Friday night curry

I am deliriously happy, it's a Friday night, there's a glass of wine in my hand, I've made a curry.....and I fly to Ibiza tomorrow, life is good! 

I adore curry, if it's done well it has layers of flavour and is fresh and lively! Have you ever wondered how sauces from the curry house aren't like those at home.....there's one secret, and I will share it with you today....

Ingredients (2 people)

3 chicken breasts, 1tbsp olive oil, 1 red pepper, 1/2 courgette, handful mushrooms, 1 red onion, small bunch of green beans, 2 chopped cloves garlic, water, 1/2tsp of garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, and cinnamon. 1/4tsp of ground cloves, 1tsp curry powder, squeeze lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. 

Cut the chicken and vegetables in to bite size cubes. Heat the oil in a big pan and gently fry the chicken until golden brown. Whilst the chicken is browning put the onion in a blender or small chopper with a splash of water and blitz until smooth - this is the secret!

Once the chicken is brown add all the veg except the beans and gently fry for 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and spices and fry for a couple of minutes. Tip in the onion mixture and fry for a few minutes. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Add the beans, and season to taste with the salt, pepper and lemon. The sauce should have thickened, however if it is a little runny just cook uncovered for a few minutes. 

Serve with rice or cous cous and a spoon of natural yoghurt. Divine!

Easy salmon

Salmon is one of the easiest fish to cook and one of the most versatile. I adore it smoked, cut in to ribbons then stirred through creamy tagliatelle, or gently poached in white wine and served with wilted buttery greens, or perhaps hot from the BBQ covered in a sticky sauce made from equal parts golden syrup, ketchup, and a diced chilli. 

This is my easy Sunday night dish that I can whack in the oven and it's done in a jiffy. 

Ingredients (per person)

1 salmon fillet (skinned and boned), 1/2 red onion, 1 clove garlic, juice 1/2 lemon, salt & cracked black pepper, 1/2tsp ground coriander, chilli flakes to taste. 

Slice the onion and lay in the bottom of an oven proof dish. Lay the salmon fillets on top, scatter with finely sliced garlic, lemon juice, coriander, chilli and salt and pepper. Cover with tinfoil and bake in the oven (180 Celsius) for 20 minutes. The salmon needs to be just cooked through and slightly translucent in the centre. 

This can be served with a baked or mashed potato, fresh green salad or steamed vegetables. Super healthy, super quick and easy! 

Aperitivo antipasti

Italy to me is a beautiful canvass, awash with colour, it's food is both bold..think pungent salty olives and anchovies, and delicate...wafer thin ravioli stuffed with butternut squash and ricotta and drizzled with brown butter. 

The vibrabcy of Milan is where I worked  occasionally in the 90's, spending days in fashion showroom (standing for 9 hours in 4 inch stilettos - the less glamorous side of modelling) and then rushing off starving to steaming bowls of pasta in crammed backstreet cafés. Or picking at the free bar snacks, called Aperitivo, over glasses of Montepulciano and espresso. 

Sometimes, when guests visit, I love to put out big platters of snacks for people to pick at over drinks. 

Ingredients

1llb plum tomatoes, sea salt, ground black pepper, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, 3 red bell peppers, olive oil. 

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthways and place evenly on a baking tray, scatter with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Place in to a preheated oven at 50 Celsius for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight until dried and sticky. 

For the red peppers, turn the oven up high, to 200 Celsius and put the whole peppers in on a baking tray. Cook for 45 minutes or until the skin has blackened. Take out of the oven, wrap in cling film to sweat for 30 minutes and then use a sharp knife to scrape back and remove the skin. Discard the seeds and stalk and cut the flesh in to bite size chunks. 

Arrange the tomatoes and peppers on a platter, and serve with some olives and perhaps some artichoke hearts. 

I like to compliment this vegetable platter with a plate of Parma ham and salami. 

Lemon posset

Lemon posset is so unbelievably delicious, it is creamy and sharp and reminds me of summer. 

Simply bring 2 pints of double cream to the boil, simmer for 3 minutes, take off the heat to cool slightly and then whisk in the finely grated zest of 2 large (or 3 small) lemons and their sieved juice. 

Spoon in to glasses or bowls and set in the fridge. 

I often serve this with shortbread biscuits on the side, or perhaps some fresh raspberries, but you could also crumble the shortbread on to a plate, add a cornel of the posset sitting on top and serve with some raspberry sauce and fresh summer fruits. It is also great made with a mix of orange and lemon zest and juice.

Garlic and herb bread

Ingredients

I medium size baguette, 1tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, turmeric, ground cumin and herbs de Provence. 

Put the butter in to a bowl. Crush the garlic and mash in to the butter. Add the remainder of the ingredients and whisk thoroughly. 

Cut slashes through the baguette being careful not to cut all the way through. Spoon teaspoons of the butter mixture in to the slashes, using it all up, roll the baguette tightly in tinfoil and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Once chilled put the wrapped garlic bread in to a preheated oven (180c) for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and cook uncovered for a further 3 minutes to crisp up. Cut in to slices and enjoy.

A Lasagne for love

Christian is at a stag party this weekend in Heksinki, which means he is going to come back tired, hungover and hungry. So, I thought it would be nice to make a comforting lasagne for him to tuck in to when he gets home. 

My lasagne isn't as traditional as some Italians might like, it is inspired by one I had in Milan which was spiked with chilli and is my absolute favourite version, my friend Matt once told me this was the best lasagne he'd ever had, it is hot, spicy and deeply rich and delicious.

Ingredients for the bolognaise

450g mince beef, 1 large red onion, 3 large tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic, 8 button mushrooms, 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 500g box tomato passata, 0.5 cup beef stock, 1 tsp honey, salt and pepper to taste. 

Finely chop the vegetables and garlic. Fry the beef mince in a large pan on a medium heat until brown all over and then add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, passata, honey, chilli, herbs salt, pepper and stock. Leave uncovered, lower the heat and gently cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced a little and it looks rich and lucious. 

Ingredients for the bechamel

2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 pint milk (I use semi skimmed but use what suits you), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 a finely grated nutmeg.

Add the butter to a pan and melt on a medium heat, then add the flour and cook, stirring continually for a couple of minutes. 

Start to add the milk a splash at a time, continuously stirring and scraping the bottom to combine to make a smooth paste. Keep adding the milk bit by bit and you will find the paste will slowly become a thick sauce. 

Once you have a smooth sauce keep it cooking whilst stirring until it starts to boil, once it's bubbling cook for one minute more then take off the heat. Add the salt and nutmeg and set aside ready to use. 

Building the lasagne

I like to set my lasagne bowl in front of me and have my bolognaise, bechamel, some grated mature cheddar cheese and uncooked lasagne sheets in front of me. 

I put a big spoon of bolognaise in first, then a layer of pasta, breaking it in to pieces to fit the bowl and create an even layer, then a big spoon of bechamel, sprinkling of cheese, pasta, bolognaise and so forth until all of your ingredients are used up in layers. Just ensure your final layer is one of bechamel and cheese. 

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes, to check the pasta is cooked inset a sharp knife, if it goes in easily it is cooked. If there is any give pop back in the oven at 10 minute increments until cooked thoroughly. If the top ever starts to get too brown loosely cover with foil. 

Once cooked take out the oven, cover with foil and leave for 15 minutes before eating. Serve with a crisp green salad or some crusty garlic bread to mop up the juices.