Saturday 23 July 2011

Chef Extraordinaire !

Today is a day of trials for new recipe’s.
Firstly Orange and Walnut Flapjack, courtesy of a chap that Paul works with, and the other Quesadilla's, inspired by Thomasina Miers new TV show, Mexican Meals Made Simple.
I started with the flapjacks.  I used to make flapjack on a regular basis many many years ago, but never flavoured ones, so this is a new experience for me.

Using the hand written notes that Paul had been given by his mate, I measured everything out, and followed the instructions. (If you click on the image above, you should be able to read the recipe quite easily, if you wish to reproduce it yourself)



It was all quite straightforward, and only took about 10 minutes before it was all in the oven.
About 10 minutes later (ours is a fan assisted oven) and the flapjack were golden and brown and making the whole house smell of oranges and walnuts – lovely!
Meanwhile, Paul was making use of his best talent….. cleaning the spatula!




Let us just say that these did not have a chance to get cold…. we ate the lot in one sitting! Terrible I know, but very lovely!
Next came the Quesadilla's.  When I watched these being made, not only was I pleased at how quick and easy they were to do, I was also pleased that there was only one ingredient that we don’t have in our store cupboard on a weekly basis! Bonus!
  • Too make them you need:
  • Some boiled potatoes left over from the previous meal (or boil one up and cube it) (cost  pennies)
  • Chorizo Sausage x 2 (£3 for 4 from Tesco)
  • diced onion x1 (about 15p)
  • garlic (I used about a teaspoon of squirty stuff) (£1 Tesco)
  • Fresh thyme small handful from our kitchen window sill!)
  • Tortilla Wraps x 2 (£1.19 for 8)
  • Tesco Value Mozzarella cheese (about 35p!!!)
  • Some grated Cheddar
OK, so this isn’t actually how Thomasina said to do it, but it’s the easiest way I translated it it my head!
I diced up an onion and put it in the frying pan with a squirt of garlic paste (you gotta cheat with garlic in my book!)
When it starts to soften and brown, add the potato cubes and warm it all through.
Meanwhile dice up two chorizo sausage (I bought a pack of Tesco’ s own which come as a four pack, and froze the spare two for next time)

Add the sausage to the pan, and allow the oils to be taken on by the potato and onion, making everything a lovely deep orange/red colour.
Then place a second frying pan on a second ring and put the heat up high on it.
Place a tortilla wrap along the bottom of the pan and break about a quarter of the mozzarella over the bottom of it and sprinkle some cheddar over it.
Add the chopped thyme over the potato concoction, stir it on and place half onto the wrap in the other pan.
Fold the wrap in half.  It should be crisping up by now. Flip it over to ensure both sides are crisp and place it onto a plate for the first victim….. repeat the process with the second wrap, cheeses and mix for yourself.

We have never eaten anything with chorizo before, and have to say, we really enjoyed it.

Happily there is half of the mozzarella left, and along with the two spare sausage in the freezer, we have enough to be able to repeat the meal again next week.
All in all a totally successful day of cooking unknown recipe’s, and certainly will be repeated again!
Jo Anne

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