Pretty. Summery and Easy Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad Starter

Hello food.....

Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad

Many moons ago it was Father's Day and I wanted to do a tasty 3 course meal for my dad to show him how great he is.

As I was doing 3 courses and none of the family have the massive-est of appetites the starter had to be especially light, but we do like strong and interesting flavours. I decided to do a nice, light Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad... with a slight twist.

Serves 4

What do you need?

300g Cooked Beetroot (not pickled)
2 Limes (Juice)
1 Red Chilli (Finely diced)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Shallot
200g Soft Goats Cheese
2 Tbsp Double Cream
Handful of Chives
Pea Shoots
Salt and Pepper

For the Dressing:

1 Lemon (Juice)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp Honey
Salt and Pepper

How do you do it?

1. Very finely slice the beetroot into small discs, use a Mandolin if you have one and are confident with them - but don't cut yourself, they really hurt!
2. Place slices in a shallow baking tray or similar. Mix in a ramekin the Lime juice, Red Chilli and Olive Oil and season. Pour over beetroot and toss the beets in mixture. Ensure all are covered then cling film and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Very finely dice the shallot and fry very slowly in a small amount of oil, until soft - but careful not to colour.
4. Place Goats Cheese, cooked Shallot, Double Cream and finely sliced Chives in a bowl and combine. I found it easiest to use my hands, but you can obviously use a spoon to stay nice and clean. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place to one side.
5. Make the dressing - combine all ingredients and whisk.
6. Ball up the goats cheese into small spheres, at least 20 of them if serving 4 people.
7. Place 5 discs of beetroot around the place, and a ball of goats cheese on top, then another disc on top of that.
8. Drizzle over some of the dressing and scatter the pea shoots.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Now, just wait and see what I did for Mother's Day!!!

Recipe of the week - Prawny, Parmesany, Pine Nutty Pasta

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Prawny, Parmesany, Pine Nutty Pasta

Throughout this beautiful summer there have been so many chances to eat outside and enjoy the lovely weather with some fantastic food and a nice glass of wine. One lunch time when on holiday from my work I wanted to do just that, however didn't have many things in the house. Therefore, this is essentially a leftovers meal, but resulted in something delicious that I will definitely make again.

I didn't have fresh pasta for this recipe, as it was just a quick lunch, but if I was to make it for other people I would definitely use my Fresh Pasta recipe. It would just taste that little bit more special and fresher if I'd had the time to do this.

Serves 4

What do you need?

400g Pasta
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 Red Chilli (finely diced)
1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil
100g Cavolo Nero (sliced)
Handful Pine Nuts
200g Cooked and Peeled Prawns
Handful Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

How do you do it?

1. If making Fresh Pasta start by doing this - and using pasta machine to make desired pasta shape.

2. If using dried pasta, place this in boiling water and cook for 10-12 mins, until cooked but still slightly al denta.

3. Meanwhile, place Garlic and Chilli in a frying pan with the rapeseed oil and cook slowly for 5 minutes until softened, but not coloured.

4. Add Cavolo Nero and Pine Nuts to the pan and cook out for a further 3 minutes. Then add prawns, these should be cooked already, so just head them through.

5. When cooked, drain pasta and add to pan. Stir all ingredients together and season well, to your personal taste.

6. Serve and place grated Parmesan Cheese on top. Add a couple of twists of Black Pepper and eat.

Yum!

Perfect Pizza Recipe - easy, homemade, tasty pizzas!

Hello food.....

Selection of Pizzas and Potato Wedges

I've been pretty obsessed with making pizza recently. Ever since my Jess's Messes pizza making party I just can't get enough of it. It's so easy to make some lovely light pizza dough and then it's just a case of making a tasty tomato base and choosing your toppings.

So, here is a recipe for the dough and the tomato base and a few topping suggestions!

Pizza Dough
What do I need?

• 300g Plain Flour
• 1 sachet (7g) of yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 10ml Olive oil
• 200g Warm water

What do I do?

1. Place the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add oil and half the water.
2. Combine using your hand and gradually add the rest of the water until you have a soft, not too sticky dough, you may not need all the water!
3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until the dough is springy and shiny.
4. Place in a bowl, cover, leave to rise for an hour.

Tomato Base

What do I need?

• 200g passata
• 1 clove garlic
• Handful of fresh basil and oregano
• Salt and pepper

What do I do?

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine.

The pizza making

1. Roll out the dough until reallllllllllly lovely and thin and cover with a thin layer of tomato base.
2. Add toppings and mozzarella cheese and bake in oven for 10-15 mins at 200 degrees C.
3. Eat and enjoy.

Toppings suggestions:

• Cherry tomato and basil
• Chorizo, red pepper and red onion
• Hoisin sauce (instead of tomato base), pork belly, spring onion and coriander
• Goats cheese, caramelised red onion, rock salt
• No tomato base - garlic butter and parsley

Pizza and Garlic Bread

Recipe of the week: Full of Beans Veggie Chilli

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One of the cheapest and tastiest meals around. Jess's Messes does not claim the rights to this recipe, it is entirely from the lovely Ms Sarah Morrison, however I would like to share and spread it around so others can enjoy the beauty of this dish!

What do I need? - 4 portions

• 200g Mixed dried beans (suggest - kidney, butter, cannellini)
• 1 Red onion (diced)
• 1 Garlic clove (crushed)
• 1tbsp Hot chilli powder
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

What do I do?

1.  Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of cold water.
2.  Drain and place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil - boil quickly for 10 minutes on a high heat.
3.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain.
4.  Place beans, onion, garlic, chilli powder, tomatoes and puree in a pan and bring to the boil.
5.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
6.  Serve with tortillas/pitta/rice.
7.  Enjoy!

It might take a while to make, but it's certainly worth it. So so tasty!

Thanks for the recipe Sarah!

Recipe of the week: Tasty Tangy Lovely Lasagne

Hello food.....

Another great Jess's Messes recipe for being relatively cheap and very easy to make. This method will make around 6 portions and is made in one large tray, however, if you are wanting to make and freeze for a later date then bake them in foil take-away trays!

 What do I need?

• 1/2 Red onion (diced)
• 1 White onion (diced)
• 2 Cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1tbsp Veg oil
• 250ml Red Wine
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• Pinch of Oregano
• Handful of Basil
• 2tbsp Red Pesto
• 400g Minced Beef
• 8 Sheets Lasagne
• 200ml Bechamel Sauce
• 200g Mature Cheddar (grated)
• 200g Buffalo Mozzarella 
• Salt and Pepper

What do I do?

1. Make the tomato sauce - place the onions, garlic and oil in saucepan and fry slowly until softened.
2. Add the red wine and cook on a medium heat until the wine has reduced, almost to a syrup.
3. Add Tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, add herbs, pesto, salt and pepper.
4. In a different pan, place the beef and the remaining oil and heat slowly until all meat has browned.
5. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes until all flavours are well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Build your lasagne: cover the base of the baking dish with some of the mince, place the pasta sheets on top, cover pasta with bechamel sauce.
7. Repeat the above process.
8. Cover the top layer of bechamel sauce with cheddar and torn mozzarella.
9. Bake in the oven at 200degrees C (Gas Mark 6) for 40 minutes.
10. Serve with some lovely dressed leaves and garlic bread.

Lovely tasty yummy food!

Saving Money on Food

Hello food.....

Day to day Jess's Messes.

There is no doubt that when you want to eat relatively healthily and freshly that it becomes very expensive, so the housemate and I decided to create 5 pretty cheap meals, 1 each day of the week and make 6 portions of each. That way we could eat 2 portions on the day and freeze the 4 remaining ones, covering us for 30 meals!

The meal ideas had to still be tasty, as we want to enjoy food, but we just want to be able to spend a little less on it (and have more to spend on fun!).

Sarah and her amazing Lasanges!

So the meals we made were as follows:

1. Veggie Bean Chilli - Guest Recipe
2. Tasty, Tangy, Lovely Lasagne
3. Terrific Thai Green Curry
4. Chorizo and Roast Pepper Pasta
5. Sausage Casserole

I unfortunately only have the recipe for the curry on here currently, but I will be adding the other recipes from now on, 1 a week! So for money saving, but incredibly tasty recipes - follow this blog! :)

Leftover Stale Bread Recipe

Hello food.....

Cheesey, Oniony, Bready Bake

Fondue!

Mmmmm cheesey!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a feast of Cheese Fondue - with bread, garlic bread, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, grapes, pineapple and more... (with red wine of course)!




Today I had a lot of leftover stale bread. I could have used this for croutons on a soup or salad, but there was a hell of a lot, so that meant gallons of soup or tonnes of salad. Therefore this Jess's Messes invention was born. It's a really quick and easy thing to make, and genuinely uses leftovers/essentials that the majority of people have anyway! Not like my Jess's Poncey Leftovers! Give it a go!

Cheesey, Oniony, Bready Bake

What do I need?

1/2 a Stale Baguette broken into pieces
1 Red Onion (sliced)
1 White Onion (sliced)
20g Butter
Pinch of Thyme
200g Cheddar Cheese (grated)
50g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
2 Eggs
100ml Milk
Salt and Pepper

What do I do?

preparation

1. Place the butter in a frying pan and melt, then add both onions, with a pinch of salt and the thyme. Fry slowly until soft, then turn up heat to get some colour and crispyness on the onions.
2. Crack the eggs and add the milk, a pinch of salt and a good amount of pepper to a bowl and whisk.
3. Place each bit of bread in the egg mix and cover the bottom of your baking dish, add a layer of onions and small layer of cheese.
4. Continue to layer up your dish in this order - bread, onion, cheese.
5. When complete, pour the remaining egg mix over your bake and squash down with a spatula.
6. Optional - add more cracked black pepper on the top.

time to bake

7. Bake at Gas Mark 5 (190 degees C) for 20-25 minutes.
8. Serve.

So unbelievably quick and easy and cheap, and ensures there is no wastage of stale bread.

Enjoy!

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Recipe of the week: Sizzling Sausage Casserole

Hello food.....

Sizzling is used in this Jess's Messes recipe, not to describe the noise of a sizzling sausage sizzling away in a sizzling pan (sizzling mentioned too many times?), it is in fact used to describe the spiciness of the dish. I made it nice and spicy to take the edge of a freezing cold day in rainy Manchester, but you can easily adjust the amount of Paprika to make it to your taste. I also added loads of vegetables. This is not necessarily essential, just a way of using things up!

What do I need?
(Serves 6)

A Sizzling Sausage

• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
• 6 Sausages (chopped into about 6 pieces each)
• 1 White Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Carrots
• 3 Medium Potatoes
• 1 Courgette
• 1 Red Pepper
• 600g Chopped Tomatoes
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Tsp Paprika
• Salt and Pepper

How do I do it?

1. Place the oil in a heavy based pan and heat. Add the chopped up bits of sausage and cook quickly until golden brown. Remove from pan.
2. Dice the onions and crush the garlic - add to pan. Add a small amount of salt and the paprika and cook until onions have softended, but not coloured.
3. Add the roughly chopped: carrots, potatoes, courgette, pepper and the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil.
4. Return the sausages to the pan and add oregano and bay leaves.
5. Cover and leave to cook ont he hob at a medium heat for 30 minutes (or until potatoes have softened completely).
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

* You could add lentils if you want to bulk it out a bit! :)

Enjoy.

Check out the website: www.jesssmesses.co.uk