Jamie Oliver Cast Aluminium Range Grill Pan by Tefal - Review

Tefal Jamie Oliver Cast Aluminium Range Grill Pan
measures 29cm x 25cm

I've just had an induction hob fitted in my kitchen and this grill pan is perfect, although the pan can be used on all other heat sources too.  My old pan can't be used on induction and I've been looking round for some time now to get a replacement.  The options are either cast iron which are very heavy, or a few others which were lighter to handle but I wasn't convinced they would last or cook very evenly. This pan is more lightweight than cast iron and very strong and sturdy. Tefal is a trusted name and a brand I have used before and I knew I was going to be in for a treat when I was offered the pan to review.

Grilled salmon, crushed peas with mint and potatoes boulangere

Grill pans encourage me to cook healthier food, I came back from my annual holiday a couple of weeks ago and now thinking ahead to all the Christmas food I'm about to consume, I'm going to try and plan my meals carefully.

The pan is very roomy and you can easily cook four to six salmon steaks or chicken breast fillets at the same time.  Salmon takes about 3 or 4 minutes each side to cook.  I always oil the food and not the pan and this pan only requires a minimum of oil because it is non-stick. The underside of the handle is silicone for a non-slip grip and it stays cool too.

The pan has the patented Thermospot which is a great feature, simply put the pan on the heat and wait until the red pattern on the spot in the middle of the pan disappears and becomes a solid red spot. The pan will be at the optimum heat to sear and cook.

Parmesan chicken with griddled sweetcorn

Delicious grilled pineapple - simply baste the pineapple with honey 

Chicken marinated in soy sauce, Worcester sauce and brown sugar

The pan is really easy to clean. I cooked the pineapple in the pan first, let the pan cool a little and then gave it a quick wash in soapy water. Afterwards I cooked the chicken - any debris in the pan comes off easily with soapy water.

The base of the pan 

Oven safe to 260ºC - meat can be seared on the pan and then finished cooking in the oven.
Pro-metal hard non-stick interior.
Metal utensils can be safely used, excluding whisks and knives.
Heats quickly.
Even heat distribution.
Food stays beautifully moist.
Hand washing recommended - not a chore though because debris comes off easily.

Available from Debenhams - Price £70

Thank you to Tefal for the grill pan.

Bart Smokehouse Spice Rubs

I brushed the chicken with oil, placed it in the marinade bag,
sprinkled the rub over the chicken and turned the bag over a few times to coat the chicken

Thank goodness for wall to wall sunshine and those magical words 'let's have a barbecue'.  I often make my own rubs but these Bart Smokehouse Spice Rubs are very convenient to use.  All the rub ingredients come in a sealed pouch and also included in the box is a cellophane bag to enclose your meat whilst it marinades for a few hours. If the sun doesn't shine place the chicken in the oven in the cellophane bag and roast until cooked - the roasting bag will keep the chicken nice and succulent.

I used the Lemon & Sweet Pepper Marinade Rub which is inspired by the Australian sunshine, red and green peppers give this rub a great colour and the lemon oil provides an intense taste.

Perfectly barbecued chicken, Bart guarantee that there are never any fillers,
artificial colourings, flavour enhancers or other nasties in their spices.

I liked the convenience of a ready made rub and the lemon flavour really came through.  My chicken was succulent and juicy and I'm looking forward to using the other rubs which I have been sent to try.

Other marinades in the range:
Smokey Chipotle Marinade Rub
Mediterranean Marinade Rub
New York Steak Marinade Rub
Tandoori Marinade Rub

The Bart Ingredients Marinade Rubs are available at Ocado, Waitrose, independents and delicatessens price £1.49.

I was sent the marinade rubs for the purposes of this review.

Rayburn Cookers, Summer Recipes - Chicken Caesar Salad

Dick Strawbridge demonstrates a delicious classic Chicken Caesar Salad using a Rayburn Cast Iron Oven.

Everyone who owns a Rayburn cooker always speak of them with fondness and say they are the heart of the home.

The ovens are engineered in the small village of Coalbrookdale at the Coalbrookdale Foundry which is located in beautiful Shropshire.

Sponsored Post

Easy One Pot Chicken: Recipe

All photographs taken with the Nikon D3200

Easy one pot chicken recipes are a delight and this is a favourite of ours. I'm happy to make this instead of the usual Sunday roast because it saves hours of labour.

I try to make good use of natural daylight to take photographs

If hubby is around he guards the food I've placed on the patio table whilst I take photographs, basically he's there on creepy crawlies alert and to make sure the local cat doesn't jump onto the table.

The chicken was reduced and cost £3.00 from Marks and Spencer - most root vegetables can be used, the prosciutto can be replaced with streaky bacon, but either way the bacon is a must for that salty hit and to be honest the crispy prosciutto is the best part of the dish. This recipe is a winner on both taste and cost.

Occasionally I've found the chicken has cooked through but the vegetables need more cooking time.  If they have been particularly stubborn I place the veg in a casserole dish with some of the juices, cover and pop them in the microwave for a few minutes.

You will need:  Large casserole dish

1.5kg chicken
50g softened butter
4 slices prosciutto
2 onions
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
2 leeks
3 unpeeled potatoes
1 sprig of rosemary
250ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
flat leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.  Place the chicken into a deep casserole dish.  Rub the butter over the chicken, cover with prosciutto slices. Scatter over a few rosemary leaves.
2. Cut the celery into large pieces, peel the carrots and potatoes and chop into chunks, slice the leeks and wash thoroughly.  Scatter the vegetables around the chicken, pour the wine and stock over the vegetables.  Season.  Place the cover on the casserole and place in the oven for an hour.
3. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and give the vegetables a stir round.  Spoon some of the juices over the chicken. Leaving the lid off  place the chicken casserole in the oven for a further 30 minutes to brown the chicken.
4. To serve:  Place the chicken and vegetables onto a serving dish with the broth from the casserole dish and scatter over the parsley.

Chicken Pesto Parcels

Served with a few crushed new potatoes garnished with chopped chives.

After eating out on numerous occasions recently, it's always great to get back to normality and eat home cooked food.  Hubby always says he prefers my meals, but then like most men, he has learnt the art of saying the right things.........

Tasty, quick, simple with just one ready made ingredient and all cooked together in a tray.

My ready made ingredient is fresh pesto from Waitrose, it's amazing and you can even see whole pieces of pine nuts in the pesto sauce. This is one of my finds that is nearly as good as home made.  I buy a pot and pour some into an ice cube tray and freeze for a rainy day.

The slightly adapted recipe is from The New Dairy Cookbook.

Serves: 4

You will need: 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons pesto, 25g grated mature Cheddar cheese, 4 boneless chicken breasts, 2 red and 2 yellow deseeded peppers, 4 tomatoes cut into wedges, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 15g butter

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix together, pesto, Cheddar and breadcrumbs.
3. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast and fill with the pesto mixture. Use cocktail sticks to close the pocket.
4. Arrange the peppers and chicken in a baking dish and drizzle over the olive oil and dot with butter.
5. Roast for 25 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are charred at the edges.
6. After serving up drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and the pan juices.

What's for Dinner? Second Helpings - Review

What's for Dinner? Second Helpings has been written by mum of four, Romilla Arber.  It is the only cookery book in the UK where all sale proceeds go directly to charity.  The Food Education Trust is a charity, established by Romilla in 2008 to promote the benefits of a balanced home cooked diet, through the teaching of cooking skills to children and adults. One of the projects the Trust has been involved with enabled a school to build and equip a kitchen.  They now have cookery classes where members of the community go into school and help, a cookery club and also a breakfast club for the children.  The Food Education Trust is currently funded by the profits from her previous book What's for Dinner? 

Romilla Arber isn't a chef, she is a busy mum of four children and she recognises the need to cook healthy food for her family.  There are 767 pages in the book and features a recipe for every day, every week and every month of the year.  All of the photographs in the book are outstanding and there is a photograph to accompany the majority of the recipes.  This is a book for the home cook and will help with all the weekly meal plans.  The recipes are put together with a balanced diet in mind - plenty of fresh vegetables, four meat meals a week, regular amounts of fish, pulses and cereals.  Romilla has included lots of fabulous recipes for puddings, cakes and biscuits - home cooked are always best.

The book cover and the image of this raspberry and chocolate cake shows the quality of food styling and photography.  

The hope is that What's for Dinner?Second Helpings will inspire us to cook at home and to also plant the seed in our children's minds that cooking at home every day is a normal part of life and one of it's great pleasures.  As a Mum, albeit of grown up children, I know from experience children will never like all foods we give to them, but the opportunity to eat and experience home cooked food is always best. Romilla is very wise, and planting the seed to cook from scratch, so we know exactly what goes into the food we eat, is something children will take with them into adulthood and then pass on to their own children.

The recipes in the book are to serve six but can easily be adapted.  An example of recipes: Pork with Noodles, Thai Style - Baked Meatballs and Potatoes - Salmon Burgers - Fillet Steaks in Pastry with a Vegetable Medley.  Sunday is pudding and cake day - Baked Peaches and Raspberries with Lemon Mascarpone - Chocolate Gingerbread with Chocolate Icing - Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding with Toffee Sauce - Chocolate Chip Cookies.

A small selection of easy to follow, everyday recipes, I cooked from the book:

Plum and Raspberry Cobbler

My fruit cobbler tasted delicious and the cobbler was light in texture, although the plums didn't seem to want to cook (ripen at home plums never ripen!),  I covered the cobbler with foil and the plums eventually cooked, my raspberries by now didn't resemble raspberries, but this is home cooked food, it still tasted delicious and was definitely worth the wait. To see the fruit cobbler looking stunningly beautiful I recommend you take a peak at the photograph in the book!

Cod and Leek Gratin

A very easy to make gratin - the sauce is simply creme fraiche and cheddar cheese mixed together. We really enjoyed this quick and delicious meal.

One-Pot Chicken Curry

This was a lovely and tasty mid-week meal. The curry wasn't too hot and adding potatoes made the curry more substantial, the addition of peas and tomatoes is an easy way to get more veg on the plate.

Leek and Blue Cheese Risotto

I love risotto, it's a great standby and can be made from just a few ingredients.  Providing you have arborio rice in the store cupboard, then recipes like this can easily be adapted. The risotto was really tasty and a winner.


Price:  £25.00
ISBN No. 978-0-95709-350-8
Park Family Publishing

Thank you Li.

Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Paprika and Crunchy Rice Salad

My husband is brilliant at cooking a barbecue and will cook outside for us in all weathers, providing there is a glass of wine to hand! The weather was a bit gloomy last Sunday but he cooked such a fabulous meal for us it didn't matter. I am sorry but you will all have to find yourself an 'all weathers' man for yourself, mines definitely taken!

There are a couple of other recipes on this site for spatchcock chicken - Spatchcock Chicken with Gremolata and a recipe by Nigella Lawson Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary, I couldn't choose a favourite because I enjoy them all equally.


I had already skewered the chicken and then decided to cook the chicken under a brick, which is simply a brick (or similar heavy weight) wrapped in a double layer of foil and placed on top of the spatchcock chicken to weigh it down and to ensure more of the surface area is in direct contact with the cooking surface. It's best to oil the foil otherwise it tends to stick to the chicken skin.

To spatchcock a chicken: Sit the chicken breast-side down on a clean work surface. Using poultry shears or a good pair of kitchen scissors,cut along the centre back of the chicken, running from thigh to wing on each side and removing the backbone from tail to neck. Open up the chicken and flatten by pushing down hard on the breastbone. Secure in position with metal skewers running from thigh to opposite wing.

Only a few ingredients are required for this recipe and if you can find a brick to use so much the better.

You will need:

1 whole spatchcock chicken, 1-2 tsp olive oil, grated zest of 1 lemon plus juice of 2 lemons, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried oregano

1. Put the oil, lemon zest and juice, paprika, salt and black pepper into a bowl and mix together.
2. Put the chicken into a large freezer bag and pour in the marinade to coat the chicken. Marinate for 1 hour.
3. Heat the barbecue until hot. Sprinkle the oregano liberally all over the chicken and cook for 40-50 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove to a plate and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Serve with a lovely Crunchy Salad.


You will need:

175g basmati and wild rice, 50g raisins, zest and juice 1 lime, 6 tbsp olive oil, 1 deseeded and chopped red chilli, 6 sliced spring onions, 1 deseeded and chopped red pepper, 4 celery sticks scrubbed and chopped, 1 red-skinned apple cored and chopped.

1. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the pack until tender. Strain the rice and cool by running cold water over. Drain well.
2. Whisk together the lime zest and juice and the olive oil, season with salt and ground black pepper.
3. Tip the cooled rice into a bowl and stir in the dressing followed by the rest of the ingredients. Keep in the fridge.

A nice glass of bubbly!

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH GREMOLATA

On Sunday we braved the cold, but sunny weather and had a barbeque, a silly thing to do I know. It was too cold outside for moi but my husband, who seems to be an all weather person, set about cooking the barbeque with a smile but I did notice later on this had turned into a grimace (I think he was feeling the cold and had barbeque regret!). The rewards were high though, a beautifully cooked barbeque chicken, which is impossible to replicate in the oven.

It is very easy to spatchcock a chicken and here are the instructions. Sometimes this surgical procedure on the poor chicken is also called butterflied chicken. You may also see this recipe come under the recipe title of chicken under a brick. You don't have to use the bricks (which in fact we didn't because we forgot), but it does keep the chicken flat and you then have better contact with the cooking surface. The recipe can also be made with spatchcocked poussins (but I/we just couldn't!).

This wonderful, tasty and aromatic chicken was marinated overnight. A wild rice and pepper salad, together with lots of vegetables cooked on the barbeque made a perfect meal.

The chicken is very easy, with only a few ingredients for the marinade.

You will need:

A medium spatchcock chicken, 1 chopped garlic clove, juice of 2 lemons, pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary.

1. Mix together the rosemary, fennel seeds, olive oil, garlic clove, juice of 2 lemons and seasoning.
2. Put the spatchcocked chicken into a ziplock bag together with the lemon shells, pour over the marinade. Place the bag into a large bowl.
3. Chill in the fridge overnight, if possible.
4. Pat the chicken dry, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put skin side down on the barbecue.
5. If you wish, wrap a brick in foil to weigh down the chicken and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.
6. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 30 minutes weighed down with the foil covered brick. Check the chicken is cooked through and leave to rest.

Gremolata

You will need:

Zest of 1 lemon, 1 chopped clove garlic, large bunch of chopped parsley.

1. Sprinkle over the cooked chicken.

WILD RICE AND PEPPER SALAD


You will need:

½ a finely sliced red onion, 150 g wild rice, 2 roasted and sliced peppers (or from a jar), 100g crumbled goat's cheese, handful of toasted pine nuts, small bunch chopped mint, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil.

1. Put the onion in a bowl, season and toss with the red wine vinegar and olive oil, leave to marinate and soften.
2. Cook the wild rice in boiling water for about 25 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water, drain again. Toss with the onion and dressing.
3. Mix the red peppers, goats' cheese, pine nuts and chopped mint through the rice mixture.

JAMIE'S 30 MINUTE MEALS - CHICKEN PIE, FRENCH -STYLE PEAS & SWEET CARROT SMASH

My husband kindly bought me Jamie's book, although true to say, he didn't find that out until now! Cookery books are the equivalent of clothes that you bought ages ago and say you have had them for ages. Perhaps though, you can ask Santa to buy a copy and put it in your Christmas stocking.


There has been negativity in the press, even the BBC Watchdog television programme devoted air time(albeit with humour) to the question - can his dinners really be cooked in 30 minutes?

To be fair, I can't give the answer to this, because as usual, I was multitasking whilst cooking ie. emptying the washing machine, putting clothes into the tumble dryer, drying pots, loading the dishwasher and so on.

I didn't give consideration to making his dessert of Berries, Shortbread & Chantilly Cream because we were still ploughing our way through a dessert from a couple of days previous.

You want me to be honest don't you - I am not sure if I could prepare and cook all of this in 30 minutes, even if I had wanted to take up the challenge.I really like Jamie's new book and know I am going to cook a lot of recipes from it. Also, I have enjoyed his series of programmes to go with the book. He is a great guy and has enough passion and fire in his belly to encourage us all to get cooking.

Feedback on the book from young professionals I have spoken to, is they think he has possibly missed a trick by using so many ingredients. Unless you are a keen cook or have plenty of time, it's not always an easy call, and then there is the expense. Maybe, he should write a book using less ingredients, now there's an idea.


The chicken pie, french-style peas, sweet carrot smash is an incredibly tasty meal and I hope you are encouraged to have a go at this one. After all, it's great comfort food and who doesn't like a pie?

SMOKED PAPRIKA CHICKEN CIABATTA AND CHEESE COLESLAW

I was very impatient to use my new Circulon griddle pan, kindly sent to me courtesy of Cookware By CSN, the pan is excellent and grilled the chicken superbly.

The meal took only 30 minutes or so to prepare and cook, and served with sides of potato wedges makes a substantial meal.

I always precook my potato wedges for 5 minutes or so, drain, return to the dry pan, and drizzle over a few tablespoons of olive oil, shake the pan to coat. Tip onto a tray and cook at 200C for half an hour or so, turning half way through the cooking time. Drain, season, serve.

For the Paprika Chicken you will need:

4 skinless chicken breasts, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, olive oil, 1 crushed clove garlic, 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 8 torn romaine lettuce leaves or your lettuce of choice.

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally and lay each between two sheets of cling film. Bash with a rolling pin until about 1 cm thick.
2. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and dust with the paprika. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Lay on a hot griddle pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until charred and cooked through.
3. Halve the ciabatta horizontally and lay, cut side down, on the pan for 1 minute. Mix the crushed garlic and mayonnaise and then spread over the cut side of each ciabatta half. Top with the lettuce and chicken, then season with a little salt and pepper. Cut in half to serve.

Cheese Coleslaw

400g white cabbage, 1 coarsely grated carrot, 1 halved and thinly sliced red onion, 3 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons low-fat natural yogurt, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 20g pack chives, 100g reduced-fat mature Cheddar (grated).

1. Cut the cabbage in half, then into quarters. Remove and discard the core, then thinly shred the cabbage. Put into a large mixing bowl. Add the carrot, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard. Snip in most of the chives.
2. Mix the coleslaw well, making sure all of the salad is coated in the dressing. Season, cover and chill.
3. Just before serving sprinkle over the grated cheese and the remaining chives.

Delicious!

Review - Cook up a Feast, Mary Berry and Lucy Young

When asked if I would like to review a copy of Cook up a Feast, I just knew this book would be perfect for me.

I have followed Mary Berry for more years than I care to remember! Mary is regularly on our television screens, has written countless cookery books and is also an Aga specialist.

Lucy Young has worked with Mary for 20 years. Lucy is a cookery writer, gives Aga demonstrations, makes television appearances and writes a regular magazine column.

Mary and Lucy have now written a cookery book together, to serve larger numbers, after numerous requests from readers of their books and members of the audience at their Aga demonstrations. Many of the recipes are for 6 to 12 people, and some of the recipes will serve up to 48. The book gives information for cooking either in the Aga or conventional oven. Advice is also given for preparing ahead and freezing (a Mary Berry trademark!).

There are chapters on party bites, starters, special main courses, pot luck party, buffets, bowl parties, Italian food, summer in the garden, desserts and tea for a crowd.

A wealth of useful information for preparing a feast, planning the occasion, serving the right amount, kitchen knowhow, the right equipment, setting the scene, cheats and shortcuts and on the day. Everything you need to know, to help take away the stress, when cooking for a number of people.

The book has over 300 pages of exciting recipes to suit all cooking abilities, from the novice through to the more experienced cook. A taster of some of the recipes from the book - Crostini with slow roasted tomatoes and herbs, Bruschette with Reblochon and roasted vegetables, Celebratory fish platter, Boursin-stuffed chicken with garlic and mint sauce, Marinated marmalade and whisky lamb fillet, Mushrooms and spinach en croute, Rhubarb and lemon pots, Magenta fruit compote with white chocolate sauce, Party pavlova pyramid - just to name a few!

You shouldn't have to worry about making any of the recipes from this book, because from experience, I have always found Mary Berry and Lucy Young recipes work because they are thoroughly tested.



From the book I made Hazelnut meringue roulade with raspberries to serve 8-10 (oops in this case it fed 2 people over a couple of days!). The instructions were clear and easy to follow. The roulade can be prepared and made up to 12 hours ahead and can also be frozen. A perfect dessert, light and luscious. If you, like me, grow your own raspberries, the roulade will taste even better.


Fillet steak with a creamy mushroom sauce to serve 6. There was just the two of us and I scaled the recipe down very easily. Again, the instructions were clear and concise and it was easy to produce a wonderful meal. This recipe too has instructions for preparing ahead. I made the Cheese-topped dauphinois potatoes to go alongside the steak and these were delicious. In my freezer I now have some potato dauphinois for a rainy day.


Chicken tikka masala served with plain boiled rice and naan bread. The recipe is to serve 6 people, I made the full quantity and put half the cooked masala in the freezer for another day. This recipe uses chicken thighs but I am afraid I used breast because I am not a fan of chicken thighs - I know, I know!

Thank you Gemma.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH WARM VEGETABLES AND ROCKET CREAM

This recipe is by the trusted cookery writer Diana Henry and comes from her book Cook Simple. The last time I saw Diana Henry on television, she was one of the presenters on Market Kitchen, unfortunately she no longer presents on the programme, which is a great shame.

The rocket cream is a winner and a perfect match for the chicken and vegetables. Only a few good quality ingredients are required for this recipe and after a couple of hours you will be indulging in a delicious meal.

Diana has written some wonderful cookery books and this one is a firm favourite of mine. A taster of recipes from the book - Chermoula Lamb with Hot Pepper and Carrot Puree - Mackerel Fillets with Mushrooms, Parsley and Lemon - Salad of Seared Beef and Cashel Blue Cheese - Cassis-baked Fruit - these are "make me recipe" titles, and I just love them.

I have given the full quantities for the recipe, although for just the two of us I halved the amount of ingredients.

Serves: 4-6

You will need: 1 x 1.8kg roasting chicken, 300g cherry tomatoes on the vine, 600g small waxy potatoes, 200g green beans, juice of half of a lemon.

Rocket Cream: 125g mayonnaise, 100g fromage frais, 75g rocket.

To Serve: Extra-virgin olive oil, rocket.

1. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season. Roast in a preheated oven 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 1½ hours, or until cooked through.
2. Place the tomatoes in a roasting tin, season and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 25 minutes.
3. Whiz all the ingredients for the rocket cream in a food processor. Put into a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
4. Boil the potatoes until tender, then drain. Cook the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes to retain some crunch, drain.
5. Slice the potatoes. Place the potatoes, beans and the tomatoes into a bowl and toss them with salt, pepper, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice.
6. Serve the vegetables with chunks of the chicken, rocket cream, and some extra rocket would be good.

EASY CHICKEN CURRY

In the mood for curry but short of time - then maybe this curry is for you. The curry isn't too hot but you can easily adjust the amount of chilli and ginger.

The Very Lazy Ginger used in the recipe was comparable to fresh and is a great store cupboard standby. Once opened it can then be stored in the fridge for future use.

Whilst in the photograph I didn't show all of the creamy sauce, there is more than enough for two people. I served my curry with plain boiled rice and naans.

Serves: 2 people

2 chicken breasts (bone in), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 crushed clove of garlic, a few julienned strips of Very Lazy Ginger, 1 medium sized red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped), 8 green cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 200ml chicken stock, 100ml natural yogurt, 75ml double cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves.


1. Lightly brown the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil. Remove the chicken from the pan.
2. Cook the onion, garlic, The English Provender Co. Very Lazy Ginger and chilli in the rest of the oil.
3. Take the black seeds from the cardamon pods and crush them with a pestle and mortar. Add the cardamom to the cooked onion, add the cumin and turmeric then fry over a medium heat.
4. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the stock, bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked, which is about 30 minutes or so.
5. When the chicken is cooked through, turn the heat down, stir in the yogurt and cream. Gently warm through over a gentle heat, stir in the lemon juice and coriander.
6. Serve with boiled rice and naan bread.

Thank you Alex.

BEEROASTER CHICKEN AND SALMON WOOD WRAPS

Ever thought about cooking Beeroaster chicken? I have been writing my food blog for over three years now and have seen this method of cooking chicken on numerous food blogs, somehow I never seemed to get around to having a go.

Clive from Cookequip sent me the Chicken Beeroaster Deluxe which comes complete with a tube, drip pan and vegetable clips - this is by far the safer option for using this method of cooking.
The Beeroaster can be either used in an oven or a barbecue with a closed lid.


The Beeroaster comes with a cooking guide and recipes.

The tube can be filled with beer, ale, wine or fruit juice to flavour the chicken and to add to the flavour experience a rub can be sprinkled on the outside of the chicken and also inside the cavity.

I poured beer into the tube, rubbed Cajun seasoning over the outside of the chicken and lowered the cavity of the chicken onto the tube until the legs reach the bottom of the drip pan. Then the Beeroaster was placed onto the barbecue and a couple of potatoes were put onto the vegetable spikes. We then closed the lid of the barbecue and cooked the chicken for 1½ hours, the potatoes took 1 hour, you can also put corn onto the vegetable spikes and this takes about 20 minutes to cook.

The skin was golden and crispy, the meat was tender, moist and flavoursome. You don't even need to baste the chicken, it just takes care of itself - couldn't be simpler!

My husband is taking a keen interest in the Beeroaster and next year I'll be putting more postings on here with recipes. I'm sure the man in your life won't mind opening a bottle of beer now and then, so that you too can have Beeroaster chicken!

SALMON WOOD WRAPS

Beech Wood Wraps come in a pack of six - Beech wood gives the food a sweet and mild flavour and is an ideal choice for cooking fish and seafood.


Halved spring onions were placed onto the wrap then topped with salmon and anointed with soy sauce. Sprinkle with brown sugar, red chilli and grate over some ginger. I served the cooked salmon with a vegetable stir fry and the salmon was extremely moist and delicious.


Here is how to use the Wood Wraps: Presoak the wraps in water then pat dry. Spread olive oil onto the area where you will be placing the food, this is to stop the food sticking to the wood wrap.

Place the food onto the oiled area and wrap around the food. Tie with string or a spring onion leaf (I tried the spring onion for photographic purposes but got in a mess!!). Place the wraps onto a baking tray and then into an oven 180°C. My salmon took about 20 minutes to cook. Remove the string, open up the wood wrap and serve.

There are many wood wraps to choose from, including a pack containing cherry, cedar, maple, oak, walnut and beech, enough to keep any cook happy!

A few more ideas for using wood wraps are on the Cookequip website.

CHICKEN, PAK CHOI AND ALMOND STIR-FRY

Xanthe Clay has brought out a wonderful book for the busy cook. The title says it all - 10 Minutes to Table.

Speedy recipes are all well and good, provided they pack a punch on taste. This recipe had plenty of punch but I think the 10 minutes to table was pushing it somewhat. The cookery book market has been saturated with speedy, quick, in minutes, so on and so on.......

This recipe came from a taster of the book, in Sainsbury's July Magazine 2009. Crisp fish with minted mushy peas look wonderful, although if I just served this up to my husband, I think I might be in line for the sack.....Tomato, soft cheese and sesame tart looks promising as does a salad of asparagus with buffalo mozzarella, pine nuts, peas and new potatoes. All of these recipes are to serve two people.

You will need: 2 nests of medium egg or rice noodles, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 peeled cloves of garlic, a handful of blanched almonds, 1 skinless chicken (I used more), 1 head of pak choi, 4 spring onions trimmed, 1 medium red chilli (optional), toasted sesame oil.
For the sauce: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine, 1 teaspoon cornflour.

1. Put the kettle on to boil. Put the noodles in a pan, pour over the boiling water, cover and keep to one side. Mix the sauce ingredients together with 4 tablespoons water.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan, add the oil and heat until almost smoking. slice the garlic, cook until golden, then scoop it out and discard.
3. Add the almonds, cook until pale gold, then remove and keep to one side. Thinly slice the chicken across the grain. Spread it out in the wok, allow to sizzle for a few seconds, then toss until lightly coloured and cooked through, then scoop it out.
4. Slice the pak choi. Slice the spring onions diagonally and the chilli, if using, into thin rings and add both to the wok, with more oil if needed. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then tip in the pak choi and stir for another minute, until just cooked.
5. Return the cooked chicken and almonds to the wok. Add the sauce and heat through, stir-frying everything together, adding a little more water if necessary.
6. Drain the noodles and toss with a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Serve with the stir-fry.

QUICK CHICKEN CURRY

"A chef called Ben, who used to work with Nick Nairn's good friend Phil Vickery, created this fab curry". The original recipe is apparently from Phil Vickery's book, Simply Food, and Nick Nairn tells us that he makes this recipe "when I'm in the mood for a quick curry fix".

I love home cooked curry and this recipe is full of amazing flavours without being too hot.

Instead of the canned coconut milk, I use powdered coconut milk by Maggi, and all you do is measure an amount out according to the packet instructions, then add warm water and stir to give coconut milk. I buy mine from the Asian stall in my local market unfortunately, I haven't seen it in a supermarket.

NICK NAIRN'S TOP 100 CHICKEN RECIPES


ISBN 0563487046 - Page 108

Serves: 8 (but can easily be scaled down).

You will need:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
900g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3cm cubes
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh root ginger
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can coconut milk
450ml chicken stock
4 tablespoons mango chutney
250g baby spinach leaves, stalks removed
200g Greek-style yoghurt
freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
boiled rice and naan bread, to serve

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large pan and add the chicken cubes. Quickly fry the cubes until lightly browned all over. Remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, together with the onions, garlic and ginger, and cook gently for a few minutes until softened and golden brown. Add the flour and spices and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk and return the chicken cubes to the pan. Add just enough stock to cover them, scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan and stir well. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Lastly, stir in the chutney and add the spinach. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach has just wilted, and then stir in the yoghurt and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some boiled rice and naan bread. Delicious.

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE POT ROAST

The weather has been cold, wet and grey. This pot roast will make you feel better just by looking at it. Everyone seems to have a cold at the moment and thinking about cooking is the last thing on your mind. How about trying out some one pot cooking where you just throw everything into the pot and then you needn't even think about putting a saucepan on the hob.
It will take you about 20 minutes to prepare the pot roast and then 1½ to 2 hours later you will have the most amazing chicken meal which is bursting with flavour.
This is soul food and an excellent way to feed a cold.
Seasonal Kitchen is a wonderful book packed full of beautiful photographs and recipes. It is divided into seasons which is very useful and the recipe below comes from the Winter section.

MARIE CLAIRE - SEASONAL KITCHEN
by Michele Cranston

ISBN 9781921259036 - Page 331

Serves: 4-6 (this recipe has been slightly adapted).

1.5kg whole organic chicken, 1½ tablespoons softened butter, 4 slices proscuitto, 2 onions each cut into eight, 2 large carrots,(peeled and cut into chunks), 1 celery stalk (cut into 2cm lengths), 2 leeks (rinsed and sliced into 2cm rounds), 3 potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks), 1 rosemary sprig, 250ml dry white wine, 250ml chicken stock, a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°C/Gas 4.
2. Sit the chicken in a 3 litre casserole dish. rub the butter over the breast of the chicken, then cover with the proscuitto slices.
3. Arrange the vegetables and rosemary around the chicken, and then pour the wine and stock over. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and then put the lid on top and bake for 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and gently move the vegetables around. Using a large spoon, pour some of the juices over the chicken. Leave the lid off and roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown.
6. Place the chicken on a warm serving platter along with the vegetables.
7. Pour the sauce from the casserole into a gravy skimmer, discard the fat, then pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND ROSEMARY

This recipe is a particular favourite of mine. It can be cooked both in the oven and on the barbecue (It is best to cook the chicken in the oven before finishing on the barbecue). This is one of those never fail to please recipes, and so I think that makes it perfect.
We aren't talking about pretty here with this recipe, we're talking about a beautiful golden chicken that is moist and tastes delicious. When you put the chicken onto your table it really is a wow! moment. To see this chicken in all its glory click onto the photograph for a better view!

I have been asked about the pretty jug in the photograph. This was bought from Clive Ramsays Deli in the beautiful Scottish village, Bridge of Allan. Basically, this jug holds 'liquid gold'! We were looking around the deli and were literally seduced by the place. I bought lots of goodies and my husband also chose some things. The jug holds extra virgin olive oil. I went outside whilst my husband paid and when he came to me he had turned 'a whiter shade of pale', and said the bill was a lot more than he had expected! The culprit was the jug of olive oil. Being in holiday mode I hadn't paid much attention to the price, but I just loved the jug. I kept very quiet and hoped and prayed the contents were going to be OK. What a relief the extra virgin olive oil within the jug is fabulous and I use this specifically when I am making Nigella's Ultimate Greek Salad!!

NIGELLA LAWSON FOREVER SUMMER

ISBN 0701173815 - Page 136

SERVES: 4 people

When I have seen Nigella spatchcocking a chicken on television, she does it with a glint of mischievousness in her eye, and tells us how she loves a bit of DIY surgery!!
Anyway, this is how to do the spatchcocking, which is very easy. First take the chicken, breast side down, cut through all along one side of the backbone. Then cut along the other side of the backbone, remove this. Turn the bird the other way up and press down as you open it out. Hey presto! one spatchcocked bird.

It is best to marinade the chicken the day before you want to cook it.

1 spatchcocked chicken (2-2.25kg)
3 long sprigs fresh rosemary
juice of lemon, plus more lemons to serve
1 red onion
100ml olive oil
Maldon Salt

1. Put your spatchcocked chicken into a large freezer bag. Pull the needles off 2 sprigs of rosemary and drop them on top. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice, put the empty shells in the bag as well. Cut the unpeeled onion into eighths and add these to the bag. Pour in the olive oil and tie up the bag and place in the fridge.
2.Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 210° C/Gas Mark 7.
4. Lay your chicken, skin side up on a tin lined with foil, along with the lemon husks and onion pieces, add the remaining sprig of rosemary torn into a couple of pieces, tucking them between the leg and breast. Cook for about 45 minutes, the chicken should be crisp skinned and tender.
5. Take the chicken out of the oven, cut the chicken into four pieces and arrange these on a plate, along with the onion, pour over any syrup juices from the tin and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Cut a lemon or two into quarters and scatter these around the chicken.
6. Serve with Nigella's Ultimate Greek Salad.

Since writing this post I have added two more Spatchcock Recipes:

Spatchcock Chicken with Gremolata served with a Wild Rice and Pepper Salad

Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Paprika served with a Crunchy Rice Salad