Jerk Chicken Chimichangas with Avocado Sauce

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

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

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

Avocado Sauce:

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

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

ENJOY!!

Middle Eastern Sunday Roast Chicken Platter

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

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

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

For the chicken:

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

For the crispy chick peas:

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

For the couscous and courgettes:

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

Spicy Chicken Korma

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

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

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jules Banana & Walnut Cake

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

Ingredients:

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

Method:

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

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

Enjoy!

Featherblade Steak with Rocket, Feta & Fig Salad

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

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

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

For the potato galette:

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

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

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

Tagliatelle with Clams & Smoked Bacon

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

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

Ingredients:             (Serves 2)

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

Method:

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

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

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