Author: Jennie

Warm Summer Salad with Salsa Verde

Serves 4

For the Salsa Verde:
5 Anchovy Fillets, chopped
1 Small handful Pickled Gherkins, chopped

1 Small handful Capers, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
2 Big handfuls Flat Leaf Parsley, leaves picked
1 Bunch of Fresh Basil, leaves pickedy
1 Handful Fresh Mint, leaves picked
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
8 (ish) tbsp Top Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

Place the first seven ingredients in a food processor (the small ones are great!) whizz on a pulse setting as you don’t want them pulverised!

Add the mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil whizz again briefly to combine.

Add Maldon salt and pepper to taste!

Dare you not to eat it straight off a spoon, it is so amazing!

For the Warm Salad:
2 Big Handfuls of Jersey Royals cut in half if they are big.
1 Big Handful Asparagus, cut in half
3 Big Handfuls of Fresh Peas

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes.

Simmer rapidly for 10-15 mins checking if they are nearly cooked.

When the potatoes are just about done, add the asparagus and peas for about 2 mins.
Drain it all and leave until it is nice and dry.

Add to a big bowl and wait for it to cool slightly before adding the salsa verde.

This salad is totally amazing with sea bass!

Serve with the lush Warm Salad and a nice glass of crisp white wine!

Tonno e Fagioli

Serves 1

1 Fat Garlic Clove
1/2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
400g Tin of Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
1 Red Onion sliced either in wedges of finely
1-2 Fresh Tuna Steaks (depends on size!) or you could use top quality canned tuna.
A Handful of torn Fresh Basil Leaves
Maldon Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

Start off by blanching your red onion which takes away a bit of the sharpness. To do this put them in a saucepan of boiling water, boil for one minute and remove, drain and rinse in fresh cold water. This is optional!

Take a large pinch of Maldon Salt and with the flat part of a knife mash the garlic and salt together to form paste.

Add the garlic mix to a small bowl with the vinegar, oil and some pepper and more salt if you feel it needs it!

Mix the beans, onions and dressing together and add a touch more oil or vinegar, according to taste.

If you are using fresh tuna, add a touch of oil to a frying pan and heat. Add the tuna and cook for 2-3 mins each side for it to be nice and pink in the middle. You may need a touch longer depending on thickness.

Spoon some of the lush bean mixture into a nice bowl and top with the tuna.

Top with basil leaves and black pepper and serve! Simple yet marvellous!!

Chocolate Brownies

These wee babies are totally irresistible and super easy to make! They don’t last a second in my house!

275g Margarine Softened
375g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
75g Cocoa Powder
100g Self Raising Flour
100g Chocolate Chips

You will need a traybake tin 30x23x4cm

Grease the tin, then line it with a rectangular piece of grease proof paper that fits the base and sides of the tin.

Heat oven to 180c.

Measure all of the ingredients into a bowl and give it a good mix with a hand-held blender until evenly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Ensure you scape out every last scrap of the bowl. Then spread it out nice and evenly in the tin.

Bake for roughly 40-45 mins they will be nice and crusty on the top and if you insert a skewer, it will come out clean.

If they are browning too quickly, you could cover with some foil for the last 10 mins of cooking.

Cool in the tin, then cut into square of your desired size.

Store in an airtight tin.

Eat straight up as they are or, you could serve with some crème fraîche, strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar!

Peppers Stuffed With Mexican Rice and Beef

Peppers Stuffed with Mexican Rice and Beef

If you are sick of the sight of Chilli Con Carne, this is something super tasty and a little bit different. I have made the rice and beef combination without the peppers too. My kids love it with tacos and tortillas!

Serves 4

4 Large Peppers whatever colour you fancy! (Red are a bit sweeter!) Cut in half and cored.
250g Brown Basmati Rice (cook this in advance – even early in the day and refrigerate)
500g Mince Beef
230g (Drained weight) Black Beans (I got them in Sainsbury’s)
1 Onion chopped very finely
2 tsp Tomato Purée
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Red Chilli Chopped Finely
100ml Beef Stock
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Hot Paprika
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 Chilli Powder
Olive oil

Add mince to a hot pan and fry quickly to brown all over. If there is excess fat, I often like to drain it out for health reasons!

Remove mince and set aside.

Add a dash of oil to the pan and add the onion and chilli. Fry gently for around 7 mins.

Return the mince to the pan add the oregano, chilli powder, cumin, hot paprika and cinnamon. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomato purée and stir.

Add the drained black beans, cooked rice and the tin of tomatoes.

Add the stock bit by bit to make it nice and moist but not to the point that it will run out of the peppers!

Cover and cook gently for 20 mins, remove kid and cook for another 10.

Add a dash or two more stock if necessary.

When done, stuff the peppers and place on a baking tray.

Heat oven to 160c and cook for 20-25 mins or until cooked.

You could do the rice and beef mix in a tortilla with guacamole and soured cream.

Enjoy!

Spring Minestrone Soup

Super easy, super healthy and super tasty…who ever thought it was possible!

2 Carrots cut into small chunks
2 Sticks Celery cut into small pieces
2 Leeks Chopped into small pieces
1 Large Onion chopped very finely
A Large Handful Green Beans cut into small pieces
1 Tin Borlotti Beans drained and rinsed
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 tbsp Tomato Purée

1.5l Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Olive Oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Small handful spaghetti broken into small pieces

Add some oil to a large saucepan. When hot add to it the carrots, celery, onion and leeks.

Fry gently for 5-6 mins.

Chuck in the green beans and the Borlotti beans, tomato purée, pasta and stock and stir well.

Season with Maldon sea salt and black pepper.

Cook on a medium heat for around 10 mins or until the vegetables and pasta are just tender.

Serve with some lovely crusty bread! Boom…delish!

Blink of an Eye Chicken

Blink of an Eye Chicken 🐔🍗

I keep this little baby up my sleeve for nights when I want something super healthy without any hassle. It is ideal for those week moments when you don’t have time or want any hassle!

The biggest bonus is it tastes totally lush.

For One

1 Chicken Fillet
Cajun Seasoning
Maldon Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil

(A rolling pin and a large freezer bag!!)

Place the chicken breast in the freezer bag and bang it flat with a rolling pin. Not too flat or it will be paper thin and will tear.

Take it out of the bag carefully and transfer to a plate.

Season both sides well with Maldon sea salt, black pepper and Cajun seasoning.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan.

When smokin’ hot add the chicken and cook for around 3 mins each side or until thoroughly cooked.

Serve with a tasty green salad…boom!

Carpaccio of Beef

Carpaccio of Beef
Serves 4

What can I say…this is my food heaven! It is a bit hard to find in sunny Northern Ireland, so there was nothing else for it but to make it myself! It is so amazing even my kids love it! I think I will hide the next time I make it as I am not a fan of sharing my Carpaccio!!

Use the best quality fillet steak you can find. Slice her up, throw the dressing on, pour a large glass of red wine and enjoy!

500g Beef Fillet
Rocket
Parmesan

Sauce:
2 Large Egg Yolks
3 tsp Dijon
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Blak Pepper

Put the meat in the freezer for 30-40 mins to have it really cold.

Take it out and trim off any pieces of fat.

Cut into slices around the thickness of a pound coin.

Place between two bits of cling film and flatten with a heavy pan or mallet.

Arrange nicely on your plates.

Season with cracked black pepper and Maldon Sea Salt.

For the sauce:

Put the egg yolks p, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and using a small whisk, mix it all together.

Then, bit by bit whisk in roughly 75-100ml of olive oil to make a smooth emulsion.

This can be made ahead, cover and keep in the fridge.

When you are ready to eat, drizzle it over the beef, arranged as above.

Enjoy the biggest taste sensation of your life! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Really Yummy Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Really Yummy Peanut Butter And Chocolate Protein Balls

I love healthy eating and going to the gym. I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth, and when I get a sugar craving a couple of pieces of Green & Blacks keeps me happy!

I am sceptical about alleged ‘healthy’ snacks…I would generally prefer one piece of my yummy Green & Blacks to several dodgy ‘healthy’ alternatives. These bad boys proved me and my entire family wrong…they were whipping them out of my fridge at every opportunity! With peanut butter and flax seed amongst the ingredients…its win, win, win!!

270g Crunchy Peanut Butter
2 Bananas well mashed
2 Scoops Chocolate Protein Powder
2 tbsp Flax Seeds
1 tsp Stevia
1 tsp Cocoa Powder
3-4 tbsp Sweet Desiccated Coconut

With the exception of the coconut which you need at the end, put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients together thoroughly.

Make them into truffle sized balls or slightly larger if you fancy!

Take each of the balls and roll them in the coconut to cover.

Place them in a container lined with baking paper. Try to keep to a single layer, if you need another layer, add another sheet of baking paper.

Put in the freezer for two hours then transfer to the fridge.

Enjoy, guilt free with a cuppa!

Coffee Cake

If you like a bit of cake, you will find this one very hard to resist! Light and fluffy with a creamy butter icing filling. 😋

2 loose bottomed 20cm sandwich tins. Lightly grease the tins and line the bases with non stick baking parchment.

Pre-heat oven to 160c

225g Margarine at room temperature
225g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
225g Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 tbsp Instant Coffee mixed with 1 tbsp Hot Water
80g Walnuts Chopped and a few for decoration.

Butter Icing
75g Butter Softened
250g Icing Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Instant Coffee dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp Hot Water

Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl, beat until thoroughly blended. It should look nice and fluffy. You can use a wooden spoon for this but I would recommend an electric mixer.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins – ensure you level the surface.

Bake for 30-35 mins. The sides should be coming away slightly and the top spring back when lightly pressed.

Allow to cool for 5 mins, then run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn them out onto a wire rack.

Peel off the paper and leave to cool.

For the butter cream icing put the butter, icing sugar and dissolved coffee into a bowl and mix well until nice and creamy and evenly blended.

Pick the best cake for the top. Spread the bottom layer with half the butter icing.

Place the second cake on top and spread with the remaining butter cream icing.

Ensure it is spread neatly and decorate the top with some walnuts.

Perfect for afternoon tea or a cheeky treat!

Chicken Chow Mein

if you want something quick and tasty and a healthier alternative to your Saturday night takeaway….this one is for you!

150g Medium Egg Noodles
Dash Toasted Sesame Oil
300g Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets, cut into strips
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
1 tsp Chilli Sauce(optional)
1 tbsp Cornflour
1-2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
1 Red Pepper, de-seeded and finely sliced
150g Bean Sprouts
1 Spring Onion, sliced lengthways
Black Pepper
Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or according to packet instructions.

Drain, then rinse under cold running water and drain again. Drizzle with a dash of sesame oil and toss through to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.

Place the chicken strips in a bowl and season with a dash of dark soy sauce, the five-spice powder and chilli sauce, if using. Mix well, then lightly dust the chicken strips with the cornflour.

Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is golden-brown and cooked through.

Add the red pepper and stir fry for one minute, then add the bean sprouts and spring onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Stir in the cooked noodles and season with the light soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper. Add a touch more depending on your own taste.

Pile the noodles onto a serving plate and serve immediately.

A Restaurant in my Kitchen

Create restaurant food easily at home!