Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Healthy’

Thai Salmon Cakes with Carrot Salad

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 10 October 2016| Leave a Comment »

Thai salmon cakes with carrot salad

We like to use the Thai curry pastes that come in plastic tubs, Mae Ploy is a good one. There’s always more in the tub than we need which forces us to search for lots of recipes to use it up. This is a bit different for a weeknight, tastes really good and is healthy too.

Wine Suggestion: a light aromatic white is what we’d suggest, like a QbA or Kabinett Riesling from the Mosel. They tend to have a welcome low alcohol (7 to 9 % abv), delicate and vibrant fruit and a refreshing zing to cut through the little bit of residual sugar. A dry Riesling doesn’t work as well; the touch of sweetness helps balance the chilli and curry paste perfectly.

Thai Salmon Steaks with Carrot Salad – serves 2

  • 2 skinless salmon fillets, about 300g in total, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tsp Thai red curry paste
  • small handful of coriander leaves
  • groundnut oil

CARROT SALAD:

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • a small chunk of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • 3 scallions, shredded lengthways
  • 1 red chilli, shredded lengthways
  • handful of coriander leaves

Put the salmon, curry paste and coriander in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped, then form into 6 fishcakes and chill while you make the salad.

Mix the rice wine vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then add the ginger. Toss all the other salad ingredients together with the dressing.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Cook the salmon cakes for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Serve with the salad.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, April 2011.)

Read Full Post »

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.)

Read Full Post »

Salt Chilli Squid

Posted in Asian, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 20 May 2014| Leave a Comment »

Chilli & Salt Squid

Inspired by Gok Wan, this works a treat. We always found that getting fresh squid was difficult until we found great frozen ones: flash frozen as soon as they’ve been caught. A spanish chef Jono knows swears by them and we do too! This is a healthier take on the deep-fried salt chilli squid you get in restaurants.

Wine Suggestion: A fresh, light to medium-bodied white with good fruit works a treat here, but just make sure it’s not bone dry as you need to balance the chilli. We’d suggest either a good Albariño / Alvarinho [we drank the Saolheiro Alvarinho from Portugal) which complements the saltiness or a dry German Riesling from a good producer like Leitz in the Rheingau or Dönnhoff in the Nahe which will carry a good level of fruit and taste dry. These really balance fruit with acidity for perception as opposed to an Australian Riesling which really is bone dry and will fight with the chilli.

Chilli & Salt Squid with Cucumber Salad – serves 2

  • 2 medium squid (tubes and tentacles), cleaned – we used 500g baby squid
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • ½ a red chilli, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • salt and ground white pepper

For the cucumber salad: 

  • ½ a cucumber, deseeded and sliced into thin ribbons
  • 4 tbsp rice vinegar
  • a pinch of caster sugar

Put the cucumber into a serving dish. Pour over the vinegar and sugar and set aside.

Slice the squid tubes in half lengthways and lay out flat with the inside facing up. Score the tubes at an angle about 5mm apart but take care not to slice the whole way through. Turn the squid 45 degrees and score again at that angle. Once scored slice the squid into 2cm wide strips. Cut large tentacles in half and leave small ones whole.

Heat a wok over a medium to high heat and add the oil. Add the chilli, garlic and spring onions and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until starting to dry out – take care not to burn the garlic. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

Put the wok back on the heat and, when hot, add a splash of oil. Wait for the oil to smoke, then add the squid and stir-fry for a minute, or until half cooked and starting to char at the edges. Put the garlic/chilli/spring onion mix back into the pan and stir through, tossing over the heat until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with the cucumber.

(Original recipe from Gok Cooks Chinese by Gok Wan, Penguin Books, 2012.)

Read Full Post »

Citrusy Salmon with Garlic Pak Choi

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 7 May 2014| 1 Comment »

Salmon with Pak choi

Light yet tasty and full of flavour. Makes you feel healthy eating it.

Wine Suggestion: Some lighter styles of white wine can be overpowered by salmon. We went for an Italian grape variety called Pecorino which has a bit more body and a nice lemony flavour to complement the sauce.

Citrusy Salmon with Garlic Pak Choi – serves 4

  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • juice of 3 oranges
  • juice of 1 lime, and 2 tsp grated zest
  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 500g pak choi, stems quartered
  • 4 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp honey

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Line a baking tray with kitchen foil.

Heat a little olive oil in a small pan, add the onion and one of the garlic cloves, and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the orange and lime juice and the lime zest, then simmer gently until reduced by half. Season.

Meanwhile, put the salmon fillets on the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked trough.

Heat a splash of olive oil in another pan, add the pak choi and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining garlic, the soy sauce and honey, and keep cooking for another couple of minutes.

Serve the salmon with the pak choi and the sauce drizzled over.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2014.)

Read Full Post »

Pumpkin & Sage Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 January 2014| 1 Comment »

Sage brings an unexpected element to this soup that really works. Super warming and homely.

Pumpkin and sage soup – to serve 8

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped sage
  • 1.4kg of pumpkin or squash flesh
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock

Melt the oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onions and sage and cook gently for about 15 minutes or until really soft. Add the squash and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the honey and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is soft.

Cook before processing until smooth. Season and add a bit more stock if its too thick. Reheat to serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Thai Baked Fish

Posted in Asian, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 21 July 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is a really simple fish dish that was a delight to eat; it tastes delicious and is also very healthy. Trout or snapper would also work well if you prefer. The skin was left behind in the tinfoil when we went to serve it which was fine by us (it’s crispy skin or no skin as far as we’re concerned).

Wine Suggestion: this dish begs for a charming Riesling from Germany – look out for ones that are a drier style but without the weight of a Grosses Gewachs (great growth). If you can find one of the estate QbA’s from Helmut Dönnhoff in the Nähe or Johannes Leitz from the Rhinegau you can’t go wrong.

Thai Baked Fish – to serve 4

  • 4 seabass fillets, about 200g each
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
  • small knob ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • handful coriander, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Take 2 large sheets of tinfoil. Place one fish fillet, skin-side down, in the centre of each sheet.

Make a sauce using the remaining ingredients. Spoon half the sauce of the fillets on the tinfoil and set the rest aside.

Sandwich the other 2 fish fillets on top, skin-side up, then tightly seal the foil to create 2 pouches. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes (depending how big your fish are). Serve with the rest of the sauce.

(Original recipe by Gizzi Erskine for BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2005).)

Read Full Post »

Coconut, Noodle & Vegetable Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 26 June 2013| 3 Comments »

We’re always on the lookout for low-calorie dishes for weeknights (so we can afford to redress the balance at the weekend!) This one was tasty and helpfully used up some of the bits and pieces we had in the fridge.

Coconut, noodle & vegetable soup – to serve 4

  • 1-2 tbsp Thai curry paste (use whatever colour you’ve got)
  • 1 tsp groundnut (or other flavourless oil)
  • 700ml vegetable stock
  • 300ml reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 200g thick-rice noodles
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 140g sugar snap peas, halved
  • 100g beansprouts
  • 1½ tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3 scallions shredded
  • some mint and coriander leaves to serve (if you have some)

Put a large pot over a medium heat. Cook the curry paste in the oil for a minute until it starts to release its aroma. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the noodles. Simmer for 7 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms and sugar snaps. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add the beansprouts, fish sauce and lime juice. Take the pan off the heat.

Serve in bowls with some scallions, mint and coriander.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Red Lentil & Chorizo Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, tagged , , , , , , on 13 June 2013| 2 Comments »

Surprisingly light and healthy despite the big, rich flavours.

Red Lentil & Chorizo Soup – to serve 6

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g cooking chorizo, peeled and diced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • pinch of cumin seeds
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
  • pinch of golden caster sugar
  • small splash red wine vinegar
  • 250g red lentils
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
  • 850ml chicken stock
  • plain yogurt, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy and the oil has run. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside but leave the oil in the pan. Fry the onion, carrot and cumin seeds for about 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the the paprika and sugar, cook for a minute then add the vinegar. Simmer briefly, then add the lentils and pour over the tomatoes and chicken stock.

Stir well, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Blitz in a blender but you don’t want it completely smooth.

Serve drizzled with the yogurt, a little extra olive oil if you like, and a sprinkle of paprika.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Nigel’s Five-spice Chicken and Pea Shoot Salad

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 June 2013| 3 Comments »

A really quick and tasty dish from Nigel Slater to add a bit of excitement to a pack of chicken thighs.

Five-spice Chicken and Pea Shoot Salad – to serve 2

For the salad: 

  • A few handfuls of young salad leaves

For the chicken: 

  • 40g fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 small red chilli, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 400g diced raw chicken meat (we used thighs)
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • juice of a lime

Stir the ginger, chilli and 5-spice powder together in a large bowl. Crush in the garlic, pour in the oil, and mix well. Add the chicken and toss together.

Heat a wok to very hot. Add the chicken and dressing and fry over a high heat for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through (put a lid on to ensure the chicken cooks through). Add the sugar, stir-fry for another minute, then add the lime juice and a generous amount of salt.

Add the salad leaves to the wok, and toss for a few seconds, or until starting to wilt, then tip everything out onto plates.

Nigel suggests scattering with sprouting seeds or cress before serving (we didn’t have any).

Wine Suggestion: To balance the 5-spice but not overwhelm the flavours, we’d suggest a New World Pinot Noir from a good area, like California or Oregon. You’ll get lots of juicy fruit and a wine that’s not too heavy for this light dish.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries II, Fourth Estate, 2012.)

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 »

Cauliflower & Potato Curry

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 26 May 2013| 2 Comments »

Another on a light theme: in calories again not flavour.

Cauliflower & Potato Curry – to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • large piece ginger, grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • tin chopped tomatoes, drained
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1 green chilli, halved lengthways
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • handful coriander, roughly chopped, to serve
  • natural yogurt to serve

Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, and curry powder and cook for a further minute. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, and split chilli along with some salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for about half an hour or more, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. You can add a drop of water if you need to but this is a dry curry.

When the vegetables are soft, add a squeeze of lemon juice and scatter with coriander. Serve with natural yogurt.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

A Light Fish Chowder

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , on 14 May 2013| 4 Comments »

Super-healthy mid-week meal that also fills you up.

Fish Chowder – to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large potato, peeled and cut into big chunks
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 x 400 tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • splash of soy sauce
  • 410g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 500g plump white fish fillets, in big chunks
  • a handful of parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Dry the potatoes in kitchen paper and tip into the hot oil. Cook them covered over a medium to high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another few minutes on a fairly high heat until the onion has browned.

Stir in the tomatoes, the tomato purée, thyme and soy sauce, and let it bubble for couple of minutes. Stir in the beans and some seasoning, then sit the fish on top, pushing it down into the sauce. Don’t stir it though or the fish will break up. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Wine Suggestion: Try an Albariño from Rías Baixus in Spain which should have plenty of acidity and flavour. This is a very trendy wine at the moment, and subsequently not cheap, but they are interesting wines and usually worth the bit extra.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Hot Punjabi King Prawn Curry

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Indian, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , on 27 March 2013| 4 Comments »

This is a simple curry but you need to marinate the prawns overnight in the fridge. The flavour builds up as the spices are gradually added and the sauce becomes really tasty. Serve with some plain basmati rice for a healthy dinner.

Hot Punjabi king prawn curry – to serve 4 

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 600g raw king prawns, peeled and de-veined
  • 6 tbsp full-fat natural yogurt
  • 2 hot green chillies, finely sliced

FOR THE CURRY: 

  • 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped or crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2-3 hot green chillies, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 4 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Rinse and drain the prawns. Pat them dry and put into a ceramic bowl. Add the yogurt, chillies and ½ tsp salt. Mix well, cover and leave overnight in the fridge.

When ready to cook the curry, pour the oil into a wok, and put on a medium heat.

Spoon in the cumin seeds and brown for 10 seconds then add the onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until or until brown all over.

Add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and fry for 2 minutes.

Mix in the turmeric and stir for 1 minute.

Add the green chillies, increase the heat to medium and stir for 1 minute.

Mix in 1½ tsp of the garam masalsa ands stir for 1 minute.

Add ¼ tsp salt, the tomatoes and chilli flakes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 125ml of boiling water and stir to make a thick sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add ¼ tsp salt.

Stir in the prawns and marinade and cook over a medium heat until just opaque and cooked through.

Sprinkle the rest of the garam masala over the top and stir. Fold in the chopped coriander to serve.

(Original recipe by Madhur Jaffrey in BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2013.)

Read Full Post »

Winter Minestrone

Posted in Food, Healthy, Italian, Soup, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 March 2013| 1 Comment »

A very filling dish that hits the mark on these icy evenings. Oh spring where are you?

Minestrone Invernale – serves many!

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 head celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
  • 1kg Swiss chard, leaves shredded and stalks roughly chopped
  • 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 x 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes, drained of most of their juices, roughly chopped
  • 1 kg cavolo nero, stalks removed, leaves shredded (or use Savoy cabbage)
  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans
  • 500ml chicken stock or water
  • a few sprigs of wintery herbs like thyme or sage, chopped
  • Parmesan, for grating over
  • extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a very big saucepan and slowly fry the carrot, onion and celery until soft and dark. This will take ages. Add the garlic, chard stalks and half the parsley, and keep cooking, stirring so it doesn’t stick. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes or until they have reduced.

Add half the Swiss chard leaves and half the cavelo nero, ¾ of the beans, and the boiling chicken stock or water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You can add a bit more stock if needed but the whole point is that the soup should be really thick.

Add the remaining Swiss chard and cavolo nero and blanch briefly so they are cooked but stay green and crisp. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Purée the rest of the cannellini beans coarsely in a blender, with a bit of liquid from the soup. Add to the soup. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with Parmesan and some extra virgin olive oil.

Tastes great re-heated over the next few days.

Wine Suggestion: This is a very rustic, country dish and would suit a similar wine with some earthy character. We suggest a Barbera or something Tuscan.

(Original recipe from The River Café Cookbook by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, Ebury Press, 1995.)

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 & Sage Skewers

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 6 February 2013| Leave a Comment »

This chicken in this is so juicy and flavoursome and would be great for crowds as well as a quiet night at home. You could grill them but we recommend you get the barbecue out – it will warm your hands against all this cold winter weather!

Sage & Lemon Chicken Skewers – to serve 4

  • 3 skinless chicken breasts
  • olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • a handful of sage leaves

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and toss with a little olive oil, the garlic and the lemon zest and juice. Season well. Thread onto 4 metal skewers, alternating chicken with sage.

Grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked.

Wine Suggestion: Something simple, light and lemony is all that is required here. We had an Italian white, made from the Falanghina grape, which was yummy.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, January 2013)

Read Full Post »

Lebanese Spaghetti Sauce

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 28 January 2013| Leave a Comment »

A Lebanese twist to tomato sauce with gentle spices and almonds; a lovely variation on a theme. The proportion of sauce to spaghetti is also very different to how the Italian’s make pasta so there is a lot of sauce for this dish. This worked for us but you could use the same amount of sauce for a greater quantity of pasta and therefore serve more people if you’d like.

The spices are subtle and warming and the pinches can be generous if you like.

Spaghetti with a Rich Tomato Sauce & Toasted Almonds – serves 2 generously

  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground allspice
  • pinch grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch ground pepper
  • 200g spaghetti
  • 50g flaked almonds, toasted
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Put the tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic and sugar into a pan and simmer over a low heat. Stir frequently and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir in the olive oil, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions (usually between 10-12 minutes). Reserve 3 tablespoons of the cooking water and then drain the cooked spaghetti.

Return the spaghetti to the cooking pot with the reserved cooking water and the tomato sauce.

Toss well and then serve sprinkled with the almonds and parsley.

Wine Suggestion: we drank a Valpolicella Ripasso with this dish and the ripe, juicy spices went well with the warming spices of the sauce.

(Original recipe from The Lebanese Kitchen by Salma Hage, Phaidon, 2012.)

Read Full Post »

Hot Smoked Salmon & Dill Spaghetti

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 14 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Hot Smoked Salmon Spaghetti

The Christmas parties have well and truly started at this stage and we already feel like we’ve eaten enough food to do us until the middle of January! Here’s a healthy pasta dish if you manage to get a night off and you only have to pick up a few ingredients on your way home.

Hot smoked salmon & dill spaghetti – to serve 4

  • 150g pack hot smoked salmon
  • 400g good quality spaghetti
  • 100g frozen petits pois
  • small bunch of dill
  • 3 rounded tbsp crème fraîche

Flake the salmon into bite-size chunks. Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil.

Cook the pasta according to the pack and throw the peas in for the last couple of minutes.

Throw away the dill stalks and roughly chop the fronds. Keep about 4 tbsp of the pasta water, then drain and return to the pan with the reserved water. Put the pan over a really low heat, then add the salmon, dill, crème fraîche, salt and loads of black pepper. Toss together and heat briefly, then serve.

Wine Suggestion: A richer Chardonnay from a cool climate (think Burgundy or the Macedon Ranges in Australia rather than the Barossa Valley) should go well with the hot smoked salmon.

(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 »

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 »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »