I decided to cook this as its a quick dish to make after a busy day at work. I used pre packed stir fry vegetables as I like to keep this to hand for those days that I don't want to be chopping and slicing vegetables myself.

Few key points to remember when making any stir fry dish is to have all your ingredients prepared and ready as you will be cooking on a high heat and you would need to work fast. I would also highly recommend tasting as you go along as I always feel I need to add an extra squeeze of lemon or a pinch  of chilli flakes etc.You can also easily add some chicken or prawns to the dish before adding your vegetables.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
325g flat rice noodles (quick cook)
325g bag of stir fry veg
1/2 tin of sliced bamboo shoots
2 spring onions (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tbs chopped corriander
2 tbs oyster sauce
4 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tbs teriyaki sauce
1 tbs tamarind sauce
2 tbs boiling water
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Chilli flakes
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg (beaten)
2 tbs sunflower oil

Method
In a bowl mix together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, tamarind sauce, chilli flakes, sesame oil, sugar, lemon juice and water. Keep this aside for later, in the meantime heat up the sunflower in oil in a large wok and add the garlic. Soon as you can smell the garlic aroma, add the stir fry vegetables and keep mixing on high heat for a few minutes or until the veg is part cooked. Now add the beaten egg and stir until the egg is cooked. At this point stir in the bamboo shoots then set aside.

Follow the instructions on the noodles packet and be sure not to over cook. My noodles took approx 4 minutes and only required soaking in boiling water. Once you have the noodles ready add this to the veg mixture and place the wok back on a high heat and stir in the sauce mixture from earlier. Finally, add the coriander and spring onions.

chicken & vegetable pie

I've recently come back from my trip to Marrakesh (for which I will be doing a blog post with pictures etc) and to address my post holiday blues I wanted to cook something easy and comforting and a chicken pie fit the bill. This recipe was a hit with my 2 year old son which is great as it meant we all ate the same meal.

Tip: Use up any vegetables you have as this recipe is very adaptable.

Serves approx 4
Pre heat the oven to 200oc

Ingredients 
1 chicken breast (cut into small cubes)
500g frozen puff pastry (thawed)
2 medium sized onions (finely chopped)
1 large carrot (cut into small cubes)
7 pieces frozen broccoli
2 tbs frozen sweetcorn
1 tbs frozen mixed peppers
4-5 large button mushrooms
2-3 tbs double cream
400ml stock (veg or chicken)
2 crushed garlic cloves
squeeze of lemon
2 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/3 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tbs dried mixed herbs
pinch of salt
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tbs plain flour

Method
Cut the chicken breast into small bit sized cubes and place into a bowl. Add the crushed garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, lemon juice, turmeric, chilli powder and chilli flakes to the chicken and mix well.

Take out a large pot and add the sunflower oil and place on a high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot's and mushrooms. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. To this, add the chicken and stir for about 2 min and then turn the heat to medium and cover for approx 5 min. Ensure you keep checking the mixture and stir to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. The chicken should be cooked now and at this point add all the frozen vegetables and bring the heat back up to high and stir for a further 2 min. Cover and leave until the veg is cooked through.

Add the plain flour at this stage and stir thoroughly. Add the 400ml of stock and cream and stir. You will notice the mixture will start to thicken, continue to stir until the mixture has the same consistency as double cream (maybe slightly thicker). Take the pot off the heat and stir in the dried herbs, taste to ensure you don't need any more salt or pepper. Allow to cool before rolling out the pastry.

Once the mixture has cooled down, roll out the pastry to cover your pie dish, I used a rectangular pie dish that serves approx 4 people. Empty the pie mixture into your dish and cover with the pastry. Make a small piercing in the center to allow steam to escape. Cook in the oven at 200oc for approx 35 min or until the pastry is golden brown.

Garlic & Thyme Mushrooms

I usually make these mushrooms at the weekend to go with a fry up. They are super easy to make and goes really well on some toasted ciabatta too.

Serves 2

Ingredients

300g portobello mushrooms
2 sprigs of thyme (removed from stalk)
1 large clove of garlic (finely shopped)
2 tbs sunflower oil
himalayan pink salt
coarse black pepper
squeeze of lemon

Method

Slice the mushrooms as thick or thin as you like and place into a non stick pan with the sunflower oil. Fry on high heat and stir for about 2 minutes or until it has started to wilt.

At this point add the finely chopped garlic and bring the heat down to medium as you don't want the garlic to burn. keep stirring and add the salt, pepper, lemon and thyme. Take off the heat and serve.

 

Banana & Rice Flour Pancakes

I had this pancake for breakfast and opted for rice flour as it is kinder to my tummy than regular flour. They tasted great with the addition of fruit, sugar free peanut butter and melted dark chocolate.

Makes approx 6

Ingredients 

2 cups of rice flour
2 cups of almond milk
2 eggs
1 ripe banana
sunflower oil

Toppings (per pancake)

1 kiwi
1 banana
2 stawberries
1 tsp sugar free peanut butter
2 squares of 70% cocoa chocolate


Method

Slice up the fruit or prepare your own toppings and keep to one side.

Add the rice flour, almond milk, eggs and banana to a blender and blend until smooth. Now take a non stick pan and add 1/2 tbs of sunflower oil and place on a high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a ladle of the mixture and move the pan around until the mixture covers the base of the pan. I find the first pancake is always a test for you to work out how much to ladle in depending on the size of the pan.

Cook the pancake until golden on one side then flip over and cook for a few more minutes. Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle on the cooked pancake. Then add the toppings you prepared earlier, the peanut butter and enjoy.

Chicken Pilau & Boondi Yogurt

This dish is really easy to make and is packed with aroma and flavor. This is a great alternative to biryani if you don't want to be in the kitchen for too long.

This serves approx 6 people
Cooking time in total 1 hour approx

Ingredients

1kg = 1 chicken (on the bone and cut into medium pieces by the butcher) 
3 cups basmati rice ( washed)
6 cups water
2 chopped onions
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander powder
7 cloves
7 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp garam masala
3 bay leaves
3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 of a lemon (juiced)
salt
sunflower oil

For the yogurt
2 tbs boondi (found in most Indian stores)
2 tbs yogurt
4-5 tbs water
pinch of cumin powder
handful of fresh coriander


Method

Marinate the chicken in some salt and chilli powder and set aside. In a large pan add some sunflower oil and the chopped onions and cook on a high heat until dark brown. Whilst that is browning add the yogurt, boondi, and chopped coriander to a bowl with the 4-5 tbs of water and stir. Keep an eye on the onions to ensure they do not burn. Add the pinch of cumin and pinch of salt to the yogurt and leave to one side to allow the boondi to soften. The consistency should be that of double cream.

The onions should be brown by now and you can add the chicken and stir on a high heat. Now add the garlic, lemon juice and all the remaining spices except the garam masala, . Stir again for about 5 min on high heat until the meat is browned.

At this stage, put the heat down to low and add 6 cups of water and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the garam masala now and stir. Once the water has been boiling for a couple of min, add the washed rice and stir. Taste the water at this point to check if more salt is needed. If so, add some at this stage. Once the water has slightly evaporated cover the pot and cook on low heat for 30 min.

Serve with the boondi yogurt and avoid those whole spices when eating.

 

TANDOORI CHICKEN & HOME MADE CHIPS

Tandoori Chicken is a popular Indian dish and is best left to marinate over night. I served this with home made chips but this can be served with  naan bread and salad too.

Serves approx 2-3 

Ingredients

1 Small skinless chicken cut into 8 pieces
2 tbs Tandoori powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Chilli powder
3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
1/2 Lemon (juiced)
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
Salt
1 tbs Natural Yogurt
2 tbs Sunflower oil
Handful of fresh coriander
3 Medium sized Maris piper potatoes

Method

Marinate the chicken in all of the above ingredients (except the potatoes) and leave in the fridge overnight or at least a few hours.

Pre heat the oven at 180oc and place the chicken on a lined baking tray and pop in the oven for 45 min. Whilst the chicken is cooking peel the potatoes and cut into chips.

Deep fry the chips until golden brown approx 15 min before the chicken is ready to come out of the oven.

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries are a great alternative to normal potatoes and tastes soo good especially with a garlic mayonnaise dip. This is easy to make and works as a great side dish.

Serves 2
  
Ingredients

2 Sweet potatoes
2 tbs Sunflower oil
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Mixed dried herbs
1 tsp Chilli flakes

Method 

 Pre heat the oven to 200oc

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into chunky chips. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, add the sweet potatoes and mix all of the ingredients above.

Place the sweet potato fries into the oven on 200oc for 20 min and then using a spatula turn the fries over.

Cook for a further 10-15 min or until the fries are cooked and slightly colored. Be careful not to over cook as I have done this in the past and the fries go very chewy after cooling down slightly. When the fries are taken out of the oven they should still be slightly soft as they will firm up upon cooling.