Pork – Page 5 – The Food Wife

â€˜Nduja and Prawn Spaghetti

22nd May 202022nd May 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

â€˜Nduja is a Calabrian spreadable spicy salami. If youâ€™ve had the Spanish sobrassada before itâ€™s very similar, and could be used in its place. Alternatively you can always use chorizo.

The spicy sausage works beautifully with the sweet prawns, and the fat from the â€˜nduja helps create the scant sauce which coats each strand of the spaghetti.

This is a super quick meal, ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Perfect for a weeknight.

Ingredients:
150g spaghetti (gluten-free if required) cooked, according to the packet instructions (reserve a ladleful of the cooking water)
100g nduja, broken into pieces
16 king prawns, raw, shelled and deveined
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, diced

Step 1: While the pasta is cooking, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the ‘nduja. Cook until it releases its oils and starts to break up. Add the garlic and chilli and stir to avoid them burning.

Step 2: Just as the pasta is cooked, add the prawns to the frying pan and cook on both sides.

Step 3: Add the cooked spaghetti to the frying pan along with a ladle of cooking water to loosen the sauce. Toss together until the pasta is coated. Serve.

Thai-inspired Glass Noodle and Mince Salad

25th April 202010th May 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

As the weather gets warmer, substantial salads are great as a main meal. This Thai-inspired noodle and mince salad ticks the box. The dressing has the unmistakable saltiness from pungent fish sauce and the mince is fragrant with ginger, lemongrass and, if you can get them, lime leaves.

Lime leaves come in pairs, so the four stipulated in the ingredients will actually look like eight leaves. These can be tricky to get hold of regularly. I buy a box from the frozen section of the Asian supermarket. Kept in the freezer these last a long time, and are on hand for whenever a recipe calls for them.

Ingredients:

For the mince:
1 tbsp (coconut) oil
750g lean mince (turkey or pork works well)
2 inches of ginger, peeled and grated
3 sticks of lemon grass, finely chopped
4 lime leaves, finely chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

For the salad:
200g glass noodles, soaked until soft and then drained
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Lettuce, shredded

For the dressing:
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp chilli flakes

Step 1: Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the mince and fry until browned and dry (there should be no liquid left in the pan).

Step 2: Add the ginger and lemongrass and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the lime leaves and soy sauce and stir through until the pan is dry again. Remove from the heat.

Step 3: Combine the dressing ingredients together.

Step 4: In a large bowl, toss the noodles, salad ingredients and dressing together. Serve.

Loaded Jackets

22nd April 202022nd April 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes 4

Creamy and cheesy these filled potatoes taste great. I added chorizo to ours, but leave out of making these meat-free. Or if you want meat but donâ€™t have chorizo, use cooked bacon, ham or salami.

Iâ€™ve stipulated full fat cream cheese for flavour, but if you want a lighter option then use reduced fat.

This recipe really is just a guide and you can add any ingredients you fancy. Try adding some chives or red onion to the filling for a stronger onion flavour.

If youâ€™re keeping these veggie, sliced olives would be a good option for a salty hit of flavour in the filling.

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes
250g full fat cream cheese
3 spring onions, finally sliced
100g chorizo, finely diced (optional)
Cheddar, grated
Oil
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan). Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning all over.

Step 2: Bake for an hour and a half.

Step 3: Remove from the oven and slice the top off the long edge of each potato. Use two spoons to carefully scoop the flesh out of each potato into a large bowl. Add a large pinch each of salt and pepper, the cream cheese, spring onion, and if using, the diced chorizo. Mix well until combined and smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Step 4: Load the creamy filling back into the skins on the baking tray. Top each with a large pinch of grated cheddar.

Step 5: Refrigerate until ready to bake or bake straight away. They will need 25-30 minutes at 180c until fully heated through, and the cheese on top is golden.

Sausage and Root Vegetable Traybake with Apple, Honey and…

29th March 202029th March 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 4-5

A complete meal ready in an hour, packed with vegetables and requiring little input from the cook.

You can use any root vegetables you like here, Iâ€™ve included my selection as a guide.

The addition of sweet apples, honey and mustard brings everything together and makes a meal the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredients:
10-12 sausages (aim for ones with a high percentage of pork. Keep gluten and dairy-free as required)
A selection of root vegetables (I used 1 swede, 1 sweet potato, 4 medium-sized potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 parsnips, 3 onions), peeled as necessary, and cut into chunks (aim for 1 1/2 inch pieces)
3 eating apples, cored and quartered
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsps of runny honey
2 heaped tsps wholegrain mustard
Oil
Salt and pepper
1 sprig or rosemary, leaves finely chopped

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan) and take two large baking trays.
Combine the honey and mustard and set to one side.

Step 2: Put a spoonful of oil on each tray and divide the root vegetables between the two trays, season each tray with the rosemary, salt and pepper and toss in the oil.

Step 3: Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the trays from the oven and drizzle the honey and mustard over the vegetables. Next divide the apple, tomatoes and sausages between each tray and return to the oven for 40 minutes.

Step 5: Transfer the contents of the two baking trays to a large serving dish and dig in!

Pork and Pear Stuffing

28th November 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

I often get more enthusiastic about the stuffing in a roast dinner than anything else on the plate; we had this last year for our Christmas dinner and it was my highlight of the meal!

Trade your bog-standard sage and onion stuffing balls from a packet for this and you wonâ€™t be disappointed! Using a ready made sausage meat means you have a good ratio of fat to meat and it is already seasoned. If it is not seasoned then youâ€™ll want to add a pinch of salt also.

Now I donâ€™t stuff my stuffing, instead I bake it in an oven proof dish (covered with foil for the first 25 minutes) and once cooked it is then sliced into portions (I will always have more than one!) and makes an excellent addition to a sandwich if there is any leftover.

Ingredients:

400g sausage meat (gluten-free if required)

10 sage leaves, finely chopped

Handful of parsley, finely chopped

2 dried pears, finely chopped (or use a handful of dried apple or apricots, finely chopped)Â

2 handfuls of breadcrumbs (gluten-free if required)

Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Pinch of pepperÂ

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands is messy but works best.

Step 2: Transfer to a greased baking dish and use the back of a spoon to smooth over the surface.

Step 3: Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180c for 45 minutes (Remove the foil after 25 minutes).