Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Easy’

Cheat’s Chilli

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 18 November 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is a doddle to whip up after work and it’s not a bad chilli for very little effort. Serve in warmed tortillas with some rocket and sour cream or in a baked potato.

Cheat’s Chilli – to serve 4

  • 500g minced beef
  • 350g jar of tomato and chilli sauce (we use our own tomato sauce which we always have a supply of in the freezer)
  • 400g tin of red kidney beans

Fry the mince in a non-stick pan until well browned. Pour in the sauce, then fill the empty jar about a third full of water and rinse out into the pan. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the meat and heat through for about 5 minutes or until the beans are hot and the sauce is thick.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Gardener’s Pie

Posted in Food, Healthy, Potato, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 May 2013| 1 Comment »

This recipe is rich with a natural gravy and very flavoursome and filling. Despite this it is very low in calories so perfect if you’re watching your weight or for a midweek dinner. We ate this over two nights (instead of three) as we were both a little greedy, and also because it was so moreish.

Gardener’s Pie – to serve 6

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, trimmed & chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled & diced
  • 2 large parsnips, peeled & diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 150g puy lentils, rinsed & drained
  • 1 litre hot vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 500g floury potatoes, like Maris Piper, peeled & cut into small chunks
  • 15g butter
  • 2 tsp plain flour

Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots, celery, carrots & parsnip for 8-12 minutes and until brown. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the lentils, stock, tomato purée and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes and until tender.

Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes and until tender. Drain and add the butter and some seasoning. Mash until smooth. Add a little extra butter if you’d like for a bit more richness.

Heat the grill.

Sprinkle flour over the simmered lentil mix and stir in. Cook for another 2 minutes until thickened. Spoon into a warmed, heatproof pie dish.

Top with the mashed potato and grill for 5 minutes , until golden. You’ll need to keep an eye on this as the time needed will depend on the griller.

Serve with: try a Beaujolais Cru, like a Régnié, which will have a both lightness and depth, plus a bit of earthiness to match the lentils. Beaujolais is never too heavy, and the Cru’s add depth and personality that is harder to find in a basic wine.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Chicken, Butter Bean and Red Onion Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 March 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is one of our hearty dinners from the 5:2 diet we are on and it was very welcome this evening after getting in from the rain and cold. Full of flavour and filling despite the low calories!

Chicken, Red Onion and Mushroom Stew with Sherry and Butterbeans, serves 4

  • 6 Chicken thighs, skinned and boned then quartered
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 100ml dry sherry
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
  • small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little olive oil to a medium-high heat in a pan and add the chicken, browning until golden on all sides.

Add the paprika, garlic onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions and mushrooms have softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan for a second to deglaze, then add the chicken stock, tomatoes and butterbeans.

Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with the parsley sprinkled over the top and some crusty bread if you like.

Wine suggestion: If you feel like a glass with this we’d suggest trying a red from Navarra, an under-rated region in Spain. The balance of juiciness and structure would work with the simple, smokey and rustic flavours of the dish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Chicken with Mushrooms

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 27 November 2012| 2 Comments »

This is a quick and easy week-night chicken dish; French inspired and uncomplicated but good flavours.

Chicken with mushrooms – to serve 4

  • tbsp olive oil
  • 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • flour
  • 50g cubetti di pancetta
  • 300g small button mushrooms
  • 2 large shallots, chopped
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 50g frozen peas
  • small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with flour, then brown on all sides. Take the chicken out of the pan and fry the mushrooms and pancetta until softened, then remove.

Add the other tbsp of olive oil and cook the shallot for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar and bubble for a couple of minutes. Put the chicken, mushrooms and pancetta back into the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for another couple of minutes, then serve with potatoes if you like.

Wine Suggestion: This is an uncomplicated and tasty dish and therefore we suggest a glass of something equally tasty and uncomplicated to go with it. Try an easy French white, like an unoaked Chardonnay from the Mâcon, or an easy French red, like a Cabernet Franc from Chinon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Home-made Fish Fingers with Mushy Peas

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , on 19 October 2012| Leave a Comment »

These are super-simple and a hundred times better than the frozen variety. You can use any firm, skinless, white fish – we used hake.

Home-made fish fingers with mushy peas – to serve 4

  • 600g firm, skinless white fish
  • 50g plain flour, seasoned
  • 1 large egg, lightly whisked
  • 200g fine fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400g frozen peas
  • knob of butter
  • zest 1 lemon, then cut into wedges
  • mint

Cut the fish into 12 fingers, about 3cm thick. Put the seasoned flour, egg, and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dust the fish pieces in the flour first, then coat with the egg and finally a good coating of breadcrumbs. Put on a plate and chill for 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the fish fingers for about 8 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the peas in a small pan of boiling water until really tender, about 4 minutes. Drain then tip into a bowl with the butter, zest and mint and roughly mash. Season and keep warm.

Serve the fish fingers with a dollop of peas and some lemon wedges.

Wine Suggestion: Try a light Sauvignon Blanc, such as from the Touraine in France’s Loire Valley, which should be fresh and fruity with a slight grassiness.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Garlic Mushrooms

Posted in Food, Spanish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 31 July 2012| 1 Comment »

A classic Spanish tapa dish. Don’t fork out for fancy mushrooms as ordinary button ones work perfectly here, taking on the flavours of the garlic, oil and white wine.

Champiñones al ajillo – to serve 4 as a tapa 

  • 250g button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on what size they are
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine or 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the mushrooms with the garlic and chilli over a medium-high heat. Add some salt and pepper as the mushrooms are cooking. The mushrooms will soak up all of the oil first and then release it again with their juices. Add the white wine or lemon juice, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms are really soft, the juices have almost evaporated and the oil is sizzling through. This should take 15-20 minutes in total.

Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Drink with: a glass of rich and nutty Amontillado sherry.

Read Full Post »

Easy Veggie Filo Pie

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 11 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This dish is easily doubled to make two pies, particularly if you are like us and had to defrost a whole packet of filo pastry.  The filo is very forgiving so don’t worry if you’re pastry sheets don’t look too neat and tidy. You could add some cooked chicken if you like things meaty.

Easy Veggie Filo Pie – to serve 4

  • 200g spinach leaves
  • 175g jar sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ 250g pack filo pastry

Put the spinach into a large pan. Add a 2 tbps water, then cook until just wilted. Drain in a sieve, then squeeze out with your hands once it’s cold enough to handle. Roughly chop and put into a bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes (reserve the oil) and add to the spinach with the feta and eggs. Mix well.

Unroll the pastry and be careful not to tear the sheets too much. Cover with some damp kitchen roll to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush really well with some of the oil from the tomatoes. Drape the sheet, oil-side down, in a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin, leaving some pastry hanging over the sides. Brush another sheet and place in the tin at a slightly different angle. Keep doing this until you have used about 3 of the pastry sheets. Pull the sides into the middle, making sure the filling is totally covered. Brush with a bit more oil on the top if necessary.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Slice into wedges and serve with a salad and some tzatziki.

Drink with: a glass of Chablis which should have a saline quality to compliment the salty feta.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Retro Chicken & White Wine Casserole

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 10 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Genuinely retro, but really simple and tasty casserole.

Chicken & White Wine Casserole – to serve 4

  • 2 sticks celery
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 500g diced, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 500ml white white
  • olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

Roughly chop the celery, onions and carrots. Heat a large casserole over a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry the vegetables and thyme for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and the flour and stir well. Then add the white wine and tinned tomatoes. Stir again and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Check it after an hour and add a splash of water if it looks a bit dry.

Taste for seasoning and serve with some steamed potatoes and green veg.

Drink with: a glass of straightforward unoaked Chardonnay, like a Mâcon Villages – you might have to open another bottle if everyone wants a glass 🙂

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)

Read Full Post »

Courgette Linguine

Posted in Food, Healthy, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Jono’s boss grows his own courgettes and they’re coming out his ears at the moment, so we are happily helping him eat them!

Courgette & Lemon Linguine – to serve 4

  • 300g linguine
  • 3 courgettes, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • handful of basil leaves, torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to the pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the courgettes over a high heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute or so.

Drain the pasta and tip into the courgettes, then add the lemon zest. Season, drizzle with some extra olive oil and scatter over the basil.

Drink with: a glass of Italian Pinot Grigio. Try and find one of the more aromatic versions from Friuli, the Alto Adige or a Riserva from the Veneto.

Read Full Post »

Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs

Posted in Albarino, Fish, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a Basque inspired dish where fresh fish is cooked really simply over hot coals. Firm fish like Monkfish, or Grouper, will not fall apart as easily so make them perfect for barbecuing. Serve with a green salad and some bread.

Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs – to serve 4

  • 1 kg monkfish fillets, cut into large chunks
  • 12 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Light the barbecue and wait until it is really hot before you start cooking.

Thread the monkfish onto 4 metal skewers. Make a marinade using 6 tbsp of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 3 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Brush this lightly over the kebabs and barbecue until the fish is browned and cooked through. Keep brushing with the marinade as the fish cooks.

Put 6 tbsp olive oil, the garlic and chilli flakes into a small pan and heat over a high heat until the garlic turns golden (but don’t let it go brown as it will turn bitter). Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Drizzle over the fish and serve.

Drink with: a chilled glass of Txakoli if you can find it. This Basque speciality is hard to find outside Spain but an Albarino from Galicia makes a more than satisfactory substitute.

Read Full Post »

Roast Tomato & Basil Orecchiette

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 1 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

There is huge quantity of cherry tomatoes in this but they break down into a great pasta sauce. You can serve this as a main course for 4 people or a starter for 6-8. It’s really quick and easy to throw together.

Roast tomato & basil orecchiette – to serve 4 (or 6-8 as a starter)

  • 1.3kg cherry tomatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • olive oil
  • 500g dried orecchiette
  • 30 large basil leaves
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • grated Parmesan or pecorino
Pre-heat the grill.
Put the tomatoes in a single layer in a large roasting tray. Scatter the sliced garlic over the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Put the tomatoes under the grill and leave until starting to burst and turning black in places. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet.
Crush the tomatoes with a fork, then stir in the basil leaves. Stir in the cream and a handful of grated Parmesan or pecorino. Season to taste and serve with more cheese for people to add themselves.
Drink with: a light Chianti Rufina.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater: the kitchen diaries, Fourth Estate, 2005.)

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »

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)


Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »