander 2008-02-28 15:11:00 This is a great recipe from Ken Hom. The peas are great as a little snack or served with something like grilled ginger salmon to make a full meal. The peas can be cooked up in about quarter of an hour, so very quick to make.Ingredients1 tbsp groundnut oil450 g frozen peas, thawed2 tbsp fresh coriander2 tbsp finely chopped spring onions2 tsp finely chopped garlic1 tsp sugarSalt and pepperHeat the oil in a wok. Add the peas and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes, keeping the peas moving around all the time.Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, for flavour. If this is added during the cooking it loses some of its delicious flavour.
Read more:Coriander
, Fried
, Stir Fried
Breakfast Berry Buzz Power Smoothie 2008-02-28 14:29:00 This is a brilliant smoothie for before going to the gym, balanced with lots of protein, fruit, and carbohydrates. Ideal for putting on a bit of muscle, and the guarana gives you the extra morning buzz thats needed.Ingredients2 weetabix4 strawberries1 handful frozen summer fruits1 scoop yogurt1 scoop whey protein powder (I used banana, any fruit flavour will do)1 teaspoon guarana1 teaspoon honey (add more if you like it sweeter)MilkPut all the ingredients into your blender, using just enough milk to cover all the fruit and stuff. Whizz it all up for about a minute, or until smooth and enjoy.
Read more:Berry
, Breakfast
Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pasta 2008-02-27 14:53:00 This is a recipe that my lovely girlfriend cooked for me today, and very tasty it was too. She had never made a cheese sauce before so I had to explain over the phone how to make a quick and easy cheese sauce. The two simple rules to making a perfect cheese sauce are ...Keep mixing.Add all the ingredients VERY slowly.This cheese sauce can be made with many different types of cheese and used to make a variety of dishes, I use a cheddar version when making lasagne.The fresh pasta used in this recipe was tomato and smoked ham stuffed cappalletti, but any stuffed fresh pasta can be used. I think a cheesy pasta would go well with this recipe as well.This recipe makes enough for 4 portions.Ingredients600 g fresh pasta75 g blue cheese3 tbsps butter3 tbsps flour1.5 cups milk1 head broccoliSalt Read more:Broccoli
, Cheese
, Pasta
Very Berry-Licious Smoothie 2008-02-27 13:06:00 Another tasty smoothie which I whizzed up today. This one is a delicious red colour, and I have made use of the Tesco frozen fruits, so you can get tasty fruits out of their normal season. The berries are quite sharp, so the apple juice and banana just add a bit of sweetness to the mix.This recipe makes enough for 2 large glasses of smoothie.Ingredients6 ice cubes1 handful strawberries1 handful frozen blueberries1 small handful of Goji berries1 handful frozen summer fruits mixture1 bananaApple juiceAs usual, chuck everything into your blender or smoothie maker, cover with apple juice. Blend for about a minute, until smooth, and enjoy.
Read more:Berry
Braised Red Cabbage With Apple 2008-02-26 14:34:00 We were lucky enough to be given a red cabbage from my girlfriends parents allotment at the weekend, so I thought I would do some braised red cabbage with apple. I remember having this one Christmas when my grandparents came over, and for years afterwards my nan was going on about that "Exotic cabbage" we had at Christmas time.I have also made this before without all the spices, just leave them out if they are not to your taste. It is a variation of a recipe from Delia Smith, so pretty much always works well.Ingredients1 red cabbage1/2 cooking apple2 tbsp white wine vinegar1/2 onion1 clove garlic1/4 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp cloves2 tbsp brown sugarKnob of butterSalt and freshly ground black pepperPeel off the outside cabbage leaves, and then finely shred the cabbage, leaving out the thicker m Read more:Apple
, Braised
, Cabbage
Zingy Pineapple and Super Berry Smoothie 2008-02-26 12:59:00 I just made a really good smoothie for my lady who is a bit poorly so needed a vitamin boost. This one is packed with vitamin C from the lime and pineapple, and the superfoods of goji berries and blueberries and a bit of extra zing!Ingredients1 slice frozen pineapple1 handful frozen blueberries1 handful dried Tibetan Goji berriesJuice of 1 lime6 ice cubesEnough orange juice to cover it all in a blenderChuck all the above into a blender or smoothie maker and whizz it up for about a minute, or until smooth. If its too thick for you, add a bit more orange juice.
Read more:Berry
, Super
Green Banana Curry 2008-02-25 15:06:00 I was a bit dubious about this recipe when I heard of it, but it does work. I think the next time I try it out I will use some less green bananas, as the really green ones which I used were a little bit tough and dry. It was still edible though and the sauce was delicious.Ingredients5 green bananas1 onion1 clove garlic1 tbsp curry paste (or a big dollop, depending on taste). I used Tikka.400 mL coconut milkSalt and pepperLimeFresh corianderSlice the bananas to about 2.5 cm thickness. Fry in a little vegetable oil until lightly golden brown. Set aside on some kitchen paper to soak off some of the oil.In the same pan, fry up the onion, finely sliced, and the garlic fr about 10 minutes or until soft and golden.Chuck the bananas back in the pan and stir in the curry paste, and half the coconut Read more:Curry
, Green
Oriental Rice 2008-02-25 15:02:00 This goes really well with any Chinese or South East Asian dishes, I think I got it from a recipe featured in the Metro a few weeks back.Ingredients2 large onions2 garlic cloves100 g raisins1 cinnamon stick1 tsp turmeric3 cloves300 g basmai riceFinely chop the onions and garlic, and fry in a little bit of oil until golden. Stir in the raisins, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves and rice. Make sure its mixed well and all the rice gets coated with all the oil and spices.Add the water and boil for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Read more:Oriental
Grilled Ginger Salmon 2008-02-25 14:40:00 This is a pretty quick and easy way to spice up some salmon.Just get one salmon steak (per person), brush over with olive oil, and then sprinkle with about half a teaspoon of dried ground ginger.Grill for about 5 minutes on each side under a medium-high grill, or until done how you like it.
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, Grilled
Banana and Strawberry Smoothie 2008-02-25 12:47:00 I love making smoothies, as there is loads of fruit in every glass and they are really tasty. Any combination of fruit will do, and you don't have to use any specific amount, just whack it all in a blender. I make smoothies most days with whatever fruit is seasonal, or more often, on special offer from the supermarket, and I will just give you a quick run-down of what fruit combinations I have made.Ingredients1 bananaHandful of strawberriesHandful of Ice cubesFruit juiceChuck everything into a blender, using just enough fruit juice to cover over the fruit and ice cubes. Blend for probably about a minute, until it all looks smooth.This should make enough for about 2 decent sized glasses of smoothie.A handy tip is to put the fruit in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you make the sm Read more:Strawberry
Blueberry and Banana Yoghurt Smoothie 2008-03-15 05:32:00 This is a nice breakfast milkshake smoothie with the addition of blueberries and goji berries for that super food buzz!Ingredients1 banana1 large handful blueberries1 small handful goji berries1 tablespoon honey1 large dollop of low fat plain yoghurt1 teaspoon guarana1 scoop strawberry flavour whey protein such as available from Maximuscle8 ice cubesMilkPut all the ingredients into your blender, cover with milk - just enough to cover it, then blend for about 1 minute until it looks really smooth.Drink straight away.
Read more:Blueberry
Goan Style Chicken Curry 2008-03-16 17:10:00 This is a delicious soup-y style of curry. I have called this a Goan style curry as it is not from a traditional recipe, more an amalgamation of flavours in a recipe passed to me from a friend. Its my friend from work, who has grown the most awful beard lately, so I should call it 'Beardy's Goan ChickenCurry
'. The original recipe was for a fish curry, but as the missus is not really a fish eater I then changed the recipe to work with chicken.There are absolutely loads of flavours in here from the various spices and herbs, so its a deliciously aromatic curry. Take in the scents as you are cooking it!Also, I found that the next day the left overs were less spicy than on first taste, something to do with the chilli casaicin dissolving up in the fat and oils from the curry over time maybe Read more:Style
Minty Pea and Spinach Soup 2008-03-16 10:55:00 A great, fresh tasting soup. The idea with this is not to over cook the peas at all, just bring them to the boil and cook through very quickly, then take it off the heat and serve to get the best flavours from the peas and spinach, without turning it to colourless and flavourless mush!I find it best to use frozen peas as they are actually fresher than the 'fresh' ones because they are harvested and frozen almost immediately, thus locking in all the vitamins and flavours.The frozen spinach used here has lumps of spinach - about 2 lumps to a handful. You can use fresh spinach if you have some from the garden as well.Ingredients1 tablespoon olive oil1 onion2 cloves garlic1 small potato200 g frozen peas500 ml vegetable stock2 lumps frozen spinach1 tablespoon dried mint / handful fresh garden Read more:Spinach
Fruity Bread Pudding 2008-03-15 17:04:00 This is a recipe for traditional fruity bread pudding, not to be confused with bread and butter pudding which is a different thing altogether (sort of a custardy sandwich dessert). This bread pudding can be made from left over crusts of bread. I keep the crusts in a bag in the freezer, and when there are enough I make one of these bread puddings.Any bread can be used, or bread based products. A nice idea is to use hot cross buns as they have already got some cinnamon and fruit in them. If you don't want to just use crusts, any slightly stale loaf of bread can be used in this way.The recipe comes from my dad, who used to make it in his restaurant. I have memories of eating this on tea breaks when working there as a teenager. A well earned treat, and a good way to use up leftover bread. Read more:Bread
, Pudding
Jamaican Tilapia with Lemon and Parsely Sauce 2008-03-21 14:40:00 As it is Good Friday, it's traditional to have fish for dinner. So I scoured the fish counter of the local Tesco. The shop itself was devoid of pretty much anything as people panic buy for the long weekend - you never know when you are going to run out of large chocolate eggs when the shops are closed for a whole day.I fancied having some haddock but there was only one of these left, so I thought I would be a bit adventurous and go for a fish I had not encountered before - Jamaican Tilapia
.It turned out to be a very good choice. At about £1.90 per fillet it was also quite a bargain, and it was a really meaty flavourful fish - a lot nicer than bland old cod or haddock.I cooked a simple parsley and lemon cream sauce to go with the fish and served it with potatoes and some veg.Ingredients Read more:Lemon
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