Tomato & thyme cod

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 heaped tsp light, soft brown sugar
• few sprigs thyme , leaves stripped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 cod , fillets (we like No Catch) or another white flaky fish, such as pollack

Ready in 20 minutes and low fat, this fish dish is great for a Monday night when you'd rather be on the sofa than in the kitchen

Serves 4

Preperation and cooking times

Prep 5 mins

Cook 15 mins

Low-fat

If the fish was not previously frozen

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion, then fry for 5-8 mins until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and soy, then bring to the boil.
2. Simmer 5 mins, then slip the cod into the sauce. Cover and gently cook for 8-10 mins until the cod flakes easily. Serve with baked or steamed potatoes.

Make ahead

The sauce for this dish can be made up to a day ahead. Simply cool and chill until ready to reheat.

Per serving

172 kcalories, protein 27g, carbohydrate 7g, fat 4 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 1g, salt 1.11 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2008.

Moroccan chickpea soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 600ml hot vegetable stock
• 400g can chopped plum tomatoes with garlic
• 400g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
• 100g frozen broad beans
• zest and juice ½ lemon
• large handful coriander or parsley and flatbread, to serve

Serves 4

Preperation and cooking times

Ready in 20-25 mins

Vegetarian, Super healthy

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion and celery gently for 10 mins until softened, stirring frequently. Tip in the cumin and fry for another min.
2. Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper. Simmer for 8 mins. Throw in broad beans and lemon juice, cook for a further 2 mins. Season to taste, then top with a sprinkling of lemon zest and chopped herbs. Serve with flatbread.

Spicing it up

Spice it up further with a spoonful of harissa paste. Curry lovers can swap the cumin for 1 tsp of garam marsala. Or for a more hearty dish, fry 4 sliced chorizo sausages along with the onions and celery.

Per serving

148 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 6g, salt 1.07 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2005.

Speedy noodle soup

Don't let a lack of time ruin your evening meal, this speedy supper is easy to whip up at the last minute

Ingredients

• 330ml stock (any you like)
• squeeze chilli paste , to taste
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 sheet straight-to-wok noodle
• handful stir-fry vegetable
• crushed peanut

Serves 1

Preperation and cooking times

Prep 5 mins

Cook 5 mins

Vegetarian, Low-fat

(with veggie soy sauce)

1. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan, stir in a squeeze chilli paste and soy sauce, then drop in 1 sheet straight-to-wok noodles.
2. Simmer for a few mins until all the noodles have separated.
3. Add a handful stir-fry veg, reserving any leafy bits until later.
4. Simmer for 1 min until the veg is just tender. Stir in the leafy veg, then simmer for 1 min more.
5. Serve in a deep bowl, scattered with crushed peanuts.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2008.

Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients

• 900ml chicken or vegetable stock (or Miso soup mix)
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 175g/6oz
• 1 tsp chopped fresh root ginger
• 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
• 50g rice or wheat noodles
• 2 tbsp sweetcorn , canned or frozen
• 2-3 mushrooms , thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions , shredded
• 2 tsp soy sauce , plus extra for serving
• mint or basil leaves and a little shredded chilli (optional), to serve

Serves 4

Preperation and cooking times

Prep 10 mins

Cook 30 mins

Low-fat

1. Pour the stock into a pan and add the chicken, ginger and garlic. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer for 20 mins, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a board and shred into bite-size pieces using a couple of forks.
2. Return the chicken to the stock with the noodles, corn, mushrooms, half the spring onions and the soy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins until the noodles are tender. Ladle into two bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions, herbs and chilli shreds if using. Serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling.

Make it vegetarian

Replace the chicken with 175g/6oz firm tofu cut into cubes, simmer for 5 mins, then add the other ingredients as before.

Per serving

217 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 26g, fat 2 g, saturated fat 0.4g, fibre 0.6g, salt 2.52 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2006.

Ultimate chocolate cake

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter , cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

FOR THE GANACHE

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate , as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Cuts into 14 slices

Preperation and cooking times

Prep 30 40 mins

Cook 1 hr min 1 hr 30 mins

Plus baking and cooling time

Without icing

1. Video tutorial: Melting chocolate

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml/4fl oz cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

541 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 55g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 2g, salt 0.51 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2004.

Baked raspberry cheesecake

Easy

Serves 8
Preperation and cooking times
Preparation time

Prep 20 mins
Cook time

Cook 40 mins
Ready in 1 hour
Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy. Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.
3. Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Push through a sieve. Serve the cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

Recipe from olive magazine, March 2007.

Tomato, squash & spinach curry

Ingredients

• 1 large onion , halved and sliced
• oil
• 2 tbsp madras curry paste
• 1 small butternut squash , about 500g, cut into chunks
• 5 tomatoes , quartered
• 100g spinach , roughly chopped
• steamed Basmati pilaff , to serve

Serves 4

Preperation and cooking times

Ready in 30 mins

Vegetarian, Vegan

1. Cook the onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash, tomatoes and 200ml water, stir well.
2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is just cooked and the tomatoes have broken down. Stir through the spinach and leave for a couple of minutes to wilt. Season and serve with basmati rice.

Per serving

131 kcalories, protein 3.8g, carbohydrate 18.7g, fat 5.1 g, saturated fat 0.4g, fibre 4.3g, salt 0.42 g

French bean & duck Thai curry

Ingredients

• 3-4 duck breasts , about 700g/1lb 9oz in total
• 6 tbsp green Thai curry paste
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• juice 2 limes
• 6 kaffir lime leaves , 3 left whole and 3 finely shredded
• 200g French beans , trimmed
• 2 handfuls bean sprouts
• handful coriander leaves
• 1 red chilli , deseeded and sliced (optional)

Serves 4

Preperation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins

Cook min 1 hr 45 mins

1. Place a sauté pan over a low heat and add the duck breasts, skin-side down, to the dry pan. Slowly fry until the skin is brown and a lot of the fat has rendered off - this can take about 20 mins. Flip them over to seal the other side for 1 min, then remove to a board until cool enough to handle. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the fat from the pan.
2. While the meat is resting, return the pan to the heat, then fry the curry paste and sugar for 1-2 mins until it becomes fragrant. Tip in the coconut milk, then fill the can with water and add this, too. Add the fish sauce, half the lime juice and the whole lime leaves, then bring to a simmer. Slice the duck breasts, then tip into the curry. Cover the pan, then simmer everything on the lowest heat for 1 hr until the duck is tender. Add the beans to the curry, then continue to cook, covered, for 10 mins until the beans are tender with a slight crunch. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce or sugar to season.
3. Stir in the bean sprouts, cook for 1 min more, then serve with coriander, shredded lime leaves and sliced chilli, if you like, and boiled jasmine rice.

Per serving

638 kcalories, protein 28g, carbohydrate 11g, fat 57 g, saturated fat 26g, fibre 2g, salt 2.32 g

Thai butternut & chicken red curry

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 400g butternut squash , peeled and cubed
• 6 skinless chicken thighs , cut into cubes
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• fish sauce to season
• 2 limes , 1 juiced and 1 cut into cheeks to serve
• 2 large handfuls Thai basil (available from Thai shops and sometimes in Sainsbury's as a growing pot) , or coriander

1. Heat the curry paste gently in a wok until it starts to fry in its own oil, add a little extra oil if it starts to stick. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the squash and simmer for 10 minutes or until it is almost tender. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or until they just start to burst.
2. Season with fish sauce (this is the equivalent of salt, so add a few drops and taste, then add more if you need it) and the lime juice and sprinkle with the herbs.

Per serving

386 kcalories, protein 32.1g, carbohydrate 13.9g, fat 22.8 g, saturated fat 15.7g, fibre 2.2g, salt 1.26 g

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish. Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

CHICKEN A LA KING

CHICKEN A LA KING

Is made with cooked chicken and a thickened sauce.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15minutes


Ingredients:

Boneless chicken	250 grams
Celery	2 inch stalk
Thyme	1/4 teaspoon
Bay leaves	2
Cloves	5
Salt	to taste
Butter	3 tablespoons
Green capsicum, cubed	1 medium
Red capsicum, cubed	1 medium
Mushrooms, quartered	4 medium
Garlic, chopped	4 cloves
Refined flour (maida)	3 tablespoons
Milk	2 cups
Black peppercorns, crushed	1/4 teaspoon
Egg yolk	1
Cream	1/4 cup
Fresh parsley, chopped	1 tablespoon

Method:
Heat three cups of water in a pan. Add chicken pieces, celery, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and salt to taste. Cook till the chicken is nearly done. Drain chicken pieces and set stock aside.Heat one tablespoon of butter in a pan, add green capsicum, red capsicum, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for two to three minutes. Set aside. In another pan heat the remaining butter and add refined flour. Sauté till the flour is pinkish in colour and gives off a nice aroma. Add milk gradually stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Once it comes to a boil, add the chicken stock and freshly crushed black peppercorns. Stir well. Cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and add to the white sauce. Add the sautéed vegetables. Whisk egg yolk and fresh cream well. Add it slowly to the chicken and vegetable mixture and mix lightly. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.

Mixed Vegetable

Mixed Vegetable

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bowl Peas (boiled)
• 1/2 bowl carrot (boiled)
• 1/2 bowl French Beans (boiled)
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1/2 bowl Paneer or Cottage Cheese (cut into small cubes)
• 2 tea spoon ginger and galic paste
• 1/2 Bowl cashew nut powder
• 2 tbl sp. coriander leaves
• 6 tbl oil.
• salt and chilli powder to taste

Preparation:

• Heat 3 tbl sp. oil in a pan, add onion. Fry until light brown.
• Remove from the flame, together with tomatoes, Grind it.
• Heat 3 tbl sp. oil, add ginger garlic paste mix for few seconds then add the onion and tomato gravy. Add peas, carrot and French beans, paneer, cashew nut powder,1 tbl sp. coriander leaves, salt and chilli powder.
• Garnish it with the remaining coriander leaves and serve hot.

Spinach Mushroom

Spinach Mushroom

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp of washed and chopped mushroom
• 5 tbsp chopped onion
• 6 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp hot and sweet tomato sauce
• 7 tbsp boiled spinach paste
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp pepper powder
  
• powder of 2 cardamoms
  
• 1 tsp cumin powder
  
• 1 tsp whole coriander
  
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
  
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
  
• 4 tbsp fresh cream

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a fry pan.
  
• Fry onions till pink, put chopped mushroom fry till cooked and oil comes on top.
  
• Add salt and other dry spicy powders.
  
• Put tomato puree and cook till oil comes on the surface.
• Add tomato sauce and spinach paste cook for a 5 minutes.
  
• Add fresh cream cook for 1 minute.
  
• Serve hot.

Recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken

An Easy Recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken

The edge of the dish looks a bit messy - served straight from oven to table !

I stumbled upon this recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken several years ago in a South African magazine – either “Fair Lady” or “Femina” … I can’t remember now. Anyway, it caught my eye because I happened to have all the ingredients listed in my pantry at the time – they are the sort of ingredients that you usually do have on hand yet would never think to use in this combination.

It makes for an unusual but tasty meal and has made a regular appearance on our dinner table over the years, especially when we’ve had friends and family to stay. In fact, it’s become a sort-of standing joke amongst some family members “Oh - first night at Lynda’s means it’ll be Marmalade Chicken !” Which is true, I usually do serve it to people on their first night’s stay with us !

I have to say that my toddler does not enjoy this one, which is unusual as she eats almost anything. She says it’s “got too much chilli in it, Mama” which I suspect is actually the peppery tang of the ginger she’s referring to. Still, she loves helping me pick the rosemary sprigs that go in it ……..

Orange Marmalade Chicken

8 x chicken pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 tbsp Orange Marmalade
2 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
2 tbsp English Mustard
2 tsp Ginger, finely grated
¼ cup Orange Juice
¼ cup Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Mustard Seeds (Optional)
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Place the chicken pieces in an ovenproof dish, & season with the salt and pepper. Mix the remaining ingredients together to make a sauce, & pour over the chicken pieces. Tuck fresh rosemary sprigs in between the chicken pieces and bake (uncovered) at 200’C/400’F/Gas Mark 6 for about an hour, basting the chicken with the sauce at least twice during the cooking time.

I usually remove the cooked rosemary sprigs and decorate with fresh ones before serving.

Chicken Picante

A Recipe for Chicken Picante

Chicken Picante, Picante Chicken - either way you say it, it's delicious all the same !

I should just point out that you’ll find a lot of chicken recipes on my blog. This is mainly because it is one of the few decent quality meats we can get here. Even then, it leaves a lot to be desired as most of the chicken we buy here has a very fishy taste as the chickens are fed a lot of fish meal. Also, even when completely cooked the chicken sometimes remains pink inside – I always had to explain this to guests in our safari camps, and sometimes I think that they really doubted me and just thought that we’d undercooked the chicken !

Anyway, chicken is the one meat that you will always find in my freezer. Beef ? Well, local beef is quite dreadful so we buy a lot of beef imported from Kenya, but even then it is often “hit or miss” and not of a very consistent quality … no matter what the cut. Pork is okay although not very common here and many shops do not stock it due to religious beliefs.

My husband and I are not that fond of fish so it does not feature regularly on our menu. Lamb ? Neither my husband nor I eat (or enjoy) it. Even though the 'lamb' we get here is not lamb but mutton (masquerading as lamb). The only time we ever eat it is when we are served it at someone’s home. (Having said that though, my husband will eat the very odd lamb shank.)

You’d think we’d be better off as Vegetarians, eh ?! Well, we do manage quite well and of course we get quite nice imported (from Kenya, again) pork sausages and bacon, cold meats and I use beef or pork mince for making pasta sauces, Bolognese, lasagna, meatballs and the like.

I was thrilled to discover a shop in the that city is currently stocking jars of “Taco Sauce” … a well known American brand, to boot ! So I snapped several up (you never know when you might see them again !). Apart from the ‘standard’ uses for Taco Sauce, I had to find a nice recipe to use it in, and came across this one which I adapted from the original version from the book “Hurry Up Chicken Recipes”(my adaptations are in brackets) -:


Chicken Picante

½ cup medium hot Salsa (or Taco Sauce)
¼ cup creamy Dijon Mustard (or Honey & Mustard salad dressing)
2 tbsp Lime Juice
4 Chicken breasts
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Crème Fraiche (or Plain Yoghurt)

Mix Salsa, Mustard & Lime juice together and marinade the chicken breasts in this for about 30 minutes. Then remove them from the marinade (reserve it) and pan fry in the butter until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the marinade in to the pan. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, whilst stirring. Just before the end of the cooking time, stir in 2 tbsp Crème Fraiche and stir to blend. Arrange the chicken breasts on a serving platter and pour the cooked marinade/sauce over the breasts and garnish with some coriander leaves (or lime slices). Goes well with rice.

Dry Chilli Prawn

Dry Chilli Prawn

Ingredients:

• 8 nos king prawns marinated
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 nos fresh red chillies chopped
• oil for frying
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 no lemon juice
• 1 np red bell pepper
• few springs coriander
• 1-2 drops orange-red color

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a frying pan, fry the marinated prawns and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in another pan and fry the ginger, garlic paste and fresh red chillies in it. Add water to the above mixture.
• Then add ajinomoto, white pepper and lemon juice.
• Add fried prawns and juliennes of bell pepper and cook till the water is partially absorbed.
• Add cornflour paste and chopped coriander to it.
• Remove from fire after a while. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce.