tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61829750786507774552024-03-17T20:03:21.274-07:00What The CookCookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.comBlogger1082125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-27999979391408185942021-12-02T03:41:00.006-08:002021-12-02T03:41:58.190-08:00Pork-Stuffed Cabbage Parcels with Tomato Sauce<div style="text-align: left;"><div>A lot of cultures all over the world have stuffed leaves in their culinary repertoire and for good reason. In Europe, the stuffing is usually meat-based (whilst in Asia, it tends to be mushrooms or tofu) and the concept is clever as the cabbage leaves provide moisture and protection for the stuffing so that it becomes totally tender and juicy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here, I used January King Cabbage which has a beautiful mix of purple and green leaves and stands up really well to a longer cooking time. For the stuffing, I used pork mince with grated onion, dried oregano, Parmesan, bread crumbs and an egg to bring it all together. The key here is to be generous with salt and pepper to really make things pop. The sauce is simple - tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar and fresh basil. Comforting, hearty and covered in cheese, this is the perfect winter warmer.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pork-Stuffed Cabbage Parcels with Tomato Sauce</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOkIqH_RDuR2C7xNKWvgWCQW9MuqmvmrrN83ChG8A-DivQsm3CK1YRDs6YEyKr5fURMyDD0Lzs-MOknjLlNg5FpeO3OfmyEXSDxgZSI-xBiuKnFqWHQeINklxyqx25iSX722NhnVWVWE/s1280/thumbnail_D7C7B859-5966-4F5A-B987-FC4BFBB0DF5E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOkIqH_RDuR2C7xNKWvgWCQW9MuqmvmrrN83ChG8A-DivQsm3CK1YRDs6YEyKr5fURMyDD0Lzs-MOknjLlNg5FpeO3OfmyEXSDxgZSI-xBiuKnFqWHQeINklxyqx25iSX722NhnVWVWE/s320/thumbnail_D7C7B859-5966-4F5A-B987-FC4BFBB0DF5E.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8 large cabbage leaves (I used January King but Savoy work well), stems removed </div><div style="text-align: left;">500g pork mince </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, grated and squeezed of any juice </div><div style="text-align: left;">30g Parmesan, finely grated (plus extra to serve)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 egg, lightly beaten </div><div style="text-align: left;">30g fresh breadcrumbs </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp dried oregano</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp red wine vinegar </div><div style="text-align: left;">pinch of sugar </div><div style="text-align: left;">fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180C.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fill a pan with lightly salted boiling water and cook the cabbage leaves for 1-2 minutes or until tender. Drain really well and run under cold water until cooled. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In a large bowl, mix together the pork mince, onion, Parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, dried oregano and plent of salt and pepper. The best way to do this is to get in there with clean hands and really squeeze and work the mixture together. Divide into 8 balls.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lay a cabbage leaf on a chopping board and roll a meatball inside the leaf until it is completely sealed. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and leaves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tip the tomatoes into a large baking dish and use a potato masher (or clean hands) to break up the large pieces. Season well, then stir in the vinegar, sugar, most of the basil and 100ml of boiling water. Put into the oven for 10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then nestle in the cabbage parcels in the sauce and bake for a further 35-40 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Scatter over the basil and grate over extra cheese, if you like. Then serve with rice or mashed potatoes.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-28735055539754539322021-11-30T02:12:00.000-08:002021-11-30T02:12:09.115-08:00Citrus Granita<div style="text-align: left;">As we move into the season of entertaining, this is the perfect recipe to have up your sleeve. It can be made well in advance and it feels special (without the faff!).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Until recently I'd never made granita before, but once I found out how easy it is (and how delicious) I had to give it a go. It's the perfect mix of sweet and sour as well as being incredibly satisfying as it melts on your tongue. Keep some in your freezer for whenever you might need it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Citrus Granita</b><br />Serves 4-6</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8itfDyKbPyPZGPSwz2vzOMrOvfYx39LUpS8q9zvArrPtlZwSjGXKQ9YD0_TMSF3fNimL5Kl1RMkXpgP1F9B7hvM7W1UqIfY71hkM0UATcc2q82oN1Y1xou4SuW1iqBqnc72X542umuI/s1280/thumbnail_9D11E0BE-E3CD-46DD-BDA3-09A28936D99E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8itfDyKbPyPZGPSwz2vzOMrOvfYx39LUpS8q9zvArrPtlZwSjGXKQ9YD0_TMSF3fNimL5Kl1RMkXpgP1F9B7hvM7W1UqIfY71hkM0UATcc2q82oN1Y1xou4SuW1iqBqnc72X542umuI/s320/thumbnail_9D11E0BE-E3CD-46DD-BDA3-09A28936D99E.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">300ml water</div><div style="text-align: left;">120g sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lemon, zest and juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 orange, zest and juice</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Boil the water, sugar, lemon zest and orange zest for 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half and you have a thick syrup. Strain into a freezer-safe container.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the orange and lemon juice to the mixture and combine. Freeze for at least 3 hours, breaking up the ice crystals with a fork every now and then.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, grill orange slices sprinkled with sugar until charred and dollop creme fraiche alongside before topping with the granita.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_WXThXNeqQyIx8f8pRtZexRDFnRT49gQLxPpzb8FoQAMd0F2xCXaAqJ6EzMnQXjdIcHGIANfByZDhf2iomTg5nJzDpBDC4qmK9P8Wod-7qxYR9USndpOdJ02asw7W9riRwiwYAKZR0k/s1280/thumbnail_3724B7D2-B5D2-4250-A191-B6691CC1F493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_WXThXNeqQyIx8f8pRtZexRDFnRT49gQLxPpzb8FoQAMd0F2xCXaAqJ6EzMnQXjdIcHGIANfByZDhf2iomTg5nJzDpBDC4qmK9P8Wod-7qxYR9USndpOdJ02asw7W9riRwiwYAKZR0k/s320/thumbnail_3724B7D2-B5D2-4250-A191-B6691CC1F493.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-83657093611380231542021-11-26T02:27:00.007-08:002021-11-26T02:27:43.862-08:00Spaghetti with Whisky Sauce<div style="text-align: left;">Since Gigi Hadid cooked it on Instagram, everyone seems to rave about pasta with vodka sauce... So when I fancied a big bowl of comfort recently I had a little experimentation swapping Russia’s finest for something a little closer to home - Scotch whisky. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The results, I have to say, were marvellous. Rich, deep, almost smoky back-notes but with tomato, garlic and basil at the forefront. I also added a good pinch of chilli flakes because I can’t help myself when it comes to a little kick, especially when there’s spaghetti involved. You can of course leave that out if you like. But what you must do is make a big batch of this sauce - it freezes wonderfully - and then tuck in when it’s cold outside for maximum comfort levels. A covering of cheese is an absolute must and then just slurp away!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5eRsvtq6E3E_Evm-gFjFRQt5CCnrV7hXaHqgyhgJwIopRAvMZK6OVnES1Fy04RQrRhcZKRVmjeHgtdabflfuh91fiAPg-qOaWA1gEgI9HscMdAGRZI0Ygj1I9wNqR2NymcDcsIPtoQw/s1280/thumbnail_EB3B37C4-0877-4E42-9408-CC0E90858DE2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5eRsvtq6E3E_Evm-gFjFRQt5CCnrV7hXaHqgyhgJwIopRAvMZK6OVnES1Fy04RQrRhcZKRVmjeHgtdabflfuh91fiAPg-qOaWA1gEgI9HscMdAGRZI0Ygj1I9wNqR2NymcDcsIPtoQw/s320/thumbnail_EB3B37C4-0877-4E42-9408-CC0E90858DE2.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><b>Spaghetti with Whisky Sauce</b><br />Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">Large pinch chilli flakes (optional)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp caster sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp fresh basil, torn</div><div style="text-align: left;">75ml whisky</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g spaghetti</div><div style="text-align: left;">Parmesan, grated (to serve)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat around two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based pan (use one with a lid), then add the onion and crushed garlic with a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes. Fry very gently for 12-15 minutes, adding a splash of water if the pan gets too dry. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar and the basil and season well with plenty of salt and pepper. Then cover and leave to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir in the whisky, then season to taste with a little more salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the pack instructions. Drain well, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water, then add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce with a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen. Toss well to combine, adding a little more pasta water as you go.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, divide between bowls then scatter with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdhyphenhyphen1U9Nmayy3V-vxB5qAMCn5epapALrRT73SBsH-fuRfD2yFHgDR-k1-z6_-hsYvpvP2R16l2iu-oDQtOkAd-nhUxpZKy12T7o9olPyaZq98S9UPUgtD_5WfSLqVeyQxKUGvMpWfSrI/s1280/thumbnail_245581FC-8E38-4271-AF57-87501534B68E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdhyphenhyphen1U9Nmayy3V-vxB5qAMCn5epapALrRT73SBsH-fuRfD2yFHgDR-k1-z6_-hsYvpvP2R16l2iu-oDQtOkAd-nhUxpZKy12T7o9olPyaZq98S9UPUgtD_5WfSLqVeyQxKUGvMpWfSrI/s320/thumbnail_245581FC-8E38-4271-AF57-87501534B68E.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-26786781914699068432021-11-01T03:39:00.003-07:002021-11-01T03:42:32.705-07:00Dan Dan Egg-Fried Rice<div style="text-align: left;">This dish is a mash-up between egg-fried rice and the Sichuan classic Dan Dan Noodles. The result is heavenly. Crispy, spicy mince, perfectly cooked rice and the fluffiest of fluffy nuggets of egg all perfectly seasoned with soy sauce. Winner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This version is actually vegetarian as I used soya mince but you can use pork (as is traditional) or any mince you like for that matter. The inspiration for the recipe came from one of my favourite books - Donal Skehan's <i>Super Food in Minutes.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Dan Dan Egg-Fried Rice</b><br />Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6y8pN13pAMJnQbctWfICbcQiIHZ87OAmdV3ZH7LqDmvwJiRQKnN5npYy4HZdz_smH0zfdL41SSSmgLwniFTYzKKdBiNeER8BpbEbb-UNICgxzhqLpwrs8sWxvbvtyPTCOxcCQ-RJgeg/s1280/thumbnail_3AFF4701-6942-461A-A05B-CEB504900090.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6y8pN13pAMJnQbctWfICbcQiIHZ87OAmdV3ZH7LqDmvwJiRQKnN5npYy4HZdz_smH0zfdL41SSSmgLwniFTYzKKdBiNeER8BpbEbb-UNICgxzhqLpwrs8sWxvbvtyPTCOxcCQ-RJgeg/s320/thumbnail_3AFF4701-6942-461A-A05B-CEB504900090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">250g pack microwave rice</div><div style="text-align: left;">10g fresh ginger, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red chilli, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 spring onions, sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g mince (I used soya but you could use any)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp shichimi togarashi or Chinese five spice</div><div style="text-align: left;">200g shredded kale, tough stalks removed</div><div style="text-align: left;">150g baby spinach</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to serve</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 free-range eggs, beaten</div><div style="text-align: left;">freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Steam the rice in a microwave for 2 minutes, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and most of the spring onions and fry for 2 minutes. Add the mince, shichimi togarashi/Chinese five spice and cook over a high heat until browned all over. You will need to keep breaking up the mince with your spoon/spatula.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the kale, spinach, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a good grind of pepper together with a splash of water. Cover (use tin foil if the pan doesn't have a lid) and cook for around 3 minutes until the greens are tender. Tip into a large bowl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add another drizzle of oil to the wok or pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the beaten egg and swirl to coat the base of the pan thinly, like a pancake. Allow to cook for 1 minute until just set then add the cooled rice and beat to combine, breaking up the egg 'pancake'.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Return the mince and greens to the pan and continue to toss together. Taste and add a little more soy sauce if it needs it. Scatter over the remaining spring onions then serve piled into bowls with extra soy sauce on the side.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-76112178213165642232021-10-27T05:47:00.000-07:002021-10-27T05:47:19.772-07:00Thai Tofu Stir Fry (Vegan)<div style="text-align: left;">You just can't beat a weekend jaunt to your local Asian grocers. Trust me. There's always new and exciting things to try out and today's blog post is brought to you by "Thailand's Number 1 Mushroom Vegetarian Sauce" - my new favourite!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really recommend you go and find your own local Asian supermarket but if not you can get it online or you can swap for black bean sauce (found in most supermarkets these days).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So what's it like? It's rich, it's savoury, it's sticky, it's truly delicious. Think of it as an umami bomb added to the dish. It's also great for those vegetarian or vegan people in your life. As for the rest, it's a classic stir fry with the holy trinity of chilli, garlic and ginger, noodles of your choice, plus whatever veg you like (I went with spring onions, red peppers and sugar snap peas) as well as some soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Flavour on flavour on flavour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1msJDdjZVgZx9YruTdCcdTKBfc5X28cCqbbCByxhEz_L6QNDDSZGP0i7aFi_B5yUgivdbj6CQL4AGIh3zOhsG6-VqDmSi18xsGeBsVF6tWQvJA3YUr4DXu19rmksMXUhsjV0v6jPhHmo/s1280/thumbnail_24412B60-5AED-4B4C-9D66-D274823A8B69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1msJDdjZVgZx9YruTdCcdTKBfc5X28cCqbbCByxhEz_L6QNDDSZGP0i7aFi_B5yUgivdbj6CQL4AGIh3zOhsG6-VqDmSi18xsGeBsVF6tWQvJA3YUr4DXu19rmksMXUhsjV0v6jPhHmo/s320/thumbnail_24412B60-5AED-4B4C-9D66-D274823A8B69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Thai Tofu Stir Fry (Vegan)</b><br />Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">200g vermicelli rice noodles</div><div style="text-align: left;">280g firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red chilli, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">7g fresh ginger, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 tbsp mushroom sauce or black bean sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 spring onions, sliced </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">250g sugar snap peas, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp toasted sesame oil</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, heat around half a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Pat the tofu with kitchen towel until dry then fry (in batches if needed) until brown on one side. Flip and brown the other side then tip onto kitchen towel to drain. Set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Return the pan to a medium heat and add a little more oil. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant. Pour in the mushroom or black bean sauce with 100ml of water. Bring to the boil then pour into a heatproof jug.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Return the pan to the heat and add the spring onions and pepper. Turn the heat to high and stir fry until softened and starting to char. Add the sauce mixture to the pan with the sugar snap peas. Cook for around 4 minutes until the peas are tender.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the cooked noodles and tofu followed by the soy sauce. Toss everything together to coat and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Divide between shallow bowls and serve.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F6loCAQQW3qAk9ePgMh1NCYE8dSj2wlCrBqP2TPE-FXilkwHT4cn7QmVBIg82OzpJEyN3hcniWRjvyh677pjoWu1_LJmxfwPsNoikCgNzw1tHf1S08jJkyHzShEaffj-HqkAfGuMaUI/s1280/thumbnail_C5B93D72-D42C-461E-9FE3-ADC681E97DD2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F6loCAQQW3qAk9ePgMh1NCYE8dSj2wlCrBqP2TPE-FXilkwHT4cn7QmVBIg82OzpJEyN3hcniWRjvyh677pjoWu1_LJmxfwPsNoikCgNzw1tHf1S08jJkyHzShEaffj-HqkAfGuMaUI/s320/thumbnail_C5B93D72-D42C-461E-9FE3-ADC681E97DD2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-75460887053127404062021-10-26T01:42:00.001-07:002021-10-26T01:42:01.284-07:00Spiced Carrot Soup<div style="text-align: left;">It sounds silly but I honestly love soup season. When it's cold outside and you've got a glut of root veg in your fridge, there's nothing better than turning it into a warm bowl of goodness. Spiced carrot is a classic but this one is a little different...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I use lentils to boost the texture and bulk it out. I use lemon juice at the end to cut through and provide a little freshness. And, most importantly, I crisp up garlic, ginger and curry leaves to sprinkle over the top for that all important texture and excitement in every bite.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Spiced Carrot Soup</b><br />Serves 6-8</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf3Ht8zSWRervXzolMNIiszmuR-ad0cAmCsJhAEuw_wt6tNkOawFgBiqP7busyoVHFxB8bEVuClNPtVexjA7ztwzcBmGnVIOGyU0UBw9_lPZfhocLCSnMKahcEdM9NeUKQK8gPn7uUDI/s1280/thumbnail_9490AA2F-A097-4517-A610-AF92337B23D3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf3Ht8zSWRervXzolMNIiszmuR-ad0cAmCsJhAEuw_wt6tNkOawFgBiqP7busyoVHFxB8bEVuClNPtVexjA7ztwzcBmGnVIOGyU0UBw9_lPZfhocLCSnMKahcEdM9NeUKQK8gPn7uUDI/s320/thumbnail_9490AA2F-A097-4517-A610-AF92337B23D3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 garlic cloves, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">10g fresh ginger, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red chilli, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp curry powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp tomato paste</div><div style="text-align: left;">750g carrots, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">100g red lentils, rinsed and drained</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g tin chopped tomatoes</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 litre vegetable or chicken stock</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lemon, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the crispy topping:</div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">4cm fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful curry leaves</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli with a big pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and caramelised. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the curry powder and tomato paste and continue to cook for further 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots and lentils then pour over the tomatoes, stock and 1 litre of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for around 40 minutes, until the carrots are tender.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Allow the soup to cool slightly then blend with a stick blender or using a food processor until smooth. Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir through and then adjust the seasoning as needed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the garnish, heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium-heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Add the curry leaves for the last 30 seconds then tip the whole lot onto kitchen towel to drain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serve the soup warm with the crispy bits sprinkled on top.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-64551642934363426822021-10-15T02:57:00.003-07:002021-10-15T02:57:10.901-07:00Fish Pie with Butter Bean Mash<div style="text-align: left;">It feels like comfort food season has well and truly arrived. I love all the British classics - shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, toad in the hole - but there's just something extra comforting about a good fish pie. I think it might be the white sauce which just hugs you from the inside out. Heaven.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This version uses butter beans in the mash instead of the usual potato, something I picked up from this month's copy of Delicious. It works really well because it's sort of sturdy and holds its shape better which means it gets a properly crispy top and provides contrast to the velvety deliciousness below. I also added a variety of fresh herbs (tarragon or dill would also work well) as well as peppery watercress which really boosts the flavour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdPngTtvLEPGg5IFBjhQn0dVx9EuiKLMxbXlHkoGKLPYmZjby8tDKK-W7CIv0hobah6BUtGMNMq8DxWcs90OwhF-rW5bbbc7T7cy4bMQK1OFEHEmIAE3qe6TsUcK46ldCbPPSh3j8T3I/s1280/thumbnail_CCBF11D5-6AEB-4836-9F8A-FE131A21C58D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdPngTtvLEPGg5IFBjhQn0dVx9EuiKLMxbXlHkoGKLPYmZjby8tDKK-W7CIv0hobah6BUtGMNMq8DxWcs90OwhF-rW5bbbc7T7cy4bMQK1OFEHEmIAE3qe6TsUcK46ldCbPPSh3j8T3I/s320/thumbnail_CCBF11D5-6AEB-4836-9F8A-FE131A21C58D.jpeg" width="314" /></a></div><b>Fish Pie with Butter Bean Mash</b><br />Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">650ml whole milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 skinless white fish fillets (I used cod)</div><div style="text-align: left;">60g unsalted butter, room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;">30g flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 handfuls fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, parsley and chives)</div><div style="text-align: left;">50g watercress, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped (optional)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lemon, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">150g hot smoked salmon or trout</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas 6.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pour 300ml of the milk into an ovenproof baking dish (approx. 2L), season well with salt and pepper then lay in the white fish fillets. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. The fish should be barely cooked. Remove the fish to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving the milk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a saucepan over a low heat and add 30g of the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until you have a thick paste. Add the milk used for cooking the fish slowly, whisking between each addition. Then add 300ml more milk, again continuing to add slowly and whisking continuously. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Turn the heat up and bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce had thickened to a custard-like consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove from the heat and add the herbs, watercress, capers (if using) and a third of the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning - don't be shy with the black pepper. Pour into the baking dish then flake over the white fish discarding any bones. Next flake over the hot smoked salmon/trout.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Blitz the beans in a food processor with the remaining 50ml milk, 30g butter, lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper. Spoon small dollops of this mixture on top of the fish then carefully spread out - I find a palette knife or a clean finger works well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake the pie in the oven for 30-40 minutes until browned on top. Serve with whatever veg you like but buttered peas are best.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDH6HUoIlWiNscQjIqIr3pPIk8nmalbNmIz_JHQBTOFbb75R_DnOeOXykzRK10F_lBN_PXG64mjbgMND7PbkrMFl70WCL6vxg7MZj07vyvdzqkXbzECOGWHl18MOwe22Y7i9cILQ5d1k/s1280/thumbnail_94EDE438-6A89-4017-90B7-B3E37E56198F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDH6HUoIlWiNscQjIqIr3pPIk8nmalbNmIz_JHQBTOFbb75R_DnOeOXykzRK10F_lBN_PXG64mjbgMND7PbkrMFl70WCL6vxg7MZj07vyvdzqkXbzECOGWHl18MOwe22Y7i9cILQ5d1k/s320/thumbnail_94EDE438-6A89-4017-90B7-B3E37E56198F.jpeg" width="315" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-37234065702095681772021-10-14T02:28:00.000-07:002021-10-14T02:28:04.458-07:00Togarashi Breaded Chicken with Stir-Fried Sprouts<div style="text-align: left;">As regular readers will know, I'm a bit of a fan of Japanese 7 spice (AKA shichi-mi togarashi). It's just a flavour bomb that brightens up any dish, especially when you're working with Asian flavours. The blends can vary slightly but usually it contains chilli pepper, ginger, black and white sesame seeds, seaweed, poppy seeds and orange peel. Hot, sweet, sour and salty - everything you need!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this dish, I used it to jazz up breaded chicken breasts which I served alongside stir-fried sprouts. Again, you all know how much I love a sprout! So this dish was heaven for me. You can find the seasoning online really easily these days and in some of the bigger supermarkets. But if you like you can used Chinese 5 Spice instead and swap the sprouts for your favourite greens.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Togarashi Breaded Chicken with Stir-Fried Sprouts</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSDkx7Zx1Bw65bigoeoKjSRPGIus08kQIBgbp-wBpDShSLJyGY7_85rDnfMqyv65xPFjZUdRTfeJM_gwYu46JhuGqxex1I4Y1ckal6ueH9w2jQGV2WdJKWEOGff0G3J8YY_2bozFq21A/s1280/thumbnail_05F66AE1-ADC6-4FD9-B1D1-EFD69A613B70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSDkx7Zx1Bw65bigoeoKjSRPGIus08kQIBgbp-wBpDShSLJyGY7_85rDnfMqyv65xPFjZUdRTfeJM_gwYu46JhuGqxex1I4Y1ckal6ueH9w2jQGV2WdJKWEOGff0G3J8YY_2bozFq21A/s320/thumbnail_05F66AE1-ADC6-4FD9-B1D1-EFD69A613B70.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 free-range chicken breasts</div><div style="text-align: left;">75g flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tsp shichi-mi togarashi (or Chinese 5 spice)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 egg</div><div style="text-align: left;">60g breadcrumbs</div><div style="text-align: left;">250g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 spring onions, sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp light soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">½ lemon, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 limes, 1 juice only, 1 cut into wedges</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp toasted sesame oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bash the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking paper or cling film with a rolling pin (or the heel of your hand) until half a centimetre thick.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix the flour, 2 tsp togarashi, some salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Beat the egg in a separate shallow bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs and the remaining 1 tsp togarashi in a third shallow bowl. Coat the chicken in the flour mix, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. I find using tongs for this prevents you also breadcrumb-ing your hands!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 6-8 minutes until golden, then flip and cook for the same time on the other side. If you're nervous, just cut into the thickest part of the chicken to check it's cooked through. Remove from the pan, wrap in tinfoil and leave to rest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat another drizzle of oil in the pan. Turn the heat up to high and add the sprouts and spring onions. Cook for two minutes and then add the soy sauce, lemon and lime juices. Continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the onions are starting to brown. Remove from the heat and drizzle in the sesame oil. Season well with black pepper.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, divide the sprouts between plates. Slice the chicken and plate alongside. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-88252227821240025792021-10-13T01:26:00.003-07:002021-10-13T01:26:57.117-07:00Scorched Seabass with Beer-Braised Cabbage<div style="text-align: left;">Scorching seabass under a hot grill until the skin is blistered and perfectly crisp is one of my favourite ways to cook it. In fact, the same can be applied to any fish with the skin on. My mum gave me this tip years ago and I haven't looked back.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The flesh is protected so it's buttery soft and the skin is a crackly joy to eat. The key is to season well with salt all over. As for the cabbage, this is a Rick Stein recipe with bacon, beer and butter - all the best Bs - as well as good quality chicken stock for richness. A richness that is cut through with a good squeeze of lemon over the top.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Scorched Seabass with Beer-Braised Cabbage</b><br />Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a3RrEFqiSvZw_h3mqXt4DhsgGaMia8eI4p1FlakTcXwoNYcMe14Mfvb7EkTaUPH_NuEN2wm5urmsHHfcKSCIPfAgp65KMVKsYX-Ozu7vVVbJDTZeZN2ydKySCtOLXqYx6MHbjgeAEMw/s1280/thumbnail_D9A47C2B-1279-41EE-AB1E-CCD0F92040BD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a3RrEFqiSvZw_h3mqXt4DhsgGaMia8eI4p1FlakTcXwoNYcMe14Mfvb7EkTaUPH_NuEN2wm5urmsHHfcKSCIPfAgp65KMVKsYX-Ozu7vVVbJDTZeZN2ydKySCtOLXqYx6MHbjgeAEMw/s320/thumbnail_D9A47C2B-1279-41EE-AB1E-CCD0F92040BD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 sea bass fillets</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 small savoy cabbage, cored and shredded</div><div style="text-align: left;">75g streaky bacon, cut into thin strips</div><div style="text-align: left;">50g butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">300ml chicken stock</div><div style="text-align: left;">330ml pale ale</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put the cabbage in a large pan of boiled salted water and bring back to the boil. Drain and refresh under cold running water. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, heavy-based pan (I use the same one for the boiling). Add the bacon and fry over a high heat until crisp and lightly golden. Add 25g of the butter with the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is softening and lightly browned.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat the grill to high. Season the fish fillets with salt all over. Line a baking tray with tin foil and drizzle with a little oil. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers) spread the oil around the tin and place the fish on top, skin side up. Drizzle over a little more oil on the skin.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the chicken stock to the cabbage pan together with the ale. Turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by three quarters. Add the cabbage and remaining 25g butter then turn down the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes until the cabbage is tender.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, put the prepared fish under the hot grill and cook for around 5 minutes until the skin is blistered but not burnt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir the parsley and the juice from 1 lemon through the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Divide between four shallow bowls and top with the fish. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-21529031433720124572021-10-12T01:35:00.000-07:002021-10-12T01:35:07.797-07:00Chicken Parm with Courgetti<div style="text-align: left;">This dish is inspired by a recipe from Donal Skehan - I've just added garlic, because why not, and I've swapped chicken breast fillets for thighs, because I prefer the flavour. The original inspiration, though, is Chicken Parmigiana which originated in the northeast United States from Italian immigrants, and became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian-American cuisine by the 1950s.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's everything you want from a comfort food dish - tomato sauce from your childhood, juicy chicken, crunchy breadcrumb topping and lots of gooey cheese on the top. Heaven. The original was sometimes served with spaghetti on the side but Donal chucks the whole lot in one pan and uses courgetti instead. Lighter and fresher, it's the perfect midweek dish.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Chicken Parm with Courgetti</b><br />Serves 4-6</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRo_bVZa430KY-kb89R9uUCGKWTMtp8flIwL7DRIzoK5J5Q-BHsxAHV31YzPgq3Tkr9Boyhvdfcd9CtHgVb9t4ozrV3FEKhylszmm27Za5eA4NggDdK9knZ5RHnlqDh39JcufnO8P2fA/s1280/thumbnail_C54C26DF-C01D-43A3-9284-F48F73682662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRo_bVZa430KY-kb89R9uUCGKWTMtp8flIwL7DRIzoK5J5Q-BHsxAHV31YzPgq3Tkr9Boyhvdfcd9CtHgVb9t4ozrV3FEKhylszmm27Za5eA4NggDdK9knZ5RHnlqDh39JcufnO8P2fA/s320/thumbnail_C54C26DF-C01D-43A3-9284-F48F73682662.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">500g chicken thighs, cut into strips</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tsp dried oregano </div><div style="text-align: left;">500ml passata </div><div style="text-align: left;">350g courgette spaghetti </div><div style="text-align: left;">100g mozzarella cheese</div><div style="text-align: left;">75g Parmesan cheese, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">75g stale bread or toasted bread, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the grill to high. Heat a drizzle of oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Season the chicken really well with salt and pepper and then fry in the hot pan over a high heat until browned all over. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the dried oregano and passata and season well with salt and pepper. Add the courgette spaghetti and cook for around 5 minutes until a little softened and the sauce has thickened. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put the Parmesan, bread and garlic in a food processor and blitz until you have breadcrumbs. Scatted over the top of the chicken mixture then tear the mozzarella into small chunks and dot over the top. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pop under the hot grill for around 5 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve scattered with basil leaves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SdhZ_D8nGvR06dqRNL68PNnQABDqgfLLURfl5ZuNFPUg77voLRBZbBIzd1dC6wEmVHlSNWA0hBZjD0V_toJXZJZidIH2sumAaRgl3-ko3aaD_4tWk-F5p3L5D1h-XMqHnTJTQVDTMs4/s1280/thumbnail_FE893586-0EF0-40B2-89DA-08E865188BEC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SdhZ_D8nGvR06dqRNL68PNnQABDqgfLLURfl5ZuNFPUg77voLRBZbBIzd1dC6wEmVHlSNWA0hBZjD0V_toJXZJZidIH2sumAaRgl3-ko3aaD_4tWk-F5p3L5D1h-XMqHnTJTQVDTMs4/s320/thumbnail_FE893586-0EF0-40B2-89DA-08E865188BEC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-58665326299755579502021-10-11T00:48:00.003-07:002021-10-11T00:48:39.434-07:00Vietnamese Fish with Herb Noodles<div style="text-align: left;">Inspired by the Vietnamese dish of <i>Chả cá Lã Vọng </i>this fresh and vibrant recipe is a sure fire hit. Sunshine yellow fish packed with flavour and accompanied by simple stir fried noodles and plenty of herbs. Traditionally rice noodles are used but I like the robustness of soba noodles instead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also deviate from tradition by using a mixture of mint and basil instead of the usual dill but I like the combination of these herbs, especially with chilli and garlic. I used cod as that's what I had to hand but you can use any white fish you like.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Vietnamese Fish with Herb Noodles</b><br />Serves 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp02pqS52I18-FgDI2Tm9D1CmWgUOuwfAzbtDB1QlfDi0ZJwWxaCII8Wa6seL6LMIf6WHerJi0yYDRpMIrFupWURsw0TtoxBFNBWHYG4xh87BkAjqhsPUomeD9EXSLr-zYm9aYS7-Vuk/s1280/thumbnail_7189B7A7-2C21-4F8B-AADF-4958FFA0E152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp02pqS52I18-FgDI2Tm9D1CmWgUOuwfAzbtDB1QlfDi0ZJwWxaCII8Wa6seL6LMIf6WHerJi0yYDRpMIrFupWURsw0TtoxBFNBWHYG4xh87BkAjqhsPUomeD9EXSLr-zYm9aYS7-Vuk/s320/thumbnail_7189B7A7-2C21-4F8B-AADF-4958FFA0E152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp ground turmeric</div><div style="text-align: left;">2cm piece fresh ginger, grated</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp honey</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large white fish fillets, cut into chunks</div><div style="text-align: left;">50g soba noodles</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp toasted sesame oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red chilli, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful mint leaves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful basil leaves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 spring onions, sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lime, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix the turmeric, ginger, honey and soy sauce in a shallow bowl. Add the fish, toss to coat then set aside for 5-10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain then run a cold tap over them to stop the cooking process. Put into a bowl and drizzle over the sesame oil. Toss to coat then set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade, keeping it for later and add the fish to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side - do not move the fish around in the pan otherwise it will stick and fall apart. Make sure a crust has formed before flipping over. Remove to a plate and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add a little more oil to the pan then add the spring onions, chilli and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds then add the noodles and most of the mint and basil. Toss together then pour over the reserved marinade. Squeeze over the lime juice, toss together again then divide between bowls.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Plate the fish alongside the noodles then sprinkle with the remaining herbs and chopped nuts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-16666059427159240002021-10-08T00:58:00.002-07:002021-10-08T00:58:42.196-07:00Super Green Soup with Feta<div style="text-align: left;">As we move into Autumn, this is a wonderful transitional dish. It uses the end of the green veg from the summer season in a warming soup. You still have the freshness (especially with the mint and feta) but you also have the comfort of a steaming bowl of goodness.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used a combination of baby spinach, frozen peas and courgettes but you can mix and match with any green vegetable - broccoli, asparagus and kale are all great additions. The key with this dish is (as with all dishes really) is the seasoning. To really bring the most out of the veg, you can't be shy with salt and pepper so keep tasting and keep tweaking until it's to your taste.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Super Green Soup with Feta</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4-6</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtf0OuhCGL3-TeLr_vz7yCgjM83ejerwfaQgC8HPi0DRnEZxwj6ZaJjRzq2nauv5BQI30w-7rPBWQhSyMnJAkm3zKuxPl9J00ZFTaBZL-VxQGxe1OAAtWYSfzTSbXKU7ZfZPZQgbBFlI/s1280/thumbnail_F2C586F4-2EF0-4D0F-9EF7-5C5DB5D2E66F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtf0OuhCGL3-TeLr_vz7yCgjM83ejerwfaQgC8HPi0DRnEZxwj6ZaJjRzq2nauv5BQI30w-7rPBWQhSyMnJAkm3zKuxPl9J00ZFTaBZL-VxQGxe1OAAtWYSfzTSbXKU7ZfZPZQgbBFlI/s320/thumbnail_F2C586F4-2EF0-4D0F-9EF7-5C5DB5D2E66F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">rapeseed or olive oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 bunch of spring onions, chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">500g baby spinach </div><div style="text-align: left;">300g frozen peas </div><div style="text-align: left;">200g courgette, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock </div><div style="text-align: left;">handful of mint leaves </div><div style="text-align: left;">200g feta cheese, crumbled</div><div style="text-align: left;">extra-virgin olive oil, to serve</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a little oil in a saucepan and gently fry the spring onions with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes over a medium heat until softened. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the spinach, peas and courgette and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the veg is tender. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add most the mint leaves and blitz until smooth, either using a hand-held stick blender or by transferring to a food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve topped with a scattering of feta and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-87416212517946572602021-10-07T01:07:00.005-07:002021-10-07T01:07:52.863-07:00Char-Grilled Steak with Blistered Veg<div style="text-align: left;">Back at it with seared steak and veg again but my goodness it's tasty! This time we have a pan-Asian style dressing with lime, soy and toasted sesame as well as mint for freshness and roasted nuts for texture and depth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used the selection of green veg that I had leftover in my fridge but you can honestly mix and match with whatever you like. Chunks of pepper, mushrooms, cabbage - go wild! Plus, instead of extra oil, I used the fat from the steak to cook everything in which is not only a good way to cut excess fat but also tastes absolutely delicious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Char-Grilled Steak with Blistered Veg</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtLKdyBFrtNcoaJlWpjK7rK2pLxb1Q9XJOU1gFxsteKykXrUwSpfWgMxLeAijiYLC9udphm2fR5C5ao6yvQKKeTSRSN_2CWm6kb8-AX-4hb0YJcf889cDl6lT8Wx_hK3dAPXkZo8GZjI/s1280/thumbnail_676FFC5E-5448-4227-ABFB-D1CF8F42CA4C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtLKdyBFrtNcoaJlWpjK7rK2pLxb1Q9XJOU1gFxsteKykXrUwSpfWgMxLeAijiYLC9udphm2fR5C5ao6yvQKKeTSRSN_2CWm6kb8-AX-4hb0YJcf889cDl6lT8Wx_hK3dAPXkZo8GZjI/s320/thumbnail_676FFC5E-5448-4227-ABFB-D1CF8F42CA4C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">220g sirloin steak, fat removed but kept to one side</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 baby gem lettuce, quartered</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 spring onions, halved</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful asparagus, trimmed and halved</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 courgette, thinly sliced lengthways</div><div style="text-align: left;">a few fresh mint leaves, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the dressing:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lime, juice and zest</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp caster sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp toasted sesame oil</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put the steak in a dish with the soy sauce and season with plenty of black pepper. Set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Place a griddle pan over a high heat and add the trimmed steak fat. Using tongs move the fat around the pan, coating the bars with the melted fat. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook the steak in the hot pan for around 2 minutes on each side (depending on thickness and how rare you like it). Remove, wrap in tin foil and set aside to rest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the vegetables to the hot pan and griddle for around 3 minutes per side. You will probably need to do this in batches. Transfer to the big bowl with the dressing as you go.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Slice the steak and season the cut side with salt and pepper. Arrange the veg in shallow bowls, top with the steak, followed by the mint and peanuts. Pour over the rest of the dressing and any resting juices from the steak. Serve.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-59410823025331787392021-10-05T02:43:00.003-07:002021-10-05T02:43:55.108-07:00Lighter Coq au Vin<div style="text-align: left;">We're bang into stew season and although I don't usually cook much French food at home, they definitely know a good stew! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Coq au vin is obviously a classic and with that comes everyone's way of doing it. For me, as with all cooking, you have to use a good quality red wine that you'd be more than happy to drink. Beyond that, I keep it light, leaving out the butter and taking the skin off the chicken, and I keep it simple, with just mushrooms in the sauce. On the side, I don't think you can beat buttered peas and maybe some mashed potatoes if you fancy it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lighter Coq au Vin</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Fp2z-t-wy6bfvjC-18s4W4IaxKaw-ta1vtWO4S-YEdTOn4yTliPYj-AwqZezXunX8nRUyvTYpX9i6vj1cVX12vXZ4OjBg_1f3Kjdvpa1_Y-Pnhe2_6n1A5YFlAepDU9gmSo7674f8fQ/s1280/thumbnail_1E71D27A-85C3-45EF-A1F4-624391EB0733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Fp2z-t-wy6bfvjC-18s4W4IaxKaw-ta1vtWO4S-YEdTOn4yTliPYj-AwqZezXunX8nRUyvTYpX9i6vj1cVX12vXZ4OjBg_1f3Kjdvpa1_Y-Pnhe2_6n1A5YFlAepDU9gmSo7674f8fQ/s320/thumbnail_1E71D27A-85C3-45EF-A1F4-624391EB0733.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil <br />2 onions, finely sliced </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp tomato purée </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 garlic cloves, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp dried mixed herbs</div><div style="text-align: left;">250g mushrooms, large ones quartered, small ones halved</div><div style="text-align: left;">8 British free-range chicken thighs (bone-in), skin removed </div><div style="text-align: left;">400ml red wine </div><div style="text-align: left;">500ml chicken stock </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a glug of oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add the onions and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes with a big pinch of salt. Add the tomato purée and continue to cook for a minute, stirring. Remove the mixture to a plate and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the hot pan and brown on all sides. Return the onions to the pan together with the garlic, dried herbs and mushrooms then cook for 5-6 minutes. Pour in the wine and bubble, scraping all the sticky bits off the bottom of the pan.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer (uncovered) for 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. Taste, then season with salt and black pepper. I served mine with grilled lettuce and buttered peas.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-3595762502487108652021-10-04T00:22:00.001-07:002021-10-04T00:22:09.978-07:00Sweet Potato and Miso Soup with Garlic and Ginger Spinach<div style="text-align: left;">Soup season is definitely upon us and as much as I'm all for a classic leek and potato or broccoli and Stilton, I'm always up for something a little different to tickle the taste buds in this colder weather.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can find miso in most supermarkets these days and I always like to have some in the kitchen to bring a punch of savoury umami and subtle sweetness to my dishes. It's the perfect accompaniment to sweet potato in fact. Plus, I love a bit of texture in a soup so that it's not all one dimensional and this time I went for sauteed spinach with extra miso and a good whack of garlic and ginger too. Spot on!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Sweet Potato and Miso Soup with Garlic and Ginger Spinach</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtinhwyXPC393rl0bA0-eGyOcdy5VoexyXZ5LidjlK0MiQrcEiUkQI22jaobPYz54HGUFHwI6IU11eZ2kT_Eor019y5ORSTekj_EUOHvdVNAsjJtz3h1m1QPw8skJQWd1yVUtMz6xXNxY/s1280/thumbnail_F34E3BD9-C705-4919-91A6-E43C4401C014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtinhwyXPC393rl0bA0-eGyOcdy5VoexyXZ5LidjlK0MiQrcEiUkQI22jaobPYz54HGUFHwI6IU11eZ2kT_Eor019y5ORSTekj_EUOHvdVNAsjJtz3h1m1QPw8skJQWd1yVUtMz6xXNxY/s320/thumbnail_F34E3BD9-C705-4919-91A6-E43C4401C014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tsp oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">6 spring onions, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">10g fresh ginger, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 garlic cloves, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp white miso </div><div style="text-align: left;">750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces </div><div style="text-align: left;">1L vegetable (or chicken) stock </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 large handfuls spinach</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large lidded pan and gently cook half of the spring onions, ginger and garlic for 5-10 minutes or until soft. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add 1 tbsp of miso, all the sweet potatoes and the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Put on a lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are really soft. Season well with salt and pepper then whizz with a stick blender until completely smooth. Keep warm. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the remaining spring onions, ginger and garlic over a high heat for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Reduce the heat, add the spinach, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir in the remaining miso and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with the garlic and ginger spinach, to serve.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-86303575645971139342021-09-10T03:49:00.005-07:002021-09-10T03:49:34.877-07:00Chicken, Sausage and Squash Stew<div style="text-align: left;">There's no real way to make a stew look good but trust me you're going to want to try this one. It's hearty in all the right ways without being too heavy - perfect for Autumn! A mixture of sausage, chicken thighs and squash means that every mouthful is different but delicious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The sauce has real depth of flavour from browning all the meat and onions and then de-glazing and getting all the good sticky bits off the bottom of the pan with white wine. I actually used a mini bottle of prosecco in mine as that's what I had to had but just use something you'd be happy to drink.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Chicken, Sausage and Squash Stew</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 6</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOW-cfT-HLq5oIVpUf5Cve0Oihc-wRU4-eQTipiCXJbIl7GJo0xJyiqveU4eVfxt61no3lWoggh_se90pofOqaACErYlA4Hvg5jTfWJ5XHtiqhXY048m4n1tWhyEe4DArPhDvITpMWhQ/s1280/thumbnail_141DE095-F4F8-488E-84D6-70E1BCA6F6BD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOW-cfT-HLq5oIVpUf5Cve0Oihc-wRU4-eQTipiCXJbIl7GJo0xJyiqveU4eVfxt61no3lWoggh_se90pofOqaACErYlA4Hvg5jTfWJ5XHtiqhXY048m4n1tWhyEe4DArPhDvITpMWhQ/s320/thumbnail_141DE095-F4F8-488E-84D6-70E1BCA6F6BD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 banana shallots, halved </div><div style="text-align: left;">6 free-range pork sausages, each sliced into 3 pieces </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, crushed </div><div style="text-align: left;">25g butter </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp plain flour </div><div style="text-align: left;">200ml dry white wine</div><div style="text-align: left;">650ml chicken stock, hot </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp dried mixed herbs</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into small chunks</div><div style="text-align: left;">600g squash, peeled and cut into large chunks</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat a tablespoon of oil in a lidded heavy-based pan and add the sausage chunks. Fry until golden on each side and then set aside onto a plate. Add the chicken to the pan with another tablespoon of oil and cook until browned on each side then set aside with the browned sausages.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the shallots to the hot pan then gently fry, covered, for 10 minutes until golden and softened, stirring occasionally. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the garlic to the shallot pan with the butter and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the wine and stock, adding amounts alternately. Bring to the boil, then add the chicken, sausages, squash and dried herbs. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Turn to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook gently for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste and serve with chunks of bread and butter for dipping in.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-62785085671782782392021-09-09T01:46:00.004-07:002021-09-09T01:46:48.515-07:00Prawn and Chorizo Baked Rice<div style="text-align: left;">Comfort food for me gets no better than a big bowl of seasoned rice. This dish has the smokey deliciousness of chorizo and paprika, the sweetness of prawns and broad beans (or peas), the heat of chilli and the fresh hit of lemon right at the end.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For me, the best bit of this dish are those crispy, sticky bits of rice that form on the base of the pan - cook's treat! If I'm serving this for a dinner party, I like to chop some cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and toss together with a little extra virgin olive oil and pile the whole lot on top of the rice. The hot rice and cold salad provide perfect contrast and jazz it up a bit. (But I do have to say it's simply fabulous just spooned straight out of the pan and into your mouth!) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Prawn and Chorizo Baked Rice</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYUMnj-cXRdX-cWXUC0DRYmsG_cidOl3gEUlgl4HqPoeLxbIS9joSDDSFWnTEai7Cb_TphT9VHfbbcLUUROLs1WRbHyVvIAzQY1DDHlnA6xx2vADLLfhcBr-u6S89tYGF0DoetTl9i9s/s1280/thumbnail_2889587E-7FEF-4E87-9D28-E1574F2438CB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYUMnj-cXRdX-cWXUC0DRYmsG_cidOl3gEUlgl4HqPoeLxbIS9joSDDSFWnTEai7Cb_TphT9VHfbbcLUUROLs1WRbHyVvIAzQY1DDHlnA6xx2vADLLfhcBr-u6S89tYGF0DoetTl9i9s/s320/thumbnail_2889587E-7FEF-4E87-9D28-E1574F2438CB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8 thin slices chorizo </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 small onion, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">300g long grain rice </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp smoked paprika </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes</div><div style="text-align: left;">750ml fresh chicken stock, hot </div><div style="text-align: left;">100g frozen broad beans or peas </div><div style="text-align: left;">300g raw shelled tiger prawns, thawed if frozen</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lemon, cut into wedges </div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Lay the chorizo slices on top of each other and roll them up tightly. Cut across the roll to shred the chorizo as thinly as possible. Pull apart into individual strands.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put the shredded chorizo, garlic and onion in a flameproof casserole with a pinch of salt and set over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes – there should be enough oil in the chorizo to soften the onion and garlic. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the rice and paprika, stir for 30 seconds, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, cover and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Stir in the broad beans or peas and prawns and return to the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the prawns are pink and cooked through and the rice is tender. Season to taste and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-62115781104412416652021-09-08T01:34:00.002-07:002021-09-08T01:34:30.228-07:00Pan-Fried Fish with Lemon and Chilli Carrots<div style="text-align: left;">The star of this dish is the carrots. You can honestly forget the rest and just serve them with whatever you like. The combination of fresh and preserved lemon gives a real citrus hit and the addition of chilli just sets the whole thing alight. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you are following my lead, I served mine with shredded sweetheart cabbage and roughly chopped sugar snap peas cooked off in a pan with a little oil and two crushed garlic cloves. This takes around ten minutes and you can cook it whilst the carrots roast. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pan-Fried Fish with Lemon and Chilli Carrots</b><br />Serves 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu7U7F7B2kBVfB4xD602wGIk-Nj7YSaQgSY3_rFEG5EKsi7XFxsbIvbAsjFSidM6BXm4BXufb-aBcKKYRrEBo3fFjOSOdo0-zLa9EDOjY3yXUCudTMRzzm7XEueSDhduLNVvl-64ANNM/s1280/thumbnail_F47E9526-47EF-47F9-9354-C96B78960F11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu7U7F7B2kBVfB4xD602wGIk-Nj7YSaQgSY3_rFEG5EKsi7XFxsbIvbAsjFSidM6BXm4BXufb-aBcKKYRrEBo3fFjOSOdo0-zLa9EDOjY3yXUCudTMRzzm7XEueSDhduLNVvl-64ANNM/s320/thumbnail_F47E9526-47EF-47F9-9354-C96B78960F11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">olive or rapeseed oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g carrots, cut into rounds on an angle</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 preserved lemon, seeds removed and finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 small lemon, zest and juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp chilli flakes</div><div style="text-align: left;">handful fresh basil leaves, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 sea bass fillets </div><div style="text-align: left;">stir-fried greens, to serve</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Put the carrots in a baking dish lined with baking paper. Add the preserved lemon, lemon zest and juice, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of oil. Toss well until everything is combined then spread out in a single layer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are cooked. Five minutes before the carrots are ready, lightly season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on a high heat. Cook the fish for 4 minutes on the skin side then flip over and turn off the heat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Divide the carrots between plates together with some greens then top with the fish and scatter over the basil.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-37715809604216326912021-09-07T01:30:00.000-07:002021-09-07T01:30:01.649-07:00Parma Ham-Wrapped Fish with Sweet Potato Hash<div style="text-align: left;">Salty ham, sweet potatoes, hint of chilli, zing of lemon, freshness from basil... just pure flavour in every mouthful! And the best thing? It's packed full of nutrients and goodness and on the table in less than half an hour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As always, you can adjust the recipe to suit your tastes. Swap the sweet potatoes for any root vegetable and trade the cabbage for Brussels sprouts. You can also leave out the chilli flakes or use a teaspoon of paprika instead. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Parma Ham-Wrapped Fish with Sweet Potato Hash</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijx4r01YFGNAhFk21MpAlzJdJho5kRhsebeaAuY3X6aALAhokdosjyaGQR_5F4Xr4tKxy18tLgP5yVez1KHBayPNxd1P-jGMFoQe5C-Hwn_8iUZt1MGHBV7YJb77KOZzMGPE29zYZQoq0/s1280/thumbnail_FBE5B125-8409-45AC-A83C-2AB5054CF3F2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijx4r01YFGNAhFk21MpAlzJdJho5kRhsebeaAuY3X6aALAhokdosjyaGQR_5F4Xr4tKxy18tLgP5yVez1KHBayPNxd1P-jGMFoQe5C-Hwn_8iUZt1MGHBV7YJb77KOZzMGPE29zYZQoq0/s320/thumbnail_FBE5B125-8409-45AC-A83C-2AB5054CF3F2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">25g butter </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red onion, finely diced </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 sweet potatoes, cut into small cubes </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 thick skinless white fish fillets</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Parma ham slices </div><div style="text-align: left;">200g cabbage, finely shredded </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">handful of fresh basil, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">pinch of chipotle chilli flakes</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lemon, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Melt the butter and 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the onion gently for 5 minutes until soft. Add the sweet potatoes, then cook, turning, for 10-15 minutes until almost cooked. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, wrap each fish fillet in a Parma ham slice. Heat the rest of the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then cook the fish for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the fish is just cooked through and the ham is crisp. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the cabbage, garlic and chilli flakes to the pan with the sweet potato mix, then fry for 3-4 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper, stir through the basil and lemon juice. Serve with the fish.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-21551579965945809512021-09-03T08:33:00.002-07:002021-09-03T08:33:19.200-07:00Simple Chicken Curry<div style="text-align: left;">Low effort, delicious and good for you. This dish is an absolute winner. Everyone loves a good curry, right? This one uses chicken and sugar snap peas but you can swap out the chicken for white fish or tofu if you like (just cook for a little less time) and you can trade your peas for whatever green veg you fancy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The curry paste is a mixture of fresh ingredients and a pre-made paste to give it a boost of flavour. I like to add in an extra chilli for that fire but you can leave this out if you wish. To serve, just spoon over rice and chuck on a naan too if you're feeling extra hungry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Simple Chicken Curry</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L73ck2j0ubTYRNa2Eiktq0sVpLKVoasZJcbU2anRYhBkBX_zHb2G6MdL607vNQymPq70q57fxf0DToMEH9vu0T_DKwndU1zJQHGMjDohl5-FvhsSTD60Eok-ZdW9U5IhJea3Hucm8-Y/s1280/thumbnail_CBE37B3A-275F-4E40-A152-280DADFA1AD6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L73ck2j0ubTYRNa2Eiktq0sVpLKVoasZJcbU2anRYhBkBX_zHb2G6MdL607vNQymPq70q57fxf0DToMEH9vu0T_DKwndU1zJQHGMjDohl5-FvhsSTD60Eok-ZdW9U5IhJea3Hucm8-Y/s320/thumbnail_CBE37B3A-275F-4E40-A152-280DADFA1AD6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 heaped tbsp madras curry paste </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">4 garlic cloves, chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">5cm piece fresh ginger, chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 plum tomatoes, chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 green chilli, chopped (optional)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp tomato purée </div><div style="text-align: left;">400ml low-fat coconut milk </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces </div><div style="text-align: left;">200g sugar snap peas, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lime, juice only</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Blend the curry paste, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, tomato purée and a good pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. Tip into a deep frying pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes until reduced, darkened and smelling fragrant. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tip in the coconut milk and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tip the sugar snap peas into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and a little seasoning and serve. Perfect with rice and a naan bread!</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-29974576769998479552021-09-02T02:10:00.005-07:002021-09-02T02:10:34.675-07:00Kashmiri Lamb Meatballs with Prunes<div style="text-align: left;">I like my food to be exciting, a little surprising even, and these meatballs are right up there! Not only are they packed with flavour they have hidden in the middle a deliciously sweet prune bringing moisture and luxury to every mouthful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now don't be afraid of the long ish list of ingredients - they're mainly spices and if you don't already have them, they're a good mix that you should keep in your pantry going forward. The curry itself is perfectly balanced with sweet, aromatic and tang. As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of swapping tamarind paste for good old brown sauce but you can also use a squeeze of lime here instead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Kashmiri Lamb Meatballs with Prunes</b><br />Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfKD-2EnQ_VciZAZZ4-1jkBQGRGnc1mN7MMwwl9V-ctuwar2qCWdx1UyxlZm0AbXJaJOHLgOa1ONH_jIYsjl7_LgSt146418msASUc8ty_u7YAtV_6RaXRFBrZgeflN7IvXH1YD8ApYg/s1280/thumbnail_BD4E41CB-827C-4F0F-8D22-33158EF0121D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfKD-2EnQ_VciZAZZ4-1jkBQGRGnc1mN7MMwwl9V-ctuwar2qCWdx1UyxlZm0AbXJaJOHLgOa1ONH_jIYsjl7_LgSt146418msASUc8ty_u7YAtV_6RaXRFBrZgeflN7IvXH1YD8ApYg/s320/thumbnail_BD4E41CB-827C-4F0F-8D22-33158EF0121D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>For the meatballs:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp fennel seeds, finely ground in a pestle and mortar</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp ground cumin </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp ground ginger </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp chilli powder </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp paprika </div><div style="text-align: left;">500g lamb mince </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 medium free-range egg, beaten </div><div style="text-align: left;">16 pitted prunes </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>For the sauce:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp vegetable oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 dried bay leaves </div><div style="text-align: left;">3 green cardamom pods, bashed</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp dried ginger </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp chilli powder </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp paprika </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp ground cumin </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp tamarind paste or brown sauce or lime juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 sprigs fresh mint, leaves finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the meatballs, mix the ground spices, mince and beaten egg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then shape into 16 equal balls. Flatten each in your palm and press a prune into the middle, wrapping the mince mixture around to seal the prune inside. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and the bay leaves and cardamom pods. Once they start to pop, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool a little. Stir in the dried ginger, then add the chilli powder and paprika and cook, stirring, for 5-10 seconds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Turn the heat back up to medium. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until brown all over (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ground spices, fry until fragrant, then pour over 500ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove the lid and check the sauce – it should have thickened slightly. Give it another 10-15 minutes without the lid if it seems too thin. Add the tamarind paste/brown sauce/lime juice to taste, then serve scattered with the fresh mint. I like mine simply with steamed rice or served in flatbread with yogurt and salad.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-13552113036112843962021-09-01T02:53:00.001-07:002021-09-01T02:53:01.496-07:00Spiced Chicken Skewers with Apple and Pea Chutney<div style="text-align: left;">After an indulgent few weeks, I'm trying to get some goodness back into my body. However, I'm not about restricting myself and my focus is always about gaining nutrients (not losing flavour!). This dish actually provides all of your "5-a-day" in one but beyond that it's absolutely delicious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The chicken is best marinated overnight so that it becomes meltingly tender but 20 minutes will do if you're in a rush. On the side, we have some lightly spiced veg and a refreshingly zingy chutney made from apples, peas, lime and chilli - mouth-tinglingly good!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Spiced Chicken Skewers with Apple and Pea Chutney</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZLZP5-XAnlBfZus7pQaVImfXEuA7p1EsqNrYsqal6sgbBe1Bb4cGB1cDpiFkZZZW-pyKHmiTDbjd9mGQ0dTazwnvFKZFp5uHPQ5Z_IAS1RJaZxGzoJR-r5_temIENd_PQkXET1q8oWs/s1280/thumbnail_D7B13996-0BB8-4565-86AA-45D01B505F76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZLZP5-XAnlBfZus7pQaVImfXEuA7p1EsqNrYsqal6sgbBe1Bb4cGB1cDpiFkZZZW-pyKHmiTDbjd9mGQ0dTazwnvFKZFp5uHPQ5Z_IAS1RJaZxGzoJR-r5_temIENd_PQkXET1q8oWs/s320/thumbnail_D7B13996-0BB8-4565-86AA-45D01B505F76.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">300g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm cubes </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp coconut oil </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red onion, thinly sliced </div><div style="text-align: left;">5cm piece fresh ginger, grated </div><div style="text-align: left;">2 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed </div><div style="text-align: left;">100g spinach, finely chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large tomato, roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>For the marinade:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">3 garlic cloves </div><div style="text-align: left;">5cm piece fresh ginger </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 green chilli</div><div style="text-align: left;">25g Greek yogurt </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp ground cumin</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp garam masala</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>For the apple and pea chutney:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 apple, cored and roughly chopped </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lime, grated zest and juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 red chilli</div><div style="text-align: left;">75g peas, fresh or defrosted if frozen </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the marinade, blend the garlic, ginger and chilli in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, add the yogurt, ground spices, then season well with salt and pepper and mix. Add the chicken cubes and stir to coat them in the marinade. Leave for at least 20 minutes (ideally overnight). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When you're ready to cook, heat the grill to medium. Push the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers and put them on a wire rack under the grill for 22-25 minutes until lightly charred, turning them carefully halfway through to ensure they cook evenly. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the chicken skewers are cooking, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, ginger and crushed cardamom and cook for 1-2 minutes until softening. Stir in the spinach and tomato, cover with a lid, then remove from the heat. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the apple and pea chutney, whizz the apple, lime zest and juice, red chilli and peas in a blender or food processor until roughly blended. Add a splash of water to loosen if needed. Serve the chicken skewers with the spinach and tomatoes, and chutney.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-63200198033827866792021-08-31T02:12:00.003-07:002021-08-31T02:12:26.965-07:00Sausage and Broccoli Pasta<div style="text-align: left;">It really feels like comfort food weather at the moment as we tradition into the Autumn and, for me, you can't get much more comforting than a big bowl of pasta. I've gone super nostalgic using fusilli but you can of course use whatever shape you like. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's no real magic to this dish - tomatoes, onions, oregano - a classic combination. There's a bit of jazz from chilli flakes and the broccoli brings welcome freshness. There's also little bites of sausage throughout - I used chipolatas but you could use veggie sausages instead (just omit the poaching stage).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Sausage and Broccoli Pasta<br /></b>Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbh-fLI_075DtSfyAheuGLZod6sgs5CRkhwE_SY9gRdJ9AhjsE5_R1vM04GMilpddwDfz8gaYAhpF9FMykSo98gmDY60rEHpsuhCSOnZJLBfQUzua6YCzAga-A76P4mKcpCm2zRnnjxU/s1280/thumbnail_326B50BE-1D4B-431C-B7BC-C6EF10A94BC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbh-fLI_075DtSfyAheuGLZod6sgs5CRkhwE_SY9gRdJ9AhjsE5_R1vM04GMilpddwDfz8gaYAhpF9FMykSo98gmDY60rEHpsuhCSOnZJLBfQUzua6YCzAga-A76P4mKcpCm2zRnnjxU/s320/thumbnail_326B50BE-1D4B-431C-B7BC-C6EF10A94BC4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">8 chipolata sausages</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 red onions, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp dried oregano</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp dried chilli flakes</div><div style="text-align: left;">320g tenderstem broccoli</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes</div><div style="text-align: left;">300g dried pasta (I used fusilli)</div><div style="text-align: left;">20g Parmesan</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poach the sausages in a large pan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the chopped onion in a large casserole pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil, the oregano, chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Soften, stirring regularly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Scoop the sausages out onto a board and carefully thinly slice then stir into the onions. Trim the tough ends off the broccoli then finely slices the remaining stalks, leaving the tips whole. Add the stalks to the onions and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tip the tomatoes into the onions and sausages, breaking them up with your spoon. Reduce to a simmer while you cook the pasta in the pan of boiling salted water for 7 minutes, adding the broccoli tips for the last minute.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Toss the pasta and broccoli tips through the sauce, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed. Season to perfection with salt and pepper then finely grate over the Parmesan to finish.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-82685208111990386822021-08-27T01:16:00.004-07:002021-08-27T01:16:36.595-07:00Chicken Curry Noodle Soup<div style="text-align: left;">As regular readers know, I'm all for a shop-bought curry paste to speed up dinner time and inject a hit of flavour into a meal. This noodle soup is all sorts of comforting and the warmth from a good curry paste makes for delicious eating.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This recipe also uses a pack of stir fry veg to save you doing all the chopping but you can just sub in any veg you happen to have in. If you can't find baby corn, you can of course used tinned sweet corn instead and for a veggie (or even vegan) version swap the chicken for tofu and the stock for a vegetarian one.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Chicken Curry Noodle Soup</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4sYbYfPomxcRX9WfgdaTpI7fSLDUUW7UzoC1m6zfX1Jzydt6hiYIj2Ct45eALPOP21d3g2TPyFNCQaGBJXdftbNfTkcsULUe5Nv8daGFvr7Fay3xSx5avI12fIfKcZZKl5jXKFkhQ4U/s1280/thumbnail_C8B43AA7-9C95-4EA2-9935-CA96CCD4E96D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4sYbYfPomxcRX9WfgdaTpI7fSLDUUW7UzoC1m6zfX1Jzydt6hiYIj2Ct45eALPOP21d3g2TPyFNCQaGBJXdftbNfTkcsULUe5Nv8daGFvr7Fay3xSx5avI12fIfKcZZKl5jXKFkhQ4U/s320/thumbnail_C8B43AA7-9C95-4EA2-9935-CA96CCD4E96D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 x 150g chicken breasts</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp rendang or madras curry paste</div><div style="text-align: left;">10cm piece ginger</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 litre chicken stock</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g tin light coconut milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">200g soba noodles</div><div style="text-align: left;">160g baby corn</div><div style="text-align: left;">320g pack mixed stir fry veg</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp red wine vinegar</div><div style="text-align: left;">freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put a large non-stick frying pan and a large, deep pan on medium heats. Slice each chicken breast into three long strips and massage with half the curry paste. Drizzle a little oil in the frying pan then add the chicken.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Chop the ginger into matchsticks and sprinkle half over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly, until the chicken is almost blackened. Meanwhile, add the rest of the ginger and curry paste to the deep pan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil then add the coconut milk and noodles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Halve the corn length-ways and add to the stock pan then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mixed veg with the soy sauce and cook for another minute until everything is piping hot. Season with black pepper then divide between bowls.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the vinegar to the chicken pan to deglaze it, moving the chicken around to pick up all the sticky bits off the base of the pan. Cut the chicken pieces in half and serve on top of the noodle soup.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6182975078650777455.post-25093214537719157402021-08-26T01:28:00.001-07:002021-08-26T01:28:13.963-07:00Imli Baigan (Aubergine Curry)<div style="text-align: left;">This recipe is based on one from Chetna Makan's new book "<i>30-Minute Indian</i>". The only real differences are that I've swapped tamarind paste for brown sauce and dried mango powder for dried ginger as I find these a lot easier to get hold of at my local shop.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The curry itself is, quite frankly, a revelation. It's sweet and sticky but with enough tang and gentle heat to make every mouthful interesting. It also happens to be vegan (although I do like to serve it with a grilled sea bass fillet on top if I'm feeling fancy). Importantly, it takes very little effort, very few ingredients and can be on the table (as promised) in less than 30 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Imli Baigan (Aubergine Curry)</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi4Uo7M8PZbgYli4RHngV90wEE77dNwnwd8sGJ-odIeR4iD9SBjUUDoF8EtMKF0W4PpIo4BRLQZR1F8hQ-NDph-dPlqS5jm08undicmPfNqI8D50o9j5ewXEGGWTEiL_iLAsb1ez4GL8/s1280/thumbnail_319FE834-E13C-4882-8303-4A6861DA20F9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi4Uo7M8PZbgYli4RHngV90wEE77dNwnwd8sGJ-odIeR4iD9SBjUUDoF8EtMKF0W4PpIo4BRLQZR1F8hQ-NDph-dPlqS5jm08undicmPfNqI8D50o9j5ewXEGGWTEiL_iLAsb1ez4GL8/s320/thumbnail_319FE834-E13C-4882-8303-4A6861DA20F9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Serves 4 as part of a sharing menu or 2 as a main</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large aubergine, cut into 5 cm stips</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tbsp oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp ground ginger</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 onions, sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp fennel seeds</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp chilli powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp cumin powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp brown sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Put the aubergine on a plate and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the onions, ginger and pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until golden.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Pat the aubergines dry with kitchen paper and add them to the hot oil. Cook over a high heat until golden. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan. The aubergine should be in one layer and you should flip halfway through.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the aubergines are cooking, toast the fennel seeds in a small dry frying pan for 1 minute. Then use a pestle and mortar to crush them. Add the crushed fennel to the onion pan and cook for a minute.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the ground spices, fried aubergine and 200ml water to the onion pan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stir in the sugar and brown sauce then turn up the heat to high. Bubble away for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and then serve.</div>Cookin' Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14825906203875672380noreply@blogger.com0