HEALTHY-CHEF

Really good food...that's really good for you!

Archives for January 2016

Chicken Korma

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Chicken Korma
 
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Perfect blend of indian spices creates an authentic taking korma without the need to use preservative filled off the shelf curry pastes. You can easily substitute the chicken for vegetables.
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Recipe type: Mains
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 4 skinless, boneless free range chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 cm/1½in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp mild chilli pepper
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • 75g/3oz ground almonds
  • 250ml/8fl oz homemade/good quality chicken stock
  • 100ml/4fl oz double cream
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 50g/2oz flaked almonds, toasted
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and fry the onion, cloves and cardamom pods for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.
  2. Add the chicken, garlic and ginger and, after frying for 4 minutes, add all the remaining spices. Stir around in the pan, allowing them to release their flavour into the chicken.
  3. Add the tomato purée, ground almonds, stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until reduced to the consistency of thick cream. Taste and add seasoning if it needs it.
  4. Scatter over the toasted almonds and serve with naan bread.

 

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Chocolate & Banana Squares

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Chocolate & Banana Squares
 
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These are a Davina McCall recipe, I liked the simplicity of this recipe, the fewer the ingredients for me the better and most importantly these ingredients are unprocessed and natural....oh and by the way they taste delicious and that's not just my opinion but those of my three sweet toothed daughters! I included coffee and walnuts in mine, just a persona preference but it worked really well.
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Recipe type: Cakes and Bakes
Serves: 16 squares
Ingredients
  • 200g wholemeal flour
  • 50g organic cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch sea salt
  • 180g organic butter
  • 180g maple syrup
  • 3 small fairly ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
  • 5 free range eggs
  • Optional
  • 2 tbsp strong black coffee
  • 50g chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/325F, 160C/320F fan/gas 4. Line a 24cm x 24cm traybake tin with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Put the butter in a small pan and melt it over a gentle heat. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the maple syrup, then mix in the mashed bananas,coffee and chopped walnuts if your including them.
  3. Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Add the dry ingredients, then the butter, syrup and banana mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared tin and spread it into an even layer.
  4. Bake the cake in the oven for about 40 minutes until it is well risen, springy to touch and shrinking away from the sides slightly. Leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cut the sponge into 16 squares – or smaller pieces if you want to reduce the calorie count per serving. Store in an airtight tin.

 

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Thai Tuna Burgers

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Thai Tuna Burgers
 
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Gorgeous,healthy, protein rich dish which won't leave you hungry. I have this just with the salad but you could serve alongside a dish of rice noodles drizzled with the dipping sauce for larger meals.
Recipe type: Mains
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 4 burgers
Ingredients
  • For the burgers:-
  • 1 lb. fresh sushi-grade tuna fillet (or best quality you can get)
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh coriander
  • ½.red onion or 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ tsp. minced fresh hot green or red chilli, such as cayenne, Thai bird, or serrano
  • sea salt salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbs. coconut oil
  • For the Thai Dipping Sauce
  • Juice of 1 fresh lime
  • 1 Tbs. stevia/xylitol/raw honey
  • 2 Tbs. fish sauce
  • 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh coriander
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp. minced fresh hot red or green chile, such as cayenne or Thai bird (add more if you'd prefer more of a kick!)
Instructions
  1. cut the tuna into ¼-inch dice (or cut the tuna into 1-inch chunks and pulse in a food processor until just chopped, about 4 quick pulses. TAKE CARE NOT TO OVER PULSE.)
  2. stir in the coriander, onion, mayonnaise, ginger, garlic,chilli, ¾ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Shape the tuna into 4 equal 1-inch-thick patties.
  3. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours, this sets the burger and makes them easier to cook without breaking up.
  4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the tuna burgers until nicely browned on both sides about 2/ 4 minutes authorised, pending on how you like your tuna. Don't overcook or the burgers will be dry.
  5. Serve with a crisp green salad and the dipping sauce

 

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Keralan pumpkin stir fry

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Keralan pumpkin stir fry
 
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Thorans are Indian stir-fries, dry vegetable curries, from Kerala. Because pumpkin/squash takes a while to cook, this recipe uses water, but will end up dry. The beauty of a stir fry is that the ingredients cook quickly and retain most of their nutrient value, just be prepared and have all ingredients ready and measured out before you start cooking.
Author:
Recipe type: Curry
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 750g pumpkin or squash
  • 8 shallots (or 1 onion), peeled
  • 1½ tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • handful of curry leaves (or 1 tbsp dried)
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 30g root ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • about 150g grated fresh coconut (you can buy coconut chunks)
  • 1 green chilli, sliced into thin rounds (seeds in or out as you prefer)
Instructions
  1. Cut the pumpkin or squash into segments, peel and deseed. Chop the flesh into small cubes.
  2. Quarter the shallots lengthways (if you’re using an onion, cut it into slim crescent-moon shaped slices).
  3. Heat the oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, cover them with a lid then remove it when they stop popping.
  4. Add the curry leaves, chilli flakes, cumin and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the pumpkin, turmeric and a pinch of salt.
  5. Stir-fry everything together until the pumpkin has a good colour, then add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Add about 50ml water. Cook until the pumpkin is soft, adding a little more water if necessary and tossing the vegetables every so often.
  7. The mixture should be dry by the time the pumpkin is soft.
  8. Add the coconut and green chilli and stir-fry until the coconut is a little toasty. Serve with rice.

 

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Carrot & Pineapple Cake

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Carrot & Pineapple Cake
 
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This is a moist, bursting with fruit, nuts kind of cake which keeps really well for up to 1 week. Its important to use quite a shallow cake tin otherwise it will take longer to cook, would work equally well baked in a tray and sliced into squares once cooled.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 10 slices
Ingredients
  • 180g carrots, grated
  • 100g fresh/tinned pineapple diced into 2cm chunks
  • 80g xylitol/stevia
  • 75g walnuts, chopped plus 50g whole for on top
  • 50g raisins
  • 200g unrefined self-raising flour (I used wholemeal)
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1tsp mixed spice
  • 150ml mild olive oil
  • 2 medium organic free-range eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350F/180°C (gas mark 4) and line a 23cm sandwich tin.
  2. Peel and grate the carrot and set to one side.
  3. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate and mixed spice and mix with the xylitol/stevia in a bowl then fold in the oil and eggs until combined.
  4. Stir in the grated carrots, pineapple and chopped walnuts.
  5. Pour into the tin and bake for 40/45 mins - the cakes are done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

 

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Fruit Bowl Flapjacks

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Fruit Bowl Flapjacks
 
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I hate waste, particularly expensive fruit. So I decided to use my overripe fruit bowl to create these really good flapjacks. Basically any fruit goes, just remember fruits like apples and pears need to be grated, otherwise your flapjacks won't bind as well, whole fruits like nectarines, pineapples need to be sliced into small cubes. This recipe also works well with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 16 slices
Ingredients
  • 4oz (100g) maple syrup/ honey (or half and half)
  • 4oz (100g) butter
  • 500-700g mixed fruit (for this recipe I used 150g pineapple, 2 apples, 1 pear & 1 nectarine) grate apples or pears and dice all other fruit into 1cm cubes.
  • 16oz whole oats (or porridge oats)
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of cinammon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2
  2. Place all the ingredients except for the oats in a large saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted
  3. Stir through the oats, ensuring the ingredients are well combined
  4. Now pour the mixture into a lined square/oblong baking tin (approx 18cm/7inches) and at least 4cm/11/2inches deep.
  5. Ensure you press the mixture down well with the back of a spoon or your hand, this helps the flapjack to hold together once baked.
  6. Bake on the centre shelf of your oven for 40-45 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool for a few minutes slice into squares or bars then leave (if you can resist!) till the flapjacks have cooled.

 

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Rosemary Salt

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Rosemary Salt
 
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This doesn't really constitute a recipe but I literally use it every other day in my kitchen and it's so simple it's genius.
Ingredients
  • 50g coarse sea salt
  • 2 or 3 stalks of rosemary, leaves picked
Instructions
  1. Place the sea salt and rosemary in a jar
  2. Shake!
Notes
Try this seasoned salt when roasting potatoes, meat and vegetables.

 

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Mozzarella & Roasted Pepper Crostini

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Mozzarella & Roasted Pepper Crostini
 
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For me a canapé has to be quick,easy and packed with flavour. This one comes courtesy of my lovely friend Vic, who effortlessly put them together during a wine tasting evening. Now if your heart desires you can make all the aspects of this recipe as shown below or for when time is of the essence or you get unexpected visitors try the cheats method, both taste wonderful!
Recipe type: Canape
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 1 mini baguette (you can use a norma sized baguette, your canapés will just be larger.
  • 2 tablespoons of chilli oil (if you don't have chilli infused oil, simply mix ½ tsp of mild chilli power/flakes into extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1 organic red pepper, halved and seeded
  • 1 organic yellow pepper, halved and seeded
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 125g buffalo mozzarella
  • Fresh basil leaves, torn
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Cheats version
  • 1 packet of crostini (try chilli or oregano versions for added flavour)
  • 1 jar roasted peppers
  • 125g buffalo mozzarella
  • 1 jar pesto (or freshly torn basil leaves if available)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Place peppers, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Divide garlic among peppers. Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast until flesh is tender and skin is blistered in spots, 35 minutes.
  5. Transfer peppers to a plate, allow to cool before slicing to appropriate sizes.
  6. Slice the mini baguette into 1cm rounds and place on a lined baking sheet
  7. Brush with the chilli oil and bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes until crisp and golden
  8. Allow to cool
  9. To arrange the canapés, simply place a piece of mozzarella on each crostini, season then add a slice of roasted pepper and finish with the torn basil.
  10. Serve at once
  11. For the cheats version, arrange as detailed above, if using pesto rather than basil simply spread a layer on the crostini before putting on he mozzarella.
  12. Serve at once

 

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Salsa

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Salsa
 
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I make this all the time to accompany my fajitas (see recipe), its also great with grilled fish, adjust the chilli content to suit your taste. You can just whack everything in a food processor if short of time.
Recipe type: Accompaniment
Serves: 1 large bowl
Ingredients
  • 250g/9oz fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 mild chilli, finely chopped
  • bunch coriander, finely chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • lime juice, to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
  2. Transfer to a serving bowl garnish with coriander and serve.

 

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Meatballs

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Meatballs
 
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These are a staple in our family they freeze really well so I make them in a big batch and freeze half.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 8-10 people
Ingredients
  • For the meatballs:
  • 4 garlic cloves (2 finely sliced, 2 crushed)
  • ? Olive oil
  • 2 x 400g tinned cherry tomatoes
  • 500g beef mince
  • 500g pork mince
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 handfuls of pine nuts, toasted
  • 4 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 5 tbsp grated parmesan, plus extra, to serve
  • 50g stale bread, soaked in warm water
  • 1kg spaghetti
  • Basil, to garnish
Instructions
  1. Gently sauté the sliced garlic in a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Once the garlic starts to colour, add the tomatoes, season well and leave the sauce to simmer.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the pork, beef, crushed garlic, eggs, pine nuts, parsley and parmesan in a bowl. Squeeze the water out of the bread and break the bread into the bowl. Season and mix well, using your hands, then wet your hands and roll the mixture into portions the size of squash balls.
  3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. When the oil is very hot (to prevent the meatballs sticking), carefully add the meatballs and cook, in batches if necessary, for 6?8 minutes, gently moving them about the pan so they brown all over. Add more oil if they begin to stick. Once browned and cooked through, transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce and leave to simmer.
  4. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Drain then add the pasta to the meatballs and sauce. Mix well and sprinkle with torn basil leaves and extra parmesan before serving.

 

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