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Posts Tagged ‘Easy’

A delicious Tuscan salad which is usually made with stale bread – we think the bread in Tuscany may contain less preservative as our bread rarely gets a chance to go stale. This version uses baked croutons for a similar effect. Make sure you leave the salad for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to mingle.

Panzanella – to serve 6

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large mild red chilli
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • pinch of sugar
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 600g ripe tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper
  • ½ large cucumber
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • ½ red onion
  • 4 thick slices from a country-style loaf
  • a small bunch of basil

Crush the garlic with a little bit of salt in a mortar, then deseed and chop up the chilli and crush with the salt and garlic until you have a coarse paste.

Add the vinegar and sugar and mix then tip into a large salad bowl. Add the olive oil and beat together.

Chop the rest of the salad ingredients into bite-size chunks or slices.

Tear the bread into small chunks and bake in a moderate oven until golden and crispy, then add the salad bowl.

Tear over the basil and add to the bowl with a bit of salt and pepper, then toss lightly and leave to stand for about 30 minutes. Toss again before serving.

Wine Suggestion: Wines from a region tend to complement the foods from that region (kind of like a chicken and egg thing). A glass of straightforward Chianti will have the right sort of acidity and rusticity to complement this perfectly.

(Original recipe by Alastair Hendry in Olive, June 2010.)

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My Dad keeps talking about these potatoes that I made before which he says I squashed a bit and then put them in the oven to crisp up. I had no recollection of these squashed, crispy potatoes until I came across these. Is this them Dad? If so I’ll make them for you next time I see you.

Crispy New Potatoes – to serve 4

  • 16 smallish new potatoes, leave the skins on
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • paprika

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, drain and then put back on the warm ring to dry off. Spread the potatoes out on a baking tray and squash them a bit using a potato masher. Be careful here as you only want them a bit squashed and not completely smashed (though I smashed one or two and it just made them even more crispy so don’t worry too much).

Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over a little paprika, salt and pepper. Now roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until nice and crispy.

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At last summer has arrived in Dublin and you can smell barbecues everywhere. Here’s a healthy alternative to sausages and burgers and it tastes delicious!

Summer Barbecue Chicken – to serve 4

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts (not too big)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • grated zest of 1 orange

Slash the chicken breasts a few times across the top. Put the rest of the ingredients in a shallow dish and swish together. Then add the chicken and turn it over a few times until completely covered. If you have time you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinade (cover the dish with cling film), if not it will still taste great cooked straight away.

Cook the chicken on a barbecue turning once and brushing on any marinade left in the dish. Ours took about 8 minutes in total but cook them longer if necessary.

Serve with a salad and some new potatoes.

Wine Suggestion: We would try a light red here rather than a white wine to complement the chicken. Barbecues intensify flavour and a white wine can easily become overwhelmed. Try an Italian Valpolicella which has a bit of spice and should be able to stand up to the powerful flavours.

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We’ve made a few quick tomato soups recently so we should maybe describe this as a slow one. This takes about 40 minutes but is worth it and gives a much more home-made flavour, super-healthy too.

Cream of tomato soup – to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 500g plum tomatoes
  • 200ml passata
  • 400ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large sprig of thyme
  • a small handful of basil leaves (if you have them)
  • 100ml single cream

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, garlic and carrot over a low heat fro 6-7 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, passata, stock, bay leaf and thyme, then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme stalk. Season and add the basil. Whizz until smooth with a hand blender, stir in the cream and serve.

(Original recipe by Annabel Karmel in BBC Good Food Magazine, May 2004.)

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We eat tonnes of courgettes over the summer months so it’s good to try some new ways to cook them. This makes a great side dish for a barbecue.

Courgettes with crispy cheese crumbs – to serve 4

  • 6 courgettes, cut into chunky batons
  • pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 85g dried or stale breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 4 tbsp passata

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the courgettes in a baking dish or roasting tin and toss with the chilli, thyme and 1 tbsp oil and seasoning.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Mix the rest of the oil with the garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and some seasoning.

Stir the passata into the courgettes, sprinkle with the cheesey crumbs and bake for another 10-15 minutes until crispy.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Healthy Japanese-style aubergines – this is really easy and has loads of flavour! Great when you feel like a veggie night.

Miso aubergines – to serve 2

  • 2 small aubergines, halved lengthways
  • olive oil
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • a large pinch of caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 4 scallions, shredded to serve
  • rocket to serve

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180c/gas 6. Score a criss-cross pattern into each aubergine half. Brush with 1tsp oil and season. Put on a non-stick tray and bake for 20 minutes (or a bit longer if they are not completely soft).

Mix the miso, mirin, sugar and lemon juice together to make a paste. Spread over the aubergine halves and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Put under a hot grill for a few minutes until golden. Serve with the scallions and rocket.

Beer Suggestion: Miso is a strong flavour so you need something robust and yeasty. Try a richer style beer, such as Bombardier, or Kirin for a cleaner, lager style.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Healthy side-dish with delicious flavour. We had these with a barbecue and they tasted great. Serve with some sour cream and chives if you have it – or mayo!

Harissa sweet potato wedges – to serve 4

  • 1kg sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedgees
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the wedges with the harissa in a bowl and then transfer to a baking tray and cook for 40-45 minutes.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This makes a really tasty side dish so serve it with something else if you’re not keen on tuna. A definite repeat recipe!

Tuna with peppery tomatoes & potatoes – to serve 4

  • 4 tuna steaks
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • few thyme sprigs
  • 500g new potatoes, sliced about 1 cm thick
  • 2 red peppers, cut into large chunks
  • 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 400g tin cherry tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and put in a roasting tin to heat up. Put the tuna in a shallow dish with half the oil, about two-thirds of the garlic and leaves from a sprig of thyme. Leave to marinate.

Get your barbecue on as you want a high heat to cook the tuna later (a griddle pan will suffice if it’s not barbecue weather).

Put the potatoes, peppers, onion and chilli into the hot tin with the rest of the oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very nearly cooked (you might need to put them back in for another 5-10 minutes). Add the rest of the garlic and thyme and stir well before adding the tomatoes, then cook for another 5 minutes and add some seasoning.

Wipe most of the marinade off the fish, season, then sear on the barbecue for a minute on each side for medium (longer if you like it better done). Serve with the veg.

Wine Suggestion: Serve with a light Italian red, like a Valpolicella, which will have enough acidity for the tomatoey sauce.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This is a much lighter version of a lamb tagine. We definitely prefer the full-fat version but this is super simple to make, tasty, and healthy – so if you’re watching your waste we highly recommend it.

Light lamb tagine – to serve 6

  • 700g lamb leg meat, trim off all the fat and cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp hot chilli powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 12 dried apricots, chopped (make sure they’re the no-soak ones)
  • 1 preserved lemon, discard the pulp and chop the skin
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 400g tin chickpeas, drained
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 125g couscous
  • chopped coriander to serve

Heat the oven to 170C. Put the lamb, onion, garlic, spices, apricots, lemon, honey, chickpeas  into a large ovenproof casserole with a lid.

Season, then add the tomatoes and 400ml water. Bring to the boil cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours, or until the lamb is tender. Turn the oven up to 200C.

Add 150ml of boiling water to the couscous and leaf to stand for 2 minutes. Fork through to avoid any clumps and spoon over the lamb. Return to the oven and cook without the lid for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Serve with some chopped coriander.

Wine Suggestion: Mediterranean reds tend to complement spicy, sweet flavours. We had a really interesting Italian red from Etna called Tenuta delle Terre Nere, which was very elegant and not too heavy. We would suggest a lighter red such as a Carrignan/Granache blend which can be found on the Mediterranean rim such as France, Spain or Sardinia. If you can find one with a bit of age it should have mellowed out nicely.

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A really fabulous starter with some crusty bread; a classic Tapas or party starter.

Garlic prawns with parsley & lemon – to serve 6

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • pinch of red chilli flakes
  • 400g large, raw, peeled prawns
  • juice from half a lemon
  • small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • crusty bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the garlic with the chilli flakes.

Add the prawns and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until pink.

Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir in the parsley and serve.

Wine Suggestion: This is a classic Spanish dish so we went for the classic Spanish white, Albariño, a great match for shellfish. It worked a treat.

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These are yummy and give a totally different texture to new potatoes. Keep turning them regularly so you get them nice and brown all over.

Stoved potatoes – to serve 6

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 500g baby new potatoes

Melt the butter in a large frying pan with a lid. Wait until it foams before adding the potatoes. Turn the potatoes and make sure they all get coated in butter and are in a single layer. Sprinkle over some salt.

Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until the potatoes are tender. Leave them in the hot butter until you’re ready to serve them and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

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Pork tenderloins are usually pretty cheap and not too high in fat but be careful not to overcook them as they can become dry. Serve with some greens or salad and new potatoes.

Pork with maple & mustard sauce – to serve 4

  • 2 pork tenderloins, about 300g each
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • juice of 1 lemon

Cut the pork into 3cm thick slices. Put the flour and some salt and pepper in a food bag, add the pork slices, then shake well to coat the pork with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan and quickly fry the pork until browned. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, then remove to a warm dish and cover with foil.

Add the onion to the pan, then fry quickly until lightly coloured. Add a bit more oil if you need it. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Boil for a couple of minutes to reduce the stock, stir in the maple syrup, mustard and lemon juice, then bring back to the boil, stirring.

Return the pork to the pan and simmer gently for another few minutes or until just cooked through. Sprinkle with some parsley if you have some.

Wine Suggestion: The maple syrup and mustard give a sort of sweet and sour effect which you need to balance with a little bit of sweetness in the wine but also a savoury character – try an Alsace Pinot Gris.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Spicy Haddock Stew

It’s another fish stew but very different to our last one. This is really easy to throw together, tastes good and very low-calorie and low-fat. We used haddock but you can use whatever white fish you have available. If you like a bit of heat you could add a bit of chilli too.

Spicy Haddock Stew – to serve 4 (or less if you’re very hungry)

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 200g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
  • 450g haddock or other white fish fillet, cut into chunks
  • coriander, roughly chopped
  • lemon wedges

Heat the oil in medium-sized saucepan. Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for 1 minute.

Add 100ml water and the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.

Add the pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the fish and simmer for a further 5. Don’t be tempted to stir it too much or you’ll break up your fish chunks.

Season well and serve with the coriander, lemon and some crusty bread.

Wine Suggestion: It’s a weeknight and this is a simple dish. If you feel like a glass of wine go for something light and white.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Who says you can’t eat steak on a diet? This is a delicious midweek salad which is low fat and less than 300 calories. Perfect for a sunny evening (here’s hoping we see one soon!).

Steak, beetroot and asparagus salad – to serve 2

  • 250g rump steak, all fat removed
  • 6 asparagus spears
  • 50g wild rocket
  • 4 small cooked beetroot, cut into wedges

DRESSING:

  • 1 tbsp horseradish cream
  • 2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested

Season the meat well. You can cook it either in a non-stick frying pan for about 3-4 mintues each side (depending on how thick it is) or cook it on a barbecue as we did for even more favour. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly.

Blanch or barbecue the asparagus spears.

Whisk the horseradish, crème fraîche and lemon juice together and season.

Assemble the plates with the beef slices, asparagus, rocket and beetroot and spoon over the dressing. Sprinkle the lemon zest over to serve.

Wine Suggestion: A a nice, young, uncomplicated Syrah from the northern Rhône went really well here. We had Pierre Gaillard’s Syrah 2011 (just arrived at Mitchell & Son) which was delicious.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Low calorie and really good for you. The salmon stays lovely and moist. Serve with asparagus and new potatoes.

Salmon with Dill & Capers – to serve 8 (but easy to adapt for less)

  • 140g Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill
  • 1 tbsp small capers, lightly chopped
  • 8 portions of fresh salmon, scaled
  • lemon wedges to serve

Mix the yogurt, mustard, lemon zest, dill and capers together and season with pepper. Use this mixture to coat the salmon really well.

Either grill the salmon on foil for 6-8 minutes (no need to turn) or barbecue for 3-4 minutes on each side (we recommend a fish grill).

Serve with the lemon wedges and some green veg and salad.

Wine Suggestion: This would work with a medium-bodied unoaked Chardonnay, like a Macon-Villages from Burgundy. Nothing too complex as you don’t want to overwhelm the flavours of the delicate salmon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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We love finding new variations of Chilli and this one has made our list of repeatable recipes. This is really filling and at less than 500 calories per portion also suitable for us dieters. We promise we’ll go back to normal in a few weeks time!

Black bean chilli with guacamole and garlic ciabatta – to serve 4

  • olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 1 left whole
  • 2 green peppers, chopped
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 2 large avocados
  • 2 limes, zested and juiced
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 8 slices ciabatta, toasted

Heat a tbsp of oil in a wide pan. Add the onions, crushed garlic and peppers, and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the spices and some salt and cook for another minute. Tip in the beans, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the flesh form the avocados with a spoon into a bowl. Add the lime zest and juice, scallions, chilli and seasoning, and mix with a fork to lightly mash the avocado.

Cut the whole garlic clove in half and use it to rub all over the ciabatta toasts. Drizzle with olive oil and pile the guacamole onto the toasts.

Serve the guacamole and garlic ciabatta with the chilli.

Wine Suggestion: We really like beer with chilli. If your not a fan of beer a light, fruity Grenache would work.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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These are lovely and low-calorie (just 236 calories per serving to be exact). The creamy sauce gives them a nice richness too. Great with tagliatelle for a mid-week meal.

Creamy Swedish Meatballs  – to serve 4

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 450g lean minced pork
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 sprigs dill, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3-4 tbsp soured cream
Mix the onion, pork, egg yolk and half the dill in a bowl and season well. Lightly wet your hands, then make 12 golf-ball sized meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the meatballs, turning often, for about 12-15 minutes or until nicely coloured all over. Mix together the sour cream and the rest of the dill and spoon over the meatballs.

Serve with tagliatelle or mashed potato.

Wine Suggestion: We’d probably go for a light red here, perhaps a Dolcetto from north-west Italy or a light Zinfandel/Primativo.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This is a lovely, warming dish, despite being both low-fat and low-calorie. The garlic bread works a treat so don’t leave it out.

Creamy seafood stew – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 175ml white wine
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with 1 tbsp cold water
  • 400g mixed seafood, we used some defrosted prawns and some cubed salmon but frozen mixed seafood would work well
  • small bunch dill, chopped
  • 5 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
  • garlic bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and celery for about 10 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and simmer on a high heat until it has almost evaporated.

Pour in the stock and cornflour mix and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly until thickened. Season and add the seafood and most of the dill. Simmer for a few minutes until piping hot, then stir in the crème fraîche.

Meanwhile, cook your garlic bread according to the pack. We find shop bought garlic bread way to garlicky so we buy a part-baked baguette and make our own garlic butter. Just mix some softened butter with one crushed garlic clove and lots of chopped parsley and some seasoning. Cut slices into the baguette and stuff in the butter. Bake in the oven according to the pack.

Serve the stew in bowls and scatter with the rest of the dill. Serve with the garlic bread.

Wine Suggestion: Careful not to go for anything too light and crisp with this dish as it is quite creamy and rich. We had a chardonnay which worked really well.

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We’re officially on a diet 😦 but we’re trying to turn it into an opportunity and cook lots of tasty, healthy stuff. We can’t back out either as we’re in a little competition with some of our friends… a bit like weight watchers, just as humiliating but not as expensive! So for the next 6 weeks you can expect lots of low-calorie recipes. If you’re also struggling to fit into your summer clothes you might like to join us.

Spicy tomato soup – to serve 2

  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp red lentils
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • large handful of coriander, chopped
  • natural yoghurt, to serve (only if you have some)

Put all the ingredients (except the coriander and yoghurt) in a pot, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft. Add the coriander and cook for a minute. Use a stick blender to roughly whizz together. Stir in a little natural yoghurt to serve if you like that sort of thing.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This is an easy and absolutely delicious way to serve green beans. It even perked up ones that had flown from very far away as our local shop hasn’t got the new season ones yet…any day now we hope!

Green beans with shallots – to serve 6 as a side dish

  • 400g green beans
  • 25g butter
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped

Cook the green beans in boiling, salted water for a few minutes, until just tender. Drain and cool under cold running water. (You can do this up to a day before and keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge).

Heat the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, add the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Throw in the beans and toss to coat, then cook for a final couple of minutes until heated through, then season.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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