21Feb / 2016

Chicken and Coconut Soup

This is the second of 2 soups I decided to make with my white roasted chicken meat and stock. I wanted to use up ingredients from earlier in the week so I’m afraid it’s a little like piña colada chicken. However it has the taste of a hot and sour soup. It really is delicious!

I only had 1 pak choi so I used leaves from the cauliflower in my other recipe in place of the other. It actually tastes really good!

This is is based on a 1.8kg chicken

Makes 3 lunches

1/2 onion chopped finely

1 clove garlic

2 tsp chinese five spice

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cm root ginger, skin removed

1 clove garlic peeled

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 stick of lemon grass, bashed and chopped into 3

1/2 lime

1/3 of the white chicken meat pulled from a roasted chicken and shredded by hand

500ml fresh stock

150ml coconut milk

1/3 butternut squash chopped into small bite sized pieces

2 pak choi finely sliced along the width

1 large pinch of salt and pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Sauté the onion gently in a medium- large saucepan for 5 minutes
Stir in the spices
Blitz the garlic, ginger, like leaves and lemon grass with the juice of the lime and add to the pan. Sauté for a further 2 minutes.
Add the chicken, stock, butternut and coconut and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste.
2 minutes before the end add in the pakchoi.
Add the fresh coriander to serve.

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21Feb / 2016

Chicken and Lentil Curry Soup

I decided to make 2 soups with the white meat from my roasted chicken. This is the first. I chose quite earthy flavours as what I’ve been making recently has been relatively sweet (in vegetable terms!) I used a 1.8 kg chicken for this recipe.

Makes 4 lunches

1/2 brown onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 birds eye chilli sliced

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

4 cardamom pods lightly bashed

1 litre stock

1/2 cup of dried green lentils

2/3 of white meat pulled from roast chicken and shredded by hand (skin removed)

1/3 butternut squash peeled and chopped into small bite sized pieces

1/2 cauliflower chopped into small bite sized pieces

1 large pinch each of salt and pepper

100g fresh spinach

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Sauté the onion in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until soft
Crush in the garlic and stir fry for an extra minute
Stir in the chilli, chicken and the spices then add the stock and the lentils
Place the saucepan lid on
Set the timer for 30 minutes
After 10 minutes add the cauliflower and butternut squash
Add the seasoning to taste
At the end stir in the spinach and keep stirring until wilted
Add the coriander to serve

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21Feb / 2016

Concentrated Chicken Stock

I find it really difficult to find yeast free stock and since making my own I can really taste the difference. There’s nothing better than a recipe using home made stock.

Compacting everything keeps the stock more concentrated so you can then add water to recipes if you need it to be thinner. It’s also a lot easier for storage that way.

Winter 2016 Blog 035

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass with bones, skin and juices, broken into small pieces

2 large or 3 medium carrots

3 celery stalks

2 brown onions

3 sprigs of thyme

3 sprigs/stalks from sage

a large handful of parsley stalks

15 peppercorns

A pinch of salt

1.5 litres of boiled water

Chop up the carrot and celery into 1cm thick slices and onion into thick chunks.
Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and make sure they are all submerged under the water
Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 and a half hours uncovered.
Stir every so often and compact down under the water as much as possible.
When done, strain into a large bowl. Use straightaway or freeze.
Makes about 150ml. When using up to 9 parts of water to make 1.5 litres of stock

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21Feb / 2016

Millet Porridge, Steamed Apple and Golden Linseed

I eat this almost every day for breakfast with a boiled egg on the side for protein. I make enough apple for a week’s worth of breakfasts, portion up and put in the freezer. You can get 8 plastic boxes for a £1 at the pound shop. I find if the boxes are all the same they stack well and you’re not forever looking for a lid.

You can find millet and golden linseed in your local health food shop.

I don’t have a steamer so I use a colander over a large saucepan with about 2 inches of boiled water on the bottom. I put the saucepan lid on top of the colander.

Winter 2016 blog 018

Enough apple for 6 breakfasts and enough porridge for 1.

Ingredients

4 cooking apples

1/3 cup of millet flakes

1 tbsp golden linseed

Peel the skin and remove the core of each of the apples. Slice into 1cm thick slices.
Place in a steamer or a colander over a large saucepan containing 2 inches of water with the saucepan lid over the colander to keep the steam in. Place on a medium hob.
Steam for 24 minutes stirring half way through. The aim is to keep the apples as whole as possible and avoid mushiness.
Meanwhile add millet and golden linseed to 2/3 cup of water. Microwave for 2 minutes.
Divide the apples into 5 portions plus one extra for today’s breakfast.
When the leftover portions are cool, freeze.

To make the breakfast on other days simply microwave the apple for 1 – 2 minutes until warm but not mushy. Then make the porridge as usual.

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20Feb / 2016

Leftover Pulled Chicken, Sweet Potato Wedges and Sides

Today I made a roast chicken so that I could use the bones and white meat for a soup I’m making tomorrow. I didn’t know what to do with the brown meat so I did this. I didn’t realise how good it was going to be so I didn’t take a photograph unfortunately! Next time!

Serves 2

Pulled Chicken

Legs and wings from a roast chicken

2 tbsp juices from a roast chicken or 1 tbsp of stock and 1 tbsp of oil mixed

1 small brown onion finely chopped

1 red pepper diced

1 birds eye chill sliced into rounds

1 small garlic clove

1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

1.5 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 lemon

1/2 lime

Sweet Potato Wedges

2 sweet potatoes cut in half and then into wedges

Guacomole

1 avocado

1 tbsp natural full fat yoghurt

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

1/2 lime

Serve with corn on the cob

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade
Place the sweet potato wedges in a baking tray, add salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of oil and mix around with your hands so that the oil is evenly distributed
Cook for 8-10 minutes each side
Put the chicken juices into a large saucepan heat until hot
Turn the hob down to medium and fry the onion in the juices for 5 minutes
Add the peppers and fry for another 2 minutes
Crush in the garlic and fry for another minute
Add the chilli, thyme and spices and 1 tbsp of boiled water to make a thin sauce
Stir in all the meat pulled from the legs and the 2 chicken wings, stir everything together and gently fry for 15 minutes until the meat heated through, stringy and the flavours have been absorbed. Make sure you also include the crispy skin from the roast chicken legs, this is the best bit!
Squeeze in juice from the lemon and lime
Add salt and pepper to taste
For the guacamole, put all of the ingredients into a chopper or blender and blend until smooth
Heat boiling water on the hob and add the corn on the cob – if it is frozen cook for 7-9 minutes, if fresh only cook for 3 – 5 minutes
Plate up and enjoy!

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15Feb / 2016

Pina Colada Chicken

This is based on the flavours of my favourite Thai curry in Shepherd’s Bush Road. As I’m not eating sugar, I’ve put in pineapple chunks for the sweetness. I had to guess the spices which aren’t exactly Thai but they produce the flavour I remember. I used chinese five spice from Sainbury’s. I find the one in Tesco has a slightly strange soapy flavour. It’s the star anise flavour that I’m after.

Winter 2016 145

Serves 2

Chicken Skewers:

Around 300g of chicken or 2 chicken breasts

200g of fresh pineapple chunks

2 tsp Chinese Five Spice

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Paste:

1 stalk of lemongrass bashed and roughly chopped

2 cm of fresh ginger peeled

3 Kaffir lime leaves

zest and juice of half a lime

1 large and 1 small clove of garlic peeled

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1 birds eye chilli, stalk removed

Vegetables

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small brown onion

1 red pepper

1 small aubergine

225g gram can of bamboo shoots

1 large handful of cashew nuts

Sauce

1 can of full fat coconut milk

1 large handful of fresh coriander

Brown Rice to serve

Preheat the grill to high
Chop the chicken into bitesized pieces, add the spices and rub into the chicken and leave to marinate.
Put paste ingredients into a food processor and chop until fine.
Cut up pineapple until smaller than chicken pieces and put onto skewers alternating between the pineapple and chicken. If you run out of pineapple make sure there is a little gap between each chicken piece. Put under the grill for 16 minutes turning halfway through.
Meanwhile put the brown rice on the hob with plenty of boiled water for 25 minutes
Finely chop the onion and gently saute with the oil in a large saucepan for 5 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn. I use a splash of boiled water if it starts to catch.
Chop up the red pepper into 2-3cm squares and add to the onion and fry for a further minute.
Chop the aubergine lengthways and then into 5mm thick half moons. Add to the onion and pepper and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained bamboo shoots and add the paste and stir fry for 30 seconds.
The chicken should be cooked by now, using a oven glove and blunt knife, slide off the chicken and pineapple and add to the pan with the other ingredients plus the cashew nuts. Stir fry for one minute.
Then add the coconut milk. Put the lid on and simmer for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile finely chop the coriander.
When the time is up, add the coriander and serve.

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02Jun / 2014

Chicken Fajita Salad for 4

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts
1 red pepper
1 green pepper (or whatever you have)
1 onion
1 birds eye chilli if you like it hot
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp smoked paprika
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
7/8 small-medium tomatoes
2 limes
1 handful of fresh coriander
Extra Virgin olive oil
Crunchy lettuce leaves like little gem, romane or iceberg
Soft leaves like rocket, lambs lettuce or similar
1 tin of black beans
1 ripe avocado

Method
You can prepare the cooked bit and salsa ahead of time and then prepare the salad leaves and avocado (using the lime to stop it getting brown) just ahead if time. You can always microwave the cooked bit later.
1. Heat up a tbsp of olive oil in a pan
2. Slice the onion into half moons and slowly fry until soft and caramelised for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cut the half of each of the peppers into strips and then add to onions
3. Sprinkle in half of the spices and salt and pepper and mix
4. Cut the chicken into strips cutting with the grain where possible which I find stops the chicken shrinking and hardening. If you like chilli chop it finely now and add to pan when you cook the chicken.
5. When the peppers are soft, remove and all and add chicken and the rest if the spices and salt and pepper to the pan and fry for 10 or so minutes until cooked through
6. 1 minute before the end add a clove of garlic and stir fry so it doesn’t burn
7. Prepare the salsa by chopping the other halves of the peppers and tomatoes into 5mm cubes
8. Finely chop the fresh coriander and add all to a bowl with the squeeze of 1 lime and drizzle of extra virgin oil. Don’t out salt in unless you are preparing just before serving or it will drain your tomatoes of water and become too sloppy.
9. Just before you are about to eat, chop the crunchy lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the plate with some softer leaves for a varied texture.
10. Chop up the avocado into bite sized pieces, sprinkle salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lime and use hands to ensure it’s evenly coated
11. Drain and rinse the beans and add with avocado to the plate
12. Top with fajita chicken, peppers and onions and them sprinkle on the salsa

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01Jun / 2014

Lamb Meatballs, Roasted Veg Quinoa and Mint dipping sauce

Ingredients (5 small lunches or 3-4 dinners)

Edited: 20/02/2016

Meat balls

500g Lean lamb mince

1 small brown onion finely chopped

2 cloves of Garlic

1 egg beaten

Roasted Veg Quinoa

The following vegetables cut into bite sized chunks

1 yellow and 1 green pepper

1 aubergine

2 courgettes

7/8 medium -small tomatoes

Red onion

Also:

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

150g Quinoa

Handful of parsley if you have it

Dipping sauce

5 tbsp Yoghurt

1/2 tbsp Dried Mint

1. First make the roasted veg. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Put aubergine, courgette and peppers into a roasting tin. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and use your hands to ensure it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes turning/shaking halfway through. Once they are done, keep them in a warm place – they don’t need to be boiling hot.

2. Gently saute the brown onion on the hob for 10 minutes until soft and caramelised. I usually splash in a tiny bit of boiled kettle water if the edges are turning brown and not soft enough, and stir until evaporated/absorbed.

3. Add 2 cloves of garlic to the pan and stir fry for one minute and take off the hob.

4. Add to a bowl with the raw mince and egg. Use a fork to make sure the onion is evenly distributed, the egg is slightly beaten and the strands of meat are separated.

5. Roll into about 15 golf ball sized balls and put onto a roasting tin (use the same one as the veg and this should be done by now.)

6. Put into the oven for 25 minutes turning after about 15 minutes.

7. Add lots of water to the quinoa and put on the hob to boil for 15 minutes.

8. Gentry fry the red onion until caramelised and soft.

9. Place the chopped up tomatoes onto a baking tray with olive oil, salt and pepper to roast for 10 minutes.

10. Mix the yoghurt and mint together

11. Drain the quinoa, add the vegetables and some chopped parsley if you have it.

12. Serve with the meat balls and the dipping sauce.

Highly recommended, very yummy. My original recipe

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