Baked Chilli Tortilla

Requiring both tortillas and a bechamel sauce, this dish relies heavily upon sorghum flour.

Sorghum flour is produced by grinding the seeds of amaranth grass from the flowers.

Seed - that's the important word. As a food source, it is used extensively on the Indian sub-continent, and as a potential paleo food source, it is gluten-free and has a lower phytate content and a lower lectin content than traditional grains.

First, let's get the Chilli con Carne going: Chilli Con Carne or Texas Chilli

Second, make up some tortilla following my recipe here: Sorghum Tortilla

Third, make up a bechamel sauce.

Bechamel is the simple combination of butter, flour and milk and heightened with a touch of nutmeg.

Melt some butter in a pan - a centimetre slice off the end of a block of butter will do just fine.

Sprinkle some flour into the butter and whisk. Still sloppy? Add more flour. Once the flour balls up and looks as if you should discard it and try again, pour in a little milk and whisk ... a little more milk, still whisking and a little more, until the sauce has come around to a thick sloppy sauce. About half to two thirds of a pint of milk is required. Spice with a little nutmeg.

Wrap the Chilli Con Carne in the sorghum tortilla and place into an ovenproof dish.

Pour over the bechamel sauce.

Sprinkle grated cheese over and commit to a pre-heated over set to 180C for about 20 minutes to cook through, soften the tortilla and melt the cheese.

Serve out and enjoy this thick, comforting meal.

Tomato, Chorizo and Peppers with a Poached Egg

The best breakfasts are spicy, and this is one I absolutely adore!

The blend of tomato, onion, chilli and chorizo is perfect marriage of ingredients, coupled with the soft oozing of egg yolk from a poached egg is sheer heaven!

Let's get breakfast ...

Slice up an onion into long shreds going with the grain and get these sautéing off in a frying pan with a little water. I use water rather than oil or fat since I want the onions to retain their natural flavour as much as possible.

Add in some slices of chorizo and continue to fry - the chorizo will release its olive oil and a spicy flavour from the paprika.

Add in a tin of peeled plum tomatoes and mash down to a consistency of pulp, stirring into the onion and chorizo. Add in some chilli - fresh, dried or sauce, whatever you have to hand. Cook this down until about half reduced.

Meanwhile, prepare a pan of boiling water and a good slosh of white distilled malt vinegar. This is for the poached egg, which should be done last. Crack an egg into a ramekin or small bowl in preparation.

Eggs should be free range at the very least, woodland reared are best since the chickens are left to roam, peck and scratch for grubs natural to their diet, and the taste difference is evident.

Once the dish is about half reduced, drop in some slices of red pepper and continue to reduce.

When the dish is almost completely reduced, lower the heat to keep it warm. The reduction will give a really deep, emulsified texture, not at all oily.

Bring the water to the boil and then drop the heat so that a gentle simmer is evident with smaller bubbles rising from through. Swirl the water gently to create a little whirlpool in the centre and then gently pour the egg into the swirling water which should spin the white around the yolk.

Poach the egg for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it so that you retrieve the egg with a draining spoon onto kitchen paper once the white has solidified, leaving the yolk runny.

Plate up with the tomato, chorizo and pepper in the middle of the plate and gently place the poached egg on top, cutting to release the yolk.

Mmmmmm!

Parmigiana di Melanzane

Usually baked and served up as squares from a shallow oven dish, Parmigiana di Melanzane is sheer comfort food.

Deep aubergine, soft mozzarella, tangy tomatoes and salty parmesan.

My alternative take as individual portions ...

Slice up an aubergine. That's an eggplant as it is alternatively called. Slice across the fruit to make a number of circular portions about a centimetre thick.

Oil each aubergine slice individually and place onto a pre-heated griddle.

Meanwhile, slice up a couple of balls of mozzarella, grate some parmesan and drain the excess liquid from a tin of peeled plum tomatoes.

Place the drained tomatoes into a mixing bowl and break them up. Add in any flavours you want - chilli, garlic, caper, salt, pepper and herbs.

Once the aubergines are cooked through, soft but not soggy, place them on a large serving plate.

Layer up with slices of mozzarella, a spoon of the tomatoes and a little parmesan. Place under the grill for a short time - enough to just melt the parmesan.

Dress with fresh basil, a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a good grind of freshly milled black pepper.

I like to go an extra step and garnish with omelette flowers.

Omelette flowers?

Take an egg - just one, whisk it really well and add just a touch of water for a really thin mix, almost a batter.

Pour out into a small frying pan ensuring a really thin layer of egg. Cook through on one side, much like a crepe.

Remove from the frying pan onto a board, roll up and slice across to make rounds of omelette. Pull apart for ribbons.