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 

Guacamole

This is a really quick and easy recipe for guacamole as a friend's daughter asked me to post it.

For my version of guacamole, I  dont really measure the ingredients, i eyeball it as I go but the amounts listed below should be about right as I've gotten the hang of measuring small amounts by eye

For my guacamole you will need

1 small red onion
1 red chilli ( de seeded if you're not keen on spice)
3 ripe avacados
Small handful chopped coriander
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cherry tomatoes

• Peel and chop your onion into small chunks, pop into a bowl

• Cut the chilli in  half width ways ( deseed if you wish ) chop      up one half and add to the onion, slice the remaining half          and set aside

• Chop the corinader, and add this to the onions along with         the lime zest

• Destone the avacadoes, scoop out all the flesh and roughly chop it, add to the bowl and squeeze over the juice of the limes. You can have the avacadoes in mostly chunks and slighty smooth or completly mash it up with a fork if you prefer it smooth

• Add a drizzle of olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Check the seasoning and adjust if need be with more salt and pepper or lime juice. 

• Chop the tomatoes into  chunks, stir through the guacamole, garnish with a little more fresh coriander and finish with a little drizzle of olive oil just before serving

Chilli Chicken Nachos

If you want a quick, no fuss minimal effort for a snack or starter for a get together then this is the recipe for you. These nachos really are the easiest to make but definitely moreish when it comes to flavour and are a definite crowd pleaser. 

The amount below that I made served just over 10 of us :

2 x 150g Bag of Doritos (I went for the hint of lime flavour)

1x g Bag of grated cheese

1x g Jar of Jalepenos (optional)

Fresh coriander - chopped small handful (optional)

2x g bottle of sala (I used Old El Paso)

smoked paprika 

1kg boneless chicken*

2 medium onions

1 tsp chilli flakes 

1/2 tsp salt

• Start by chopping your onions, and browning them till softened in a large pan in a little oil.
• Add the chicken once the onions have softened, and cook the chicken throughly & until lightly browned in colour - mine took about 20 minutes.
• Add in the salt & 1 level tsp of smoked paprika, chilli flakes, chopped coriander & stir through. Leave to cool.**
• When ready to serve, take a platter or large plate (making sure it fits in your microwave)***
• Put the Doritos in the plate, pour half the salsa evenly over the Doritos, and sprinkle over a little cheese.
• Add some of the chicken next, and a few jalepenos, pour on a little more salsa & another good handful of cheese, finish with a sprinkling of smoked paprika.
• Put the plate in the microwave on full power for 8-10 minutes - or until the cheese is melted and bubbling .. and tuck in 
• Serve with Guacamole & Sour cream on the side with extra salsa & jalepenos 

* Instead of chicken breast, I asked my butcher for thigh/ leg meat as this doesn't dry out as much as breast does.


** When the chicken has cooled, pour into colander so that any excess oil can be drained as the last thing you want is the nachos sitting in a pool of oil.


*** You can also put them under the grill if your serving plate/platter won't fit in the microwave.

Who needs Amigos ?

As a foodie I love nothing more than going out for a meal and finding a dish that I've enjoyed that much I end up dissecting it and attempting to work out what components have made it as a whole - kind of like my very own Masterchef palette taste test !

One of those very dishes is from a Mexican restaurant - Amigos - their Chicken Poblanos is divine and the last couple of times the husband and I have been out to eat there I've ordered it and taken some serious effort to 'get' what, apart from the obvious chicken, it's made up of. So I've had a bit of a play around and this is my take on it.

This is one of my recipes where I've used a few cheats rather than making everything from scratch but I promise it delivers fully on flavour.  I originally made this to serve 3 but because a small amount is quite filling you could get away with 4 maybe even 5 people depending on the size of chicken breasts that you use. The one thing I struggled with was getting my hand on some genuine Poblanos peppers, so i stuck to the good old bell peppers. If anyone could point me in the right direction to get my hands on actual poblanos peppers I'd be forever grateful !


To (easily) serve 4-6 people you will need 

3 medium   chicken breasts 

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

4-5 tbsp smoked paprika
3-4 tbsp cajun seasoning
227g ready made breadcrumbs or crushed up cornflakes*
3 eggs whisked

4-6 large potatoes
One batch of my cheese sauce

3 x jar of chunky salsa***

2/3 handfuls of grated cheese

1 x squeezy bottle of sour cream***

2 spring onions

1/2 red, yellow & green bell pepper diced 

Oil for frying

Handful of fresh coriander 

• Start by putting the breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes into a bowl or dish big enough for the chicken to be dipped in. Add the chilli flakes, smoked paprika and cajun seasoning and mix it all together 
•  Slice each chicken breast in half length ways .. so starting at the thickest end and working your way down to the thinnest end 
• On a  low to medium heat, add about a 1/4 a pint of oil to a large heavy based frying pan. piece of chicken at a time dip into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs . Coat the chicken piece all over, place into the frying pan and fry till golden brown.  Repeat this with all of the pieces - I normally fry about 4 pieces at a time. Fry until each side is golden brown. I found that each piece took just under 10 minutes, but again this can vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
• Set the chicken aside, peel and slice your potatoes, no more than an inch thick and in the same frying pan, lightly fry the potatoes till cooked and golden brown, and drain on kitchen paper 
• Turn on your oven to 200c, (fan assisted) while the oven is preheating, in an oven proof dish, preferably rectangular, add the potato scallops , pour in 1 of the salsa jars, and a quarter of the cheese sauce and carefully stir through. 
• Next place the chicken pieces on top of the potatoes, spreading them out evenly. Cover each piece with a generous amount of salsa, then spoon on the cheese sauce. 
• Sprinkle some smoked paprika over the whole of the dish, add grated cheese (as much or as little as you want) then finally sprinkle over the diced sweet peppers
• Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 
• Finish the dish off by garnishing with sour cream & chopped fresh coriander & serve  

* Using cornflakes will give you a slightly crunchier coating on the chicken 

*** I find the Old El Paso range the most full of flavour but again you can go with whatever brand you prefer

Chilli Con Carne

Texas - the state that gave us Dr Pepper, (honest) the state where more land is farmed than in any other American state, the armadillo is it's mascot, its the home of girl group Destiny's Child and of todays recipe .. Chilli Con Carne .. yes it's a Texan dish .. not Spanish or Mexican that some people do assume 

Beef seems to be the most popular choice for Chilli but quite often use lamb which tastes just as good in honesty, if you're vegetarian you can swap the meat for vegetarian mince which again tastes just as good and obviously healthier too !

For my chilli con carne you will need 

4 medium onions

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp ginger paste

3 green chillies

piece of cinnamon (about 2 inch)

2 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp worcestershire or HP sauce

1 tbsp dark soy

1x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 x 400g tin of kidney beans

1kg/lb mince lamb/beef

chopped coriander to garnish

• Start by chopping the onions, add to a heavy based pan and fry till they've softened. Add in your green chillies, garlic & ginger paste, salt, & cinnamon stick. Cook through till onions become golden brown & the chillies have softened. Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to catch.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes, curry powder smoked paprika & stir well. With a masher, roughly mash the mixture - don't worry about getting a completely smooth consistency .. chunky chilli is good
• Check the taste of your chilli base .. adjust the taste to your liking if any more of the ingredients need adding. Add your lamb or beef. Brown the meat on a high heat, once your meat has browned, lower the heat and add in the kidney beans, soy & Worcestershire sauce. Cook through  until the oil separates from the meat & beans. Again add a splash of water if it begins to catch
• Pour in just enough water (preferably freshly boiled)  to cover the meat. Stir through and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes. 
• Check the seasonings of the chilli and add any extra of the spices if needed to your liking
• Garnish with some fresh coriander and serve with my cumin rice or on jacket potatoes with cheese & sour cream & nachos on the side