March 24, 2013

Slow Cooked Chicken Yellow Curry

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Main Courses, Recipes, Slow Cooker | Tags: , , , , |
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A great meal to make in the slow cooker is a curry.

Throw in your meat and spices and the meat will soften beautifully, while the flavours and spices develop throughout the day, leaving you a truly great meal to eat at the end of a long day.

A thai green curry is great for this. However, I thought I’d try something new and make a yellow curry instead. The addition of potatoes makes this different from a green/red curry.

The finished article

The finished article

If you want, you can buy a yellow curry paste and use that, but I made my own, using this recipe.

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 small shallots , peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves , peeled and roughly chopped
  • a small chunk ginger , peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp shrimp paste
  • 2  long yellow or red chilli , roughly chopped
  • coriander root from a small bunch
  • 1/2 to 1 stalk lemongrass, minced, OR 2-3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian stores)
  • 1/3 tsp. white pepper (available in the spice section)
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or palm sugar if you have it)
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Combine all these ingredients into a food processor, to make a paste. Add 3 tbsp of this paste to the slow cooker.

Next, add portions of chicken. I used about 6 frozen chicken drunksticks/thighs. I didn’t bother to defrost them, but put them right in the slow cooker with the paste.  Next, add some new potatoes sliced into halves or thirds. You don’t want them to be too small, otherwise they will just turn to mush. Add a can of coconut milk and then enough chicken stock to cover the chicken.

Not too appetizing looking before you switch the slow cooker on.

Not too appetizing looking before you switch the slow cooker on.

Then, switch the slow cooker on low and leave for 8 hours or until you’re ready for it.

Serve with sticky rice. Before you serve, add a table spoon of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. I also prefer to shred the chicken into the sauce (as my boyfriend doesn’t love eating chicken on the bone), but you can just serve as is.

 

 

March 15, 2013

Mango chicken with spiced pilau

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , , , , |
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Wow, I am busy at the moment. I feel like I’m going to work, cooking, falling asleep then starting again. As I’m getting home from work quite late at the moment, the last thing I want to be doing is making something laborious, or with a long cooking time.

This recipe works well when you want something tasty in a rush and its recipes like these that have so far prevented me from being one of those people who buy ready meals from Marks and Spencer’s on their way home from work. I used to scoff at them. Now I empathise, but I still don’t want to be one of them!

Mango chicken with spiced pilau

Mango chicken with spiced pilau

Recipe from BBC Good Food.

 

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 4 tbsp chunky mango chutney (I like Aldi’s spicy chutney)
  • 1 tbsp medium curry powder
  • 4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 tsp sunflower oil
  • 2 small onions , thinly sliced
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 200g basmati rice
  • 4 tbsp chopped coriander
  • lime wedges, to serve (optional)
  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with foil. Cut a horizontal pocket in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side. Stuff with the mango chutney, then seal the pocket closed around the chutney with a cocktail stick.
  2. Mix the curry powder and 2 tsp cumin seeds with 3 tsp oil, then brush all over the chicken. Place on the baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins until cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil and fry the onions for 6-8 mins until golden. Add remaining cumin, bay and cinnamon then cook, stirring, for 1 min. Stir in the rice. Pour over 450ml boiling water, add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, stir and cover. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 mins.
  4. Remove bay and cinnamon, stir in coriander and serve with the chicken.

 

 

March 9, 2013

Chicken in a wild mushroom sauce

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , , |
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I always keep a bag of chicken breasts in the freezer. When you get home from work late and have no inspiration it’s really easy to roast a chicken breast and make a nice sauce to go with it.

One sauce recipe I always have on stand by is this wild mushroom sauce, as it’s easily thrown together with ingredients you can keep in your storecupboard.

Chicken breast, in a wild mushroom sauce.

Chicken breast, in a wild mushroom sauce.

The recipe (John Torode) says to use chicken supreme and stuff the mushrooms under the skin. But I use regular chicken breasts and mixthe mushrooms in the sauce, which always works out fine for me. This is lovely, served with a baked potato and some romanesco cauliflower.

Ingredients

  • 25g dried ceps
  • 50g butter , softened
  • small handful tarragon , leaves torn
  • 4 chicken breasts , skin on
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 150ml white wine
  • 100g crème fraîche
  1. Soak the mushrooms in 300ml hot water for 10 mins until plump. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop. Mix with the butter and half the tarragon, then stuff under the skin of the chicken.
  2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Transfer to the oven for 20 mins. Remove from the oven; the chicken should be cooked by now. Remove from dish and keep warm.
  3. Return the dish to the heat, add the wine and simmer until nearly reduced. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and simmer to reduce by half. Stir in the crème fraîche and simmer for 1-2 mins more. Add the remaining tarragon and season. Return the chicken to the dish, heat through for 1 min more, then serve.
 

February 23, 2013

Starry Leftovers Chicken Pie

Posted by Kim under Baking, Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , , , |
1 Comment 

When it gets to the end of the month, you’re skint and you have some leftover cooked chicken and some old veg in the fridge. Dinner choices are quite few. The answer for me, is always to make a pie. And why not? They’re cheap to make, a sneaky and delicious way to eat your five a day and you can make them ahead of time. I’m a huge pie fan.

And it’s incredibly easy to make a brilliant pie, using ready rolled pastry (or your own, if you’re being really frugal!) and whatever’s in your fridge.

Make the filling. I used:

  • 2 chopped chicken breasts
  • some dried mixed mushrooms, soaked
  • 1 carrot, cubed
  • handful of sliced fresh mushrooms
  • some frozen peas
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • splash of double cream
  • chicken stock
  • half a bag of fresh spinach
  • 1 500g block puff pastry, defrosted

Fry the chicken in a saucepan for a minute or so. Then add the carrots. After a minute or so, add enough chicken stock to cover the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes depending on how big your carrot pieces are. You want them to be getting soft.

Add the dried mushrooms and the strained liquor, then add the fresh mushrooms. After another minute or so, add the spinach.

Once wilted, add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, seasoning and a splash of double cream to thicken. Simmer till thickened. You don’t want your sauce too thin, or your pastry will be soggy.

Add a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with water if need be, but you should be able to reduce the sauce to the correct thickness by simmering.

Lastly, add the frozen peas, then leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, roll out some ready made puff pastry thinly and line a pie dish. I used a disposable pie dish (saves on the washing up!). Make sure you roll out enough for the lid. And if you have some extra, cut out some stars!

Fill your pie dish with the filling, using a slotted spoon so you don’t get too much sauce. Fill the pie right to the top and pack it down with the back of a spoon. No one likes an empty pie.

Lay the lid on top and seal around the edges with egg wash. Snip a hole into the top to allow steam to escape and decorate by sticking the stars on with the egg wash. Brush the pie all over with the egg wash.

Put into an oven at 180c for approximtely 30 minutes until brown.

Serve with white gravy made from the remainder of the pie sauce – or if you have enough, just the sauce would be good.

 

February 17, 2013

Pretzel coated chicken, with a honey mustard sauce.

Posted by Kim under Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , , , , |
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Pretzels apparently aren’t just for snacking on; it turns out that they makes a great coating for chicken.  I have a plentiful supply of them in the house (I dip them in melted chocolate. Seriously, try it), so when I saw this recipe, I thought it would use up my surplus and make a quick and easy midweek meal.

Pretzel coated chicken

Turns out that it’s pretty delicious and a great way to use chicken thighs, which are obviously much cheaper than using breasts.  The recipe couldn’t be easier either – it’s just breaded chicken, but the pretzel flavour is a really good twist.  The sauce is great too and quite versatile so you can serve it with most veg combinations.

Just don’t grind the pretzels down too much, you want some chunky pieces in there, rather than a breadcrumb texture.

Recipe from BBC Good Food.  Serves 4

  • 100g salted pretzels
  • 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • flour , for dusting
  • 2 eggs , beaten with a fork
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 100ml wholegrain mustard
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Crush the pretzels in a food processor or bash up in a plastic bag using a rolling pin. Transfer pretzel crumbs to a plate. Season the chicken, toss in flour, dip into the egg, then roll in the pretzel crumbs. Place on a baking tray, drizzle over the oil and bake for 35 mins until crisp and tender.

 

November 28, 2012

Because sometimes you just need this, even on a weeknight.

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Main Courses | Tags: , |
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I make a good roast, I do. 

Roast chicken, with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and broccoli, honeyed roast parsnips, sage and onion stuffing bread sauce and gravy made out of the chicken carcass.

Every day should be Sunday.

 

 

July 26, 2012

Work Lunch: Thai Red Chicken Noodle Broth

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Lunch, Recipes | Tags: , , , , |
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Lunch is the most frustrating meal for me. There are so many places to go and buy lunch in Manchester city centre, but finding something that isn’t encased in bread or pastry is really difficult. Even the salads usually have pasta in them. So, after years of eating nothing at work but lukewarm soup and boring salads, I’ve finally found something that I can eat! There’s no gluten, it’s light and healthy and more importantly, super tasty.

Just add hot water!

This is, well, a pot noodle. But a homemade one with fresh ingredients! In the morning before you go to work put some red curry paste in the bottom of a tub, with a good dollop of coconut cream (coconut milk is too thin). Vary this to taste – I put too much paste in the first time and nearly blew my head off, so it’s worth experimenting. Now, I use about half a teaspoon.

Add into the tub a handful of cooked rice noodles, a handful of stir fry veg (beansprouts, bell peppers, cabbage etc), some cooked chicken pieces and some chopped fresh coriander.

Refridgerate at work and then at lunchtime, top up with some boiling water from the kettle. Stir.

The finished soup.

And Voila! Delicious, healthy guilt free soup. I’m a genius!

Don’t forget plenty of coriander!

 

July 22, 2012

Chicken and Rosemary Stew

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , |
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My best friend’s boyfriend was recently in the hospital for a few days. Thankfully, he is perfectly fine now – but at the time my friend was obviously much too preoccupied and worried to do any cooking, so I offered to make something and leave it in her fridge so she had something ready when she got home.

I was looking for something that would keep well in the fridge and would be heat up in the microwave. It needed to be a one pot dish that didn’t require any accompaniments and something that I could make in bulk. This recipe fit the bill perfectly and had the added benefit of being super tasty. Very easy to make in bulk and would also keep well in the freezer. This would also be a good recipe to use up the veggies you have in your fridge as you could pretty much throw anything in there.

Chicken and Rosemary Stew

Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food

  • 6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs (about 500g), quartered
  • olive oil
  • 2 onions , sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • rosemary needles, from 2 sprigs , chopped
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 250g waxy potatoes , such as Charlotte, peeled and quartered lengthways
  • small bunch parsley , chopped

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Fry the chicken thighs in a little olive oil until browned then scoop out the pan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute. Add the balsamic and cook for a minute, then add the rest of the ingredients, minus the asparagus, bring to a simmer then cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour. Throw in the asparagus 15 minutes before the end. Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread if you like.

 

April 15, 2012

Chicken, chorizo and cider pie.

Posted by Kim under Baking, Main Courses, Recipes | Tags: , , , , |
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Yes, it’s another pie. As a northern lass, I can’t go two weeks without making at least one pie. And there’ s something very therapeutic about the rolling of pastry. This time I had plenty of time, so I chose to make my own shortcrust pastry. Making it is incredibly easy – it’s just the half hour you need to put it in the fridge before you can roll it out which usually rules out making my own.

I made this for dinner with my sister and her fiancee, both of whom made suitable yummy noises, so I think it went down well!

Chicken, chorizo and cider pie.

This is based on a recipe from delicious magazine for a pot pie. As you all know, I don’t believe in pot pies – they’re just a stew with a hat on. If you’re going to make a pie, do it properly and put a base on it!

Make a gravy out of the leftover poaching liquor.

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
500ml medium-dry cider
1 onion, sliced into 8 wedges
Small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked, plus a handful of sprigs
8 black peppercorns
1½ tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp plain flour
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
150g cooking chorizo, sliced
150ml double cream
for the pastry
300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
½ tsp salt
75g lard
75g butter
2 medium free-range eggs
Iced water

Put the chicken in a flameproof casserole or large saucepan over a medium heat. Pour over the cider, then add the onion, thyme sprigs, peppercorns and a good pinch of sea salt. Top up with enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

2. Pass the poaching liquid through a sieve, discarding the solids, then return to the casserole and bubble for 30 minutes until reduced to 1 litre. Leave to cool.

3. Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan, then add the leeks and onion. Season, then fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until softened and starting to take on a bit of colour. Stir through the flour and cook for a minute. Spoon into a large bowl, mix in the thyme leaves and lemon zest, then leave to cool.

4. Add the chorizo to the pan and fry until starting to crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool while you make the pastry. Discard the chorizo oil.

5. Sift the flour and salt into a food processor or large bowl. Add the lard and butter, then blend quickly or rub in with your fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs. Add 1 egg, whisked, and enough iced water (2-3 tbsp) to bring the dough together in large clumps. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly to form a smooth pastry. Shape into a flat rectangle, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out and line a large pie dish.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan180°C/gas 6. Fold the chicken, chorizo, cream and 200ml of the poaching liquid through the cooled leek and onion mixture.

7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a pound coin. Drape the pastry carefully over the filling and seal the edges. Trim away any excess pastry and use to make leaves to decorate the top, if you like, attaching with a little beaten egg. Brush the entire surface of the pastry with egg and cut a steam-hole in the centre of the pie top.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling is piping hot in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

March 27, 2012

Thai nights!

Posted by Kim under Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Courses, Recipes, Starters | Tags: , , , , , |
[4] Comments 

Kieran and I have stupidly signed up for a 10k run in the middle of May. Stupid, because I’ve never run half a kilometre in my life, let alone 10! Consequently we’ve been out most nights hitting the pavement trying desperately to get fit in time for the run, which is 10 short weeks away.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want after a run is something heavy, or loads of carbs. It makes me feel like I’m undoing all the good work from my run. Thai food is the answer. I actually made these dishes on two separate nights, but they’re in the same post as they are both light, healthy and full of flavour.

Thai Salmon Cakes with Carrot Salad

The recipe for these is from BBC Good Food. The fishcakes contain no potato, flour, egg – in fact, they only contain 4 ingredients, which means the flavour of the fish really comes through. They go perfectly with the fresh carrot salad. I doubled up the recipe below to turn this into a main course – the below recipe would serve two as a starter. This is a very quick and easy recipe, making it perfect for a midweek meal.

  • 2 skinless salmon fillets , about 300g in total, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tsp Thai red curry paste (get a good one from an oriental store – it makes all the difference!)
  • ½ small bunch coriander
  • groundnut oil
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • small chunk ginger , finely grated
  • 2 large carrots , shredded
  • 3 spring onions , shredded lengthways
  • handful coriander leaves
  1. Put the salmon, curry paste and coriander in a food processor. Pulse to a roughly chopped texture. Form into 6 fishcakes and chill while you make the salad.
  2. Mix the rice wine vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves. Mix in the ginger. Toss all the other ingredients together with the dressing.
  3. Heat the groundnut oil in a non-stick frying pan. Cook the salmon cakes for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Serve with the salad.

The second is actually a recipe of my own making. I’ve always loved those noodle soup bowls you get at places like Wagamama’s – a delicious broth on top of noodles, topped with meat and veg.

Thai Curry Noodle Soup

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 6 king prawns (I used frozen)
  • some shredded spring greens
  • some carrots, cut julienne
  • 1 crushed clove garlic
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp thai red curry paste
  • 2 portions of dried noodles (I used egg noodles)
  • juice of a lime
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  1. Make the soup first. Fry the ginger and garlic in a pan with the curry paste for a minute or so in a tbsp oil. Add the chicken stock and the coconut milk and taste. Add fish sauce to taste and season with pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, slice your chicken breast and fry for a few minutes until slightly browned. Add your veg/prawns and toss for another minute. Prepare your noodles according to the packet instructions.
  3. Place your noodles in a bowl, pour the soup over and top with a pile of your chicken/prawn/veg mix. Squeeze half a lime over the top and scatter with some fresh coriander.

Lovely!

 

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