Fruity pork curry / Curry de porc aux fruits secs

While I am aware that pork is not the healthiest choice of meats, due to the higher fat content in our piggy friends compared to chicken or turkey, I think it is one of the tastiest when cooked well. It's also one of the cheaper cuts and I think we can all agree that in today's financial climate of doom and gloom we could all do with a little cheap!

Here's a quick and easy way to use a packet of diced pork to spice up those cold winter evenings while dreaming of faraway island shores. 

Greedy veggies could easily subsitute some tofu or Quorn-esque meat pieces instead of the pork.

Fruity pork curry (serves 4)

Peel and roughly dice 3 garlic cloves and a 3cm piece of ginger. Crush using a pestle and mortar to make your aromatic curry paste. Ginger and garlic are also perfect in winter for warding off infections and viruses so don't be afraid to be a bit heavy handed!


Heat some sunflower oil in a large pan and sweat the curry paste for 2 minutes over a high heat, then add 800g of diced pork and fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Season well, then add 2 diced onions and 1 diced apple. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp turmeric (a delicate spice that adds both flavour and colour), 600g chopped tomatoes and 200ml water. Turn the heat down, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce has reduced. 

Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve hot with rice. 

Greedy note: I didn't find this version of the curry fruity enough for my liking as I am a huge fan of mixing sweet and savoury...I decided to add a generous handful of dried raisins to the pan to sweeten things up and the result was perfect!
 

Little fishes 2 / Petits poissons : le retour

Here goes the Oscar speech: 

I'd like to say thank you to a good friend's dad for giving us these delicious fresh fishies, thanks to the good friend for gutting them as that is a skill I am yet to master, and finally thank you to Cheri for cooking the fish to perfection! 

Eating fish whole is something relatively new to me. I'm a little bit ashamed to say it, but up until this year all fish cooked by my greedy hands had already been gutted, filleted and de-boned. However, I just couldn't say no to these little beauties, especially saying as fish is something that is becoming ridiculously expensive. Cooking the fish whole stops it from drying out and keeps all of the flavours intact. However, it does mean having to battle with the bones which can be a little irritating, especially when one gets lodged in your throat. A bit of care and patience is all it takes. 

I decided to accompany Cheri's papillotes with some curried courgettes. This is a quick and easy side-dish that goes well with white meats or fish. For four people you'll need one large courgette. If you're dining solo or cooking for two, freeze the remaining courgette slices for up to three months. Fry off in a little olive oil until soft, add a couple of spoons of crème fraîche, and then stir in whatever spices you fancy. I chose to put in some medium curry powder, groud cumin, fresh coriander, and a good dose of turmeric to give a nice colour to the veggies. Fry over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the courgettes are soft and melt in the mouth.