eats - chicken, feta and red pepper

Well this is a quick recipe that got thrown together using up stuff in the fridge, it doesn't look that pretty (only got one dodgy photo, soz) but it sure did taste good.

Ingredients

4 chicken fillets
1 red pepper, diced
20gm feta cheese
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice of a small lemon
splash of soy sauce
a little oil

Preheat oven to 190c
In a pan heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic, then add the pepper and warm through.
Allow to cool a little and then blend the mix together with the lemon juice and soy sauce until you have a loose paste.
Cut a slice lengthways in to each fillet to make a pocket and stuff with the mixture, crumble the feta on to the mix and place a little more pepper mixture on top of that. 
Place in the oven for 25 minutes and serve with a salad or vegetables.

Easy way to use those store cupboard goods, no?   

Eats - a bit of spice

A Happy Wednesday to you good people, I hope I find you well? This morning I am going to share with you the idiot proof recipe I use when making something curried, and the best thing is you can adapt it to your own tastes. And when I say idiot proof I mean that it is sooooo easy and even if you are missing the odd spice it will still taste good, promise.

I don't remember where I picked up this masala sauce recipe as it now just sits in my little book of cookery notes, but it is my go to for a dinner that is quick, easy and particularly good if there is a crowd to feed!

Ingredients

6 cardamon pods *

2 tbsp cumin *

2 tbsp coriander seeds *

4 whole cloves *

1 tsp black peppercorns *

1 tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tbsp paprika

1-2 tsp chili powder (strength according to taste)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp flaked sea salt

4 crushed garlic cloves

40g fresh grated ginger

100g low fat yogurt  

*remove seeds from the cardamon pods and discard the husks, add to a hot dry pan with the other whole seeds marked and toast for a couple of minutes. Take these spices and crush them before adding to the remaining spices.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together until to get a paste like consistency.

Once you have made your basic sauce you can the use it for spicing up pretty much anything. Add a can of chopped tomatoes to make a base for a beef curry, increase the volume of yogurt a little and marinate some chicken overnight then put them on the barbecue for party, or add coconut milk for a deliciously creamy curry.

This week I made the beef curry option, here's how...

Lightly brown some cubed beef in a pan with a large diced onion then add some broccoli and cauliflower florets, cover and allow to steam until slightly softened.

Next add the masala sauce and coat the beef and vegetables before adding a can of chopped tomatoes and 100g of mushrooms, bring to the boil and simmer until the beef is cooked through and still tender.

Serve with either rice and a little pineapple chutney or your favourite flat bread. Simple.

Note: I didn't have any fresh ginger in the store cupboard but the mixture didn't miss it.

Enjoy xx

Eats - salmon & broccoli lasagne

I love pretty much any pasta dish and this week I felt like making lasagna. Of course traditional is good but I felt a fishy alternative was called for this time, salmon and broccoli to be precise.

Ingredients serves 4

4 salmon fillets
225g broccoli florets
600ml milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp vegetable stock powder (Swiss bouillon)
2 tbsp cornflour
115g sliced mushroom (I used chestnut)
50g grated cheddar cheese plus extra for sprinkling
handful of chopped fresh parsley
225g non pre-cook lasagna sheets
salt & pepper for seasoning

1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375/gm5
2. Cook the broccoli in salted boiling water, drain and set aside.
3. In a pan over a low heat gently cook the salmon in the milk for about 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool and then remove the fish and flake it on a plate, taking care to remove all the skin and any bones.
4. Reheat the milk, adding the stock powder and mustard to the pan. Then slake the cornflour with a little cold milk and add to the pan, stir well to prevent any lumps.
5. Next add the mushrooms and grated cheese, mixing well. Simmer the mix gently until the sauce is of a coating consistency. Adjust with milk or cornflour if needed. Stir in the parsley and season the sauce to your taste.
6. In an ovenproof dish place a thin layer of the sauce and cover with lasagna sheets (not overlapping them). Add a layer of salmon and broccoli. Repeat this and finish with a layer of sauce on the top. 
7. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbling hot. After 20 minutes of cooking sprinkle a little more cheese over the dish.

Have with a side salad and garlic bread for dinner or on its own for lunch.

This dish was adapted from a Rosemary Conley recipe.