So, this is my new blog. What do you think?

I thought what a better way to kick start it off but with a recipe that went out on last Friday for one of my regular shows I do for BBC Radio Leicester, “Food Friday” which I have done for a few years now. It’s on my friends show, that of course is the lovely Mr Ben Jackson. I love cooking on “Food Friday” as I love being able to help people think of ideas for the weekend. I normally do something seasonal, inexpensive, fridge raids/leftovers and family friendly recipes. You get the gist.

This dish is a simple recipe for a family of four all put together in one dish.It’s using seasonal ingredients at its best with a little something extra.

You could also have this as a side dish or starter in smaller sized dishes (how I have shown on the pictures). It’s a dish you really don’t need to be accurate with ingredients. You can play around with it a little, i.e if you don’t want to have the chorizo in it, its also great as that lovely parmesan crumb on top gives a special crunch. It would make a great dinner party dish that doesn’t have you slaving in the kitchen too.

It really is a super, simple supper that is inexpensive to make.

Click on this link to hear to me showing Ben and our listeners just how fabulous and easy it is to make.  

Half way point!

Ingredients:

Depending on how big your dish is, this is based on serving 4 people in a 25cm gratin dish.

Gratin mix:

•  1 whole head of cauliflower including using some of the leaves. Florets broken apart and sliced downwards to the stalks.
• 1 leek sliced thinly
• 1/2 chorizo ring ( approximately 100g ) chopped into smaller cubes
• cheddar cheese grated, I used a mature British ( approximately 60-70g )
• A sprig of thyme, if the leaves are quite large, chop them finely. My herbs are from my garden so I didn’t need to and just stripped off the leaves.
• 300g carton of double cream ( you may not need to use it all, don’t cover the gratin mix with it )
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• A few knobs of Unsalted butter
• salt and cracked black pepper to season

Crumb topping:

•  2 slices of bread ( a few days old ) I used wholemeal which gives more flavour
• 2 spring onions chopped roughly
• Salt and cracked black pepper to season
• 2-3 tbsp Parmesan ( Parmigiana reggiano ) grated some in the crumb mix and some for on top

At the finish, bubbling away nicely

Method:

•  Preheat your oven to 180c fan.

•  Blanch off your cauliflower until just starting to soften.

• In the meantime, in a blender/processor blitz together the ingredients for your topping.

• In your chosen dish place a layer of cauliflower at the bottom. Then layer up with your leeks, chorizo, garlic, cheese and thyme. Then finish with cauliflower again on top.

• Pour over your double cream and place your knobs of butter on top. Pop in the oven for 15 mins until things are starting to bubble and brown. Take out and put your crumb topping on. Place back in the oven for another 10 mins.

• When golden brown onto, serve with perhaps some crusty bread, a nice salad and a lovely red wine.

Diving in!

Wheres that red wine and crusty bread?