Sunday, April 29, 2012

Chicken & Mango Stir Fry


Hunger is Good Sauce…
Due to a “series of unfortunate”  events I was a little delayed returning home from my weekly kayaking session & as is often the case knew I would be too hungry to cook my planned menu when I reach my destination. Having tried a version of this dish earlier in the week I had been a little disappointed with the results, luckily I had enough ingredients to give it a second try & literally 10 minutes after I reached home when I had finally thawed out enough to remove my hat & coat I sat down to the most delicious stir fry – hunger really is good sauce or practice makes perfect….  JJ

Ingredients & Costing…




Chicken Thighs x 6 (boned & skinned)
2.39
Fat Clove of Garlic x 1 crushed
0.05
Fresh Ginger x 2 heaped tsp grated
0.10
Chilli Flakes x ½ tsp
0.05
Lime x ½
0.12
Spanish Onion x ½ sliced
0.16
Red/Yellow Pepper x ½ of each sliced
0.40
Mange tout x 50gm
0.35
Baby Mushrooms x 50gm sliced
0.25
Mango x ½ diced
0.50
Sesame Seeds x 1tsp
0.10
Light Soy Sauce x 1 tblsp
0.10
Rice Wine x 3 tblsp
0.10
Sesame Oil x 1 tsp
0.10
Ground Nut Oil x 2 tblsp
0.10
Straight to Wok Noodles x 1 sachet
0.50


3 x Hearty Portions
€5.37





It Couldn’t be easier…
æ      Cut the skinned & boned chicken thighs into small strips. Place in a bowl together with the fresh ginger, crushed garlic, chilli flakes & lime juice, mix thoroughly, cover & leave to marinade for at least two hours
æ      Heat the ground nut oil in a wok & stir fry the chicken until golden, do not overcrowd the pan or the chicken will sauté instead of frying! Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon & keep warm
æ      Stir fry the sliced peppers, onions, mange tout & mushrooms over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, add the sesame seeds & diced mango
æ      Return the chicken to the pan & add a sachet of “straight to wok” noodles
æ      Combine the soy sauce, rice wine & sesame oil in a bowl
æ      Add to the wok & cook for a further 2 minutes ensuring all ingredients are coated with the soy glaze
æ      Served immediately with chopped coriander & a squeeze of fresh lime juice

Reincarnation…
Try combining any leftover “chicken & mango stir fry” with a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce, wrap tightly in a flour tortilla & deep fry to make a “chicken chilli chimichanga” served with some sour cream & guacamole it makes a delicious meal or snack … JJ





Sunday, April 22, 2012

Thai Red Curry Paste


Old Reliable…
Having been inspired by a lovely lunch at my friend’s farmhouse I set about making my own Thai red curry paste.  Having been a number of years since I had ventured to “whizz” this unique combination of ingredients into a fiery red paste I set about finding a recipe to refresh my memory. Naturally the first stop was my collection of cookbooks specialising in Eastern & Thai cuisine, can you imagine my surprise when page after page of recipe made the assumption that the viewer would use store bought paste!! Frustrated but undeterred I turned to the old reliable “Delia” where I located a user friendly recipe & some delicious serving suggestions….  JJ

Ingredients & Costing…




Lemon Grass Stems x 4
0.69
Red Chillies x 4 medium
0.25
Fresh Ginger x 2 heaped tsp grated
0.25
Shallots x 4
0.40
Fat Clove of Garlic x 6
0.30
Coriander Seeds x 4 tsp
0.05
Cumin Seeds x 2 tsp
0.05
Limes x 2 (juice & zest)
0.50
Paprika Hot x 2 tblsp
0.10




4 x 2 tblsp Portions
€2.59





It Couldn’t be easier…
æ      Heat a small (dry) heavy based frying pan over a medium heat & add the coriander & cumin seeds, toss gently for approx 5 minutes until they begin to “pop” releasing their pungent aromas – be careful not to burn them. Tip the toasted seeds into a mortar, allow to cool then crush with a pestle to a fine powder
æ      Trim the lemongrass as you would leeks removing the outer layer, tail & top leaves, you should have about 6” of stalk remaining, cut into fine slices
æ      Slit the chillies lengthwise & remove the seeds
æ      Peel the fresh ginger & grate finely making sure not to loose any of the “juice”
æ      Peel & roughly chop the shallots & garlic
æ      Simply place the crushed spices, lemongrass, chillies, shallots & garlic in the goblet of a liquidiser together with the zest & juice of 2 limes & the paprika then “whizz” to a course paste

Divide & Conquer…
Most recipes call for 2 tablespoons of paste, any excess can be divided into portions & frozen for future use. Try using it to spice up fishcakes, pasta dishes or any number of variations of “butternut squash & chicken Thai red curry” . … JJ





Saturday, April 21, 2012

Butternut Squash & Chicken Thai Red Curry


Red Alert…
Having invited myself to join one of my best friends for lunch at his cosy farmhouse tucked away in the heart of the Irish midlands I was surprised not to be presented with our usual fare of delicious homemade soup & brown bread, instead he served a plate of fiery Red Thai Chicken Curry, his homemade paste has inspired me to try a variety of dishes using Thai red curry paste including this version of his curry.… JJ

Ingredients & Costing…




Chicken Fillet x 1 large (free range)
1.99
Butternut Squash x ½ diced
0.62
Spanish Onion x ½ diced
0.16
Coconut Milk x 1 tin
0.99
Dessicated Coconut x 1 tblsp
0.05
Thai Red Curry Paste x 2 heaped tblsp
0.64
Maldon Sea Salt
0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
0.05
Groundnut Oil to fry
0.10
Fresh Coriander x 1 tblsp chopped
0.25
Lime x ½
0.12




2-3 Hearty Portions
€5.02





It Couldn’t be easier…
æ      Make a batch  of “Thai red curry paste” – see separate post
æ      Trim the chicken fillet & cut into strips across the grain of the meat, place in a bowl together with curry paste & combine thoroughly, cover & leave to marinade for at least 2 hours
æ      Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan & fry the onion until golden
æ      Add the chicken to the pan along with any marinade left in the bowl
æ      Seal the diced chicken & allow the marinade to release its fragrant aromas
æ      Stir in the coconut milk & dessicated coconut, add the butternut squash, increase heat & allow to simmer for approx 30 minutes until the squash is cooked
æ      Season to taste & serve generously garnished with chopped fresh coriander & lime juice on a bed of basmati rice

My Thai Thigh…
I used chicken breast for this dish but it is even tastier made with chicken thighs, it is worth skinning & boning them before cooking – allows you more time to enjoy the delicious flavours when you are eating if you don’t have to wrestle with the “messy” bits… JJ





Monday, April 16, 2012

Garlic & Cheese Potatoes


By Popular Demand…
A friend of mine had just moved in with her boyfriend & the novelty of planning the weekly menu was wearing thin as he was a “fussy” eater. I told her about a recipe that I had just discovered (OMG was it really 25 years ago!!) - “Garlic & Cheese Potatoes” they proved so popular that she served them twice a week for at least a year & they have never really gone out of fashion since…. JJ

Ingredients & Costing…




Potatoes x 450gm
0.09
Fat Clove of Garlic x 2 crushed
0.10
Cream x 125ml
1.19
Milk x 125ml
0.08
Butter x 30gm
0.15
Mature Cheddar Cheese x 40gm
0.25
Maldon Sea Salt
0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
0.05




4 Very Tasty Portions
€1.96





It Couldn’t be easier…
æ      Peel the potatoes & slice very thinly, plunge them into a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch & dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel
æ      Arrange a layer of potatoes in the base of a well buttered gratin dish, sprinkle with crushed garlic, salt,  freshly ground black pepper & dot with a few tiny cubes of butter, continue layering until all the potatoes have been used
æ      Mix together the cream & milk pouring the liquid over the layered potatoes
æ      Top with grated cheese & cook on the top shelf of a preheated oven (gas mark 3) for 1 hour & 30 minutes until golden & potatoes are cooked through

Forward Planning…
Last week a 2kg bag of potatoes were on special at my local ALDI store for the princely sum of 18c –that really is unbelievable value. If you have the time it is a great idea to plan ahead by cooking some extra portions of this dish & freezing them for future use! JJ



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Chicken Parma Ham, Herb Stuffing


Breakfast at Tiffany’s…
Black satin evening gloves, pearls & trademark sunglasses in place my daughter & I were invited to celebrate my youngest sister’s 40th birthday at an incredible evening hosted by another sister. From the customised coasters for our cocktails & colour scheme carefully chosen to match the Tiffany packaging no attention to detail was spared. She served the most delicious meal beautifully presented & we spent the evening talking & laughing our way through courses as we recalled funny events from our childhood… JJ

Ingredients & Costing…




Chicken Fillet x 2 (free range)
3.99
Parma Ham x 2 slices
0.86
Stuffing

Spanish Onion x ¼ very finely diced
0.08
Butter x 30gm
0.15
Soft Brown Breadcrumbs x 80gm
0.10
Fresh Herbs x 1 tblsp (parsley, basil)
0.25
Dried Mixed Herbs x 1 tsp
0.05
Egg x ½ beaten
0.12
Lemon x ½ juice & zest
0.12
Maldon Sea Salt
0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
0.05




2 Hearty Portions
€5.82





It Couldn’t be easier…
æ      To make the stuffing fry the onion in melted butter until golden & allow to cool
æ      Combine the breadcrumbs, fresh & dried herbs, lemon juice & zest with beaten egg in a bowl. Add the buttery onion & mix thoroughly, season well to taste
æ      Trim the chicken fillets & make a horizontal incision allowing the fillet to open out like the pages of a book, season each fillet & place half the stuffing on one side
æ      Close over the fillet & wrap in Parma Ham, place side by side on a baking tray
æ      Cook in a preheated oven (gas mark 8) for 20 minutes, remove from heat & allow to stand for 10 minutes
æ      Slice fillets diagonally & serve with “green peppercorn sauce” & “garlic & cheese potatoes”

The “Tale” of Mini Mouse Mayonnaise…
I was entrusted with the task of procuring radishes apparently hard to come by in the local greengrocers, a chance comment to my friend while having coffee & cake at her house to celebrate her 40th birthday & she produced a bag of radishes from the depths of her refrigerator. Delighted with my luck & saving me a trip to the store on arrival at my sister’s I presented my little bag of bootie, but much to her dismay the radishes did not have “tails” - the finishing touch required to the starter of Mini Mouse Mayonnaise…oops! JJ