Chicken with chorizo and garlic

I love quick easy recipes and recipes where you can just put everything in one pot and forget about it.

When I saw a review of Georgina Fuggle's Take One Pot, I just had to try it. This is the first recipe I've tried from the book and can't wait to try out the rest. Delicious ......


Prep time 20 mins. serves 6 Cook time : 1 hour

1 tbsp olive oil
6 large chicken thighs with bones and ski
200g chorizo cut into 1 - 2 can chunks
1 onion peeled and cut into thin wedges
2 medium leeks, chopped into 2 - 3 cm pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (any you have will do)
A pinch of dried saffron
2 whole heads of garlic cut in half horizontally and left unpeeled
4 sprigs thyme
200ml sweet wine
250ml hot chicken stock
2 x 400g tins butter beans, rinsed and drained
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole until smoking for. Fry the chicken legs on both sides until crispy and golden, then transfer to plate. Keep the heat in high and add the chorizo chunks to the pot. Fry for a minute on each side and remove from the casserole with a slotted spoon so as to leave their oil behind.

2. Add the onion, leeks and paprika and fry in the chorizo oil. Reduce the heAr, cover and soften the vegetables for 3 - 4 mins, but check that they don't catch on the bottom of the pot.

3. Add the saffron, garlic halves, thyme, wine and chicken stock to the pot along with the chicken and chorizo. Season well, cover and dinner over medium heat for 30 mins.

4. Stir in the butter beans and cook for a further 10 mins before serving with baked potato.

Smoked Salmon Gratin

Serves 4 -6 people

Ingredients:

2lb or 1kg slightly floury potatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8oz or 250g smoked salmon flaked
½ pint or 250ml milk /creme fraiche
½ pint or 250ml double cream
2oz or 50g butter (cold) Opttional
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C . Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly. Place in cold water. Butter casserole / baking dish. Put half garlic at the bottom on the dish. Drain potatoes Dry with a cloth and use half of the potato slices to cover a well buttered baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
Distribute the smoked salmon on top of the potato slices in the dish. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and the garlic, and season again.
Mix the milk, cream together. Pour the mix over the potatoes and dot with butter flakes.
Bake for 50 mins - 1½ hours or until the potatoes are tender (a knife through the center should go in easily) and the gratin is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve with either a green salad or green cooked vegetable and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for the adults.

Enjoy

Sauteed Kale - Iron Chef Style

I usually go into the Organic Farm Shop in Wicklow, this visit I got some lovely Fennel, some Italian Garlic and some lovely Kale. I would normally blitz the kale in a food processor, sir fry then add to some creamy mashed potato with some spring onions as an accompanyment. So I wanted something different.

I found this recipe online by Chef Bobby Flay. The recipe is cooked in 15 minutes, it fresh, crunchy and full of flavour. Will be cooking Kale this way from now on.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds or 680g young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water ( I used Knorr gel pots - veg stock)
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not coloured. raise heat to high, add the stock to kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Roast Butternut Squash with Red Onion, Orange and Rosemary

I always roast butternut squash with garlic so decided to try something different. I had seen  lovely recipe for Roast Pumkin with Shallots and Orange and decided to adapt that according to what I had in my pantry.

Serves 6

1 Butternut squash, peeled and cut into semi circles.
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
1 orange halved
4 tbslp extra virgin olive oil
2 large sprigs of Rosemary
salt & freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves whole (if like me you love garlic you can add more)

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC
2. Put the squash and onions in a roasting dish. Squeeze orange juice over and put orange halves into the roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and put rosemary sprigs ontop. Add salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and add the garlic. Shake the pan to prevent the vegetables from stiking. Return to the oven or 15 mintues until the vegetables are tendr and slightly caramelised.

Garlic & Sage Roast Potatoes

This is a great accompanyment toany meal. The potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the crispy roast sage and garlic add a lovely flavour to the potatoes. Will definately be making these again. I got this recipe from Catherine Fulvio's - Catherines Italian Kitchen. As they say in Italy Bon Appetito...

Serves 4

Chefs note: Can use sweet potatoes, which is lovely and cooks even faster.

6 -8 large floury potatoes, peeled and cut in half
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
12 sage leaves
7 - 8 garlic cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 220oC.
2. Parbol the potatoes for 12 minutes, then drain and sprinkle with salt.
3. Heat olive oil in a roasting tin. Toss the potatoes, sage leaves, garlic and pepper into the pan and roast for 30 - 35 moinutes., Turn the potates after 15 minutes to ensure they are crispy all over.

*Try rosemary instead of the sage and try this dish with goosefat instead of olive oil.

Beef Stroganoff

I normally make a Pork Stroganoff and was looking through my cook books and decided to try a new recipe. Most of the recipes I have made would require you to stir fry beef, onions and garlic with paprika and then add cream. This I have to say is the BEST Beef Stroganoff recipe I have tried so far.. It takes a little longer than my usual recipes picks so would say this is weekend recipe or you could get this done and in the oven mid week.. you decide.

It is also from A Year at Avoca - Cook Book 3

Ingredients
Serves 6 - 8

1.5kg good quality striploin beef, cut into thin strips (I picked up Sirloin in the supermarket by mistake and it worked out extremely well)
2 tblsp seasoned flour (salt and pepper added to the flour)
2 tlsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves crushed
1 dessert spoon sweet paprika powder
couple sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tblsp cognac (Hennesey)
200 - 300ml Beef stock
1 dessert spoon dijon mustard
good splash worchestershire sauce
300g mixed button and chestnut mushrooms
400g sour cream or creme fraiche
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

To Make

Lightly toss the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in small batches on a medium heat in a frying pan. Set aside on a plate until you have browned all the meat. In a casserole, cook the onion in a little oil until softened, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, herbs and the browned meat and juices and cook, stirring gently, 2 - 3 minutes. Next, add the cognac and carefully light it using a match, you want it to flame for 20 - 30 seconds, to cook off the brandy, giving a subtle flavour. Now, Add just enough beef stock to cover everything by 2 cm, add a splash or worchestershire sauce and the mustard and stir well. Bring the casserole to a simmer on the heat and then cover with a tight-fitiing lid and transfer to oven to cook for 30 mins. Remove from the oven, add the mushrooms and creme fraiche and return to the oven for a further 30 mins by which stage the meat should  be very tender and mushrooms are cooked through.

To Serve

Serve this with creamy champ and a lightly salad of organic baby leaves.

My daughter does not like spring onions so I served this with creamy mash potato.

Green Chicken Curry (Low Fat)

I first started using Thai Curry Paste, after attending a Thai Cookery Course at Ballyknocken Cookery School in Wicklow. At this particular class we used Red Curry Paste. After this class I purchased several different brands of curry paste and my favorite curry paste is the Mae Ploy Brand.

This is a lovely recipe which I got from A year at Avoca cook book. I've tried it several times and it definately quick, easy, tasty. You can either use a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or Chicken Thighs like I used. I find that meat cooked on the bone has much more flavor.

Ingredients
Serve 4

1 large chicken / chicken pieces
1 tblsp sunflower oil
1 large onion sliced
5cm fresh root ginger peeled and grated (You can use ginger paste, it will still taste good, but fresh will give a fresher taste)
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 green chilli de seeded and chopped.
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp green curry paste
350ml chicken stock
200g fine French Beans, cut into 2cm lengths
30g coriander chopped
100ml low fat greek yoghurt or creme fraiche (optional)

Method

Score each piece of chicken with a sharp knife, cutting through the skin - this helps the flavours to penetrate and reduces the cooking time.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large saute pan, approx 10cm deep. Add the chiccken pieces and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a warm plate.

Add the sliced onion to the pan, lower the heat and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to soften. Then add the ginger, garlic, chilli, lime leaves and curry paste and cook for a minute or two until the aromas from the spices are released.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, cover with the stock and simmer gently, covered with a tight fitting lid, for 25 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes uncovered until the beans are tender. Finally, remove from the heat stir in the yoghurt and fresh corriander.

To Serve

Serve with steamed Thai Jasmine rice (remember to rinse thoroughly before steaming as it is super-starchy) and some Asian greens that have been stir-fried in a couple of drops of toasted sesame oil and a dessertspoon of oyster sauce. Add chutney and good naan bread.

Bon Appetite x x x

Turkey Kofta with Korma Sauce

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Turkey is so lean and healthy and can often be dry and tastless if not cooked properly. This recipe was so easy, it requires a little more effort but it is well worth it. The koftas are so tasty and moist. The sauce so easy to make, bursting full of flavor, kicks it up another notch. The recipe is from Catherine's Family Kitchen.

Serves 4

For the koftas
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cm fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh corriander roughly chopped
600g ground (minced) turkey breast
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Korma sauce
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1/2 tsp groud cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
Pinch of garam masala
300ml chicken stock
2 tsp tomato puree
100 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp ground almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Skewers (soaked in water) if you are going to cook on the barbecue
*Chefs note, make 3 times the sauce and freeze can use it in the following weeks to make fish or chicken korma.. GREAT IDEA!!!

To make prepare the koftas, heat a frying pan over high heat. Add sunflower oil and the onion for 7 - 8 minutes, until softened, taking care not to let it brown. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and tumeric and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the chopped coriander and cook for 1 minute more. Remove rom the heat and allow to cool.

Place the minced turkey and onion mixture in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and combine. Dampen your hands slightly and shape 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a cylinder. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the koftas in batches.

To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over a high heat. Add some oil and the onion, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, tumeric, garam masala, stock and tomato puree and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, stir in the ground almonds and simmer for a further 6 - 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

If you prepare all the ingredients in advance you may put the sauce and the mix for the koftas on at the same time and have them ready together.

Cola Chilli Chicken

So this is the first recipe I am trying from Billy Laws cookbook "Have You Eaten".

A quick easy tasty recipe.

500g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
5cm (2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into 1mm (1/16 inch) strips
3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
355ml (12 fl oz) can cola drink ( I used Coke a Cola)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 spring onion (scallion) cut into 5cm (2 inch) lengths
Handful of unsalted cashew nuts, toasted

1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and put in a bowl. Add the cornflour and 2 tablespoons of the light soy sauce and mix well. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok over medium - high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned all over, then add the chilli, ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Pour cola into frying pan, adding just enough to cover the chicken, the cola will fizz up. Add the dark soy sauce and the remaining light soy sauce and let it simmer for about 15 mins or so until the sauce has reduced to a syrup consistency. It should be thick an sticky.

4. Turn the heat off, add the spring onion and toasted cashews and give it a quick stir before serving. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. ( I used brown rice)

I didn't use cashews as my nephew is highly allergic to nuts and we had this for lunch at my mums.