Tortilla Wrap Pizzas

Need something else to do with your leftovers? Feeling a bit guilty from all the overindulging? Yes, I do.
So today I made skinny guilt free Pizzas!
Yes, such thing does exist.

Take ordinary flour tortilla wraps and use them as a pizza base. Spread them with fresh tomatoes mixed with some tomato puree and seasoned with Salt, Pepper and Oregano.
Then use a low fat Mozzarella and dot that around. I also used a German cheese called Hand Cheese or Harzer, which has a surprising 0.5% fat!!! They should start making that here in the UK, I propose.
Anyway, now top with your favorite toppings, but do not overcrowd. Veggies of all sort make a healthy beginning, but Turkey or Ham (or both) add the seasonal touch.
Bake in a hot oven (as hot as it goes) for 10 minutes or until the edges start to crisp and the cheese is melted.
You must try this, I know you'll love it :-D

Eastern Mediterranean Lamb Stew

This slow and low cooked stew is my creation inspired by Greek, Turkish and other ingredients from that part of the World. I can imagine it is the sort of thing that is cooking right this moment in someones country kitchen wood fired stove on a beautiful Mediterranean island.

The aromas developing, teasing you for a long while before you get to taste the delicious result, will make your house smell of hearty home cooked fayre.

So here is how I made it.

Ingredients:

1 kg diced Lamb (fairly lean)

3 Onions, sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, smashed

2 Turkish Peppers (or 1 Bell Pepper)

12 Pitted Olives (I used a few of each variety)

1 Rosemary Stalk

3 Bayleafes

5 Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 tbs dried Oregano

1 dried long red Chilli

1 can of chopped Tomatoes

100ml Chicken Stock

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Start by browning the Lamb in a heavy based pot or dutch oven. Do it in batches to give the pieces enough space to get a good color. Remove all the meat onto a plate and add the Onions to the Pot. Stir these around for a while before returning the meat and the rest of the ingredients apart from the Olives. Bring everything to a simmer and cover. The Pot can now stay on the stove and cook on a very low heat or go in the oven at 150C. Either way it takes about 3 hours to make this stew melt in the mouth tender. The olives can join the stew about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

I was wondering what would be best to accompany this stew and have decided on Orzo, a Rice shaped Pasta. Mashed Potato would be good also or Potato dumplings. But then it wouldn't really be proper Mediterranean, would it.

I also made some Dolmades to snack on while waiting and a filo pastry stuffed with Spinach and Feta.

Bon Apetit!

Tuna and Three Bean Burger

I have lived in Brighton for many years and enjoyed this City immensely. But now I am packing my things and moving somewhere alot quieter, somewhere peaceful and remote. 

But more about that later.

Meanwhile I am using up my store cupboard supplies. A little rummage later I have found dried beans and tins of Tuna calling out to me.

This could make a nice Burger me thinks.

Here's how I made it.

Ingredients:

450g Cooked and mashed Beans, (a mixture of Black Beans, Kidney Beans and Cannellini Beans)

1 tin of Tuna in Brine, drained

1/2 red Onion, finely diced

1 garlic Clove, minced

1 long red Chilli, finely diced

1 free range Egg

1 tbs chopped fresh Parsley

zest of 1 Lemon plus a little squeeze of the juice

1 heaped tsp Cornflour

a pinch of Chilli Flakes

a good pinch of Sea salt and fresh milled Pepper

plain Flour for the outside

I cooked my beans from died, by soaking overnight, then cooking in fresh water for 10 minutes on high, then about an hour with a lid on very low. I left them to cool before mashing them with a potato masher, leaving just a few chunky bits here and there for texture.

Mix the mashed beans with the other ingredients in a large bowl, apart from the flour, which will be used for the crust.

Dust the Flour onto a plate. Heat a pan with about 2 tbs of vegetable oil. Shape the mixture with wet hands into 6 palm sized patties and lay them onto the flour. Turn them over once in the flour then they go straight into a hot pan.

 Leave them to cook for about 3 minutes to get a nice crispy outside. Turn over and cook another 3 minutes. Use kitchen paper to drain them on to retain the crispiness.

Serve with some peppery Salad leaves and your favorite Mexican Salsa, Mayonnaise or Chilli Sauce.

For a cheap meal out of the store cupboard, this is really rather good nosh, even if I say so myself ;-)

Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash

Squashes and Pumpkins are plentiful this time of year, so put them on your table! 

I made this recipe with Greek inspired ingredients, but the stuffing can be adapted to suit your taste buds and even made vegetarian by using lentils instead of meat.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings @ 6 WeightWatchers points each)

200g extra lean minced Lamb

50g Feta Cheese
2 Spring Onions, chopped

1 green Chillies, chopped
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 tbs fresh Oregano, chopped
1 fat Garlic Clove, chopped
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Cut the Butternut Squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds (discard those).
With a spoon carefully scoop out some of the flesh from the Squash, leaving a small border all around.
Chop the flesh up into small pieces.
Make the Stuffing by combining the Mince with the Squash Flesh, Oregano, Chilli, Spring Onion, Garlic, Tomato and seasoning.

Fill the Butternut Squash with the filling and press down well. It may make a little bulge on top but that's fine.
Crumble the Feta cheese over the top and place into a baking dish.
Bake in a 200C oven for about 1 hour or until the Squash is soft and the stuffing is cooked through.

 
Looking at it now, this could be a meal as it is or cut in half to make 4 portions with some side dishes.

Salt and Pepper Squid with Cucumber Salsa

This delicious Salad is my idea of another perfectly healthy low calorie dish. It has only 2 Weightwatchers points, but will kick a punch when it comes to taste.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
2 medium cleaned squid, cut into 2 inch pieces and crisscrossed on the inside
1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns
1 tsp Chilli flakes
1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
1 tsp Cooking Oil

Make the Salt and Pepper mix, by toasting the Szechuan Peppercorns in a small pan until fragrant. Bash them in a Pestle and Mortar then add the Chilli and Salt and grind together.

For the Cucumber Salsa:
1 Lebanese Cucumber or 1/4 regular, sliced thinly into half moons
1/2 small red Onion, sliced thinly
1 long red Chilli, sliced thinly
1 tsp Natural Sugar
1 1/2  tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Mix the Salsa ingredients together and check the seasoning for the balance of the 4 'S', sweet, sour, spicy and salty.
Leave it to sit in the fridge for a while to let all the flavors develop. This salsa gets better the longer it stands,

Heat a skillet to searingly hot and add 1 tsp of Cooking Oil.
Toss in the Squid and sprinkle with a couple of good pinches of the Salt and Pepper Mix.
Toss and fry for a couple of minutes until the Squid has curled up. Be careful not to overcook them as the squid may become rubbery. 3 minutes is the maximum time required.

Serve the Squid on a bed of Salad Leaves with a Lime or Lemon Wedge and the Cucumber Salsa on the side.

Wat Dan Hor - Fried Noodles with Seafood in Gravy

When I go to a Chinese Restaurant on my own, I almost always have this dish. It is comforting and delicious with many different interesting ingredients, yet made so simply, without any fancy spices or herbs. It doesn't need anything like that.

Today I have recreated this dish at home for the first time. I was worried that it may not come out the same, but I surprised myself. The flavors and textures were exactly right.

Ingredients:

(serves 3)

250g Raw Prawns, shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthways

(I used only Prawns, but use any seafood that you fancy)

1 inch piece if Ginger, finely chopped

2-3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
A selection of Vegetables and exotic Mushrooms (Mange Tout, Chinese Cabbages, Shitake and other exotic Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Green Pepper, Carrot), all cut or sliced thinly so they cook evenly

300g Wok ready Rice Noodles, thick ones are better

1tsp Soy Sauce

200ml good Chicken Broth

1 heaped tsp Cornflour mixed with Water

2 tsp Vegetable Oil

Heat 1 tsp of the Oil in a Wok and stir fry the prawns (and seafood) until just cooked. (this will only take a couple of minutes) Set aside.

Add another tsp of the Oil and fry the noodles in the same Wok, giving them just a little bit of color on the edges, for that authentic Chinese Restaurant taste. Add a splash of Soy sauce, set aside and keep warm..

Now toss all the Vegetables in the Wok and stir fry for a few minutes. Then the Chicken broth goes in and the Cornflour sloshy. Stir until thickened. Return the Prawns (and Seafood), stir once more and it's ready to serve.

Pour the Gravy with all it's lovely Vegetables and Seafood over the Noodles and eat with Chopsticks.

Italian Style Pasta Bolognese

Is there anybody out there who doesn't like a bowl of hearty Bolognese? Is there anybody out there who doesn't make THE best Bolognese? There isn't, is there. So, I was wondering if you would like compare our Recipes. Reveal our best version of this wonderful dish.

I am using the classic Italian recipe where Tomato paste is used sparingly and the base is made with smoky bacon and sofrito. Wild Boar is often used as the main meat ingredient, but I am using extra lean Beef today. Pancetta would be the ideal smoky bacon, however I am using my organic free range English bacon, with all the fat trimmed away, because I am as always watching my weight.

Ingredients:
500g extra lean minced Beef
100g smoky Bacon, diced
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots, diced
2 Onions, diced
2 ribs of Celery, diced
2 Garlic, cloves, chopped
2 tbs Tomato Puree
1 glass White Wine
1 glass of skimmed Milk
1 red Chilli, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Basil and Parmesan to finish an garnish

Start by frying the bacon in the Olive Oil, then add the Beef and stir till browned. Next add the Onion, Carrot, Celery, Garlic, Chilli and fry until translucent.
Add the Tomato paste, fry a little more then pour in the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate... then add the milk. Check the seasoning at this stage and add Salt and Pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer quietly for about an hour. Keep stirring occasionally.
Add a little water if it goes to dry. Keep simmering on a low heat, the longer the better.
Once the sauce has cooked into a rich unctuousness it is ready to be mixed with your favorite Pasta. In Italy it would of course be Tagliatelle.

I'm pretty sure you have your own ideas about what makes THE best Bolognese. Do you like to add any Herbs, maybe Jamie Oliver style with Peas, how do you do it? What's your secret? Please share :-)

Caribbean Curry Goat

My free range butcher Farmer's Choice has delivered some fine Goat meat today and I am going to make Curry Goat. I have never eaten Goat before, but I love new things to cook and try and I am very excited.

This dish is very special to the people in the Caribbean, so I will endeavor to do it justice!

I am searching the internet, reading cookbooks and have been asking people to reveal the secret of this dish. Once my search is done, I will cook and experience another first! And I cannot wait! 

It is the middle of the night and after some extensive research, I decided to marinate my meat right now.

There are several ways of doing this. Starting with the much debated washing of the meat in a vinegar and water solution. It is a tradition commonly used in the Caribbean to 'clean' the meat. Any citric liquid will do a good job of cleaning and preserving, I know that for sure. However, when I was doing my butchery month as a chef's aprentice, I remember asking about washing the meat and the butcher told me never to wash meat in water as it will breed germs. So it's not something I would do. Water with a citric solution is different though, as is water with salt for brining.

The next step is to make the marinade. My Curry Goat is going to have a wet marinade with all the ingredients blended in. Some other recipes will use just a few of the ingredients and add some more later during the cooking. I am trying this method today as it is easy and makes sense to me.

I start by toasting my curry powder in a dry and smooth non stick pan. This is important as it will eliminate the raw taste of the spices and bring out all the good aromas instead. My flat now smells very much of toasted Curry Powder though and I suspect even the neighbors will get a good whiff of it. Sorry everyone!

I added this to the rest of the ingredients waiting in the blender.

Ingredients:

1kg Goat stewing meat with bone, most of the fat removed

1 liter of your finest Water or light Chicken or Vegetable Stock (I made fresh Chicken stock yesterday, so I will use that, of course)

1 pretty Scotch Bonnet Pepper to add whole to the pot.

Marinade:

3 heaped tsp Curry Powder (choose your favorite Indian or West Indian blend), toasted

1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper

4 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Onion

1 inch piece fresh Ginger

1 tsp Thyme

20 All Spice Berries or 1/2 tsp ground All Spice (I have flown my All Spice Berries in from Jamaica especially ;-)

4 Cherry Tomatoes or 1 regular Tomato

1 tsp Sea Salt

a good few grinds from the Peppermill

about 100ml Water

I have now coated the Meat in the marinade, covered with clingfilm and they're all sitting in the fridge getting to know each other and hopefully having a good time. Maybe I will put my ipod in the fridge and play some Reggae music for them.

And now I am going back to bed. Good night.

...
So, it is now the early afternoon and I have completed my dish. I have also eaten it and it was finger licking, mouth watering, going for seconds, good.
Here is what I did.

First I browned the marinated Goat pieces in a heavy pan, taking one lot out then browning the next until all are done.
I then returned them all to the pot and poured over the remaining marinade as well as the 1 liter of chicken stock. This I brought to a simmer and covered to cook low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.  After about half an hour I dropped in the whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper and left the lid slightly askew to let some of the gravy reduce and thicken in time

.
Meanwhile I made Rice and peas to go along with it.
I will post the recipe in a separate blog entree and add a link here once I'm done.
Now there was nothing left to do but listen to some Bob Marley and wait.

Until finally I was rewarded with my Curry Goat. I think I really like the taste of goat. It's so tender and delicate yet full of flavor. I am so glad I made this. Another fantastic dish discovered!

Easy and delicious Summer Fruit Cake

It's the height of the Summer Season and the trees are beginning to bear perfectly ripened fruit. I have been watching the Victoria plums in my Boyfriend's Mum's garden for a while and now they are finally ready! Sweet and juicy on the inside and just the right tartness on the outside

I have a wonderfully easy, yet very delicious cake recipe from Germany, that is perfect for them. It's also great with Apples, Pears, Gooseberries, Blackberries or Cherries.

This is one I made last year with the Apples my neighbour gave us. It didn't last long...

So here is the Recipe. Get a neighbour, collegue, family member or friend's friend's mother's dentist's son to give you some freshly picked fruit. Wash and stone or core or deseed fruit and cut into largish Chunks.

Ingredients:
4 Eggs
9 tbs plain Flour
9 tbs Caster Sugar
9 tbs Sunflower Oil
1 heaped tsp Baking powder
a few drops Vanilla Extract
Fruit of your Choice
1 handful of flaked Almonds (optional, depending on fruit)

With an electric Mixer beat the Eggs and Sugar until the Sugar has dissolved.
Sieve the Flour and Baking powder into the Egg Mixture and mix again on a slower speed.
Mix in the Oil and Vanilla Extract until all is smooth and creamy.

 

Arrange the fruit in a shallow baking dish, lined with baking parchment, either randomly or in a pattern depending on type of fruit :-)

As I am using these marvellous Victoria Plums today, I have halved them taken out the stone and layed them cut side down.

Nest pour over the cake mixture.

Now bake the cake in a 150C oven for about 50 minutes. Testing with a wooden skewer. Prik the cake in the middle and see if the skewer comes out dry and clean. It's ready! If it's still wet or has cake mixture sticking to it, return to the oven for 5- 10 more minutes. 

TOP TIP: Always close the oven door, while doing food testing ect., otherwise you will loose essential heat from the oven and the cooking process will change completely.

I wish you could smell the aroma wafting from my kitchen right now. Oh it makes me so proud and happy! I want to open all the windows so that everyone can smell it :-)

 

Leave the cake to cool before cutting. Then let you imagination guide you. Dust with Icing sugar maybe, add cream, custard, creme anglaise, creme fraiche or eat it just as it is.

Looking at my picture now, I think maybe to make it a little more sophisticated it could have a base. I will think about how to incorporate one. Meanwhile please feel free to give me some ideas.

'Sweetwood Jerk Joint' Kingston Jamaica

Sometimes the best food is found in the places where you wouldn't normally even want to venture. I have said this before and I'm sure it will be true many times in the future.

We all know Jerk Chicken is the most famous of the Caribbean dishes. But have you ever tasted the real authentic thing? Because Jerk is not a seasoning or a dry rub or a sauce you dip into. Jerk is a method of BBQ'ing, that involves a marinade and a BBQ which has Sweetwood and Pimento Wood branches as major flavour and smoke components.

The branches lay accross the BBQ and the meat is placed on top. It takes 2-3 hours for a chicken to be cooked this way and obviously a lot longer for a whole side of pork. The smoky flavour that you get from cooking slowly over the wood branches cannot be replicated. In fact the meat doesn't just roast, it actually becomes smoked somewhat. After tasting it done this way once, there will be no comparison ever again.

The meat is served chopped up with a heavy cleaver. There is a Roasted Scotch Bonnet Pepper dressing condiment at the 'hole in the wall' window, where you pick up your food, that maybe too hot to handle for  some of us, but it is complex and delicious.

The meat is tender and juicy and smokey and spicy and heavy with aroma of Pimento and Thyme and Scotch Bonnet, and it is soooo good!

There must be several of these authentic Jerk Centres in Jamaica, each with their own secret recipe marinade, but I have discovered the 'Sweetwood Jerk Joint' in Kingston, a small outdoor eatery with a welcoming scent luring you in, friendly service and divine BBQ meats. Pork, Chicken, Lamb, Sausages and Fish served with the usual suspects of Rice & Peas, Festival, Roast Sweet Potato or simply Bread. They also do soup, which apparently is just called Broth, and I haven't figured out what's in it yet. Meat and vegetables they tell me, that is all. Another mystery to be solved yet I reckon.

The Sweetwood Jerk Joint is located at 78 Knutsford Blvd, by the Emancipation Park. They do not have a website, but you can 'like' them on Facebook

For my recipe of delicious Jerk Chicken check out this blog entry: Jerk Chicken

Chaula's Indian Restaurant Brighton

Last week my friend came to Brighton and on our ventures around town we discovered a new Indian Restaurant. The bright orange name plaque on the wall drew us in. 

'What is that orange House there?' 'Let's go find out!'

 Being in a place were people don't usually walk along, behind the Town Hall, it's plain brilliance to appear so bright and cheerful in the distance.

Coming closer we learned it isn't 'Charlie's', or 'Chana's', but 'Chaula's', an Indian Restaurant/ Cafe, that opened it's doors in Brighton 4 month ago, having had a successful start in Lewes, where the original Restaurant is.

And rightly so. The quality of food is outstanding.

We had the Lunchtime Special Thali. One Vegetarian and one with Meat, made for 15 different things to taste in total.

The flavours of each dish were totally unique and entirely different to every other dish. Making it a discovery of tantalising flavours as you go through your meal. All I could say was yum, yum yum, and yum yum yum. 

I believe that they must have a real Tandoori Clay Oven, because the fresh Naan Bread had that tell tale shape and taste. The Special Thali's were on Offer at £7 instead of £14 for a limited time. So get your skates on before it's too late. But even if it was the full price I would be more than happy to pay it.

On the way out I grabbed a Take Away Menu and was surprised what interesting dishes it had, besides the old favourites, that even I have never even heard of. This is real Indian food, made by real Indian people with love and talent.

I highly recommend to visit this Restaurant as I will certainly do again soon.

And here is the address:

Chaula's

2-3 Little East Street

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 1HT

Tel: 01273 771661

Here is a link to their website: www.chaulas.co.uk

Ginger & Garlic Steamed Fish en Papillote

This is a tasty, fresh and healthy way to prepare a medium sized whole fish or a large Fish Fillet.

Simply make a 'bed' of fresh thinly sliced vegetables on a baking tray lined with 1 large sheet of tin foil first and then a large sheet of greaseproof Paper.

I have used, fine green Beans, freshly shelled Peas, baby Carrots, Spring Onions and sliced Bok Choi.

Cut a few slashes into the flesh of the cleaned and scaled fish (I've got a Sea Bream today) and stuff these, as well as the cavity, with slithers of fresh Ginger and Garlic. Season with Salt and Pepper and add a knob of Butter or a drizzle of Olive Oil.

Now fold the Greaseproof Paper and Tinfoil into a parcel that will keep all the steam, flavour and  juices inside.

Place the whole tray into a 220C oven and bake for about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the fish. A fish fillet would need only 20 minutes.

I have served my little Sea Bream with Nam Pla Prik, a Thai Dipping Sauce made with Fish Sauce, Lime and Chillies. But a simple squeeze of Lemon would be just as delicious.

Kingston Jamaica and Jerk Chicken

A quote from Thumper in the animated Walt Disney Classic 'Bambi', "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."

A long time ago I went to a Jerk Master Class in Jamaica and learned how to make this typical Caribbean beauty first hand.

Back in Kingston now I am feeling the love and want to make it again. The method of Jerking originates in Jamaica and uses the typical Jamaican Pimento Berries as well as the Pimento tree for the BBQ process. You could put the entire contents of your spice cupboard into this marinade, but Pimento, Scotch Bonnet and Thyme are the most important.

Since my last recipe turned out better then my teachers ;-) I will use that same one again!

Ingredients for the Jerk wet marinade:

1 large Spring Onion

1/2 Onion

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tbs All Spice (Pimento)

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp dried Thyme

2 tbs Soy Sauce

1 or 2 Scotch Bonnet Chillies (how hot do you like it?)

4 cloves of Garlic

1 inch of Ginger

a small bunch of fresh Thyme

1 tbs Peppercorns

2 tbs Oil

1 tbs Brown Sugar

1 Bay leaf

a splash of Pineapple Juice

Blend all Ingredients in a food processor until it is of a thick shake consistency.

Add a splash of Pineapple Juice to get it right.

This is my personal version of the Jerk marinade, everyone here makes it differently. My teacher added something called Old Bay,  a spice mixture I haven't ever used before. She also added Cloves, but I am leaving those out, as the All Spice is pungent enough.

Take a whole Chicken and cut out the backbone to butterfly.

Massage the whole Marinade into it, paying attention to getting it under the skin as well.

Leave to marinate for up to 2 days.

BBQ your Chicken on Pimento Tree Charcoal, or failing that roast in a 200C oven, turning a few times, until tender and juicy.

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was not actually inspired by a Mexican trip, but rather while on a visit to a Floridian Supermarket. The influence is well known all over the southern parts of the United States, but I will for simplicities sake call it a Mexican recipe. Well, made by a German, so it's not really going to be like your mama used to make it, that's for sure. And this is my first time making Enchiladas and I love making new things.

The ingredients I have chosen can be substituted or left out or added to and played with. That's what I like about dishes like these. You make it your own with what you got on the day.

Ingredients:

6 Corn Tortillas (the smaller variety)

250g cooked chicken, diced

1 red Onion, diced

3-5 Garlic Cloves, chopped (mine came from the cavity of the chicken I had previously roasted)

3-5 green Chillies, chopped

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano

110g Pepper Jack Cheese, grated

500g Tomato Passata (sieved Tomatoes)

Salt, Pepper and a pinch of Sugar

Make the Enchilada Sauce by gently frying the Onion in a touch of Oil or use cooking Spray until the are translucent. Add the Garlic and green chillies and gently fry a little more, Add the Cumin, Cayenne and Oregano and the Tomato Passata. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for a few minutes. 

Season to taste with Salt, Pepper and a pinch of Sugar.

Take half of the sauce plus 1/3 of the grated cheese and mix it with the Chicken. 

Depending on the type of Tortillas they may need to be pre-fried or dipped in a little of the sauce to make them softer and easier to handle. However mine had a lovely texture and I used them just as they were. 

Visually divide the Chicken mixture into 6 portions and spoon each of these onto a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down into a baking dish that fits them snugly.

Once all the Enchiladas are in place spoon over the remaining Sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in a 220C oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and turning golden and the sauce is bubbling all around. Serve garnished with some greenery and your choice of accompaniments. 

I love the spicy gooeyness of this dish. 

Next time I might add some creme fraiche to the chicken mixture to give the filling a creamy twang that separates it from the topping sauce.