Sunday, 2 March 2025

Honey Mustard Lemon Chicken wings

Found this recipe via google: https://greedygirl.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/nigels-sweet-n-sticky-chicken-wings/ But it's original from a Nigel Slater cookbook which we have. 

Very nice. Tasty but not too sweet. 

12 chicken wings

2 big tablespoons of grain mustard

1 big tablespoon of honey

Juice of 1 or 2 lemon 

2 large garlic cloves – crushed

Combine all the ingredients and coat the wings. Marinate for 1-2 hours (Nigel says just cook).

Put wings and excess marinade in a roasting pan. 

Bake for 40 mins at 180-200C. Turn over.  Bake for another 10 minutes, until golden and crunchy looking.


Yogurt sauce for Shawarma

 From Thomasina Miers in the Guardian: 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/29/chicken-shawarma-salad-with-tahini-dressing-recipe

1 garlic clove crushed 
20g tahini
Yogurt 
generous spoonful of  honey
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
 flaky sea salt

Combine crushed garlic, yogurt, tahini, and honey in a small blender or food processor and mix well. 

Add  olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and stir in sea salt/ sprinkle it on top.

For the actual Shawarma, I prefer Nagi's recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-sharwama-middle-eastern/ but baked in the oven. 

MARINADE

  • 1 large garlic clove 
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground cardamon (less if fresh ground)
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika (hot, sweet, or a mix)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2-4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Saturday, 15 February 2025

Thai beef salad

 



This is based on two recipes:  https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-beef-salad-2/ and https://www.everylastbite.com/thai-beef-salad/ 

2 x Rib eye steaks; marinate as below, then grill 2 min per side.  after removing, let rest under foil.  add remaining marinade to pan and cook down, then serve over the meat. 

Marinade:  

Blend together and let meat marinate for 30 min-1 hour 

  • 2 inch piece fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp honey 
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce\

Salad dressing:  
  • 1/2 tsp birds eye or Thai Chilli , deseeded and finely minced (Note 1)
  • 1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (1/2 small clove)
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander stems
mix ingredients above in mortar and pestle  then add below 
  • 2  tsp white sugar or honey 
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
  • 1 small pinch cooking / kosher salt

serve alongside salad and beef



Salad:

green salad leaves

cucumber

cherry tomatoes 

shallot or red onion 

thai basil leaves 

coriander leaves 

mint leaves 

asparagus, green beans or broccoli cooked quickly and cooled under cold water 


Serve with thai jasmine rice for a full meal 


Thursday, 6 February 2025

Chilli Lime Thai Cod and Prawns

 

My goodness, this is yummy and fasthttps://www.recipetineats.com/chilli-lime-fish/

Read Nagi's blog for the full recipe. Mine only slightly tweaked below. 


FISH:

  • 330g thin cod fillets , skinless, cut into smallish pieces
  • a handful of prawns 
  • 1/4 cup corn flour 
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

SAUCE:

  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced with a knife 
  • 2 tsp ginger , grated 
  • 2 tbsp sriracha 
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • handful of fresh coriander or Thai basil 

GARNISHES (OPTIONAL):

  • Lime wedges

Make jasmine rice. and vegetables (green beans / broccoli / asparagus). Warm up oven. 

Heat canola oil in non-stick fry pan.  Toss the fish and prawns in the cornflour and pan fry until golden.  Put on a plate in the oven to keep warm while making the sauce.

Put sesame oil in pan.  Sauté garlic and ginger for 20 seconds or so. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, except lime juice, and cook down until reduced.  Add lime juice. Add fish and prawns - coat them in the sauce.  Stir in the Thai Basil (and coriander if using). 

Serve. 

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Pasta sauce for a student away at University

 As requested: 

1-2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil 

1 medium onion or 2 shallots - chopped 

1 garlic clove minced or crushed

1 stick of celery chopped 

1/2 small fennel bulb chopped (optional)

1 carrot grated 

1/2 courgette grated 

chopped mushrooms (optional) 

500 grams minced beef

1-2 teaspoons oregano and thyme 

black pepper 

1/3 cup red wine (optional)

2 x 400 g tins tomatoes (mutti finely chopped are best)

1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 small [400 gr] bottle passata (optional) 

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot,  add onion, celery and fennel and sauté until softened, add garlic, sauté further, add carrot, courgette and mushroom. Sauté more.  Spread out to edge of pan and add minced beef to centre of pot. Brown the beef.  Add herbs. Add wine. add tomatoes, paste and/or passata. 

Cook for at leats 30 minutes on low heat until thick and tasty. 

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Slow cooked Christmas lamb

From: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/braised-shoulder-lamb-jewelled-stuffing

1 ½kg boned shoulder of lamb
2 tbsp oil
1 onion roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
175ml dry cider
500ml chicken stock
strip orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

For the stuffing
50g stoned dates roughly chopped
50g dried apricots roughly chopped
25g dried cranberries
25g shelled pistachios roughly chopped
handful parsley finely chopped, plus extra for serving
1 shallot finely chopped
zest ½ orange
3 slices stale bread whizzed into crumbs


Method

To make the stuffing, soak the dates, apricots and cranberries in boiling water for 30 mins, then drain and squeeze dry gently. Mix with the rest of the stuffing ingredients and salt and pepper.

Season the lamb well on both sides. Spread on the stuffing, then roll into shape and secure with string. Heat the oil in a large, lidded ovenproof pan. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate.

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Brown the onions in the remaining fat for 5 mins, add the garlic and sizzle for 30 secs. Now pour in the cider and as it bubbles, scrape up any caramelised bits at the bottom and sides of the pan. Add enough of the stock to come ¹/³ of the way up the lamb, and the orange zest, cinnamon and bay leaves.

Cover with a piece of crumpled baking parchment and cook for 2½-3 hrs, turning halfway through, until the meat is completely tender. Remove and wrap with foil. Strain the juices and spoon off any fat that comes to the top, then put into a wide pan and boil to reduce for 5-10 mins, until slightly thickened and rich in flavour. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or orange juice, if necessary. Slice the lamb and serve with the sauce, and parsley sprinkled over.

Gluten free pumpkin waffles (or pancakes)

 

Basic recipe from https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/pumpkin-pancakes/   I use evaporated milk for that pumpkin pie taste, and eliminate the sugar.  I also reduced the baking soda a little. 

Obviously can be made non-GF with wheat or spelt flour.