chicken – Bangers & Mash

Homemade KFC

April 24, 2017Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged baked chicken, chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC2 Comments

After several failed attempts and a fair bit of tweaking, I’m very pleased to finally bring you this recipe for baked KFC-style chicken. For ages my family and I have been talking about coming up with our own homemade alternative to KFC, as the kids have had it drummed eating them that the real thing from the fast food chain simply isn’t allowed. There are a number of reasons for this, namely that it’s not the healthiest of foods and they have KFC has a terrible track record when it comes to animal welfare. Continue reading “Homemade KFC” →

Ropa Vieja and Bienmesabe

January 26, 2017Posted in Meat, Puddings and desserts, Recipes, Stews and casserolesTagged almonds, beef, Bienmesabe, chicken, honey, Ropa Vieja, spain, stew4 Comments

Today has been quite possibly one of the coldest days of the winter so far; a cold-to-the-bone kind of cold when it takes an hour in a hot bath to thaw out. In the depths of winter, I can’t help but dream about summer holidays in warmer climes…

When Monarch Holidays invited me to recreate some traditional Spanish recipes for their new online Island Cookbook, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to feed my craving for sunshine food and cheer up these dark, dank days. I took my inspiration from the third largest of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, where I have fond memories of holidaying with my family as a teenager Continue reading “Ropa Vieja and Bienmesabe” →

#ThriftyOrganic three-course family meal

September 22, 2015September 22, 2015Posted in Bread, Campaigns, Meat, Puddings and desserts, RecipesTagged #organicseptember, #thriftyorganic, baguette, butternut squash, chicken, garlic bread, organic, panna cotta, raspberry, redbush, rice, risotto, rooibosh2 Comments

If you are a bit of a foodie and/or follow any social media here in the UK, you’re probably more than aware that this month has been dubbed #OrganicSeptember. Everyone’s being encouraged to celebrate all things organic. The message is that by making a small change to your everyday shopping, we can make a big difference: swapping to organic food has huge benefits for people, animal welfare and the environment.

While most of us will agree that organic produce is better for our environment, better for animal welfare and, well, just a more natural approach, isn’t it hideously expensive to shop organic? I try to buy organic wherever I can, particularly fruit and vegetables. For instance I have a weekly organic veg box delivered by Riverford – although I tend to do this less during late summer and early autumn when we tend to have a glut of veggies in our own garden. But I doubt I could afford to go totally organic.

Or could I? Continue reading “#ThriftyOrganic three-course family meal” →

Italian baked chicken with grapes followed by semifreddo with honey, figs and walnuts

August 23, 2015Posted in Meat, Puddings and desserts, RecipesTagged bacchus, bacon, chicken, expedia, fagiolini, fagiolini al pomodoro, figs, garlic, grapes, green beans, honey, italy, Marsala, pollo con uva e vino dolce, rosemary, semifreddo, walnut4 Comments

Boasting honey, figs, grapes, nuts and sweet wine, this Italian feast would surely have won the approval of Bacchus himself. When I think about good food, when I dream about delicious dishes bringing together the simplest ingredients to create something truly magical, when I picture myself being served an incredible meal in an idyllic setting, I tend to find myself transported to Italy.

It’s been a few years since I’ve travelled in Italy and I long to return. My parents are in Tuscany right now and as you can imagine I am extremely jealous. My step-mum Sue has been sending me droolsome updates on Whatsapp, replete with photos, documenting their food adventures. There have been accounts of wonderful salads with chicken, ravioli in a walnut cream sauce, the thinnest pizzas with just one or two toppings, grilled sea bass with roast courgettes, fritto misto in the lightest of batters, fagiolini with fine green beans and bacon in tomatoes and garlic. Oh and lots of gelati with figs and cherries… The list goes on. It’s been pure torture.

So when Expedia challenged me to come up with an Italian meal for their #expediaworldonaplate challenge, I knew I would be taking my inspiration from Tuscany. Continue reading “Italian baked chicken with grapes followed by semifreddo with honey, figs and walnuts” →

Springtime tagliatelle with chicken, asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli

May 15, 2015December 10, 2017Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged asparagus, broccoli, chicken, parmesan, pasta, purple sprouting broccoli, tagliatelle7 Comments

When the first spears of asparagus appear in the garden or in our weekly vegetable box, there is only ever one way to eat them: simply steamed and served with melted butter and sea salt. There is something so beautiful in this simplicity, focussing completely on the heavenly fresh green taste of the fresh, crisp asparagus, it needs nothing else.

Then as the English asparagus season continues, the recipes become more varied and asparagus makes an appearance in all kinds of meals. We tend to eat as much of it as we possibly can this time of year. This easy pasta dish, which sees the asparagus partnered with tender stems of purple sprouting broccoli, also at its best in late spring, is a firm family favourite. Continue reading “Springtime tagliatelle with chicken, asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli” →

Pot-roast chicken with soured cream and allspice

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged allspice, chicken, pot roast, soured cream7 Comments

It’s a slightly old-fashioned kind of dish but I’m rather partial to a pot-roast chicken. It’s the easiest way to guarantee a succulent, perfectly moist bird, especially when you slaver it in plenty of butter too.

This pot roast is very much like the Poulet a l’Estragon I made in France and featured on the blog last year. But whereas that one is a wonderfully aromatic summer dish, this pot-roast is a subtly spiced winter warmer. Continue reading “Pot-roast chicken with soured cream and allspice” →

Easy filling ideas for party vol au vents

December 20, 2014June 10, 2017Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged apple, chicken, cinnamon, cream cheese, egg, Family Foodies, ham, party food, smoked salmon, soured cream, vol-au-vent, yoghurt6 Comments

Right up there with mini cocktail sausages and cheese and pineapple chunks on sticks, vol-au-vents are the epitome of 1970s retro chic when it comes to party food. Continue reading “Easy filling ideas for party vol au vents” →

Black pepper chicken

November 27, 2014November 30, 2014Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged black pepper, chicken, curry, kerala, pepper, the spice trail1 Comment

I’d love to tell you some story about how I first came across this black pepper chicken curry when I was backpacking around India, or how I discovered it in some wonderful Keralan restaurant. But in fact this was the first time I’ve tried this recipe and it was the result of looking up inspiration for pepper recipes online.

When I started researching something to cook for this month’s Spice Trail challenge, which has peppercorns as its theme, Kerala-style dishes came up again and again. I suppose this isn’t surprising really, since black pepper is thought to originate from the rainforests of Kerala in southern India and it’s still one of the main producers of the spice. Continue reading “Black pepper chicken” →

Chicken tortilla bake

November 24, 2014November 25, 2014Posted in Meat, RecipesTagged bake, cheese, chicken, lasagne, spinach, sweetcorn, tortilla, white sauce7 Comments

With Jack Frost nipping at our toes, the time for warming, hearty comfort food is most definitely here. And if it’s quick and easy to rustle up, so much the better.

This simple Chicken Tortilla Bake is a firm family favourite, and so easy to throw together with a few frozen veggies. It’s basically a lasagne with flour tortillas replacing the pasta sheets. Continue reading “Chicken tortilla bake” →

Madhur Jaffrey’s chicken tikka kebabs with spiced vegetables

September 25, 2014October 1, 2014Posted in Meat, Recipes, VegetarianTagged chicken, chicken tikka, courgette, green beans, indian, kebab, madhur jaffrey, sabzi, the spice trail, tikka, zucchini2 Comments

There are times when you try out a new recipe and you know the very instant it touches your tongue you’ve got yourself a keeper; that this dish is set to become a firm family favourite, an easy regular for the weekly meal plans.

And so it was with these chicken tikka kebabs from Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible. I thought it was about time I cooked a dish to enter into my own Indian-themed Spice Trail challenge, and this felt like a good excuse to try another recipe from Jaffrey’s classic curry tome. Continue reading “Madhur Jaffrey’s chicken tikka kebabs with spiced vegetables” →