A Hot Rediscovery

I stumbled across Jim Beam Hot Sauce in the foreign products aisle of my local supermarket. I'm a great fan of spicy food, so despite it's 5 euro price tag (oh yes the import tax can be quite disturbing on certain products!) I snatched it up. Apart from going to the chinese/africain epiceries, in France it's very hard to find spices. They are not the vindaloo loving nation like the British!

I had forgotten just how hot this sauce was! So I've toned the amount down for this next recipe so you don't end up in the same discomfort as I did!

Ricey Jim Beam

Ingredients

100g basmati rice
1 tsp jim beam hot sauce
1 tin of string beans
2 tblsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
50g cooked chorizo, chopped

Method

1.Cook the rice in a large saucepan of salted water
2.Once the rice is cooked heat the oil gently in a large frying/griddle pan
3.Add the onions and cayenne pepper, stir until the onions start to soften
4.Add the rice, string beans, chorizo and jim beam sauce
5.Stir together over a medium heat until the rice has taken on a light red colour
6.Serve with bread and/or crème fraiche

Garlic Bread

I hadn't made this for years, following on the BBQ theme, I had a few friends over and I decided to add this to the menu, ever since I've given the recipe to dozens of people!

Ingredients

7 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tblsp dried/fresh basil
2 tblsp dried parsley
150g butter
salt
1 baguette/ciabatta halved

Method

1.In a small saucepan mix all the ingredients together
2.Place over a low heat
3.Cook until the butter has completely melted and the mixture just starts to bubble
4.Spread over the bread
5.Place in the oven (200°C) until just starting to brown

You can add chilli paste for a little kick, or sprinkle cheese over the bread to make cheesy garlic bread.

BBQ Simple and Delicious and On the Menu all Summer!

Since moving in to my country mansion ;) my housemate and I have already had numerous BBQs, whether for friends and family or simply just the two of us, a good BBQ is always great fun.

However, I was surprised to find just how many people just whack the meat on the BBQ no preparation, no flavour, just dry charcoaled meat!

As you already know by now, I grew up in a great cooking environment, my palette takes offence to these types of cooking methods!

So here is very simple BBQ recipe to add that much needed bit of flavour to the great outdoors grillade.

Chinese Chicken/Turkey Skewers with Cherry Tomatoes



Chicken and turkey are extremely bland meats and they can be very dry if not cooked nor accompagnied properly. They are even worse if just shoved onto a BBQ grill!

So try this quick marinate recipe, it'll make a huge difference to your spread

For a dozen skewers (don't worry if that seems too much they freeze beautifully and so ready for the next BBQ party)

Ingredients

6 chicken/turkey filets/breasts, chopped into cubes
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
4 tblsp hoisin sauce
2 tblsp soya sauce

Method

1.Mix the chicken/turkey cubes well with the hoisin and soya sauce
2.Set aside in the fridge for 20 mins (or overnight if you want to prepare the night before)
3.Once well marinated, alternate meat cubes with cherry tomatoes on the skewers
4.Cook on the BBQ until tender

I'm back!

Hello everybody! I do apologise for such a long absence, I've been very busy with moving house and having my parents over to decorate it. I finally have a huge kitchen and so the creativity has been flowing much to my new housemate's delight!





She's even asked me to teach her how to cook, a very flattering request. So for her birthday I bought her, what every aspiring chef should have a Kitchen Bible! It's called Tout ce que votre mère aurait dû vous apprendre en cuisine (Everything Your Mother Should Have Taught You In The Kitchen) Judging by the names of the authors Kim Rowney Lulu Grimes Kay Halsey and the fact that quite a few of the recipes are traditionally English it must be a translation. I strongly recommend this book it is brilliantly written and so simple to follow, that even the most inexperienced of cooks can't fail!



Anyway, sit back and enjoy the pictures and recipes to come, I shall make an extra special effort in my posts to make up for my laziness in the blog department these last two months!

Stranded!

Unfortunately not on a desert island but on my bed! I've just mopped my floors and realised I'm now stuck on my bed for a good half an hour, the time they dry! So I'll use this time to type up a few recipes I have saved in my memory.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

This is my quick and easy recipe for this Italian favourite.

Ingredients

500g spaghetti
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tblsp olive oil
500g minced beef/lamb
1 litre passata/chopped tomatoes (use a good brand otherwise the sauce will taste watery)
1 small tin of chopped tomatoes and meat
3 tsps salt
3 tsps basil
3 tsps parsley
10cl orange juice

Method

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the pasta
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil gently
3. Add onions and garlic, stir constantly for 1-2 mins
4. Add the mince meat, salt, 2 tsps basil and 2 tsps parsley
5. Stir constantly until the meat starts to brown
6. Add the tin of tomato & meat and the passata
7. Add the rest of the herbs and orange juice
8. Stir until well mixed
9. Simmer over a low heat for 5-10 mins

Hey presto! Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread.

Fajitas

Another great favourite. I've tried the Old El Paso kits and found them a tad disappointing, so with a bit of experimenting a came up with this recipe, that has never failed to be a hit.

Ingredients

For the chicken

4 chicken breasts, chopped into medium cubes
2 tsps chilli purée
1 tblsp olive oil
2 tsps salt

For the vegetables

1 large tomato, chopped roughly
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped into chunks
1 large onion, peeled, quartered and stripped
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coarse sea salt

For the sauce

2 tbslp mayonnaise
2 tblsp ketchup
1 tsp chilli sauce

2 pack of 8 large tortilla wraps

Method

1. Add the vegetables, olive oil, salt and spices to a large shallow roasting tin
2. Mix together until the oil coats all the vegetables
3. Place in the oven at 180°C

Meanwhile prepare the chicken

1. In a large shallow pan, heat the oil gently
2. Add the chicken, salt and chilli
3. Stir constantly over a medium heat until the chilli coats all the chicken
4. Remove from the heat when the chicken just starts to whiten
5. Add the chicken to the vegetables (juices in the pan included)
6. Return to the oven for 5-10 mins, stirring occasionally

Meanwhile mix the ketchup, mayonnaise and chilli sauce together in a small bowl

Once the vegetables and chicken are well roasted (not browned) remove from the oven and place to cool.

Place the tortilla wraps two at a time in the warm oven (switched off)for 30 seconds.

Place the bowl of vegetables and sauce on the table for a self service atmosphere, keep warming the tortillas two by two as the cries for more flow! Serve with creme fraiche/sour cream, grated cheese and guacemole (to cut the spiciness)