A Meal For Cowboy Day Cook-Along 3 (The Hat Trick) - DINNER AT THE OK CORRAL

On the grand occasion of the 3rd Cowboy Day Cook-Along, organised by the very wonderful Mr Greg Swenson of Recipes for Rebels, Zelda would like to take the opportunity to put the record straight about one of the most notorious events in the Wild West:
The Accepted History:

Legend has it that, in 1881, the wild west town of Tombstone, Arizona, became the scene of a famous shoot-out, featuring a gang of outlaws and a group of lawmen led by Wyatt Earp and including Doc Holliday.

The Truth:
Actually, what really happened was far more tasty. In fact, it was a case of feasting, not fighting; undertaken with forks, not firearms. 
It happened on the night that Zelda and Dastardly Dave rode into town

with a few friends, including Stick-em-up Simon.
The Earp Brothers and Doc had been roaming the streets, looking for a meal...

...and they all arrived together at The Ginger Cat Saloon, adjacent to Old Kindersley's holding pen for horses and, sadly, far less famous.


Miss Kitty was meant to be running the kitchen that night.

But, once again, she had other things on her mind, such as socialising...

...and drinking.

And when The Deputy arrived,

Miss Kitty was not at all pleased,

making it her mission to torment him from just out of reach on the top of the fence,

and leaving Zelda and Stick-em-up Simon to do the cooking.

Although this was the menu that Miss Kitty had planned, she wasn't happy at the additional 's' in the dessert.

While Zelda tried to placate Miss Kitty,

Stick-em-up Simon tucked in with the prep.

He took offence when Zelda criticised his knife skills,

although order was soon restored 

and they agreed on a joint policy of making sure everyone cleared their plates and helped with the washing up.

Dastardly Dave and The Deputy made friends 

while Wyatt and Doc went for a stroll to work up an appetite.

Then, dinner was served to all. Dastardly Dave and Stick-em-up Simon seemed particularly mellow afterwards.   

Unfortunately, after all the bonhomie, there was a small disagreement over the pilfering of a piece of fruit by a certain tubercular dentist, which did end in a shoot-out the next day, although Doc Holliday's confession, 'I've your huckleberry,' has been misquoted ever since:  

Oh well, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. 

The Recipes:

BLACK BEAN AND SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

1tbsp olive oil

1tsp ground coriander

1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed

1tbsp chilli jam

60g/ 2oz butter, chilled and cut into chunks

375g/ 13oz plain flour + extra for rolling, etc.

240ml/ 8floz milk

1 egg yolk, beaten with a splash of water

salt and pepper

First, make the pastry

Put butter, flour, pinch of salt and paprika in a food processor and whizz until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Pour in the milk and whizz again until the mixture clumps together. Add a bit more flour if necessary.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rough ball and wrap in cling film. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling

Toss the sweet potato chunks in a mixture of the oil and the ground coriander, then spread them over the base of a baking tray (or two).

Roast them at 200°C/ 390°F/ Gas 6 for about 30 minutes until tender.

Place in a bowl with the black beans and chilli jam. 
Season and stir all together.

Then

Take the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about the thickness of a pound coin.

Cut out circles of about 6 – 7cm diameter, using a bowl as a guide.

Put a spoonful of the filling onto one half of each.

Fold over to enclose the filling and press the edges down with a fork.

Put in lined baking trays and brush with the egg mix.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  

PEPPER PASTE

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

½ red pepper, deseeded and chopped

handful of fresh coriander, mainly leaves,chopped

2bsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt and black pepper

1tsp ground cumin

Place everything in a blender.






Blitz.

CHEESY ‘MEAT’BALLS

150g Quorn mince

2 onions, finely chopped

2tbsp mixed herbs

75g fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg beaten with a fork

3tbsp olive oil 

150ml vegetable stock

1tbsp Bisto instant gravy powder

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

1 tin chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp brown sugar

2tbsp tomato ketchup

4tbsp red wine vinegar

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

1tsp dried oregano

1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

To make the ‘meat’balls

Heat 1tbsp of the oil and fry one onion until soft. Add 50ml of the stock and stir.

Then add the mince, the rest of the stock and the Bisto. Stir well until all the stock has been absorbed.

Tip this into a blender and whizz until mainly smooth but slightly chunky.

Pour into a bowl and add add the breadcrumbs, mixed herbs, eggs and lots of seasoning.

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Making sure your hands are well-floured, roll the mince mixture into golf-ball-size balls.

Spread the balls out in a tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Roast for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for 10 minutes more.

(You can do this stage in advance and keep until needed. If so, re-heat – for quickness in a microwave – when needed)

To make the sauce

Heat the remaining 2tbsp of oil and fry the second onion for a few minutes, then add the garlic and chilli.

Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, ketchup, vinegar and kidney beans.

Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

When ready to serve

(Make sure the sauce and ‘meat’balls are hot)

Drop meatballs into the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Place all in a bowl. 

Sprinkle with the cheese and put under the grill.

SPICY FRIED POTATOES

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1tsp crushed chillies

1tsp ground cumin

2tsp paprika

2tbsp red wine vinegar

675g/1½lb small potatoes, cut to be even size.

3 - 5tbsp olive oil

1 red or yellow pepper, deseeded and diced (or half of each as used here)

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Cook potatoes for about 15 minutes until almost tender, then drain.

Heat 3tbsp of the oil and cook the onion and pepper for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.

Sprinkle in the spices and mix well. Add extra oil if needed. 
Cook the potatoes with the rest until they are golden.

SLICED MEXICAN OMELETTE WITH TOMATO SAUCE

6 free range eggs

2tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped + extra for serving

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

1 can chopped tomatoes

40g cheese, grated

3tbsp olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

To make the omelette

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly.

Mix in the herbs, chopped chilli and cheese, and season.

Heat 1tbsp of the oil. Pour in the mixture and cook gently until bottom firm. 
Turn onto a plate and return to the pan for 3-4 minutes more.

When all cooked, put back on a plate and allow to cool.

To make the sauce

Heat the other 2bsp of oil

Fry the onion until almost soft, then add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the tomatoes and lime juice and zest.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.

Pass through a sieve to make a smooth sauce.

Then

Cut the omelette into slices. Place in a bowl and pour over the sauce.

Serve the coated strips in a bowl with some additional coriander.

SWEETCORN CAKES

150g/ 5oz self-raising flour

3 free-range eggs

100g/ 3½ ounces tinned sweetcorn, drained

150ml/ 1/3 pint skimmed milk

olive oil for frying

salt and black pepper

Place the flour, eggs and milk into a bowl and mix well.

Add the sweetcorn, season well and stir.

Heat the oil in a pan and place spoonfuls of the sweetcorn mixture into the pan. Fry the fritters for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. 

Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

                                           serve with the  SALSA

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

½ red pepper chopped

1tsp chopped chilli flakes

1tbsp red wine vinegar

black pepper

2tbsb mixed fresh herbs

Put all ingredients in a blender and whizz until chopped but still chunky.

TEX MEX BUTTERNUT SQUASH 

1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 butternut squash, peeled, with ends cut off and deseeded

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped

200g cheese, grated

large handful of coriander, roughly chopped

For the Taco Seasoning

1tbsp chilli powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp chilli flakes

¼ tsp oregano

½ tsp paprika

1tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

(N.B. Our original plan was to 'spiralise' the butternut squash but, it was a bit soft, so we grated it instead, meaning that we didn't have the 'noodles' we had planned, although it made little difference to the taste of the finished dish.)

Grate the butternut squash and mix with the chopped tomatoes, peppers and a little red wine vinegar, and season.

Add the kidney beans and the taco seasoning and stir well.

Place in a heat-proof dish and cover with the cheese.

Bake at  220C/200C fan/gas 7 for about 20 minutes until it is bubbling hot and the cheese has just started to brown.

Then scatter the coriander leaves over the top. 

KITTY’S CHILLI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

45g butter

3 eggs, separated

45g caster sugar

2tsp mild chilli powder

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Stir the eggs yolks into the mixture, one at a time and add the chilli powder.

Whisk the egg whites until they start to stiffen. Add the caster sugar and whisk again until you get soft peaks.

Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest, keeping as much air in as possible.

Spoon into bowls or glasses and chill for at least 2 hours.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - JOE ELY

With the next Cowboy Cook-Along in the offing, Zelda has been working on some new Tex-Mex recipes and had some leftover, so was looking for some extra dinner guests.

She has seen Joe Ely perform live twice; once in Nottingham and once in Camden Town. His songs are resplendent evocations of the Texas landscape and folklore, so she has invited him round this evening.
Check out 'Me and Billy the Kid' and 'The Road Goes on Forever':

SPICY SAUSAGE PLAIT

6 veggie sausages, defrosted if frozen

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 egg

2tbsp olive oil

handful of fresh coriander

juice and zest of 1 lime

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2tsp chilli flakes

½tsp chilli powder

1 sheet shortcrust pastry

splash of milk

Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a pan and fry the onion, pepper and chilli for a few moments. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Allow to cool slightly and then place in a food processor.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and cook the sausages until just starting to brown. Cut each one into three and add to the onion mix with half of the kidney beans.

Give all a whizz to make a rough mix. Then add the egg and whizz again to bind it all together but leave some texture to it. Transfer to a bowl.

Chop the coriander roughly.

Add to the mixture along with the rest of the kidney beans, the lime juice and zest, the chilli flakes and chilli powder. Season and stir well with a spoon.

Spread out the pastry sheet and cut off two edges.

Cut off each corner of the remaining piece and place the sausage mixture down the middle.

Fold the pastry up and around and then use strips of the off-cuts to ‘lace’ over the top.

Place on a baking tray.

Brush with a little milk and bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C/ Gas 6/ 390°F.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - MICHAEL PORTILLO

If politics should be kept from the dinner table, inviting an ex-politician might seem a strange choice. However, Michael Portillo did not earn this invitation for his views, but for his televised railway journeys.

I love a knowledgeable enthusiast. Since leaving Parliament, Portillo has spent his time presenting numerous radio and TV programmes (one of which was Dinner with Portillo where he discussed current affairs with guests as they ate). We are enjoying watching re-runs of his 'Great American Railroad Journeys', where he crosses America using Appleton’s Guide from the 1870s. In this clip he hams it up in a Dodge City shootout.

In Series 2 he takes ‘The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway’ so I thought it would be appropriate to make him a little something which would once have been served on board its most famous train, the Santa Fe Super Chief. 

And, as it happens, I have access to some of that train’s most iconic dishes courtesy, once again, of the fabulous Mr Vincent Price who, along with his wife Mary, produced the wonderful book ‘A Treasury of Great Recipes’.

Here is a page from the book, showing what the man himself says:

The Prices enjoyed the meals so much that they included them in The Treasury, along with a copy of the menu from the 1960s:

So, I think 'French Toast Santa Fe' would be a good choice.

Here is the version immortalised by Vincent and Mary:

And this is how I adapted it to share with Michael who can come to dinner and discuss the American West all he likes, as long as he refrains from mentioning Westminster.

FRENCH TOAST SANTA FE

3 slices bread (2 or 3 days old is best) cut ¼ inch thick

2 eggs

½ cup (120ml) single cream

pinch of salt

½ tsp nutmeg

60ml cooking oil

Trim the crusts from the bread and cut each slice diagonally to make triangles.

In a bowl, beat the eggs until light and frothy. Add the cream, salt and nutmeg and mix well.

Soak the bread, a few pieces at a time, so that they absorb the egg/ cream mixture.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the bread in batches on both sides to a golden colour.

Remove and drain on kitchen roll to absorb any excess grease. Place all pieces on a baking tray. 

Cook at 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas 6 for about 5 minutes until puffed up.

Serve 3 slices per person. I sprinkled them with some caster sugar and served them with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of the remaining cream.

POTATO SALAD

A lovely side dish to accompany hot or cold meals. 

Peel the potatoes and place in the pan.

Bring back to the boil and allow to cook for about  10-12 minutes. (You want them to remain just on the right side of 'hard'.)
Drain and rinse to cool. 
Then add mayonnaise and season well. 

Jazz it up as you will... I added parsley to the mayonnaise mix this time, but other herbs would work and chives are also good.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

This is James Russell Lowell. 

I've known his words for many years, as on my 18th birthday, someone (I'm a 'June Baby') sent me a message which included this:
And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days. 

Birthdays aside, I have long since regarded June as being the best of all months, so considering those words this year, I have found out a bit more about him and would like to ask him to dinner, for a Summer Feast in his honour.

It might include: 
Insalata
Orange Cous Cous Salad
Sausage Salsa Salad
Houmous
Cheese and Chive Dip
Potato Salad
Minted Rice

NEW POTATOES

New potatoes are gorgeous! 
(Remember that they are only 'new' when the skin flakes off them, so don't confuse them with older salad potatoes - still good but not the same.)
We got some this week to go with the Courgette Fritters made with courgettes fresh from the garden. 

Wash gently and cut  a few if necessary to make them all of uniform size.

Heat a pan of water and, when boiling, add the potatoes.

Bring back to the boil and cook for about 10 - 12 minutes until still firm but will fall off a knife you stick in them. 

Serve with parsley butter.

SALAD HATER'S SALAD

The other day, Dave came in from work and said, "I'm sick of salad! This is, in my opinion, entirely his own fault. I mean, if you ask for a packed lunch made of iceberg lettuce, bargain supermarket chicken off-cuts and coleslaw, what do you expect?

But, along with Courgette Fritters and New Potatoes with Parsley Butter, there should be salad.

Zelda has made it familiar but different to revive his love for it. 

Start with the usual:
lettuce leaves of choice
cucumber slices
1 tomato chopped very thinly
2 radishes sliced

Then top with:
chopped chives, fresh from the garden
Herby Salad Dressing
Cheesy Croutons

What's to hate?

HOUMOUS

Such a handy little dip, and always welcome at parties...

410g can chickpeas

3 - 4 tbsp tahini

Juice of 1½ lemons

1tbsp olive oil 

3 cloves garlic, peeled

½tsp paprika

ground black pepper

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid.

Put the chickpeas and garlic cloves into a blender or food processor with about half of the liquid and blend to a rough paste. 

Add the lemon juice, olive oil and  black pepper, and blend until thoroughly mixed.

Add more of the chickpea liquid if needed. (You want it to be slightly more 'slushy' than you want as it will thicken over time.)

Leave for about two hours to allow the flavour to develop.

When ready to serve, place in a bowl and sprinkle the paprika over the top.