Zesty Summer Chicken Salad

Feeds One

Ingredients Meat

1 piece organic free range chicken breast

Ingredients Greenery

1. 1 fresh Date
2. 10 green beans
3. 1/2 lime (juice off)
4. 1 pinch of Rosemary
5. Crack Black Pepper

1. 1 hand full of Morrison’s mixed Bistro salad (home make: grated beet root, spring salads)
2. 1 hand full Rocket
3. 1 hand full fresh Strawberries
4. 1 hand full fresh Blueberriers
5. 1/4 yellow pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Cut chicken into slices

Pour 1 Tablespoon olive oil into griddle

Add green beans

Cut date into 4 pieces

Fry this until done

While this is frying prepare the salads

Wash

Cut the green bits of the Strawberries

Well and then arrange as in picture above

Salad Sauce

I prefer a simple vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon white truffle oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon Aceto Balsamico

1 dollop of mustard

Fresh herbs mix well

Italy Inspired Fish Dinner

Serves 2—or as usual 1 and 1 LUNCH

The pasta base

well this is always difficult to measure

I usually take a handful of spaghetti this time I had macaroni

Fishy Ingredients

1 Haddock filet

2 handful of mixed frutti de mare (seafood) … if you can get it fresh whoop hoop else scour your local supermarket (in the UK Morrisons & ASDA both offer this) for a frozen mix it contains mussels, calamari & scampi

Green Stuff

1. 1/2 red onion
2. 1 glove garlic
3. 1 pinch of chilli
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. grate 1/2 a carrot (or 1 small one, I had some massive organic carrots so only used half)

1. 6-7 slices off leek
2. 1/2 courgette (Zucchini) … or one small one
3. 5-6 cocktail tomatoes

1 handful rocket

Saucy Bits

1/2 pack of Philadelphia extra light fresh cheese

1/2 cup of dry white wine (or water)

Juice of 1/2 lemon (now if you do not use wine use more lemon juice and some water)

Tip: My niece and I LOVE lemon and we usually put so much lemon into things that you can really taste the zingy flavour. My sister always complains about this. So I try to tone down my measurements but if you are not sure try with half of the suggested amount and then add more as you like.

Putting it together

1st Step

As usual start with the base of the first 5 ingredients on the vegetable list

Tip: I have the carrot in there because if the carrot is immersed in the olive oil and browns a bit when frying, it quasi caramelizes a little and brings out the sweet tones in the dish.

2nd Step

Now add all the fishy bit & the wine (or water)

As well as the leek

These are the ingredients that take longest to cook

Let simmer until you are sure that the fish is done

Tip: When fish is done it easily falls apart

3rd Step

Throw in courgettes & tomatoes

Add the cheese & lemon

Crush some black pepper over it

Stir well

4th Step

Now add the Rocket

Stir well

And serve with the pasta

In using the low fat fresh (creme) cheese I am saving on using loads of olive oil, this way getting a lot of sauce without getting all the calories.

Stir Fry and Crispy Chicken

Quick Dinner for Two

or dinner for one PLUS next day LUNCH

Crispy Chicken

I usually make this myself, but we came home from work late and the local super market has these mini chicken fillets in crispy batter. So we bought enough for two.

Recipe for crispy chicken fillets will follow (promise!)

Tip: This is important for any type of cooking, but particularly crucial for stir fries because everything happens fairly quick. PREPARE AND CUT ALL INGREDIENTS BEFORE YOU START COOKING!

Stir Fry—Noodles

This time we used 1,5 bundles ramen noodles

Stir Fry—the Vegetable

1. 1/2 a small red onion
2. 1 clove garlic
3. fresh ginger 4-5 thin slices (razor thin)
4. 1 pinch chilli
5. 1 table spoon olive oil (or roasted sesame oil)

1. 5-7 mini corns (fresh) break in half
2. 1 small hand full of green beans (break in half)
3. 1/3 of a green pepper
4. 1/2 tin of bamboo sprouts & water chestnuts
5. 1 generous handful of mixed Rocket, Watercress & Spinach

Preparation Step by Step

Step 1

Boil water in kettle & Fill in pot for noodles

Step 2

Throw the first 5 ingredients in the stir fry pan.

Step 3

Put noodles in now boiling water (in pot)

Step 4

Stir first 5 ingredients until onions become glassy

Stir noodles so they don’t stick

Step 5

Throw in ingredients 1-4 from the second list (but NOT YET the rocket & co)

Step 6

Fry this for about 4 minutes

Step 7

Noodles should be done now, pour noodles in colander and let the water drip off

Now add noodles into the frying pan

Stir well

Step 8

Now add No 5 of the list (Rocket, Watercress, Spinach)

Add a Tablespoon of soy sauce

Stir for another minute

Step 9

Put half of the amount on a plate and add the crispy chicken

DONE

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Sweet or Hiking Treat

We have awful cold and rainy weather here in Scotland, in May! No need to rant about how annoyed I am and the weather definitely calls for cosy comfy food. I like to take those treats with me when out hiking or have them at work for the early afternoon low.

 

These wee treats are inevitably vegan because they are based on dried fruit and nuts.

 

Apricot-Date-Almond Version

 

Ingredients:

200 gr Soft Apricots (dried)

200 gr Pitted Dates

200 gr Whole Sweet Almonds

1 hand full of raisins

1 heaped Tablespoon organic fair-trade cacao (My vice is Green and Blacks Cacao–awesome!)

 

Preparation:

Step 1: Throw the dried fruit in the food processor and mix until minced into a thick mass

Step 2: Use the mincing knife and chop the almonds into rough pieces

Step 3: Put cacao into a small bowl or on a plate

Step 4: form little bite size lumps and roll in the cacao until they are round and covered with a layer of cacao

Step 5: store in a cool and dry place to let them dry out a bit more

 

Tip: Once they are settled I like to store them in the fridge because the soft apricots are not dried out completely and in our wet and cool climate mildew is a very happy camper.

To be honest though they do not tend to last longer than a week anyway … *sends accusing glances to hubby*

Vegan Fusion Stew

I am turning into an accidental vegan—I am experimenting a lot lately and somehow end up with loads of vegetarian and vegan recipes. Well, probably because I feel guilty of having stuffed my face with too many cookies during the day writing the obligatory academic publications.

Today is a Moroccan inspired stew. It is a quick and easy recipe that pretends to be some really interesting advanced fusion dish.

Serves 2-3 (depending on if you serve it with flat bread and side salad or plain)

Ingredients

Spices:

1 pinch each Rosmary & Thyme

1 pinch cinnamon

2 pinch coriander (ground seeds)

2 pinch ground cummin

2 pinch ground chillies (or fresh chilli but I had to use my larder today)

Fresh Ingredients:

1 Plantain (peel and cut 1 inch slices and half each of the slices)**

1 small red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 inch fresh Turmeric (I love the local Morrisons they have a great world food section*)

Tins:

1 tin chopped organic tomatoes

1 tin organic chick peas

1 tiny portion corn

Preparation

1 Spoon Olive Oil

heat and throw in the chopped onion, garlic & Plantain

Let this all fry for 3-4 minutes until onions glassy and the Plantain slightly browned

Throw in tomatoes, chick peas, corn and the spices

Put lid on pot

Stir regularly and let simmer for about 15 minutes

*wash your hands properly after cutting the Turmeric, I washed mine but not well enough and have now managed to die my keyboard yellow.

** Plantains are really sweet and ripe when they look yellowish brown (if a normal banana would look like this you would probably throw it out, that is the perfect state for a Plantain)

Vegan Fry Up

That’s 1 Portion (well I was really hungry)

1/2 onion diced

1 clove garlic

1 pinch chilli

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 small potatoes (peeled and cut in stripes)

1 sweet potato (peeled and cut in stripes)

1 hand full of Mangetout

1/2 Pepper

1 hand full of cocktail tomatoes (cut in half)

2 Tablespoons Corn

Brown onions, chillies & garlic

Add potatoes & mangetout

Fry for about 5 minutes

Add rest of vegetable

Put lid over for about 10-15 minutes

(stir in between)

Take lid off

Season with fresh herbs or Italien mixed herbs, some rosemary goes well with it

Hearty Country Breakfast

Before tackling the hills with my bike, working the garden and going for walks, I need a proper breakfast.

It got a bit messy taking out of the pan, my only excuse: I was hungry, screw the aesthetics

 

This time I used the low fat healthier option Feta—I have to admit, it is horrible in salads but heated in a dish it is fine.

Ingredients:

2 free range eggs (discovered Ardardan a local farm with shop, which has fantastically fresh eggs for a modest price)

1/2 a small red onion

3 organic cocktail tomatoes

1 glove garlic

2 slices Feta cheese

1/2 table spoon of olive oil

 

Fry the onion & garlic

Half the tomatoes and throw them in

Open the eggs and put them on top of the tomatoes and onions

Quickly add the Feta & some herbs (anything really from fresh chives to oregano & chillies)

Put lid on top of it

If you put a lid on the pan and put the eggs on top of the vegetables the moisture in the veggies will prevent the egg from burning onto the pan and you will not need so much oil frying your breakfast eggs

While this cooks (timing depends on if you want soft or hard eggs)

Cut quarter a Cantaloupe melon and get some bread

In the picture above I used Vinschgauer which is a Southern German sourdough rye flat bread with caraway one of my most favourite breads

For healthier options go for wholewheat or rye breads