Turkey Jambalaya
Ingredients (Serves 1 - if you're Greedy - or 2)

  • 250g Turkey Meat, diced
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • ¼ Green Pepper, chopped
  • 1 Teaspoon Cajun Spices (see below)
  • 198g Tin of Sweetcorn (eg, Green Giant)
  • 220g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
  • Rice (amount left to personal discretion)
     
Method

Fry Turkey until sealed (best done in a Wok). Add the Vegetables to the Turkey and fry for another 2 or 3 minutes. Drain about half of the juice from the sweetcorn and add the sweetcorn to the Wok, along with the Cajun Spices. Fry for another 2 or 3 minutes then add the tomatoes and leave to simmer.

After about half an hour boil the rice until it is done, drain, then add to the Wok. Fry on full heat for 2 or 3 minutes then serve.

Variation: Use a small tin of sliced pineapple instead of the sweetcorn.
 

Researcher's Pie
Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 454g Turkey Mince
    (for all you Euro-Sceptics out there, 1g = 1/454lb)
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 4 or 5 Medium Sized Mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 small jar Carbonara Sauce
  • 2 large potatoes, chopped, boiled and mashed.
  • 1 Chicken Oxo cube (or similar)
     
Method

Fry mince until sealed then add onions and mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the carbonara sauce (fill the jar about a third full of water and swill that round to get all the sauce out) and the oxo cube, then simmer for about 20 minutes (now is a good time to prepare the potatoes).

When potatoes are ready place the turkey mixture in a pyrex dish and spread the mashed potato on top. Glaze with milk if desired. Cook in oven on Gas Mark 6 (200°C) for about 30 minutes.

Variation: Add about half a cup full of frozen peas (or sweetcorn) to the turkey mixture immediately before transfering it to the dish.
 

Spicy Bacon Mess
Ingredients (Serves 1 or 2)

  • 250g Bacon, chopped
  • 5 or 6 medium sized mushrooms (more if cooking for 2), chopped as preferred
  • ¼ Green Pepper, chopped
  • 1 large Garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
  • 5 drops Tabasco Sauce
  • 220g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
  • Pasta - Tricolour Pasta Twirls recommended, but it depends what you prefer (amount left to personal discretion)
     
Method

Fry the bacon and garlic together until almost done, then add the mushrooms and pepper. Fry for a further 2 or 3 minutes, then add the chilli powder, Tabasco Sauce and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, then cover and leave to simmer.

After about quarter of an hour boil the pasta. When the pasta is ready, add it to the main mixture and mix well. Serve and enjoy.
 

Bits and Pieces Pie
Ingredients (Serves 2 at least)

  • 250g Chicken Breast Fillets, chopped
  • 150g Bacon, chopped
  • 125g Button Mushrooms (chopped if you want, but better whole)
  • 4 or 5 Celery Stalks, chopped
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 250g Cheddar (Mature Recommended), grated
  • 1 packet ready salted or cheese and onion flavour crisps, crushed
  • ½ pint milk
  • 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 medium sized knob of butter
  • 2 or 3 large baking potatoes, boiled and mashed
     
Method

Fry the chicken and bacon together on a high heat until the chicken is sealed. Add the onion, followed by the celery and finally the mushrooms at about 2 minute intervals. Then fry for a further 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and drain the mixture.

Put the flour, butter and milk in a pan with salt and pepper and heat slowly, stirring constantly until it thickens (it is best to use a balloon whisk, but a wooden spoon will do). Once the sauce thickens remove from the heat and stir in two thirds of the grated cheese. (Note: This is not the only recipe for cheese sauce in the world, but its the one my girlfriend uses, and whenever she tries any of the other methods it all goes horribly wrong and she gets cross with cooking and throws things at me, particularly if I'm sat comfortably reading comics or surfing the internet while she's stuck in the kitchen trying to make the perfect cheese sauce and failing. If you already have your own way of making cheese sauce, feel free to stick to it, otherwise be warned, cheese sauce creation can be very frustrating. Personally, I refuse do it. I find having things thrown at me far less stressful).

Stir the fried mixture into the cheese sauce then transfer it all to an appropriately sized pie dish. Cover with mashed potato, then sprinkle the remainder of the grated cheese and the crushed crisps on the potato. Cover with foil an place in a preheated oven on Gas Mark 6 (200°C) for about 40 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow the topping to crisp.
 

The above recipes are © 1996/98/99 Gareth D Layzell. You are free to distribute copies of the above recipes provided this copyright message remains intact and associated with any such copies.
Cajun Spices

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder/salt
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder/salt
  • 2 teaspoons white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container.