Healthy Roast Chicken Dinner

A proper roast dinner on a Sunday is oh so very English and traditional. But I was reading a newspaper recently and hear that its popularity is on the wane. This not only surprises, but disappoints me and I am a huge fan of tradition and when I was a child - it wasn't a Sunday without a roast.

The three main reasons why they seem to be less popular are three myths. One, they take too long to make. Two, they are unhealthy and three, they are expensive. Now I am putting up this blog to prove that doesn't have to be the case! This delicious chicken roast took 45 minutes to cook in total including the preparation, the washing up was minimal and it is healthy! You don't NEED to have loads of goose fat on the potatoes and you don't need to struggle with a huge joint of pork or a large chicken. You can follow this recipe and enjoy without the guilt. The dinner per serving costs under £3.50 per person. And its STILL delicious.

Ingredients:                 (Serves 2)

2 skinless chicken breasts
3 large potatoes
50g Paxo stuffing Mix
2-3 carrots, sliced
100g green beans, halved
large handful frozen peas
pack of ready made frozen Yorkshire puddings
1 cube chicken stock
60g (approx.) bisto gravy granules

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Then peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Par boil in a saucepan for about 5 minutes (until the very outer layer begins to cook). Drain the water, put the lid on the pan and shake the pan to fluff up the edges of the potatoes (this will make them crispier). Tip onto a baking sheet and drizzle very lightly with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes. You can make the rest of the dinner while these are cooking.

Boil a kettle of water and crumble the stock cube in a jug. Add about 1 pint of water and stir. While it is still hot add enough bisto granules to get to the thickness you like. Cover with cling film and set aside. You can microwave to heat up when you are serving.
Put the stuffing mix into a small ovenproof dish and add enough water to make a firm but not dry stuffing. Put the chicken breasts in a separate small ovenproof dish and drizzle with scant olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put both the chicken and the stuffing on a shelf under the potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes.

Get a medium saucepan and put the carrots in water. Put the green veg into a little steamer. The carrots take about 20 minutes to boil and the greens over the top of the carrots for about 10 minutes. (Of you don't have a steamer - just add the green veg to the carrots.)

When the potatoes are ready, take everything out of the oven and put a couple of Yorkshire frozen pudding directly on the rack. Turn the oven off - the heat will be enough to heat up the puddings.

Now you can serve. Pop the gravy in the microwave for a minute or two and grab the plates. Enjoy!!

Note: Yes I know there are a lot of cheats in this - and you can adapt if you want to make your own Yorkshire puddings, gravy or stuffing. I will put up another blog soon for that. But this is THE easiest way to make a roast and still impress the family and enjoy without much work. Happy Sundays!

Baked Pine Nut & Parsley Hake Goujons with Aioli

Yes, I suppose these are fish fingers - but so, so much nicer. And bigger! I have loved fish fingers since as long as I can remember and always felt they needed to be bigger and more juicy so you can really taste the fish. I used hake for these as its a good firm white fish and the flavour works perfectly. You can use any white firm fish for these of course, and pollock is also a good choice. These are baked instead of fried, making them healthy too!

Served here with chips, steamed spinach and garlic aioli, its a delicious dinner. But I would just as happily have them in a ciabatta roll with a generous spoonful of the aioli and some crisp lettuce.

 
Ingredients:

1 large fillet of hake, skinned
1 tbsp. flour
1 egg, beaten
60g dried white breadcrumbs
30g pine nuts
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tbsp. parmesan (finely grated)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Method

Set the oven to 180 C. Cut the fish fillet into large fingers and place on a plate. Sprinkle over the flour and turn so the fish is lightly coated. Beat the egg in a bowl and set both to one side.

Put the pine nuts & parsley into a hand blender and blend until finely chopped. Put onto a large plate along with the breadcrumbs, parmesan and seasoning. Stir together.

Dip the floured fish into the egg and then roll gently in the breadcrumbs to coat. Place on a baking tray and continue until all coated.

Cook for approx. 15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and the fish is cooked through.

Serve with garlic aioli (recipe below) with chunky chips and some steamed greens.

For the garlic aioli:

4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 egg yolks
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup (240ml) extra virgin olive oil

Crush the garlic on a board with the salt until a paste. Put into a bowl with the egg yolks and using a hand blender on a low speed, slowly add the oil in a steam until incorporated. Do the same with the lemon juice until you have a creamy mix. Serve with the Hake Goujons and enjoy!

 

 

Perfect Beef Brisket Hot Pot

I have actually been working on this recipe for many, many years now. My late father used to make a beef hot pot and I could never work out how he got it tasting so melt in the mouth delicious. I tried everything. Apart from beef brisket! There it was. The same flavours, the same taste.

The vegetables take on the heady flavour of beef from the slow cooking in the oven. The beef falling apart delicious. I am so pleased to now have this recipe. Its a winner and stayed firmly in my mind for 40 years until I could replicate it... it really is that good.

Ingredients:           (serves 4)
 
800g rolled beef brisket
2 small onions, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
6-8 carrots, peeled
1/4 swede, peeled
1 tbsp. olive oil
600ml beef stock  (a cube is fine)
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method:       

Set oven to 140 C.

Chop the onions, carrots and swede into rough chunks - crush the garlic. Set to one side. Heat the oil in a casserole and pop in the beef. Brown the beef, turning every few minutes until browned all over. Remove from the pan and put onto a plate. Then add the vegetables to the casserole dish and cook for 3-4 minutes. Return the beef to the pan with the beef stock, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and some salt & pepper.

Cover tightly with kitchen foil and then put the casserole lid on the top. Cook for 5 hours, checking after 4 hours to ensure it has enough liquid. There should be enough at the end for just enough gravy.

Serve the beef in chunks with the vegetables along with some perfectly crispy roast potatoes and a dollop of English mustard. A little fresh chopped parsley finishes it of with a flourish. Simple, easy, perfect.

Greek Lamb Burgers with Scallion Tzatziki

Its not often we eat burgers, apart from when we have the odd barbecue. Even then, we rarely have barbecues as we seem to both be so busy. But, its looking like the final days of summer here in London, as it has turned a bit colder so I decided to say farewell to the sun by making lamb burgers.

A fairly simple recipe (especially if you have a hand blender and you don't have to chop everything by hand) this can be cooked up in 15 minutes and is lovely with some fries and a little side salad.

Ingredients:

500g lamb mince
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, halved
8 black olives (kalamata ideally)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
30g fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. tomato paste
50g feta
1 egg, beaten

In a small hand blender, finely chop the onion and garlic. Add the olives, herbs, seasoning and breadcrumbs and briefly pulse until all mixed. Put into a bowl with the lamb mince, tomato paste and egg. Crumble in the feta cheese and mix thoroughly with your hands.

Shape into burgers (makes about 7) and place a small square of greaseproof paper in between each one. Chill for an hour for the flavours to meld and to hold the shape. Either shallow fry in a tsp. or oil or grill for 8 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

For the Scallion Tzatziki:

180g Total Greek yoghurt
1/4 cucumber
6 scallions (spring onions), chopped finely
1 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthways. Use a spoon to remove the seeds from the middle and then grate coarsely. Put into the centre of a clean tea towel and holding it over the kitchen sink, squeeze as much water as you can out of the cucumber. Put into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well and check the seasoning. Chill.

Serve the burgers with lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion with a good portion of tzatziki on the top. A little salad and fries and you have a lovely Greek style dinner. Delicious!

Hearty Gammon 'One Pot' Soup

This is such a comfort food recipe, to be eaten on those nights where its just getting a bit colder in the season. Its only August but the temptation to put the central heating on keeps coming into my mind. I won't yet... but I am going to make more stews and soups to warm me up.

I have been making this gammon recipe for many, many years now and the base of it doesn't change - just the added vegetables, as its more of what I happen to have - with a few staples (carrots, potatoes etc.) You can add cabbage, swede, parsnips, kale.. anything you fancy.

I tend to buy a 1kg piece of unsmoked gammon for this, as it makes loads (it freezes well). You need to soak this joint though, to remove the salt. I tend to do this overnight in the fridge in a large pot of water, ready to be drained and refreshed the next day. So we have a lovely warming soup/stew with tons of flavour. And its a one pot dish too!

Ingredients:

1kg joint of boneless unsmoked gammon
4 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
500g small new potatoes, quartered
1 onion, roughly chopped
8 carrots, cut into chunks
1 bulb fennel, roughly chopped
100g thin green beans, halved
100g broccoli, cut into florets, stem chopped

Method:

After soaking the gammon overnight (or up to 5 hours), put in a large pot and cover with water, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 90 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots, onion and fennel and continue to cook on the stove top for 15 minutes. Then add the green beans and broccoli along with a good grind of black pepper (you don't want any salt).

Carefully take the gammon out and put onto a chopping board. Shred the meat with two forks and add the meat back to the veg. Stir to combine.

Ten minutes later it should be ready. Serve the gammon and veg with some of the delicious stock and a spoon of English mustard on the side. With a few pieces of bread and butter - is there anything more comforting?

Orzo Broccoli Risotto with Sausages

I guess this isn't really a risotto, as risotto is made with rice and orzo is pasta. But having said that - it works in the same way, has a fantastic texture and it a lovely change. Also - you can just pour the stock in and let it simmer for 15 minutes, rather than having to stand over it stirring for ages. Which is definitely a bonus for me. A nice, simple, filling meal this dish can also be eaten the next day for lunch. And its lovely cold too!

I have served this risotto with sausages, but its also lovely with a piece of pan fried chicken breast.. or a couple of lamb chops.

Ingredients:              

1 cup orzo pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 head broccoli, in florets
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp. parmesan, finely grated
salt & pepper
chives, chopped, to garnish
a few sausages of your choice

Method:

Fry the onion and garlic in a sauté pan in the oil for 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the butter and melt. Then add the orzo and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the wine and let that boil for a minute to cook of the alcohol and then add the stock. Bring to the boil, add the and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Steam (or boil) the broccoli for 4 minutes and add to the risotto along with the parmesan and salt & pepper.

You can have the sausages in the oven while you are making the risotto. I tend to bake them in the oven for 35 minutes on 200 C.

Serve with the chopped chives and a little more parmesan on top. Lovely!

Pulled Pork in an Easy BBQ Sauce

I often get asked the best cut of pork for pulled pork recipes. The only one that works well for me is always pork shoulder. Cooked for seven hours in a slow cooker with a few minimal ingredients while you go about your business all day.. then shredded and mixed with a quick homemade bbq sauce, this recipe is easy and so tasty.

I have added liquid smoke in this recipe because I happen to have it, but its not needed and the recipe is just as delicious without it. It just adds a little bbq smoke flavour to it.

 

For the pork:

1 pork shoulder (any size you need)
250ml cider
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
few sprays of liquid smoke (optional)

Cut the skin off the pork, leaving a layer of fat. Cut into the fat with a sharp knife and rub in the salt and sugar. Spray a few squirts of liquid smoke (if using). Pop into the slow cooker with the cider and put the lid on cook for 7 hours on low.

When cooked remove from the liquid and shred with two forks into a large bowl.


For the bbq sauce:

1/2 cup ( apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. yellow (American) mustard
3 tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt

Simply whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the pork. You may not want to use all the sauce (it depends on the size of pork you have).

Stir well until combined and serve with flatbreads or mini tacos along with sour cream and chilli sauce..

Note: For mini taco shells, I simply cut 2-3 circles with a cookie cutter out of a corn tortilla. Fold the little circle in half and drape over the rungs of the oven bars. If you do them next to each other in a row, each one will stop the other from springing open. Cook in a medium oven for about 3-4 minutes and you have a mini taco shell!

 

Chicken in a Hot Jalapeno Sauce

I am always trying new green sauce recipes, as I think there are too many tomato based sauces out there. And I love chillies - this sauce has a lovely spicy kick from the jalapenos - its hotter than you think it may be! Its similar to a Mexican Mole sauce (pronounced mow-lay) with the added tortillas, but is spicier and fresh with the coriander and full of flavour. Its rather low fat too!

I had a 'Mexican night' on Saturday and this was one of the dishes I put on the table. After a few initial comments of "ooh its quite spicy", I started seeing it disappear from sight as the guests piled it on flatbreads and in tacos with sour cream. I rather loved it myself (when I eventually finished cooking and got to have some!)

Ingredients     (Serve 3-4)

230g yellow tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 large fresh jalapeno chillies, sliced
handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh coriander
2 flour tortillas, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. olive oil

Method:   

Put the tomatoes and garlic into a dry frying pan and cook until the tomato skins blacken a bit. Transfer both to a bowl and peel the skin off the tomatoes (you don't need to remove it all, just as much as you can). Add the sliced jalapenos, chopped tortillas, lime juice and salt and blitz with a hand blender until smooth and thick. Set to one side.

Place the chicken breasts in between two sheets of cling film and hit firmly with a rolling pin (or the bottom of a saucepan) until flattened slightly. Then cut each breast into 3 or 4 pieces. Sprinkle with flour and pan fry the mini fillets on each side for about 3 minutes in the oil, until browned and cooked through. Then pour the jalapeno sauce over the top and combine well.

Garnish with a little fresh coriander and a grind of fresh black pepper. Serve with flatbreads, tacos or rice with a cooling sour cream on the side - delicious!

Chicken Koftas & Curry Sauce

This is a meal that I will fondly call 'scran'. My dear best friend who lives in Wales used to call all food scran which basically means food, or quick munchies.

It was Friday yesterday and I had to go to a training course in the afternoon followed by meeting some friends so we both got home late. That morning I had suggested to The Bloke that we got a takeaway later. His face dropped with disappointment. Neither of us like resorting to a takeaway (its never a treat to us). So I thought quickly and it took me 10 minutes to make the mix for the koftas to marinade while we were out of the house. The sauce I had already so I had quick and easy meal for later. It was quick. And it was perfect.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, skin removed and chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
1 inch piece ginger, peeled & sliced
small handful fresh coriander
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper

Put all the ingredients into a hand blender or food processor and blend till finely chopped and combined. Leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 5 hours.

Soak 8 wooden skewers in some cold water and divide the chicken mix into 8. Shape the mix around the skewers and pop under the grill for 7-8 minutes, turning to brown all sides, until cooked through.

Serve with some salad, chips and homemade curry sauce (recipe here).

Perfect, tasty and quick!

Duck Tequila Fajitas with Avocado

You could call these soft tacos too. Either way, I used my own fajita seasoning that I normally use and added some tequila and lime juice. Plenty of marinating makes the duck take on the fabulous flavours of the spices and the tequila. And such a nice change from duck with Asian flavours! Why not Mexican duck! Its delicious.

Its a good idea to brine the duck first as it can taste a little 'gamey' which  you don't want. Soak the duck breast in a bowl of cold water with a teaspoon of salt for a while (anything between 30 minutes - two hours) and pat dry with kitchen paper so it takes on the marinade. This brining extracts the blood from the meat and makes it taste more delicate and less gamey.

Ingredients:

2 small duck breasts
1 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
3 tbsp. tequila
juice of one lime

1 large onion, sliced
1 red pepper sliced
pack 8 flour tortillas
little gem or iceberg lettuce, sliced
sliced jalapenos (from a jar)

Method:

Remove any fat and skin from the duck and put in brine (as above). Cut into strips. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Put the duck strips into a Ziploc bag and add the spices, tequila and lime juice. Massage into the meat and pop in the fridge for up to four hours (Less will do if you have little time).

In a large pan (or even a wok) fry the onion and red pepper in 1 tbsp. oil, until beginning to soften. Push the vegetables up the sides of the pan, add another tbsp. oil and the duck strips. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes - you don't want to overcook it. Then stir the duck and vegetables together until well combined.

Pile onto a heated serving plate and serve with the tortillas, avocado slices, crisp lettuce and jalapenos. And enjoy!

Romanesco, Beetroot & Apple Salad

I recently bought a bunch of beetroot from the supermarket with no idea what I was going to do with them. I generally like to plan meals a bit, especially with an ingredient I don't often buy (or it sits there until its too late and its thrown away!). But I like beetroot and knew I'd think of something.

I decided on boiling the beets rather than roasting and as they cooled, I decided on a salad to go with a steak and some simple buttered new potatoes. Romanesco is a vegetable that is like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, slightly more like cauliflower, and is a vivid green colour which is why I chose it to go with the brightly coloured beetroot. With a crunch of apple - delicious!

Ingredients:

1 large raw beetroot
1/2 Romanesco, florets cut small
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 eating apple, chopped
handful pine nuts

Dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch sugar
salt & pepper

Method:

Cut most of the stem off the unpeeled beetroot, leaving about an inch (this will stop the colour bleeding into the water). Boil for up to 50 minutes. You can tell when the beetroot is cooked of you pinch the skin and it comes away easily. Drain and cool for 5 minutes and push off the skin with your fingers. Chop and set to one side. Make up the salad dressing and set to one side too.

Steam the Romanesco for about 3 minutes to keep its texture and put into a large salad bowl with the sliced onion and chopped apple. Tip in the pine nuts and pour in the dressing. Toss well and put onto a serving plate. Now you can add the beetroot (if you toss the beetroot with the salad, the colour will stain everything).

Serve with a few more pine nuts as a main salad with crusty bread or as a side with a steak. Colourful, crunchy and packed with flavour and health!

Italian Sausage Soup with Parmesan Gnocchi

This soup is a full meal in a bowl which is perfect for a midweek dinner. I normally would serve bread with soup but the gnocchi in this is the carbohydrate, so it is filling enough. I don't know many people who eat gnocchi, maybe its not advertised well enough in the supermarkets in the UK, but making it is a breeze - I would tell you if it wasn't! Its just mashed potatoes made even more tasty and takes 10 minutes to roll, shape and cook.

The flavours of the sausages cooked in the soup with the fresh vegetables is delicious and the slightly chewy, light cheesy gnocchi along with the crunchy herby breadcrumbs bring a fantastic texture.

Ingredients:

350g pork chipolata sausages
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
500ml beef stock
1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
2 carrots, sliced
260g spinach, torn
1 large courgette, chopped
salt & pepper

For the gnocchi:

2 medium potatoes
3/4 cup plain flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. parmesan, grated

handful toasted breadcrumbs
chopped fresh sage & parsley (optional)
 
Method:

Fry the sausages in a large saucepan until browned. Remove from the pan and cut into bite size pieces and put back in the pan with the garlic for 2 minutes. Then add the stock, tomatoes and carrots. Bring to the boil and the turn to a simmer. Cover and leave to cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.

Then add the courgettes and spinach along with 1 tsp. pepper and 1 tsp. salt and leave to simmer for a further 25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, have the potatoes boiling. Then mash the potatoes well. You don't want any lumps as it notices more in gnocchi! Put the mashed potatoes into a bowl with the flour and egg. Knead briefly to make a dough, adding more flour if too wet. Half the dough at this stage, you only need half of this amount, so pop the other half into a freezer bag for a later recipe.

Knead the dough on a floured board and half again. Make two sausages about 1 inch diameter and then cut into inch lengths. Push the tines of a fork into the top to make a pattern.

Boil a pan of water and add half of the gnocchi. It is cooked when it rises to the top of the water. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto greased kitchen foil. Do the same with the remainder. Then sprinkle the parmesan over the top and pop under the grill, to give the gnocchi a very light cheesy crust. This will give a good texture to the soup.

Briefly fry the chopped sage, parsley and breadcrumbs. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the soup in a large bowl and add the gnocchi. Top with the toasted herby breadcrumbs and enjoy.

Quick Toffee Apple Puddings

Now when I say quick with this recipe, I mean 5 minutes to put together, 3 minutes to cook the pudding and 2 minutes to make the sauce. How did I do this? Its a microwave pudding! I have started experimenting recently with microwave cakes and they are a great idea for a quick desserts.

This one was brought about by The Bloke really wanting a dessert on Sunday night after our roast dinner. I hadn't planned one but had planned to try this one out so had recently bought a bag of toffees. Two bramley apples were in the fruit bowl - one looking a bit worse for wear - so this was what I made. They were light, soft and delicious!

Ingredients:     (Makes 6)

100g self raising flour
100g soft brown sugar
100g butter, softened 
2 eggs
4 tbsp. milk
1 large bramley apple, chopped 

Method:

Put all of the above ingredients, apart from the apple, into a microwavable bowl and mix with a fork or an electric hand mixer. Stir in the chopped apple. Grease 6 ramekins with butter and measure out the pudding mix into each, leaving about half a cm for the cake to rise. Pop three of them in a circle in the microwave for 3 minutes. They will feel firm to touch. Take out and cover with foil to keep warm. You can then cook the remaining three.

For the sauce:

150ml double cream
100g toffees
Put the cream and toffees in a microwaveable bowl and put in for one minute. Stir, put back in the microwave for another minute and stir again. Put back in for about 30 seconds. The cream will be boiling so watch it doesn't boil over. This should be long enough so when you stir the toffees will melt perfectly into the cream to make a delicious sauce.

Tip the puddings out onto a serving plate and top with the sauce. Serve with ice cream and enjoy!!

Chinese Hot & Sour Soup

Hands up the number of people who always order Hot & Sour soup in a restaurant but shy away from making it at home as it looks daunting? Well, that was me up until last night - I decided to go for it as I love it so much. And you know what? Its not that hard. I won't lie to you, it did take half an hour to prepare all the veg and stock etc. but once its all prepped, its easy. And this recipe tastes just like the one you get at a restaurant.

Just read the recipe and make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go - and it falls into place. Its SO tasty, I hope you try it. Delicious hot & sour soup.

Ingredients:

¼ cup cornflour (cornstarch) plus 1 tsp.

¼ cup water

200g. pork loin, sliced thick matchstick

½ teaspoon oil

1 chicken breast, sliced thick matchstick

big handful small prawns (I used frozen)

¼ cup dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water

½ block firm tofu (1/4 cup)

¼ cup winter bamboo shoots (tinned is ok)

1 small carrot

1 spring onion (scallion), chopped

1 red & 1 green chilli, sliced (go for hot ones if you can)

1.5 litres chicken stock (cube is fine)

½ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper

2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 pinch of sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Mix the 1 tsp. cornflour with the ½ tsp. oil and the sliced pork in a small bowl. Set to one side. Mix the ¼ cup cornflour with  ¼ cup of water in a small bowl and mix well. Set to one side.

Chop the soaked mushrooms, slice the carrot, bamboo shoots & tofu into thin strips.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the pork (in its cornflour mix) and sliced chicken. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, bamboo shoots, tofu, chillies, white pepper and soy sauces. Stir and cook for 2 mins. Now add the sesame oil vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Finally add the prawns and cook for a further few minutes.

Bring your soup to a simmer and have the cornflour and water mix ready. Stir the soup to create a whirlpool effect in the middle and slowly add the cornflour mix. This will thicken the soup without creating 'clumps'.

Now do the same with the beaten egg. Create a whirlpool effect and slowly, slowly pour in the beaten egg to create ribbons of egg.  Check for seasoning and add a little more soy sauce or sugar to taste.

Your soup is ready to serve. Garnish with the chopped spring onions and enjoy!

Goan Prawn Vindaloo

Friday night was, as it often is, curry night. I guess it harks back to the days when I used to go out on a Friday night and come home grabbing a phone for that takeaway. But these days I prefer to make it myself. If you get up a good collection of spices (my spice drawer is literally overflowing) by buying a new one a week or a month, you can make any curry you like.

Here I have used cooked frozen prawns as we had some in the freezer, but you can use fresh ones. Either way, ensure you don't marinade the prawns in the vinegar based marinade for more than 30 minutes, or they tend to make them go tough if marinated too long.

Ingredients:

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

3 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

350g cooked prawns

4-5 dried Kashmiri chillies
3 whole cloves
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 only1 dried bay leaf
few curry leaves, crumbled
1-2 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 prawns and marinade for 30 minutes.

Put the dried chillies and the whole cloves into a hand blender and blend to a powder, set to one side.

Fry the onion in the oil and butter until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, bay leaf, curry leaves and the ground dried chilli mix and cook gently, covered, for a further 10 minutes. Add the prawns and any marinade and combine with the onion mix. Pop a lid on the dish and cook on a low/medium heat for about 5 minutes until prawns are heated through. Taste and add the sugar to counteract any bitterness from the vinegar. Now its ready to serve with rice or naan breads. Enjoy!