Asian Laksa Coconut Soup with Noodles

Quick, easy, healthy and a firm favourite of mine (and Alis!!)

Ingredients:

Carrots
Beansprouts
Spring Onions
Red Pepper
Onion
Chicken
Noodles - egg, rice, whatever you like!

For the soup base:
Corriander
Cumin powder
Fish Sauce
Red chillie
Ginger
Garlic
Lime or Lime Juice
2 cans of coconut milk or 1 can of coconut milk and then re use can and fill with chicken stock cube and hot water 

Method:

1. Roughly chop large handful of corriander, 1 or 2 red chillies, 3cm of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic and place in blender.  Add table spoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of cumin, a couple of tablespoons of lime juice, a dash of water and blend.

2. Finely slice the carrot and spring onion into strips, cut the onion and pepper roughly. Place your noodles in boiling water to soften.

3. In a deep frying pan or saucepan place the onion and half the carrots.  When softened add the paste from the blender and stir for a minute.

4. Then add the coconut milk and stock - even if you use 2 cans of coconut use a stock cube in a very small amount of water. Also drain and add your noodles.

5. Slice your chicken and cook quickly in a little oil in a fry pan and then add to the soup along with the juices and oil for extra flavour. Also add the peppers at this point

6. Finally bring to the boil and add more water if you require more soup then serve placing the remaining carrots and the springonions and beansprouts on the top so they remain crunchy and fresh.

Homemade Veggie Dumplings

Much easier than it looks but a great starter or canape to impress your guests...

Ingredients:

1 Carrot
1 Red Onion
Chinese Cabbage
Garlic
Red Chillie
Ginger
Soy sauce
Wonton Pastry Skins (available from you local chinese supermarket)

Method:

1. Cut up all your ingredients (carrot, red onion, cabbage, garlic, ginger and chillie) really small, as small as you can, at least smaller than 1/2 cm. This makes it easier for when you are making the parcels.

2. Place in a frying pan with a dash of soy sauce and a few tablespoons of water, the idea is to just soft all the veg. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes, adding more water when necessary and stiring occasionally.

3. Take off the heat and sieve to remove any excess liquid and leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes to cool and dry off.

3. Take your wonton skins and place a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle (picture 1), dip your finger in a little water and wet the edges and corners then take the opposite corners and bring them together (picture 2), once they are all together in the middle (picture 3) then using your fingers to bring them all together and stick to give final look like in final picture above.

4. In a frying plan place a tablespoon of vegetable or groundnut oil and heat gently.  Once smoking slightly add the dumplings carefully - I use tongs.

5. Fry dumplings until the bottoms are browned, use tongs to lift and check one dumpling.

6. Once browned get a jug of water and very carefully poor a few tablespoons of water over the top of the dumplings (it will bubble and smoke lots when the water hits the oil but thats fine just do it quickly) and imedietely put a lid on and leave for 2 minutes to allow the dumplings to steam, giving the pan a little shake every now and then to make sure they arent sticking.

7. Remove and place on a plate and serve with sweet chillie sauce and soy sauce!

Bacon and Stilton Salad with Sweet Potato Pie

A yummy yummy lunch or dinner for any summer occasion...!

              

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

Pitta bread

Cucumber

Stilton cheese

Bacon

1/2 Red Pepper

Salad leaves

Balsamic Dressing

Black olives

Sesame seeds

Olive oil

Creme fraiche

Pine nuts

Method:

1. Put the sweet potatoes in the microwave for around 7 minutes until soft and the skin is easy to peal off.

2. Place the sweet potatoes in the blender with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche.  Blend until completely smooth.

3. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, sprinkle with sesame seeds - optional.

4. Put the bacon until the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until crispy.

5. In a bowl place the lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber and red pepper, crumbled stilton and the olives.

6. In a frying place place a handful of pine nuts and warm gently, constantly tossing to stop them burning, remove from the heat as soon as they are browned.

7. Dress with salad dressing of your choice then slice bacon and spread over the top and sprinkle pine nuts on the top.

Serve with sweet potato pie and warm pitta bread.

Quick, healthy and sooo yummy!





Piiizzzaaaaa

Nothing tastes better than home made pizza and it is so much easier than you think!

Ingredients:

 

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (can use a combination of white and whole wheat if you prefer)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 cup very warm water

Tomato pasata

Toppings of your choice

Gratted cheese

Method:

1. Combine yeast, sugar, 1 cup of the flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and mix.

2. Stir in remaining flour slowly until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth.

3. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for at least an hour in a warm dry place.

For Calzone:

4. Roll out the dough into a big rectangle ON baking paper.

5. Put sauce on the centre half of the dough.

6. Just like pizza, add your toppings (our favourites are pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms). Any small amounts of meat, cheese and vegetables can be put into the calzone.

7. Then add cheese.

8. Cut the dough on the sides at about 3/4 inch intervals. Don't cut all the way to the filling.

9. Then "wrap the baby." Start at the bottom and alternating sides, overlap the strips of dough onto the filling in a lattice pattern. You can stretch the pieces to fit all the way over the filling.

For Normal:

10. Roll out the dough on a large circle on baking paper

11. Add tomato pasata and then your choice of toppings.

12. Bake for around 20 minutes until the crust is crispy.

Soup glorious souppp!

Use this as a base to make any sort of soup you want!

Ingredients:

1 chicken stock cube

1 vegetable stock cube

2 big onions

Garlic

Pepper

Olive oil

Butter

1 potato

Mixed herbs

An assortment of vegetables – either carrots or mushrooms or leek and potato, any mix you like!

Method:

1.  Cut the onions into medium sized squares and finely chop garlic

2. Cook in a decent amount of olive oil and add a knob of butter.

3. Sprinkle over pepper, mixed herbs and mild chilli powder or paprika. (Dont add salt as there is plenty in the stock cubes)

4. Cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.

5. Slice potato and all remaining vegetables and then add to the onions, stirring so that everything is covered in the herbs and oil.

6. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

7. Place both stock cubes in a large jug and add boiling water to dissolve.

8. Add stock to the vegetables so that all vegetables are just submerged and cover with lid.

9. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are soft.

10.  Leave to cool and then blend.

- If you have used carrots add coriander to season before blending.

- If you use mushrooms you will need a lot as they shrink loads when cooked and do not use a potato, instead use an extra onion.

- Spinach soup and brocolli and stilton are also yummm!

Salmon en Croute

Great for posh dinners and when you want jazz up your salmon!

Ingredients:

Approx 10g bunch of basil

Approx 5g bunch dill

60g unsalted butter at room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon

1 x approx 1kg side of salmon, skinned, pin boned and cut in half

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Plain flour, dust

500g shortcrust pastry

1 x egg

Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the pastry using the salmon as a guide size. Leave to rest in a cool place.

3. Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Use scissors to roughly chop in the dill and basil before grating in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and mix.

4. Pat the salmon fillets dry using kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Spread the butter mixture over one side of the fillet and the wholegrain mustard on the other. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so that both ends are of a similar thickness.

5. Beat 1 egg to make your egg wash. Place the salmon in the centre of the pastry and brush around it with the egg wash, season with salt and pepper. Bring up the longest pastry sides, trimming as much excess away as possible, and tuck them in before folding the shorter pastry edges over to form a neat parcel. Turn the whole thing over so that the seam is sitting on the bottom, and transfer to a non-stick baking tray. Brush with egg wash over the outside. Mark the pastry using the back of a small knife to make a cross hatch. Mark again to show 4 portions. Finally season the salmon parcel with salt and pepper.

6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Winter Warmer - Chicken and Asparagus Pie

For days like today when its grey and miserable this will warm for you from the inside out!

Ingredients:

Chicken diced            

150ml white wine

2 onions    

Asparagus

1 packet of puff pastry round               

1 packet of short crust round               

½ tub crème fraiche                   

400ml chicken stock use 2 cubes

1 tbsp corn flour

The asparagus can be swapped for mushrooms/green beans/spinach etc depending on what you like!

Method:

1. Finely chop the onion and then fry in a little olive oil until just soft and starting to brown.  Remove and put to one side then fry chicken until golden brown on all sides.

2. Stir in the wine and simmer to reduce liquid slightly.  Then add the stock plus the liquid drained from the asparagus and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the onions, crème fraiche and the corn flour mixed with a bit of water to make a paste.  Bring to the boil and stir continually.

4. Season with salt and pepper and then allow to cool.

5. Pre heat the oven to 180oC.

6. Line a deep dish/cake tin with the short crust pastry and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper, then filling with baking beans and bake for 5 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 150oC.

8. Remove the baking beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Leave to cool.

9. Using a slotted spoon put the chicken into the pastry case.  Make sure there is some sauce in the case otherwise it will be too dry.  Arrange the drained asparagus on top of the chicken.  Save some of the remaining gravy for the pie later.

10. Brush the edges of the pastry with some milk and then place over the puff pastry and press gently to seal the edges.

11. Brush the top with more milk and then cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden brown.

Chocolate Creme Brulee

All I really need to say on this one is...it's soooo yummy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 packet of vanilla pods
200ml milk
375ml cream
8 egg yolks
70g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
100g dark chocolate

Pre heat oven 150oC

Method:

1. Run your knife along the length of the vanilla pod scraping out the seeds then chop the pods in to three.

2. Put the seeds and the pods into a thick bottomed pan with the milk and the cream.

3. Simmer slowly for 5 minutes to release the flavours.

4. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar with the cocoa power.  Still whisking add the milk mixture and mix well.

5. Remove the piece of vanilla pod and discard.

6. Place ramekins into a deep oven proof tray.

7. Chop chocolate into pieces then divide them into the ramekins.

8. Spoon chocolate custard mixture dividing it equally.

9. Fill tray half full with hot water then carefully place tray in oven cook for 30 minutes until just soft, not solid.  They should still be soft in the centre.

10. Allow to cool, then put in the fridge, later about an hour before serving, sprinkle with sugar and brulee.

Pesto puff pastry bake with brie and parma ham

Perfect posh but easy starter or lunch with salad, takes minutes to make and is a winner every time!!

Ingredients:
Pesto
Ready to roll puff pastry
Cheese - feta, brie, goats cheese
Parma ham (optional)
Tomato
Red onion
Peppers (optional)
Balsamic glaze
Other veg can be added/swapped in

Method:
1. Pre heat over to around 200 degrees (check pastry packaging) Butter a dish (about an inch in height), size depending on how many you want to feed.  Then roll out the puff pastry and line dish (covering the sides as well as the bottom.)

2. Lightly spread the pesto across the bottom, put in a decent amount so that the flavour comes through.

3. Finely slice your red onions and tomatoes and scatter half of them across the bottom to form the first layer.

4. Place strips of parma ham on top of your veg to form the second layer.

5. Place slices of brie (or other cheese) across to form the next laye.

6. Scatter the remaing red onion and tomato and any other veg acros the top and the lightly cover with a few squiggles of balsamic glaze. 

7. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and you have the most yummy quick dish ever!

Home made Thai Green paste...and curry!

As with pesto this tastes so much better made at home then out of a jar and is so simple there really is no excuse!

Ingredients:



(this isn't really the 'proper' thai curry paste recipe but you're more likely to have these things at home and it works just as well!)

For the paste:
Fresh corriander - the more the better in my opinion!
Ground Corriander
Ground Cumin
Lime Juice/Fresh Lime
Green Chillies
Fish Sauce
Garlic
Ginger

For the curry:
Coconut milk
Noodles/Rice
Meat or Fish
Onions
Veg of your choice (spring onions, peppers, carrots, pak choy)

Method:

I dont really use exact measurements as everyone likes a bit for chilli, corriander, lime depending on preference so just mix it up to make it work for you!

1. In a pestle and mortar or little blender put a good couple of handlefuls of fresh chopped corriander, chopped chillies (as many as you want depending how scipy you like it) a theaped easpoon of ground corriander and cumin, a tablespoon of lime juice, a good sized teaspoon of fishsauce, grated garlic and ginger, and mix, sauce done!

2. Place your noodles or rice on the hob to cook, following instructions on the packet!

3. In a wok/pan put your sliced onions, carrots and meat if you are using any and oil and cook until softened, then add your paste and fry for 30 seconds or so to release the flavours.

4. Add you coconut milk and fish if you are using any, the rest of your veg and bring to the boil then simmer, if you want your veg crunchy add once the dish has come to the boil then simmer for a short amount of time.

5. Add some more fresh chopped corriander at the end and possibly a dash more lime juice if it needs it!

Posh Smoked Salmon Pasta... in minutes!

I tried this one up as I had a load of Smoked Salmon to use up and it turned out really well so thought I would share! It's pretty basic but seriously yummy!

Ingredients:

Smoked Salmon

Pasta

Rocket

Cucumber

Cream Cheese

Creme Fraiche (optional)

Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Courgette/Mangetoe/Sugar snap peas

Salad dressing (preferably a Balsamic one)

Olive oil

Method:

1. Put your pasta on to cook

2. In a mixing bowl slice you 3/4 of your smoked salmon, add rocket, salt and pepper, lemon juice, cream cheese and a tablespoon of creme fraiche to lighten it slightly if you wish.  Mix it all up so you have a creamy, not too thick sauce, you can add a drizzle of olive oil also if you want.

3. Made a nice green salad using the rocket and cucumber and in a fry pan just very quickly fry off you thinly sliced courgette/mangetoe or sugarsnap peas in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper so they are still crunchy but slightly browned on the outside.

4. Once the pasta is cooked drain it and mix in with the sauce.

5. Serve up with the salad and add the remaining smoked salmon to the salad, dress your salad and you're ready to go!

Two minute tasty Peanut Noodle dish!

This literally takes minutes and uses things you normally have at home, it's a perfect post gym meal, full of protien and quick!! 

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/3 cup veggie broth (or water)

1/4-1 teaspoon red chiles, crushed

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tamari (soy sauce)

Everything Else:

4 oz brown rice noodles or any you have

1 tablespoon olive oil – groundnut if you have it

1/2 medium onion

4 cups assorted veggies (cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, peppers, celery etc)

Chicken/Tofu if you want

Optional Toppings:

Bean Sprouts

Corriander

Lime juice

Instructions:

In a bowl, whisk together ingredients for sauce, tasting and adding more of anything you may want. If you like it mild, add less red chiles (1/4 teaspoon) and if you like it hot, add more! Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until onion is fragrant and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Stir in choice of veggies and cook for two more minutes.

Next, add in peanut sauce and reduce temperature to low. Cover and let cook until veggies are tender, 6-8 minutes.

Cook brown rice noodles according to package while veggies are cooking.

Add drained rice noodles to the veggie mixture along with the meat/tofu if used.

Serve with bean sprouts, coriander, and lime juice.

Homemade Pesto...and a pasta recipe too!

What is pesto?? Everyone loves it but few know what's actually in it and it tastes sooo much better when you make it yourself and will take you seconds!!

For the pesto:

75 g2¾ oz rocket
75 g2¾ oz baby spinach
75 g2¾ oz basil
75 g2¾ oz mint
2 garlic cloves, minced on a grater
120 g4¼ oz mixed nuts such as peanuts, salted cashews and pistachios
150 ml5¼ fl oz olive oil
½ lemon
Black pepper, to taste

Pesto usually uses pine nuts but they are expensive so go with whatever you have at home! It also usually has parmesan in but as you will see later in the recipe we have left it out of this stage so that it lasts a lot longer in the fridge and have mixed it up with a bit of feta instead.

To make the pasta dish:

2 rashers of bacon
1 courgette, peeled into long, thin strips
300 g10½ oz dried pasta shells or conchiglie pasta if you can find it
100 g3½ oz feta, crumbled (could also use goats cheese or mozarella)

Method: 

1.    Cook the pasta shells in lightly salted water according to the packet instructions. Stir the pasta once at the start of cooking to prevent sticking.

2.    Heat a griddle, or a non-stick frying pan, and dry fry the bacon until crispy on both sides. Once crisp, remove and drain then add the peeled courgette strips to the same pan and griddle for a couple of minutes to colour and crisp up but be careful not to burn them.

3.    Meanwhile, PESTO RECIPE: add in the herbs, leaves, minced garlic and nuts into a blender and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Blitz until roughly combined, then gradually pour in half of the olive oil and blitz into a paste consistency. Add the rest of the olive oil.

4.    At this stage you can transfer the pesto to a sealable container and store in the fridge until needed. It should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you dont add the cheese at this stage it keeps for a lot longer!

5.    Drain the pasta and place into a bowl. Pour the pesto on top and crumble over the feta cheese. Mix together so the pasta is well covered and the pesto collects in the pasta shells. Transfer to a serving bowl.  

6.    Chop the bacon into small pieces and scatter over, along with the griddled courgette strips. Squeeze over some more lemon juice and drizzle with a little olive oil, then serve.

Steak and Blue Cheese Salad

An awesome summer salad, quick but sooo tasty, inherited from Mumma Ju this is a family favourite!

Ingredients:

2 steaks

Blue cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Pine nuts or walnuts

Cucumber

Lettuce

2 red onions

Brown sugar

Olive oil

Butter

Potatoes

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes in wedges, drizzle olive oil and season and place in the over at 250 degrees, if you want to cook them faster par boil them in a pan of water first.

2. Cut your red onions into thin strips and place in a fry pan with butter, olive oil and brown sugar and leave to simmer on a low heat to caramelise.

3. Get out your dinner plates and cover with salad and chop cherry tomatoes in half and cucumber in slices and place on top.

4. Cut the cheese into small cubes and scatter along with the nuts.

5. Heat up a frying pan or griddle with a large knob of butter until its very very hot.

6. Season the steaks with salt and pepper before placing in the frying pan, turning and cooking until they are cooked the desired amount.

7. Remove steaks and slice into thin slices before place over the salad.

8. Finally place the caramelised onions on and around the steak and salad.

9. Serve with potato wedges or fresh bread.

Homemade ginger and orange Granola

Want to be healthy but it still taste soooo yummy then try out this for breakie...! Make a batch and it will last you for weeks!

 

Ingredients:

250g jumbo rolled oats

50g nibbed or flaked almonds

50g pumpkin seeds

50g sunflower seeds

1tsb ground ginger

Pinch of salt

50g butter

5-6 tbsp honey

1 large orange

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180oC.

2. Mix the oats, almonds, pumkin seeds, sunflower seed, ginger and salt in a large bowl.

3. Melt 50g butter with 5-6 tbsp honey, and then add the grated zest of 1 large orange.

4. Pour the melted butter over the oat mixture and stir well.

5. Spread the mixture on wide baking tray and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown, giving it a stir every 5 minutes to ensure it colours evenly.

Tip: Dont put the oven too high and take time to stir often and just be patient, its worth the wait if you let it just cook slowly and get nice and brown!

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a big favourite of all my friends, quick easy and healthy healthy healthy!!.. Nutrious and delicious!

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts x 2
Fresh ginger about 3cm
Garlic x 2 cloves
Fresh Coriander, roughly a handful finely chopped
Noodles - whatever type you like, rice, flat, vermicelli, egg, instant!
Red chilli x 1
Chicken stock cube or miso soup sachet
Onion x 1
carrot x 1
celery x 1 or whatever veg you have got in your fridge
Spring onions x 2
Soy sauce
Pepper
Maggi sauce and Sweet Chillie sauce are optional additions


All veg is optional and can change with what you've got.
 
Method:

1. Wack the chicken breasts in an oven proof dish, season and then cover with foil and put in a preheated oven (around 200 degrees) to cook for roughly 20 minutes. Cut up red chilli really small, take out seeds depending how spicy you want it
2. Take off the skin from ginger and garlic and then finely grate

3. Cut onion up really small and finely chop coriander.

5. Put garlic, ginger, onion, half coriander and chillie in pan with onion and gently fry until onions are soft.
 
6. Add stock/soup and hot water (as much as u want start with a pint or so then can add more later if you want more soup but flavour is stronger with less water.
 
7. Bring to the boil, when boiling add carrots and celery and cook for 2 mins
 
8. Turn heat off and add few swigs of soy sauce, rest of the corriander and the spring onions.

Easiest Desert Ever! - Orange and Lemon Posset

Great dinner party desert, you can prepare in the morning, it takes minutes and it tastes delicious!!

Ingredients:

600ml cream

150g sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 orange and zest

Langue du chat or shortbread biscuit as an optional side!

Method:

1. Pour the cream into a small sauce pan add the sugar.  Slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Once it comes to the boil, let it bubble for a few minutes stirring all the time.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the lemon juice and orange juice plus the orange zest stirring the mixture thoroughly as you do it.  It should start to thicken instantly.

3. Allow to cool and then pour into individual glasses, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to chill.