Saturday lunch

A weekend lunch with friends needent be complicated or stressful, I prefer a lie in and lazy breakfast followed by some simple prep, than spending my weekend slaving over a hot stove making complicated meals which take hours!

This lunch is so quick and simple to make, with minimal fuss and it tastes beautiful! 

Ingredients 

4 chicken quarters, 8 cooking chorizo sausages, 2 tins green lentils, 1 pack feta cheese, cup cherry tomatoes, small jar sundried tomatoes in oil, bunch of fresh mint, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, black pepper, sea salt, honey, garlic

Place the chicken and sausages on to an oven proof tray, drizzle with olive oil, then scatter with salt, pepper and crushed garlic, pop in to an pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour, occasionally basting with the juices. After 1 hour take out of the oven, cover with tinfoil and let rest. 

Next, drain the tinned lentils and place in to a bowl. Chop the sundried and cherry tomatoes, cube the feta cheese, finely chop the mint and gently toss everything in to the lentils. 

Next, make a dressing by mixing 2 tbsp lemon juice with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. 

Stir the dressing in to the lentils along with 2 tbsp of the chicken and chorizo pan juices (not essential but a nice touch) and grate a little lemon zest on top. 

Serve the chicken, sausages and lentils along with a fresh crisp green salad and some sourdough bread to mop up the juices. Divine! 

 

Lovely leftovers

I hate waste, of any kind, pretty much any leftovers from last nights dinner can be revamped in to a delicious ensemble fit for any table. I'm well known for making the Sunday roast last at least 3 days, and veggie options shouldn't be overlooked either. 

There used to be a great little restaurant in London's Soho that did the best bean burgers I've ever had, unfortunately it's long gone, but this is my homage to that little place, using last nights leftover quiona. 

If you want to make this recipe from scratch simply cook quiona according to pack instructions and leave to cool before you start. This makes around 4 burgers. 

Ingredients

1/4 courgette, 1/4 red bell pepper, 1/2 red onion - all finely cubed, 1 tin red kidney beans drained, 1 cup cooked quiona, 2 tbsp defrosted peas,  2 tablespoons plain flour, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cloves, salt and pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil, 

Gently fry the courgette, red pepper and onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until starting to brown. Add ginger and clove powders and stir. Leave aside to cool. 

Use a small chopper or a potato masher to mash up the kidney beans until they become a thick paste, if required add a tsp water to help the process. 

Mix the kidney bean paste and quinoa together until combined, then add the peas, cooked vegetables and salt and pepper and thoroughly combine. 

If the mix is a little sticky use a little of the flour to help it combine together. 

Divide the mix in to burger size portions and pat to shape, then gently roll in seasoned flour. Rest on a plate in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. 

Heat the remainder of the olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the burgers on both sides until golden brown and hot throughout. 

You can serve these burgers in a bread bun with ketchup and fries in the traditional manner, however I like them served with a simple salad scattered with seeds, and a dressing made from 2 tbsp natural yoghurt, and 1 tsp each of soy sauce, crushed garlic, curry powder, Dijon mustard and honey, simply divine! 

Turkey & quinoa "hot and cold" salad

I am keen to keep a healthy spring in my step as the days grow longer and tonight's dinner is inspired by a salad I once had in San Diego where healthy eating is second nature. 

The hot elements of this dish really contrast with the cold salad and the sweet and sour dressing is wonderfully refreshing. It keeps you fuller for longer as it is packed with protein, it's bright, fresh and utterly delicious! 

Ingredients

1 cup rinsed Quinoa, 5 cups chicken stock, 2 turkey breasts sliced in to bite size pieces, 1/5 cup frozen peas gently defrosted, 2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves of your choice, 2 carrots, 1/2 courgette, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 small red onion, 1tsp coriander  powder, 1tsp ginger powder, 1 tbsp olive oil,  juice of half a lemon, teaspoon runny honey, pinch sea salt and black pepper. 

Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the quinoa. Simmer gently for 20 minutes and then rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork and leave to cool.

Arrange the salad leaves on 2 plates and grate over the carrot, then sprinkle with the defrosted peas.

Spoon over the cooked quinoa.

Cut the courgette, red onion and red pepper in to bite size chunks. Heat the olive oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat and fry the turkey until just going brown, then add the vegetables and spices to the same pan and on a very high heat toss quickly until they start to char slightly at the edges. Add the honey and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, then toss to deglaze the pan. Spoon the hot turkey and vegetables along with the pan juices on to the salad leaves and quinoa, and serve immediately.

Getting some energy back

Well I'm sick, scarlet fever, how incredibly 1800's of me! Fortunately the antibiotics are kicking in and it's time for me to get some energy back, so lunch today is avocado, tomato and watercress salad with mixed seeds. Simply chop everything up,  arrange on a plate and sprinkle with a little extra virgin olive oil, malt vinegar, salt crystals and cracked black pepper. Divine! 

AT HOME IN LONDON, APRIL 2013

By Jessica

You need to make this recipe using the strained and soaked oats from the Atholl Brose mix (see recipe below). Try this cake it is absolutely divine!

Whisky Oaty Cake
Ingredients:  The strained Atholl Brose oats, 2 big tablespoons (Tbs) golden syrup, 3 Tbs caster sugar,  2 rounded Tbs plain flour, 1 flat teaspoon  of baking powder, ½ a regular pack of real butter, 1 large cup of oats, teaspoon of good vanilla essence.

The mix Preheat the oven to 160C. In a small pan melt the golden syrup, sugar and butter and add the vanilla. Then stir in the flour, baking powder and oats. Tip in to a shallow 30cm baking dish. Bake in the oven for 15 mins until it is only just starting to go golden on the top. Leave to cool.

To serve This is best eaten whilst just warm  and squidgy with lashings of double cream.

WEDDING AT THAMES DITTON, APRIL 2013

By Jessica

My husband‘s father was a Scotsman. Scotsman generally love a wee dram of the hot stuff, as does my husband.  So when a friend of ours got married as everyone was asked to bring something for the dessert table Christian jumped at the chance to seize his heritage and make Atholl Brose for the bride and groom, this is his version of the oaty Scottish

Atholl Brose
Ingredients:  4 cups of porridge oats, ½ a litre of whisky, 2 cups of double cream, ½ a jar of honey (heather honey is deal but normal honey will do)

The mix Put the oats in to a container with the whisky and soak them for a week stirring occasionally and keeping a tight cover on in-between so it doesn’t evaporate.  It will go creamy looking over the course of the week. Strain the oats over a large bowl, ideally through a clean muslin cloth to really clean out all the impurities. (Save the squeezed oats in a Tupperware in the fridge I have another recipe you can use for them later!) Anyway, back to the whisky, whisk the double cream and honey in to the creamy whisky mixture. Then decant in to an empty bottle and chill in the fridge.

To serve Store in the fridge and drink within a week, it’s gorgeous for an after dinner tipple.

CORNWALL, JANUARY 2013
By Jessica
January is a gloomy month, waiting to see the first signs of spring. It’s important to treat yourself to something delicious and heart-warming to put a smile on your face. So, it was on a visit to Cornwall to see the mother in law that I rediscovered the joy of scones.....and this is my best recipe for them yet!

Yummy scones (makes around 8)
Ingredients:  8 ounce (oz) self raising flour, 2oz butter, 2 oz caster sugar, pinch of salt, splash of cold milk, 1 egg, teaspoon of good quality vanilla essence.

The mix Heat your oven to 200C. Grease and gently sprinkle flour on a baking sheet and tap off the excess flour. Mix together the salt, flour, and sugar and then rub in the butter and vanilla essence until the mix forms crumbs. Use enough milk to make the mix in to a soft dough ball (add it a tablespoon at a time so you don’t over-milk).
Cut the dough in to 8 equal pieces and roll each in to a ball, squash the ball slightly and put on the baking sheet. (Or to be fancy you can use a cutter to cut proper shapes). Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes and then cool before eating!
To serve Just slightly warm is divine! It has to be with clotted cream, jam and a nice pot of tea!