Good ol' Chicken & Bacon Stew

Very lazy one-dish Mexican chicken

I was very lazy yesterday and with my partner not knowing when he will be home, I decided to make a dish that represented my super lazyness. 

It is a one-dish recipe that isn’t necessarily looking like a posh dish, but it takes no effort and is delish and flavourful. You will want seconds, trust me.

The ingredients are straight from the pantry and it turned out popular with the kids too. I only had baked beans but originally I made this dish with kidney beans. Totally up to you, or let’s say your pantry

Ingredients make 4:

4 chicken breasts

1 tin baked beans

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin corn

3 tbsp dried onions

1 ½ tbsp cumin

1 tbsp smoked paprika

½ tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili flakes

1 cup basmati rice

5 small garlic cloves, chopped

2 spring onions

1 tsp Cajun spice mix

1 lime

50 gr grated cheddar

1 tbsp olive oil

50 ml water

Sour cream to serve

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Pre heat the oven to 200C. I use my lasagne dish and literally just add all the ingredients in that dish, start with olive oil, rice and the tinned stuff, then spices. Make sure everything is mixed up good, then place the chicken breasts into the mix, submerge a bit but not totally. Add the water and cover the whole thing with tin foil. This ensures that the rice is cooking and will be lovely and soft without turning crunchy. 

Bake for about 45 minutes and then add the grated cheese over each of the chicken fillets. Bake a further 15-20 minutes so the cheese can melt. Once you take it out let it rest for about 5 minutes and then it is all ready to be dished up.

I added spring onions and sour cream as side, you can also add a small salad and nachos if you have them, I didn’t.

Enjoy this easy recipe and also that there is almost no washing up to think about.

The best lunch time cup-a-soup ever!

That's pretty much all you need.

The fastest lunch idea ever is the good old cup-a-soup. Due to the simplicity of this dish, it totally qualified to be on my quick and simple lunch idea list you can find in “Never buy lunch again, make ityourself with these great ideas”.

I bought some Tupperware containers resembling a cup size, but also sometimes take it in my porridge container for a more filling lunch or when I want more noodles and perhaps some added veggies. I prepare a couple ahead and keep them in the fridge at work.

Ingredients make 1:

1 tsp Miso paste

½ packet Dashi soup mix

1 spring onion

1 fresh or dried Birdseye chili

80 gr tofu, smoked or regular

Vermicelli rice noodles

½ tsp dried seaweed

1 dash fish sauce

1tbs coriander, chopped

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So the only thing that might be unusual in this is the Dashi, which is just a Japanese version of soup stock powder. Mine is bonito fish flavoured. It is not fishy at all but adds flavour to your cup-a-soup.

Best place to find them is in a Japanese food shop, same goes for the dried seaweed. You can also cut a sushi algae sheet, which is available in high street supermarkets, if you have troubles finding it.

Firstly you will need to break the vermicelli into small pieces so they fit in your cup and are easy to eat. It is all about simplicity, so my assumption is to eat with a spoon. I would suggest putting the desired amount in a Ziploc bag, take a rolling pin and bash them, but make sure there is an open gap, so the air can escape. I, of course didn’t think about it and bashed them in their thin packaging, causing a little explosion with little noodle bits everywhere.  If you take them out and try to break them up, they might go all over. Well it is called trial and error for a reason.

All you have to do after is cube the tofu, finely chop the spring onion and chili. I stack the cup with noodles, then Miso and then the rest. Once you made it by the recipe, you might want to adjust flavour or experiment a bit youself to adjust it to your preferred taste. 

If I make a bigger container I add some of the stir fry veggie pack to give a bit more oomph. The veggies will soften a bit but still leave a crunch, always buy the stir fry veggie pack, to get a nice variety.

Now all you have to do is add boiling water, cover and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Since you can keep it for a couple days in the fridge without a problem it is the optimal lunch and I hope you enjoy!

Sweetpotato salad with feta cheese and spring onions

This is the easiest salad ever and a good option as work lunch. I made it in the morning, when I had nothing in the house apart from these 3 ingredients and then took it with me, because it is that quick to make. Needless to say better, much cheaper and more filling than any salad available from the canteen. This little number will get you out of the rut. I enjoy the combination of sweet, smoky and the salty, slight sharp taste of the feta.

This easy recipe is also mentioned in my article “Never buy lunch again, make it yourselfwith these great ideas” so have a look for more delicious ideas to put the dreaded work lunch back on the map, leave people in your office jealous and wondering how you can put it all together. We have a few nosy people in my office that always have a look at others lunches, it feels quite good when the envy your lunch over their own same old boring sandwich.

Ingredients make 1:

1 large sweet potato

40gr feta cheese

1-2 spring onions

Smoked paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

3-5 tbs water

For the dressing:

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

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Cut the sweet potato into small blocks of about ½ cm and chop the spring onion. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and add the sweet potato. Get the sweet potato browning in the pan; add smoked paprika, salt and pepper. After a few minutes the sides should be nicely coloured but the sweet potato isn’t totally cooked yet.

Turn the heat up high and add the water straight into the pan, cover and then return to a medium heat.  Turning it up high will just ensure that the water comes to a boil right away; we have no time to waste in the morning before work. This will steam the remainder of the potato through and through. Give the pan with cover on a shake a couple times while waiting so no potato gets burned. Sweet potatoes usually soften faster than normal potatoes, but they also contain more sugar so shaking them up is essential.

Prep your Tupper ware dish and mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a glass and mix it all up. I use an old mustard glass, close and shake them all together, saves a bit more time. Taste and adjust the dressing if necessary.

Make sure all water has evaporated from the pan, add the sweet potato to your container, sprinkle the spring onions and crumble the feta on top. A pinch more pepper and you are done, ready to take to work.

Grilled polenta with spicy tomato sauce

This tasty vegetarian meal is done in no time, is gluten free and makes a lovely starter or even main. You can buy the readymade polenta in your high street supermarket for close to nothing. It is also great to keep a couple packets as spares, for the days where you want a quick meal. In Austria, polenta is a common ingredient, used either creamed or as block, since in the UK I haven’t had it as much, mainly because it doesn’t seem to be as popular or perhaps not as known. I stumbled across it one day and since then use it much more frequently. 

The ingredients are something everyone, most likely, has in their home. It is perfect for adding a twist to common ingredients.  I use Austrian pumpkin seed oil to drizzle over it, it is possible to get it around the world but it might be tricky to find. Health food stores might stock it but you can also order it online. It is cold pressed oil that it is great on salads and has an amazing flavour. Yes, I am totally bias on this one. If you haven't got this to hand, some olive oil will work nicely too.

Ingredients to make 4:

1 packet of readymade polenta

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp chili flakes

2-3 dashes of Worcester sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 dash balsamic vinegar

1 red onion

1 tbs butter

5-6 cherry tomatoes halved or quartered

3 tbs Olive oil

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp smoked paprika

1-2 spring onions

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbs pumpkin seed oil

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Let’s start with the spicy tomato sauce. You will need a pan and keep it on a low heat. Chop the red onion finely, add butter to the pan and once melted, add the red onions. Turn up the heat, add sugar and let the onions caramelise for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it as we don’t want them to burn.

Add the chili flakes and give it a stir, leave for another minute then add the tin of chopped tomatoes and also about half a tin of water. Keep the pan uncovered on a medium heat. Add Worcester sauce, balsamic, smoked paprika and the cherry tomatoes. The sauce should now have a deep red colour. Turn the heat on low and let the excess water evaporate. It should usually take about 10-15 minutes, give it a stir every so often.

The marinade is super simple. Add olive oil, mixed herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix. Cut the block of polenta into 8 slices and evenly coat each slice in the marinade.

Heat up a skillet pan and make sure it is very hot before placing the polenta on it. This will ensure you get the lovely charred lines on it. You won’t need any oil as the marinated slices already have all the oil you need.  

Give each slice about 5 minutes before checking. Moving it too much about won’t give them the lovely charring we are looking for. It also depends on the thickness you have cut it but 5-7 minutes on each side should be sufficient when cut thinly.

When the tomato sauce has evaporated most of its water and is a thick sauce it is time to dish up.

The picture has 2 portions on it, because it looked nicer, but 2 per person should be sufficient as starter and you can add more if you have it as a main.

Garnish with basil and spring onions, bon appétit.

Spicy Mexican cheese stuffed meatballs with homemade coleslaw

The cheese is lovely and oozy

Today’s recipe originated at my soon-to-be parents in law and their lovely outdoor kitchen in sunny Weymouth.  My other half built this kitchen for his parents who love a good BBQ, so once it was all finished I was really eager to give it a go. 

I had to think about something a bit upscale from the normal burger, so I came up with this and it was good that everybody loves spicy food. 

Ingredients for 6 balls:

750gr minced beef

ca. 240gr of spicy Mexican cheese (jalapeno, or normal if you like)
Salt and pepper to taste

Absolutely fab, right?

Coleslaw:
½ head of cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1 small red onion

Mayonnaise (make up to your pref’s)

Salt, pepper, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, to taste

1 tsp paprika

dash Worcester sauce

dash of vinegar

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Take a big bowl, put the meat in and start to knead it.  This makes the meat compacter and the cheese wont leak out of the ball. You also don’t have to add egg and help bind it.

Do this until it is a good mass and then add spices to your liking. Salt and pepper should be a must, but depending on how much spice you want in the burger, is up to you. If you can’t find any spicy cheese, you can make the burger spicier, it will balance out the normal cheese, but still give it a kick. Make sure all spices are evenly distributed.

Cut the cheese into 6 blocks and work the blocks of cheese into the meat to form square-ish meatballs. I do this to make turning easier and get it nicely cooked all over. The meat will contract a bit anyway and they will look more “ballsy” when done.

They also added a seating area

Take another big bowl to combine coleslaw, carrots, red onion and add mayonnaise to your liking until it reaches the preferred consistency. I like mine just about covered. Add paprika, salt, pepper, Worcester sauce and vinegar, mix everything evenly together and the job is done!

On the BBQ I used a griddle plate so the excess fat can drain off, there is enough left in the cheese and it won’t end up dry. Serve with the homemade coleslaw and sauce of your choice. In the picture I used sour cream with sprinkles of Sriracha sauce and also added a mixed salad and French fries.

I hope you enjoy!

Goat's cheese filo parcels on tomato carpaccio and honey mustard dressing

I have often had this dish and it's varieties when living in France and fell in love with the mix of goat’s cheese and honey.  So when I cooked for 8 of my family and friends in June, I needed something that is easy to prepare and gives me time to spend with the guests in the mean time. This was the perfect solution.

It is a simple dish that through its sheer simplicity, makes a great dinner party starter.

Originally I used different colour tomatoes but then I forgot to take a picture. The picture here is from the evening meal and as I liked my own dish that much I had the same again next day for lunch (top picture).

We bought the tomatoes at a farmers market so the taste was outstanding, the tomatoes were just right and slightly sweet. This dish is at its best when the tomatoes compliment the filo parcels, so try to get ripe tomatoes, otherwise they might have a bit of sharpness that doesn’t bring out the best side of it. 

I also use my rainbow pepper grinder to season the dish. Black pepper is ok but the mixed ones just add a level of sophistication to this simple dish.

Ingredients make 4:

1 roll of goat’s cheese

1 packet filo pastry

4 Different colour ripe tomatoes

1 packet of rocket

1 shallot to sprinkle the dish

For the dressing:

6 tbs olive oil

6 tbs white wine vinegar

3 tbs whole grain mustard

2-3 tbs of runny honey (to taste)

2 tbs water

Salt and mixed peppercorns for seasoning

So lets start with the filo parcels. Cut the cheese into 8 slices.  Then lay out one layer of filo pastry, place the goats cheese in the middle and wrap it up, the way you do it is up to you. 

On the pictures I decided to go for the simple and easy way. If you have some butchers string you can also use 2 filo sheets per cheese slice and then wrap them up in a “purse shape”. Whatever tickles your fancy.

When you are done with the parcels, sprinkle them with a tiny amount of water, then cover with cling film. Filo pastry dries out super quick and will break during baking, so it is important to keep the pastry moist. In france they have a bit thicker pastry which is slightly easier to handle but with this trick they will turn out good too.

Next heat the oven to 200C and whilst this is heating up we can turn to dressing the plate with super thin slices of tomatoes in different colours and also a bit of rocket, task done. I know some people say to cut tomatoes with a serrated blade but I disagree. I would suggest cutting them with a big, normal knife, which is either super sharp or has been sharpened before attempting to cut the tomatoes. The weight and sharpness of the knife will then just glide through the tomato, without any effort whatsoever. If you get ripe tomatoes this is essential otherwise they will look butchered and not as nice.

For the dressing take an empty jar, add and mix all ingredients, then close and give it a shake. You perhaps will have to adjust the taste, so make sure you try it. If too sharp add a bit more honey, we want the dressing to be sweet but not overpowering, so if too sweet add a bit of vinegar and salt. Once you played around with it, you will get the hang of it quickly. Also add a couple tbs of water, shake again and we can move on to the filo parcels.

Once the oven is warm place the parcels in the middle of the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on the oven, if you are unsure have a look. The filo pastry should be golden brown but not burnt. If you decided to go for the “purse shape” it might be trickier with the bits on top, filo is burning notoriously quick, once the “golden brown” stage has been reached, so make sure you keep an eye on it.

While you are waiting, add the dressing to the salad, not too early as it will cause the salad to wilt. 

When the parcels are ready place them in the middle of the plate, drizzle with a bit of honey and voila, start wowing your guests!

Glutenfree Asian inspired chicken noodle soup

I am totally into soups, doesn’t matter if it is carrot soup, Vietnamese Pho or Miso soup. This recipe is a bit of a mash up that turned out to be delicious, so I hope you will like it too. Other takes on soups I love, are to follow. The ingredients are gluten free so it is a great dish to enjoy if you have problems with gluten. 
Check the label when you buy Miso paste, some brands can contain gluten. Mine is gluten free from soya but Miso can also be made from grains containing gluten so be aware when you shop.

Ingredients make 4:

Vermicelli rice noodles, I get mine in a big pack from my Asian supermarket, much cheaper than any high street grocery store (they charge you the same price for a small packet, ludicrous)

3 tbs Miso paste, again buy it at an Asian or Japanese store, Sainsbury sell some but it is not Miso and quite frankly disgusting and overpriced. You can keep it in the fridge for ages and use it in many dishes as a base, so a definite essential to have to have in your fridge

½ packet of stir fry Veggies, I get the prepared one as you have a bit of everything in it and it just makes the dish even easier

1 tbs of ground nut oil

1½ tbs of fish sauce

2 chicken breasts

1 chili or more if you like it hot

2 spring onions

1 handful of coriander

3 garlic cloves

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Let’s start with the noodles by placing them in a large Tupperware container, if you bought the big packet you will find that the noodles are in batches, take one batch as it should yield enough for 4. Cover it with boiling water and put the lid on, let it stand for 5-8 minutes, then drain and set aside. If you have still some left in the end you can keep them in the fridge for a couple days without any problems, use them in a stir fry perhaps.

Next dice the chicken into small cubes and also set aside. Chop the garlic, spring onions and chili and roughly chop the coriander.

Take a big pot for the soup; add the ground nut oil and about 1.5 liter of water. I heat mine up in the kettle to reduce cooking time. Add the chicken and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat so it just about bubbles away nicely. Now we can add the garlic, fish sauce, Miso paste and chili, if you opt for a hotter version, keep the seeds in. Let this cook for about 15 minutes. The chicken will give the broth extra flavor.

Once the time is up, add the stir fry veggies and simmer for another 5 minutes to soften them up a bit, but not boil the hell out of them.

This is it, ready to plate up. I take a shallow soup bowl and add the noodles, chicken and broth.

Finally top it with spring onions, coriander and chili slices. You have a divine soup, ready to enjoy!

Warm potato and hotsmoked salmon salad

This is by far one of my favourite recipes. It is super easy to make and you can throw in pretty much anything you like or have available. Yesterday I tried it with marinated, pan fried aubergines for the first time and it went down a treat. This is an all-you–can-eat salad that definitely won’t leave you hungry and is full of good fats to help keep you feeling full.

If you have read Diet - my Story, this is just the perfect salad for when you want to stuff you face without feeling bad about it and since there are no processed foods in it, I would say almost guilt free. 

The ingredients are versatile but a couple essentials are a must have, you can mix and match the amounts of different veggies as you like, the ingredients list is just a guideline.

Ingredients for 2:

Hot smoked salmon fillets (I get mine from Aldi, they are delish and have a very different texture to the normal smoked salmon, it is almost meaty in consistency, it is a pack of 2)

450 gr boiled new potatoes

Half a packet of Feta cheese

1 avocado

½ bell pepper – any colour you like

1 handful of cherry tomatoes

1 chilli if you like to spice it up a bit

1 lemon

¼ cucumber

1 small aubergine

1 handful of parsley

1 tbs butter

2 spring onions

1 tsp of English mustard

6 tbs of Olive oil

2 tbs white wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper to season

1 tsp mixed herbs

You start off by cutting the aubergines into about 1 cm strips, a bit like chunky chips, lay them out on a tray and salt them. This will draw out the bitter juices, leave for about 10 minutes and then dab off the excess water with some kitchen roll and repeat the process also turning them around a bit to make sure all the bitterness comes out.

Cut the boiled potatoes in quarters. Next is the marinade for the aubergines. Take a bowl and add 2 tbs of olive oil, pepper, salt and the mixed herbs plus the juice of half a lemon, mix it all up.

While  waiting for the aubergines to give off all water, half the avocado and make insertions lengthwise and also cut the veggies, strips, cubes, halves, let your creativity run free, cut them as you feel. I mix it up as I can never decide and it will also look good to give it different shapes. Take a spoon and scoop the avocado out, this is a good little trick to keep the shape and it doesn't get all mushed up. Works also if you want to cube them.

When the aubergines are ready, put them into the marinade and cover them all over, then place in the pan and start browning it. I keep my pan on a medium heat as you want to ensure that the aubergine is fully cooked without turning into charcoal along the way. I would say fry for about 15 minutes turning them around so they get a good colour on each side, also on the skin side.

Once the aubergines are done set them aside and put the potatoes together with the butter in the pan. Turn the heat down to low, add the parsley and some salt to taste, then give it a stir and make sure they are all evenly coated. Leave them on low until they warm up, while you make the dressing.

For any dressing I use an empty jar (mustard, pickle, etc), add the remaining olive oil, juice of half the lemon, vinegar and mustard. Close the jar and give it a good shake, season with a bit of salt and pepper and shake again. If the taste is too sharp for you add a tiny bit of sugar and it will make it smoother. It's totally up to your taste buds. Then you are ready to prep the plates.

The arrangement of it all is totally up to you, but I like all ingredients to be seen on the plate to show off the variety of the dish. I usually place the potatoes in the middle and arrange the veggies around it.

Carefully take the skin off the hot smoked salmon and place it on top of the potatoes, crumble the feta cheese over it and then add the dressing.

Now you have a totally delicious salad and I hope you enjoy it as much as my household does.

Slow cooker Mongolian Beef Stew with Coconut rice

This recipe is one I originally found online, but adapted it more to my liking. Since I totally love Asian stews, I had to give it a go. 

The best thing about it all is that it is made in a slow cooker and there is a whole variety of dishes that you can make without much effort. Perfect when you have guests around, as you can make it ahead of time and then spend more time with the guests being the perfect host instead of slaving in the kitchen.  This dish will get you lot’s of praise as it comes out perfect and is an absolutely scrumptious meal, for any day really.

Ingredients to serve 4:

2½ lbs of flank or stewing steak

¼ cup of cornflower

1½ tbs garlic minced

1½ tbs chili flakes

1½ tbs fresh ginger grated

¾ cup of light brown muscovado sugar

2 tbs Olive oil

¾ cup of water

¾ cup of soy sauce (I used the dark one)

1 cup grated carrots

2 spring onions

2-3 tbs toasted sesame seeds

1 red chili (if desired)

1 can coconut milk

1 cup basmati rice

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This is actually very simple dish to do but just needs a bit of prepping.  

Firstly turn your slow cooker on high. I usually turn mine on 15 minutes before placing anything inside, this will heat it up nicely all over and the ingredients will release their flavours better.

You can use stewing steak from the shop or I went to my local butcher and go it there, the reason being is that I render the fat off myself and if you have enough time and are willing to do it then you can haggle the price down, I also always like to have a chat with my fabulous butcher.

The beef needs to be cut into thin 1cm strips, once this is done place all the meat into a zip lock bag, add the corn flour, then close it and make sure that all strips are evenly coated. Give it a bit of a shake and set aside while preparing the slow cooker.

Ok, so let’s build the flavours in the slow cooker, start with the minced garlic, chili flakes, sugar and grated ginger. Then add the Olive oil, water and soy sauce.

Mix it all up so the sugar can dissolve a bit, add the beef, cover and leave it on high for 2 hours.

I usually set the timer to an hour at a time and like to give it a bit of a stir. The sugar and corn flour will thicken the liquids in the pot and you don’t want it to thicken too much.

After about 2 hours add the grated carrots and stir them in, cover again and give it another 30 minutes.

So all that is left to do is the coconut rice, I know people cook their rice different and sometimes add 1:2 ratio for rice, this is never working for me so I use 1:1½ ratio. 

I make sure I have all the ingredients ready and heat up a pot a bit with just a tiny drop of oil. Add the rice and give it a stir, this is to distribute the tiny amount of oil, then add the can of coconut milk and whatever is left needed ad in water to the pan. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down and give it about 15 minutes cooking time, once the 15 minutes are over let the rice rest for a further 5 minutes.

In that time lightly toast the sesame seeds and cut the spring onions in diagonal fine strips. If you like it hot you can also cut the chili finely and add as decoration with a kick. The black sesame seeds don’t need to be toasted, just mix the light and black one together.

Well this is it and you should be having an amazing meal in from of you. Enjoy!