Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Friday, 12 August 2016

Avocado, chilli, tomato, garlic and lemon spaghetti. 
This is one for all you avocado lovers out there. This avocado, chilli, lemon and garlic pasta sauce takes two minutes to whizz up in the blender and creates a really creamy spaghetti sauce with a kick. 

I like to serve this dish with some freshly grated parmesan on top (and sometimes even some pine nuts) but if you want to keep it vegan/vegetarian friendly then it still tastes great without the cheese. 
Serves 2

Ingredients: 
  • 200g uncooked spaghetti
  • 1 avocado
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 red chilli (or 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes).
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic paste or 1 clove of garlic.
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • Handful of cherry tomatos
  • 1 tablespoon pinenuts (optional)
  • Grated cheese (optional)
  • Salt
  • Pepper 
Method:

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the instructions on the pack. 
2. Cut the avocado in half and spoon out the contents into a food processor.
3. Add the garlic, chilli, lemon juice, olive oil and a good seasoning of salt and pepper to the avocado and blend until smooth.
4. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to a small frying pan with the pine nuts.
5. Dry fry the tomatoes and pine nuts for 1-2 minutes on a low heat until lightly toasted. 
6. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the spaghetti and return to the same pan leaving around 1 tablespoons worth of water in the pan with the cooked spaghetti.
7. Return the spaghetti pan to low heat, add the avocado mixture and stir throughly. 
8. Turn off the heat, add the tomatoes and mix. 
8. Serve in preheated bowls with a grating of cheese. 




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Friday, 20 May 2016

Indian restaurant style curry base.
The secret to a great Indian restaurant quality curry? It really is all about that base.  To re-create that takeaway standard curry to impress family and friends, you need a good onion gravy base. When I finally realised this,  I scoured the internet, looked through old-school Indian recipe books and watched numerous Indian chefs in action on YouTube. Some bases required too many ingredients I just didn't have but after watching a few chefs in action, I settled on a simple onion, ginger and garlic gravy that won't cost you much to make. 

This recipe makes 3 x 225ml portions of base. Each portion on base will make a curry serving around 4 people. If you aren't cooking for 12 don't worry- you easily can pop it into three separate containers and freeze for another time. 

Ingredients: 
  • 600g onions (about 6 large onions)
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 6 pieces of ginger (dice sized)
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato puree/ pasata
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoons curry powder
  • 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
Method: 
1. Roughly chop the onions and place in a large saucepan with the garlic and ginger.
2. Cover with water (approx 800ml), bring to the boil and cover.
3. Continue to simmer on a low-medium heat for 30-35 minutes until much of the water has reduced
4. Stir in the salt, spices, tomato puree and oil.
5. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
6. Take the saucepan off the heat and use a hand blender or upright blender to blend into a smooth gravy.
7. Divide the curry base into 3 x 225ml portions and store in the fridge or freezer.



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Wednesday, 4 May 2016

Everyone needs to know a basic stir-fry recipe they can whip up in minutes using store cupboard ingredients and left-over veg and this recipe by... is the one.

This mix of garlic, ginger, soy-sauce, honey and sweet chilli and can be used as any a stir-fry base for most things- chicken, prawns, pork, beef or just chunky vegetables all work well with this, making it the ultimate go-to recipe to use up left-overs.





Serves 2

Ingredients:
  • Soy-sauce
  • Sweet chilli
  • Garlic 
  • Ginger
  • honey
  • noodles
  • stir-fry veg
  • meat or prawns
Method:

 1. Mix all liquid the ingredients in one bowl
2. Dice the meat and vegetables and add to a pan on medium heat
3. Cook the meat in some oil until cooked.
4. add the vegetables.
5. Add the sauce
6. Add the noodles








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Roasted pumpkin, goats cheese and tomato pasta.
Although not authentically Chinese, this recipe was inspired by my time in Shanghai. Don't get me wrong, the food in China is super tasty, wonderfully affordable and incredibly convenient but sometimes you just need a taste of home from time to time, and this was ours.

This roasted pumpkin, spinach, pine nut and goat's cheese pasta dish was simple and comforting, but of course China being China, we didn't make it ourselves, the German-owned cafe down the road did. The young timid Chinese waiter's face used to light up when we walked in, not only because he was in love with my housemate with long wavy blonde locks, but because our order was simple- "liang-ge (two) pumpkin pastas". 

Serves 2

 Ingredients: 

  • 200g pasta of your choice
  • 250g pumpkin 
  • 50g goat's cheese (feta also works well) 
  • 100g spinach
  • 2 tablespoons tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove 
  • Olive oil 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. 
2. Dice the pumpkin into 2cm cubes 
3. Place the pumpkin cubes on an aluminium foil lined baking tray.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 30 minutes 
6. Towards the last 10 minutes, start cooking your pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
7. When the pasta has around 5 minutes to go, start on your sauce!
7. Chop your garlic and fry in a large pan with some 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.
8. After 1 minute, add two tablespoons of the tomato mascarpone pasta sauce and stir.
9. Add two thirds of the pine nuts (leaving the other third for garnish at the end) 
10. 







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Chicken korma served with pilau rice and chipati.
This recipe is for a British Indian Restaurant standard Chicken Korma. It's rich, sweet, creamy and full of flavour!

There are two parts to this recipe: first, the curry gravy base and second, the sauce that gives it that magic chicken korma taste. The curry base is very versatile and can be used as a base for many different takeaway quality curries. The curry base part of the recipe actually makes 3 x 225ml of curry base and can be stored in three separate containers and put in the fridge or freezer for another time or another curry!







Serves 4

Ingredients: 

Curry Base
  • 600g onions (about 6 large onions)
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 6 pieces of ginger (dice sized)
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato puree/ pasata
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1.5 teaspoons chilli powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoons curry powder
  • 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
Chicken Korma
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 450g chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut powder (desiccated coconut ground in the food processor)
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons almond powder (flaked almonds ground in the food processor)
  • 200ml single cream

Method:

Steps 1-7 are for the curry base
Steps 8-12 are for the korma part

1. Roughly chop the onions and place in a large saucepan with the garlic and ginger.
2. Cover with water (approx 800ml), bring to the boil and cover.
3. Continue to simmer on a low-medium heat for 30-35 minutes until much of the water has reduced
4. Stir in the salt, spices, tomato puree and oil.
5. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
6. Take the saucepan off the heat and use a hand blender or upright blender to blend into a smooth gravy.
7. Divide the curry base into 3 x 225ml portions and store in the fridge or freezer.

8. Now for the chicken korma part! Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat and cook the diced chicken breast until sealed.
9. Add one portion of curry base (225ml) and stir on a medium heat for 2 minutes.
10. Next, add the coconut powder, almond powder, sugar and stir for a further minute.
11. Stir in the single cream and continue to simmer on a medium- low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.
12. Once the curry has thickened, turn off the heat, serve and enjoy!
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Chinese egg and tomato served with sticky rice
Simple, quick and delicious, this is my go-to dish if I don't know what to have for dinner. The dish has two main ingredients- egg and tomato. The cooked tomatoes and soft scrambled eggs makes a really saucy and satisfying dish which tastes amazing served with sticky rice. 

I first discovered this dish when myself and three girl-friends were travelling to Hainan, an island off the south coast of China, from Shanghai for Autumn festival. We had not long been in China and we thought it would be nice to get some sun before the Shanghai winter set in. We (somehow) managed to book a last minute train and decided a 40 hour train journey (one way!) on a HARD SEAT was a small price to pay for a tropical beach holiday in the 'Hawaii of Asia'. Around 28 hours in we were sleep deprived, achey, dirty and a little bit delusional, so we decided to take a walk to find the 'restaurant carriage'. We found it, but the staff would not let us in, we weren't sure what they were saying so we plonked ourselves down at a table regardless. In the end they stopped arguing with us and gave us a plate of egg and tomato to share and a bowl of sticky rice each. 

I later found out this dish is called 'xihongshi chao jidan' and is a staple in China, usually served as a breakfast dish (although you can order it anytime). Oh and I also found out the train's 'restaurant carriage' was only for staff. Oops. 

This story wouldn't be complete without also telling you that after 32 hours of our train journey, the train stopped and passengers were told to get off due to a typhoon hitting the south coast of China. With no trains continuing to Hainan we instead spent the next week exploring Nanning province in wet and windy weather (with little more than a few summer maxi dresses to wear). 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs (2 per person) 
  • 3 large tomatoes 
  • 1 spring onion (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat.
2. Chop the tomatoes into 0.5- 1cm thick wedges.
3. Finely chop up the spring onion.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan and pour in the eggs.
3. Scramble the eggs over medium heat just until all the runny egg is cooked.
4. Remove the eggs from the pan, place in a bowl and set aside.
5. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.
5. Next place the half of the chopped spring onion and all of the tomatoes in the pan.
6. Add the salt, sugar and ketchup and stir. 
7. Place a lid over the pan and cook for around 2 minutes. 
8. Remove the lid and add the eggs.
9. Mix the scrambled eggs evenly into the tomato sauce.
10. Turn off the heat, serve on a plate, garnish with the rest of the spring onion and enjoy :)


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Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Oriental style salmon with pak choi and cashews

This dish packs a punch and can be whipped up in just l5 minutes. It's extremely simple to make and you won't need many additional ingredients that aren't already in your store cupboard.

The salmon is cooked with a creamy sweet chilli crust, topped with few cashews for that extra crunch and sweetness.

The pak-choi is cooked Chinese style- in a bit of garlic and soy...just the way I like it! This provides a lightly salted base for that sweet chilli salmon and makes the whole dish come alive.

Sprinkle a few extra cashews around the outside and voila, a masterchef dish to impress!

Ingredients:

Salmon
Cream cheese with chives
sweet chilli sauce
Cashew nut (unsalted)
pak choi
soy sauce
garlic
oil
spring onion.



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Thursday, 10 March 2016


Roasted courgette, couscous, tzatziki 
Don't be fooled, this is no ordinary stuffed-vegetable-dish. The flavours in this recipe are fresh, exciting and will even impress the non-vegetarian dinner guests. The subtle flavours of the roasted courgette, sun-dried tomato couscous and peppers provide a delicate setting for that salty goats cheese. The additional sweetness of the dates offsets the salty cheese beautifully and adds an element of surprise to the dish. 

My boyfriend actually created this recipe and I was so impressed I stole it off him and have now made it more times than him. 

This is great served as a starter (serving half a stuffed courgette per person served with some fresh tzatziki), as a side dish, or main dish (serving a whole courgette per person with some homemade coleslaw).

For this dish, I cheat a little bit. I buy a packet of Alfez sun-dried tomato flavoured couscous which is available in most supermarkets (UK & Dutch, see image). However, you can of course make your own using 150g plain couscous, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 chopped spring onions, 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato puree, 80g finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp garlic puree, fresh herbs (chopped parsley would work well) and salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients: 

  • 4 medium (equal) sized courgettes
  • olive oil
  • 1 red or yellow pepper
  • 1 (200g) packet flavoured couscous
  • 50g dates
  • 75g goats cheese
  • lemon juice (optional)
  • salt and pepper


Method:


  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. 2. Chop the ends off and carefully slice the courgettes length ways.
  3. 3. With a spoon (or an apple corer) remove the flesh of the courgette (see image).
  4. 4. Repeat with all 7 remaining courgette halves.
  5. 5. Place in a large oven dish, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  6. 6. Cook in the oven for 20- 25 minutes.
  7. 7. While the courgettes are cooking, prepare the couscous filling.
  8. 8. Add water to the couscous and set aside (according to the instructions on the packet).
  9. 9. Finely chop the pepper, goats cheese and dates.
  10. 10. Stir the chopped pepper, goats cheese, dates into the couscous.
  11. 11. Add a squirt of lemon (optional) and stir throughly. 
  12. 12. Fill each of the roasted courgettes halves with generous portion of the couscous, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. 
  13. 13. Return to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.
  14. 14. Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy! 
Serving suggestion: Serve half a courgette as a starter with some fresh tzatziki dipping sauce or serve a whole courgette as a main dish with some homemade coleslaw and crusty bread on the table. 

Alfez sundried tomato couscous
3 medium courgettes ready to roast








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Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Flammkuchen: 'classic' and 'blue cheese and walnut'
Could flammkuechen be Europe's best kept secret?

'Flammkuechen' or 'tarte flambee' originates from the Alsatian region of south-west Germany and east France. It's a super light bread dough rolled out thin and traditionally topped with creme fraiche, onions and bacon, although many variations now exist.

 Over the past couple of years flammkuechen has become my 'thing'. Weeknight dinners, drinking food, BBQs, lunch time treats, I can literally find any excuse to whip up a few of these delicious crowd-pleasing alternative pizzas. They are so versatile, can be topped with anything you fancy and take minutes to prepare.

I'm so passionate about them that at one point I even wanted to start my own flammkuechen restaurant. But don't just believe me, try them for yourself! This recipe is for the 'classic' bacon and onion flammkuechen. I have many favourite toppings (which I will be sharing with you on this blog) but everyone seems to agree you just can't beat that light, creamy base topped with sweet onions and salty bacon, served with a crisp glass of white wine.

Ingredients: 

  • 200g plain flour + extra for dusting (wholemeal also works well) 
  • 2 tablespoons of oil 
  • 125ml water
  • 200g creme fraiche
  • 2 large onions 
  • 100g bacon (the really thin bacon works well) 
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • salt and pepper

Method: 
1. Preheat the oven on the highest temperature.
2. Lightly grease two large baking or pizza trays.
3. Add the flour and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the oil and water and mix well into a (non sticky) dough.
5. Cut the dough in half and use a rolling pin to roll each half into a large thin base. 
6. Place the bases on the trays and pre-bake the base for 3-4 minutes.
7. Finely slice the onions and cut up the bacon.
8. Melt the butter in a frying pan on a low-medium heat.
9. Gently 'sweat' the onions until soft.
10. Add the bacon and fry for another 2 minutes.
11.. Spoon and evenly spread half of the creme fraiche onto each of the bases.
12. Evenly distribute the onion and bacon topping and season with pepper.
13. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the edges look crispy.
14. Remove from the oven, cut into pieces and ENJOY!

Serving suggestion: Serve with some white wine or good beer. Warning flammkuechen are very light and extremely moreish, make plenty if feeding a crowd. :-)



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Mussels in a garlic, onion and white wine broth
Moules Frites Mondays... or Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays...

This recipe is so deliciously simple you can have restaurant standard mussels anytime you like.

I discovered this recipe one day at work (recipe hunting during my lunch break to get me through the Monday blues). This was during the summer when my sister and I were living together in Geneva, Switzerland. I wanted a recipe that was inexpensive, simple enough to be able to cook in our tiny swiss kitchen and unbelievably tasty. After munching our way through all the mussels, we mopped up the rest of the sauce with a baguette and french fries. In fact, we loved this evening so much that we renamed Mondays 'Moules Frites Mondays'

Mussels can be daunting to cook if you don't know how, but this recipe gives you a step-by-step low down on how to prepare and cook your mussels.

This recipe was taken from K.Martin's recipe on food.com and it's such a winner, I haven't changed a thing (sometimes I don't have fresh herbs on hand so I leave them out). The sauce is a garlic, onion, butter and white wine broth and is a perfect summer dinner served with a fresh baguette, french fries and a leafy salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Approx 1.5- 2kg live mussels 
  • 475ml dry white wine 
  • 4 small onions 
  • 4 cloves garlic 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 6 tablespoons butter 
  • Fresh herbs (optional)

Method:

Preparing your mussels

1. If your mussels are live, they should be tightly closed. If there are mussels which are open or slightly open, tap the mussel on the counter and see if it shuts by itself. If it does close up, keep it (it's live). If it remains open- discard it (it's dead)
2. Place the live mussels in a large colander and rinse with water.
3. Scrub and de-beard any mussels that have mud, seaweed or stringy 'beards' hanging out of them. You can de-beard a mussel by grabbing the stringy beard part with a piece of kitchen paper and holding the mussel tight with the other hand and firmly ripping it off.
4. You are now ready to cook your mussels! If you want to prepare your mussels in advance, just place the cleaned mussels in a bowl, place a damp cloth covering them and store in the fridge. You should use them that day.

Cooking your mussels

1. Finely chop the onions and garlic and place in a large pan on medium heat.
2. Add the wine and salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the mussels, cover with a lid, and turn the heat up to high.
4. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened.
5. Add the butter (and optional herbs) and stir.
6. Turn off the heat, serve and enjoy!
7. Don't eat the mussels that didn't open.

Serving suggestion: Don't forget to dish up that delicious broth and serve with some crusty bread or fries (or both) and a leafy salad. 



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