Cheese and Ham Stuffed Chicken

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Cheese and Ham Stuffed Chicken

 

Cheese and Ham Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 kg chicken breast (skinless and boneless)

200g ham (sliced)

150g emmental cheese, cut in to 10 sticks

50g seasoned flour (salt, pepper, dry herbs)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

2 onions (chopped)

300g chopped tomato (skinless and seedless) or fresh tomatoes (peeled and chopped)

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp mixed herbs

200g courgettes (cut into thick slices)

3 capsicum peppers, mixed colours (seeded and diced)

1 glass of red wine

METHOD

  • Heat the oil add the garlic, onion and capsicum and fry until soft and aromatic
  • Stir in the courgettes, tomato, wine, and the salt and pepper. Simmer until tender.
  • Butterfly the chicken breast by slicing through along the long side, being careful not to cut all the way through. Fold out the breast and cover with cling film or greaseproof paper. Using a rolling pin, beat out the meat carefully until it is all roughly the same thickness.
  • Place the ham and cheese stick onto the chicken, and fold the breast over to close.
  • Place the seasoned flour on a large plate then dip each breast in to coat.
  • Chill in the fridge for ten minutes.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan and seal the breast until golden on both sides.
  • Arrange the chicken breasts in an ovenproof dish, spoon over the tomato mixture, cover with foil and bake at 180*C for 25 minutes.

Serve with boiled rice or potato

Enjoy!

Christmas Roast Turkey

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Christmas Roast Turkey 

Turkey is always special at this time of year, people love to eat a good Christmas roast. If you’re bored with the traditional bland way of cooking it, try my slightly spicy version. It’s a little bit different – moist and with lots of flavour!

Christmas Turkey Roast

INGREDIENTS

2.5kg turkey

Stuffing

500g minced pork

1 shallot, finely chopped and sautéd

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

50g breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons sage and thyme

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

5 tablespoons orange juice

Salt and pepper

Marinade

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons English mustard

1 tablespoons crushed chilli

2 tablespoons thyme

1 tablespoon Worcester sauce

1 orange

Salt and pepper

METHOD

  • Heat the oven to 180
  • Mix the minced meat and all the stuffing ingredients together
  • Stuff loosely into the breast and neck of the turkey, just underneath the skin. Make sure to push the mixture evenly around the whole bird
  • Stick the orange into the chest cavity
  • Tighten the neck and tie the legs across each other with some thread
  • Mix the marinade ingredients together and spread all over the turkey
  • Bake in the oven together with a bowl of water (to add moisture) for 1 hour, then cover with foil and cook for another 45 minutes
  • When it’s cooked, remove from the oven and rest the turkey for at least 15 minutes before carving

 

Serve with gravy, roasted or boiled vegetables and potatoes

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

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Simple Penne Pasta

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Simple Penne Pasta

penne

INGREDIENTS

300g penne pasta
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
150g courgette (grated)
1 capsicum (seeded and cut into small dice)
200g diced chicken (marinated with lemon, salt, and pepper)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 green chillis (chopped)
1 fresh sweetcorn cob
70g Emmenthal cheese
Fresh basil (chopped)
Salt and fresh black pepper

METHOD

  • Boil the pasta.
  • Heat the oil, sauté garlic and chilli then add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Add capsicum, sweetcorn, courgettes, mix well and remove from the heat.
  • Add chopped basil, salt and pepper and mix with pasta and grated cheese

Serve immediately!

Christmas Pudding

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Christmas Pudding

During the holiday season we all eat lots of fattening foods, so I created this version of Christmas pudding to make it low-fat and healthy. It contains no added fat at all! I made our pudding already so hurry up!

 

pudding

 

INGREDIENTS
450 g dry mixed fruits ( raisins, sultanas, currants, cherry, candied peel)
25g almonds (roughly chopped)
60g self raising flour
100g dark brown sugar
100g bread crumbs
2 eggs (beaten)
5 tablespoons brandy (extra for the soaking at the end)
1 orange (juiced)
2 tablespoon grated lemon
1 teaspoons mix spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

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METHOD

  • Lightly butter a 1.4 litre pudding bowl
  • Mix the dried fruits with the brandy and orange juice, cover with a kitchen towel and soak overnight.
  • Mix the other ingredients with the beaten eggs, then add the soaked fruits and mix well.
  • Spoon the mixture into the greased pudding bowl.
  • Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper and aluminium foil and tie securely with a string.
  • Place a pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan  of simmering water.
  • Steam the pudding 6 hours (make sure to check the water level during the steaming).
  • Remove the pudding from the steamer then remove the papers.
  • Prick the pudding with a skewer and pour in extra brandy.
  • Cover with fresh greaseproof paper and tie with a string.
  • Store in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks before serving.

On Christmas Day re-steam the pudding for about 1 hour. Serve with brandy butter or custard.

Beetroot Curry

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Beetroot Curry

beetroot curry

INGREDIENTS
250g beetroot (peeled and cut in to matchsticks)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder or paste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pounded Maldive fish
2 green chilli, sliced
1 big red onion, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
Salt to taste

METHOD

  • Mix the beetroot with the curry powders, put to one side.
  • Temper the onion, green chilli, curry leaves, Maldive fish then add the beetroot mixture.
  • Mix all together, add the water, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Then add the coconut milk, check the seasoning, simmer and remove from the heat.

This was one of my favourite vegetable dishes when I was small! I was very choosy about what I ate with rice, but I loved this one because the beetroot turned the rice red.

Felafel

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  Falafel

felafel

INGREDIENTS

100g chickpea (soaked overnight)
200g split dried broad beans ( soaked overnight)
100g sesame seeds
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves
25g coriander leaves
25g parsley
2 red chillis
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plan flour
Oil for deep frying

METHOD
Combine the chickpeas and broad beans with garlic, onion, parsley and coriander leaves. Blitz in batches to keep it finely chopped, not mushy. Add the other ingredients and 2 tablespoons water. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil for deep frying. Make golf ball sized pieces from the mixture, then fry them until golden brown. Place on a kitchen paper towel to soak up any oil.

Serve with a dip made from plain yogurt, chopped mint, and lime juice mixed together.

Fish Chilli Dry Curry (Ambulthiyal)

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Fish Chilli Dry Curry (Ambulthiyal)

This is a very traditional Sri Lankan fish curry and one of my Mum’s favourites – we make this on all our special occasions. When I was working for Sri Lankan Airlines, we served milk rice and fish Ambulthiyal on our breakfast menu on the London to Colombo flights. It was really popular with the passengers as well as the staff. I hope you’ll try it!

curry
INGREDIENTS

500g tuna fish (cut into 1 1/2″ squares and washed)
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons roasted curry powder
2 teaspoons black pepper powder
2 tablespoons goraka paste
3 sprigs curry leaves
Salt

METHOD

  • Mix all the ingredients together with water and check the seasoning.
  • Add the fish pieces and leave to marinate.
  • Arrange the fish pieces in clay pot or pan, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
  • When it comes to the boil, tilt the pot and let the gravy run right around.
  • Simmer until the gravy thickens.

This is tastier if you can make it a day or two ahead – leftovers will last a couple of days too, even out of the fridge.

Sri Lankan Chickpea Curry

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Sri Lankan Chickpea Curry

chickpea curry

INGREDIENTS

500g chickpeas (from a tin or from dried chickpeas soaked overnight and boiled)
1 big onion (chopped)
2 tomato (chopped)
200g white mushrooms (sliced)
1 inch ginger (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 green chillis ( chopped)
Curry leaves
Small piece cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
100ml vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
50g toasted almond flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander (roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt

(I have used some diced boiled potato in the my recipe – you can include or omit this as you like)

METHOD

  • Heat the oil, add garlic, ginger, onion, green chilli, cinnamon and curry leaves
  • Add dry ingredients and tomato, mushrooms, vegetable stock mix well. Cook for 10 minutes
  • Add chickpea, coconut milk and cook another 10 minutes, check the seasoning
  • Remove from the heat, add lime juice and almonds and garnish with fresh coriander

Serve with boiled rice or flatbread  – enjoy!

Sri Lankan Chicken Vindaloo

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  Sri Lankan Chicken Vindaloo

chicken vindaloo

 

INGREDIENTS
1 kg skinless chicken (boneless if you like)
200g tomato (chopped)
150g onion (chopped)
50g garlic (chopped)
50g ginger (chopped)
handful curry leaves
2 inch lemongrass (chopped)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 glass of red wine
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cumin (ground)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds (ground)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (ground)
1 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
1 teaspoon cloves and cardamom (ground)
1 inch cinnamon (ground)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
1 tablespoon chilli powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt

METHOD

  • Wash and drain chicken
  • Heat a large pan and brown the chicken
  • Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves and sauté until golden brown
  • Add all the dry ingredients, mix well and cover
  • Simmer for 10 minutes
  • Then add tomato, wine, water and sugar and mix together
  • Cook for about 30 minutes until sauce becomes thick and a nice colour
  • Remove from heat, add lemon juice and check the seasoning
  • Sprinkle with chopped coriander

You can cook this a day ahead, which gives more flavour and helps all the ingredients absorb into the chicken.
Serve with plan boiled rice or my fried rice dish and dhal curry. Trust me, this is a delicious chicken curry, and everyone seems to love it!

Sesame Asparagus with Hollandaise

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Sesame Asparagus with Hollandaise

sesame asparagus

INGREDIENTS

200g baby asparagus spears (washed and dried)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
100g puff pastry sheet
20g grated parmesan

For the hollandaise sauce :
3 egg yolks
4 tarragon sprigs
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
100g salted butter (melted)
I teaspoon lemon juice
Salt

METHOD

For the Hollandaise sauce:

  • Fill a saucepan two thirds full with water and boil (or use a double boiler).
  • In a separate saucepan heat the vinegar with the tarragon and reduce by half.
  • Mix the egg yolks with the vinegar in a heatproof bowl, then put over the pan of boiling water and whisk until fluffy.
  • Remove the egg mixture from the boiling water and add the melted butter slowly, whisking until the hollandaise thickens into a thin custard-like consistency. (Make sure there are no lumps – if so, add little hot water and mix well)
  • Season with lemon and salt.

***   ***   ***

  • Heat the oven to 180*
  • Roll the pastry on a floured worktop until thin.
  • Sprinkle with the parmesan and cut into 1/2 inch thin strips.
  • Wrap one or two asparagus from top to bottom in a pastry strip.
  • Arrange on an ovenproof tray lined with oiled paper.
  • Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Pour over the Hollandaise and serve.

Poached eggs make a good addition to this delightful starter!