Garlic Chicken & Roast Ratatouille

Well, it has been a long time since I have blogged! I am swamped with college work and life in general. I have a few posts I want to share, some new recipes plus a post about my wonderful visit to the Michelin starred restaurant in Edinburgh!

This was a throw-together quick meal after a full day at college. Luckily all my children like it!
I served this with rice, but potatoes would go as well.

Serves 4
8 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped into chunks
1 courgette, sliced chunky
Olive oil
Mixed herbs
Salt & pepper
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Rice to serve.

Preheat the oven to 190 c. Mix the melted butter & garlic. Throw all the chopped veg into a roasting tin, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Nestle the chicken thighs in the veg, then baste the chicken with the garlic butter. Sprinkle over the mixed herbs & season. Pop into the oven for around 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from oven & add the tinned tomatoes to the veg.Cook for another 10 minutes.

Beef in Oyster Sauce

This is a great, simple but quick meal idea for those days you are rushed off your feet (which seems to be every day for me just now!). This tasted amazing, and you could serve it with some rice or noodles. You could change the vegetables for what ever you have in, carrots, courgette & onion would all work well too. This makes lots, so there were leftovers for lunch the next day.

Serves 2

300g rump steak, thinly sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms
150g kale or sliced greens
150g baby corn/mange tout
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
Piece of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed

Mix the 2 sauces together & set aside.

Heat some oil in a large frying pan & quickly brown the steak strips. Remove to a warm plate. Fry the ginger & garlic for 1 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Fry those for a few minutes, then add the other veg. Stir fry for a few more minutes, then tip in the sauce. Warm the sauce through then add the steak back to the pan. let the whole thing heat up for about 5/6 minutes, then serve.

Vichy Carrots

This dish get it's name from the brand name of sparkling water the original recipe uses for cooking these carrots. I personally just use a cheap bottle of sparkling water! This is my favourite way of cooking carrots.I love to sprinkle fresh parsley from my garden over them near the end of cooking for a fantastic flavour. These take longer to cook than just boiling our carrots, because we are simmering them slowly, but it is worth it for the end result.

Use your largest frying pan.

Serves 4

4 carrots, peeled & sliced about 1 cm thick
Sparkling water
Large knob of butter
Chopped fresh parsley
Salt & pepper

Lay the carrots in one layer in the largest frying pan that you have. Pour in enough sparkling water to just cover the carrots. Add the butter & season. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. . Scatter over the parsley, stir & serve.

Swede (turnip) Bake

Up here in Scotland we call them neeps or turnips, but I know the English call them swede and Americans call it rutabaga! No matter what you call it, it's a tasty vegetable, and a great replacement for potatoes in a lot of dishes. This dish is lovely with a roast dinner or maybe some sausages. I think this has more flavour than potatoes, and make it quite often to go alongside roast chicken. I didn't add cheese to mine, but you can sprinkle some on top if you fancy it.

Serves 4

Butter to grease
1 swede, peeled and sliced in 0.5 cm thick slices
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200 ml double cream
Cheese to top (optional)

Grease an oven proof dish with butter. Preheat oven to 200c.
Place a layer of swede slices in the bottom of the dish. Add a little garlic on top. Layer more swede on top, with more garlic. repeat until you have filled the dish or have used all the swede. Pour the cream over the whole dish. Add cheese on top if you are using. Pop in the oven for around 30/35 minutes. A knife should go through all the layers of swede easily.

Celeriac Tartiflette

Celeriac  is one of my favourite vegetables. I quite often use it in place of potatoes, as it is much more flavoursome. I picked one up in Sainburies the other day, and was walking around the store wondering what to do with it when I spotted some Reblochon cheese. Of course, I decided to make tartiflette and use celeriac instead of the traditional potatoes. It was a huge success! I used a recipe that I found on Mumsnet and took it from there. I did take a photograph, but it was terrible so decided not to share it! Believe me though, it was great.

1 celeriac, peeled & chopped
250g bacon lardons or smoked bacon chopped
2 shallots, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
100ml  white wine
200ml double cream
1 whole Reblochon cheese
Salt & pepper to season

Parboil the celeriac for 10 minutes in some boiling salted water. Drain & set aside. Meanwhile, fry the bacon lardons in some olive oil. Preheat the oven to 200c.Add the shallots & garlic to the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes. De glaze the pan with the white wine & allow to reduce down slightly. Place the celeriac in an oven proof dish. Pour over the wine/bacon mix over the top, and then the double cream. Season. Place slices of the Reblochon over the top & pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad or crusty bread.

Eggs in Clouds

This is a really fun & cute idea for cooking eggs that kids will love! It is almost like a savoury breakfast meringue. You can chuck in all sorts to flavour it - spring onion, cooked chorizo, grated cheese, etc. In this version I just use some parmesan and served them with bacon & mushrooms for a hearty brunch. Use an electric hand whisk, if you have one, to save time. Beat the eggs until white & fluffy.

Allow 1 or 2 eggs per person.

Eggs
Parmesan (or any other ingredient you would like to add, such as spring onion, grated cheese etc)
Salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 200c.

Start by carefully separating the egg whites & yolks. Keep the yolks intact! Whisk the egg whites until they are thick, white & fluffy. Add a teaspoon of permesan per egg and carefully fold in into the mixture. Season & spoon onto a baking sheet. Divide the mixture into equal parts totalling the amount of eggs you used. Make a small well in the top of each mound, and carefully add back the yolk. Place into the oven on the middle shelf for 5 minutes. If you like runnier yolk, cook the whites for 3 minutes before adding the yolks & returning to the oven.

Aubergine Melts

Aubergines (or eggplants for my US readers!), I find, are the meatiest tasting vegetable out there. I can eat one of these and not feel like I am missing the meat part of my meal. I ate a whole one for my lunch, or you could have half with a couscous side dish. I couldn't entice any of my children to try it though! Not even the veg-loving one wanted to taste it. I loved it though, and will have it again soon.

Serves 1-2

1 whole aubergine
Olive oil
2 tablespoons pesto
1 ball of mozzarella, drained & sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
Basil leaves to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200c. Cut the aubergine in half and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Spread a tablespoon of pesto on each half, then top with sliced mozzarella and then finish with the cherry tomato halves. Pop back into the oven for anther 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted & tomatoes softened. Sprinkle with basil.

Caramelised Sprouts

I love my green veg, but was bored with just steamed or boiled brussel sprouts. This recipe brings out their amazing flavours and jazzes up a simple roast chicken dinner. I could eat these every day! The secret is the slow cooking of the sprouts.Fresh thyme is best, but you could use dried instead. Use the best quality stock and let it simmer right down into a sticky sauce.

Olive oil
Knob of butter
Sprig of fresh thyme, leaves chopped
2 shallots, finely diced
400g sprouts
150 ml chicken or veg stock

Heat up a frying pan to a medium heat and add the sprouts. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil & stir the sprouts until all coated. Let them cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are soft and starting to turn brown, add the shallots, thyme & butter. Stir through. When the shallots have softened, add the stock and allow to simmer gently. When the stock has reduced down to a sticky gravy, serve immediately.

Tuna Patties

I invented this recipe whilst thinking of ways to use up tins of tuna in my cupboard. These are full of protein, so perfect after a morning of Zumba! I love my Zumba classes, but I come out of them ravenous. I have 2 patties with some salad for lunch, and they are very filling. My kids love them too, which is a bonus. You could swap the tuna for tinned salmon, you could also add finely diced peppers or sweetcorn to the mix as well. Delicious hot or cold.

1 180g tin of tuna, drained very well
2 spring onions, chopped
40g grated cheese
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 beaten egg
Salt & pepper to season

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Form into 2 patties. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan to a medium heat. Add the patties, and leave for 6/7 minutes. Do not move the patties during this time! They need to form a crispy crust on the underside so that they keep their shape. Flip over and fry the other side for 5/6 minutes. They should be golden on both sides. Remove to a plate and serve.

Oxtail Stew

A friend recommended I try this, even though I was a bit wary of trying or cooking with oxtail. For some reason, it just didn't occur to me that it would be like beef, seeing as it is from the same animal! This did taste like a very rich, unctuous beef stew. I thought it tasted amazing! The secret is the long, slow cooking. I did it in my oven, set at about 130c for 6 hours, but it would work just as well in a slow cooker. Put your slow cooker on low, for as long as you can. I will certainly be making it again. Perfect served with creamy thick mash on a cold, snowy day.

Serves 4

4 large pieces of oxtail
Oil for frying
4 carrots, chopped
6 shallots, peeled but left whole (or use 2 onions, diced)
Half of a large swede, peeled & diced
2 large leeks, sliced
1 whole star anise
3 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole but crushed slightly
1 bay leaf
1 litre of beef stock
Salt & pepper to season

Preheat your oven to 130c (or use a slow cooker). In an oven & hob proof casserole dish, fry the oxtail on all side until coloured. Remove from the heat, and add all the other ingredients. Pop into the oven, covered, for 6 hours. Before serving, remove the bones - the meat should just fall off.

Egg & Bacon cups

These delicious little things are what my children and I shared for Mothers day brunch! So simple to make, and lovely to eat. I will need to make more next time, these disappeared too quickly. Be careful not to over-mix your eggs when whisking, be gentle. You could add any extras you fancy, such as mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. I have many ideas for some tasty variations.

Makes 6 cups

6 rashers of streaky bacon
6 eggs
Handful of grated cheese
Salt & pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 200c.
Line a muffin tray with a piece of bacon in each cup. Gently mix the eggs with the cheese, and season to taste. Pour the mixture equally between the 6 bacon cups. Pop into the oven for around 20/25 minutes, until all the egg mixture is cooked. Serve with toast & a dollop of ketchup!

Broc-a-leekie Soup

This is another amazing soup recipe from Clementines of Broughty Ferry! I really enjoyed this soup, so warm & filling - perfect for the wintry days we are still getting. This is great if you are vegetarian or a meat eater. I cant wait to make this one again.

1 leek sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped (stalk too! no waste!)
1 medium potato, peeled & diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1.2 litres of vegetable stock

Fry the leek & garlic in some butter until softened, around 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, potato & stock, season & simmer for 15 minutes. Blitz with a hand blender and serve with a swirl of cream.

Chicken & asparagus roll-ups

Asparagus is in season, and I love to use seasonal veg. Usually it is just used as a side dish, but this recipe makes good use of them. I really enjoyed this recipe with just a nice simple baby leaf salad & a cucumber & dill cream. One chicken breast will serve on person, because you will be slicing them in half. I flattened mine with a rolling pin, a meat hammer would work too.

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half then flattened
1 beef tomato, sliced
75g grated parmesan
4 asparagus spears, sliced in half one way, and again the other way
1 crushed garlic clove
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220c.
Fry the garlic lightly in a large frying pan with oil. Fry the chicken on one side only, them remove to a chopping board. Discard the garlic.
Cooked side down, layer a slice of tomato, half the parmesan cheese and 4 pieces of asparagus per breast. Roll up & secure with a cocktail stick. Place in a roasting tray and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Cook in the oven for around 20 minutes. Serve with your choice of side dish.

Chinese Beef & Vegetables

On a Friday night, I just like a quick & easy dinner to prepare. Its the end of the week, everyone is tired and looking forward to the weekend - and finances don't stretch to a takeaway! This can be put together quite quickly and has minimum fuss. The kids really enjoyed this, I served it with egg fried rice, though they have requested noodles next time.

Serves 4

400g strips of beef/steak
300g tenderstem broccoli
1 onion, sliced
5 large chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 large carrot, cut into small thin strips
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
Oil for frying (I used sesame but sunflower would work)

In a large wok, fry the beef strips for 2/3 minutes in some oil. When all coloured, remove to a warm plate. Add a splash of water to the wok, and add the broccoli. Stir fry until the broccoli is bright green, then remove to the plate. Add some more oil, and fry the onion & carrot until softened, then add the garlic & mushrooms. Fry for 3  more minutes then tip in the beef & broccoli. Add the oyster sauce and 250ml of water, and allow to reduce to a sticky sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

Braised Chicken, Shallot & Bacon

I picked up some nice chicken pieces from our local butcher, as well as some very tasty bacon. Looking in the fridge, I had some mushrooms & shallots to use up, so this was the ideal recipe. It would serve 2 people alongside some baby potatoes or wilted greens.

4 chicken pieces
12 button mushrooms
12 small shallots, peeled
Oil for frying
3 slices of smoked bacon, diced
Sprig of thyme
150 mls red wine
400 mls chicken stock

 Preheat the oven to 200C.


Heat the oil in an ovenproof dish on the hob on a medium/high heat. Add the chicken & brown on both sides. You may have to do this in batches. Remove to a plate.
Turn down the heat to low/medium and add the shallots. When they start to colour slightly, add the mushrooms and bacon. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat, and add the red wine, and reduce by half. Pour in the stock & thyme, season, cover & pop in the oven for 45 minutes. 
Check the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, mushrooms, bacon & shallots & reduce the liquid to a thicker consistency if desired. Pour over the chicken & serve.

Nippy Neep Soup

A local greengrocers, Clementine of Broughty Ferry, do a great service called "Soup in a Bag". Each week they provide a paper bag filled with all you need to make a scrumptious soup, with the ingredients being local produce. This week, the soup I tried was called Nippy Neep. We had it for lunch today, and it was amazing! You get enough ingredients to make a large pot, enough to feed my hungry family of 5 with some warm crusty bread. I have my soup bag, plus a large fruit & veg box, delivered by Alfie's situated on Keptie Street in Arbroath. Anyone local to Arbroath can have their soup bags delivered, or can pop into the shop to collect theirs.

It's funny to realise that in England, a "neep" is a swede. Up here in Bonnie Scotland, a "neep" is a turnip. It can get very confusing! In case you are confuddled, its the large purpley thing that has yellow flesh!

1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled & finely chopped
Half a small red or green chilli, chopped & deseeded.
1 large neep (swede for the English, a turnip for the Scottish) peeled & chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 teaspoon each of garam masala, tumeric and ground cumin
1 litre of vegetable stock
Olive oil

Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Gently fry the onions, ginger & garlic for a few minutes. Add the carrots & allow to soften for a few more minutes. Add the spices, and stir and coat the vegetables. Add the diced neep and add 1 litre of stock. Bring to a simmer & cover for 25 minutes. Blend completely & serve.

Broccoli, courgette & basil soup.

I made this soup yesterday, and it was wonderful! So fresh & green, and it felt healthy to eat. This made enough for about 4/5 people, even though I scoffed 2 bowls myself because it was so tasty. I like that has only a few ingredients, yet combine for maximum flavour. Use the stalk of the broccoli too, it is fine to eat and the soup is all blended at the end. The recipe & ingredients were supplied by Clementine of Broughty Ferry.

I onion or shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets & stalk diced
1  courgette, chopped
1 litre veg stock
Teaspoon mixed herbs
Handful fresh basil leaves
Oil for frying

Fry the onion and garlic in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once softened (but not coloured, usually about 5 minutes) add the herbs & stir. Add the courgette & broccoli and stir to mix everything through. Pour in the hot vegetable stock and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Once the broccoli is cooked through, add the basil and blend until smooth. Serve with a drizzle of cream or yogurt if desired.

Oeufs En Cocotte

I stumbled across a Nigella recipe for a tasty breakfast. I get bored with breakfasts very quickly, so I love it when I find something new to try. We always have eggs in the house, so was able to rustle this up as soon as I saw this recipe. You will need a ramekin for each person.

Grease the ramekin with butter.
Preheat the oven to 189 c,
Allow 1-2 eggs per person. Crack them into the ramekin. Season & top with a tablespoon of cream.
Put the ramekins into a deep baking dish & pour in hot water to make a bain marie.
Pop the whole thing into the oven for around 10 minutes, a little earlier if you want a runny yolk.

Prawn Cocktail Salad

This was our starter at Christmas. Simple, traditional (old fashioned maybe?) but to me, lovely!

I love having this for lunch, sometimes swapping the prawns for crayfish tails.

Prawns
1 tblsp mayonnaise
1 tblsp tomato ketchup
Tiny pinch paprika

Mix the mayo, tomato sauce & paprika and mix with the prawns, Serve on a bed of salad.

Loaded Chicken

I am back! After an extended Christmas break from my blog, I am here raring to go. I got a few good cookery books for Christmas that I will be testing out, including the Masterchef Everyday which I am excited by! I also got some fab foodie gifts, including a box of Pimenton, a grow your own Funky Veg kit and some Kewpie mayo. All will feature at some point, I am sure.

This is a recipe I threw together the other night when I just had bits & bobs left in the fridge. You could add anything that you would add to a pizza - go wild! I have tried with with chorizo instead of bacon, which was lovely. You could also try different cheeses. We ate ours with a side salad & homemade coleslaw.

The photos I took after it was cooked came out too blurry :( but I can vouch for how tasty they looked!

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, cut into halves (so that you have 2 thin breast pieces per person)

Tomato sauce -

2 tblsps tomato puree
2 tblsps water
Pinch Italian herbs or basil
1 crushed garlic clove
Pinch onion powder/granules

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Suggested toppings -

Cheese (I used grated cheddar)
Bacon bits
Fried onion
Mushrooms
Ham
Sweetcorn
Peppers


Spread each chicken breast with the tomato sauce. Add your toppings (I used bacon, onion & mushrooms) and then top with cheese. Pop into a preheated oven at 200C for 30 minutes. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, and serve.