Thai Balls & Spicy Mooli Noodles

This meal, in all honesty, was made from leftovers. Last weekend we had a BBQ and one of the burgers I made was a Thai pork burger. I didn't put a recipe up for this at the time as I was too busy cooking for the party, but the recipe for those were the same as these Thai balls.

Either way, six Thai burgers were leftover so I popped them in the freezer, only to be defrosted yesterday and re-invented as Thai Pork Balls making a thrifty, and very quick, meal for two.

Ingredients for Thai Balls (or burgers)

3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, chopped
1 red chilli, seeds removed
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
1 tbsp. lemongrass paste
handful fresh coriander
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
500g (1lb 4oz) pork mince
1 egg, beaten
25g breadcrumbs
vegetable oil to fry

Put the garlic, spring onions, chilli, ginger, lemongrass and coriander into a hand blender and blitz to a paste. Alternatively, chop everything finely. Put into a large bowl with the pork mince, lime zest and juice, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Now you can shape into balls (for this recipe) or patties for burgers.

For the Thai balls, roll into 1 inch balls. Heat oil in a heavy based pan to about an inch up the sides. When hot, fry the balls for about 5 minutes until brown and cooked through.


For the Spicy Mooli Noodles:

1 small mooli (or half a large)
1 carrot
1 cloves garlic
1 Thai chilli (seeds removed)
1/4 tsp. salt
8 green beans, cut into thirds
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp. palm sugar (white works too but palm sugar is better)
1 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
1 large lime, juice only

Peel the mooli and carrot and cut into julienne strips. Put into a large bowl. Using a pestle and mortar, pop in one garlic clove and a chopped Thai red chilli (seeds removed). Crush to a pulp with a 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the green beans and pound a little more. Then add 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quartered and pound again. It should look like this:

Then add 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and the juice of one lime. Mix thoroughly and put into the bowl with the vegetables. Cook some rice noodles to packet instructions and rinse under cold water. Now add the noodles to the marinade and mix well.

Serve the mooli noodles with the Thai balls and a little sweet chilli dipping sauce. Garnish with a little fresh coriander and enjoy!

Moroccan Ostrich with Couscous

It was only recently that I learned that Ostrich farms are appearing in the Middle East. And why not indeed. Ostrich meat is one of the healthiest meats you can eat and its absolutely delicious. Not only that but the UK shops has started to realise this and you can now buy it in so many places. I love it myself. AND its low fat.

Here I have kept it simple. Moroccan spiced ostrich steak, served with couscous. This meal takes about ten minutes to make - what's not to like?!

Ingredients:      (Serves 2)

2 ostrich steaks
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sumac, optional
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
salt & pepper
1/2 cup couscous
1 cup (230ml) chicken stock
1 roasted pepper (from a jar), chopped
1/4 red onion chopped finely
coriander to serve

Method:

Put the couscous into a bowl and add the hot stock. Cover with cling film and leave to steam while you cook the ostrich.

In a frying pan, heat the oil. Sprinkle the ostrich with the spices and salt & pepper. Add to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the steak. Remove from pan and let rest for a minute on a board.

Add the onion and pepper to the couscous and stir, adding just a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Cut the steaks on a diagonal and serve on top of the couscous with a garnish of fresh coriander. Easy, quick and very, very tasty.

Note: I served mine with roast carrot salad, flatbreads and aubergine hummus for a delicious feast!

Note 2: You can use anything you like in the couscous, instead of the peppers you can use chopped tomatoes, or raw courgette.

Aubergine Hummus

No, this isn't Baba Ganoush, the usual dish that one would expect as an eastern dip to accompany my Moroccan meal. I wanted to make something slightly different - so we have aubergine hummus. Or eggplant hummus (depending on where you're from).

A creamy delicious change from normal chickpea hummus - this mixes the chickpeas with roasted aubergine, with notes of garlic, lemon juice and a touch of cumin. Lovely with anything.

Ingredients:

1 aubergine, sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. olive oil
300g chick peas, rinsed
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin


Set the oven to 190 C. Place the aubergine slices onto a baking sheet, sprinkle the garlic over the top and drizzle with one of the tablespoons of olive oil. Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it - if the slices are too thin it will burn. You want the aubergine to be tender.

Remove the aubergine from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then tip into a food processor along with the chick peas, lemon, cumin and remaining olive oil. Process until smooth and put into a nice serving dish. Dress with a drizzle more oil and some pickles on the side.

Note: I have decorated this with redcurrants as I harvested some today from the garden, but you can use anything you like. Indecently, the redcurrants were lovely with the hummus! Enjoy!

Moroccan Roast Carrot Salad (V)

This is a lovely dish that I made last night whilst making a Moroccan meal. It could be a side dish but holds its own as a lunch with some flatbreads. I am so glad that there are leftovers as I know that this will be my lunch today, along with some simple bread.

I'm not sure why but every time I have made a carrot salad in the past I have used raw carrots, usually grated. These are cooked with eastern spices and are warm, sweet, tender and delicious!

Ingredients:    (Serves 2)

 

4 small carrots, peeled and quartered

1/2 red onion, peeled cut into wedges

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sumac, optional

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. paprika

1 preserved lemon halved or 1/2 fresh lemon halved

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper

150g chickpeas, drained

1 cup rocket or lambs leaf lettuce

1 tbs sliced almonds

 

Method:

 

Set the oven to 180 C. Put all of the ingredients, apart from the chickpeas, rocket and almonds, into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Put onto a baking sheet and roast for around 30 minutes, or until the carrot is tender.

 

Remove from oven, add the chick peas and stir in. and leave to cool a little. Put some rocket on a serving dish and place the carrot mixture on top. Drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with sliced almonds and serve at room temperature with some flatbreads or crusty bread. Enjoy!

 

 

Thai Beef Massaman Curry

This is one of those recipes that takes time and has a lot of ingredients, but it absolutely worth it. If you have friends over for dinner and you want to impress them with a curry - and they like it hot - this is the curry to impress. The beef is melt in the mouth soft, the potatoes get saturated with the sauce and go almost chewy and the sauce is spicy with chillies, yet sweet with coconut and the whole thing together is like a bowl of just....awesome.

 

You can, of course buy massaman curry paste in most stores, I haven't tried them yet, but am sure would be lovely if you buy a good brand. I have added the curry paste recipe, as I had the ingredients and with one of those mini blenders, takes about 10 minutes to make. I really can't recommend those mini blenders more - I use mine all the time.

 

It is such a shame that the photo doesn't really do the dish justice. It looks like beef and potatoes in a gravy. But read through the ingredients and you may just begin to imagine...or you may have eaten it before somewhere. It is an absolute wow of a dish. But again I warn you, my paste recipe is rather spicy!

 

 

 

For the curry paste:

 

13 dried red chillies

1 tbsp. coriander seeds, ground

1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground

5 peppercorns

3 cloves, ground

5 shallots, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. shrimp paste

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 - 2 sticks lemongrass, chopped (or 1 heaped tbsp. paste)

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

1 tsp. fish sauce

 

Toast the whole spices and then put into a grinder, or crush with a pestle and mortar. Then add to all the other ingredients and blend until a thick paste.

 

For the curry

 

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, cut into large pieces

about 1/3 cup massaman curry paste

1 kg beef stewing steak    

1 inch piece ginger, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

 400ml can of coconut milk

1/2 cup (125ml) beef stock (cube is fine)

300g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon                                                           

2 tbsp. palm sugar

juice of 2 limes                                                        

1 tbsp. fish sauce                                                        

1/3 cup (45g) roasted unsalted peanuts

 

Steamed rice

Fresh coriander, to serve

                              

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and cook the onion until beginning to brown. Add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Then add the beef, stirring until beginning to brown.

 

Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Then you can add the coconut milk, stock, potatoes, bay, cinnamon, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and peanuts. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and leave to gently simmer for about 2 hours.

 

Serve the curry over some steamed rice and garnish with a little fresh coriander.

 

 

 

Fresh Salmon & Leek Tart

Sunny summer days just call for a tart like this. Freshly poached salmon, flaked into a crisp pastry case with buttery leeks and fragrant dill.

Served with some brown bread and butter and an ice cold juice drink, its a lovely lunch for a Saturday in the garden.

Ingredients;

2 salmon fillets
pack readymade shortcrust pastry
1 large leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
handful grated cheese (gruyere or cheddar)
3 eggs
140ml double cream
50ml milk
sprig fresh dill chopped
salt & pepper
milk for brushing

Method:

Bring a pot of water to the boil and poach the salmon for about 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to poach for another 5 minutes in the hot water. Drain and flake into large pieces.

Lightly butter a 9 inch shallow loose bottomed tart tin, and line with the pastry. Pop case in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Put the oven on to 180 C. Lightly fry the leek for 5 minutes and then add the garlic for a further few minutes. Leave to cool a little. In a jug, whisk the eggs with the milk, cream and a little salt & pepper.

Put the tart tin onto a baking sheet and sprinkle a small handful of grated cheese over the base. Top with the cooled leeks and garlic. and then the salmon. Spread around evenly and then pour over the egg/milk mix. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk.

Put into the oven for approx. 30 minutes until the centre is firm and the pastry golden. Leave to cool and serve with some buttered brown bread or fries and a salad.

Club Sandwich Salad

Its been a bit quiet here the last few days as we have been on holiday relaxing. But back home now, with a lovely long sunny day off stretching out in front of us, so am looking forward to some good food.

I love club sandwiches - and that was my plan. Chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato with lashings of mayonnaise in between slices of toasted bread. However, The Bloke wanted a salad. Easy enough. Club Sandwich Salad it is. Same ingredients, made into a large salad with loads of flavour.

In this recipe I have quoted streaky bacon, but I used speck which is a sort of prosciutto. It can be quite difficult to buy in some places, but I buy it regularly in Borough Market in London. Streaky bacon works just as well, so have whichever you like.

Ingredients:            (serves 2)

1/4 ciabatta loaf, cubed
a little oil
2 chicken breasts, skin removed
8 rashers streaky bacon or speck
2/3 little gem lettuces, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
pinch sugar

Method:

Set the oven to 180 C. Toss the bread cubes in a little oil and season with salt & pepper. Pop in the hot oven for about 5 minutes, until the croutons are crisp. Set to one side.

Put the chicken breasts in between two pieces of cling film. Hit the fattest part firmly with a rolling pin or similar, until the chicken is flattened and of the same thickness. Remove the cling film and put the chicken onto a plate. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. In a pan, fry the chicken both sides for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Cover in foil and leave to rest.

Grill the streaky bacon or speck, dabbing the fat off as you grill, to make crispy strips. Make the dressing by whisking together ingredients listed above.

To assemble. In a large bowl toss the lettuce, onion and cherry tomatoes. Break the bacon into pieces and add to the salad, along with the croutons. Add the dressing and mix well. Slice the chicken into strips and place on the top of the salad and serve! Lovely.

 

 

Note: I used speck instead of bacon as I am a big fan losing as much fat as I can from a meal. Speck grills quickly and crisps up beautifully with less fat (see below).

Quick Mandarin Cheesecake

This is one of those desserts that you can make in literally 10 minutes. Its also good because it was totally unplanned, yet the ingredients are often found in the fridge! This is a non baked cheesecake and is made as individual servings which make it look cute and like it has taken a lot longer to prepare than it did!!

You can use any biscuits you have as the base. I used digestives as I had some but other types work just as well. You can also use any fruit.

If you don't have any chefs rings I recommend you have a couple in a cupboard somewhere - they can be so useful in many, many ways. Here they were a godsend. Quick, no fuss mandarin cheesecakes.

Ingredients:    (makes 2)

50g biscuits, crushed
40g butter, melted
200g soft cheese (Philadelphia)
50ml double cream
3 tbsp. icing sugar
295g tin mandarin segments

Method:

Sit the chefs rings onto a board (that will fit in the fridge) covered with greaseproof paper. Stir the melted butter into the crushed biscuits in a bowl and use to cover the base inside the rings. Pop in the fridge for 2 minutes to set.

Drain the mandarin segments and remove 6 pieces, set to one side for garnish. Chop the rest and gently press some kitchen roll on top to remove excess juice.

In a bowl mix the cream cheese, sugar and cream until smooth. Stir in the chopped mandarins and put on top of the biscuit bases. Level with a knife and decorate with the mandarin slices. Pop in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes.

Lift the cheesecake rings onto a serving plate using a fish slice or palette knife. Then, run a sharp knife around the edges of the cheesecake and lift off the metal ring. Serve dusted with a little icing sugar and enjoy!!

Country Chicken Pie

After having a bbq at the weekend, full of marinated spicy chicken and Thai pork burgers, come Monday night we were craving comfort food. After a busy day, I picked up some chicken breasts on the way home from meetings and pondered on what to make.

As far as I am aware, Shepherds Pie is lamb mince with mashed potatoes. And Cottage Pie is with beef. I realised that I had never had one in that style make with chicken. I think its because you rarely see minced chicken that these thoughts don't occur - its a bit like my Spaghetti Chickenase (recipe here) - so why not? So here is my version which I have called Country Chicken Pie.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 medium) chicken breasts, chopped finely
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chicken stock cube
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken stock (about
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
100g frozen peas
salt & pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
3-4 white potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
knob of butter


Method:

Boil the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with a knob of butter and season with salt & pepper. Set to one side.

In a large pan, fry the onion until translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for another few minutes and add the chicken. Cook on a high heat, stirring, until cooked through. Turn down the heat to medium and crumble in the stock cube and the flour, stirring to incorporate. Then add the stock a cup at a time to get a thick sauce consistency. Add the peas, herbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and some salt & pepper and let cook on a low heat for five minutes. Pour into a pie dish and top with the mashed potatoes.

Cook in the oven (180 C) for 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the top is nicely browning. Serve with vegetables.  Delicious!

Baguette Pizza

I have never been one to buy pizza. Maybe its just me but if I wanted pizza I just made cheese on toast with some toppings. Its cheaper, tastes just as good and its somehow more honest. These days I like using these part baked baguettes that seem to be everywhere in the shops. Lazy Saturday afternoons usually call for these baguette pizzas and its one that The Bloke likes to make for me.

The secret is his way of mixing everything in a bowl after having chopped it finely. Then he piles it on halved baguettes and pops them in the oven for 10 minutes. I adore them!

Ingredients:

2 part baked baguettes, halved
100g grated cheese (gruyere is good)
1/3 cup tomato and chilli sauce (we use blitzed chipotle in adobe - recipe here)
50g ham, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped finely
10g basil leaves, torn
2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
pinch black pepper

Method:

Set the oven to 220 C. Spread the tomato/chilli sauce onto the halved baguettes. In a bowl mix half of the cheese (50g) with the remaining ingredients so it is well combined.

Share the mixture out on top of the halves baguettes and top with the remaining cheese and place onto a baking sheet.

Now pop in the oven for 10 minutes until hot and bubbling. Perfect pizza baguettes!

Chinese Sui Mai Cabbage Rolls

I nearly didn't make these last night. I didn't feel like cooking and although had planned what to make with pack of pork mince, I felt (wrongly as it turned out) that they would take too long to make. They took just over 10 mins to put together and in the 20 mins cooking time, I made the rice and the dip. And the garnish. Excellent!

It was a lonely pack of pork mince that was sitting in a relatively empty fridge yesterday morning, that brought me to this. Initially they were going to be Polish cabbage rolls, but I fancied Chinese flavours, so I grabbed some frozen prawns and instead filled them with a sui mai filling. Now, sui mai is normally a Chinese dim sum dumpling, which has the same filling as this recipe - but would normally be wrapped in a wonton wrapper. These are wrapped in cabbage leaves and I love them!

Ingredients:    (Makes 8 rolls)

500g pork mince
140g small cooked prawns (or shrimp)
1 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
salt & pepper
8 leaves savoy cabbage, ends of thick stem cut away in a 'v' shape

Method:

Boil the kettle and fill a large pot with the cabbage leaves. Bring up to boil on a medium heat for about 4 minutes and then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Lay a cabbage leaf on a board with the stalk end nearest to you. Put about 3 tbsp. of the mix onto the end of the leaf and roll once. Bring in the sides of the leaf and roll forward a second time. Do it quite tightly, but being careful not to break the leaf. Repeat with the other cabbage leaves.

Now you can use a steamer if you have one, or using a steamer tray (picture above), pop it in the large pot that you cooked the cabbage in. Use a little water (I used some of the water I cooked the cabbage leaves in) and pop the lid on. Steam for 20 minutes.

While the cabbage rolls are steaming, steam some rice, make a dipping sauce with sesame oil, sake, soy, garlic and Chinese rice vinegar and chop spring onion and red chilli for garnish.

Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice with Cheese (V)

This is a great way to cook cauliflower. Its great for people who are trying to cut carbohydrates from their diet and there are so many different flavours you can add to it. Simply par boil the cauliflower florets and crush with a fork. They don't go to a mash or a puree, but stay in pieces that gives it the texture and look of rice.

In this version I used the old fashioned cauliflower cheese and have just added cheese, shallots and garlic which is just delicious as a side dish. But as the vegetable stands up well by itself - you can add chicken, ham, spices.. let your imagination go wild. You could have it cold and dress with a vinaigrette, with maybe added bacon bits. Try it and you'll find yourself using this again and again.

Here I have hot cauliflower rice topped with crispy shallots with sausages and a tomato salad.

Ingredients:     (Serves 4)

1 head cauliflower   
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. soft cheese (like Philadelphia)
handful grated cheese (like gruyere or cheddar)
salt & pepper

Method:

Cut the stalks off the cauliflower so you are just left with the florets. Par boil for about 6-87minutes in boiling water and drain. Mash with a fork to make the cauliflower 'rice'.

In a separate large pan, fry the shallots until beginning to brown and then add the cauliflower and stir. Add the garlic powder, the cheeses and season with salt & pepper. Heat through to melt the cheese and you are ready to serve, Its that simple.

For the crispy shallots:

Peel and slice two shallots into rings. Put into a bowl and cover with a little milk to soak for 5 minutes. Drain off the milk and add a tbsp. flour and mix with your fingers. Heat about 1-2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy based pan and drop in the shallots. Cook until brown and crispy and drain on kitchen paper. These can be done hours ahead of the meal if liked. They don't need to be hot, but add a lovely texture to the dish.

I really want to try this as a salad next with crispy pancetta, thinly sliced cherry tomatoes and a vinaigrette! Delicious!

Banana & Oat Cookies

I woke up this morning and decided it was definitely a day for making cookies. Whilst having my morning cup of tea, I noticed three sad looking, just about to be over ripe bananas, sitting in the bowl. Banana cookies it had to be!

I have actually had this recipe for about twenty five years, and I think it was given to me by a friend. I tweaked it a bit at the time to make them a bit lighter, but they have stayed the same for years. This recipes makes about 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

180g butter, softened
200g packed brown sugar
100g caster sugar
3 bananas, mashed roughly
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cornflour
255g oats (I used Quakers)

Method:

Prepare a couple of baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set the oven to 170 C.

In a mixing bowl, incorporate both the sugars into the softened butter. Mix in the egg, vanilla and bananas.

Add the remaining ingredients, ending with the oats and mix well to make a dough.

Spoon a heaped dessert spoon of the dough onto the baking sheet and using the back of the spoon, press down lightly and shape into a thick 'ish circle (they spread a little, but not much). Repeat until mixture used up and pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes until you see the edges are a turning golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat one hot like I just did, if you really can't wait!

Happy Baking!

Crispy Peanut Tofu with Brocolli & Noodles (V)

I love tofu these days, which is odd because I didn't like it all those years that I was a vegetarian. Maybe I have just found new ways of cooking it...years ago it was kept somewhat basic and flavourless, but marinated it is delicious.

Also, I like to bake tofu - it is basically like a sponge and soaks up oil at an alarming rate which baking seems to prevent. Its also a good idea to press the water out of the tofu - best way is to drain it from the pack, wrap in layers of kitchen paper and place in between two chopping boards or plates. Put a weight on the top one (some saucepans will do) and leave for 15 minutes. This way they will lose the water and absorb the flavour better.

I've kept this recipe fairly simple as the marinade speaks for itself and just added some broccoli; you can add pak choy and mange tout if you like.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 Thai chilli (I used birds eye), chopped finely, seeds removed if liked

200g noodles
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp. sake (Chinese wine)
2 spring onions, for serving
chopped peanuts, for serving

Method:

In a bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy, sugar, peanut butter, garlic, chilli together. Whisk well until combined.

Chop the pressed and drained tofu into squares and put into the marinade. Stir well and leave to marinate for up to 2 hours. Remove from the marinade and reserve the marinade for later. Then put the oven on 170 C and place the tofu on a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set to one side.

Cook the noodles as per pack instructions (usually 4-5 minutes), drain and set to one side.

In a wok or large pan, fry the onion in a little oil until beginning to brown. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli and stir fry for about 3 minutes on a high heat. Add the sake and pop on a lid to let the broccoli steam for 5 minutes. Then add the noodles and tofu. Add a little water to the reserved marinade to loosen and add to the dish for a light sauce. Garnish with the sliced spring onions, chopped peanuts (if liked) and serve.

 

Jamaican Jerk Paste

This weekend I am hoping for good weather. We have planned a bbq and as everyone knows, certainly in the UK, that planning a bbq is about the same effect as doing a rain dance. We want it to be beautiful and sunny - chances are it will rain. However, I am staying positive and already making plans for the food.

One dish I know will be going on the bbq, is my Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Its a recipe I have played with for years but now have it perfect. Its not one for the faint hearted though - its pretty hot. I just made a batch and used 8 large scotch bonnets which is usually about right.

Ingredients:

15g Ground Allspice
180g soft brown sugar
7 garlic cloves
7-8 scotch bonnet chillies
1 tbsp. dried thyme
180g spring onions (scallions)
1 tsp. cinnamon
half a tsp. nutmeg
a little salt & pepper
Soy sauce

Method:

Simply put all of the ingredients apart from the soy sauce into  food processor. Process until all finely chopped and is a thick paste. Add about 2 tbsp. soy sauce to loosen a little, blend again, and its done.

Now you can marinade chicken, fish... anything you like. Don't forget though - its pretty spicy, so make sure you serve it with a nice cooling coleslaw!

This marinade keeps well in the fridge for about 3 months.

Spanish Pork, Chorizo & Beans One Pot

At every chance I get I am telling people about pork cheeks. They are becoming slightly more popular and so they should. They are a slow cook, melt in the mouth type of pork and they are still so cheap!! I made sure I bought some with the last shop - they cost less than £2 for four large cheeks - easily a meal for four if served with potato or rice. 

I didn't have a recipe in mind when I bought them.. in fact I didn't right up until I cooked them. It was one of those peer in the cupboard and fridge moments, trying to see what worked well. I had some chorizo my Spanish neighbour brought back for me from Barcelona. And I know I always have a tin of cannellini beans in the cupboard. So we have this: Spanish pork cheeks with chorizo, leeks & beans & a cheeky dash of sherry.

Ingredients:      

4 (280g) pork cheeks, each cut into four
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
120g cooking chorizo, thickly sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
50ml sherry
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 pint chicken stock (cube is fine)
400g cannellini beans, rinsed
salt & pepper
parsley, to garnish

Method:

In a casserole dish, heat the oil and fry the pork pieces until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto a plate. Add the chorizo to the casserole dish and cook until browned. Add to the pork (on the plate).

Then add the onion to the pan, cook until translucent and then add the leek and garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the sherry and continue to cook, scraping off browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the flour, paprika and thyme. Stir in well to cook out the floury taste for a couple of minutes and then add the stock. Add the pork and chorizo to the dish. Stir well, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and leave on a very low heat for about two and a half hours.

When the time is up, add the cannellini beans and season to taste. Turn heat to medium to heat through the beans. Serve with a little parsley and a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices. The taste will take you to the mountains in Spain - delicious!

Vietnamese Lettuce Wrapped Chicken

I first had this dish at a Chinese restaurant in Chingford in London about 25 years ago. I continue to order it as it seems to be in most Asian restaurants. The nearest to my home is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant which serves the best lettuce wrapped chicken and we love it.

You can buy bamboo shoots and water chestnuts in a tin these days, from most supermarkets which makes it nice and easy.

You simply serve it on a platter with crispy leaves of lettuce so you can spoon in the crispy noodles and chicken with a teaspoon of hoisin sauce, roll up and eat with your fingers. Delicious!

Ingredients:      (Serves 4)

3 chicken breasts, skin removed and chopped finely
3 tbsp. vegetable oil  plus 200ml for noodles
120g water chestnuts
120g bamboo shoots
120g button mushrooms
1 carrot
6 spring onions (scallions) plus 1 for garnish
small piece fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
100g rice vermicelli noodles1 ice berg lettuce (or little gems) leaves separated

Method:
Combine 2 tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tbsp. cornflour in a bowl. Add the chopped chicken. Stir to combine and leave for 10 minutes.

Combine 2 tbsp. soy with 1 tsp. cornflour and 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the chopped chicken. Stir fry for 5 minutes and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Keep to one side 

Chop the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, carrot, spring onions, garlic and ginger into very small dice. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil and heat. Then add all the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the reserved soy/cornflour mixture. Stir to combine.

In a wide pan or flat bottomed wok, heat the 100 ml of oil, To test if its hot enough, break off a piece of noodle and throw it in the pan. It will sizzle loudly when it is. When the oil is hot, add the noodles in one go (should all fit - depends on whether you are using a wok or pan). They will crisp up in seconds, so be careful. Turn the over to do the other side for a couple of seconds then remove and drain on kitchen paper.

To serve: Put the noodles onto a warmed platter and pile the chicken and vegetables on top. Drizzle with hoisin sauce and maybe some raw shredded spring onions and serve with the iceberg broken down into leaves to act as cups. Serve with hoisin sauce.

Peking Duck with Plum Sauce

If I had known how easy this dish was to make I would have certainly been making this years ago. But its not difficult if you do it this way. Rather than roast a whole duck, you just cook one duck leg per person and that is a perfect amount of crispy duck each. This dish was actually made because of the large number of plums I had brought cheaply from the market - am glad I did because it was lovely.

Ingredients:           (serves 2)

2 duck legs
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
3 cloves garlic, bashed
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil

Put the duck legs in a saucepan with the star anise, soy sauce, garlic and enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for two and a half hours.

When the time is up, set the oven to 200 C and take the duck out of the cooking stock. Pat dry with kitchen paper and put onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Whisk the oil and hoisin sauce until combined and paint over the duck legs. Put in the oven for approx. 25 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with sliced cucumber, sliced spring onion, pancakes, some hoisin sauce and the plum sauce. Let the diner do their own shredding of the meat - its fun food!

For the plum sauce:

12 ripe plums
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Pop into a pan with a little splash of water, the sugar, allspice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then cook on a medium heat until the plums have broken down (about 20 minutes). Put into a serving dish and leave to cool.