Month: Oct 2025

Elote-inspired chicken pasta salad

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Inspired by the delicious flavours of the Mexican corn-on-the-cob snack – with added pasta and chicken for weeknight dinner delights.

  • 250g small pasta shapes
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 tin sweetcorn, drained
  • ½ red onion, finely diced (or a small handful of pink pickled onions, roughly chopped)
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp tajin
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (couple of mins less than usual)
  2. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water
  3. Add to a big bowl with sweetcorn, pepper, onion and coriander
  4. Marinate the chicken in veg oil, lime juice and spices
  5. Grill until tender and cooked through, then allow to cool and cut into bitesized pieces. Reserve any of the cooking juices and keep to one side
  6. Mix together all the dressing ingredients thoroughly, and then add to the pasta mixture and combine
  7. Add the chicken and any reserved cooking juices, and mix everything well

Pink pickled onions

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

You may never buy pickled onions again – these are sweet, twangy and crunchy

  • ½ red onion, sliced finely into half moons
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 120ml white wine vinegar
  1. Pack a clean jar with the red onion, add the salt, sugar and vinegar
  2. Top up with water, shake well and it’ll be ready to use in about 24 hours (although better if you leave it a couple of days)

Coronation chicken schnitzel with curry mayo

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All the best bits of coronation chicken in the form of crispy chicken escalope served with a curry mayonnaise

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp medium curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp water
  • Dry white breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • Veg oil
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp mango chutney
  1. Pre-heat overn to 150C
  2. Bash out the chicken breasts with a rolling pin (do this under a piece of baking paper to stop bits flying off!)
  3. Get 3 lipped plates. In one, put the flour, salt, curry powder and garlic powder and mix together; in one put the beaten egg; and in the last one, put the breadcrumbs mixed with sesame seeds
  4. Dip the thin chicken in flour on both sides, then egg on both sides and then breadcrumbs on both sides
  5. Heat veg oil over medium-high in a thin layer in the bottom of a large frying pan
  6. Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown, then place on a rack on a baking tray in the oven for 10 mins
  7. While it’s in the oven, mix together the mayonnaise ingredients and taste for seasoning
  8. Serve the chicken with crunchy crisp salad, curry mayo and pickled chillis. Maybe a couple of boiled new potatoes on the side.

Crunchy crisp ‘shades of green’ salad

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

The perfect accompaniment to coronation chicken schnitzel – or anything else really!

  • ¼ fennel bulb, finely sliced (fronds saved and added separately)
  • 1 stalk celery, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • ½ green apple, finely sliced
  • ¼ cucumber, halved lengthways with seeds removed and finely sliced
  • 100g sugar snap peas, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • Green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced into strips
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  1. Mix together fennel, celery, apple, cucumber, sugar snaps, coriander, spring onion and chilli
  2. Mix together the lime juice, salt, oil and maple syrup, then use this to dress the salad

Biscotti

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The absolute crunchiest!

  • 250g plain flour
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 50g shelled pistachio nuts
  • 100g whole almonds
  • 100g skinned hazelnuts
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and half of the beaten eggs
  3. Then add half of the remaining egg mixture until the sticky dough comes together (only add the remaining egg if needed)
  4. Mix in the nuts and lemon zest
  5. Divide the mixture into thirds and, with damp hands, roll into chunky sausage shapes
  6. Place each sausage on baking parchment on separate baking sheets (because they spread a lot) and slightly flatten them
  7. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden, then remove from the oven and leave on one side for 10 mins to cool and firm up
  8. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 130C fan (150C)
  9. With a serrated knife, cut the baked dough into 1 cm slices and lay them on their side back on the lined baking sheets
  10. Return the biscotti to the oven for 15 mins then flip them over and cook for a further 15-20 mins until golden brown
  11. Leave to cool and store in an airtight jar