Come & Eat At Big Bob's Internet Diner

(but you have to do the cooking yourself)

 

 

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Wednesday March 17

Main Course

 

Chicken and Banana Curry

 

Ingredients:-

serves 4

 

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
1½ tbsp olive oil
250 g / 9 oz closed cup mushrooms, wiped and quartered
2 tbsp balti curry paste
400 ml / 14 fl oz can coconut milk
200 ml / 7 fl oz chicken stock
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
100 g / 4 oz stoned, dried dates, chopped
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

 

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a moderate heat for 3 minutes.

 

2. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes or until softened and browned.

 

3. Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the bananas and seasoning, and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

4. Add the bananas and simmer for 5 minutes.

 

5. Remove any thyme stalks and season to taste.

 

6. Serve with Thai-style fragrant rice.

 

 

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Tuesday March 16

Fish

 

Potted Smoked Fish

(Microwave Recipe)

 

Ingredients:-

serves 4

 

2 smoked or kippered fish fillets
15 g / ½ oz½ butter or margarine
15 g / ½ oz plain flour
6 tbsps cream cheese
6 tbsps milk
6 - 8 pimento-stuffed olives, sliced
2 tsps Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
120 g / 4 oz butter for clarifying
Pimento-stuffed olives and black peppercorns to garnish

 

Method

1. Skin the fish fillets and break up into small pieces. Melt butter for 1 minute on HIGH.

 

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes on HIGH. Blend in the cheese, milk, half the olives, mustard and seasoning.

 

3. Add fish and mix until well blended. Put into four ramekins and smooth the tops of each.

 

4. Cover individually with cling film and cook for 1 minute on HIGH to set the mixture.

 

5. Put butter into a medium bowl and heat for 3 - 4 minutes on HIGH, or until boiling". Leave to stand for 10 - 15 minutes.

 

6. Skim the salt off the top and spoon the butter oil carefully over each pot offish. Fill nearly to the top, and leave until almost set.

 

7. Place the remaining olives and peppercorns on top of the butter. Chill until set, then cover the decoration with another thin layer of clarified butter and refrigerate again.

 

 

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Monday March 15

Soups

 

Fish and Vegetable Soup

 

 

Ingredients:-

serves 4

 

225 g / 8 oz cod steaks, bones and skin removed and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 potatoes, cut into 1 cm / ½ in dice
2 carrots, cut into 1 cm / ½ in dice
25 g / 1 oz plain flour
300 ml / ½ pt warm milk
600 ml / 1 pt warm chicken stock
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 g / 2 oz peeled prawns
½ bunch watercress, stalks removed, to garnish

 

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, potatoes and carrots and cook over gentle heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.

 

2. Sprinkle in the flour, stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat and
   gradually stir in the milk and stock.

 

3. Return the pan to the heat and bring to boil, stirring. Lower heat, add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes.

 

4. Add the cod to the pan and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

 

5. Discard the bay leaf, stir the prawns into the soup and heat through for 5 minutes.

 

6. Taste and adjust seasoning, then pour into warmed individual soup bowls and garnish with the watercress. Serve the soup at once.

 

 

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Friday Mar 12

Baking

 

Syrup Oat Scones

 

Ingredients:-

makes about 20

 

350 g / 12 oz self-raising flour
3 level tsp / 15 ml baking powder
1 level tsp / 5 ml ground ginger
75 g / 3 oz butter
50 g / 2 oz porridge oats
60 ml / 4 level tbsp golden syrup
7 fl oz / 200 ml milk, at room temperature

 

Method

 

1. Sift the flour with the baking powder and ground ginger into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the oats.

 

2. Warm the syrup gently and add to the milk. Mix the dry ingredients to a soft dough with the syrup and milk, adding more milk if necessary.

 

3. Roll out 1 cm / ½ in thick on a floured work surface. Divide into 5 cm / 2 in triangles, kneading and rerolling the dough until it is all used up.

 

4. Place the scones on buttered preheated baking trays. Glaze with milk and bake in the oven at 230°C, 450°F, Gas mark 8 for 10 - 12 minutes.

 

5. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

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Thursday Mar 11

Pudding

 

Jam Souffle Omelettes

 

Ingredients:-

makes 2 to serve 4

 

6 eggs
2 tablespoons caster sugar
few drops of vanilla flavouring
40 g / 1½ oz butter
6 - 8 tablespoons jam, warmed
4 tablespoons icing sugar, to dredge

 

Method

 

1. Make the first omelette: separate 3 of the eggs, placing the whites in a clean, dry bowl. Whisk the egg whites until standing in soft peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar and 1 - 2 drops vanilla.

 

2. Heat the grill to high.

 

3. Melt half the butter in an omelette or frying-pan with a base diameter of 20 cm/8 inches. Meanwhile, quickly fold the beaten egg yolks into the egg whites with a large metal spoon.

 

4. As soon as the butter is foaming, pour in the egg mixture and turn down the heat to low. Cook the omelette, without stirring, for
   2 - 3 minutes, until the underside is set and golden. Then place the pan under the grill for 2 - 3 minutes, until the top of the omelette is golden brown.

 

5. Spread half the warmed jam over one-half of the omelette. Using a large palette knife or fish slice, fold the omelette in half to enclose jam.

 

6. Slide the omelette on to a warmed dish and sift half the icing sugar over the top. Cut across in half and serve at once.

 

7. Use the remaining ingredients to make the second omelette in the same way.

 

 

 

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