I felt a recipe for Burger Van Onions was definitely in order after coming across the biggest pan of onions I have ever seen, at the Gourmet Ostrich Burger Tent at Cropredy Folk Festival 2016. If you have been lucky enough to be served onions in a field somewhere that have been sat on a worm griddle for an hour you’ll know  they are something else. You don't need a giant Paella pan for yours though, a saucepan in just fine. These onions are sooo tasty you may want to cook up a few extra, they can be reheated so are great to make up in advance and go really well in a bacon butty!

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The ingredients below make enough for 6 servings at ½ a medium onion per serving, if you want more onions volume up the butter and oil a little but not in proportion to the increase in onions

Ingredients

• 3 onions peeled and thickly sliced
• 25g Butter
• Splash of oil

You will also need

• a large saucepan

Method

1. Warm the pan on a high heat, then add the butter
2. Heat through until the butter has melted, add a splash of oil
3. Add the onions and toss in the buttery oil mixture then leave for a couple of mins to allow them to start to char but not burn
4. Turn the heat down low and slowly cook the onions for 10 – 15 minutes stirring occasionally
5. You should end up with soft gooey onions that have crispy brown bits
6. Eat and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and variations

• Fried onions are a great side dish to most grilled, fried or baked meats but are a must with a burger, hot dog, most traditional English sausages and in a bacon buttie.
• Great if left in the pan, reheated on and served from a BBQ
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the cooking onions for a sweeter flavour
• Spice them up a bit by stirring in a dollop of Worcestershire, BBQ, chilli or brown sauce just as the onions soften

Acknowledgements

I give the credit to Burger van onions to Bailey Farr jnr, who employed Simon to work the burger van for a season. I hadn’t really thought about it much before then but Simon was chief in charge of onion chopping at the time. He told us that the secret of good burger onions was the size of the chop and the length of time left on the griddle. Having worked many events myself I came to identify the difference between onions that had just been thrown on and fried and those that have sat on a low griddle for a while and I know which ones I like best. Thanks Bailey.

You might like to try some other recipes from our collection;

• If you have the onions then you need to go for a burger with the lot to eat with them
• Having a BBQ with friends then try our Mama's Salad as a side dish
• Round off a great meal with Louise's Lemon Meringue Pie and you will have done a great job.

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Happy eating!

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Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables, or med veg as we call them, are extremely adaptable as a vegetable dish. They can be eaten in many different ways and really add a splash of colour to your plate. As this recipe incorporates courgettes it’s a great one to have to hand when you have a glut. It is the sort of dish we throw together and cook when the oven is on for something else. They can be eaten hot or cold and as they reheat well we normally keep a batch in the refrigerator. They keep for up to a week, although ours rarely last that long

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This recipe makes enough for a side dish for 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Aubergine, top removed and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 large, 2 medium or 4 small courgettes cut into rings
• 2 bell peppers, red, yellow or orange, deseeded and chopped into bite sized chunks
• 1 – 2 red onions peeled and trimmed, so the root end holds the segments together, and cut into 8
• ½ a bulb of garlic, the cloves need to have the skins removed but remain whole
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• A splash of olive oil
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Salt and pepper

You will also need

• 1 large roasting pan
• A colander
• A bowl

Method

1. In advance salt the aubergine and courgettes, place them in a colander over a bowl and leave for 30 mins to remove the bitter juices and excess water.
2. Wash the salt off and pat dry.
3. Preheat the oven to 180c
4. Place all the prepared vegetables in the roasting tray
5. Drizzle over a little oil and the lemon juice, mix the veg thoroughly to evenly coat them then spread the veg over the roasting pan in a single layer. If your veg piles up they wont caramelize properly so if necessary use 2 roasting pans.
6. Season with a little salt and pepper, then top with the basil leaves.
7. Cook for 40 – 45 mins until the vegetables start to brown stirring half way through the cooking time
8. Eat and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and variations

• Always make enough to have some leftover for another day.
• Great served as a side dish with a roast dinner, grilled or fried fish or as a side salad at a BBQ or buffet meal.
• Add to a batch of our tomato sauce and you have a great pasta sauce
• Make up in a sandwich with humus and a little mozzarella with a bit of extra fresh basil
• Keep a batch in a pot in the fridge and add to a salad
• Use as a base for a pizza
• For a one pot meal roast some chops or chicken portions on top of the vegetables, make sure you add the meat part way through the cooking period so they are all finished at the same time.
• Add some quartered tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and pitted olives for the last 10 minutes of cooking time
• These veg make a great alternative to the meat content of a Lasagne.

Acknowledgements

We first came across a  version of med veg when we were served them with chicken breasts stuffed with Couscous, by our friends Claire and Paul.  It was a fantastic meal that really did bring a little of the Mediterranean into the room. Served with a glass or two of cold white wine, what more can you ask for. Thanks Claire and Paul for introducing us to something that has become a staple.

If you enjoyed this recipe you might like to try some other recipes from our collection;

• Thinking of a warming starter or light lunch then have a go at Lentil and Frankfurter Soup
• A fully loaded potato salad makes a great addition to Med Veg with a salad
• Round your meal off with a tasty Oaty Apple crumble and remember, lashings of custard!

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Happy eating!

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Garlic bread is a must for us with most pasta dishes. We like to keep life simple when we cook and this is a very simple method to make a delicious garlic bread. created this by accident as result of making bruschetta.

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Makes enough for a side dish for 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 Ciabatta loaves part cooked
• 1 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and wrapped in foil
• 25 – 50g softened butter

You will also need

• A baking tray

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 200c
2. Slice the loaves in half horizontally
3. Bake the bread and garlic in the oven for 10 - 15 mins until the bread is cooked through and starting to toast on the cut side
4. Spread the garlic over the cut edge of the bread
5. Spread a generous layer of butter over the bread and serve.
6. Eat and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and variations

• If you forget to cook the garlic, gently rub the raw clove over the toast instead, you will not need so much
• To add a little colour sprinkle a little chopped parsley over before you serve
• Baked garlic freezes well. Try baking a whole bulb wrapped in foil with a little rosemary and olive oil. Once cooked remove the cloves from the skin and freeze in a sealed container.
• Substitute the butter for olive oil and top the bread with tomato slices and mozzerella for a version of a wonderful lunch we had in Sorentto.
• For a cheesey garlic bread sprinkle a little grated cheddar over and pop the bread back into the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling
• Great served with most pasta dishes, try with our Corned Beef lasagne or Running Mac n Cheese

Acknowledgements

We created this recipe by accident as result of making bruschetta. If it works for you it opens your world to loads of delicious options for light bites and starters.

You might like to try some other recipes from our collection;

• Coleslaw is an accompaniment that can be served with most main meals try the red cabbage version for a bit of extra colour
• Got a few left over cooked runner beans, have a go at our Unconventional Salad Nicoise
• Always happy to eat custard? Well there's nothing better to eat with our Oaty Apple Crumble.

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Happy eating!

This is a recipe for fully loaded jacket potato salad. I am always on the lookout for something different and there are as many different potato salad recipes as there are people to write them. However I quite like the idea of being able to get this one on the go whilst you are baking something else. Plus as the ingredients are store cupboard items for us, it's not something I need to plan for particularly. Jacket potatoes have a different flavour to boiled or steamed, and in a pleasant way, it does notice in this salad despite all the other flavours involved.

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Makes enough for approx. 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium waxy potatoes washed and pierced through the skins
• 1 medium onion chopped quite finely
• 4 back or 8 streaky rashers of smoked bacon cooked until crispy and chopped up
• 100g grated tasty mature cheddar cheese
• 3 – 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise start with less and add more to suit your taste – homemade or bought, we use Hellmans.

You will also need

• A roasting pan or baking tray
• A mixing bowl

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200c
2. Bake the potatoes for 1.5 hours until the skins are crispy and the potato flesh is soft
3. Allow the potatoes to cool completely then chop them into bitesized chunks
4. Put the potatoes into a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients and gently stir them together, adding more mayonaise if necessary.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl, and decorate with a few bits of reserved bacon
6. Remember to share it with your nearest and dearest!

Serving suggestions and variations

• This isn't called fully loaded for nothing. It is a meal in itself!
• Potato salad is a great side for any salad or cold buffet
• Also great with, grilled or BBQ meat, served without gravy
• Add 2 – 4 hard boiled eggs chopped to similar sized pieces as the potatoes if you want it really fully laoded
• Stir in some chopped chives or parsley to add a little colour
• want it vegetarian then use chopped sundried tomatoes instead of bacon.
• Not keen on cold potato skins, remove them before you mix all the ingredients together.
• If you want something less substantial then try our other potato salad variations shown below

  

Acknowledgements

This is a recipe I came across on Pinterest and it took my fancy because it used jacket potatoes. I have adapted it slightly from the American version to make it fit our store cupboard and an English taste. The original recipe mixed in sour cream with the mayo, which will make a slightly lighter sauce, more cheese and bacon.

You might also like these other recipes from our collection;

• Another interesting salad side dish is our Runner Bean and bacon salad, it also incorporates chopped baconbut works equally well with sundreid tomatoes.
• Having friends over then Tony's prawny eggs are a sure fire winner
• Try an easy dessert which is not to rich and a traditional old English one at that, Clafloutis, or cherry batter pudding

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Happy eating!