This is the first recipe I’ve tried from Jamie’s America, Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook exploring the US coast-to-coast in search for true Americana, away from burgers and fries. I’ve started with the Navajo Breakfast, something dead easy and reminiscent of many a western breakfast; potatoes, bacon, onion, eggs… fairly ordinary stuff. It’s a pretty hefty breakfast though, only worth contemplating on a busy Saturday!
I start by frying a sliced onion with some bacon, then adding red potatoes that have been sliced on the ‘wide’ bit of a box grater. I continued frying these until soft and then seasoned. Then I chucked in some beaten eggs mixed with a little cayenne pepper, and once the eggs had set oozed the lot on to some toast. Not quite content with my cardiac state I added a little grated cheese on top. Totally satisfying and very tasty, this will come round again another breakfast time!
When it’s comfort food I’m after, only one chef matters: Nigella Lawson. The divine godess of punchy flavourful food with a smirk never fails to deliver. In this recipe from Nigella Express
my old chum chestnut mushrooms are sliced wafer thin and nestled in layers of potato, with creamy garlicky sauce running throughout. A hearty side-dish that goes well with grilled meats and fleshy greens.
The burger mix was turkey mince, the slightly bland and lean meat gives space for spiky red chilli and citrussy coriander. I mixed this together with smoked sea salt for a deep savoury flavour. I then used my trusty burger press (given to me for my birthday by the person who got this food!) to make the patties. As a soothing contrast to the fiery chilli, I stirred some chopped mint into mayonnaise to be spread on to the bun. I hoped the crisp toasted bun would give way to meaty turkey with a pokey bite, then cooled by the refreshing mayo that coats the mouth. A thick slice of tomato finishes off with a fruity taste, accentuating the meaty element with a nice dash of umami.
On the side were some potato wedges. Sliced maris pipers were tossed in a blend of vegetable oil, paprika, oregano, coriander and sea salt and roasted in a hot oven until tender and crisp.
Happy birthday!
Turkey burgers:
450g turkey mince
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons smoked sea salt
2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves
1 beefsteak tomato, thickly sliced
baps, buns or muffins split and lightly toasted
For the mint mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 mint leaves, shredded
Combine mince, chilli, salt and coriander in a bowl and form into patties.
Fry on a medium heat on both sides until browned.
For the mayo, mix mint and mayo together
Assemble in a bun with a thick slice of tomato and a slather of minty mayonnaise.
Spicy potato wedges:
5 maris piper potatoes, sliced into wedge shapes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
Mix the dry ingredients into the oil. (I like to use a freezer bag to do this)
Tumble with the potato wedges, and bake in an oven preheated to 200C for 20 mins, or until crisp on the outside and tender inside.
Thanks to yesterday’s roast, I had a heap of leftovers. A few additions later and dinner’s ready.
I started by baking some potatoes until they were, well, jacket potatoes. I’m a big fan of mash done in this way. Meanwhile I took the cold, yummy, gummy lamb and chopped it into bits. I also had some leftover carrots and chopped those up too. I fried these bits in a pan until warmed up, then added some lamb stock and frozen peas. When the juice had reduced down a bit, I chucked them in a dish and topped with fresh mash, carved from the flesh of the baked potatoes mixed with a few leftover roast potatoes. I couldn’t resist a little cheese on top and left it in the oven for a few minutes until golden and bubbly. Lovely.
