Jerk Pork, Rice & Peas etc

I made a Caribbean meal for the family. My jerk 'seasoning' (marinade) is frankly outstanding and totally authentic! I put the pork in it the day before.

Creamy Sausage Parpadelle

I made a sauce by frying the insides of Sicilian style sausages (containing fennel) until browned, then adding onions and fennel seeds, then garlic, then dried porcini soaked in white wine. Finally, cream and loads of black pepper. Mixed in the pasta then served with plenty of freshly grated parmesan (PR natch) and a mixed salad with homemade basil dressing.

Roast Chicken

Dad made roast chicken with stuffing, roast spuds, fennel, leeks, mashed swede and gravy. Not even any room left for cheese.

Fire-Cooked Veal Chops

I cooked rose veal chops from the local farm over the fire. My dad cooked broccoli, leeks, sautéed potato, grilled tomato and garlic mushrooms to go with the chops. Had moreish melty gorgonzola and yummy reblochon for afters, with lots of red wine.

Indian Style Lamb Chops, Raita, Onion Salad & Homemade Naan

I just fancied it. Shame I didn't think to cook them over the fire for a more authentic flavour, like we remembered to do the next day.

I marinaded the chops in yogurt, chilli powder, cumin, ground coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, turmeric, paprika, fenugreek and asafoetida. Added salt just before grilling on high until blackened in places. Made the cucumber and mint raita and the onion salad (with tomato, coriander leaves, lemon). Also made the naan dough - basically like pizza dough but with some melted butter and yogurt. I cooked the naans in a dry frying pan, then brushed them with mixed spices in melted butter and sprinkled them with toasted sesame seeds.

Seafood Risotto

Dad cooked this. Apart from wild Alaskan salmon and a seafood mix, it had all sorts in it, including dried cèpes and parmesan, both of which I thought would be a bit weird in seafood risotto. But it actually worked really well. It also had loads of lemon zest and asparagus in it. I liked it so much I had seconds and also had it for lunch the next day.

Cold Roast Beef with Bubble & Squeak

I love cold rare roast beef, thinly sliced with lots of salt :P  Had it with bubble 'n squeak (cold roast potatoes mashed up with the leftover brussels sprouts and fried), salad and pickles.

Roast Rib of Beef, Yorkshire Pudding etc

My dad made this. The beef was rare the yorkies perfectly puffed. Plenty of rich gravy, roast potatoes, brussels sprouts, green beans, mashed celeriac, horseraddish sauce.

Mother's Day Non-Meal - Fry-Up

It's Mothering Sunday, but my mum hasn't been well. She's got numerous health problems due to a reaction to treatment for brain tumours. Also due to all the meds she's on. At lunch, she ate like a monster, perhaps because of a suspected seizure this morning. She was then very sick - could be due to a seizure or due to eating like a monster or a reaction to meds or any combo of the three. Anyway, we were supposed to be having roast rib of beef and all the trimmings but now we'll probably just have a snack like bread and cheese or eggs. We'll have the beef tomorrow, which will be better anyway as my brother will be here then. I'm feeling a tad heartbroken today so wasn't really up for much anyway...

Update: we had a fry-up. Dad made poached eggs on toast, grilled toms, smoked bacon, sausage, black pudding.

African Peanut Chicken Stew

I made a yummy chicken stew with a Nigerian peanut suya paste. Fried the chicken pieces (cut up a whole chicken) until browned, added the paste, tomato purée, chopped onion and topped up with water. Simmered for about half an hour until the sauce thickened. Served with rice, grilled sweetcorn (I grilled on cob until black in some places to try to give it and Africany flavour. Still not the same without charcoal.) cucumber slices and 'tomavobanonion' salad - a recipe Perry brought back with him for Kenya years ago, made of tomato, avocado, banana and onion, squeeze of lime, pinch of salt.

Osso Buco & Risotto

Cooked by my dad. Everything was thoroughly delicious. Haven't had risotto for literally years. Served with purple sprouting broccoli and string beans. Cheese for after; lots of wine.

Megrim Sole, Mash & Samphire

There's a mobile fish stall every Thursday at the local award-winning farm shop, so I tried it out today. The stall owner advised against plaice (why was he selling it?) due to it being skinny this time of year, after spawning. He recommended the slightly more expensive megrim, which I hadn't tried before, so I took two. I Googled them, and they live in deep sea.

The fish man had good value samphire too some I took some of that, which I somehow overcooked but was still nice. I cooked the megrim perfectly! I floured them (well-seasoned), and fried them in loads of butter with lemon zest and a lots of lemon juice at the end to make a sauce. I served them off the bone with buttery mash, the samphire and some previously frozen petit pois. Megrim is really tasty and a very pleasant texture. I'd definitely buy it again.

Shop Pizza & Salad

This is usually something my dad makes for lunch, but as my parents had been out for a big lunch we thought it would save us having to go and buy something for dinner.

It's not one of my faves, but I do always end up enjoying it. My dad buys a basic supermarket pizza then loads it with a crazy variety and quantity of other stuff. It's so far from a traditional pizza I'm not sure it qualifies. The horrible hard base is never pleasant, but the mash-up of tasty bits on top are nice.

I made a salad like yesterday's, with rocket, red chicory, red onion, cherry toms and a mustard dressing. Added some little gem lettuce to it this time.

Pesto Lamb with Garlic & Rosemary Roasties

I roasted lamb neck fillets in shop bought but luxury pesto. I bashed up some roughly chopped fresh rosemary and mixed it with the roast potatoes at the fluffing-with-fat stage, before they went into the oven, then stirred in some chopped garlic once they were cooked and left them in the oven turned off so they were garlicky but the garlic wouldn't be raw or burnt.

I made a salad with rocket, red chicory, gorgeous cherry toms, red onion and a vinegary mustard dressing.