Mexican tuna nicoise

Mexican tuna nicoise

Well, originally we were due to have tuna salad this evening however it was pretty chilly out and I got to thinking what can I do to pep this up, and this is what I came up with and boy was it tasty....

• 1 red pepper thinly sliced
• 2 flour tortillas
• 2 tbsp of kankun chipotle sauce
• 1/4 block of feta cheese (cubed)
• 4 tbsp sweetcorn
• 1 jar of line caught tuna
• Couple of handfuls of pea shoots
• Handful of sliced black olives
• 2 soft boiled eggs
• Drizzle of rapeseed vinaigrette

Method:-

Spread the kankun sauce over the flour tortillas, place on a baking tray and place in the oven at 200 degrees for around 10 minutes.  Once done remove and leave to one side to cool slightly.  Bring to the boil a small pan of water and boil the eggs for 5 and a half minutes, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  

Scatter the pea shoots over the tortillas along with the sweetcorn and sliced peppers.  Break up the tuna and place on top of the tortilla and crumble the feta on the top and scatter the black olives over it.  Carefully peel the soft boiled egg and place on top of each tortilla.  Drizzle with the rapeseed dressing (or dressing of choice) cut into the egg so the yolk oozes out and enjoy.

I really hope you enjoy this as much as we did, was something different and spur of the moment and it worked.

Pork chops with prosciutto, apple and stilton

Pork chops with prosciutto, apple and stilton

• 12 slices prosciutto
• 4 pork chops
• 1 small red apple cored and sliced
• 75g Stilton cheese, crumbled
• 4 large rosemary sprigs, to skewer

Method:- 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Lay out 3 slices of the prosciutto so they overlap, repeat with the rest of the prosciutto so you have 4 piles.

Put a frying pan over a high heat.  Season the chops with salt and pepper then sear in the hot pan on both sides.  Place a seared chop on top of each pile of prosciutto.  Divide the sliced apple and Stilton between the prosciutto piles, on top of the pork.  Wrap the prosciutto around each of the parcels to hold it all in place and secure with a rosemary sprig.  Place the parcels in a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.  Serve with mashed potato and greens and cooking juices from the parcels.

This was a perfect dish for an Autumnal evening, homely and comforting.  Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver.   

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Chilli Con Carne Stack

Chilli Con Carne Stack

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 red pepper finely chopped
• 2 medium vine tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g beef mince
• 100ml red wine
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 240ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium cinnamon stick
• 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g tin sweetcorn
• 30g dark chocolate (85% cocoa solids)

Method:-

Heat the oil in a medium pan over a low heat.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent.  Add the garlic, pepper and vine tomatoes and cook, stirring for 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.  Make a space in the centre of the mixture then add the chilli powder, paprika and cumin.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile season and cook the mince in a separate pan over a high heat until browned.  Drain the fat from the mince and add the mince to the tomato mixture along with the wine.  Stir over a high heat until the wine evaporates.  Stir in the oregano and thyme, then the tomato paste.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tinned tomatoes and stock.  Cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add the bay and cinnamon, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid and stir in the beans and sweetcorn, then cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Taste and season the chilli then stir in the chocolate until it has melted.  Remove the pan from the heat and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Whilst you can serve the chilli with rice, for this recipe I shallow fried several small flour tortillas and built a chilli stack, adding cheese, sour cream and jalapeño slices along with homemade guacamole.  This chilli has a great flavour however I do prefer a bit more heat, I therefore added a diced red chilli and a good helping of Kankun habanero sauce to give it a bit more bite. Credit to Chef Ernesto Puga Cardoso for the recipe.

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Ricotta and Parmesan fritters with mushrooms, black pudding and pancetta

Ricotta and Parmesan fritters

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 400g mixed wild mushrooms
• Olive oil
• 1 small knob of unsalted butter
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 400g ricotta
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 lemon
• 40g grated Parmesan
• 4 slices black pudding
• 6 slices of pancetta
• 1/2 bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley

Method:-
Peel and finely slice the garlic, finely slice the chilli, then roughly chop the mushrooms.  Add the olive oil (few glugs), butter and garlic to a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.  Fry for 1 minute, add the mushrooms and chilli, then pick the thyme leaves and add to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper, add 100ml of boiling water, then cook for around 10 minutes or until,softened.

To make the fritters, place the ricotta into a large bowl and beat until smooth.  Add the flour, egg and a few gratings of lemon zest.  Finely grate the Parmesan and add to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a medium pan over a medium heat, then add heaped tablespoons of the mixture, making sure you space them out.  Cook for around 10 minutes or until,golden and cooked through, turning halfway then transfer to a plate.

Whilst the fritters are cooking, place the black pudding into a small frying pan with a dash of olive oil and gently fry, turning occasionally.  Place the pancetta onto some foil on a tray and cook under a medium grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until crisp.

Bring to the boil a small saucepan of water and boil 2 eggs for 5 1/2 minutes, once done rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Roughly chop the parsley and add to the mushrooms, add a squeeze of lemon juice and toss well.  Divide between the plates, top with the black pudding, fritters, pancetta and the soft boiled egg.  Enjoy, this is such a tasty dish, packed full of flavour, great for a Friday night dinner at the end of a hard week.

Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

• 4 x skinless chicken breasts
• 50g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• 200ml sunflower oil
• Hot mounds of steamed rice for serving

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions roughly chopped
• 25g chunk of root ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves sliced
• 1 tbsp medium curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground star anise
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 20g plain flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp tomato purée
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:-

Firstly make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, cover with lid and gently fry for 8-10 minutes until well softened, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid, increase the heat a little and cook for 3 more minutes until the onions are pale golden brown.  Reduce the heat, add the ginger and garlic and simmer gently for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Stir the curry powder, star anise, turmeric and a few twists of ground black pepper into the onions.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well.  Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly until it's incorporated.  Add the tomato purée and bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until smooth.  Cover with cling film and set aside while you prepare the chicken.

One at a time place the chicken breasts on a board and cover with cling film.  Bash the thickest part of the chicken with a rolling pin until the pieces have an even depth.  Soft the flour on to a large plate.  Beat the egg in a medium bowl until smooth.  Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over a small tray.  Take a chicken breast and dust it in the flour.  Shake off the excess flour and dip into the beaten egg then coat it in the breadcrumbs.  Put the chicken on a tray whilst you coat the rest, adding the reserved breadcrumbs after coating two breasts.  Chill for 30-60 minutes if you have time, as this will help the breadcrumb coating to set.

Pour the oil into a deep non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat.  Using tongs lower the chicken breasts into the hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes each side until the chicken is crisp and golden.  Five minutes before the chicken is ready pour the curry sauce into a pan and warm over a low heat.  Slice the chicken breasts and serve on warmed plates with steamed rice and some hot sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Hairy Bikers Great Curries 

Mango & Lime Marinaded Chicken Salad With Bacon & Avocado

Mango & Lime Marinaded Chicken Salad With Bacon & Avocado

• 2 Chicken breast cut into thick slices
• 1 Avocado sliced
• 1 Pepper sliced
• Bag of salad
• 4 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
• Marinade of choice, I used mango and lime
• Cherry tomatoes halved
• Cucumber cut into small pieces

Method :-
Place the sliced chicken pieces into a container, add your marinade, mix well and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Fry the bacon in a small amount of oil until crisp, once done remove and place onto a plate a cover with kitchen roll to remove any excess oil.  Either fry or cook your chicken in the oven for around 20 minutes.  Dress your plate with the salad, add the peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and chicken pieces.  I drizzled a rapeseed dressing over it which added some additional flavour.  

This is a quick and easy light dinner which shouldn't take long to put together.

Hot-smoked salmon fillets with herby avocado

Hot-smoked salmon fillets with herby avocado

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt 
• 1 small bunch of coriander
• 1 handful mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4-6 radishes
• 2 little gem lettuces
• 4 x 130g hot-smoked salmon fillets
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method :-

Peel and stone the avocados and put the flesh in a food processor.  Add the yoghurt, herbs, lime juice and some salt and pepper, then whizz until smooth.  Thinly slice the radishes and quarter the lettuces lengthways.  Divide the avocado purée among 4 dishes, add 2 lettuce quarters to each then top with a flaked salmon fillet.  Scatter with the radish slices and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.

This is a very light dish, ideal for dining Al fresco whilst enjoying the sunshine.

Mexican Eggs

Mexican Eggs

• 50g cooking chorizo, cubed
• 1 red onion finely diced
• 1/2 red chilli finely diced (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (plus extra leaves to serve)
• 4 large free-range eggs
• Pickled jalapeños to serve (optional)
• Kankun habanero sauce

Method:-

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and dry fry the chorizo for a couple of minutes, add the onion, chilli and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.  Add all the tomatoes, paprika, coriander and 100ml of water.  Season well, stir then cook over a medium heat for around 15 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes have softened.  Make 4 indentations in the sauce and crack an egg into each one.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the whites are almost set.  Scatter with fresh coriander and pickled jalapeños and serve straightaway.

This is a great dish perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I like it spicy so drizzled some Kankun habanero sauce on top of each egg.  I also placed a warm tortilla on each plate and served the eggs on top. 

Recipe is courtesy of Dean Edwards via delicious magazine

Jalapeño, bacon & sausage muffins

Jalapeño, bacon & sausage muffins

• 6 eggs
• Dash of milk
• 12 slices of streaky bacon
• 6 chipolata sausages
• Handful of grated cheese
• 1/2 red pepper finely diced
• 12 jalapeño slices
• Kankun habanero sauce
• Few grinds of black pepper

Method:-

Grease a muffin tray and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.  Place the bacon on a tray and cook in the oven for around 15 minutes (don't over cook as the bacon needs to be pliable).  Whilst the bacon is cooking cut the sausages into small pieces and fry in a small frying pan until cooked through.  Mix the eggs together in a small jug, add a dash of milk, few grinds of pepper and a few glugs of the habanero sauce (vary amount according to how hot you like it).  

Line each of the muffin moulds with a slice of bacon, place a few bits of the sausage into the base of each mould, sprinkle with some of the red pepper and grated cheese and then top up with the beaten egg mixture.  Place a jalapeño ring on top of each muffin and cook in the oven for around 20-25 minutes.  Once cooked turn the oven off and leave the muffins in there for 15 minutes to settled down.  Remove from the oven and once cooled slightly pop them out of the mould and enjoy.  

I enjoy spicy food and the hit of the Kankun sauce along with the jalapeño gave the muffins a good kick of heat.  This is a great breakfast/brunch dish and has virtually no carbs so great for those who are watching their carb intake.

Grilled chicken, halloumi and chorizo fajitas with mango salsa

Grilled chicken, halloumi and chorizo fajitas with mango salsa

• 1 Mango
• 1/2 Red onion finely diced
• 3tbsp fresh chopped coriander
• 1 Mild red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 200g Halloumi cheese
• 8 Chicken fillet strips
• 100g Sliced chorizo 
• 4 Flour tortillas
• Lettuce (shredded) cherry tomatoes (halved)

Method :-
First make the salsa, dice the mango (hedgehog method works best) and add the onion, coriander, chilli, olive oil, salt and pepper, mix to combine and set aside.

Pre-heat your grill to medium, place the chicken fillets on a foil lined tray and cook for 6-7 minutes turning once.  Add the sliced Halloumi to the tray and cook for a few minutes until the cheese starts to brown, turn over the cheese and continue cooking until the other side is also browned.  Whilst the chicken and cheese is cooking, heat a small frying pan and fry the chorizo until it crisps up.

Heat your tortillas according to instructions, place some of the lettuce and tomatoes on each of the tortillas and divide the chicken fillets and cheese onto each tortilla and top with the mango salsa.  

This is a light, fresh and zingy dinner; if you want to go the veggie option remove the chicken and chorizo.  For the chicken I dusted the fillets with Cajun spices to pep it up a bit, also you can spritz flavoured oil onto the Halloumi.