Homemade baked beans with chorizo

Homemade baked beans with chorizo

• 1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
• Large pinch of oregano
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 X 400g tins berlotti beans
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 150g sliced chorizo
• 100ml vegetable stock
• Few grinds of black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add the oregano and spices and cook for a couple of minutes, add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, (this will release the oils which will add to the flavour of the dish) stir in the beans. 

Add the tomatoes to the pan along with the  balsamic glaze, stock and a few grinds of black pepper, bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes (or up to an hour if you have the time).  Just before serving stir through the chopped parsley.

Have to say we loved this dish, we recently made it for a family BBQ and it went down really well.  I used a spicy chorizo which brought a good touch of heat to the dish but you can use milder, it will still taste great.  Whilst I reference 150g of chorizo, basically put in as much or as little as you like.  The dish can be cooked for a shorter period of time but if you can allow an hour the flavours will really develop.  Another quick and easy recipe which is perfect for that BBQ with family and friends

Homemade baked beans with chorizo

Pastrami & Poached Egg Pide

Pastrami & Poached Egg Pide

• 8 slices of pastrami (cut into bite size pieces)
• Large handful of grated cheddar cheese
• 2 poached eggs
• 4 cornichons, sliced thinly lengthways
• Small handful of rocket leaves
• Turkish pepper flakes
• Rapeseed vinaigrette 
• White wine vinegar
• Melted knob of butter
• Portion of pide dough (enough for two pide)

Make up a portion of pide dough as per my previous pide recipe and form into two boat shapes. 

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.  Place your prepared dough onto a baking sheet, scatter the cheese over each pide then top with the chopped pastrami and cook in the oven for around 7 minutes.  In a pan of boiling water add a good couple of splashes of white wine vinegar and drop in two eggs and leave for 3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Once the pide are cooked, remove from the oven, top each with a poached egg, cornichon slices, rocket and a sprinkle of Turkish pepper flakes and lastly a drizzle of the vinaigrette then get stuck in.

This recipe will not disappoint, another one to add to my list of favourite dishes!  The toppings for these pide are endless, what would you fancy?

Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• Half a red pepper thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 nests of medium egg noodles
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bag of bean sprouts
• 3 spring onions, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 tsp sugar
• Few grinds of black pepper

Method:

Firstly, you need to marinade the chicken for at least an hour.  Place the chicken into a bowl, add 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and cornflour, mix well, ensuring the chicken gets a good coating then place in the fridge.

Cook the noodles according to pack instructions and then run under cold water to prevent them sticking together.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot, add the chicken and fry until cooked through, remove from the wok and set aside.  Add the garlic, sliced peppers and spring onions and cook for a couple of minutes, mixing as you go.  Add the noodles, chicken and bean sprouts, stir in the remaining dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce and the sugar and pepper, stir through and serve.

I recently made this dish with the young people at Dormans Youth Club where I teach, it was such a hit I decided to make it myself at home.  This seriously is a contender to rival any chow mein that you get from your local takeaway, you won't be disappointed.  Whilst chow mein is a noodle dish as opposed to a stir fry I did add some sliced peppers, which to be honest was just to add some colour to the dish!  I don't usually make dishes like this simply because I had never made anything that was on a par with food from the Chinese, but this changed my mind, try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Chicken and Artichoke Pide

Chicken & artichoke pide

This Turkish recipe is easier than you may think to make.  With the pide dough you make a boat shaped base which you can fill with a variety of fillings.  For this recipe I am using chicken and artichokes.

For the dough, you will need:-

• 7g sachet of fast action yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 100 ml cold water
• 300g 00 grade pasta flour

For the filling you will need:-

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• Jar of artichoke hearts, drained
• Handful of sliced black olives
• 1 pepper thinly sliced
• Turkish chilli flakes
• 200g grated cheddar cheese
• Small amount of melted butter
• Rocket leaves

Put the yeast and sugar into a small bowl, add two tablespoons of warm water, stir and leave to one side.  Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt.  Make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil and yeast mixture.  Combine the mixture with your hands, gradually pouring in the cold water.  Continue to mix until the dough sticks together, if needed add a couple more tablespoons of cold water.  Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface for 5 or so minutes until the dough is stretchy.  Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes until it has risen slightly.

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees.  Place in a pizza stone to heat or alternatively if you don't have a pizza stone, line a baking tray with baking paper.

Whilst there is enough dough to make 8 pide, this recipe will make 4, the remaining dough can be frozen or alternatively if making 8 increase the filling ingredients accordingly.

Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.  Using your hands, form 4 pieces into an oval shape.  Dust each side with flour and roll out into a long thin boat shape.  Prick the dough all over with a fork and place on the baking sheet or heated pizza stone.  Place you cheese, chicken, artichokes, pepper and olives onto each pide, leaving a small gap around the edge.  Fold the edges in on themselves and using a fork, crimp around the border.  Bake the pide boats for around 10 minutes until slightly golden.

Plate up, sprinkle over some Turkish chilli flakes and top with a small amount of rocket.  Brush the pastry with the melted butter and enjoy.  I drizzled over some rapeseed vinaigrette  and got stuck in!  

This is a light and tasty dish, you could have with a side salad for lunch or a light dinner.  We both really enjoyed this and can't wait to try something different with the remaining pide dough, watch this space!  What toppings would you try?

Sardines on toast

Sardines on toast

Another quick and easy recipe.  I was sent these sardines to review with my shopping from Ocado and after a quick ponder I decided on sardines on toast.  To make this tasty lunchtime dish you need the following:-

• 2 tins of sardines (drained)
• Handful of rocket leaves
• Couple of slices of toasted bread
• 4 eggs
• Splash of white wine vinegar

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a good splash of white wine vinegar and then drop in the eggs.  There is no need to swirl the water around as the eggs should naturally bind together, I would however suggest cracking each egg into a small ramekin dish as this makes it quicker and easier to drop in to the water, as timing is of the essence. Cook the eggs for 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Butter your toasted bread, add some rocket leaves, place on the sardines and then top each slice with a couple of poached eggs and get stuck in!  

For anyone who has never had sardines, they do contain bones but they are so small they are ok to eat.  The sardines I used were in a chilli and garlic oil which gave a subtle hint of flavour to the dish, they were also quite a decent size so you could slice them in half rather than use two tins.  

Quick and Easy Canapes

Egg & Bacon Vol au Vents

Egg & Bacon Vol au Vents, Caprese skewers, Tuna and Cucumber Wedges

Here are some really easy canapé ideas that can be put together in next to know time, they look great and they taste fab!  The amount of ingredients used will depend on how many canapes you are looking to make so you will need to adjust accordingly.

For the vol au vents I used 3 hard boiled eggs mashed together with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise, don't overdo the mayo, you don't want the mixture to be too loose, season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.  I had two packs of ready made vol au vent cases (24 cases) which you then spoon or pipe the egg mixture into.  I grilled two rashers of bacon which I then cut into thin strips and placed a couple of slices into each vol au vent and then topped with some cress.  Not only do these look really good but they are so tasty.

Caprese skewers, Tuna and Cucumber Wedges

The caprese skewers are so easy, I used a bag of mini mozzarella pearls, there were 12 in the pack. Drain them from the liquid and pat dry.  You will also need 12 cherry tomatoes, 12 basil leaves and 12 cocktail sticks.  Place a folded basil leaf on top of the cherry tomato, top with the mozzarella pearl and skewer with the cocktail stick, it really is that quick!  I had a bottle of balsamic glaze which I also put out so people could drizzle over themselves but the skewers tasted amazing as they were, the flavours of each component just go so well together.

Lastly for the tuna and cucumber wedges I mixed together one drained can of tuna with half a finely chopped red onion, freshly ground black pepper and a few tablespoons of mayo.  Again, don't overdo the mayo, you don't want the mix to be sloppy it needs to hold together to sit on the cucumber.  I cut a cucumber into 12 thick slices and then topped each slip with a spoon of the tuna mix.  If you like a bit of heat you can add a few drops of tobacco to the mix just to spice it up a bit.

I made these recently for an afternoon tea and they went down really well, great flavours from all of them and again, so quick to put together, give them a try and let me know what you think.

Indian style spicy chicken with rice noodles

Indian style spicy chicken with rice noodles

• 4 chicken breasts

For the marinade

• 1 tsp hot chilli powder (or 2 of mild)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp vinegar

For the sauce

• 2cm stick of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 4 cloves
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp water

For the noodles

• 100g dried rice noodles
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 2 green chillies, cut lengthways 
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

Mix together the marinade ingredients and rub over the chicken breasts then set aside for 30 minutes.

For the sauce, mix together the spices and roast them in a dry frying pan until they begin to colour.  Using a pestle and mortar, grind the spices to a fine powder.  Heat the oil in the pan and fry the garlic until it starts to turn golden.  Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the spices, make sure you stir briskly to stop them from burning.  Add the tomato purée and cook for a further 2 minutes, stir in the water and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, place the chicken onto a baking try and cover each breast with the sauce, cook in the oven for around 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions.  In a large pan heat the oil then add the curry leaves and mustard seeds.  Once they start to crackle add the chillies and turmeric, stir and cook for a couple of minutes.  Drain the rice noodles, add to the pan along with the sliced pepper, stir through for a couple of minutes and then serve with the chicken.

On the face of it you may think there are a lot of ingredients but most of these will probably be in your store cupboard, the fresh curry leaves are widely available in a number of leading supermarkets.
This is a spicy dish but you can always use a milder chilli powder if you prefer.  There should be plenty of sauce on the chicken to incorporate into the noodles so it isn't a dry dish.  Who needs to go out for an Indian or even get a takeaway when you can make this quick and easy dish in the comfort of your own home?  I hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Asparagus Spring Tart

Asparagus Spring Tart

• 250g ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp mustard
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Handful of grated Parmesan
• Salt & Pepper
• 8 asparagus spears
• 4 slices of Parma ham
• Handful of pea shoots
• Vinaigrette 
• 1 sheet of ready made puff pastry  

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, lemon juice & zest, mustard, Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, mix well and set aside.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.  Unroll the pastry and place onto the tray, you may need to trim the end as the pastry is just a bit bigger than a standard sized tray.  With a sharp knife, score the pastry 1" from the edge in a rectangular shape to create a scored border.   Using a fork, prick the pastry all over within the border (do not prick the border itself). Beat the egg yolk and with a pastry brush, coat the tart with the egg wash.  Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and place the pastry in and cook for around ten minutes, the pastry should have puffed up and have coloured slightly, and will have a raised border.  Remove from the oven and leave to settle for ten minutes then spread the cheese mixture over the pastry (not on the border).  Trim your asparagus spears to fit the tart and place them on top, tear up the Parma ham and scatter this on top and then cook in the oven for around 20-25 minutes, keep an eye though to ensure the pastry does not burn.

Once cooked, remove the tart from the oven, top with the pea shoots, some gratings of Parmesan and drizzle over a little vinaigrette.  I served this with a nice crisp salad but baby small potatoes tossed in butter would go equally as well.

This tart was so tasty, fresh and zesty from the lemon with a bit of punch from the mustard.  We are coming into asparagus season so this recipe is perfect right now however don't reserve it just for spring as you can get asparagus pretty much year round!  

Chilli Con Carne by The Spicery!

Chilli con carne by The Spicery!

Whilst I enjoy cooking from scratch, as you will know, I am not adverse to the odd cheat or two.  The Spicery are an online company who offer a vast array of different spice mixes, something to suit all tastebuds and styles of cooking.  Whilst you can make ad hoc purchases they also offer a subscription service and each month they will freshly grind and blend the spice mixes, measure them into individual portions and post the spicy goodness direct to your door in a letterbox sized box so no need to be home when it arrives!  The kit includes a colourful recipe which shows you how to make a feast using the spices for that month.  

I had come across The Spicery a couple of years ago whilst looking for some Christmas gift ideas and had purchased a subscription for my sister who thoroughly enjoyed them.  As is always the way, you make a purchase for someone else but then end up regretting not getting something for yourself!  I was therefore pleased to see them on special offer and included a couple with my recent Ocado shop.

Whilst I know how to make chilli con carne, not all recipes are the same so I'm always up for a new experience.  

This mix promised a spice blend for a smoky chilli con carne and boy did it live up to it.  Clear easy instructions to follow, OK, I did make a couple of alterations, I added a pepper which needed using up (I don't like to waste food!) and I also substituted the required water for beef stock which I like to think gave it an even greater depth of flavour.  The house was soon filled with a wonderful spicy aroma which most definitely was a smell of things of things to come!  

I do enjoy a dish with a good kick of heat, that said, whilst this dish did have some heat, it didn't need any more, the smoky flavour made up for it and this recipe was packed full of taste sensations which we both loved, needless to say once served, our plates were quickly cleared!   I served this with rice, homemade guacamole, sour cream and salsa with some corn chips.  The recipe does serve 4 so with the remaining portions I am going to serve them on jacket potatoes and I can't wait.

All in all a spicetastic experience and one I will be repeating, I can't wait to try the goulash spice mix I also got!  Right, I'm off to the website to check out what to order next, if you fancy giving them a go you can find them at www.thespicery.com

Spicy rice with chicken and prawns

Spicy rice with chicken and prawns

• 200g basmati rice
• 150g cooked edamame beans
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp curry paste  
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, cut into thin strips
• 1 chicken breast
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Small pack of cooked prawns
• Handful of chopped coriander
• Knob of butter

Cook the chicken breast in the oven for around 20-30 minutes until cooked through.  Once cooled slightly, chop into small bite sized pieces.

Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan, add the curry paste, I used red Thai curry paste but you can use your paste of preference, tip in the rice, stir through and bring to the boil, cover with a lid and leave to,simmer for around 10 minutes until almost tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the rice, carrot and beans, stir through and cook for a few minutes.  Add the beaten eggs and allow the egg to colour, add the chicken, prawns and half of the peppers and spring onions, stir thoroughly, this will break up the egg, cook for a few more minutes to warm through the chicken and prawns, add a handful of chopped coriander, mix and serve.  Top the dish with the reserved peppers and Spring onions.

This is a great little dish and will feed 2-3 comfortably.  I think next time I will add some fresh chilli to the dish as I do prefer more of a kick but by using whichever curry paste you prefer you can cook to your own liking and heat preference!