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Archive for June, 2012

BBQ Chicken and Peach Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Marsanne, Roussanne, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 June 2012| 2 Comments »

Our local supermarket, which will remain nameless, has perfectly ripe Spanish peaches at the moment. Absolutely perfect for a summer barbecue salad. It’s worth paying the extra for free-range chicken from a reliable source (probably not the local supermarket).

Warm Chicken & Peach Salad – to serve 4

  • 500g good-quality chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • baby spinach leaves
  • ripe peaches
  • basil

Heat the barbecue.

Put the chicken breast in a shallow dish. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Turn the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are well-coated.

Cook the chicken on the hot barbecue until cooked through (ours took about 6 minutes on each side). You are going to slice the chicken anyway so it’s no problem to slice open one of the fillets to check.

Scatter a good few handfuls of spinach and a small handful of basil leaves over a large serving platter.

Mix 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, a few shredded basil leaves and some salt and pepper together to make a dressing.

Slice the chicken and peaches and toss gently with the salad leaves. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Drink with: either Roussanne or Marsanne with their stone-fruit flavours to complement the light peachy flavours of the salad. We had a glass of a St Joseph white from Pierre Gaillard made from Roussanne which is amazing on it’s own and a perfect match for this dish.

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BBQ Tikka Sea Bream

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Beer, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , on 28 June 2012| 1 Comment »

We didn’t brush the grill of our barbecue well enough to prevent the skin sticking to it. If you’re cooking fish on a barbecue learn from our mistakes and brush the grill down well and rub with a bit of oil to stop it sticking. You can also season the fish with salt and set it aside for 15 minutes or so before cooking which will draw the moisture out of the skin. Alternatively you can take the extra safe precaution of cooking the fish on some tinfoil. This is a delicious way to cook fish and you get the flavours of the garlic, ginger and Tikka flavours with the added barbecue smokiness which works a treat and can be served with a fresh cucumber, tomato and coriander salad.

BBQ Tikka Sea Bream – to serve 2

  • 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 small sea bream, approx. 450g each
  • 6 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 3 tsp cumin seeds

Get the barbecue hot.

Slash the skin of the fish on either side and place in a shallow dish. Mix the ginger and garlic, season with salt, then rub all over the fish.

Mix the yoghurt with the oil, spices and seasoning. Pour this over the fish and rub it all over the fish with your hands, inside and out.

Cook for about 6 minutes on each side and serve with an Indian-style salad.

Drink with: a chilled bottle of Singha beer, preferably outside in the sunshine.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Kefta Mkaouara – Moroccan Meatball Tagine

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , on 24 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

In Morocco they serve bread with every meal. If you want eat this Moroccan-style, put the dish in the middle of the table and use flat-breads to mop up the little meatballs and eggs. It’s really worthwhile seeking out hot paprika (the paprika available in supermarkets is the sweet version), but don’t be tempted to use smoked paprika as it has a much stronger flavour and will overpower the dish. You can use minced lamb instead of beef if you prefer. The tagine also works well without the eggs, but they do add an extra layer of flavour and texture.

Kefta Mkaouara – to serve 4

  • 500g minced beef
  • small handful chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp hot paprika
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • sea salt
  • 4 eggs (optional)
  • handful fresh coriander, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Mix the mince with the parsley, 1 tsp of the cumin and ½ tsp of the paprika, some black pepper and about 1 tsp salt. Wet your hands and make lots of tiny meatballs (about the size of cherry tomatoes).

Heat a couple of good glugs of olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches. Remove them with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the pan with a little extra oil if necessary and cook gently until very soft (about 10 minutes). Add the tomatoes, the rest of the cumin and paprika, 1tsp ground black pepper and the garlic. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes but be careful that it doesn’t reduce down too much and become thick. Season well.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and pour into a shallow ovenproof dish. Push the back of a ladle into the mixture to make 4 wells to crack the eggs into. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Serve with the coriander and some warm flatbreads.

Drink with: a fruity red. We had a glass of our favourite “everyday” wine of the moment which the the Selvapiana Chianti Rufina and it worked a treat.

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Quick Lunchbox Couscous

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 23 June 2012| 2 Comments »

We’re always looking for easy things to take to work for lunch. This can be made with almost anything you have left in the fridge but we make it most often when we’ve only used half a pack of feta cheese for another recipe. The more herbs you add the better so its great for using up the ends of those little packs.

Quick couscous salad – makes 4 large portions 

  • 250g couscous
  • 400ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • small jar of chargrilled red peppers in olive oil, drained and diced
  • ½ cucumber, chopped small
  • scallions, finely chopped
  • feta cheese, cut into cubes
  • lots of chopped herbs

Put the couscous in a large bowl and cover with the hot stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 10 minutes. Remove the cling film, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and season.  Separate the grains with a fork and leave to cool a bit.

While the couscous is still warmish, add the rest of the ingredients and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add more oil if it needs moisture. Eat at room temperature.

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New Potatoes with Rosemary

Posted in Food, Italian, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 20 June 2012| 3 Comments »

Rosemary flavoured potatoes are available everywhere in Tuscany and we love them!

Patatine Novelle al Rosmario – to serve 4

  • 25g butter
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 750g new potatoes

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add the rosemary, garlic and new potatoes, then cover. Cook on a low heat until golden brown. Discard the garlic and rosemary and sprinkle with some sea salt to serve.

(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon, Phaidon Press Ltd. 2005)

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Lemon and Aubergine Risotto

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 19 June 2012| 2 Comments »

Another delicious dish by Yotam Ottolenghi who recommends making some home-made stock which we duly did. Throw some aromatic vegetables and herbs into a large pot (we used carrot, celery, onion, parsley, garlic, lemongrass and fennel), cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes. This dish does take some time to make but is completely worth the effort and time with levels of flavour and texture that really make this risotto special.

Lemon and aubergine risotto – to serve 4

  • 2 medium aubergines
  • 130ml olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 200g good-quality risotto rice
  • 120ml white wine
  • 750ml hot vegetable stock
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 20g butter
  • 50g Parmesan, grated
  • 10g basil leaves, shredded

First you need to literally burn one of the aubergines. Pierce it with a sharp knife then put on a foil-lined tray and place under a hot grill for an hour, turning now and then. You need the aubergine to deflate and the skin to be burnt and breaking. Carefully spoon out the soft flesh without getting any of the burnt skin, then chop the flesh roughly and set aside.

Cut the other aubergine into 1.5 cm cubes. Heat 80ml of the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine in batches until golden and crisp. Transfer to a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to cool.

Put the onion and the rest of the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry slowly until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the rice, stirring until it is well coated with oil. Fry for a few minutes, then add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Turn the heat down to medium.

Start adding the hot stock to the rice, a ladeful at at time, and wait until each addition is absorbed before adding the next and stirring all the time. When all the stock has been added take the pan off the heat. Add half the lemon zest, the lemon juice, grilled aubergine flesh, butter, most of the Parmesan and ¾ tsp salt. Stir well, then cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning with more salt and some black pepper.

Serve the risotto sprinkled with the diced aubergine, the rest of the Parmesan, the basil and the rest of the lemon zest.

Drink with: an Italian red to complement the earthy flavour of the charred aubergine and stand up to the acidity of the lemon. We drank a Chianti Rufina made by Selvapiana, where we visited in April, and it was superb.

(Original recipe from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2010.)

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How to cook a Spanish Omelette

Posted in Food, Potato, Spanish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 18 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

We’ve made plenty of variations on Spanish potato omelettes or tortilla but it’s hard to know when the centre is cooked. We’ve also found grilling the surface under the grill much less daunting than trying to flip a semi-liquid pan full of hot ingredients! So we were relieved to read that Claudia Roden has had similar issues and this time followed the advice she got from a Spanish friend and recounts in her fabulous book The Food of Spain. The trick is to use a smaller non-stick pan and a slightly concave saucepan lid, larger than the pan, to catch the liquid when you turn the omelette upside down. It worked for us!

Tortilla de patatas – to serve 4

  • 250g new or waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in 1.5cm cubes
  • 300ml olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • salt
  • 6 large eggs
Dry the potatoes with some kitchen roll as soon as you dice them.

Heat the oil in a smallish non-stick frying pan that will hold all the ingredients over a medium heat and add the potatoes and onions. Cook and cook over a low heat for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Give them a gentle shake now and again and don’t let them colour. Drain in a colander and keep the oil which you can use again. Spread the potatoes out on kitchen roll and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Beat the eggs lightly and add a little salt. Add the potatoes and onions and gently mix together.

Pour 1 tbsp of your reserved oil back into the frying pan and heat until almost smoking. Pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat to low. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the eggs set at the bottom, shaking now and then with a circular motion to stop it sticking. Put a slightly concave lid larger than the pan on top and flip the pan over quickly to leave the omelette on the lid of the pan. Pour another tbsp of the reserved oil into the pan and gently slide the omelette back in, uncooked side down, and lower the heat. Cook for 2 minutes more until just set. Run a wooden spoon round the edge of the omelette to make it neat before turning out.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Spicy Tomato and Couscous Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 17 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

There’s hardly any couscous used here but it still manages to transform this into a really wholesome soup.

Spiced tomato and couscous soup – to serve 4

  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 diced carrots
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2-3 tbsp harissa paste (depending how spicy you like it)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp couscous
  • handful of parsley, chopped

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the harissa and cumin. Add all the other ingredients except the couscous and stir, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the couscous and simmer for another 5 minutes, then stir in the parsley just before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)


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Pork with Apricots

Posted in Food, Healthy, Pork, tagged , , , , , , on 16 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

A summer version of pork and apple, the apricots add a similar sweet and acidic foil. On the table in 20 minutes.

Pork with spiced apricots – to serve 2

  • 2 large (approx. 175g) pork steaks
  • olive oil
  • 4 ripe apricots, halved and stoned
  • knob of butter
  • pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp muscovado sugar

Preheat the grill to medium and line a baking tray with tinfoil. Place the pork steaks on the tray, brush with a little oil and season. Arrange the apricot halves around the pork, cut side up. Top each apricot half with a little butter, sugar and chilli.

Grill the pork for about 15 minutes in total, turning half way through.

Great with some steamed potatoes and green veg.

Drink with: We’ve been drinking a lot of northern Rhone recently and this dish matches the Roussanne and Marsanne whites found there. They compliment the apricot flavours and have enough weight and acidity to stand up to the pork. It is a really good match, so search out these grapes from around the world as we think they are so underrated.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Hot and Sour Watercress and Prawn Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Pinot Noir, Prawns, Soup, tagged , , , , , , on 14 June 2012| 2 Comments »

The watercress has finally arrived in Caviston’s, one of our favourite vegetable shops. The seasons seem to be all out this year and we can’t predict when produce will be there and at it’s freshest. The bags you buy in supermarkets just don’t taste like the real thing at all so catch it while you can as it mightn’t be here for long!

This soup can be on the table under 10 minutes if you want. We love asian soups as they have great depth of flavour and really zing with freshness.

Hot and Sour Watercress and Prawn Soup – to serve 2 

  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp golden caster sugar
  • 2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 300g raw peeled prawns
  • 1 bunch watercress, stalks cut off

Put all the ingredients except for the prawns and watercress into saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Cook for a minute, then add the prawns and cook until they turn pink.

Stir in the watercress and take off the heat. Taste and add another teaspoon of sugar if necessary.

Drink with: a non-Burgundy Pinot but not from a hot climate. We tried one from San Gimignano in Tuscany which had lovely juicy fruit but was still nice and light without too much tannin which tends to clash badly with chilli. A surprisingly good choice and one that will be repeated.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Casarecce with Pistachio Pesto

Posted in Food, Grillo, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, Vermentino, Wine, tagged , , , , , , on 13 June 2012| 2 Comments »

This is a classic Sicilian dish. Casarecce is the pasta shown in the picture but you can use penne if you can’t find it. You can roast the pistachio’s in advance but don’t chop them until you are ready to make the pesto as they will go rancid very quickly once their oils are released.

Casarecce con pesto di pistacchio – to serve 4

  • 70g shelled pistachios
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 40g fresh basil
  • 200ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 30g pecorino cheese, grated, plus a bit extra to serve
  • 400g casarecce (or penne)

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Spread the pistachios out on a baking tray in a single layer and roast for about 8 minutes. Check them near the end to ensure they don’t burn.

Chop the pistachios. Take ¾ of the pistachios and the garlic and pound to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Pound the basil into the paste, then gradually add the olive oil.  Add the remaining pistachios and the pecorino and pound just briefly to make sure you keep some pieces of pistachio. Season.

Cook the pasta in lots of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and put the pasta back in the pan, reserve a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pesto and add a bit of the cooking water to loosen if necessary. Grate over some more pecorino to serve.

Drink with: We tried a Vermentino from Colli di Luni DOC (Hills of the Moon) in the hills of Liguria in Italy which worked very well and is a classic partner for Pesto dishes. To be even more authentic to the dish we would suggest something Sicilian made from Grillo; you need minerality, nuttiness, fresh acidity and fruitiness wrapped in a medium bodied wine.

(Original recipe from Georgio Locatelli’s Made in Sicily, Fourth Estate, 2011.)

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Beautiful Bean and Bacon Salad

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , on 12 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

This simple salad makes a tasty main meal.

Bean, Bacon & Spinach Salad – to serve 4

  • 12 rashers streaky bacon
  • 4 tbsp Sherry vinegar
  • few handfuls of roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and sliced
  • 2 cans of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
  • bag of baby spinach leaves

Heat a large frying pan and fry the bacon, without adding any extra oil, until brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. If there is a lot of fat pour some off but leave a tablespoon or so. Tear the bacon into bite-size pieces.

Add the Sherry vinegar to the pan and let it bubble for a few seconds. scraping any crispy bits form the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the beans and peppers and season, then stir gently until heated through. Take off the heat and stir through the spinach and bacon.

Drink with: a nice dry but fruity rosé from Provence or a rosé made from Syrah from the northern Rhône.

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Spaghetti with Scallop, Garlic & Hot Pepper Sauce

Posted in Food, Gruner Veltliner, Italian, Pasta, Shellfish, Wine, tagged , , , , on 10 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a delicious recipe from Marcella Hazan’s The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Marcella recommends using canestrelli which are tiny little sweet scallops which are also know as Queen Scallops or Queenies. We didn’t have canestrelli to hand when we made this but achieved a similar effect by chopping up larger scallops so there are lots of little pieces through the dish. Serve the sauce with spaghettini if you can get it, but thicker spaghetti will work too.

Scallop Sauce with Olive Oil Garlic and Hot Pepper – to serve 6

  • 450g fresh queen or deep-sea scallops
  • 8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp very finely chopped garlic
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • chopped hot red chilli pepper, to taste
  • salt
  • 450-675g pasta
  • 45g dry breadcrumbs, lightly toasted in the oven or a dry pan

Wash the scallops in cold water, pat dry with a tea towel and cut into little pieces about 9mm thick.

Put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan, turn the heat to medium and cook until the garlic becomes pale gold, add the parsley and chilli. Stir and add the scallops and a couple of large pinches of salt. Turn the heat to high, and cook for about 90 seconds, stirring often, until the scallops become opaque and loose their shine. Careful not to overcook them or they will be tough. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, remove the scallops with a slotted spoon, and boil down the watery juices. Return the scallops to the pan, turn quickly, then take off the heat.

Toss well with the cooked spaghettini, add the breadcrumbs and toss again.

Drink with: An easy, simple and fruity Grüner Veltliner (GV) works well by not overwhelming this delicate sauce and the spicy white pepper spices in GV complement the spices and chilli in the dish. Don’t spoil the balance by getting a powerful and complex GV.

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Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 10 June 2012| 1 Comment »

We like to take these to work in our lunchboxes but it would also make a nice veggie main with some salad. Very easy to double the recipe too.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers – to serve 2

  • 1 large red and 1 large yellow pepper, halved and deseeded
  • 85g couscous
  • 25g pine nuts, toasted
  • handful black olives, roughly chopped
  • 50g feta, crumbled
  • 50g semi-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tbsp shredded basil

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Microwave the peppers on a plate on Medium for about 5 minutes or until they are almost soft.

Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with 125ml boiling water. Stir, then cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 10 minutes. Break the couscous up with a fork, then add the pine nuts, olives, feta, tomatoes and basil. Pile the stuffing into the peppers, put on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chorizo Pilaf

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , on 9 June 2012| 2 Comments »

This is another successful low-calorie dish as it fills you up and is dead simple to make. We’re getting near the end of this diet we promise!

Chorizo pilaf – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 250g cooking chorizo, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 250g basmati rice
  • 600ml stock
  • 1 lemon, zest peeled off in thick strips, plus wedges to serve
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • handful parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large shallow pan with a lid. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and golden. Push to the side of the pan and add the chorizo. Cook until lightly browned and the oils have started to release into the pan.

Stir in the garlic and paprika, then add the tomatoes. Bubble over a medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the rice, stock, lemon zest and bay leaves. Stir well and bring to the boil, then put the lid on and cook over a very low heat for 12 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave to sit for a further 10-15 minutes. Stir through the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Wine Suggestion: Look for a spicy Spanish red, like a Jumilla or a Montsant, as they tend to be good value. They tend to be a bit richer and full-bodied but their inherent juiciness from good producers and ripe, juicy tannins should provide an excellent match for the flavoursome chorizo, paprika and lemon flavours in this dish.

(Original recipe by Lizzie Harris in BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2012)

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Easy Cheesy Soufflé

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 7 June 2012| 7 Comments »

Soufflés are not that hard to make despite their intimidating reputation. Maybe try it yourself first before serving at a dinner party, just in case. Ideally you need a 2 pint soufflé dish (ours was a bit bigger and it still turned out great – it just won’t rise up above the rim of the dish as much). Tastes fab!

Easy cheesy soufflé – to serve 4

  • 50g butter, plus a bit for greasing
  • 4 eggs
  • 100g firm goat’s cheese, with rind
  • 300ml milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 50g plain flour
  • 50g grated Parmesan
  • 15g packet chives

Put a heavy baking tray on the shelf below the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 190C/fan 180C/gas 5. Grease the inside of a soufflé dish with some soft butter. Put the egg whites in a large clean bowl, and the yolks in a small bowl. Finely chop the goat’s cheese.

Put the milk into a large saucepan, then add the bay leaf, butter and sprinkle in the flour. Put the pan over a medium heat and whisk vigorously continuously until the milk comes to the boil. Once the sauce bubbles and starts to thicken, continue to whisk for a further minute until it is very thick, then remove from the heat.

Throw away the bay leaf. Stir in the goat’s cheese and Parmesan, keeping 1 tbsp Parmesan. The mixture will look pretty lumpy but don’t worry about this. Stir in the egg yolks, one at at time. Snip in the chives using a pair of scissors, then season with salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside.

Whisk the bowl of egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed for 2-3 minutes until they stand in soft peaks. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down without the eggs sliding out. Careful not to whisk them past this point. Use a wooden spoon to stir two spoonfuls of the egg whites into the cheese sauce in the pan.

Use a spatula or large metal spoon to gently fold the remaining egg whites into the cheese sauce until they are evenly mixed in. Take your time and stop when a few streaks of egg white are still visible.

Pour the mixture into your soufflé dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Run your thumb lightly around the inside edge of the dish to make a deep groove in the mixture. Gently place onto the hot baking sheet in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, until risen and golden. Shake the soufflé gently to check if it is cooked, if it wobbles a lot, bake for another 5 minutes. Serve straight away as it doesn’t keep!

Wine Suggestion: We suggest trying a rich, mouth-filling white from the northern Rhône. Try a Condrieu made from Viognier, or for something a little different we highly recommend Pierre Gaillard’s St Joseph Blanc made from 100% Roussanne.

(Original recipe by Jeni Wright, in BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2001.)

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Moroccan Chicken Wings with Herby Couscous

Posted in Beer, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 6 June 2012| 1 Comment »

Delicious and speedy after-work dinner.

Moroccan Chicken Wings with Herby Couscous – to serve 4

  • 1kg chicken wings
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp harissa paste, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1 medium orange, zested and juiced (you need about 6 tbsp)
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 150g couscous
  • large bunch mint
  • large bunch coriander
  • preserved lemon, enough to give 2 tbsp when finely chopped
  • 0% fat Greek yoghurt to serve

Heat the grill to high. Put the wings into a large roasting tin and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, until golden.

Mix the maple syrup, harissa and cumin with the zests, half of the orange and lemon juices and some seasoning. Pour this over the wings and give the tray a good shake to coat everything, then return to the grill for another 15 minutes until browned and stick, turning once.

Add the rest of the citrus juices to the dry couscous, then add enough boiling water to cover. Clingfilm the bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Roughly chop the herbs.

Stir the couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then add the herbs, preserved lemon, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and some seasoning. Serve with the wings and a spoonful of yogurt mixed with a bit more harissa.

Beer Suggestion: Choose once of the fuller-flavoured lagers such as Kirin from Japan, it’ll work a treat.

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Jamie’s Favourite Coleslaw

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 5 June 2012| 28 Comments »

This is really fresh and tasty and a million miles better than the gloopy shop bought stuff. It’s also really handy to make if you have a food processor; use the slicing attachment for the cabbage and onion and the julienne attachment for the carrots and apples. Great side dish for a barbecue.

My Favourite Coleslaw – to serve 6

  • ½ a white cabbage, core removed and cut into quarters
  • 1 small red onion, peeled
  • 3 carrots, peeled
  • 2 red apples, washed and cored
  • a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • juice of 1-2 lemons
  • some mayonnaise
  • 1 heaped tsp English mustard

Slice the cabbage as finely as possible or slice using a food processor. Then slice the onion in the same way and mix with the cabbage in a large bowl.

Julienne the carrots and apples with a mandolin or food processor or cut into matchsticks. Add to the bowl along with the chopped parsley, a few dollops of mayonnaise and the mustard. You can adjust the quantities of lemon juice and mayonnaise to how you like it. We just added the juice from one lemon and a few good dollops of mayonnaise. Season to taste and toss together.

Et voila!

(Original recipe by Jamie Oliver in, Cook with Jamie, Penguin Books, 2006.)

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Peppered Mackerel, New Potato & Watercress Salad

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 4 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

Stock up on your oily fish with this delicious and easy-peasy dish. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

Peppered mackerel, new potato & watercress salad – to serve 6

  • 750g baby new potatoes
  • 5 tbsp mayonnaise
  • small bunch chives
  • 100g bag watercress
  • 270g peppered mackerel fillets

Boil the potatoes until tender, then drain and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Snip most of the chives and mix with the mayonnaise.

Scatter half the watercress on a serving platter, chop the rest roughly and mix with the mackerel, potatoes and mayonnaise.

Pile the mackerel and potato mix on top of the watercress and snip the rest of the chives over the top.

Wine Suggestion: Oily fish is difficult to match with wine – go for a crisp white with fresh acidity, such as a Sauvignon Blanc.

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Pea and Mint Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 3 June 2012| 1 Comment »

Finally we have warm enough weather to stop thinking about soup so much. This is more of a warm weather soup. Nice and light with really fresh flavours. You can even eat it chilled if you like.

Pea and Mint Soup – to serve 4

  • 1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
  • 850ml vegetable stock
  • 900g fresh peas in their pods – you should get around 250g peas (or use frozen)
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • large pinch caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 150ml buttermilk or soured cream

Put the scallions, garlic, potato and stock in a large pot and bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potato is very soft.

Blanch 3 tbsp of the shelled peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, put in a bowl of cold water and set aside to use as a garnish at the end.

Add the rest of the peas to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the mint, sugar and lemon/lime juice, then blend until smooth. Stir in the buttermilk or soured cream and season and reheat gently if necessary (don’t let it boil though or it might curdle). Garnish with the drained peas to serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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