Welcome

Welcome to my recipe blog.  I aim to share recipes for you to try.  From the simple and tasty to the somewhat weird!  I may not own all the pictures of the food but they are all in the public domain.

Air Fryer Tea Loaf

Having bought a Ninja Foodi Max I have been experimenting with various recipes I have found online.

Ingredients

225g mixed dried fruit

175g light brown sugar

1 Yorkshire tea bag (I used Assam)

1 large egg

225g self-raising flour

1 tbsp mixed peel

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

pinch of nutmeg

Method

1. Make a cup of tea with the teabag and 180ml water. Let it sit for a few minutes and then remove the teabag.
2. Into a mixing bowl add all the dried fruit and the sugar, then stir in the tea. Cover and leave it in the fridge overnight.
3. The next day, stir and add the spices and the mixed peel.
4. Beat in the egg.
5. Sieve and stir in the flour.
6. Add the batter to 2 mini silicone loaf pans, a lined loaf tin or a round cake tin.
7. Place in the ir fryer and if using the mini pans air fry for 15 minutes at 180C followed by 20 minutes at 160C or until a tester comes out clean. If using a loaf or cake tin, 150C for 40 minutes then 160C at 10 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool and remove from the pan/tin, slice and serve with butter.

Red Lentil Dahl

This Red Lentil Slow Cooker Dahl is simple, healthy and is an ideal vegetarian curry. It is great for batch cooking and freezing for office lunches.

Red Lentil Dahl – Makes 6 servings

• 1 Onion Peeled and chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic Or 3 tbsp of frozen/jar
• 2 tbsp Ginger Fresh or frozen/jar
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 4 tbsp Curry paste
• 250g Red lentils
• 400ml Coconut milk
• 400g Tinned chopped tomatoes
• 300g Butternut squash cubed
• 100ml Vegetable stock 
• 225g Paneer cubed

Method

• Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8-9 hours.
• To serve: Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry off the cubes of paneer until crispy all over. Serve on top of the dahl.

Lebanese Mujadara

Mujadara is an arabic word that means “pockmarked.” Basically it’s made up of lentils, rice (or bulgur) and onions. And they say lentils cooked with the rice look like pockmarks (pimples). That’s kind of a weird analogy for food. But nonetheless, the recipe is ancient and a very traditional Middle Eastern dish. It’s often referred to as peasant food because of how inexpensive and simple it is to make. In some regions mujadara is referred to as the dish made with lentils and bulgur, while mudardara is the one with lentils and rice.

Ingredients – makes 8 servings

• 2.5 cups small brown lentils rinsed
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup long grain rice rinsed and soaked (adjust cooking time depending on what type of rice you use)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 6 onions 5 chopped, and 1 sliced
• 2 teaspoons of Lebanese 7 spice or 1 tspn cumin

Method

1. Bring lentils and water to a boil, simmer and cook covered until the lentils are tender but not fully cooked, about 15 minutes (there will be liquid leftover).
2. Drain the soaked rice, add to the pot of lentils and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Allow the rice to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes, without opening the lid, to absorb all the liquid and steam.
3. In a separate large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat and fry the chopped onions until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer on top of the lentils and rice mixture, add cumin and toss to combine.
4. In the same large pan used to cook the onions, heat the remaining olive oil on medium heat and fry the sliced onions until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. In the last couple minutes of frying the onions, you can turn up the heat to high to get a crispy texture.
5. Serve the caramelized onions on top of mujadara with yogurt and mint, if desired.

Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Apricot Liqueur

This needs to left for at least a month before drinking. It can be served neat and cold or it can be used to make an apricot kir.

Ingredients

• 450g sugar
• 1 x 75cl bottle of dry white wine
• 500g fresh apricots, halved and stoned
• 500ml vodka

Method

Put the sugar and wine into a large saucepan and heat to just under the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve.

Add the apricots and simmer gently until they are tender.

Add the vodka.

Add the contents of the pan to a container with a tight fitting lid. Leave to cool and then cover and set aside somewhere cool for a week.

Strain through a muslin-lined sieve into a jug.

Pour into sterilised bottles and leave for at least a month before drinking.

Adapted from a Diana Henry recipe in the Daily Telegraph.

Yuk Sung

Pork Yuk Sung (Chinese Lettuce Wraps) is a Chinese appetizer or side dish that features ground pork and diced vegetables stir-fried in a sweet soy sauce mixture, then wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger Puree or 1 inch piece if using fresh.
• 2 Small Carrots
• 250 g Mushrooms – shiitake work well
• 2 Orange or red peppers
• 500 g Pork Mince
• 3 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

To Serve

• 3 Spring Onions – Chopped
• 2 Red Chillies (optional)
• 1 Iceberg lettuce

Method

Instructions

1. Chop onion and mushrooms. Peel and crush garlic. Peel and finely chop carrots. Peel and chop ginger (if using fresh).
2. Heat the oil in large open wok, fry the pork mince, with 1 tsp of Chinese 5 Spice, until browned.
3. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, remaining 5 spice, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
4. Cook on a medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture is browned, sauce has thicken slightly and absorbed into the meat.
5. Serve in lettuce leaves, and top with chopped spring onions and chillies. (Chillies are optional).

Thanks to the ‘Tamingtwins’ for this recipe I have adapted

Chicken and Chorizo Rice

A one pot meal that is full of flavour. This freezes well in batches to create useful and tasty work lunches.

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

• 2 tbspn olive oil
• 180g chorizo, halved and sliced
• 1 large onion
• 400g chicken thigh fillets, chopped into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
• 2 green peppers, sliced
• 220g basmati rice
• 400ml chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan with a tight fitting lid and fry the chorizo over a high heat for one minute. Add the onion and fry fir a further minute. then add the chicken and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the pepper and basmati rice and stir well to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir. Turn tghe heat down low and put the lid on. Leave for 12 minutes.
3. Turn off the heatbut do not remove the lid and leave for a further 12 minutes for the rest of the water to be absorbed. Season and serve.

Butternut Squash Yellow Curry

An easy one pot curry that freezes well in batches for weekday work lunches.

Makes 5 portions with rice.

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbspn coconut oil
• 1 minced medium shallot
• 2 tbspn minced root ginger
• 2 tbspn minced garlic
• 1 large red pepper, thinly sliced lengthways
• 3 tbspn red Thai curry paste
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 2 tins coconut milk
• 2 tbspn coconut sugar
• 1 tspn turmeric
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbspn light soy sauce
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 tbspn lemon juice
• 2/3 cup roasted cashew nuts
• large handful chopped coriander

Method

1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, shallot, ginger, garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the pepper and curry paste and stir, after a couple of minutes add the squash and stir, cooking for a further couple of minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, turmeric, salt and soy sauce and stir. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
4. Reduce the hear and cover. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When the squash is tender add the broccoli, lemon juice and cashews. Simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.
6. Scatter over the coriander and serve with rice.

Chicken and Apricot Tagine

A really simple and tasty version of tagine which I freeze for lunches at work.

Makes 4 portions.

Ingredients

• 1 tbspn olive oil
• 2 onions finely sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tspn cumin
• 1.5 tspn ground cinnamon
• 500g diced chicken breast
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml chicken stock
• 100g ready-to-eat dried apricots, halved
• 1 tbspn honey
• 125g giant couscous
• large handful of fresh, chopped coriander
• 50g flaked almonds

Method

1. In a large pan heat the oil over a medium heat and gently fry the onions until soft, then add the garlic, ginger,and spices and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken to the pan and fry until brown – around 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, stock, apricots and honey and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Stir in the couscous and simmer for a further 6 minutes. Scatter over the coriander and almonds and serve immediatelywith flatbread.

Zingy Salmon and Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

• 200g brown basmati rice
• 200g frozen edamame beans, defrosted
• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 cucumber, diced
• small bunch spring onions , sliced
• small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• zest and juice 1 lime
• 1 red chilli , finely diced, deseeded
• 4 tsp light soy sauce
• small pack of trimmed mange touts

Method

• Cook the rice and 3 mins before it’s done, add the edamame beans. Drain and cool under cold running water.
• Meanwhile, cook the salmon fillets by which ever method you prefer. Allow to cool slightly, remove the skin with a fork, then flake.
• Gently fold the cucumber, spring onions, coriander, mange touts and salmon into the rice and beans. In a separate bowl, mix the lime zest and juice, chilli and soy, then pour over the rice before serving.

Nigella’s Spicy Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

Serves: 8

For the dressing

• 1 tbspn sesame oil
• 1 tbspn garlic infused olive oil
• 1 tbspn soy sauce
• 2 tbspn sweet chilli sauce
• 100g smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbspn lime juice

For the salad

• 125g mangetouts
• 150g beansprouts (rinsed)
• 1 red pepper (deseeded and cut into small strips)
• 2 spring onions (finely sliced)
• 550g egg noodles (ready prepared)
• 20g sesame seeds
• 4 tbspn chopped fresh coriander

Method

• Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jug.
• Put the mangetout, beansprouts, red pepper strips, sliced spring onions and the noodles into a bowl.
• Pour the dressing over them and mix thoroughly to coat everything well.
• Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped coriander and pack up as needed.