Chicken Shwarma

You know when you're craving a take away but feel the full on guilt for indulging in a greasy no good for you kebab - this is my simple and much healthier version of a shwarma - a kebab marinated in Middle Eastern / Asian spices and traditionally roasted on a spit.

My version is much simpler - done in the oven - but with all warming spices and juiciness of the chicken thighs.

I served mine on naans with a full salad and condiments on the side. You can always switch it up and serve in pitta breads or even just a full salad to make it healthier and lighter.

you can find my easy peasy naan recipe here 

My shwarma recipe will feed 4-6 people if using naans or 6-8 if you're using pitta pockets. You'll need the following :

1kg boneless chicken thighs - cut into chunks

1 tsp onion salt

2 tbsp cornflour

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground star anise

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp harissa paste/powder

3-4 tbsp olive oil

small handful of fresh coriander chopped 

• Start by mixing all the dry ingredients into a bowl, add in the oil and stir together to make a paste.
• Add in the chicken along with the harissa and mix together until all the chicken is coated fully
• leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes - you can even prep this the night before as this will help the marinade absorb fully into the chicken,
• Once ready to cook, preheat your oven to 160c fan/180c. 
• Take a long piece of foil and with the longest side facing you, place the chicken onto the foil, forming a sausage shape, ensuring the chickenn is packed together nice and tightly.
• Roll the chicken up tightly, forming a sausage shape - again ensuring its packed together nicely, place onto a baking tray seam side down
• Place in the oven for 40-45 mins
• Remove from the oven and let it cool a little  - you don't want the hot steam burning you or any of the juices to spit out. The foil will help in keeping it nice and warm
• Place carefully onto a serving board/plate, open the foil up, carve the shwarma and serve as desired 

Gonglu gosht

Gonglu gosht or lamb & turnip curry is a curry that takes me straight to my childhood as it's something my mum would make often as I loved any kind of vegetable with lamb curry.

I had a random craving for it a few days ago so just had to make it.

To serve 4- 6 people you will need:

1kg lamb - ideally on the bone
4 medium onions sliced
1 bay leaf
1 level tsp curry powder (hot)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 black cardamom
3 cloves
1 tin chopped tomato
3 green chillies
1 whole bulb of garlic
1 inch peice of ginger crushed
1 small turnip par boiled & cut into chunks

• Start by placing all the ingredients ( except for the turnip ) into a heavy based pan

• Add enough water so that it just comes above the lamb. Give it a good stir then place on a medium heat and leave to simmer

• Simmer everything together until the onions & tomatoes have broken down, the garlic cloves are nice & soft & the lamb has no pinkness  - you may need to top the water up a couple of times until everything has broken down and mixed together.

• Once you have what looks like a curry sauce, add in the oil and on a medium to high heat, cook the lamb to brown all over & for the moisture to evaporate - stirring intermittently ensuring it doesn't catch & burn.

• Once the moisture has evaporated add in the turnip and cook together- again stirring intermittently- until the turnip is soft & cooked completely & the oil begins to separate

• Once the oil has separated add in enough freshly boiled water to cover the lamb & on a medium heat let it reduce & thicken up to your desired consistency.

• Alternatively you can add just a splash of water to slightly loosen the consistency & leave as a dry curry/ a bhuna.

• Garnish with fresh coriander & Serve with chappatis or naan

Easy peasy Naan

These are the easiest naans ever I promise you ... 5 ingredients, no waiting around for the dough to prove & you don't even need your oven... 

To make my super easy naan you'll need:

5 cups of self raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tub natural yogurt

Water 

• Mix together  The flour and baking powder in a bowl. Then add the 3/4 tub of yoghurt mix together until it begins to stick together slightly 

• Slowly add a little bit of water at a time until you have a soft dough.  Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until smooth & leave to rest for a minimum of an hour in the fridge covered with cling film - this can be made the night before - or at room temp until you are ready to use it. 

• This amount of dough will make 4-6 naan depending on how big your dough portions are. 

• I take a ball of dough, roll out to about 1- 1/2 an inch thick then place on a non stick pan meduim heat and let the underside cook until the surface starts to bubble. 

• I then flip the naan over to let the top side cook until there are little brown bubbles all over the surface & serve as desired. 

• To make garlic naan, add a couple of tsp of garlic granules to the flour. Once the naan are cooked, brush with garlic butter & serve.

Any left over dough can be stored innan air tight container for a couple of days.

Stuffed bell peppers

This is a recipe that i love for its simplicity, versatility of the choice of fillings and the fact that despite a few short cuts using pre cooked rice, it is scrumptious.

I know it's a winner for sure since both my kids say that they love it.

With the fillings you could use tuna, minced beef, lamb, rice, or even tofu for all you vegans out there. For this recipe I decided to use Quorn mince in a smoky passata sauce.


To up the veg content I served it with corn on the cob and just because we absolutely love it, a side of mexican rice since it compliments the flavours of the stuffed pepper really well


For 4 people you will need

4 large bell peppers*
240-250g meat free mince
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic granules
1 medium onion chopped
1 stock cube ( any flavor)
500ml passata/pasta sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 corn cobs
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful grated cheddar cheese
Handful grated mozzerella
Mexican rice packs x 4**

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) Mix all the cheeses together to make a thick cheese topping and set aside
•  Give the bell peppers a quick rinse, pat dry and slice the top of the peppers off, keeping the stalk in tact as this will be used as a lid
• Stand the peppers up to make sure they stay balanced. If they're a little wobbly, slice a very little bit off the bottom so that they sit straight. Be careful not to cut too much off that you end up making a hole in the bottom
• Carfeully remove any seeds or pith from the inside. Brush all over with olive oil - inside and out not forgetting the lids 
• Place on a baking tray or dish along with the corn cobs, the 'lids' &  pop straight into the oven for about 15-20 minutes
• Whilst the peppers and cobs are cooking,  make a start on the filling
• In a frying pan, saute the chopped onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and cook until both are begining to lighlty brown.
• Add in the mince, stir through fpr a couple of minutes, add in the paprika and cayenne pepper
• Make up your stock by dissolving the cube in 100ml of water. Pour this straight into the mince, along with the pasta sauce 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the mixture has thickened 
• Take the partially cooked peppers, divide the filling equally between the peppers
• Top each of the peppers with the cheese mixture, turn the cobs over, place the lids on the pepppers, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the peppers and corn begin to char, and the cheese topping has melted and is all golden and bubbly 
• When the peppers have about 5 minutes cooking time, make up the rice follwing the instructions on the packet, plate up and serve

*I went for red since they have the nicest flavour I think when roasted

Roasted red pepper & butternut sqaush soup

I'm quite a newbie to making my own soup, but thanks to a good friend who gave me a few good pointers I think it's safe to say I can add it to my list of things i genuinely love to make from scratch.

Today's offering is a favourite of mine as well as the husband and kids.. We love it with my Simple bloomer loaf

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need:

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper
2 medium onions roughly chopped
1 veg stock cube
1/2 -1 tsp  cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion salt

• Preheat your oven to 200c fan
• Place all the chopped veg onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the veg just begins to soften and char all over
• Place the roasted veg into a pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, cook for a couple of minutes so the veg softens further.
• Add in all the spices and stock cube, stir together, then pour in enough freshly boiled water to cover the veg and leave to simmer till all the veg begins to mush
• Use a hand blender to blend everything together till it's nice and smooth 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat unti, its at your preffered consistency 

Masar daal

I have always from being little, absolutely loved daal -lentil curry. I was the child in the family that would eat all her veg & wouldn't complain if there wasn't any chicken or meat for dinner.

Thankfully I still love it just as much now as an adult, although my husband and I always debate what is a better accompaniment..  Are you team rice or chappati ? I love my rice with daal but to be fair whenever I do cook daal i will alternate between rice and chappatis. This time round it was the turn for rice.

I made my husband's favourite daal which is masar daal - brown lentils. 

So for my masar daal to serve 4-6 people you will need 

500g brown lentils
Knob of butter - leave this out if you're wanting it for a vegan diet
1 medium onion chopped
2 frozen cubes garlic/ 5 fresh cloves crushed
2 frozen cubes of ginger/ thumb size peice crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 green chillies chopped
1 tsp hot curry powder
2 tsp cumin seeds 
1 bay leaf
Fresh coriander chopped to garnish. 

• Start by giving the lentils a quick rinse and leave them to soak whilst you cook the masala.
• On a hight heat add a little olive oil to your pan with the knob of butter. Add in the chopped onion. You want the onion to brown and crisp up but watch they don't burn as the heat is high
• Once they have turned a nice dark brown, add a splash of water to soften them. Lower the heat to medium, add in the salt , garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook through for a couple of minutes so the ginger and garlic brown and the chillies soften.
• Add in the bay leaf, cumin seeds and curry powder, stir through and add in all the lentills
• Pour enough water over the lentils to cover them. And leave to simmer on a medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir them intermittently to stop them catching or burning,  and top up the water if need be.
• After 45 minutes the lentils should be fully cooked and the daal should be the perfect consistency 
• If you prefer a drier consistency, leave it to simmer a little further - I make my daal slightly drier if im serving it with chappatis .. Garnish with coriander just before serving

chick pea & potato curry

A delicious vegetarian & vegan curry that is so simple to make but is still full of flavour.

You can serve this with naan, chappatis or even simple boiled rice 

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 curry leaves

3 medium onions chopped

2tbsp garlic puree/4 cloves crushed

2tbsp ginger puree/3 inch peice crushed

1 1/2 tsp salt 

3 green chillies 

1 tsp hot curry powder 

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 x tin chopped tomatoes 

3 x tin chickpeas -water drained

3-4 medium potatoes chopped into chunks par boiled
Fresh coriander chopped for garnishing

• Start by heating a little oil in a large pan on a meduim heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Cook the spices together until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
• Add in the ginger, garlic and chopped onions. Cook the onions until they are completley soft, and lightly golden. If the mixture begins to catch, add a splash of water.
• Add in the green chillies and salt, continue to cook on a 9medium heat until the chillies begin to soften 
• Stir in the tomato puree, curry powder and chopped tomatoes. Lower the heat, stirring occasionally until the oil begins to separate from the curry masala and the tomatoes begin to mush a little. You can speed this up slightly by mashing evverthing together with a potato masher.
• Turn the heat up a little, add in the chickpeas stirring intermittently.
•  Cook until the chick peas slightly darken in colour & the masala sticks to the chickpeas. The oil should start to separate and appear more visble, any moisture in the pan should have completely evaporated and you should be left with quite a dry mixture.
• Carefully add in the par boiled potaotes and again stir intermittently until the potatoes are completely cooked through.
• Pour in 150-200ml of water and leave to simmer on a low heat for a couple of minutes until the curry has thicked up a little. If you prefer it to be the consistency of a bhuna & slighty hotter, add just a splash of water to loosen and do not simmer
• Garnish with coriander just before serving

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is probably the most asked for dish amongst my friends and even a few family members. It is a curry classic, and an ultimate crowd pleaser with the combination of richness & subtle heat.

I have lost count the amount of times I've made it, and completely forgotten to note the steps down and end up mentally kicking myself because I know as soon as i mention it to anyone there will be that 1 person that wants the recipe.

FINALLY I remebered to write it all down so here you have it... There are so many recipes out there, anyone that's ever made a tikka has their own spin on it and mine obviously has my own little twists for example mine isn't the traditional bright red colour you'd get if you were to order it from a takeaway but it doesn't affect the overall flavour of the dish at all

I've used low fat ingredients for anyone that's a bit concious of overdosing in full fatness.. but if you're  treating yourself or just dont mind a few extra calories then just do the whole hog and use full fat stuff

To serve 4-6 people you will need

1kg boneless chicken thigh meat
4 meduim onions chopped
3 tsp garlic puree
3 tsp ginger puree
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 green chillies
1 tsp hot curry powder/ 1 1/2 medium curry powder
2 tins chopped tomato
200ml single cream/ double cream
150ml creme fraiche
50 ml fat free yoghurt/ full fat yoghurt
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tsp cumin seeds
Red food coloring ( optional )


Marinade for the chicken:
7-8 tbsp tandoori masala
2 tbsp tomato puree
4-6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp fat free yoghurt/ full fat yoghurt


• Start by putting all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, stir together till its all combined well. Add in all the chicken and again mix everything together until all the chicken peices are fully coated. Set aside to marinate*

•  In a heavy based pan, on a medium heat saute your onions, garlic and ginger in a little oil until soft and beginning to turn a dark golden colour. Add in the salt, cumin seeds and green chillies. Cook until the chillies begin to slightly soften

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) and cook the marinated chicken for 35-40 mins or until cooked through and the outside of the chicken just begins to crisp up - I let mine char very slightly. Once cooked,  set aside.

• Add in the curry powder, tomato puree, sugar and tinned tomatoes to the cooked onion base, simmer on a medium heat to cook the curry powder through, then using a hand blender,  blend the mixture to a smooth sauce.**

• Once you have a smooth sauce, add in the cream, creme fraiche, yogurt and red food colouring*** if using. Stir everything through.

• Add in the chicken, stir through then leave to simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the curry sauce is to your desired thickness. Serve with rice or naan







* For marinating, I marinate my chicken the night before. If you're in abit of a rush then marinate at least  for an hour before you start on the curry sauce

** If  you dont have a hand blender  you could use a masher or even a freestanding blender - i have used my nutri ninja blender in the past 

*** For the red food colouring you can add as little or as much as you like. I personally havent used it yet but it really wont affect the dishes flavour without it 

Chicken tonight

For a quick but taste bud satisfying mid week meal, this chow mein is a winner. It's slighty sweet, with a hint of spice and a delicious crunch of the mixed vegetables and a hit of protein with the chicken.


The best thing about this is you can swap the veg elements around, for example I've often added in some sugar snap peas, sliced tenderstem broccoli or even baby corn on the cob. If your a vegetarian or vegan, just bulk up on the veg


This will serve 4-6 people easily, you'll need the following

1kg chicken thighs - off the bone sliced up
4 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 cloves garlic crushed
2cm peice ginger crushed
4 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsp siracha sauce
2 meduim onions sliced
800g cooked egg noodles
600g mixed stir fry vegetables
50g salted peanuts roughly chopped
Lime wedges to serve

• Put the chicken in a bowl along with the honey, mustard, soy sauce, siracha sauce, garlic, ginger and salt. Set aside to marinate.
• Place a non stick pan on to a high heat, add a little oil, and when its fairly hot add in the onions.
• When they are golden brown and crisp, add in the chicken with all the marinade and cook through fully through
• When the chicken is fully cooked, add in all your veg, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 5-8 minutes - the vegetables should still have a slight bite. 
• Add in the noodles, stir through ensuring everything is incorporated  evenly, and the noodles have heated through.
• Take off the heat, sprinkle the peanuts and serve - serve with prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce along with the lime wedges

Pan fried tandoori cod fillet

This is another one of those recipes that I've made with  a few shortcuts, but is still packed full of flavour whilst being super quick to prepare.

Lightly pan fried fish coated in tandoori masala for a bit of a spicy hit, paired with griddled asparagus, steamed baby potatoes and a side of Mexican rice.

For a bit of a treat, you could always swap the steamed potatoes for chunky chips and leave out the asparagus & potatoes.

To serve 4 people you will need

4 peices of cod*  fillet

6 tbsp tandoori masala

5 tbsp plain flour 

3 x packs of Uncle Ben's spicy Mexican rice
20 asparagus spears ( 4-6 per person )
700g herb baby potatoes**


• Preheat your oven to 100c, ( fan ) in a large flat plate, mix your plain flour & tandoori masala together. 

• Line a large baking tray/dish with greaseproof paper and set aside.

• Set your frying pan on a medium heat, add enough oil to just cover the base of the pan.

• Whilst the oil is heating up, dip each fillet of fish into the flour mix ensuring each peice is thoroughly coated.

• Place 2 pieces of fillet into the frying pan at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, and transfer to the lined tray once cooked.

• Put the cooked fillets into the oven - this is to keep them warm just while you make up the side accompaniments 

• Cook the rice and potatoes as instructed on the packaging. For the asparagus, add a drizzle of olive oil to a griddle /frying pan, add in the asparagus and cook on a high heat until they are slightly charred but still have a bit of a bite. Season with sea salt & black pepper 

• Serve the fish with the accompaniments straight away once cooked

* for the fish i often swap it around. I use cod, haddock and basa 

** I love the prepacked butter and herb potatoes thar are microwaveable- so quick and easy but just as delicious 

Lamb & cauliflower curry

It's been a while since I posted a curry recipe, purely because I try and be varied and adventurous with our family meals as possible so curries don't make as much of an appearance during the week.

I try and keep the weekends for curries as i can make them last to see us through the weekend, and don't have to rush around trying to get it all cooked at a decent time for dinner on a school night.

So this weekend I made lamb & cauliflower curry & served it with chappatis. I have to be careful when it comes to red meat as my poor husband suffers with gout if he eats it too much, so this was a real treat as I've not cooked a red meat based curry in about 6 months.

So to serve 4-6 people you will need:

3 large onions chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
3 green chilies
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic crushed
Thumb size peice grated ginger
Tin of tomatoes
3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp garam masala
1kg lamb on the bone
1 1/2 kg cauliflower chopped ( i used frozen)

• Add all the ingredients except the cauliflower, fenugreek leaves & garam masala to a heavy based pan

• Pour in enough water to just cover the meat. Pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 45 minutes or until about 3/4 of the water has absorbed.

• Turn up the heat to high and cook ( stirring intermittently) until all the moisture has evaporated. Add in the fenugreek leaves & garam masala & stir through.. continue to cook on a high heat until the lamb is just beginning to tenderise.

• Add in the cauliflower, pop the lid back on and leave to steam on a low heat to soften the cauliflower

• Turn the heat back up and cook the lamb & cauliflower on a high heat until all the moisture has completely evaporated, the oil should begin to separate.

• The cauliflower should begin to break down and the lamb should be fully cooked & tender - this is what is referred to bhun the dish - cooking rapidly on a high heat whilst intermittently stirring

• Take a piece of the lamb and a little of the cauliflower to check the tenderness of them both.. once the cauliflower is soft with a very slight bite & the lamb is tender the dish is ready.

• Just before serving, garnish with fresh coriander & serve alongside chappatis

Vegetable chow mein

This is a firm favourite in our house - even with both my children as they love the slightly chilli but sticky & sweet combination, and the smokiness from the siracha sauce added to it.

The chow mein will easily serve a family of 4. You will need

1 medium onion chopped

4 tbsp runny honey

4 tbsp wholegrain mustard

4-5 cloves of garlic crushed/ 1 tbsp garlic granules

5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp siracha sauce

650g stir fry vegetables

800g egg noodles

6 baby corn on the cob- sliced in half

80g sugar snap peas - snap in half

2 tbsp sesame seeds

• Place a large pan or wok with a little oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic granules, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chopped onion & salt.

• Cook the onions till soft and a light golden colour, add in the honey, mustard, soy sauce & siracha sauce, stir together and cook for another 2 minutes

• Add in the baby corn and the sugar snap peas, cook them on a high heat till they are just soft but still have a bit of a bite.

• Add in all the rest of the stir fry veg, and continue to cook on a high heat - you want them to retain a a slight crunch and the high heat helps not only to cook quickly but to keep the crispness 

• Add in the noodles, stir them through so all the vegetables are distributed evenly, and the marinade coats everything

• Sprinkle on the seasame seeds just before serving - serve with a side of prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce .. along with extra siracha sauce if any one likes a bit of extra spice & heat 

Tear and share garlic bread

Garlic butter has to be one of my all time favourite paring when it comes to combinations of seasonings & flavours, especially when its the form of some type of garlic bread.

Whilst doing the weekly shop last week, I forgot to pick up a tear and share garlic bread at the request of the husband and kids to go with our friday night veg lasagne for dinner, so it was the perfect excuse to make my own. The aroma in the kitchen was just delicious and as soon as I served it, it was gone in seconds.

The recipe below made up 10 dough balls, presented as a tear and share ring, and the dough balls were quite generous size wise so i would actually divide the dough into 12 pieces the next time i make it. I've adjusted the recipe stating 12 but you could stick to 10 if you wish to

To make a 12 ball tear and share ring you will need

For the dough

400g bread flour
1tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp of mixed italian herbs
270 ml water
2 tbsp olive oil

For the garlic butter

3tsp garlic granules
110g salted butter
2 tsp dried parsley
2tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp grated parmesan/vegetarian hard cheese

• Start by placing the flour in a bowl, along with the salt & yeast at opposite sides of each other, then the oil, garlic granules, dried herbs in the middle of the bowl.

• Slowly add the water to the bowl, and mix everything together to form a soft, slightly sticky - but not wet- dough.

• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth & elastic - this can take between 8-10 minutes. You can knead it in a free standing mixer with the dough hook attachment if you prefer, it will also be much quicker.

• Place the dough into a lighlty oiled bowl and leave to prove until doubled in size.

• Whilst the dough is proving make the garlic butter by mixing all the ingredients togther then melting for a few seconds in the microwave

• Once the dough is ready, take an 9 inch round tin, and brush some of the melted butter all over the inside of the tin

• Divide the dough into 12 equal peices, form them into 12 balls, and place in the buttered tin. Leave to prove till doubled in size.

• Brush the top of the bread, once its doubled in size, with some of the garlic butter and bake for 20 mins at 180c

• Brush the top of the bread again generously with the garlic butter, sprinkle on the parmesan & place back in the oven for another 10 -12 minutes until golden brown. Give it a final brushing of butter once more when out of the oven just before serving.

Toad in the hole

When it's been a cold, wet, windy typically British winter day and evening and all you want is some comfort food to warm your insides up, toad in the hole is definitely one of my all time favourites to  make.

It's  so simple, but so so delicious, and an added bonus is that it all cooks in one pan  which means less to wash up - win win

I served it with my red onion gravy and some buttery mash- and it definitely hot the spot.

To serve 4 people you will need :
8 sausages ( i used shezan halal lamb ones )
30g butter
50ml oil
125g plain flour
A good pinch of salt and pepper
2 large eggs
80ml milk
40 ml cold water

• Start by preheating your oven to 210c ( fan)

• Put  the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into the well

• Whisk the eggs with the flour to form a thick batter. Slowly add in the milk & continue to whisk and you should have a smooth pourable batter. Place in the fridge to rest

• Place the sausages along with the butter and oil into a roasting dish - mine was about 25x30cm , cook for about 15 minutes till just cooked.

• Take the batter out of the fridge, pour in the cold water, and whisk together.

• Remove the sausages from the oven & pour in all the batter quickly but carefully

• Place back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the yorkshire pudding is crisp and golden, and serve

Killing 2 birds with one stone

For this recipe post I thought I would kill the proverbial 2 birds with my proverbial stone - in this case, 2 recipes in one post as the main ingredients and the basic steps are identical

The 2 recipes are pizza dough and naan. Both of these use the basic method of a simple bread dough, left to rise long and slow giving you an almost over fermented dough producing lots of lovely air pockets which results in a delicious deep pan style pizza base or fluffy beans perfect with whatever curry you desire


To make 3 pizza bases OR 4 naan you will need:

530g bread flour
7g dry quick active yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 12 fl oz lukewarm water

• Start by placing your flour in a bowl ,then to one side add your salt and sugar. To the opposite side add your yeast, and pour the oil into the middle

• Slowly begin to add in the water, mixing with your hand. When the dough comes together you should have a soft and slightly sticky dough. Ensure all the flour has been incorporated, use a spatula or bread scraper to bring the dough together as it may be difficult to handle, and place in a large clean lightly oiled bowl.

• Cover  the dough with cling film, and leave to rise for at least 4 hours. Ideally you can prep this the night before, leave covered in the fridge and then remove 4 hours before you need it. If you are short on time, leave the dough for a minimum of 2 hours.

• Once the dough has proved, it will have almost tripled in volume and it will have lots of lovely air pockets ready to turn into delicious naan  or perfect pizza






To make the naan:

• Start by lightly flouring your work surface, and as gently as possible put the dough from the bowl onto the work surface.

• Divide the dough into 4 equal peices, and gently roll each peice into a smooth ball and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

 • Place a large non stick pan on a medium heat and turn your grill on full.

• Take one of balls of dough and carefully with a rolling pin roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick circle, then carefully lift the rolled out dough  & onto the pan to cook the bottom of the naan.  You'll know the bottom is cooked when the top begins to form bubbles on top.*

• Transfer the naan to a baking tray and place under the grill and leave until the top begins to turn light - golden brown and very slightly crisps up. Remove from the grill, brush lightly with butter.

• Repeat the process with the remaining dough, and keep the cooked naan warm by covering with foil & serve as needed.


To make the pizza bases:

• Start by preheating your oven to 200c ( fan assisted )

• Divide the dough into 3 peices, take one of the balls of dough and roll out to your desired thickness - I rolled mine out to about 8 inches wide, placed it onto a lightly floured baking tray then used my finger tips to press out the edges of the dough till the base was about 10 inches wide.

• Once you have your base rolled out to your desired thickness it is just a case of adding whatever toppings you like - whether you want to keep it classic and stick to a margherita or mix it all up it's up to you

• Place your pizza in the oven for 12- 14 minutes or until the pizza has risen, almost doubled in size and th crust is lightly golden and tuck in immediately*










*  I use a fish slice to check the bases. They should be light in colour and not soggy 

Whole egg omelette

This is a recipe that takes me down memory lane, it's something that my mum would whip up in the school holidays for breakfast or if we had guests staying over this was guaranteed to make an appearance at the table for a hearty filling breakfast. Mum would traditionally serve this with paranthas - crispy buttery chapatis - and steaming cups of chai.


With this omelette as the eggs are left whole, you can leave the yolks runny or fully cooked through to your preference, either way this is definitely a tastebud pleaser. 

For this omelette it's super handy if you've got a frying pan with a lid as in the last step the use of the lid helps to cook the yolks with the help of the steam, if not you can place the pan under the grill until the yolks are cooked to your preference 

To make my whole egg omelette to serve 4 /5 people you will need:

5-7 medium eggs* ( depending on the size of your pan you may be able to fit in more or need less )
1 chopped red onion  
1/4 each of red, yellow and green bell pepper sliced 
A large handful chopped mushrooms
1 green chilli finely chopped 
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Handful fresh chopped coriander 
1 tsp cumin seeds 

• Start by cracking the eggs carefully into a bowl ensuring the yolks stay whole and don't split. Set the bowl aside.

• In a frying pan, add a little olive oil and on a medium heat, add in the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften.

• Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook on a medium heat, when they are almost fully cooked, add in the peppers, along with the chilli, chilli flakes, salt and smoked paprika and continue to cook until the peppers are just soft but not mushy. Spread the vegetables evenly over the base of your pan.

• Slightly lower the heat, then carefully pour the eggs into the pan. The eggs may end up all on one side, carefully tilt the pan to help spread the eggs out. 

• When the whites just begin to cook, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and if your pan has a lid, place the lid on and totally lower the heat ( alternatively place under the grill on the lowest setting ) and leave to cook till the whites are completely cooked and the yolks have set to how you like them. 

• Once cooked, sprinkle over some smoked paprika, garnish with the chopped coriander and drizzle over some of your favourite sauce - I went with sweet chilli and garlic but even good old ketchup or brown sauce will go well 

• Serve with toast and any extras as you wish



* I managed to fit 8 eggs in my pan as it is rather big, if your pan is small, adjust the amounts of the ingredients accordingly 

Crispy basa with roasted vegetables & chilli yogurt

This recipe is a combination of wanting something for dinner that's quick, isn't anything curry like as you've had nothing but curry for almost a whole week, but also something that's got a punch flavour wise and isn't heavy and stodgy and likely to make you feel bloated.

Delicious basa fillets , with roasted veg spiked with cumin, coriander & finished off with a chilli yogurt .. all in 30 minutes

For 2 people you will need:

80g natural yogurt
1 tablespoon siracha chilli sauce
Handful chopped coriander
1 medium small potato
1 red pepper
2 spring onions
1 large aubergine
4 fillets bassa ( about 100g each in weight)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• Start by preheating your oven to 200c / 180c ( fan ). Chop the potato aubergine & pepper into small  chunks

• Put the veg into a baking tray, drizzle     with olive oil, add the cumin seeds & season with some salt & pepper, place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes ensuring everything is cooked through.

• While the veg is roasting, trim the spring onions, and chop up along with the coriander & set aside

• In a plate, mix the plain flour along with  the smoked paprika, half a tsp of chilli flakes, a good pinch of salt and mix it all together.
Carefully dip each fillet into the seasoned flour ensuring each fillet is coated all over

• In a large non stick pan, drizzle with olive oil & cook the fillets on a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or until it crisps up lightly all over

• Whilst the fish is frying, mix together the yogurt and siracha sauce and a 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• Mix the chopped spring onion & coriander with your cooked veg, serve the fish ontop of the veg & finish off with the yogurt drizzled on top

Pan fried Cajun salmon

This is quite simply a quick and easy but unbelievably delicious meal that is perfect for lunch or even dinner.

I made this to serve 4, I bought a large fillet with the skin on and cut it into 4 chunks but you can buy it pre cut into pieces if you prefer. I did a live video of this as when I made it the first time round quite a few friends were asking for a live tutorial on facebook, and have only just got round to posting the recipe a year later after a friend requesting it again. 

You may notice that apart from the portions of salmon per person I have not noted down amounts of the seasoning as at the time of making the recipe I didn't measure anything out. I just ensured the pieces were all coated generously for maximum flavour

so for a serving of 4 portions of Cajun salmon you will need:

4 pieces of salmon with the skin on

Cajun seasoning

salt

pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

a small bunch of fresh thyme

butter

olive oil  

• Start by cutting 3 slits along each piece of fish. Place the pieces onto a large flat plate or even a chopping board. Sprinkle the pieces with a generous amount of the Cajun seasoning and a good pinch of salt. Rub the seasoning all over the skin and flesh side ensuring every piece is well covered
• Into a non stick frying pan, add a little olive oil- just enough to cover the base. Let the oil heat up till it's quite hot, warm oil will result in soggy and oily skin which is the last thing you want with this dish as the crispy skin with the seasoning is what makes the salmon so delicious.
• When the oil is nice and hot, add in the garlic cloves, fresh thyme and knb of butter and stir through the oil. 
• Place 2 pieces into the pan skin down and gently using a fish slice, press the pieces down so they come directly into contact with the pan and are nice and flat. Let them cook skin down for about 5- 8 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden
• Whist the first 2 pieces are cooking, switch your oven on to it's lowest setting. This is so as your first 2 cook you can transfer them to the oven so they stay warm whilst the final 2 pieces cook. You dont want or need to be baking or further cooking the salmon in the oven
• Once the skin has crisped up on the first 2 pieces and flip them over flesh side down onto the pan. Cook the flesh of the fish on a slightly lower heat as the high heat will cause the flesh to overcook and burn quite quickly. I found the flesh took just a little over 5 minutes. 
• Once the first 2 pieces have cooked, transfer them to the oven so they stay warm and cook the other pieces in the same way. Serve with baby new potatoes and steam veg or however else you wish - we had ours with tender stem broccoli an asparagus cooked in my griddle pan all charred and crispy

Vegetable Lasagne

In a bid to to up the amount of vegetables we eat as a family, a few weeks ago I thought I would try out something new for our dinners as a family - to have a vegetable based meal for our dinner at least 3 times a week. It hasn't been easy let me tell you but we are managing to stick to it.

One dish that I have made that even the kids devoured was vegetable lasagne. As a family we have always stuck to the classical meat lasagne and as of yet I haven't even attempted a moussaka due to both my kids not being so keen on aubergines but after them loving this, moussaka is on the to do list.


To make my vegetable lasagne for a family of 4 you will need:

1 red onion
2 aubergines
2 bell peppers (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
4 cloves of garlic cloves crushed or 1 tbsp garlic paste
2 courgettes
500g chopped mushrooms
small bunch of basil
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
a generous handful of cheddar cheese
40g Italian hard cheese
2 tsp sugar
7-8 lasagne sheets (I used fresh sheets for speed and ease of cutting them to fit my dish)
1 batch of my cheese sauce 

• Start by preparing your vegetables. Wash as required and chop the courgette, aubergine into small chunks. Slice the bell peppers and the red onion.
• Heat a large heavy based pan with a drizzle of olive oil and add in the garlic cloves/paste. Cook the garlic till just coloured and softened, and add in all your vegetables with a large pinch of salt.
• Cook the vegetables on a medium heat, stirring intermittently until they start to brown and slightly caramelise
• Whilst the vegetables are cooking, make up a batch of my cheese sauce. You can find the recipe here
• Once the vegetables have cooked, add the tomato paste, sugar, chopped tomatoes and about 180ml-200ml of water. Simmer the vegetables on a medium heat until you have a slightly thickened but not dry mixture. Chop up half of the bunch of basil, add to the vegetables  and stir through.
• Now to layer up the lasagne. Start with a layer of the vegetables at the bottom of an oven proof dish. Pour a little of the cheese sauce to just cover the vegetables. Cover this layer with the lasagne sheets- each of my layers took 3 fresh sheets.
• Repeat this process until the last layer is lasagne sheets. Pour the cheese sauce over the top, ensuring the whole top layer is covered. Sprinkle the top with the cheddar cheese and Italian hard cheese and bake in a preheated oven 200c (fan) for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese layer has melted and is golden brown 
• Just before serving, chop up the remaining basil and scatter over the top of the lasagne and serve.

 

Aubergine Guvec

This recipe was a bit of a 'throw together and hope it tastes alright' kind of dish, since i had some aubergines chopped and frozen and didn't want to do a traditional Asian vegetable curry.

So i thought of some Turkish dishes that I've tried in a couple of restaurants and came up with aubergine guvec which is basically roasted aubergines and bell peppers in a harrisa based sauce, with chickpeas for texture and to make it go that little bit further.

This is perfect to eat on its own as a light snack or light lunch or for dinner as we did with rice or cous cous.

For my aubergine guvec to serve 4-5 people you will need

3 large aubergines cut into chunks
2 bell peppers cut into chunks
2 mediuim onions diced
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3-4 tbsp harissa paste
1 x tin of chopped tomato
1 x tin chick peas drained
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
Squeeze lemon juice
Fresh coriander to garnish

• Start by preheating your oven to 180c (fan) and place the aubergine and bell papers on a baking tray and bake until they are cooked and beginning to go crispy and golden. Remove from the oven once cooked and set aside
• Lightly fry off the onions in a little olive oil till soft and they start to go l golden brown. Add in the salt, garlic and ginger paste, stir through till the garlic and ginger paste begin to take on a golden colour and the onions are slightly darker in colour.
• Add in the curry powder, with a splash of water and stir the curry powder through and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the harissa paste, smoked paprika and the cayenne pepper. Pour in about 100ml of water and then add the chickpeas straight in.
•Leave the chickpeas to simmer on a low heat for about 10-12 minutes or until they have softened slightly but take care not to let them start to disintegrate.
• Once the chickpeas have softened, add in the aubergines and bell peppers and carefully stir through- I used a metal fish slice as this helped to stop the aubergines and peppers keep their shape and to not turn into a mashed consistency.
• At this point the dish should be quite dry and most of the water should have completely reduced, and is ready to serve. You can leave it dry as it is or add a splash of water to loosen the consistency a little.
• Just before serving, garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh chopped coriander. Serve with rice, cous cous or pitta bread.