Duck Leg with Squash & Asparagus Warm Salad

Having two duck legs to cook for dinner, I was amazed at how difficult it was to NOT make it with Asian flavours. I feel that's been done too much. I wanted to just give it the same love and care with a flavourful stock, simmered slowly to render out the fat and then roast with more lovely spice. I used orange, cinnamon, cloves in the poaching liquor and it tasted lovely (and no, not of Christmas as you may imagine!)

Along with a lovely warm salad of roasted butternut squash and griddled asparagus with an citrus dressing. Fresh and delicious.

For the duck:              (Serves 2)

2 duck legs
5 cloves
1 stick cinnamon bark
juice of 1 large orange
5 peppercorns
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. honey

Method:

Put the duck legs into a saucepan with the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and the juice of the orange. Add water to only just cover. Bring to the boil, cover and turn down to simmer for two and a half hours. Then drain on kitchen paper and pat dry.

Mix the oil, honey and allspice together and brush onto the duck legs. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 200 C for 25-30 minutes.

For the salad:

half a butternut squash
pack of fine asparagus spears
25g fresh basil
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, grated
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
chopped basil
salt & pepper

Peel and chop the butternut squash. Place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt & pepper. Roast for about 35 minutes at 180 C. Put into a serving bowl. Half the asparagus spears and griddle for 5 minutes until cooked but still with a bite to them. Add to the squash. Tear the leaves of two thirds of the basil in with the vegetables and chop the remaining basil for the dressing.

To make the dressing whisk the remaining ingredients together and dress the vegetables.

Serve the duck leg with the salad while it is still warm, along with some sautéed potatoes.

 

 

Greek Chicken Spanakopita Pie

Now if I had to dedicate a recipe to anyone - I would dedicate this to my two sisters. Myself and the two of them absolutely adore anything with spinach in it. I personally, could just eat it steamed by the bowlful!

This is a Greek Spanakopita Pie which is mostly spinach and feta, but I have added chicken to make it more substantial as a meal. Served hot or cold - it really is delicious.

Ingredients:

500g frozen spinach, defrosted
2 chicken breasts
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
150g feta cheese
few pinches nutmeg
1 pack filo pastry
25g butter, melted


Method:

Put the chicken in a pan of boiling water to poach. Cook on medium for 10 minutes, then turn the heat off, cover and leave for 15 minutes. The chicken should be just cooked. Chop and set to one side in a bowl.

Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until cooked and put into the bowl with the chopped chicken

Squeeze the water out of the spinach with your hands first. Then put the spinach into a clean tea towel and squeeze further to get most of the water out. Chop roughly and add to the bowl of chicken. Crumble the feta cheese into the mix along with the nutmeg and egg. Mix well. This is the filling for the pie.

Set the oven to 190 C. Using a pie dish, put one piece of filo pastry half in and half out of the dish and brush with melted butter. Turn the pie dish a little and put another piece of pastry in the same way, brush with butter and continue so you have a thick layer of pastry on the bottom of the pie dish and excess pastry draped over the edges all the way around the dish. Tip the filling mix into the dish and level with the back of a spoon. Then pull the excess pastry up over the top of the pie to cover. Brush with any remaining butter.

Pop in the oven to bake for 20- 25 minutes until golden and crispy, Leave to cool for 5 minutes and serve with a salad.

Lamb & Black Cabbage in the Slow Cooker

When I was a child I detested cabbage r greens of any type. I remember the days where my father would eye me over his glasses saying 'eat it, its good for you'. As I dramatically howled like they were trying to kill me.

These days, I love it. Black cabbage, or Cavolo Nero is a variety of Kale with dark leaves and is grown in Tuscany and has believed to have been around since 500 BC! Here I have made a simple casserole with some lamb chops. It sat in the slow cooker for 6 hours and voila! All it needed was some mashed creamy potatoes. A dinner fit for a king!

 

Ingredients:

6 lamb chops, trimmed of fat
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. English mustard powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
6-8 shallots, peeled & left whole
2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
150g cavolo nero, sliced
500ml lamb stock (cube is fine)
1 tbsp. cornflour mixed with 1 tsp. water

Method:

Put the lamb chops into a plastic freezer bag and add the flour, oregano, garlic powder, mustard powder & a little salt & pepper. Seal bag and massage the mix into the lamb chops. Let marinade in the fridge while you prepare the vegetables & stock.

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chops until browned and then put them into the slow cooker. Add the shallots, garlic, cavolo nero & lamb stock. Pop on a lid and turn the slow cooker to high. Cook for 6 hours. After 5 hours, add the cornflour mix to thicken the sauce and let cook for another hour.

Serve with buttery mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Note: You can make this in the oven. Just pop into a casserole dish with the lid on, and cook for 2 hours on approx. 170 C.

Quick Filo Apple Pie Turnovers

Here's a nice quick dessert recipe for you, which only takes about 10 minutes to put together and tastes delicious! They are best eaten hot and crispy straight out of the oven with some ice cream, but can also be packed into a picnic as a handheld snack.

You can  also make these with eating apples, but I would reduce the sugar added as they are sweeter. Personally, I would recommend to use cooking apples to get that authentic, proper apple pie flavour.

Ingredients:

2 bramley cooking apples
50g caster sugar + 1 tbsp. for sprinkling
50g raisins
1 tsp. mixed spice
t tbsp. water
3 sheets filo pastry
20g butter, melted
1 tbsp. icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Peel, core & chop the apples and place in a small saucepan with the sugar, raisins, spice & water. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, until soft. Leave to cool.

Set the oven to 200 C. Put one sheet of filo pastry on the counter in front of you and cut it in half, so you have 2 long strips. Brush with some melted butter. Put a about 2 tbsp. of the apple mix at the top of each strip, then fold over and over to form triangular parcels. Place onto a baking sheet, brush with a little more butter and sprinkle with a little caster sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Dust with icing sugar.

You can serve these hot or cold, but I like them hot with ice cream!

 

 

Berbere Roast Chicken

Berbere is an Ethiopian curry spice mix I discovered some years ago... its not one that many people have heard of in the UK and I actually haven't seen it in many shops, which surprises me as its just fantastic.

I use the spice mix for a few recipes - one was for the Chicken Doro Wat (recipe here) which is an Ethiopian curry - my favourite curry in fact. Another recipe was for the Spiced Chicken Meatballs (recipe here) of which is a lovely change, as tastes just so different to anything else.

Then I have this recipe - which is the Berbere Spiced Roast Chicken. I have also included the recipe for the actual Berbere spice mix as it has been asked for by quite a few people now!  Once made, this spice mix can be stored in a sealed tub for months in a dry place.

Ingredients:     (Makes 1/2 cup)

2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods (seeds only)
4 cloves
4 dried red chillies, broken into bits
3 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground all spice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric

Method:
With a dry hot frying pan, toast the seeds - down to and including the cloves and chillies. Shake the pan and ensure it doesn't burn. Tip into a bowl to cool a little. Now using either a hand mixer or a pestle and mortar, blend (or crush) until ground. Add the rest of the spices and stir together. You have your spice mix!

To make the Roast Berbere Chicken, simply mix 2-3 tbsp. of the spice mix with 30g butter. With your fingers, gently lift the chicken skin away from the breast and put 2/3 of the butter mix under the skin. Spread the remaining butter mix over all of the chicken and put into a roasting tin. Cover with kitchen foil and roast for - (25 minutes per kg + 25 minutes) or (20 minutes per lb + 20  minutes).

The flavour of the spices are so, delicious with the chicken. Serve simply with salad and chips.

Authentic Chicken Vindaloo

This version of chicken vindaloo isn't particularly like the one you would be served at an Indian restaurant in London. It is, however, traditional, stripped back to the original Goan vindaloo, where this dish was created.

Its also not 'blow your head' off hot (although it certainly is spicy) because the actual flavours in a vindaloo are to die for and you want to be able to taste them! The vinegar in the marinade, the cinnamon, bay and chillies just all come together in this delicious home made Chicken Vindaloo. You won't want it any other way after trying this version. Although you are more than welcome to make it hotter by adding more dried chillies or even some  more chilli powder.

I actually made this last night, but failed to photograph it, as it proved to be such a hit it was immediately wolfed down as soon as it was served into a bowl! So I am making it again today to show you how delicious it is. I also think a friend of ours will be over the moon when we drop it off to him tomorrow!

Ingredients:

2 inch piece cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds

4 tbsp. red wine vinegar or plain white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped finely
1 tbsp. paprika
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp. salt

3 large chicken breasts, cubed

1 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
3 pods of green cardamom, seeds only
1-2 tsp. hot chilli powder
3 whole cloves
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp sugar


Place the first five ingredients (cinnamon, cumin, bay, peppercorns & fenugreek) into a dry frying pan. Toast for a few minutes until fragrant. Then tip into a hand blender and grind to a powder. Put into a bowl and add the next 6 ingredients to the spice mix (vinegar, garlic, ginger, paprika, turmeric & salt). Stir well. Add the chicken pieces, turning them in the marinade until well coated and cover. Marinade in the fridge for no less than 2 hours. Ideally overnight if you can.

Fry the onion in the oil and butter until translucent. add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cloves, chilli powder and bay leaf and cook gently for a further 5 minutes. Add the chicken and any marinade and combine with the onion mix. Pop a lid on the dish and cook on a low/medium heat for about 15 minutes until cooked, stirring occasionally. The juices from the chicken and the water from the steam will mix with the onions and spices to make its own sauce.

Serve with fresh coriander and some steamed white rice for a delicious curry.

Chicken & Avocado Spring Rolls

This recipe is a mix of American egg rolls and Asian spring rolls, but with a slightly British edge with its filling of chicken, creamy avocado and red onion. Again, I love a twist and this one is another of my party nibbles ideas (why does food taste so much better in bite size?)

As is often the case why I try something out - it always seems to be about a day or two later where I think...'ooh I really should have added....' some other ingredient. In this case, why oh why didn't I think to add crispy pieces of bacon? Well next time I will try that and let you know how it goes. In the meantime - these are pretty good fun. And lovely eaten hot with a cool yoghurt & jalapeno dip!

Ingredients:                  (makes 8-10)

2 small chicken breasts, skin removed
2 avocadoes, peeled and seeded
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped finely
juice of 1 lime
pack of filo pastry
25g butter, melted

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Put the chicken breasts in a dish and cover with kitchen foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then chop. Put into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and season with salt & pepper.

Lay one sheet of filo pastry out in front of you. Paint with a butter and then put about 1-2 tbsp. of the mixture onto the bottom of the sheet in a sausage shape. Roll the pastry over a few turns and then pull in the sides to enclose. Keep rolling forward until you have a spring roll shape. Continue until all the filling is used up. Place on a baking sheet and paint with a little more butter.

Pop in the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve immediately with a dip made with some plain yoghurt with 1 tbsp. fresh coriander and 1 tbsp. chopped jalapenos (from a jar). Delicious!!

Asian Prawn and Sausage Rolls

I made these last week, the same night that I made the crispy prawns. Very much a nibble/party food and very moreish. I wanted a bit of a change so I made Asian sausage rolls and then made spring rolls with chicken and avocado (recipe to come later - they were gorgeous too!)

I used ready-made puff pastry as I find that sausage rolls really are better with puff pastry and its very rare I take the time to make puff pastry these days. Why would you anyway? This is easy. And delicious.

300g pork sausage meat (about 5 fat sausages, skin removed)
150g small prawns, chopped
2 tsp. oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tsp. cornflour
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
1 pack ready made puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. In a pan, fry the spring onions, garlic and chilli in the oil for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat until cooked. Remove from heat and let cool before adding to the sausage meat and chopped prawns. Season with a little salt & pepper and add the cornflour and hoisin sauce. Stir well.

Lay the pastry out on a board and cut into 3, so you have 3 long strips. Make a line of filling down the side of each strip and then wet the pastry beside it with a little water. Fold the pastry over, sealing with a fork and then cut into 1.5 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 25 minutes, or until browned and puffed up. Eat hot or cold. Depends on your patience.. I had a couple straight out of the oven as they smelt so good!

Orzo, Melon & Feta Salad with Spicy Chicken

Orzo is a pasta that looks a little like rice. Its perfect for salads and also works particularly well in minestrone and is yet another pasta that I have only tried recently for the first time! The Bloke and I were in a café on a hot day and they were serving an orzo salad with raisins and roasted vegetables and we absolutely loved it. So I bought some the other week and decided to give it a go the other day.

This recipe is all about the salad - it is served here with a spicy chicken of which you can use any marinade you like. I have used my own chipotle sauce as a marinade (recipe here) and simply baked it in the oven for 25 minutes. But to me - this is all about the orzo salad with pine nuts, raw courgette and creamy feta cheese. Simple and delicious, you can serve the salad as a side with any meat. Or just enjoy by itself.

Ingredients:

120g orzo
1 courgette, chopped
1/2 cantaloupe melon, peeled and chopped
25g basil, leaves torn
50g feta cheese
30g pine nuts
2 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. runny honey

Method:

Cook the orzo to packet instructions (takes about 10 minutes to boil) drain and refresh under a cold tap. Drain again and put into a large bowl. Add the courgette, melon, basil and pine nuts and crumble in the feta cheese.

Whisk together the oil, honey and lemon juice, season with salt & pepper and pour over the salad. Stir well to combine and serve as a dish by itself, or with a meat of choice. Simple and delicious.

Chocolate Ganache Hearts with Sour Cherries

Its mine and The Blokes anniversary today. We are having a meal out tonight, so in my efforts at romance, last night I made these chocolate ganache hearts. They can be a bit tricky, but if they don't look perfect - that's absolutely fine. They taste divine and are adorable! And the oozing filling is a lovely surprise.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

50g cocoa powder

6 tbsp. boiling water

175g self raising flour

300g caster sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

3 eggs

100g butter

4 tbsp. milk

 

Prepare a large baking tray (mine was 16x12 inches) by greasing and then lining with greaseproof paper. Set the oven to 180 C.

 

In a bowl, stir the boiling water into the cocoa powder to make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Pile the mixture into the prepared tray, smooth out flat with a spatula and bake for about 20-25 mins. until cooked through. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

 

For the milk chocolate ganache filling:

 

Break up 100g milk chocolate into a bowl. Heat 60ml double cream in a saucepan and just when it begins to boil, pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and leave to cool. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until its quite solid. Then remove from the fridge and whisk with an electric whisk until smooth and creamy. Put into a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the corner cut off - I had to as have temporarily lost my piping bag!) Set to one side.

 

Using a heart shaped cutter, cut hearts out of the sponge and place onto a board. Pipe the ganache onto half of the hearts, leaving a hole in the middle. Fill the hole with a teaspoon of cherry preserve or jam (jelly to the US readers). Top with the un-piped sponge hearts. Use leftover milk chocolate ganache to fill in any gaps in the sides. Don't worry if it looks messy as it will be covered with the dark chocolate ganache.

 

For the dark chocolate ganache coating:

 

Break 200g dark chocolate into a bowl and heat up 200ml double cream. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Leave to cool for about 4-5 minutes. Place the filled hearts onto a wire rack placed over some greaseproof paper. Pour the dark ganache over the cakes, covering all sides. If you have let the ganache get too cold, to pour, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then to finish, shave some milk chocolate over the tops and pop in the fridge for an hour to set.

 

Now you can serve!

 

 

 

 

Crunchy Coconut Prawns with a Dip

I am always looking for different ways to cook prawns, particularly for 'finger food'. This one I made on Friday night. We were watching a movie and didn't want to have a sit down meal, so I made finger food (more recipes to come later!) so we could nibble as we watched the movie.

These were the prawns. Dipped in a coconut mix and lightly fried until crunchy with a soy & sweet chilli dip. We ate the lot - they were delicious!

Ingredients:

150g raw king prawns
50g dried breadcrumbs
3 tbsp. desiccated coconut
2 tbsp. flour
pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
1 egg
2 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
juice of 1 lime

Method:

For the sauce, mix the sweet chilli sauce with the soy and lime. Combine well in a bowl, cover and leave to chill in the fridge while you make the prawns.

Mix the breadcrumbs, coconut & flour in a bowl (add the chilli flakes if liked). Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Dip each prawn firstly in the beaten egg, and then in the crumb mix. Put each one gently onto a plate until all are completed.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook each prawn on both sides for about 2 minutes; you will need to do in 2 or 3 batches (don't put too many in the pan together). Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven.

Serve the prawns with the dip and let people help themselves. Delicious!

Georgian Chicken Stew with Garlic Green Beans

This dish is a version of a stew called Kharcho and comes from Georgia. They have some amazing recipes over in that part of the world and I have been intending on making one for months. The sauce that the stew is cooked in is predominantly walnuts, with a tablespoon of dried marigold flowers. These are not as hard to get hold of as I thought (internet) and were surprisingly cheap (a few pounds for a huge bag).

Even before tasting the dish I knew it would taste good - the smell was beautiful. I served this with saffron rice and having picked some green beans from the garden, I sautéed them in freshly chopped garlic. Absolutely delicious!

 

Ingredients:     (Serves 4)

3-4 chicken breasts (skin removed & chopped)
1 tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
250ml water (1 cup)
250g walnuts (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1/4 cup dried marigold flowers
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
salt & pepper

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chicken on a high heat until beginning to brown a little. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Cover and leave to cook 2 minutes on a low/medium heat. Then add the bay leaves, tomato puree and water and cook on a medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, blend the walnuts, garlic, spices, vinegar and marigold. Then add about 60ml water to make a paste. Process a little more. Add this paste to the chicken and stir well. Add the sugar with good helping of salt & pepper and cook for 20 minutes on a low heat, covered. Then you can eat.

I served this with some saffron rice and garlic beans. For the green beans, I simply chopped 3 cloves garlic and added them to a hot pan with 1 tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. butter. Then I stir fried the beans for a few minutes. Then added a couple of tablespoons of water and cooked until the water evaporated. Plate up the rice and stew and top with the hot garlic beans. Delicious!

 

 

Baked Conchiglioni Stuffed With Green Pepper Pork Ragu & Ricotta

As many pasta shapes as I have eaten, including when I was touring around Italy, it seems that are still plenty that I haven't tried yet. Yes, they are all pasta, but take on different guises depending on how they are cooked, and indeed what with they are cooked. I have always said spaghetti is my favourite, but we have found a contender!

Whilst looking for some Farfalle pasta two days ago in the shops, I found it sitting beside this conchiglioni. Like the normal pasta shells I have eaten before, but huge. Stuffable in fact. I grabbed a pack with no idea what I was going to do with them but I was excited to see. And for dinner last night this is what I made. Pasta shells stuffed with a green pepper flavoured pork ragu, a little ricotta and baked with a smooth tomato sauce. Alongside a crisp salad, it was delicious. Like bites of heaven.

For the pork ragu:

250g pork mince
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried sage
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 green pepper, seeds removed and halved
2 cloves garlic
100ml white wine
salt & pepper

Heat the oil and add the pork on a medium heat to start cooking. Finely chop one half of the onion and one half of the pepper and add to the pork along with the sage. Put the other halves into a hand blender with the garlic and blitz until you have a paste. Add to the pork. Cook on fairly high for about 4 minutes until the onion and peppers are cooked and then add the wine. Stay on a high heat to reduce most of the wine. Season with salt and pepper and set to one side.

For the tomato sauce:

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a small saucepan. Add 3 chopped cloves garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes. Add one 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, a handful of fresh chopped basil, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/4 tsp. of sugar. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend, using a stick blender until smooth. Set to one side.

Remaining ingredients & assembling the dish

Approx. 20 jumbo pasta shells
60g ricotta cheese

Set the oven to 180 C. Boil the pasta in a large pan of water for about 8 minutes, until they are nearly, but not completely, cooked. Drain well on kitchen paper and let cool for a moment. Using a dish about 10 x 10 inches, pour half of the tomato sauce into the base of the dish. With a pasta shell in your palm, fill the shell with the pork mix. Top with a teaspoon of ricotta and place into the dish, on top of the sauce. Continue until the dish is full, or you have run out of shells  (its a good idea to place the pasta into the dish before cooking to get an idea of how many you will need - plus a couple of extras for breakages).

Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the stuffed pasta, season with a little salt and black pepper and cover with kitchen foil. Bake covered, for 30 minutes.

Serve with a crisp salad and enjoy!

 

Baked to creamy perfection!

Honey Chicken Bites

This is a dish for those out there who love chicken nuggets. Home made in about 15 minutes, they are juicy and crispy and coated in honey and a rich dressing of honey, mustard and soy sauce.

Its no great cooking feat either. you just make the batter around the chicken in the same bowl - mixed with your fingers,quickly pan fried and drizzled with a quick sauce. Eat them straight away, nice and hot. Its one of those perfect dishes for when you have friends around to watch a movie. They'll love them.. Honey Chicken Bites.

Ingredients:     (Makes about 12-16)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
2 eggs
flour to coat
1 tsp. paprika
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tbsp. runny honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. soy sauce
Method
Whisk together the honey, soy and mustard. Set to one side.
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add the chicken cubes to the eggs.  In another bowl mix the flour with the paprika. Add enough of the flour to the chicken and egg mixture to make a thick batter which is just short of dripping.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and take a few pieces of chicken from the batter and fry both sides for about 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drain on kitchen paper and place into serving bowl. Drizzle the crispy chicken with the honey mustard mix and serve immediately. Now that was just too easy wasn't it?!

Baked Salmon Tikka with Spinach & Lentil Daal

I had a huge piece of salmon waiting to be cooked for dinner yesterday and was due to be out all day. So in the morning I needed to get that fish into a marinade. I decided on Indian Spiced so make an Indian Tikka style paste (which took 5 minutes). A spoonful of the paste went into some natural yoghurt and was popped in the fridge to chill as a creamy accompaniment. The rest was added to more yoghurt and was used as a marinade for the salmon which I cut into large slices, ready for later. I decided I wanted healthy, so the fish was to be baked - not fried.

I also wanted a good healthy side dish, so instead of my usual Tarka Daal (lentils), I added some spinach to it.. and it was the best tasting daal I have had yet!

For the Tikka paste:

In a small food processor, pop in the following - one red chilli (heat of your choice), 1 inch piece peeled ginger, the seeds from 5 cardamom pods, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. turmeric powder and 1 tsp. garum masala. Add 1 tbsp. water and process to a paste.

For the salmon:

Add 1 tsp. of the paste to 1/4 cup natural low fat yoghurt, cover and chill for later. The remaining paste, add to 1/4 cup yoghurt and marinade the salmon. (Alternatively you could use chicken - just as delicious). Marinade for up to an hour and bake at 180 C for 20-25 mins. Healthy, low fat and ALL the flavour.

For the Spinach & Lentil Daal:

180g toor daal
1 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
3 whole green chillies, left whole but pricked with a knife
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 large tomatoes (or 5-6 cherry tomatoes)
5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tbsp. garum masala
1 tbsp. ground coriander
400g frozen spinach
salt & pepper
handful fresh coriander, chopped

Firstly, wash and the toor daar in a colander, then put into a pan and add water to cover by about an inch. Bring to the boil, cover and then leave on a medium heat as they cook. They will take about 1/2 hour to become tender, so top up the water as needed. You don't want them to be dry. Add the spinach and cook until spinach wilted and mix well. Remove from heat and set to one side.

Heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds until fragrant and add the onion, chillies and ginger and cook on a medium heat until tender and the onion beginning to brown. Blitz the tomatoes and garlic together in a hand blender and add to the onion mix. Stir well and then add the ground spices along with 100ml of water.

Season with salt and leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes. Then add the onion mix to the lentils,  putting them back on a low heat. Season with a 1/4 tsp. salt and ground black pepper. Stir in chopped coriander and serve.