Russian Pork Meatball Soup

Now, meatball soup is one of those recipes that can cover many countries, from Bulgarian to Indonesian to Romanian, Spanish.. and Russian, which is the one I had in mind here, using fresh dill, parsley and chives. You can use either pork mince or chicken, or lamb I imagine, although I haven't tried that yet.. I am going to also look into working on a vegetarian one too. I love the honesty of just adding water instead of stock which is the way I make Irish stew. It makes it taste 'cleaner' to me.

In this recipe, I also smoked the mince before rolling it into balls but that is not particularly part of this recipe - it was just something I wanted to try out as I have a new smoking gun and feel compelled to try smoking everything! (it was delicious by the way). 

This is a lovely weekday meal which is easy to make and tastes so fresh, its one of those where you finish and feel good about yourself! I love it.

Ingredients:            (Serves 4)

For the soup:

1 tbsp oil (I used olive but vegetable oil also good)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, grated

2 bay leaves

2 medium potatoes, finely chopped 

2 litres water (8 cups)

20g spaghetti broken into small pieces

1 tbsp dried dill

salt & pepper

For the meatballs:

500g minced pork

1/2 small onion grated

80g panko breadcrumbs soaked in about 60ml milk

salt & pepper

1 egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Garnish:

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Method:

First make the soup. Use a nice big pot and in the oil, gently fry the onion, garlic and carrots until tender. Add the bay leaves, dill and potatoes, seasoning and water. Let it get to boil and then immediately turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, while you make the meatballs. 

Mix the pork, onion, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder with a little salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Using slightly damp hands make small meatballs about the size of a large walnut and roll in your hands to make a ball. Drop it gently into the soup and continue making and adding the meatballs until the mixture is used up. Cook for 15 minutes, or until pork is tender. Check you have enough salt and pepper added at this stage.

Serve in a large bowl topped with fresh parsley and chives, and enjoy!

Spicy Kefir Curd Marinated Chicken

Buttermilk marinated chicken seems to be getting more and more popular, and after having tasted it I can see why. The butter milk is only slightly acidic so it can tenderise without making the meat tough like would be with vinegar and the enzymes it contains, break down the protein a little which makes the chicken really tender. The first time I tried it I was doubtful, but it was so good.

Having recently got into making kafir milk at home, as a fermented product it is excellent for probiotic health. I generally make morning smoothies, but I wanted to see if it had the same effect as buttermilk in a marinade. It is also slightly acidic and after sieving was really creamy. 

I tried it and it worked. Tender perfect chicken!! 

(although you can use buttermilk for this recipe if you like).

Ingredients:  (Serves 2) 

Marinade:

3/4 cup of sieved kefir milk curds

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Chicken:

2 skinless chicken breasts (cut horizontally so you have 4 thinner breasts)

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

Method:

An hour or so before cooking, mix the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken fillets in a zip lock bag or in a covered bowl. Pop it into the fridge.

To cook, simply take the chicken fillets out of the marinade, shake off the excess marinade and dip into the flour mix, coating well. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook on a high heat for approx. 4 minutes each side or until cooked through, checking the heat to ensure the flour doesn't burn. You want a lovely dark golden colour.

Served here with still warm baby potatoes tossed in olive oil, Dijon mustard and lemon juice  and roasted broccoli. Lovely.

Chicken Spinach Quinoa Salad

I have been making this dish ever since I heard of quinoa, maybe only 8 years ago -  when it has actually been eaten by humans up to 3-4 thousand years ago (late to the party). Quinoa is actually a pseudo cereal related to spinach! I find it similar to other grains and use much as I would bulger wheat and couscous. It is very nutritional containing protein, fibre, B vitamins and minerals.

Upon first trying it, I found it to be bland, so this recipe was created to add colour and flavour. Its simple, quick, colourful and a lovely way to enjoy healthy chicken breast. Enjoy!

Ingredients:         (serves 2)

1 cup (dry) quinoa (170g)

100g spinach

2 spring onions

small bunch coriander

2 chicken breasts (sliced horizontally in halves)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

10 apricots (I use dried and soaked in water till plumped up)

2 small red bell peppers

1 avocado

50g feta cheese

2 tbsp yoghurt

1 lime (juice only)

Method:

Cook the quinoa in plenty of boiling water until tender ( about 15 mins). Cut the pepper into chunks, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Roast the pepper in the oven while the quinoa is cooking until soft (about 20 mins). When the quinoa is cooked, drain and put into a food processor with the spinach, spring onions and coriander. Blitz until finely chopped. Set to one side.

Sprinkle the chicken  (cut horizontally to make 4 pieces) with the paprika and garlic powder and pan fry in a little olive oil until cooked through (about 10 mins). Slice on a chopping board.

To serve: share the quinoa onto two plates and spread out to cover the bottom of the plate, drizzle with a little olive oil. Top with the roasted pepper, apricots, bits of avocado (I scoop out teaspoonfuls), Add the chicken slices and a little fresh coriander. Dollop out a few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt, sprinkle over the feta cheese and squeeze over the juice of a lime. Season to taste and eat. Lovely!

Stuffed Courgettes (V)

This is such a simple dish that works well as a side, but I really like it by itself as a lunch when I am working from home. I used to stuff the raw courgette and bake them, but these days I blanch the courgette first, otherwise I find that by the time the courgette cooks through - the filling is a little dry. This way works much better.

Its a simple dish but it really makes the flavour of courgettes shine, when in some dishes it can get lost. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

1 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1/2 cup (120ml) milk 

2 large courgettes

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 vegetable oxo cube

1 tsp dried herbs (a mix of thyme/sage, what you like)

40g parmesan, finely grated

3/4 cherry tomatoes, chopped

salt & pepper

oil for frying

Method:

Set the oven to 180C. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs into a bowl and put to one side. Push the breadcrumbs down to ensure they soak well.

Halve the courgettes and use a teaspoon to create a 'trench' in the flesh; removing the seeds and some of the flesh, being careful not to break the courgette. Reserving the flesh for now, put the courgette shells into a large pot of boiling water, bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for  8-10 mins depending on the size of the courgettes. Then drain and put the courgettes into a baking dish, gently handling them so they don't break; they will be soft and cooked now. Lightly season with salt & pepper. Then you can chop the reserved raw courgette flesh that you removed.

In a large frying pan, heat a little oil and gently cook the chopped onion until cooked but not browned. Add the garlic and chopped reserved courgette flesh. Cook on a gentle heat for about 5 mins until the flesh is cooked. Crumble in the 1/2 vegetable oxo cube, a sprinkle of herbs and then add the breadcrumb and milk mixture. Stir well, taste and season. Put into a bowl to cool for a couple of minutes and then stir in most of the parmesan (reserving a little for the topping).

With a spoon, divide the stuffing into the courgette shells and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. You could add a little breadcrumbs here too if liked.. Bake for 20 minutes and serve. With a side salad, with a steak or chicken. Or like me - just as they are. Delicious!

Creamy Aubergine Involtini

This vegetarian dish of Aubergine Involtini is just so warming and comforting and is something I have made many versions of over the years. There are so many pasta versions where you simply roll up thin pasta sheets with a filling and bake. 

Griddled courgette and aubergine slices work so well and I was reminded of a starter that a friend cooked for me years ago of griddled courgette slices filled with cream cheese and pine nuts. I then remembered a chicken stuffed aubergine involtini I made years ago (recipe here) so here is my vegetarian version.

I have served this with some falafel and yoghurt sauce and a chilli salsa. This recipe serves two people, so if you need more, just double up. I have baked and served this in terracotta tapas dishes, but any small oven dish will do.

Ingredients:      (Serves 2)

For the sauce:

half a white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

oil for frying

1 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. tomato paste

200g tinned chopped tomatoes

half teaspoon sugar

salt & pepper

For the Aubergine:

2 aubergines, sliced thinly (try and get aubergines as long and straight as you can)

180g Philadelphia cream cheese

25g pine nuts

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 small egg

40g feta cheese 

salt & pepper

little oil

Method: 

Put the onion and garlic into a small saucepan and cook in a little oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the paprika and tomato paste and stir in. Add the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning and cook for 10 minutes until thickened. Use a hand blender to blitz the sauce until smooth. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the aubergines lengthwise. You want the best slices for rolling so choose about 12 total slices from the middle of the vegetables. 

Brush the aubergine slices with oil and griddle until softened - leave to cool on some kitchen paper. Put the cheese, pine nut, garlic powder & egg into a bowl with a little salt & pepper. Mix well. 

To assemble the rolls, lay one softened aubergine slice in front of you on a board, with the wider bit towards you. Put a heaped teaspoon of the cheese onto an end and roll up the slice. Place into a small dish that you will be baking them in. Continue until all slices used up. Using a spoon, ladle over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes or until cheese golden and sauce bubbling.

Serve with falafel and a yoghurt sauce for a VERY satisfying vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

Za'atar fried Halloumi with Tomato Cannellini stew

 

Another vegetarian recipe that I made last week. The stew contains chipotle sauce which you can either make yourself (recipe here) or you can easily buy a small jar of it in most supermarkets. The za'atar is a herb mix hailing from the Middle East including sesame seeds (note if allergic), sumac, thyme and oregano. Again, can be bought in many local supermarkets.

First I made the slightly spicy stew, then coated the haloumi and pan fried with a drizzle of honey. Topped with a creamy jalapeño yoghurt and served with flatbread, it was a filling delicious evening meal.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

half a white onion, sliced

half a red pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

200g tinned chopped tomatoes

200g cannellini beans, drained

1-2 tbsp. chipotle sauce

200g halloumi, thickly sliced

2 tbsp. plain flour

1 tbsp. za'atar

1 tbsp. runny honey

3 tbsp. Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp. sliced green jalapeños (from a jar)

1 tsp. lemon juice

small handful chopped fresh coriander

salt & pepper

oil for frying

Method: 

To make the stew, fry the sliced onion and pepper in a little oil until tender, adding the garlic half way through cooking. Add the tomatoes, cannellini beans and chipotle sauce and stir well. Taste to check if it needs salt and leave on a low heat while you cook the halloumi and yoghurt sauce.

Put the yoghurt, jalapenos and lemon juice into a small food processor or blender and blitz to make the sauce. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.

Put the flour and za'atar spice on a plate with a good pinch of salt & pepper and mix well. Dip the halloumi slices in, coating well and shake off excess. Heat a large frying pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and fry the halloumi for about 5 minutes or until golden on both sides. turn the heat to low and drizzle over the honey. 

Serve the tomato stew in the middle of the plate and lay the halloumi over the top. Drizzle over some of the yoghurt sauce and some chopped fresh coriander. This goes really well with a simple warm flatbread. Enjoy!

Romanesco Tagliatelle with capers and parmesan

Well, it certainly has been some time since I have been on this blog. Mostly I have just been busy working, but I am back with some new recipes. This one I cooked last night on my quest to eat more vegetarian meals in my diet. I had a Romanesco broccoli and I think its too beautiful to have as a side dish. 

It had to BE the dish. 

Ingredients:           (Serves 2)

Approx. half a Romanesco broccoli (broken into small florets)

180g dried tagliatelle

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic (sliced)

pinch red chilli flakes

1 tbsp. capers, drained

small glass dry white wine

40g parmesan (or grana padano), grated (and a little more for garnish)

Method:

Steam or boil the broccoli for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Boil the pasta in water until very al dente (a couple of minutes before its ready), reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large pan add the oil and garlic along with the chilli flakes and capers. Cook, stirring for about 4 minutes until lightly cooked. Add the wine and let the wine boil down to reduce by half. Add the reserved cup of pasta water to the garlic mix and keep on a medium heat.

Add the drained pasta to the large pan of garlic and capers. Stir well and let cook for a 5 minutes with the heat on low. Add the parmesan and stir into the pasta - the pasta water will thicken into a sauce with the cheese. It should look glossy and creamy. Toss the broccoli into the pasta and serve, adding a little more grated parmesan for garnish. And you have it. Simple, easy and showing off the delightful vegetable to its best!