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Turkish Carrots with Lentils & Herbs

Posted in Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 18 March 2016| 1 Comment »

Turkish carrots with lentils & herbs

We seem to permanently have a half-empty bag of carrots in the bottom of the fridge. This side dish puts them to excellent use and any leftovers are perfect for lunchboxes.

Turkish Carrots & Lentils with Herbs – serves 4-6 as a side dish

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • ¼-½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 100g green or Puy lentils
  • 6 large carrots, sliced
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 275ml vegetable stock/water
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint, parsley or dill
  • good squeeze of lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Then add everything else except the herbs, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Bring to the boil and cook until the carrots are tender and the liquid has been absorbed – about 30 minutes.

Taste, add the herbs and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add a generous slug of extra-virgin olive oil and serve warm, hot or at room temperature.

(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

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Roussillon Baked Potatoes

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , on 13 March 2016| 2 Comments »

Roussillon baked potatoes

Very simple and utterly delicious. Baked potatoes reach a whole new level when you mix the cooked potato with the toppings before baking for a second time.

Roussillon baked potatoes – serves 2

  • 2 baking potatoes
  • 30g butter
  • 4 streaky bacon rashers, 2 chopped
  • ¼ onion, finely chopped
  • 30g blue cheese, crumbled (we used Roquefort)
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • ½ tsp finely chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/gas mark 6.

Wash the potatoes and pat some salt flakes over the skin, then bake for about 1 hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then add the chopped bacon and onion. Cook until the onion is soft but not coloured.

Halve the potatoes, scoop out the insides without breaking the skins. Mash the scooped out potato with the fried onion & bacon, cheese, egg, parsley and some freshly ground pepper (we prefer white pepper for potatoes but black is fine too). Pile the potato mixture back into the potato skins, top with the 2 uncooked bacon rashers and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Octopus Publishing, 2010.)

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Greek Lemon Roast Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 March 2016| Leave a Comment »

Greek Lemon roast chicken

Sooo delicious! We never tire of variations on a roast chicken dinner and the potatoes are the best bit here which doesn’t take away from the delicious chicken! This variation has been made multiple times in our kitchen which says something as we’re always trying something new.

You need to roast chicken for 20 minutes at 190C/375F/gas 5 for each 500g, plus an extra 10 minutes.

Wine Suggestion: a rich white is the business with chicken, and Chardonnay is the usual go-to variety. For this dish, however, we’ve successfully opened oaked Godello from Spain, the Dominio de Tares Bierzo; and an oaked Alvarinho from Portugal, the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva. Both brought delicious nuances to the chicken and are really worth seeking out.

Greek lemon roast chicken with potatoes & oregano

  • 2.2kg chicken
  • 4 lemons
  • bay leaves
  • 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1kg small waxy potatoes, halved
  • 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
  • dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

Season the outside and the cavity of the chicken. Put half a lemon and a few bay leaves inside and place in a very large roasting tin.

Drizzle some olive oil over the skin, squeeze over the other lemon half and roast for about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Cut 2 of the lemons into wedges and put in a bowl with the onions, potatoes and garlic cloves. Add some olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tbsp dried oregano and the juice of half a lemon. Toss everything together until well coated.

45 minutes before the roasting time is up, put the vegetables around the chicken, sprinkle another 2 tsps of oregano over the top and return to the oven.

(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

 

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Baked butternut squash, chickpeas, chilli & pomegranate

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 8 March 2016| 1 Comment »

Baked butternut squash, chickpeas, pepper & pomegranate

This was tasty for a mid-week veggie night. The pomegranate molasses add a pleasant sour note but if you don’t have any you can substitute a few tablespoons of lime juice and a teaspoon of soft brown sugar drizzled over the top.

Baked butternut squash, chickpeas & green chilli – serves 6

  • 1kg butternut squash, deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • medium piece ginger, grated
  • 1 green chilli, finely diced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, mint & Greek yoghurt and couscous to serve

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Put the squash onto a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil, season and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 25 minutes or until soft.

Put half the squash into a medium casserole dish and set the rest aside. Heat a medium-sized frying pan and add the rest of the oil, then the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and paprika. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, pomegranate molasses and chickpeas, then simmer for a minute before turning off the heat.

Pour half the tomato sauce over the squash in the casserole dish in an even layer. Arrange the rest of the squash on top then finish with the rest of the sauce. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature, scattered with chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, and mint, with the yoghurt on the side. Serve with couscous.

(Original recipe by Bill Granger in BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2011.)

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Haddock Pie

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 6 March 2016| 2 Comments »

Haddock Pie

We are mad about fish pie and this one is particularly good. Yet another excuse to never through away our old food magazines!

Wine Suggestion: you need a fresh, vibrant white with a medium to full body; try to avoid heavily oaked and super-rich wines though. A good choice would be Chenin Blanc and the choice here is getting better each day. We’ve tried well made but simple ones from both the Loire and South Africa to good effect as well as some more complex ones like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs from Swartland and some Savennieres too.

Haddock Pie – serves 6

  • 1 small onion, thickly sliced
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 600ml creamy milk
  • 300ml double cream
  • 450g haddock fillet with skin
  • 200g undyed smoked haddock fillet
  • 4 eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk
  • 100g cooked peeled prawns
  • 100g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 5tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
  • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1.25kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into chunks

Stud a couple of the onion slices with the cloves and put into a large pan with the bay leaf, 450ml of the milk, the cream, haddock and smoked haddock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Lift out the fish and strain the cooking liquor into a jug.

Wait for the fish to cool and meanwhile hard boil the whole eggs for 8 minutes, then drain, cover with cold water and leave to cool.

When the fish has cooled a bit, break it into  large flakes, discarding the skin and any bones. Sprinkle the flakes of fish over the base of a shallow 1.7 litre ovenproof dish. Scatter the prawns over the top. Shell the eggs and cut into chunky slices. Arrange these over the fish and prawns.

Melt 50g of the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the reserved fish cooking liquor. Return to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/Fan 180C.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash well and beat in the egg yolk and remaining butter. Season with salt and white pepper and beat in enough of the remaining milk to make a smooth mash that’s easy to spread.

Spoon the mashed potato over the filling and mark the surface with a fork. Bake for 40-45 minutes until piping hot and golden brown.

(Original recipe by Rick Stein in BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2001.)

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Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 3 March 2016| 4 Comments »

Pomegranate molasses chicken

Oh my goodness, how lovely this is. We bought Honey & Co., by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, after reading many a rave review and every time we try one of their recipes we are impressed all over again. This is just delicious and you can make your work colleagues very jealous if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers for your lunchbox.

Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad – Serves 4

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying

FOR THE MARINADE: 

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 green chilli, sliced
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 200g bulgar wheat
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 200ml boiling water
  • 50g shelled pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped (half reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
  • 75g currants
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 50g fresh pomegranate seeds (1 tbsp reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
  • 15-20g mint, roughly chopped
  • 15-20g parsley, roughly chopped

Mix the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken and stir to coat completely with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (You can do this and refrigerate for up to 48 hours in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

Place the bulgar in a bowl with the salt and oil, pour over boiling water and cover with cling film for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff up with a fork. Add the rest of the salad ingredients except those needed for the garnish and stir.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat and put the chicken thighs in smooth-side down. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the thighs have taken on a good colour, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Put the frying pan in the oven for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the salad onto plates or a large platter and top with the chicken and any juices from the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining pistachios & pomegranate seeds before serving.

(Original recipe from Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)

 

 

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Lemon & Parsley Spaghetti with Prawns

Posted in Food, Pasta, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , on 29 February 2016| 2 Comments »

Lemon, Prawn & Parsley Spaghetti

We try to keep a bag of frozen raw prawns in the freezer as they always feel like a special treat. This is good if you fancy a special treat on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday…

Wine Suggestion: to match this dish you can’t go wrong with a good Albariño (Spain) / Alvarinho (Portugal). What you need to look for is a bit of body as some are just a bit thin; the best have a real depth of flavour along with vibrant freshness. Perfect for the prawns and lemon.

Lemon & Parsley Spaghetti with Prawns – serves 2

  • 175g spaghetti
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 140g large raw peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
  • zest & juice 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
  • bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Cook the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the prawns and fry quickly until pink all over.

Add the lemon zest and juice, parsley, 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water and salt and pepper, then heat through.

Drain the spaghetti, add to the pan, then toss it all together.

Serve with lemon wedges.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Mussels in Creamy Sauce

Posted in Food, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , on 27 February 2016| Leave a Comment »

Mussels in a creamy sauce

We can’t get enough of mussels and love them in any kind of sauce. This is a nice easy one to serve 2 with some crusty bread (or hot chips!).

Wine Suggestion: try to find a good Alvarinho from Vinho Verde in Portugal. We’re big fans of Soalheiro whose wines have a delicious vibrancy and freshness that really work with mussels.

Mussels in a Creamy Sauce – serves 2

  • 1kg mussels
  • 250ml white wine
  • 25g butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 parsley stalks
  • few thyme sprigs
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped shallot
  • 100ml single cream
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

Scrub the mussels under cold water, scraping off any beards or barnacles. Discard any that are damaged or those that don’t close completely when tapped against the sink.

Put the mussels in a large pan with the wine, butter, bay leaf, parsley stalks, thyme and shallot. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Drain, keeping the cooking liquor, and discard any mussels that have not opened. Discard the parsley stalks and bay leaf.

Put the cooked mussels into two serving bowls and keep warm. Return the cooking liquor to the pot and boil rapidly until slightly thickened. Now pour in the cream and add the chopped parsley and cook gently until thickened further. Season, then pour over the mussels and serve immediately.

(Original recipe by Greg Wallace for BBC Good Food Magazine, February 2008.)

 

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Venison & Chorizo Cassoulet

Posted in Food, Game, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 February 2016| 5 Comments »

Venison & Chorizo Cassoulet

Cassoulets are rich gamey stews with white beans and baked in the oven; they are perfect for cold winter days. We used a very lean cut of venison and were concerned about the long cooking time, but as the temperature is so low, the meat becomes meltingly tender. This couldn’t be easier to assemble and gives you plenty of time to relax and read a book by the fire.

Wine Suggestion: Ideally you would pair this with an equally rich & gamey wine – perhaps an old Northern Rhône Syrah, a red Burgundy or a good Oregon Pinot Noir.

Venison & Chorizo Cassoulet – serves 4

  • 600g venison, diced
  • 100g cooking chorizo, diced
  • 20g butter
  • 50g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled & chopped
  • 150ml red wine
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 200g tinned haricot beans, rinsed and drained
  • a pinch of dried tarragon
  • 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
  • 300ml chicken stock

Heat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/gas 2.

Put all of the ingredients into a casserole with a lid. Stir, season well and cover with the lid.

Cook in the oven for 2½ – 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.

If the sauce is a bit thin, transfer the dish to the hob and simmer gently with the lid off until you get a nice consistency.

That’s it!

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Mushroom Stroganoff

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 15 February 2016| 7 Comments »

Mushroom stroganoff

We like a good stroganoff, and this vegetarian version doesn’t lack anything that the classic beef one has in terms of flavour. We’ve served this to dedicated carnivores with no complaints.

Wine Suggestion: Jono recently tasted the Höpler Blaufrankisch from Burgenland, Austria and thought it would match the richness, was wonderfully fresh to cut through the cream, and was spicy and juicy in a very complimentary way. We think there’s a new generation of red wines from Austria that are definitely worth seeking out.

Mushroom Stroganoff – Serves 8

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g shiitake mushrooms
  • 275g button mushrooms
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms
  • 250g Portobello mushrooms
  • 100g butter
  • 1 tbsp Maldon salt/1½ tsp table salt
  • 4 tbsp Amontillado sherry (or white wine)
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 x 142ml tubs sour cream
  • 4-5 tbsp chopped parsley

Peel and quarter the onion and process with the garlic cloves until finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large wide pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft but not coloured.

Remove the stalks from the shitake mushrooms and slice them; quarter the button mushrooms and slice. Slice the chestnut mushrooms, and peel and quarter the Portobello mushrooms, discarding the stalks first.

Melt the butter in the pan, then add the mushrooms. Turn the mushrooms to coat with the butter, then cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. (You can cook up to this point earlier in the day)

Take the lid off the pan (reheat first if you’ve done to this point earlier) and add the salt, sherry, paprika, nutmeg and sour cream. Stir over the heat for about 5 minutes, then stir in most of the parsley. Put the stroganoff into a warmed serving dish and scatter the remaining parsley over the top.

Serve with steamed basmati rice.

(Original recipe from Feast by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2004.)

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Chicken, ham & leek pie

Posted in Cheese, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 8 February 2016| Leave a Comment »

Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie

We love a chicken pie, particularly with sweet leeks and a rich creamy sauce.

Wine Suggestion: the classic suggestion, and our first thought, was to drink a lighter chardonnay with this, but we found a great alternative in the Salwey Weissburgunder “RS” which is a Pinot Blanc from Baden in Germany. An amazing wine with lovely fruit and a texture that holds it all together giving it a long finish and makes a good match with the creamy sauce and pastry. Every time we taste this wine we are impressed and think it is one to put Pinot Blanc back on the wine drinkers lists.

Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie – serves 4

For the filling: 

  • 450ml chicken stock
  • 3 chicken breasts fillets
  • 75g butter
  • 2 leeks, cut into 1cm slices
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 50g plain flour
  • 200ml milk
  • 2-3 tbsp white wine
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150g piece thickly carved ham, cut into 2cm chunks

For the pastry: 

  • 350g plain flour
  • 200g butter
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water, plus an additional egg, beaten, to glaze

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside, then pour the stock into a jug.

Melt 25g of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the chopped leeks and fry gently for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then, until softened. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, then set aside. Add the rest of the butter and stir in the flour as soon as it has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the milk to the pan, stirring well between each addition. Then gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock and the wine until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

Season the sauce, remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming on the top. Set aside until cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a baking tray into heat.

To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Keep the motor running while you add the beaten egg with water and blend until the mixture comes together in a ball. Carefully remove from the processor and set aside about 250g of the pastry to make your lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning frequently until about 5mm thick and larger than your pie dish. Lift the pastry over your rolling pin and gently place into the pie dish. Press firmly up the sides of the dish and make sure no air bubbles remain. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the sides.

Cut the cooked chicken into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken, ham & leeks into the cooled sauce, then pour into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and roll out the reserved pastry to make a lid.

Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim off any excess pastry.

Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with beaten egg. Bake on the hot baking tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Best of British).

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Honey, Orange Blossom and Pistachio Ice-cream

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 February 2016| 1 Comment »

Honey, orange blossom and pistachio ice-cream

This is hedonistically rich and full of flavour; Jono thought it was devine and Julie thought it was all a bit much. A conversation piece at least to end your next Middle Eastern feast.

Pistachio, Honey & Orange Blossom Ice Cream – 4-6

  • 200g pistachios
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 600ml full-fat milk
  • 600ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp clear honey
  • 200ml orange blossom water
  • 400ml unsweetened evaporated milk
  • finely grated rind of 2 oranges

Whizz 150g of the pistachios with the sugar in a food processor until finely ground.

Put the milk, cream, honey, orange blossom water and the pistachio mixture in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes or until reduced by a quarter. Keep stirring to prevent it boiling over. Set aside and leave to cool.

Chop the remaining pistachios. Add the evaporated milk to the cooled mixture and stir in the grated orange rind and chopped pistachios. Mix well, then chill in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 2 hours).

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for 25-30 minutes. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a large shallow container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove the container from the freezer and fork through to break down the ice crystals, then freeze again until firm.

(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)

 

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Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 25 January 2016| 2 Comments »

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A classic recipe that we always find full of flavour and very satisfying. A good veggie dish for a cold night.

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni – serves 4

  • 60g butter, plus a bit extra
  • 300g spinach
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 425g ricotta cheese, drained
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 16 dried cannelloni tubes
  • 45g plain flour
  • 450ml whole milk
  • 40g Grana Padano cheese (or use Parmesan)

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Grease a medium-sized, shallow, oven-proof dish with a little butter.

Bring a large pan, containing 1cm depth of water, to the boil, add the spinach, and stir until wilted. Drain and press out the excess water, then chop.

Melt 15g of the butter in a medium pan and sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the spinach and season well. Take off the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Fill the cannelloni with the spinach mixture and arrange the tubes in a single layer in your buttered dish (use both ends of a teaspoon to help fill the tubes).

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 45g of butter in a large pan. Whisk in the flour over a low heat and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened.

Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the sauce generously with salt and pepper and pour over the filled cannelloni tubed. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, place on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.

(Original recipe from Family Kitchen Cookbook by Caroline Bretherton, DK, 2013.)

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Thai-style Stir-fried Minced Beef

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , on 18 January 2016| 2 Comments »

Thai-styled stir-fried minced beef

A tasty mid-week supper full of zip, flavour and freshness. This is low in calories and a very easy way to perk up minced beef.

Thai-style stir-fried minced beef – serves 4

  • 100g broccoli florets, cut very small
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • bunch of scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander stalks, plus a handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 400g minced beef
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • steamed rice, to serve

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the broccoli florets for 1 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, and chilli, and fry for a couple of minutes or until starting to colour.

Add the beef and continue to fry over a  high heat until it is well browned.

Add the broccoli, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime and sugar. Mix well and continue to cook for another couple of minutes or until the broccoli is hot. Stir in the coriander leaves and serve immediately with some steamed rice.

(Original recipe from Family Kitchen Cookbook by Caroline Bretherton, DK, 2013.)

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Comfort Food Chilli

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 11 January 2016| 2 Comments »

Chilli with Chickpeas

We’ve tried loads of recipe for Chilli Con Carne. This is a good hearty version and we loved the addition of chickpeas and plenty of spice. Perfect for a cold night!

Wine Suggestion: Go juicy, red and with a bit of spice; youthful Cotes du Rhone would work, but so would other Grenache based wines such as a Spanish Garnacha. Alternately think Primitivo or Zinfandel but make sure the wine you choose isn’t too big as extra tannins might fight the spice in the Chilli; juicy is best here with depth and personality. Our choice was a Lirac from Domaine Joncier – their “le Gourmand”, which had juicy plum flavours, hints of mocha, a touch of rosemary and warm velvety spices.

Chilli Con Carne – serves 6

  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
  • olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp of chilli powder
  • 1 heaped tsp of ground cumin
  • 1 heaped tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 500g minced beef
  • small bunch of coriander, leaves picked and stalks chopped
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • rice or baked potatoes to serve
  • natural yoghurt and/or guacamole to serve
  • lime wedges to serve

Heat about 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large casserole and add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and red peppers.

Add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon and season well with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring regularly, for about 7 minute or until the vegetables are softened and lightly coloured.

Add the chickpeas, kidney beans and tinned tomatoes.

Next add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.

Fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and add this to the pan too along with the chopped coriander stalks, the balsamic vinegar and some more salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, take the lid off and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add a splash of water at any stage if it starts to dry out.

Serve with rice or a baked potato and some yoghurt or guacamole and lime wedges.

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2008.)

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Crab & Chilli Risotto

Posted in Food, Italian, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , on 4 January 2016| 3 Comments »

Crab & Chilli Risotto

We’d been eyeing this recipe up for a while and when we stumbled across some really good crab meat we had our excuse to make it. It was luxurious and delicious as we expected.

Wine suggestion: Go for a rich white like an oaked Chardonnay, which will also have a good freshness and texture to balance the rich risotto. Our choice was the Rustenberg Chardonnay from Stellenbosch in South Africa which never lets us down.

Crab & chilli risotto  – serves 2

  • 1 litre light chicken stock
  • ¼ tsp saffron threads
  • 2 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 scallions, finely sliced
  • 1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
  • 200g risotto rice
  • 75ml dry white wine or vermouth
  • 100g brown crabmeat
  • 100g white crabmeat
  • zest and juice of ½ a lemon, plus wedges to serve
  • 50g rocket

Heat up the stock, add the saffron threads and keep hot over a low heat.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan (which you have a lid for) and add the bashed garlic cloves. Leave to sizzle for a couple of minutes, then remove and discard the garlic. Add the scallions and most of the red chilli and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring, for about a minute.

Turn up the heat and stir in the rice so that the grains become coated in the oil.

Add the white wine/vermouth and let it bubble up until it has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed.

Turn the heat down and continue to stir and add ladlefuls of stock, allowing each one to be absorbed before adding another. After about 18 minutes the stock should have all been absorbed and the rice should be al dente.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the crab and the lemon zest and juice, then season. Add the rocket, cover with the lid, and let stand for a minute.

Serve the risotto with the remaining chilli over the top and a squeeze of lemon.

(Original recipe from Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2012.)

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Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 January 2016| 2 Comments »

Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

We really meant to post this recipe before now, but we’re sure some of you still have a bit of turkey lurking in the freezer. Such a revitalising boost to the tastebuds after all the Christmas feasts. If the turkey is all done then try this the next time you have leftover roast chicken. Tone down the curry paste if you’re not so mad on the heat. The recipe comes from our obligatory Christmas cookbook which this year was ‘Food from Plenty’, by Diana Henry, and we highly recommend it!

Chiang Mai turkey noodles – serves 4 

  • groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 1 onion or 6 shallots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 200ml chicken stock (from a cube or stock pot is fine)
  • 350g leftover cooked turkey or chicken, in chunks
  • ½ tsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 400g egg noodles

To Serve:

  • 2 scallions, chopped fine on the diagonal
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • lime wedges

Put a tbsp of the oil into a saucepan and sauté the onions until golden. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the turmeric and curry paste. Stir for about a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add the turkey and heat thoroughly.

Season with the sugar and fish sauce to taste (you may need to adjust the amount of lime/sugar).

Cook the noodles according to the pack. Divide between 4 bowls and spoon over the turkey and garnish with scallions, chilli and coriander. Serve lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchel Beazley, 2010.)

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Potato & Leek Gratin

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 14 December 2015| Leave a Comment »

Potato & Leek Gratin

Seasonal comfort food for dark nights and lashing rain. This gratin would work as a side for roast lamb or chicken, or like we did, add a little ham make it a weekday meal.

Potato & Leek Gratin – serves 4

  • 125ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • carton double cream
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a knob of butter
  • 800g potato, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
  • 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
  • 175g good quality sliced ham, chopped (optional)
  • 85g cheddar, grated

Pour the stock, cream and milk into a small saucepan with the garlic and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/. Butter a 2 litre gratin dish well. Mix the potatoes, leeks and ham together and put into the gratin dish in an even layer. Pour over the creamy stock and tuck in the bay leaf. Season and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Loosely cover with foil, set on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Test the potatoes with a knife – they should be just beginning to soften. Remove the foil and bake for another 35-45 minutes, spooning some of the stock mixture over every now and again until the potatoes are tender. Cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Wine suggestion: We had a bottle of Reyneke Organic Syrah from South Africa opened to try as they’ve been getting great press lately, and we love how they integrate their workers into the whole process, genuinely giving back and involving the community. We thought it might have been too big and rich for the gratin but they complimented each other really well.

Reyneke Organic Syrah

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Pot-Roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks and Cider

Posted in Chicken, Food, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2015| 5 Comments »

Pot-roast Chicken with Chorizo, Leek and Cider

A great array of flavours and super-moist roast chicken. Chorizo cooked in cider is often served as a tapa in Spain and it’s delicious!

Wine Suggestion: A Spanish cider would be of course be great with this or failing that a good quality dry cider from somewhere else. If you feel like wine we’d recommend a really smooth Rioja.

Pot-roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks & Cider – serves 4

  • 1 x 1.75kg chicken
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cooking chorizo sausages, sliced
  • 50g butter
  • 700g leeks, washed and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 300g baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
  • Leaves from 2 large sprigs of thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 200ml dry cider

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3.

Season the cavity and outside of the chicken with salt and black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the chicken on all sides until golden, then set aside.

Lower the heat and add the chorizo, butter, leeks, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves. Cover and cook gently until the leeks have softened.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish, pour over the cider, then cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid from the casserole dish and turn the oven up to 200C/Gas 6. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes or until the chicken skin is browned.

Remove the chicken from the casserole and onto a carving board, cover with foil. Skim the excess fat from the surface of the vegetable juices, then place over a medium heat and simmer vigorously for 5 minutes to reduce. Season to taste with more salt if needed.

To carve the chicken, remove the legs and cut each one in half at the joint. Carve the breast in slices. Use a slotted spoon to put the chorizo and vegetables onto the centre of the plates and place the chicken on top. Spoon the cooking juices over to serve.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Spain, BBC Books, 2011.)

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Roasted broccoli

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 7 December 2015| 1 Comment »

Roasted broccoli

Roasted broccoli is a bit different and retains a satisfying crunch. Careful not to over-roast the pine nuts!

Roasted broccoli – serves 4 as a side dish

  • 200g broccoli, cut into florets including the stalk
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 25g pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 240C/Gas 9.

Put the broccoli in a bowl and toss with the garlic and olive oil, then season well with salt and black pepper.

Tip into a roasting tin and put into the oven. After 10 minutes sprinkle over the pine nuts and cook for another 5 minutes or until the broccoli is starting to soften and the pine nuts are golden.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

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