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Lebanese Chicken

This lush Lebanese Chicken is wonderfully easy to make! Bursting full of flavour, it can be cooked on a Griddle pan or on the barbecue.

It goes wonderfully with other Lebanese accompaniments such as Tabbouleh and Baba Ganoush. I will add the recipes at a later date!

LEBANESE CHICKEN

1kg Skinless, boneless Chicken Thighs

2 tsp Ground Allspice

1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt

2 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

6 Cloves Garlic, Crushed

1 tsp Finely Grated Lemon Rind

1 tbsp Finely Chopped Mint Leaves

125 ml Olive Oil

125ml Lemon Juice

Trim any fatty bits off the chicken.

Combine all of the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and mix really well.

Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Barbecue, brushing with remaining marinade until nicely browned and cooked through.

Total taste sensation.

Serve with a nice Lebanese salad such as Tabbouleh!

My Perfect Steak Tartar

I first had Steak Tartar in The Ivy, London. So from the outset, the benchmark was set pretty high!

I totally adore this dish and had to get it right, a lot of research went into it.

My weekend treat with a lush glass of Rioja! Lush!!

Serves 1

250g Piece of Fillet Steak, a nice aged one from a butcher is a must

4 Cornichons, finely chopped

2 tsp Capers, finely chopped

1/2 Banana Shallot, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp Ketchup

10 Drops of Tabasco

1/2 tbsp Truffle Oil

1 tbsp Parsley Leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp Dijon

1/4 of a Red Chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to season

To Serve

Slices of Crispy Toasted Sourdough

1 Egg Yolk

Finely Chopped Chives

Start by trimming the outsides of the steak. Also remove any obvious white and silvery pieces.

Wash the knife and chopping board.

Pop the steak into the freezer for around 20mins – half an hour to firm up, this makes it easier to cut.

While it is in the freezer, prepare the rest of the ingredients by adding them into a bowl and combining well. Taste and adjust if necessary.

When the steak is ready, take it out and on a chopping board, cut across the grain into slices. Then cut the slices into strips and then cut the strips into little cubes, roughly 2-3mm pieces.

This bit can be done in advance, wrapped tightly in plastic put in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once you are ready to serve, combine the meat and the dressing. Add half the dressing to begin with, add more if necessary. Shape into patties, place in a ring to give a nice shape.

Serve, topped with the egg yolk and the chives, accompanied by the toasted sourdough!

Tip: I toasted my sourdough then put it into the oven at 160c for 8 mins to really crisp it up.

Garlic and Rosemary Marinaded Chicken

Serves 4

Juice of 1 big Lemon
6 Cloves Garlic Crushed
5 Sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
A few glugs of Olive Oil
4 Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced
Maldon Sea Salt and lots of Black Pepper

This is as straightforward as you can get!

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken and make sure it is slathered in the marinade.

Leave overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Barbecue and enjoy! Lush!!

Chilli Garlic Prawn Pasta

I adore the combination of garlic and chilli and it works like a dream with prawns. This dish is so super healthy especially when eaten with Wholemeal pasta, however the best thing is, it is so delicious you don’t feel like you have compromised flavour!
250g Raw Prawns, deveined (you tube it!)

1 Red Chilli, Chopped (you can de-seed if you want)

2 Cloves Garlic, finely sliced
For the Sauce

1 Clove Garlic, crushed

1 Small Onion, finely Chopped

400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
Wholemeal Spaghetti
Olive Oil
Malden Salt and Black Pepper.
Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley to serve.
Cook the spaghetti then move on to the rest of the recipe as it is cooking.
Start by making the sauce. Add some olive oil to a pan and when hot fry the onions gently over a medium to low heat until softened for around 5 mins.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for another 3 mins.
Add in the tin of chopped tomatoes and a splash of water.
Season with Salt and pepper.
Cook for around 10-15 mins until it is all softened and a nice consistency. You may need to add a touch more water if it thickens too much.
You can make the sauce in advance and reheat if you want.
In a separate pan, add a dash more olive oil when it is hot, chuck in all the prawn ingredients at the same time, this way it all combines well and the garlic does not burn. Cook for around 3-4 mins or until the prawns are cooked. Add a generous pinch of salt and lots of black pepper and stir well.

Now to assemble.
Chuck the cooked spaghetti into the tomato sauce and ensure it is really well combined.
Put in a nice pasta bowl, top with the prawns, garlic and chilli and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Healthy Veggie Broth

VEGETABLE BROTH
After five weeks of being in Spain, eating and drinking lots of things I shouldn’t have!! Not to mention the kids eating far too many chips, the healthy eating routine begins.
The simplicity and flexible of this soup means it is accessible to any level of cooking. I tend to make stock from a whole small chicken or the remaining carcass from Sunday lunch. You could use thigh or leg bones, bought stock or even stock cubes. The stock is the basis for this soup so ensure it is full of flavour!

I also cool and chill my stock and then skim all the fat off it.

If you are lucky to be using a whole chicken, strip all the meat off it and add to the soup towards the end of cooking the veggies.
For the veggies, you have various options from buying individual vegetables and chopping or if you are pressed for time as I was today….buy them pre chopped (M&S) and chuck them in!
I’ll give you the basics along with various options for tarting it up!
2.5 l of good Chicken Stock (Veg Stock if you want)

600g Fresh Chopped Soup Veg (celery, leeks, carrots, parsley)

100g Soup Mix (pearl barley, yellow split peas, green split peas, red split lentils)

Maldon Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Bring the stock up to the boil and add the soup mix. Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Tip in the chopped soup veg, give it a stir and season with plenty of salt and pepper. I tend to be generous with the salt for this soup.
Simmer gently for 45 mins.
Check the seasoning and serve.
Total health in a bowl!

#healthyfood #cleaneating #soup #lovefood #comfortfood #arestaurantinmykitchen

TRADITIONAL CORNISH PASTIES

CORNISH PASTIE
Okay, it is not low fat and uber healthy, but it is full of wholesome ingredients and damn tasty! A firm favourite of my four year old, these were his special request for his birthday party.

This was actually my first time ever making these….I had to YouTube how to crimp them!!

This will make four large or eight smaller pasties
PASTRY

500g Strong Bread Flour

120g Vegetable Shortening or Suet

Large Pinch Salt

25g Margarine or Butter

175ml Water
Firstly add the flour to a baking bowl along with the suet or shortening.
Add the salt, margarine or butter and then all of the water.
Using a spoon combine the ingredients in the bowl.
Now use your hands to really stick it all together, if need be add a tiny drip of water or two but this has to be a fairly dry dough so don’t worry about it looking too dry!
Now turn it out onto a dry surface, no need for flour as it is not a sticky dough.
Now knead and combine thoroughly as if you are kneading bread. Using the heel of your hand quickly knead it stretch it, roll into a ball and repeat. Keep this up for about five minutes, at this point it should become smooth and glossy as the shortening breaks down…it is a good arm workout!
When it is nice and smooth, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for around 45 mins.
While the dough is resting make the filling.
THE FILLING 😋
350g Tenderised Rump Steak

350g Waxy Potatoes

200g Swede

175g Onions

Maldonado Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Butter
Peel the potato, swede and onion and cut into 1cm cubes.
Cut the beef into 1cm cubes.
Chuck all of these ingredients into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Put filling to one side until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 170cm and lightly grease a baking tray.
When the dough has rested and is ready, divide into either four or eight balls.
Using a rolling pin, shape into a disc for the large, roughly 25cm wide for the small ones, half of that.

Spoon 1/4 or 1/8 of the mixture into one half of each disc. Add a knob of butter to the top.
Fold the pastry over, join the edges and push with your fingers to seal.
Using a fork or your fingers, crimp the edges to ensure it is well sealed.
Put the pasties on a baking tray and brush the top with some egg mixture.
Bake on the middle shelf for 45 mins or until golden brown and if necessary increase the oven temperature a little.

#cornishpastie #comfortfood

IRISH WHEATEN BREAD

TRADITIONAL IRISH WHEATEN BREAD

Freshly baked bread is a sheer luxury that is actually very easy to achieve. I love this traditional Irish Wheaten Bread because it has no sugar in it. I like bread to taste like bread not a cake. It is a personal preference thing, some like my Mum love the one with sugar in it, but it is not for me!
This bread is lush served warm with butter, so crispy on the outside and soft inside. Divine!!
Makes one 900g Loaf Tin
450g Wholemeal Flour

570ml Buttermilk

1 Heaped tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 Level tsp Salt

Handful of Oats
Preheat oven to 180c.
Grease a 900g loaf tin.
Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda well.
Gradually mix in the buttermilk.
Pour the dough into the tin and ensure it is evenly spread.
Bake for 45-50 mins.
Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
Serve on its own with butter and jam or it is delish served with homemade soup!!

#irish #freshlybaked #freshbread #bakeoff

SPICED LAMB KEBABS

SHISH KEBABS

A barbecue is no excuse to be boring!! Introducing some super tasty barbecue treats makes it more exciting.
Prep these kebabs ahead and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook! Don’t forget to soak some wooden skewers ahead of time for an hour (you can keep pre-soaked skewers in the freezer!)
Serves 6
500g Minced Lamb

2 tbsp Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

1 Large Onion, finely chopped

3 Garlic Cloves Crushed

2 Green Chilli’s de-seeded and chopped

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Garamond Masala

2 tsp Grated Ginger

1 tsp Salt

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tbsp Oil

Mix together two teaspoons of lemon with the lamb mince.
In a food processor blend together the oil, garlic, ginger, chilli’s, pepper corns, cumin, coriander powder, lemon juice, turmeric and salt until it forms a paste.
Stir the paste and coriander together with the mince until it is thoroughly combined.
Make the meat into sausage shapes and thread the skewer through the middle.
Brush with oil and cook for 4-5 mins each side or until cooked through.
Serve with Greek yoghurt with some mint leaves stirred through. Lush!!

Wiener Schnitzel

Weiner Schnitzel (Veal in really tasty breadcrumbs)

Don’t shudder at the thought of veal. I know it is up there with fois gras (which I ❤️sorry!) in terms of controversy but this is rose veal which has in fact won the ethical stamp of approval from the RSPCA.

This can’t be prepped in advance and is simple and tasty. If the idea of veal doesn’t work for you, feel free to use chicken or pork. 😘

Serves 4

4 Veal Escalopes
A Dusting of Plain Flour
3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
2 Medium Eggs
2 tsp Finely Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Pinch Ground Nutmeg
2 tbsp Milk
Panko Breadcrumbs
Butter and Rapeseed Oil
4 Slices Lemon
Maldon Salt and Pepper for seasoning.

Ensure your veal is nice and flat, bang it out a bit with a rolling pin (place the veal in a large freezer bag) if needs be.

Dust with some flour and shake off.

In a bowl combine the chopped parsley, Parmesan, eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

On a plate sprinkle a generous amount of the panko breadcrumbs.

Firstly dip the veal into the egg mixture and ensure it is well coated. Follow by covering really well in the panko breadcrumbs.

Place on a plate and refrigerate for at least an hour or if it suits overnight.
Melt some butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook until well browned on each side (around 3 mins per side.)

Serve garnished with the lemon slices.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks in Red Wine

SLOW COOKED BEEF CHEEKS IN RED WINE

This cut of meat is total luxury when it comes to slow cooked beef! It transforms from one of the lesser attractive cuts of beef to the most amazing velvety soft beef you will ever taste.

It is unique in its richness and a top notch dinner party option for both taste and ease.

Serve with greens and champ for sheer perfection!

Serves 5

Heat oven to 140c.

2 Large Carrots, finely chopped
2 Large Sticks Celery, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, crushed
3 Beef Cheeks, trimmed and cut into nice large chunks
3/4 Bottle of Red Wine, full bodied (Rioja, Barolo, Shiraz)
Plain Flour for dusting
300ml Beef Stock
Rapeseed Oil
A Couple Sprigs Fresh Thyme
Maldon Salt and Black Pepper

In a large casserole dish, add a dash of oil and really brown the beef cheeks all over. Do this a few at a time.
Remove and set aside.
Add a dash more oil if needed and throw in the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and soften for 5-7 mins.

Dust the beef cheeks with roughly a tablespoon of seasoned flour.

Return the the casserole. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the red wine, thyme and stock.

Stir well and bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and then transfer to the oven.

Cook for 3 1/2 hours.

Serve with spinach and lashings of luscious champ!! (Spring onion mash!!)

A Restaurant in my Kitchen

Create restaurant food easily at home!