Month: Nov 2024

Sweet potato and chimichurri steak rice bowl

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Another week-night supper construction job – it can be done in 30 mins start to finish, so excellent if you’re hungry! Feeds 2

  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 2cm cubes
  • Fajita seasoning (paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder)
  • 6 padron peppers
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp veg oil
  • 120g white rice
  • 400g rump steak (around 2-3cm thick)
  • Ground black pepper
  • 14 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • Chimichurri
  1. Toss the sweet potato pieces with 2 tbsp veg oil, 1 tbsp fajaita seasoning and a pinch of salt, and tip out onto an oven tray
  2. Bake at 180C fan for 20 mins until soft and brown around the edges (alternatively for 15 min in the air fryer). Halfway through add the whole padron peppers and turn everything over
  3. Meanwhile, cook the rice (twice the salted boiling water to rice, put on a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 10 mins, then leave untouched with the lid on/heat off for another 5 mins)
  4. Oil the steak with 1 tsp oil, season with salt and pepper on both sides
  5. Get a heavy frying pan scorching hot and then sear on a high heat for 2-3 mins per side for medium doneness
  6. Remove to a plate to rest until everything else is cooked
  7. Construct your bowl – rice, sweet potato, peppers, cherry tomatoes. Slice the steak and add it, then drizzle the whole thing with chimichurri and eat up!

Chimichurri

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Tangy, twangy, spicy, herby. It’s the absolute best condiment drizzled over steak

  • 30g parsley, finely chopped
  • 10g oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
  • 4 cloves confit garlic, squished
  • 50ml red wine vinegar
  • 50ml olive oil
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  1. Just mix everything together well and leave it to sit for 30 mins to an hour while you sort out the rest of dinner.

Peanut miso chicken noodle soup

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Warming and super-quick for a chilly weeknight supper, and such a good way to use up leftover chicken

  • ½ tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tbsp chilli crisp
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Zest and juice of ½ lime
  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced – whites and greens separated
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Noodles for 2
  • Cooked chicken, cut into bitesized pieces
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Fresh coriander
  1. Heat the veg oil and chilli crisp in a saucepan over medium
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, lime zest and white parts of the spring onions to the pan and fry for a couple of mins
  3. Add the miso, peanut butter, tahini, coconut milk, chicken stock and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a bubble
  4. In the meantime, cook the noodles separately in boiling water
  5. Split the noodles and cold chicken between 2 bowls, and ladle over the soup
  6. Sprinkle over the green spring onion, coriander and sesame seeds, plus some extra cricpy chilli if you like
  7. Squeeze over the lime and serve

Spice bag chicken and chips

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The ultimate post-pub munch! A make-at-home take on the Irish chip shop classic. Minimal redeeming features nutritionally, maximum easy, finger-food deliciousness. Feeds 2

  • 200g oven chips
  • 300g battered chicken mini fillets
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • Spice mix – ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp flaky salt, ½ tsp dried chilli, ¼ tsp five spice powder, pinch of sugar
  • Mayonnaise
  1. Mix spices together in a little bowl
  2. Cook the chips and chicken in the oven or air fryer
  3. Meanwhile, stir fry the peppers and onion until soft and blackened around the edges. Add the garlic just before the end
  4. Take chicken and chips out of the oven and tip into a big bowl with the veg and spice mix
  5. Drizzle over mayo and tuck in

Caesar salad dressing – no fish!

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Savoury and creamy. Just the thing for a crisp green salad (Romaine, Cos or Gem please) with chunky croutons. No anchovy, so not authentic, but still very delicious for the fish-haters in your life. Feeds 2

  • 40g mayo
  • 2 tsp warm water
  • ½ tsp white miso paste
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 10 drops Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl
  2. Then use it to dress a salad. Maybe some grilled chicken on the side, maybe some extra flakes of pecorino over the top

Chocolate crispie squares

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Super-crunchy lunchbox specials. A chocolate-y treat which doesn’t actually contain much chocolate per serving

  • 100g milk chocolate
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 75g rice crispies
  • 50g puffed quinoa
  • 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • Pinch salt
  1. Line an 8-inch square tin with parchment paper
  2. Melt the chocolate and put the rice crispies, quinoa, flaxseed and salt in a large bowl
  3. Pour the melted chocolate over the rice crispie mixture and stir gently together until it’s evenly coated
  4. Tip it into the lined tin, press it in evenly and smooth down the top with the back of a spoon
  5. Put in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours
  6. Cut into 16-20 squares and store in a big jar or a tin

Peanut rayu

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This is hands-down the best condiment you can make – spicy, savoury, crunchy and very more-ish. Drizzle it on everything, especially if it’s cheese.

  • 200g unsalted roasted peanuts (or roast them – 2 mins in the air fryer or 10 mins in a 200C oven)
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 300ml neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  1. Put the oil into a small saucepan and add the garlic. Heat gently until it’s golden brown
  2. Remove the garlic to a bowl and add the peanuts. Mix and wait for them to cool
  3. In another bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, chilli powder, salt, sugar and sesame seeds
  4. Pour over the hot garlic-flavoured oil and mix through
  5. Chop/lightly crush the peanuts and crispy garlic
  6. Add the crispy bits to the chilli oil, then add sesame oil and soy sauce
  7. Store in a jar in the fridge