Butter Chicken

This is a rich and delicious chicken curry and although at first glance it may seem complicated, it is actually very simple to make.  If you are making this for just one or two of you, you can halve the measures of most of the ingredients, but don't halve the spices.

For the Marinade

• 2 tablespoons natural yogurt
• 2 tablespoons double cream
• 1 dessertspoon of cornflour
• 1 tablespoon of grated ginger (I usually use around half an inch but if you don't have                                               fresh ginger, try 1 teaspoon of dried ginger)
• 4 cloves of garlic - crushed
• Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• Half to 1 teaspoon of chilli powder (according to taste)
• 500g Chicken breasts or thighs

The Sauce

• 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• I onion finely chopped 
• Half a teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• Heaped half teaspoon of ground fenugreeek
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 tin of tomatoes 1 tablespoon butter
• A good pinch of salt.

• Using a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade in the order given. 
• If using fresh ginger, it can be cut into slices and run through the garlic zoom if you have one, otherwise, chop it very finely
• Once the marinade is mixed, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and put it into the mixture, ensuring all the pieces are well coated, then cover the bowl and put it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you can.

• When you are ready to cook the chicken it is time to make the sauce. 
• Ensure that the onion is very finely diced - it should be in very tiny pieces, looking as though it has been minced.
•  Heat the oil in a large pan or a wok.  Fry the onions until they are browned - this is a really important step and makes a great difference to the taste of the finished dish, so don't rush this.
• Add the turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and salt, cook this, stirring all the time for one minute, then turn the heat down a little and add the butter.  Let the butter melt slowly, stir it into the mixture, then add the cornflour stirring all the time. Let it cook for about a minute whilst still stirring.  Tip in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until it thickens.
• Add the chicken and the marinade and cook on a low heat for around 20 minutes until the chicken is done.

Serve the curry hot with, rice or naan bread or both.

Fried Rice

I am assuming that if you are cooking Chinese you will be with friends and will need rice for more than one person

• Approximately 4oz rice
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1oz blanched almonds or cashew nuts
• 2 spring onions finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Pinch of salt

1. Boil the rice then place in a separate dish and allow to cool
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan 
3. Beat the eggs and salt together and add to the oil in the pan stirring all the time, until it is half cooked (slightly runny)
4. Add the rice to the mixture, breaking up any lumps, coat all the grains in the egg, stirring quickly.
5. Add the spring onions and nuts
6. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the mixture 
7. Fry for 3 - 4 minutes stirring constantly

Serve in a warm dish

As it is Chinese New Year . . .

This year Chinese New Year falls on January 31 so I have added this recipe for Chinese Pork, which is a dish I often cook when I have some cold pork leftover from the Sunday roast, but you can do it by dicing a pork loin chop and frying it off in the pan before add the rest of the ingredients.

The specified vegetables are not crucial, you can substitute whatever you have to hand and you don't have to add bean sprouts, but they make it so much better.

• 2 tbsps oil
• Cold Roast Pork - roughly cut into bite sized pieces    (or a couple of pork chops, diced and fried in the oil for a couple of minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside for later use)
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar ( you could use white, but I don't put any in)
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree (you could use ketchup but if you do, definitely omit the sugar)
• 4oz bean sprouts
• 2oz skinned almonds (not vital but I prefer to substitute cashews)
• 1 carrot cut into thin sticks
• 1 large leek, sliced or a large onion sliced into strips
• 2 sliced or chopped mushrooms
• 1 apple, sliced
• Juice of half a lemon (or a few splashes of  bottled lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ pint of chicken stock 

You could substitute or add sliced, deseeded bell peppers,  fine green beans, broccoli (cut close to the floret leaving off the stalk) or anything else you wish to. 

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat
2. Add the densest vegetables first (carrots, broccoli etc)  and fry - stirring all the time
3. Add the rest of the vegetables, keep stirring
4. Add the meat
5. Finally add the ketchup, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar if using, and stock, 
6. Simmer for no more than 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or noodles

Beef Keema with Potatoes

Tasty, warm and filling - just the thing for a winter's evening.  Oh, and it can have a bit of a kick!    If you don't have have all the spices just put in the ones you do have, it won't be the same but it won't be too bad, although you do need the ginger, coriander and chilli.

• 500g  minced beef
• 1 onion - chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger OR 2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled
• 3 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 2 Bay leaves  
• 4 cloves  or 1 tsp of ground cloves
• 4 cardamom pods - split them open slightly
• 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes OR 2 small chillis chopped and deseeded
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ¾ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped into fairly small chunks and parboiled
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• a little oil for frying.

• Peel the onion and cut it in half, then lay it cut side down and slice it thinly
• Heat the oil in a large pan (I find a wok is the best pan for this)
• Add the spices to the oil and cook for about a minute on a low to medium heat - be careful not to let them burn
• Add the onion and garlic to the oil, mix in with the spices and cook until the onion softens and looks translucent, stirring from time to time to ensure that they don't burn
• Add the beef and brown for a while - if it is very fatty beef, it may be better to brown it first and set it aside until you need it, having drained off the fat.
• Add the tomatoes and tomato puree ( rinse out the can with a little water and put the water in too)
• Add the potatoes and stir in well.  
• Cover and simmer on a low heat for about half an hour

Easy Chilli Con Carne

• 250g minced beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 can of  tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes    *
• ½ tsp cumin                           *
• 1 tsp paprika                          *
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• Water

1. Chop the onions and garlic and set aside
2. Brown the minced beef in a large pan; when it is well browned drain the accumulated fat into the container the meat came in, or into another disposable container.
3. Add the onions, garlic,and spices and continue to cook until browned
4. Stir in the flour and let the mixture cook for a minute to ensure that the flour is cooked
5. Rinse the kidney beans, then add them to the mixture along with the tomatoes
6. Add a little cold water to the tomato can, swirl around to gather up the tomato juices which are clinging to the side of the tin, then add to the pan and crumble a stock cube into the mixture.
7. Stir well, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

*You can add more or less of the spices according to your own personal taste, but remember that although the first mouthful may not seem too hot, succeeding ones will be hotter, so when tasting, it may be better to put a little into a cup and eat a few mouthfuls.

Kedgeree

Kedgeree is usually thought of as a breakfast dish but for those evenings when you get back late and want a warming meal but don't want to wait too long, this is perfect.

• 100g rice
• 1 boiled egg
• smoked fish - (vacuum packed smoked mackerel from the supermarket is very good)
• handful of frozen peas
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
• 100g natural yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp cornflour
• Knob of butter/flora

• Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside to dry off but keep it warm
• Boil the egg, when cooked, cool it in cold water then peel and roughly chop.
• Whilst the rice & the egg are cooking melt the butter over a low heat and cook the onions and spices
• Flake the fish into the butter onions and spices & add the peas
• Put a little of the yoghurt into a cup and stir in the cornflour till it is all combined, then add the rest and stir it into the onions and fish.
• Stir the fish mixture and the chopped eggs into the rice and serve.

You can use more of the spices according to your taste - I have to confess that I use a lot more than the amounts specified.  If you want to make more of this, it is a simple matter to double up the amounts.

When the exams are over - celebrate with Coq au Vin

So you are heading to that dreaded time - exams.  I'm guessing no-one really has time to cook just now, and you are living on whatever you can grab fast.  Not great nutrition but fills a hole - gets the job done.
Once the exams are over however, it will be time to celebrate and you will have time to hang out with friends, maybe all get together for a meal.  For some of you, it may be for the last time if you are doing finals.  So - time to get the good stuff out - good hearty food, and maybe food to make a statement?

What about a good hearty Coq au Vin?  Sounds impressive huh?  Sounds complicated?  No!  It really isn't.  Sounds expensive?  Well I suppose it could be, but I know that you are on a budget and I always look for the less expensive option.
Whilst giving the instructions for this recipe, I will try to show the less expensive options alongside the more expensive ingredients, and you can choose which way to go.

For 2                                                  

• 2 Chicken breasts - or 3 thigh fillets - don't cut too small

         (a pack of 5 or 6 chicken thigh fillets costs around £3 and is more succulent)

• 6 shallots, peeled - or 1 onion peeled and diced
• 2 rashers of good smoked bacon, cut into slices (or a few thin slices of smoked sausage - like Mattessons - you can use the rest on pizzas, in spanish omelettes etc)
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and pepper
• a good squeeze of tomato puree ( I always use ketchup - it is just better)
• 300mls of chicken stock (boiling water and stock cube will do)
• Red wine - about 1 small glass  
• 1 level tablespoon of flour
• Salt & Black pepper to taste
• 4 medium closed cap mushrooms cut into quarters
• Bouquet Garni - if you don't have one, use half a teaspoon each of parsley & thyme and a couple of bay leaves.  If you don't have those, just add a teaspoon of mixed herbs - I won't tell if you don't
• Chopped stalk of celery - if you must.
• A little oil 

For 6 people:

• You could use a whole chicken if you prefer - take a good pair of scissors and cut up the middle of the back of the bird alongside the back bone, then cut up the other side, removing the bone, then cut the bird into portion sized pieces.  If you would rather not mess around, just use thigh fillets.

• 3 rashers of bacon
• 10 shallots or 1 and a half onions

• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree ( I always use ketchup - it is just better)
• 500mls of chicken stock (boiling water and stock cube will do)
• Red wine - about 1 large glass  - some recipes call for a bottle, this seems excessive to me.  Either use whatever red wine you have left over or you can buy small bottles in the supermarket.  
• 1 good tablespoon of flour
• Salt & Black pepper to taste
• 8 - 10 medium closed cap mushrooms cut into quarters
• Bouquet Garni - if you don't have one, use a teaspoon each of parsley & thyme and a couple of bay leaves.  If you don't have those, just add a teaspoon of mixed herbs - I won't tell if you don't
• Chopped stalk of celery - if you must.
• A little oil 

Put the oil into a large pan, add the chicken pieces and cook until they are browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add the bacon, onions, mushrooms, celery - if using, herbs (not the bay leaves) & garlic, cook for a few moments to brown slightly.  

Add the flour and coat the ingredients, then cook gently for a moment or two before adding the tomato puree, wine, and stock.  

Cook those for a few moments then return the chicken to the pan.

Bring to the boil, then simmer gently with a lid on for at least 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.  Once the poultry is cooked, remove the lid and cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Taste, then add the salt a little at a time, once the cooking is finished.  Adding salt before cooking can be detrimental to the quality of the food as it causes the meat to become dry.

Serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

It is worth saying that the better the wine you use in cooking, the better the outcome, but budgetary constraints will drive the choice and the inexpensive stuff I bought was ok     

       

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