Tuesday 29 October 2013

Beef Kofta Curry

How did everyone fair the storm? It was really sunny where I live and still the trains weren't running. Cue a day working from home which meant I could spend some time in the kitchen. This is from Jamie's 15 minute meals (with a few changes) - has anyone ever actually done one of those meals in 15 minutes?



What you'll need:
  • 250g ready-to-eat puy lentils
  • 400g lean mince beef
  • 400g tin of light coconut milk
  • 1 mug of rice
  • 3 big tomatoes
  • 2 spring onions
  • 2 handfuls of frozen peas
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 1 bunch of fresh coriander
  • 2 tsp rogan josh paste
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp runny honey
  • Salt & pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Natural yoghurt
(Serves 4) 

Firstly get your rice one the go and leave to simmer. Put the lentils and mince into a bowl and mix together with the garam masala and the salt and pepper. Divide the mix into 12 and squeeze into rough oval shapes. Heat around a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the koftas until golden on each side. 

Squash the tomatoes into a liquidizer, add the ginger (peeled), half the chilli, spring onions, coriander staks, turmeric. honey, curry paste and coconut milk and whizz until combined. Pour into the frying pan with the koftas and simmer until the rice is done. This should take around 10 minutes. 

2 minutes before the rice is ready add the peas. When soft, drain, rinse and tip into a serving dish. Spoon the koftas into a separate dish and pour over the sauce. Scatter over the remaining coriander and slice chilli and add dollops of yoghurt.  



Tuck in! x

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Salmon and Avocado on Soda Bread

The last two weeks have been busy, busy at work and at home but now the eternal Autumn slump has settled in I can get back to you lovely people who I am well aware I have neglected over the last month.This lunch recipe is simple one but a goodie. Don't let me hear you say you can't do it; whatever your job there is no excuse.


What you'll need:
  • 1 avocado
  • 3 slices of salmon or gravlax
  • Half a lemon
  • Sliced soda bread
Errr... I said it was easy. And there's no need to prepare the night before either, just make sure it's slightly squishy (technical term). Toast the soda bread, slice the avocado, layer the salmon and add a squeeze of lemon. Bob's your uncle.


I promise there will be something slightly more technical next week. x

Sunday 6 October 2013

Smoky Beef and Chorizo Stew

This stew is one of my all time favourite winter warmer dishes. I know October has only just begun but I'm already excited for stews, pies, soups and all the rest. This recipe takes a long time but is super simple. You can put it on in the morning and just leave it to do its thing.



What you'll need:
  • 1kg stewing beef
  • 200g chorizo
  • 2 onions
  • 800g chopped tomatoes
  • 400g butter beans
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
(Makes 5-6 portions)

Heat your oven to 160c. If it's not cubed already cut the beef into chunks and slice the onions. Mix them together with the tomatoes, spices, and sugar in a casserole dish, cover and cook for 2 and a half hours.

Stir in the beans and chorizo (sliced into rounds) and cook for another 30 minutes with the lid off.

And that's it! Serve with rice, bread or mash, or just by itself. And if I needed to convince you an more it's under 400 calories a portion. Take to work in tupperware and freeze the individual portions for a quick and easy lunch. 


x

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Salmon Sushi To Go

I love sushi. I really love sushi. But I've never been too keen on making it. I think I'm just nervous about serving raw fish. But I came across this recipe which you can serve with either raw or cooked salmon so I thought I'd give it a go. 



What you'll need:

  • 1 salmon fillet
  • 1/4 box of sushi rice
  • 1 sheet nori
  • 1 avocado
  • Wasabi paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Slice of lime
(Serves 1)

First off, collect your ingredients. There is no such thing as salmon grade sushi. A normal fillet you can buy from the supermarket is fine. If you are eating it raw, freeze it first and then defrost it but for this recipe I think it's better cooked. You can get sushi rice, nori and wasabi in any big supermarket and it normally looks like this:


Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. About a quarter of the box is fine for one person. Usually you cover the rice with water, boil for 10 minutes and then leave with the lid on for half an hour. While that's going on you can cook the salmon. The best way (I think) is to poach it in milk for roughly three minutes on each side. If you throw in a slice of lime as well the milk will split but this is fine.

  
Cut into chunks or flake and put in a normal tupperware with the sushi rice which by now should be nice and sticky.


Mix together the wasabi and the soy sauce in a small water tight tub and keep this separate. This is all a matter of taste, use as much or as little wasabi and you like. Crumble the nori into another small tub and keep the avocado whole until you get to work. 

If there are no mishaps along the way layer rice, nori, avocado and salmon, drizzle over the sauce and you are good to go. 


Let me know if you go for raw or cooked salmon. x