Things I am cooking this month...

This was very popular over Christmas, great for a big number of guests as it can be cooked well in advance.

Red cooked wild boar (or pork will be perfectly fine!)

1.5kg boned leg of boar/ pork cubed
6tbls dark soy
300ml sunflower oil
2tsp brown sugar
4tbls Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
25g fresh ginger finely grated
2 medium onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic crushed
6 5mm pieces of dried tangerine peel (available specialist Chinese shops)
2 star anise
2.5cm cinnamon
1/2tsp Szechuan peppercorns ground

Marinated the cubed pork in the soy for at least 20 mins, reserve soy. Fry the meat in the sunflower oil in several batches until well browned. Put the meat and soy in large saucepan along with all the rest of the ingredients cover and cook slowly for 1 1/2 hours until tender. Serve with rice and coleslaw (see below).

Asian Coleslaw

175g white cabbage sliced
50g carrots grated
1tsp chopped garlic
1/2 medium hot red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
2tbsp fish sauce
2tbsp lime juice
1tsp caster sugar
2tsp each coriander, basil and mint chopped

Mix all the ingredients together and serve straight away.


Spinach and feta filo pie


Trying to be healthy so cooked a spinach and feta filo pie for dinner have a go really easy!

Serves 4 easily
4 x sheets of filo pastry (freeze the rest!)
1 x big bag of spinach
1 x tub ricotta
1 x pack of feta
2 x eggs
4 x spring onions
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper and nutmeg

Pre heat oven to 200c
Put bag of spinach in microwave on high for 4 mins, leave to cool then squeeze out as much water as possible roughly chop.
Put eggs, ricotta, sliced spring onions, crumbled feta and spinach in a bowl and mix well.
Scrunch a piece of greaseproof paper then flatten out. Put the filo pastry on top of the paper in a cross shape then lift the paper into a saucepan (that can go in the oven) with the edges of the filo overhanging the pan. Tip the filling into the pastry and gently fold the filo over the filling. Put on a med heat on the hob for 5 mins then transfer to the oven for about 30 mind until golden and the filling is set. Serve with a tomato salad and some tzatziki.