Month: Feb 2021

Carrot and coriander soup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Warm, gently spiced, pleasingly orange. For coriander-lovers only though. If the taste makes you think of soap, maybe give this one a miss. Check out one of my other soups instead! To me, this is a lovely lunch on a chilly day, and needs nothing more than some bread to dunk in it. Feeds 4

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 5 or 6 big, fat carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Handful of fresh coriander stalks (and/or leaves – but this is just such a good way to use the stalks up!)
  • 1 chicken stock cube (or veg stock if you prefer)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan (not non-stick if you’re going to blend it in the pan – I’ve ruined both soup and pan doing that!)
  2. Add onion and cook over a medium heat until translucent
  3. Add the garlic and give it another minute
  4. Add the carrots and stir through the garlicky buttery oil
  5. Add the 2 corianders, turmeric, seasoning and crumble in the stock cube, then stir everything together until well combined
  6. Pour over about a pint and a half of boiling water, to cover the contents completely, and stir
  7. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 mins
  8. Spike a piece of carrot with a knife. If it’s soft, you’re ready to blend! If not, give it another minute or two
  9. Take the soup off the stove and use a stick blender to whizz everything to a loose puree.
  10. Check the seasoning and serve. If you want to get fancy, pop a bit of cream or creme fraiche on top once it’s in the bowl, and a couple of carefully-placed fresh coriander leaves

Mexican sweet potato bowl

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Less a recipe, more a construction job. An ideal mid-week meal and an excellent way to use up leftovers, which I’m mildly obsessed with. Feeds 2 people. Tasty, satisfying, adaptable.

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 packet pre-cooked basmati or long grain rice
  • 1 tin black beans
  • Chipotle chilli sauce (or regular chilli sauce with ½ tsp smoked paprika)
  • 1 avocado
  • Lime juice
  • Toppings – including pickled jalapenos, fresh coriander, sour cream, diced tomatoes
  1. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Mix the spices with the veg oil and then tumble in the sweet potato. Roast on a tray at 180C fan (200C) for 30-40 mins
  2. Drain the tinned black beans. Warm in a pan with the chipotle chilli sauce and a bit of the liquid from the tin
  3. Cook the rice according to the directions on the packet
  4. Dice the avocado and sprinkle with lime juice and a pinch of salt
  5. Construct the bowl with rice, then black beans, then sweet potatoes. Top with the avocado and any other toppings which appeal

By all means pre-cook the sweet potato to save time at dinnertime, use up leftover chicken, add grated cheese, substitute in brown rice, add fresh chilli. Munch on tortilla chips while you cook. So many options!

Kind of laksa

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

This recipe is for 2 people, but is easily expandable to feed more. Yet another dish which makes zero claim to authenticity, but is both tasty and straightforward.

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 stick lemongrass, grated (microplane for the win!)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated/minced
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated/minced
  • 1 hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 500ml chicken stock (or veg stock)
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 heaped tsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 200g cooked rice noodles
  • Fresh coriander, chopped

You can add anything you’ve got knocking around – cooked, shredded chicken; roast sweet potato; fresh spinach; chopped, steamed kale; cubes of tofu.

  1. Heat the oils in a saucepan and add the lemongrass, spring onion, garlic, ginger and chilli
  2. Stir fry over a low heat for 2 mins
  3. Pour in the stock, coconut milk and lime juice, bring to a good simmer
  4. Add the fish sauce, tomato puree, peanut butter, sugar and turmeric. Combine thoroughly and cook at a simmer for 10 mins
  5. In the final couple of minutes, add the rice noodles and any other ingredients, just to warm through
  6. Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with coriander

Chicken with turnips and apricot

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Bear with me, I know it sounds weird but it works!

The dish reminds me a bit of something my dad used to make when we were little with baked chicken breasts, dried onion soup and tinned apricots. I’ve included the original recipe at the bottom, just for the sake of nostalgia. It felt incredibly sophisticated at the time, but it’s not quite so appealing now…

In this recipe, there’s no soup mix, but a similar savoury/sweet flavour profile. The turnips (trust me!) add a lovely bitter counterpoint. Sounds weird, tastes amazing. I prefer it with rice because I’m a sucker for rice and gravy in any form, but you could eat with potatoes or even just on its own with some green veg.

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 500g chicken thighs
  • 350g turnips, peeled, quartered and cut into 1cm slices
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp decent apricot conserve (you can’t use cheap jam here)
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 180C fan
  2. Heat oil in a deep, oven-safe frying pan
  3. Cook onions and turnips over high heat for 5 mins until they turn golden around the edges
  4. Add the stock, apricot conserve, mustard and thyme. Season and stir everything together
  5. Sit the chicken thighs on top, sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 35 mins, occasionally basting with the pan juices

My dad’s 80s style chicken with apricots (recipe originally from Babs Mitchell)

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 large can of apricot halves in juice
  • 2 packets Lipton’s onion soup mix
  • 4 large onions sliced
  • Toasted almonds
  1. Put the sliced onions into the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish and place the whole chicken breasts on top of them
  2. Mix the onion soup mix with the apricot juice, and pour evenly over the chicken
  3. Season and place apricot halves on top of the chicken breasts
  4. Add half a cup of water and bake, covered, in a moderate oven for 1 hour

Patatas bravas

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Or, in other words, roast potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and a spiky garlic mayo. What’s not to like? This recipe feeds 2-6, depending what else you serve with it.

  • 500g potatoes
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 5 tbsp decent mayonnaise
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Put 3 tbsp oil into the roasting tin and heat for 5-10 mins
  3. Cut the potatoes into roughly 2cm chunks
  4. Take the roasting tin out of the oven and toss the potatoes in the hot oil
  5. Bake for 30-45 mins until crisp and golden

Meanwhile, make the sauce

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan on a low/medium heat
  2. Cook the onion for 7-10 mins until completely soft and starting to turn golden
  3. Add the chilli and stir in, cooking for another minute
  4. Then add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and smoked paprika, stir together well
  5. Bring to a bubble, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 mins until thick
  6. Take off the heat, add the sherry vinegar and check the seasoning
  7. To make the garlic mayo (aka Cheat’s Alioli), just stir together the mayonnaise and the garlic

Serve all the elements separately or together. I prefer to combine them in a way that makes sure the potatoes don’t go soggy, with tomato sauce on the bottom, then a pile of potatoes and a dollop of garlic mayonnaise on top. With a sprinkle of fresh chives if you want to get fancy. Eat immediately.

Gingerbread biscuits

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Perfect for Christmas, Halloween or just a rainy Saturday afternoon when you’re being plagued with “but I’m so boooooored”. Spicy enough to please adults, sweet enough to please kids (or the adults in my life with a sweet tooth). The raw dough can be frozen if you want to split it and save some for a later weekend afternoon.

  • 350g plain flour (plus extra for rolling out)
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
  • 90g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  1. Mix together flour, bicarb, salt and spices
  2. Grate in the butter (seems like a bit of a faff but this makes combining it with the flour much easier)
  3. Mix in with your fingertips, rubbing and lifting it until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs
  4. Stir in the sugar
  5. Beat the egg and golden syrup together then pour into flour/butter mixture. Stir together and mix until it starts to come together
  6. Tip out onto the work surface then press and knead briefly until it’s a smooth ball of dough
  7. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 15 mins
  8. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper
  9. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to around ½ cm
  10. Cut out shapes and place on baking tray
  11. Bake for 12-15 mins until lightly golden brown
  12. Leave on the tray for 5 mins to firm up and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
  13. When cool, decorate with icing sugar paste and ALL THE SPRINKLES

Chilli con carne

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Feeds at least 4, depending on how hungry they are. Serve with rice, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream and loads of love. And a cold beer.

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
  • 1 red pepper, diced about the same size as the onion
  • 1 red birdseye chilli, thinly sliced (or a large pinch of chilli flakes)
  • 500g minced beef
  • 150ml red wine
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • Large pinch chipotle chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 15g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tin black beans, rinsed and drained (I know kidney beans are more traditional but I really dislike kidney beans!)
  1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, chilli and red pepper until softened but not coloured
  2. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and stirring to break down chunks of meat
  3. Add the tomatoe puree and stir in, then pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 mins until almost gone
  4. Stir in all the other ingredients except the beans. Add half a tomato tin of water. Season well with salt and pepper
  5. Bring to the boil and then turn heat down to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 45 mins, stirring occasionally
  6. Then uncover, add the black beans and cook at a simmer for another 15 mins to allow some of the moisture to evaporate until thick and rich. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
  7. Check the seasoning and serve

This is the salsa I like to serve alongside:

  • 2 large, ripe avocados, roughly diced
  • 4 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • A handful of chopped fresh coriander
  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped

Put the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and chill until needed.

Nasi goreng

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Spicy, savoury, yummy. No claims to authenticity, but such a comforting and quick weeknight dinner. Feeds 2 with seconds

  • 2 tbsp oil 
  • 2 eggs, beaten 
  • 200g pork fillet, cut into strips 
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped 
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and grated/minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated 
  • 1 large red chilli, finely chopped 
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 8 baby corn, cut into ½ cm rounds
  • 1 pre-cooked basmati rice packet 
  • Handful of frozen peas 
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce 
  • 1 tbsp gochujang 
  • 2 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce – could substitute with 2 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tsp maple syrup)
  • Chopped coriander 
  • Handful of dry roasted peanuts 
  1. Heat oil in wok 
  2. Cook egg in flat pancake by swirling around bottom of wok until set. Remove from pan and slice into strips 
  3. Heat wok again and add pork. Stir fry until lightly browned on outside and just cooked through, then remove from the pan 
  4. Add a touch more oil if needed then add spring onion, lemon grass, garlic and chilli to the wok and stir fry briefly (don’t allow to brown) 
  5. Add carrots and baby corn, stir fry for a couple of mins
  6. Add fish sauce and chilli paste and mix to distribute through the vegetables
  7. Add rice (cold) and stir to coat in the paste 
  8. Add ketjap manis, pork, egg and peanuts, continue to cook and stir together until everything is hot
  9. Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander 

Flapjacks

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Our family’s recipe for nubbly, chewy, crunchy flapjacks. Endlessly adaptable, brilliant to make with children.

  • 115g butter
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 90g porridge oats
  • 60g plain flour
  • 80g soft brown sugar
  • A couple of handfuls of chopped dried fruit, seeds, nuts, desiccated coconut. (You can use anything dried. Our family faves are raisins with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds; dried cherries with flaked almonds; and dried pineapple with flax seeds and desiccated coconut. You could even add chocolate chips and banana chips, which is how my dad likes them, but I feel as though they suddenly become not breakfast-appropriate if you do that!)
  1. Preheat oven to 140C fan (160C)
  2. In a big bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar and your choice of fruit/seeds
  3. Melt the butter in a small pan on the hob, then add the syrup and stir together
  4. When combined, take off the stove and add the bicarb. Stir until frothy and then pour over the dry ingredients
  5. Mix well until everything turns flapjack-coloured
  6. Tip into a baking tin or dish – I usually use a rectangular ceramic dish so I don’t have to line it. Press down with your fingers into all the corners
  7. Cook for 30 mins until golden brown
  8. Remove from oven, cut into squares with a sharp knife but leave in the tin until completely cooled
  9. Store in an airtight container

Roast chicken

~ Sophie ~ 5 Comments

So simple, so utterly delicious. Stick a raw chicken in the oven and a short time later you’ve got a roast chicken! Crispy skin, succulent meat. Best dinner ever.

  • 1 whole chicken, around 1.5kg
  • 1 onion
  • Half a lemon
  • 2-3 tbsp/approx 30g salted butter
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C fan (240C)
  2. If the chicken is tied up, untie the string or elastic from around it. Put it into a roasting tin that fits snugly
  3. Leaving the root end intact, cut the onion in half. Cut one half into half again. Cut the other half into 6 wedges
  4. Cut any large pieces of hard fat off the inside edge of the chicken. Then put 2 quarters of onion and the half lemon inside the chicken
  5. On each side of the chicken, ease the skin away from the breast at both ends and push butter under the skin
  6. Season the chicken well and put into the hot oven
  7. After 15 mins, take the chicken out, baste it and turn the oven down to 170C fan (190C)
  8. Cook the chicken for a further hour, basting every 15 mins or so. When there’s 30 mins to go, add the onion wedges to the roasting tin
  9. When it’s cooked through, take it out of the tin, tip out any juice inside and place on a serving dish. Allow to rest for 10 mins
  10. Pour the cooking juices and fat into a small glass. Use the baster to remove the cooking juices from underneath the fat, to make gravy with or just serve with the chicken. Some juice will come off the resting chicken – this can be added too.

Serve with roast potatoes and all the trimmings. Or in a roast chicken sandwich with mustard mayo and rocket. Use the carcass to make stock