Indian 101

Tandoori chicken is probably the first Indian dish that most English kids try, as it's quite mild yet still packed with fragrant flavour. It was definitely the dish I would cook for my American friends as a gentle introduction to my favourite kind of food. If I'm honest, it was also a bit of a test for potential suitors, as if they couldn't appreciate basic Indian, I knew they just weren't for me.It's a very simple dish to make, taking very little effort or expertise but producing a gorgeous result, which can be served simply with rice and some raitas or as part of a larger feast.

When made with skinless chicken wings or small drumsticks this recipe makes a fantastic party finger food.
Usually, when I'm making a curry, I like to make my own blend of spices tailored to suit the main ingredients or my mood but in this case, I use a pre-made blend which is available at most good grocery stores or online. This produces the tandoori flavour I loved as a child and is something I can never quite replicate by myself, so why fuss?

I heard an Indian chef once say "If Tandoori Chicken is a fine car, then limes are the key to start the engine"
Before that I always served mine with lemon, but since trying with lime, I never do it any other way.

Tandoori Chicken
Serves 2, takes 24 hours, including marinading time. 30 minutes actual working time.

2 each skinless free-range chicken thighs, wings(optional) and drumsticks
1 cup natural yoghurt
2 tbsp tandoori masala (I use Rajah brand)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cm ginger root, finely grated
2 tbsp mustard oil (optional)
salt to taste


Mix together all of the ingredients except the chicken in a medium-sized bowl.

Cut deep slits into the flesh of the thighs and drumsticks about 1cm (1/2") apart to allow the marinade to penetrate well. Add to the yoghurt marinade and mix really well, being sure to get the masalas well into all the nooks and crannies. Cover the bowl with cling film and pop n the fridge overnight. You can even get this marinating a couple of days before you plan to cook it, the longer the better.
Remove the chicken from the fridge at least one hour before you plan to cook it so that it cooks quickly.

Turn your grill/broiler on as high as it will go and put a grill pan with a wire rack under the grill high enough that when the chicken is on top it's only an inch or so from the heat.

Once the grill and pan are searing hot, quickly put the chicken pieces on the rack and slip it back under the broiler, cooking for 5-7 minutes before turning over and finishing the second side for another 5 minutes. You want the meat to be cooked all the way through and for the edges to begin to blacken slightly.

Serve immediately with basmati rice, poppadums, raitas and wedges of lime.
Easy Chicken Tandoori

Spring's First Asparagus

One of the things that's great about having a veggie garden is that come spring, you get to start collecting the fruits (and veg) of your labour, after a long winter of garden inactivity.
Sometimes, I haven't made room in my menu for veggies that seem to suddenly be ready to harvest and I find that I have to quickly find something to do with a crop of peas, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and so on. Of course much can be blanched and frozen or preserved in other ways, but I prefer to eat things right away, as having freshly picked veggies was part of the reason for growing our own in the first place.
Yesterday, I realized that we had quite a bit of asparagus that needed to be harvested before it got too big and tough and I wanted to try to incorporate them into the Indian meal I had planned for our supper.

I decided to make some pakoras, a popular Indian snack or starter, which are made with chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour and some subtle spices.

Served with a dip of cucumber mint raita, they're a lovely accompaniment to a curry or as a starter. Other veggies like cauliflower, potato and onion are common ingredients in traditional pakoras. If you're in need of ideas for party nibbles, these are brilliant made bite-sized, you just need to cut the veggies a little smaller.

Asparagus Pakoras with Cucumber Riata
Makes 4 (serves 2) takes 25 minutes

6-7 stalks of asparagus
1/2 a medium onion
6 tbsp gram flour*
6tbsp cold water
a couple of pinches of salt
1/2 tsp ajwan seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp baking powder
Veg Oil for frying

For the Raita:
1 cup natural yoghurt
2 tsp mint sauce
salt to taste
1/2 a cucumber, (English/hothouse) grated
handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, rouhgly chopped
1 sprig fresh mint, chopped

Mix together the gram flour, baking powder, water, salt and spices so that you have a mixture about the consistency of pancake batter.
Slice the onion half into thin half-moon slices and add them to the batter. Trim the woody bottoms off the asparagus and slice about 1/4" thick on a sharp diagonal then add the pieces to the batter, mixing the whole lot well to coat well.

Add oil to a skillet to fill about 1/4" deep and heat over a medium heat to 160C (320F) which will drop slightly when you add the pakora mixture.

Use a large spoon to scoop loose piles of the veggie/batter mixture into the hot oil and allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom before carefully turning over and cooking for a further 2-3 minutes on the second side. Remove the pakoras to a plate with some paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

If you make a large number and are cooking in batches, keep them hot in a warm oven while you finish subsequent pieces.

For the raita, simply mix all the ingredients together well in a bowl. Serve on the side of the pakoras.

Honey, Ice Creamed the Pistachios.

Is that not the cheesiest blog title ever?Last year, my lovely and delectable husband decided that 'we' should get an ice cream machine. This was at the beginning of a serious effort on my part to cut down on the sweets and lose a bit of weight for summer so I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the whole idea. As is usually the case when Drew sets his mind on something, he beat me down (figuratively) and we ordered our machine and a recipe book from Amazon. So excited was my hubby to try some recipes that I thought he might make something in the kitchen more daring than a cheese crisp. As it turns out, Drew's plan for the ice cream machine was place orders with me when he fancied trying a flavour. He still has yet to make so much as a scoopful, which is fine with me, as I'm ridiculously territorial about my kitchen.

Despite having to be careful to restrict myself to one small scoop, I'm so thrilled that Drew convinced me to buy that machine, because it has been so much fun experimenting with different flavours. Last year's best successes were rhubarb crumble and custard and variations on sea salted caramel and pralines.

Our machine has put away for much of the winter for obvious reasons but was brought out the other day to make this delightfully light and subtle ice cream made with thyme blossom honey and pistachios. The slightest hint of orange flower water enhances the subtle flavour of the honey without being old lady floral.

While lovely by itself, it struck me today that it might be lovely with the banana and chocolate cake I made the other day and I was so right. As a dessert they were a lovely pairing, which I would serve as a finish to a summer dinner, perhaps with the cake still a little warm.

Pistachio Honey Ice Cream
Makes approx 8 servings, takes 2 hours including churning

45oml (15oz) double cream (heavy whipping cream)
300ml (10oz) whole milk
2 tbsp orange flower water
5 tbsp good honey
100g (3.5oz) golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
100g shelled, unsalted pistachios
boiling water

Put the honey in a small bowl over a pan of barely simmering water with the orange flower water and the milk and warm, stirring until all the honey has dissolved into the milk.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together well in another bowl until pale and foamy, then whisk in the cream. Pour the warm honey/milk mixture into the egg/cream mixture, whisking all the while until well combined (Make sure your milk and honey mixture isn't hot, as it will scramble the eggs. yuck.)
Pop the bowl of cream mixture in the fridge for an hour or so until very cool.

While your custard is cooling, begin to prepare your pistachios. Put them into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow them to soak in the hot water for at least an hour so that they plump up and become soft and the liquid is cooled. Tip them into a wire sieve and rinse well, shuffling them around the sieve will help loosen the skins. The rough skins should peel away very easily with your fingers and you should end up with plump green kernels about 50% heavier than when you weighed them to start with.
Chop the pistachios so that there is a good mixture of very finely chopped pieces and larger chunks and set aside.

When your custard has cooled, pour it into an ice cream machine* and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions (probably about 35 minutes) and once ready, add the pistachio pieces and churn for a further couple of minutes to make sure the nuts are well combined.

Scoop into a clean**, airtight container and pop in the freezer to finish setting.

*If you do not have an ice cream machine, you can still make this ice cream by putting the container in the freezer and removing every half hour to whisk well. Electric beaters come in handy for this, as the harder the ice cream gets, the harder it will be to whisk. Keep the beaters in the freezer between whiskings so that you don't indroduce warmth to the mixture.

The more you whisk while it freezes, the better, as it will help prevent large ice crystals from forming and will introduce more air, which makes a lighter, creamier product.

**I keep an airtight container that I ONLY use for ice cream. Butter fat absorbs odours like kitty litter, so if you've used a container previously to hold a curry or Bolognese sauce, anything left behind will be absorbed into the ice cream.
Honey-Pistachio Ice Cream

I Say Pollo, You Say Poulet...

When I was a child, one of my absolute favourite chicken dishes in the world was chicken Kiev. I can't really remember if Mum made it from scratch but I think so, because she tended to shun prepared and processed foods, which is an attitude that definitely rubbed off on me. Nowadays, what can pass as chicken Kiev in the frozen food aisle is an insult to the original dish as well as the poor chickens that gave up their lives to supply it.

I was going to make chicken Kievs yesterday, as I haven't made them in quite a while but when it came to it, I realized that I'd run out of butter! I had a quick peek in the fridge for possible alternative stuffings and decided on a blend of herbs and Italian cheeses. I think if this dish had an accent, it would be an Italian one, but an Italian who summered in France.
I served the breasts with the tenderloins on a bed of sauteed spinach and new potatoes. The ingredients in the stuffing produce what is a soft, fragrant sauce which gently oozes out when you cut into it. I always use free-range chicken, but I think that for this dish it's essential for a proper chickeny flavour.

Chicken Stuffed With Italian Cheeses and French Herbs
Serves 2, takes 45 minutes

2 free-range chicken breasts, off the bone, skin removed.

For the stuffing:
100g fresh ball mozzerella, chopped finely
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp pin nuts
1/2 sprig rosemary, needles pulled and finely chopped
1 sprig tarragon, finely chopped

To coat:
2 cups panko or coarse breadcrumbs
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp free-range mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
juice 1/2 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter (will help the olive oil brown the chicken)

Turn the oven on to 180C (350F) and mix the stuffing ingredients together well in a bowl.

Create a pocket in the chicken breast using a medium-sized, sharp, unserrated knife:
Lay the chicken breast, wide end toward you, smooth side up. Insert the tip of your knife into the end of the breast, about 1 cm (1/2") from the top side of the breast. use your other hand to hold the breast steady while you use the knife to create a pocket as big as possible, without too much back and forth motion and without breaking through to the outside. Take care to keep the opening as small as possible so that the filling doesn't leak out more than it has to. It sounds more difficult than it is, I promise.

Hold the chicken breasts almost like an empty sock and use a teaspoon to put half of the filling in each breast. Use your fingers to smooth the filling into every nook and cranny of the inside of the chicken breast and push out any air. Try to keep the filling about 1cm (1/2") from the opening and push closed.

Mix together the mayo, mustard and lemon juice and coat the breasts evenly in this mixture before coating well in seasoned breadcrumbs.

Heat the olive oil and butter in an oven-proof non-stick pan and test the temperature by dropping a few breadcrumbs into the pan, looking for an immediate but gentle sizzle.

Carefully add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down and leave to brown for 3-4 minutes before turning them over and putting the whole pan into the hot oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the breasts from the oven when golden and crisp and move to a plate to allow them to rest for ten minutes before serving.

Stuffed Chicken Breast

What's "Baaaa" In Mandarin?

My stepson, Christian has been visiting his mother in Denver for the Easter break, which means smaller, less complicated meals (not to mention fewer dishes to wash!)

Rather than spending all this well-earned couple time hanging out alone in the kitchen, I'm focusing more on quick, simple suppers that I can get on the table, drink in-hand as soon as possible.

I had a little minced lamb left over from some burgers I'd made the other day and thought that it would be nice stir-fried into some Chinese egg noodles with some cabbage. Drew absolutely loved these noodles, which is odd, as he's not a big fan of Chinese food, cabbage OR lamb.
Chinese Noodles with Minced Lamb and Cabbage
Serves 2, takes less than 20 minutes

200g fine egg noodles
150g (5.5oz) minced lamb
250g white cabbage -sliced thinly and uniformly on a mandolin
1 medium onion -sliced thinly and uniformly on a mandolin with the cabbage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1cm piece ginger, grated
2 large handfuls bean sprouts
2 sprigs mint
handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce (available at Oriental grocers)
2 tbsp preserved cabbage (optional)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp ground nut oil

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions in boiling salted water, then drain and rinse well with cold water. sprinkle with a little oil and toss through to prevent sticking.

make sure you have all your prep done and all your sauces to hand before you start wokking. You can mix the liquid ingredients together with a tbsp of water and keep it to hand.

Heat your wok over a high heat and when it starts to smoke add your oil. Quickly add the garlic, chilli and ginger to the pan and stir fry for 20-30 seconds, until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Add the minced lamb and stir-fry for a few minutes until well broken-up and uniformly browned and dry.
Tip in the thinly sliced cabbage and onion and fry for a further minute or so, until the onion is beginning to brown and the cabbage is starting to soften. Add the sauces, stirring through well and cooking for a minute or so until only a little moisture is left.
Add the noodles to the pan, toss them well into the mixture of veggies and sauce, then let them fry untouched for a minute to allow some crispy bits to develop.

Add most of the the herbs and beansprouts to the mix when you turn the heat off. Toss well and serve immediately in big bowls with extra herbs.

Hot And Spicy Noodles

Grotty Old Bananas

How predictable is it that I make banana cake with old bananas? Almost as predictable as my husband and stepson intentionally leaving the bananas to go brown for exactly that reason.
I have made it every which-way possible by now, experimenting with different nuts, seeds and flours in an attempt to inject a little hippie health food into the mix.
I have settled on this way of doing this cake now. It's got a lovely mix of nuts and seeds, but is still unabashedly cakey, made with butter and white flour. I started adding very dark chocolate a while back and now I can't leave it out, as I think it really adds a nice counter to the banana's sweet perfume.This is a perfect afternoon tea or coffee companion and I think it would have done really well in the Seattle coffee shops I used to practically live in in the '90's....sigh, happy Mem'ries of Bauhaus and B&O Espresso....

It looks a bit like a health food, but I promise, it's super moist and sticky and absolutely scratches any "I need a piece of cake" itch.

Banana, Nut and Seed Cake with Dark Chocolate Chunks
Makes 12 slices

6 reeeallly, ugly-brown ripe bananas
175g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened
210g (7.5oz) golden caster sugar
105g (3.7oz) light brown sugar
330g (11.5oz) plain (all purpose) flour
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
1 tsp bicarbonate (baking) soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
50g (2 oz) each: Flax seeds, walnut pieces, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
100g (3.5oz) good 85% dark chocolate, cut into small chunks.

Turn your oven on to 150C (300F) and grease and line a 23cm (9") square cake tin (or round, whatever.)**
Cream together the butter and both sugars for 5-6 minutes, until really light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated before adding the next.
While that's happening, peel and mash the bananas, then add stir them into the butter/sugar/eggs mixture with the ground almonds. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder, then stir into the mix until just combined, then do the same with the nuts, seeds and chocolate.
Tip this mixture into your prepared cake tin, making a little dent in the centre to compensate for rising. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes- 1 hour 25, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
Cool on the counter for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling at room temp before slicing into.

**To make this loaf-sized, multiply the ingredients by 2/3 and bake for 45 -55 minutes.
Moist Banana Cake

Spanish Rice With Squid. Ole!

Hi Blog! Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of days. Now that the weather is so much prettier, I've been spending more time outside in the garden, planting veggie seeds, pulling weeds and trying to figure out what animal(s) is living in my compost bin. Whatever it is, it has tunneled underground and into the greenhouse and is doing a fantastic job of turning over all the decomposing vegetables. I pulled a load of compost out from the bottom yesterday to dig into the garden, and just like last time, it smelled really lemon/limey because of all the citrus peels I toss in there while I'm cooking.
It's also possible that I discovered the Angry Birds game two days ago and so have been absolutely glued to my iPhone for the past two days playing it...

So I haven't posted any recipes or chatter on you for a few days, but I have been cooking as much as always and will post my recipes in a little bit. I've had some serious banana cake and stuffed chicken successes, as well as a truly memorable evening at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, so I'll post about that incredible experience too.
A few nights ago, I was planning on making a Thai noodle dish with some squid, but when it came to it, I just wasn't feeling Thai at all so I made this simple little Spanish-style rice dish with saffron and peppers. The addition of the smoked paprika is fantastic with the squid, especially when sprinkled with a generous squeeze of lemon juice to finish.

Spanish Rice with Squid and Saffron
Serves 2, takes 20-25 minutes

250g (9oz) bomba (paella) rice
500ml (pint) good chicken stock
1 medium red onion, diced
8 squid tubes and tentacles, cleaned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp hot, smoked paprika
large pinch, Spanish saffron
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow pepper, diced

To serve:
1 lemon, quartered
leafy salad

Bring the stock to the boil and then turn off the heat while getting the rest of the dish started.
Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and sautee for a minute or so, until it begins to soften, then add the paprika and saffron. Stir-fry for another minute or so before adding the peppers and garlic.
When the peppers are also beginning to soften, stir the rice in well, making sure to coat well in the oils. Cook the rice for a minute or so before pouring in the hot stock. Bring the pan to a low simmer, then turn the heat down to low, cover the pan and leave to cook for 10 or so minutes until all the water has been absorbed and the bottom of the pan is quite dry.
While the rice is cooking, trim the tentacles so remove the hard beaky bit and cut them in half. Slice the the tentacles into rings about 5mm (1/4") wide.
Turn your grill on high and when the rice is cooked through, stir the squid through and cook for
a minute. Pop under the grill for a further minute-90 seconds to begin to ever so slightly brown the rice. Take care not to over cook, as the squid will have the consistency of rubber bands.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and a mixed green salad with ripe tomatoes.

Spanish Rice Roast