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!

Chipotle Chicken with Black Beans & Gremolata

Some of you may have noticed its been quiet here for the last week? Well I was on my holidays in Mallorca and had others cooking for me for a change, However, I am back and the first meal I decided to cook was based on frozen chicken breasts and a couple of tins in the cupboard and my trusty slow cooker to cook it all, as I went through unpacking, washing clothes etc. Perfect. I thoroughly recommend having a few staple tins in your store cupboard for easy meals like this!

I defrosted the chicken breasts in the morning and then literally chucked stuff in the slow cooker and it was delicious. A couple of things though...a) you can make this in the oven - just cook the sauce in a small casserole with the chicken at 170 C for about an hour and a half and b) you can make this without chipotle sauce if you don't want a spicy dish - just don't add any. I used my own chipotle sauce (recipe here) blended, or you can used a can or jar of shop bought.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3-4 chicken breasts, skin removed & halved
1 tin black beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
(up to) 4 tbsp. chipotle sauce 
1 small can sweetcorn
140g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
juice of 1 lime

Method:

Put the onion on the bottom of the slow cooker with the garlic. Add the chicken, beans, tomatoes, chipotle sauce (if using), sweetcorn & lime juice. Season with a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Pop on the lid and cook on high for 5 hours. Then add the cream cheese, stir in and cook on low for a further hour. That's it! Serve with brown rice, veg and a good sprinkle of gremolata (recipe below).

For the Gremolata:

Mix 2 spring onions (scallions) chopped finely with a small handful of chopped coriander and the zest of a lemon.

Normally gremolata is a mix of grated garlic with lemon zest and parsley, but I like this version. You can use it to sprinkle on so many dishes to give it a fresh, fragrant lift. I like it on chilli!

I thoroughly also recommend making your own chipotle sauce. This recipe makes loads It lasts for about 3 months in the fridge. I make a batch every month though as it never seems to last that long!!

Greek style Broccoli & Red Pepper Salad (V)

Now this is a lovely, fresh, healthy vegetarian salad that I love. There are so many different ways to make it, and many things you can add. Once you have the left the lightly steamed broccoli to dry out a little it is ready to take on so many different flavours. Here I have added peeled red peppers from a jar. You can, of course, do this yourself by holding a pepper over a naked flame with tongs until blackened and peel off the skin, but I had some in a jar so used those.

I made this in a Greek style because I was serving it with a Spanakopita (recipe here) and it was delicious.

Ingredients:

1 small head broccoli
2 red peppers (from a jar), peeled and chopped
handful kalamata olives, stoned and sliced

Dressing:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 clove garlic, grated
salt & pepper

Method:

First, cut the broccoli into florets, then cut the stalks finely and separate the mini florets at the ends. Pop into a steamer and steam for 3 minutes. Then tip onto a clean tea towel to dry out a little. Put into a bowl with the chopped red pepper and sliced olives.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and add to the vegetables. Stir well and serve. Try with a little crumbled feta over the top. Delicious! Holds its own as a vegetarian lunch or can be a side dish.

Guyanese Mango Chilli Sauce

Now considering I used a Scotch Bonnet chilli in this - its not that hot. It does have a bit of a kick though which works so well with the sweet mango and can be served with (as I've found) pretty much anything!

Its a simple but different sauce from the usual red chilli sauces you get too, as its yellow.

Ingredients:

1 large green mango (or 2 small), peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 scotch bonnet chilli
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 cup water
1 tbsp. vinegar
pinch pepper

Put mango, garlic and chilli into a food processor with half cup water and blend until smooth. Put into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Keep boiling hard for 20 minutes. Then add another half cup of water, a pinch of salt & cumin. Reduce heat and simmer until mango is soft and cooked through; about another 15 minutes. Add vinegar with a little pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes. Pour into a bowl and chill. The sauce will thicken up when it has cooled.

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.