Pork & Beef Meatball Spaghetti (Low Fat)

The best thing I like about this dish is that you can miss the effort of having to fry the meatballs in batches and can just bake them all in one go. And not frying means less fat used. I also used both lean beef and lean pork as I am trying to keep things low fat. True, they are a little drier for the lack of fat but as they are served in a lovely homemade tomato sauce you still get the flavour with so much less calories! 

This recipe makes about 30 so its a great one for dinner and then freezing a batch or two for a later date once cooked.

Meatballs in their sauce also goes beautifully with some lovely bread, like a baguette. Sliced and ready to dip into the sauce. A family staple meal of delicious meatballs.

Ingredients:    (Serves 6)

500g pack lean beef mince
500g pack lean pork mince
2 slices bread, chopped (white or brown, crust removed)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
salt & pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp. grated parmesan + shavings to serve
fresh basil to serve
spaghetti (100g per person)

Method:

Soak the bread in a small bowl with the milk for a minute. Fry the onion in 1 tsp. of oil until translucent (about 5 mins).  In a large bowl mix the cooked onions and soaked bread with all of the remaining ingredients apart from the fresh basil and spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Cover and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then make small balls of the meat mixture, about 1 1/2cm in diameter and put onto a baking sheet covered in greaseproof paper.

Bake in a hot oven set at 220 C for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and browned. Pop into your favourite tomato sauce or use my recipe below.

For the sauce:

2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, sliced thinly
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper

Fry the onion in a little oil in a pan until cooked. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another 2 mins. Add the tomatoes, herbs, vinegar and sugar. Add a little water to loosen (about 50ml), season and leave to cook on a gentle heat for 10 mins.

Garnish the whole dish with shaved parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Salmon Caesar Salad

Back in the 1990's I must have ordered the chicken version of this dish at least once a week for my lunch at a restaurant I frequented. Its such a simple salad with crunchy lettuce and parmesan. I am not normally one to mix cheese with fish - it seems so wrong to me - but the salmon with this parmesan salad worked. Its lovely a makes a change from the chicken.

You can easily buy bottled Caesar salad dressing to make this a quick meal. I have added a recipe for my version of the dressing if you want to try that too. If you make up the dressing first, the rest just falls into place really quickly too. Served with a baked potato, its a lovely fresh, healthy dinner.

Ingredients:    (Serves 2)

2 salmon fillets, skin removed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 baby gem lettuces
30g parmesan, shaved
bottled Caesar dressing (or my recipe below)
1/2 small baguette, cubed
2 baking potatoes

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Prick the potatoes with a fork and put in the oven for between 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes). Place the baguette cubes onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and a pinch of each salt & pepper. Put in the oven under the potatoes for 5 minutes then remove and set to one side.

Mix the 2 tbsp. olive oil, paprika, oregano and garlic in a bowl and add the salmon fillets while the potatoes are cooking to marinade.

About ten minutes before the potatoes are ready, heat a frying pan and pan fry one side of the salmon for about 6-7 minutes, turn them over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until cooked through (depending on the thickness of the salmon).

Put the lettuce in a large salad bowl with the parmesan and croutons and about 1/3 cup of Caesar dressing. Mix well and put half of the salad onto each plate. Top with the salmon and serve with the jacket potato. Simple and tasty.

If you want to try my dressing, its very simple to make and is a twist on home made mayonnaise, with more Dijon and a few other flavourings. This recipe makes enough for four.

Mustardy Caesar Dressing

1 egg yolk
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

With an electric hand mixer, or a blender, mix the egg yolk and the lemon juice until frothy. Add the oils while still whisking until it emulsifies and becomes thicker. Add the remaining ingredients and keep mixing until combined.  Happy cooking!

Elderflower Cordial

Every June without fail, I spot the flowers of the Elder (Sambucus nigra) all around me and immediately get picking the fresh little flower heads to make some Elderflower Cordial. I am lucky to live in an area where there are so many bushes of elderflower; there is even a little in my garden. Elderflower cordial has historically been popular in North Western Europe for decades and recipes have even been found as far back as the Romans. Nowadays it is everywhere including the US, Germany, Austria, Romania and Hungary.

For those who haven't tasted it - it is a delicate floral cordial which you mix with water as a refreshing drink. You can of course, mix it with champagne or sparkling wine for an extra treat!!

Ingredients:

2.5kg sugar
1.5 litres water
2 lemons
20 elderflower heads
85g citric acid (available from chemists)

Method:

In your largest pot, gently heat the sugar and water together until the sugar is dissolved. Then turn up the heat to bring it to a boil. Then turn it off.

Fill a bowl, or the sink, with cold water and dip in each flower head, swishing it lightly to clean and remove any possible bugs. Add the flower heads to the sugar syrup along with the citric acid.

Pare the rind from the lemons and then slice thickly. Add the rind and the sliced lemons to the pot, giving it all a good stir. Pop a lid on the pot and leave to steep for 24 hours.

When the time is up, use a ladle to strain the mix through a clean tea towel. Then transfer to a jug and put into sterilised bottles.  

After steeping

Strain through clean tea towel

 

 

 

Asian Beef Salad with Spring Rolls

Yesterday was a long day of training (for the marathon) followed by four hours of gardening. A beautiful summers day, it was lovely to be out in the sunshine. I had two lovely looking beef fillets that I had earlier planned to simply pan fry, but now I not only wanted a salad; I wanted to see some colour on my plate, having been working with the flowers all day. I decided to travel to the Far East and make an Asian beef noodle salad.

Ingredients:

2 x fillet steaks (beef), sliced thinly
25g coriander, leaves and stems separated
1 inch piece ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon
1 lime
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar
2 red chillies (I used birds eye)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
4 inch piece cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced  thinly
2 tbsp. cornflour (cornstarch)
rice noodles
chopped peanuts, to serve
1 sliced red chilli, to serve

Method

To make the dressing, put the coriander stalks, garlic, ginger, sugar, lemon and lime zest and juice into a hand blender and blitz until finely chopped. Put the beef slices into a bowl and stir half of the dressing through the beef. Marinade in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

In a large bowl, mix the red onion, coriander leaves & cucumber and set to one side. Cook the noodles as to packet instructions, rinse in fresh water and drain.

Fry the beef strips in batches for about 2 minutes until cooked. Now add the noodles and beef to the salad bowl along with the other half of the dressing. Stir well.

Serve topped with the chopped peanuts and some freshly chopped chilli and coriander.

I also served this with some of my Easy Baked Spring Rolls (recipe here) and some dips. Colourful, fragrant and delicious! Enjoy!

Oxtail Dutch Bitterballen

A couple of months ago I made Ham Hock Bitterballen (recipe here) which were delicious. This time I have made them with oxtail. When I have been in the Netherlands eating these delectable crispy meat filled balls (dipped generously in mustard!) they have always been with beef. So this is definitely closer to the original. And a nice change from oxtail stew.

I know its off putting to have a two day process, but it is worth it as there is SO much fat with oxtails. I love them and wanted to find a way to still enjoy them without the mild disgust at heaps of saturated fat! The best way to remove fat from oxtail is to cook it the day before, separate the meat from the stock and put in the fridge overnight. The fat will rise to the top of the jug of stock and you simply remove it and use. Remember to separate the meat from the stock or the fat will stick to any bits of exposed meat making it tough to pick off. You can make these crispy lovely Dutch Bitterballen.

Serve these to guests at a party as a wonderful finger food - they will love them!

To cook the oxtail (Day 1):

6 pieces oxtail (some large, some smaller)
2 tbsp. flour
large pinch salt & pepper
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 litre beef stock

Method:

Set the oven to 170 C. Put the oxtail in a plastic freezer bag with the flour, salt & pepper. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and fry the oxtail on all sides to brown. Remove from the pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking quickly on a high heat and stirring. Add the stock and bay leaves and pop a lid on the casserole dish. Leave to cook for about 4 hours and then remove from the oven and leave to cool. When cool, take the meat out and shred it into a bowl, cover and pop in the fridge. Sieve the stock, discarding the onion and bay leaves and put the stock into a large jug or bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, there will be a layer of solid fat on top of the stock. Remove and discard. Now you are ready to make the Bitterballen!

To make the Bitterballen (Day 2):

30g butter
30g flour
400ml stock from oxtail (fat removed)
shredded oxtail meat
nutmeg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
oil for frying
2 eggs
fine breadcrumbs

Method:

Put the butter in a medium pan and melt. Add the flour, stir well and let the flour cook out for a few moments. Slowly add the stock, stirring all the time, until its a creamy sauce.

Add the shredded oxtail to the sauce along with the garlic powder, mustard, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Spread out onto a plate and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.

Beat the eggs and put into a dish. Put the breadcrumbs in another dish beside it. Have a bowl of cold water handy to wet your hands before rolling. With wet hands, pick about a tablespoon of the cold oxtail mix and roll into a ball. Carry on until all rolled. Then dip the first one in egg, then breadcrumbs, then repeat so they have two layers of crumb (makes them crispier).

Keep dipping the other rolled balls until all completed. Heat oil to about 2 inches in a heavy based pan and when hot, fry the Bitterballen for about 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven until all cooked. Serve piping hot with mustard for dipping on the side. Absolutely delicious!

Ostrich Steak with Potato & Celeriac Mash

This week there is a 3rd off the price of Ostrich steak at Ocado and boy am I buying lots. I absolutely love ostrich. Not the actual bird so much, because a bird that is bigger than me still manages to scare the heebie jeebies out of me, but the meat is delicious! Cooked simply like a fillet beef steak, it is sort of sweeter and has not one jot of fat in it (which I love).

Paired with a little garlic butter and celeriac and potato mash it just makes such a lovely dinner. Another one of my favourites, I could eat this every day. And the health implications are fabulous. A 3oz skinless chicken breast has 140 calories and 0.9 saturated fat in grams. Ostrich has 96 calories and zero saturated fat! And its delicious.

Ingredients:       (Serves 2)

2 ostrich steaks
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 celeriac, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. butter

Method:

Boil the potato and celeriac until soft. Drain and mash with the butter

Fry the ostrich for a few minutes each side, take off the heat and rest under some kitchen foil for 1 minute.

For the garlic butter, I crushed a couple of cloves of garlic and added that to 50g butter and 1 tbsp. chopped parsley. Using cling film, make into a sausage shape and chill until needed. Then you just cut a slice and pop it on top of the steak.

Serve the steak with the mash and steamed veg. Perfect!

Moroccan Lamb with Zaalouk, Apricots & Couscous

Last night we visited Morocco. Like Mr Ben of the old days, we travelled swiftly to the bright lights of Marrakesh (in the culinary mind at least) and ate a delicious dish of Moroccan delights, all layered onto a plate and eaten at home in London. We could almost hear the sounds of the street vendors and snake charmers.

We have actually been to Marrakesh, years ago, and I had a few ideas from the flavours we tried there. I wanted to create a new recipe so I made a few elements to make into one dish. The lamb marinated in Moroccan Spices, the green bell peppers marinated separately, some zaalouk (which is like a Moroccan ratatouille).... a few apricots, some goats cheese... layered into one dish that bursts with fresh flavours. It is one of those creations you enjoy making because you just know how good it will taste. And having now enjoyed it - I am certainly putting down this one as a dinner for guests. The flavours are really set to impress. This recipe serves two.

For the zaalouk:

1 aubergine (eggplant), chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1/3 cup water

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the aubergine is soft. With the back of a spoon, press on the aubergine to crush half it and make a thick stew. Keep warm.

For the green peppers:

2 green peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp. olive oil
 
Put the peppers in a hot oven for 15 minutes, or hold over a flame to blacken the skin and cook the pepper. Put both into a plastic bag so the steam loosens the skin. When cool, peel the peppers and pull apart into about 4 pieces with your hands. Put into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and leave to marinade for about an hour in the fridge.


For the lamb:           

280g lamb fillet strips
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil

Put all of the above in a bowl and marinate in the fridge for one hour. When ready to cook, put onto a couple of skewers and grill (broil) on a high heat. You want them to blacken a bit but remain a little pink inside.

To assemble:

Put about 1 cup couscous in a bowl with a vegetable stock cube, add water to come about an inch and a half over the couscous. Cover with cling film and leave to steam for about 5 minutes.  Chop 1/2 red onion finely and add to the couscous along with some chopped coriander. Slice some apricots (you can use dried that have been soaked in hot water and quartered) and set them aside.

Put the grill onto high and grill the lamb.

To plate up, firstly put the couscous onto a large plate and spread around the base of the plate. Put spoonfuls of the zaalouk around and then add some of the green peppers. Then sprinkle over the apricots and top with the lamb kebabs. Then top with a little creamy goats cheese and add a wedge of lemon to the plate.

And there you have it. Delicious layered Moroccan Lamb with Couscous. Bursting with flavour!

 

 

Hazelnut Meringues with Banana & Praline Cream

I suppose this is like an individual banana pavlova really. I don't think there are enough regular desserts you see with the humble banana. I know banoffee pie is pretty popular but I adore bananas, so I wanted to create a new dessert with all my favourite flavours so this is what I made.

Also having just used egg yolks in the Portuguese custard tarts the other day, I had three egg whites needing a home.

Hazelnut Meringues - crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, layered with sliced banana and whipped cream mixed with a hazelnut praline. It was truly delicious.. trust me!

For the hazelnut meringues:

3 egg whites

175g (6oz) caster sugar

1 tsp. cornflour

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

50g (2oz) hazelnuts, chopped

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add the sugar slowly, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is shiny and the sugar all incorporated. Stir in the cornflour and vinegar followed by the chopped hazelnuts.

 

Set the oven to about 120 C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper (make it stick to the sheet with a sprinkle of water). Put heaped dessertspoons of the meringue onto the sheet, giving a little room to grow. Pop in the oven for about one and a half hours. You will know they are ready when they pull easily away from the greaseproof paper. Leave to cool.

 

For the praline cream:

 

50g caster sugar

50g hazelnuts (whole)

150ml double cream

 

Put the sugar in a heavy based pan and melt. Add the hazelnuts and toss in the melted sugar for about 2 minutes, until the mix is a warm caramel colour. Carefully (its hot) pour onto some greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Put in the fridge for 10 minutes to go nice a hard. Then pop the mix into a hand mixer or food processer and blitz until a fine powder.

 

Whip the cream until soft peaks form and stir through most of the praline. Layer the meringues with bananas, praline cream and sprinkle with the remaining praline and some grated chocolate. Serve and thoroughly enjoy!!

 

 

Note: In an lidded tub, the meringues will keep for at least a week.

Pulled Pork in BBQ Mustard Sauce with Succotash

This dish originates from the United States where a whole hog would be roasted over fire for hours until the juicy pork was so tender it could be pulled apart in soft strips. It can also be cooked in the oven, but yesterday I put it in the slow cooker all day, so when mealtime came, I just needed to make a sauce to mix it with. I chose a mustard bbq sauce for a change to my usual bbq sauce.

I served this with succotash, which is a colourful corn and bean mix which was originally cooked by the Native Americans of the North-eastern woodlands.

Ingredients:

1.2kg piece of pork shoulder, skin and outer fat removed
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)

Method:

Rub the seasoning into the pork and put in the slow cooker with about 150ml water. Add the liquid smoke if you have it. Leave to cook on low for 8 hours. Alternatively, put in a roasting tray with 200ml water, covered with foil for 4 hours and topping up the water as needed. When cooked - use two forks to shred the meat and leave to one side while you make the dressing.

For the Mustard BBQ Sauce:

120ml/1/2 cup yellow American mustard
60ml/1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. brown sugar (I used light muscovado)
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice of half a lemon.

Put all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Stir and leave to cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put into a large bowl and add the pork. Combine.

For the succotash:

1 tbsp. oil (plus a little to finish)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp./ fresh thyme (dried 1/2 tsp.)
200g sweetcorn (fresh is better but I used tinned)
300g black eyes beans
1 large tomato, chopped fine
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced
parmesan, to finish

Fry the onion, garlic and pepper in a sauté pan for 5-6 minutes until softening. Add the thyme, drained sweetcorn and drained beans. Stir well. Cook on low for another 5-10 minutes. Add the tomato, basil and vinegar and stir through. Put into a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add shaved parmesan to finish.

Serve with cornbread, chilli dips, sour cream and some tortillas if liked.

Leftover Roast Chicken, Leek & Pea Risotto

Last Saturday I craved a roast chicken. We had planned to eat something else but it was cold and I was tired from training for the London Marathon and was feeling too tired to even think. The thing is, we didn't have a chicken in the fridge. Suddenly my motivation went from zero to 100 and we were in the car at 5.30pm to get to Kens Butchers in time to grab one. I got there and the last one in the shop was huge. It would have to do. That night we thoroughly enjoyed a simple meal of roast chicken, chips and salad but then I was left with a fair bit of leftover chicken. Sandwiches, soup were the obvious choices. Then last night I made this Chicken, Leek & Pea Risotto. It was absolutely delicious and very quick to make.

Now for those who like Arborio rice (proper risotto rice), you may find this odd as I used basmati rice. But not only was it all I had, I prefer it anyway!

Ingredients:          (Serves 4)

Leftover roast chicken (what you have)
1 tbsp. olive oil
180g basmati rice
1 large (or 2 small) leek, sliced
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 glass white wine
800ml chicken stock (cube is fine)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
20g butter
parmesan, to serve

Method:

Make up the hot stock in a jug with boiling water and a chicken stock cube. Using a large pan or wok, fry the onion and leek together for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, ensuring the rice gets covered in the oil and fries a bit. Then add the wine which will splutter for a moment and evaporate. Then add half the stock. Stir well and leave to cook for 5-10 minutes while it is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Add the rest of the stock along with the peas and continue to cook until the rice is cooked through and most of the stock absorbed; you don't want it dry. Add the tarragon and butter and stir through. Season with salt & pepper.

 

Serve with a healthy serving of grated parmesan and crusty bread and butter on the side. So filling and quick to make!

Potato and Onion Pakora with Yoghurt Dip

Hands up who loves vegetable pakora?! A perfect side dish or starter to go with a spicy curry, I adore them and found them easier than I thought they would be to make.

I made these with just potato and onion, but you can add chopped vegetables like cauliflower, or aubergine. Just make sure to chop them finely.

Ingredients:

100g gram (chick pea) flour
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 large potato, grated
2 tsp. garum masala
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp.ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
inch piece ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 fresh chili chopped finely
a little salt & pepper
fresh coriander, chopped
water
oil for frying

 

Method:

 

In a bowl, add all of the ingredients, apart from the water. Stir well together and add enough water to make a stiff batter. Add just a little water at a time, mixing with your (clean) hands until its just stiff enough to hold everything together.

 

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy based saucepan until shimmering. Add large spoonfuls of the batter, about 4 at a time or enough so that they don't stick together. Cook, turning over occasionally until golden brown & crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

 

 

Serve with a quick and easy dip, made with a little natural yoghurt, mixed with 1/2 tsp. turmeric and a little mint sauce. Enjoy!

 

Chicken Karahi Curry

Here's a fairy simple but authentic chicken curry for you all to try. I made this on Friday night having made the marinade for the chicken in the morning to let the flavours develop all day. 

Chicken karahi is also known as gosht karahi and is usually cooked with goat. But I happen to adore goats and therefore its one of the meats you won't see on the blog anywhere! It is a Pakistani and North Indian dish which takes its name from the pot it is cooked in; a karahi. This looks a bit like a wok but has steeper sides and you cook the curry in this one pot. I have a similar pan so I used mine and it was delicious!

For the chicken marinade:

3 chicken breasts, cut into large strips
1 inch piece ginger, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tbsp. natural yoghurt
juice of half a lemon

Put all of the above ingredients into a bowl and leave in the fridge to marinade for anything between 1-24 hours.

For the curry:

2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. cumin seeds

3 whole peppercorns

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods, seeds only

1 tsp. fenugreek

2 onions, chopped finely

inch piece ginger, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 medium tomatoes, chopped finely

3 green chillies, halved

1 tsp. chilli powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste

coriander leaves, chopped

 

In a pan, heat the butter and oil. Add the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Cook for a minute or two until they start to splutter and add the fenugreek and onions. Fry for 5 minutes until onions cooked and browning and then add the ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to thicken and the oil starts to separate. Add the chillies.

 

Now turn the heat up to high and add the chicken. The sauce will have reduced quite a bit so stir fry the chicken until it begins to colour. Add 1/2 cup water (120ml), along with the chilli powder, cumin and coriander. Cover and leave to cook on low for 20 minutes. Add the garum masala, a little salt and some fresh chopped coriander. Cook for another 5 minutes and its ready. The house will smell amazing and you will now be hungry!

 

Serve with rice and chapatis if liked. Delicious!

 

 

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Or 'Pastel de Nata' as they are called in Portugal. Delicious egg custard tarts that are loved all over the world. As well as Portugal, I have seen these served in London, Spain, Germany, the Canaries and know they are adored over in the Far East too.

I made these about half an hour ago and we are literally sitting here with a cup of tea, waiting impatiently for them to cool to room temperature (best way to eat them).

Ingredients:

1 packet puff pastry
275ml milk
zest of 1 medium orange
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out (keep separate)
4 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour

Method:

Set the oven to 210 C. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with butter and line them with the pastry.

Put the milk in a saucepan with the orange zest and the vanilla pods (with seeds removed) and heat to hot but not boiling.

Whisk the eggs yolks in a bowl with the sugar until combined and add the vanilla seeds and flour, stir in.

Put a sieve over the egg mix and pour the hot milk over the eggs. Whisk well until combined and transfer to a jug. Carefully pour the egg custard into the pastry cases, filling to the top. Gently put in the oven for approx. 20 minutes.

They will be puffed up when you take them out of the oven - don't worry when they sink down. They are meant to do that! Leave to cool to room temperature and enjoy. Happy Sunday everyone!

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

I fancied making shortbread and I had some strawberries. Perfect. The thing is, I always see recipes for shortbread to be served with strawberries. I wanted to know what would happen if I put the strawberries in the biscuits. So I did. And they are delicious; you don't even need the cream.

A lovely biscuit to go with a cup of tea. How summery and oh so British!

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened
110g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
300g plain flour
100g cornflour
Pinch of salt
2-3 strawberries, chopped small

Method:      (Makes about 16)

Set the oven to 170 C and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. (A good tip is to sprinkle the baking sheet with water so that the paper sticks to it).

Cream the butter and sugar together until combined. Add the flours and salt and work in until beginning to clump coming together. It will be very dry at this stage. Add the strawberries and work them in to make a soft dough.

On a floured surface, or ideally a silicone sheet put the dough in the centre and cover with greaseproof paper. Roll out to a thickness of about 1cm. If the dough is still to sticky, add a little more flour. Cut into biscuits with your favourite cutter or slice by hand. Using a spatula, lift the biscuits onto the baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and cook for 20 minutes, when they will be golden. Cool on a wire rack before eating. Or eat one hot like I did!

 

 

Quick Kimchi & Korean Sesame Spinach

Along with the Sweet & Crispy Korean Chicken I made yesterday, I also made a quick kimchi. I say quick, because kimchi is normally a fermented vegetable side dish. This is the non fermented version that doesn't miss out on the flavour, but you can make it and have ready to eat in a couple of hours as opposed to weeks or even months. This is a cabbage based one with spices and it is fresh and delicious alongside any Korean main dish.

Ingredients:

1/3 white cabbage or Chinese cabbage, chopped
2 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. hot red pepper flakes
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fish sauce,
3-4 spring onions, chopped
1/2 carrot, julienned strips

Method:

Put the chopped cabbage in a container with the salt and 3 cups of cold water. Leave to soak for about 2 hours, turning in the brine occasionally.

In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. When the 2 hours are up, put the cabbage in a colander and refresh well with water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and add to the sauce. Stir well and it is ready!



Another dish I made was the Korean sesame spinach, to add another flavour and some beautiful colour.

In a large bowl, I mixed 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 finely chopped shallot along with 1.5 tbsp. soy sauce and 1.5 tbsp. sesame oil. Then blanch some fresh spinach, squeeze out the excess water and add to the sauce. Sprinkle over sesame seeds and serve hot.

A beautiful Korean meal, served with rice. Filling and so tasty!

 

Korean Sweet & Crispy Chicken

I don't think I have even cooked Korean before, which surprises me, as its up there as one of my favourite cuisines when booking a restaurant in London. I really wanted to give it a go though, so yesterday I made this sweet and crispy chicken.

Sticky from the sugar with a tang from the soy sauce and ginger and a crunch from the coating - it was lovely with steamed rice and kimchi for an elegant meal.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts        (Serves 4)
2 eggs
1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornflour (corn-starch)
salt & pepper
1 cup boiling water
2 inch piece ginger, sliced thin
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
vegetable oil (for frying)
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 dried red chillies, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts (or peanuts)
few spring onions, sliced


Method:

Cut the chicken into large strips and put into a bowl. Crack in the 2 eggs, add the flours and season with salt & pepper. Using a (clean) hand, mix thoroughly until the chicken is coated well in the batter. Set to one side in the fridge while you make the sauce.

In a wok, boil the cup of water. Add the ginger, soy, vinegar and sugar and set to boil. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes until sauce reducing and thickening. Be careful as it will be very hot if you spill it.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add the oil to come up to about 2 inches up the sides and heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces, separating as you go. Cook each piece both sides, until golden and drain excess oil by putting in a bowl lined with kitchen paper. Repeat till all cooked.

Add the crispy chicken to the sauce along with the sesame seeds, pine nuts and chillies. Stir well until combined and serve with a garnish of sliced spring onions and a bowl of steamed white rice. Delicious!

 

 

Grilled Mackerel with Strawberry & Avocado Salsa

Last night was a very simple dinner as I was out until fairly late so I knew I had little time to prepare. I defrosted 2 mackerel fillets slowly in the fridge all day ready for grilling when I arrived home. I happen to love strawberries with mackerel although I usually make a strawberry salad - this time we had a strawberry salsa. Snuggled up beside a crispy skinned piece of mackerel. Fresh, healthy and quick. And great for a diet lunch too.

Ingredients:

2 mackerel fillets
200g strawberries, chopped
1 ripe avocado, chopped
20g fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tbsp. honey

Method:

Put the strawberries, avocado, onion and coriander in a bowl, Season with a little salt & pepper and add the lime zest and juice and the honey. Stir gently together to prevent breaking up the avocado. Set to one side.

Make cuts in the skin of the mackerel, season and brush with a little oil. Grill the flesh side up first for 2 mins and then turn to skin up and grill for a further 4-5 minutes until skin crispy and fish cooked.

Serve together with potato wedges if liked.