Creamy Tuscan Chicken

One of the simplest ways to cook chicken and also one of the tastiest. Simple chicken breasts, cooked in a creamy sauce with garlic, tomato and spinach.

Ingredients:      (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts (skin removed)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
200ml double cream
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 tomato, deseeded and chopped
3 handfuls spinach
salt & pepper (to taste)

Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a sauté pan and cook the chicken breasts for about 4-5 minutes per side, until mostly cooked. Remove from the pan and set to one side; covering to keep warm.

Add the second tbsp. oil and the garlic. Fry on a medium heat for 30 seconds and then add the oregano, cream and parmesan. Whisk as it thickens a little. Then add the chopped tomato and spinach. Mix thoroughly and let the spinach wilt.

Add the chicken back to the pan and spoon over the sauce. Cook for a further 5 minutes on a medium heat and serve. Delicious.

Keralan Chicken Curry

Yet another chicken curry - I love trying different countries versions and this one was fabulous, flavoured with fennel seeds, turmeric and coconut milk. Absolutely delicious and very healthy as little oil, low fat yoghurt and skinless chicken breasts.

It looks like a lot of ingredients, which can be off putting, but its worth it - especially if you have plenty of spices in your store cupboard. And its not difficult to pull together.

Vegetarians can use tofu instead of chicken and its still delicious and packed with flavour.

Ingredients:

1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp. natural low fat yoghurt
4 chicken breasts, skin removed & chopped into large chunks
2 onions, 1 finely chopped, 1 large chunks
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
2 fresh green chillies, halved lengthways
2 medium tomatoes pureed
50ml water
100ml coconut milk
1 tbsp. tomato puree
a little oil to fry
salt & pepper
fresh coriander to garnish

For the curry paste:

8 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
6 cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 tsp. fennel seeds
3 cardamom pods (seeds only)
4-5 dried Kashmiri chillies (or 2 tsp. chilli flakes if preferred)

Method:

Firstly, put the chunks of chicken into a freezer bag or bowl, add the turmeric and yoghurt and mix well. Marinade in the fridge as you make the main curry sauce.

To make the curry paste, put all of the ingredients into a frying pan with 1 tsp. oil and cook for a few minutes, until fragrant. Cool and blend with a stick blender adding a little water to make a paste. Set to one side.

In 1 tbsp. oil fry the red pepper and large onion chunks on a medium heat until soft. Set to one side in a bowl.

In a heavy bottomed large saucepan, add the green chillies and the finely chopped onion with a little oil. Cook for about 5- minutes and then add your curry paste. Stir fry for a few minutes and add the pureed tomatoes. Mix well and let cook on a low/medium heat for 5 minutes. Now add the marinated chicken, sealing and coating in the spice paste until lightly coloured. Add the tomato puree, water and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.

Now add the coconut milk, along with the reserved cooked onion and red pepper and salt & pepper to taste. Pop the lid on halfway and let simmer for a further 10 minutes to thicken. Serve with fresh coriander and garlic flatbread. Delicious.

Jerk Whole Red Snapper

Lucky for us, a new butcher and fishmonger has opened up a five minute walk from my house!! So at the weekend we took a walk over to buy some fresh fish for dinner. It didn't take long to choose - the red snapper looked amazing.

Having never cooked red snapper before, I wasn't sure what to expect...although I have heard its slightly sweet and firm and works well in Caribbean cookery. Having always got a jar of my homemade jerk paste (recipe here) in the fridge - I knew what we would be having. Served with some rice and peas (yes its kidney beans, but this dish you don't actually use green peas). Perfect!

You can use shop bought jerk paste, or even jerk seasoning if you like.

Ingredients:

2 x red snapper, gutted and de-scaled
3-4 tbsp. jerk paste
drizzle of oil

Cut slashes into the fish sides and spread the paste in and around them. Leave to marinade for an hour if you have the time. Place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with just a little oil.

Heat the oven to 220 C and bake the fish for 20 minutes, turning over fish half way through cooking time.

For the rice and peas accompaniment:

Ingredients:

150g rice (I use basmati)
1 small onion, chopped finely
200ml coconut milk
200ml water
200g tinned kidney beans, rinsed
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fry the onion in 1 tbsp. oil until soft and add the rice. Stir briefly over a high heat and then add the coconut milk and water. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the beans, thyme and seasoning. Warm through. 

Serve the fish whole on the rice and peas and sprinkle with chopped spring onion. Enjoy!

Sticky Honey & BBQ Chicken Wings

A firm favourite of mine; we had these delicious sticky wings on Friday night, with a buttery corn on the cob, hand cut chips and salad.

Juicy and sticky, this is a perfect recipe that works every time.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chilli powder (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

20 chicken wings
1 cup bbq sauce (your favourite)
1/2 cup honey


Method:

Set the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper (a good tip is to sprinkle a little water on the tray which makes the paper stick flat).

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Dip the wings in to coat and shake off the excess. Place the wings on the baking tray and cook for 45 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Mix the honey and the bbq sauce together in a bowl. Dip the cooked wings into the sauce and place back on the same tray. Pop into the oven for a further 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: If the wings are big enough, I tend to cut off the tip completely, then cut the remaining two parts in half. To do this, cut the skin in between, bend the knuckle backwards until it snaps and snip the last bit with a pair of scissors.

Thai Beef & Tofu Noodle Soup

This not only is an easy soup to put together, but it stretches 1 beef fillet for 2 people (always good). And with all the flavours and textures you would want. Serve this with a couple of spring rolls on the side and its a filling, delicious dinner.

Ingredients:

1 litre beef miso stock (made with 1 Oxo cube & 30g Miso paste)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 red chilli, sliced
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 beef fillet, sliced thinly
100g soba noodles (cooked)

Toppings:

1 pack Tofu, cubed
handful coriander, roughly chopped
handful beansprouts
3 spring onions, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
crispy garlic (see note at bottom)

Method:

Add the stock to a large pan and heat to boiling. Add all of the main ingredients apart from the beef and noodles (and toppings). Leave to simmer for 15 minutes for the flavours to develop.

Pat the tofu dry with kitchen paper and toss in a little cornflour. Add a tbsp. of oil to a frying pan and fry the tofu until brown on all sides.

Ensure you have all the toppings ready. Now add the sliced beef to the stock and immediately turn off the heat. The stock will be hot enough to cook the beef. Warm the cooked noodles in boiling water and drain.

To serve, put some noodles into the base of a warmed bowl. Spoon over the stock and beef. Add some tofu and the remaining toppings. Serve and enjoy! 


Note: For the crispy garlic, peel and slice 2 cloves garlic. Add some oil to a pan and tilt the pan so that the oil gathers in one place. Put the garlic in the hot oil and fry until golden. By tipping the pan, it 'deep' fries the garlic rather than having it flat which makes it burn too quickly. Drain on kitchen paper.

Note: If you don't like spicy food you can omit the chillies, or remove the seeds as liked.

North Italian Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

This is my absolute favourite lamb ragu recipe. Although I do like tomato based ragu - I definitely prefer this North Italian style (although they would likely add veal and beef) with no tomatoes in the sauce. Milk, cream and stock is used instead.

You may be surprised at the length of time it takes to cook, particularly the 60 minutes for the mince. But it is a labour of love and you will be rewarded by a rich, beautiful flavour that will delight!

Ingredients:       (Serves 4)
500g lamb mince
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
grate of nutmeg
salt and pepper
100ml. milk
1 1/2 tbsp. tomato puree (paste)
200ml. vegetable stock (cube is fine)
60ml. double cream
freshly grated parmesan
250g dried pappardelle

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrot, garlic and parsley. Cook on a medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the onion translucent. Add the lamb mince and cook, stirring to combine with the onion mix and breaking up the mince with a spoon as you go. With the heat on medium/low, continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 60 minutes. The lamb should cook gently and start to brown. If the lamb is going too brown too quickly, you have the heat too high.

Add a grating of nutmeg, some salt and pepper to taste, and milk. Cook until most of the milk has absorbed, then add the tomato puree and stock. Stir again. Reduce the heat to low. Half cover and cook for a further 60-90 minutes. Finally add the cream and a little more parsley.

Towards the end of the cooking time, boil some water in a saucepan for the pappardelle. Add pasta and cook until still a bit too al dente (still not completely cooked) Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Put the drained pasta back into the saucepan and add a couple of ladlefuls of the lamb ragu and a a good splash of the pasta water. Mix and let the pasta cook its final few minutes in the ragu. This will get the flavour into the pasta. Taste to check the pasta is cooked to your liking and serve the pasta in a large bowl. Top with more ragu, fresh parmesan and some fresh parsley if liked.

Chicken and White Bean Cassoulet

A very simple recipe, perfect for a weekend night at home. I have served this to guests many times and they loved it served with crusty bread to mop up the juices, and a glass of crisp white wine. Its also fairly low in fat.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, chopped finely
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
1 large glass white wine
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
400g tin white beans
1/2 pint chicken stock

2 chicken breasts
2 tsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste


Method:  (Serves 2)

Add the onion, carrot and oil to a large sauté pan (one with a lid). Fry on a medium heat until tender. Add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn up the heat, add the wine and cook until most of the wine reduced. Add the thyme and bay leaves, beans and stock and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat to a simmer, pop on a lid and leave to cook gently for approx. 20 minutes.

In a small frying pan, heat a little oil and season the chicken breasts, Fry on both sides until golden and then put the chicken breasts on top of the bean cassoulet. Pour in any pan juices from the chicken pan to the beans. Put the lid back on the pan and leave on a low heat for another 20 minutes.

Serve the chicken sliced, on top of the beans with a sprinkle of parsley (if liked). Enjoy.

Spanish Sherry Pork Strips

Another tapas dish from last Friday. I had bought some thin pork escalopes earlier in the day - I rarely eat pork - and I wanted to do my usual. Spice them up!

The marinade I made in the morning, so had the pork getting all the flavour into it for as long as I could. Then pan fried in the evening before slicing and serving. Absolutly delicious!

Ingredients:

400g pork escalopes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. sweet sherry

Method:

Put the pork, oil, garlic and spices into a zip lock bag and seal. Massage well to ensure the meat gets completely coated and put into the refrigerator.

To cook, heat a tbsp. oil in a frying pan. Remove the meat from the marinade and fry on a high heat for about 3 minutes each side. Remove pork from the pan to a chopping board and quickly add the sherry to the pan. Cook on high to de-glaze the pan and cook out the alcohol, creating a quick sauce. Quickly slice the pork and put onto a plate. Pour over the sherry sauce and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Roast Potato, Chorizo and Lemon

A lovely tapas dish or served as a side dish with any meat, this is crispy, spicy and a lovely way to eat potatoes. It was part of some tapas I made last Friday night.

Lemon works particularly well with chorizo and potatoes.. and with a little added garlic - its flavour heaven!

Ingredients:

350g charlotte potatoes, quartered
140g chorizo, sliced
1 small lemon, sliced then slices halved
2 cloves garlic
glug olive oil

Set the oven to 200 C. In a bowl, mix the potatoes with the olive oil. Place in a baking dish and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Dry fry the chorizo on a medium high heat for a few minutes, or until the chorizo a little browned and the orange oil rendered out.

Take the potatoes out of the oven and add the chorizo, garlic and lemon pieces. Stir well and return to the oven for about 20-25 mins, or until all crispy. Serve immediately.

Jerk Chicken Chimichangas with Avocado Sauce

A little bit of a fusion for you here with the chimichanga hailing from Tex Mex areas and jerk chicken firmly in the Caribbean - and its such a good mix! Chimichangas are basically a deep fried burrito, sealed at the sides keeping all the flavours in, although I have shallow fried these. You can bake them, of course, but they really are nicer shallow fried.

The jerk paste no doubt, you can buy pastes and powders, but I thoroughly recommend you make the paste yourself. I have a recipe for it here. With a food processor it takes minutes to make and tastes great. And keeps in the fridge for ages. Also, if you can, try and get the scotch bonnet chillies from an independent store - the large chain store chillies I have tried aren't as hot!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
4-5 tbsp. jerk paste
2 tbsps. salsa
2 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp. chopped spring onions
150g grated cheese (gruyere/mozzarella/cheddar)
Pack of 8 flour tortillas
Oil for frying

Put the chicken breasts into a zip lock bag with the jerk paste and massage briefly to ensure all coated. Pop in the fridge for an hour or so.

Set the oven to 200 C. Put the chicken breasts in a dish and cover with kitchen foil. Bake for 30 minutes and then leave to cool. When the chicken is cool, use two forks to shred the meat in its juices and add the salsa, coriander & spring onions. Stir well.

To make the chimichangas, firstly warm the tortillas in a microwave for 30 seconds (or a dry pan) just to make softer and more pliable. Place one on a board in front of you and put two or three heaped dessert spoons of the chicken mix into the middle, in a line. Top with a generous handful of cheese. Use a brush to put water around the edges for sealing. Fold over the flap nearest to you, then fold the sides and then roll up. Flatten a little to make a rectangle shape as you put it seam side down on a plate, while you complete the rest.

Pour enough vegetable oil in a sauté pan to come about 1 cm up the sides and heat until shimmering. Add a few of the chimichangas and turn with tongs so you can brown all sides. They go brown very quickly - about 1 minute - so work quickly. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with a cooling sauce, like the one below and a squeeze of lime juice.

Avocado Sauce:

1 large avocado
2 tbsp. chopped coriander
juice 1 small lime
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. water
1/4 white onion

Put the avocado, coriander, lime juice, oil, water in a jug. Add a little salt & pepper and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Add the onion and blend until smooth. Serve immediately to keep the colour bright.

ENJOY!!

Middle Eastern Sunday Roast Chicken Platter

I love chicken SO much that if I could only every eat one meat again - there would be no competition. There are just so many different ways to enjoy it and on Sunday afternoons, after a long walk, there is absolutely nothing like a roast chicken.

As much as I love the UK version with roast potatoes, stuffing and yorkshires, I like to try other flavours. This Sunday, I headed in the direction of the Middle Eastern spices of sumac (sort of lemony) and Za'atar (a mix containing thyme, savory, basil and sesame seeds).

Along with flavouring  and roasting the chicken, I made a couscous with red peppers and red onions, za'atar fried courgettes and topped with some crispy chick peas. And served with baba Ganoush dip and pitta bread. And some chilli mayo. So delicious. Pop the lot on a large platter and help yourselves!!

For the chicken:

Mix 1 tbsp. sumac with 1 tbsp. za'atar along with 40g soft butter. Gently prise the skin away from the chicken breasts (with clean hands) trying to not rip the skin - and create a pocket. Put 2/3 of the butter in the space between the breasts and skin. Smear the remaining butter over the whole chicken. Pop in the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

For the crispy chick peas:

Rinse and pat dry 200g tinned chick peas (or dried and cooked). Put in a bowl with 1 tbsp. cornflour (cornstarch). Roll them around to ensure all coated and then tip into a sieve. Shake off the excess. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a frying pan and add the chick peas. Cook for about 7-8 minutes and then drain on kitchen paper. Serve sprinkled with salt and za'atar.

For the couscous and courgettes:

Put one cup dried couscous into a bowl with a vegetable stock cube and add one and a half cups of boiling water. Cover to let steam for 5 mins. Slice the courgette and fry in 1 tbsp. oil on a medium heat with salt, pepper and za'atar until well browned. Drain on kitchen paper. Add 1/2 finely chopped onion to the couscous along with some chopped roasted red pepper (you can get these in a jar). Top with the courgettes.

Spicy Chicken Korma

I don't believe in rules when it comes to food; and here is a perfect example. 'Spicy' Korma? I hear you say.. Well, I love chicken korma but it is always cooked as a mild curry - which is a shame. You can add spice to any curry and this one with its thick, delicious coconut & almond sauce is so good. I'm not missing out.

So I made my version of a Chicken Korma. With plenty of chillies!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 red or green chilies, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp. chilli flakes
2 fresh bay leaves
1 large tomato, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato purée
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsp. natural yoghurt
4 tbsp. ground almonds
2 tsp garum masala
1 tsp ground cumin
fresh coriander, chopped for garnish

Cut the chicken in bite sized pieces, about 1 inch and set to one side

Put the onion, ginger, garlic and chilies into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Put 1 tbsp. oil into a large pan and heat. Pour in the onion mixture and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until cooked.

Along with the second tbsp. of oil, add the turmeric, paprika, coriander, bay leaves, chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken and stir well. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes to seal, stirring occasionally.

Add the coconut milk and yoghurt and return to a low boil. Add the ground almonds, garum masala, and cumin. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper if you needed. Remove from heat and sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander. Enjoy!

Note: With salt, I often say to add 'if needed'. This is because I am cutting my own salt intake - you may want to use more, so always taste for seasoning. You may also want to add more or less chillies - its up to you!

Jules Banana & Walnut Cake

I hate seeing bananas go to waste and we had four - all going black (how does this happen so quickly?!). I actually don't like banana bread. I find it a bit 'chewy' if you get what I mean. I wanted a light cake. So I made one. Its very easy too.

Ingredients:

4 (overripe) bananas
8oz self raising flour
3oz caster sugar
2 eggs
4oz butter (room temperature)
approx. 100g walnuts (chop most and leave some whole for decoration)

Method:

Set the oven to 180 C.Cream the butter and sugar together and then add the eggs. Mix well. Mash 3 of the bananas in a separate bowl and tip into the butter mix. Combine. Now add the flour and walnuts. Stir well.

Pile into a greaseproof paper lined loaf tin. Slice the last banana and decorate the top of the cake with the banana slices and whole walnuts. Pop into the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden, risen and cooked through.

Enjoy!

Featherblade Steak with Rocket, Feta & Fig Salad

A new butcher in town is SO exciting to me.. The Ginger Pig. They sell all the cuts and types that are so hard to find - yes, even in London. My first visit, I bought some rabbit for a Maltese stew and some featherblade beef steak. A lesser used cut, they are good for braising or pan frying and are full of flavour.

I used a dry rub of paprika and oregano and pan fried it to rare and served it on a salad of rocket, figs and red onion. All on top of a potato galette. Last minute touch was some chopped hazelnuts and a little feta cheese. Delicious. A hearty warm salad for summer evenings.

You can also make this dish with a fillet, sirloin or rump steak. Whatever is your favourite and cooked to your liking!

For the potato galette:

Peel and thinly slice 1-2 potatoes and put into a bowl. Add some chopped garlic and a tbsp. olive oil. Stir gently, ensuring all pieces covered. Make a circle on a piece of greaseproof paper and place onto a baking sheet. Place the potatoes on the template, going round in a circle and seasoning with salt & pepper. Brush with melted butter and bake in the oven for about 45 mins on 180 C, until browned and cooked through.

Fry the steak and let it rest. Make the salad of rocket, thinly sliced red onion, quartered figs and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Slice the steak.

Plate the potato galette, put a handful of salad on top and add the steak. Top with a crumble of feta cheese and a little chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!

Tagliatelle with Clams & Smoked Bacon

Sometimes the simplest recipes are just the best. While the pasta is cooking, you make a quick sauce with the bacon, clams, white wine and garlic. A handful of parsley and you have one of the best meals to ever grace an Italian table.

We had this the other night and ate it in the garden, just as the sun was beginning to disappear. I fully recommend to have a sneaky glass from the wine bottle you opened making the sauce!

Ingredients:             (Serves 2)

500g clams (in shell)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 strips smoked streaky bacon, sliced thinly
25g fresh parsley
1 glass white wine
250g tagliatelle pasta

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta. In a large frying or sauté pan, add a little olive oil and heat. Add the sliced bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add the pasta to the boiling water.

In the same pan you used to cook the bacon, add a little more oil and the garlic and half of the parsley. Cook on high for a minute or two (be careful not to burn the garlic), and add the wine. Let bubble on high for a minute and then add the clams. Cover the pan for 5 minutes until the clams are all open. Then add the reserved bacon and remaining parsley and a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Let that continue to cook as you drain the pasta. Toss the two together and serve! You can add salt if you like; I tend to not think its needed with clams and bacon. Enjoy!

Note: For UK readers you can get the clams vacuum packed at Waitrose/Ocado.

Pulled Pork Baked Chimichangas

One of my favourite things about South American food is the colour.. I adore reds, yellows, greens on a plate - and as always a good kick of chilli! When I made the pulled pork in the slow cooker the other day, I had no idea where I was going with it. You can eat it in so many ways with different flavours.

I wanted to try them in a chimichanga -  which is basically a deep fried burrito. However, I made it healthy and baked them instead. So an enclosed burrito with meltingly soft pulled pork with a little cheese served with salads. Delicious, simple to make and healthy!

For the pulled pork

700g pork shoulder steaks
salt & pepper
1 tsp. paprika
150ml water

Put the pork in the slow cooker with the seasoning and water. Cook on low for 8 hours, strain and leave to cool before shredding.

For the chimichangas:

pulled pork (as above)
200g chopped tomatoes
3 spring onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. chilli flakes
1 tsp garlic power
salt & pepper
150g grated mozzarella
pack (8) flour tortillas

Mix the tomatoes, onions & spices into the pulled pork. Stir well. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set the oven to 190 C. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave for about 5 seconds to make soft easier to fold.

Place a few spoons of the pork in the tortilla, add some cheese and roll and fold, keeping the edges tucked in to enclose. Roll and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush with a little olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and piping hot.

Serve with coleslaw, salads, guacamole, sweetcorn.. anything you like!

Jerk Pork Fillet with Mango Salsa & Fufu

Having had our kitchen completely demolished to build new - I have been a bit quiet lately. Well I have a temporary kitchen now set up in the study and am back with a bang! With this recipe - maybe more a burn..

Generally one to favour spicy food, I eyed the pork tenderloin fillet in the fridge the other night. It needed heat and lots of it. Fortunately, I always have a pot of ready made jerk paste (see recipe here) in the fridge (I really can't live without it) and used that. For this recipe you can use any type you like from a paste to a powder, but I will always recommend making it yourself. If you do use powder just add some oil to the marinade.

I also have used Fufu which is a staple in parts of Africa and South America. You can get varying types made with cassava flour, but the one I have made is from plantain flour. Its quick, delicious, similar to potato (bit starchier) and gluten free. Try it!

For the pork:

1 pork tenderloin (trimmed of fat)
3-4 tbsp. good jerk paste
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced
drizzle oil
3/4 cup vegetable stock (cube is fine)

Put the pork, uncut, into a zip lock back with the marinade and massage in well. Put in the fridge for between 1-6 hours.

When ready to cook, set the oven to 200 C. Place the sliced peppers and onions down the centre of a roasting tray. Place the pork on the top and roast for 40 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven and add the stock (not over the meat - you want to keep that crust). Cover with foil and turn the oven down to about 180 C. Cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice to serve.

For the mango salsa:

Chop 1 large ripe mango into a bowl, Add 1/2 chopped red onion, 1/2 small red (bell) pepper, a handful chopped coriander & the juice of a lime. Mix and chill until needed

For the Fufu:

Put 1 cup fufu flour into a small saucepan with 1 cup hot water and mix well. Keep adding boiling water bit by but and keep mixing until it has the texture you like (I like it like smooth mashed potato). Season with salt & pepper and add anything you like. I added 1 tsp. garlic powder and 3 chopped spring onions.

Serve the fufu in the middle of the plate, add jerk pork slices and drizzle over the onion and pepper sauce from the roasting tray. Serve with the mango salsa and some avocado slaw. A wedge of lime and....enjoy!

Cauliflower & Comte Soup

Cauliflower and cheese. Two of the best partnerships that has ever been. I rarely eat cauliflower cheese, as much as I love it, because I always feel that its really unhealthy. It seems last Saturday, I decided that making it as a soup was healthier. I don't suppose it makes that much of a difference really.. unless you use mountains of cheese, of course.

This was simple and quick to cook. I shaved some pieces of raw cauliflower at the start, to save for a garnish - the texture along with some extra cubes of cheese is just lovely.

Ingredients:

1 whole cauliflower, chopped
1 white onion, peeled & chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled & chopped
1 tbsp. butter
400ml vegetable stock (cube is fine)
400ml milk
1 tsp. English Mustard
120g Comte cheese, diced finely.

Method:

Put the butter into a large pan and melt over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and potato and stir through quickly. Then add the stock, milk and mustard. Bring to the boil and then turn to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

Take off the heat and use a potato masher if you like the soup chunky, or if you want it smoother - use a stick blender. Put back on the heat and add most of the cheese (reserving a little for garnish) along with some black pepper. Stir and take off the heat. Serve with the raw shavings of cauliflower, the remaining cheese cubes and some snipped chives (if liked). Delicious!


Note: I considered putting cream in at the end. You can of course but I am glad I didn't - it wasn't needed. But it would add more richness if you would prefer that.

Indian Curd Chicken Parcels

This recipe came about because I had randomly bought some curd cheese. I knew about it being used in Indian recipes so I phoned a friend for an authentic idea. He suggested putting the chicken and curd in foil parcels with some spices - the curd makes the gravy. Here is what I did - it was oh so good.

 

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, skinless
180g curd cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2  tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. garum masala
little salt & pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
few slices thinly sliced red onion
few slices thinly sliced pepper (green or red)

Method:

Firstly, slash the chicken breasts with a knife, so that the marinade works its way into the chicken. Put all the spices into a bowl and mix with the curd cheese and lemon juice. Mix well and add the chicken breasts, ensuring the chicken is well coated. Pop in the fridge for at least an hour.

Set the oven to 200 C. Get a large square of kitchen foil and place some slices of onion and pepper in the middle. Put the chicken on top with some of the marinade and season with a little salt & pepper. Pull up the sides of the foil to make a parcel and do the same with the other chicken breast.

Cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast. Serve the parcel on a plate and eat out of the foil. Have with rice, chapati and some garlicky tarka daal. Delicious!

Greek Lamb & Feta Spiral

Weather still horribly unsettled in London. The weekend was lovely and warm - now its muggy and raining. So with my mind hoping for more sun - I give you a recipe that is Greek in style - its not really a Greek dish.. But it has all the flavours with juicy lamb, aubergine and feta and is lovely with lemon potatoes and a tzatziki sauce.

You could make this with lamb mince, but the texture of the chopped lamb is a lovely change.

Ingredients:

2 lamb rump steaks, chopped finely
1 aubergine, chopped finely
1 onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt & pepper (to taste)
8 sheets filo pastry
60g feta cheese
oil for brushing

Method:

Fry the lamb, onion and aubergine together in the oil in a large pan on a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the meat cooked through. Add the garlic and oregano and season to taste. Cook for a further 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Leave to cool a little.
 
Set the oven to 180 C. Take one rectangular sheet of filo and brush lightly with some oil, top with another piece, brush with oil and add the third sheet on top. Take half of the lamb mix and put it along the long side the pastry, ready to make a long sausage shape. Crumble half the feta cheese over the lamb.

Now roll the pastry over and keep rolling until you get to the end to make a sausage. Working quickly, take an end of the sausage and roll it into itself to make a spiral shape. Seal the end with a little oil and brush with some more oil. Put onto a baking sheet and repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Cook the spirals for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with tzatziki and roasted lemon potatoes.

For the potatoes:

2 medium potatoes,  peeled & cut into chunks
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock (cube is fine)

Put the potato chunks into a dish in one layer. Add the garlic, lemon juice and oil. Stir though well. The garlic will fall into the liquid - but that's good because it stops it burning.

Cook at 170 C for 30 minutes and then add the stock. Cook for another 20 minutes and serve hot! Enjoy! The sun will be back soon..