Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

Simple, fresh and healthy Mexican dish.  One way to think of quesadillas is like a Mexican filled and toasted sandwich. I’m not the biggest fan of courgettes, but this dish is starting to change my mind.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 Courgette
• 1 Pepper
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1/2 Green Chilli
• Grated Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Salsa
  • 1 Tomato
  • 1/2 Red Onion
  • 1/2 Green Chilli
  • Fresh Coriander
  • Tomato Puree/Sauce
  • Tabasco Sauce
  • Lime Juice (optional)
• 4 Flour Tortillas
• Mexican Rice or Refried Beans

Method:

1. To make the Salsa, finely chop the Tomatoes, Onion, Chilli and Coriander.  Mix together in a small bowl with the Tomato Puree (or Tomato Sauce if a sweeter flavour is preferred), Tabasco Sauce and Lime Juice. Season with salt and pepper. If possible, make the Salsa in advance and refrigerate to let the flavours mingle and mature.
2. Put a heavy grill pan over a medium heat, giving it plenty of time to fully heat up.
3. Meanwhile, slice the Courgette and Pepper in broad strips.  Toss in some olive oil before laying on the grill.  Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes.  Whilst this is cooking, thinly slice the remaining Onion and Chilli.
4. Remove Vegetables from the grill, and set the first Tortilla on the grill.  Add a piece of Courgette and Pepper onto one half of the Tortilla.  Cover this with chopped Onions and Chilli.  Add a generous dollop of Salsa and Sour Cream before topping off with some grated Cheese.
5. Fold the uncovered side of the Tortilla over the other, and press down.  Flip the Tortilla packet over to grill the other side and melt the Cheese.  Grill until cheese begins to melt.
6. Repeat for the remaining Tortillas.
7. Serve with Mexican Rice or Refried Beans.

Simple Sweet & Sour Chicken

Incredibly quick and easy, without the need for ‘readymade’ sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Onion
• 1 Pepper
• 2″ Ginger
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Fresh Green Chilli
• 220g Pineapple Rings in own juice
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 1 tbsp Distilled Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Noodles

Method:

1. Slice onion, pepper, and ginger into very thin strips (a sharp cleaver is very handy)
2. To make the sauce, reserve juice of pineapple rings in a small pot.  
3. Mix in finely chopped green chilli, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and tomato puree. Taste it, ensuring flavours are balanced and season if necessary.
4. Quarter pineapple rings.
5. Bash each chicken breast with blunt edge of a cleaver to flatten it and slice into small strips.
6. In a very hot wok, add olive oil and stir-fry chicken in oil until lightly cooked
7. Crush garlic cloves into pan and stir well.
8. Add ginger and cook for 1 min. Repeat for onion, peppers, and pineapple.
9. Steep noodles in a pan of simmering water
10. Add the sauce from pot to the wok and cook for a further 5 min.
11. Serve on top of noodles with some prawn crackers.

Butter Bean and Avocado Salad

Very simple flavours that works well as a starter or light lunch with a fresh baguette.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of Butter Beans
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Mozzarella Ball
• Small bag of Spinach
• Small bag of Rocket
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. Mix salad leaves together in a large bowl.
2. Drain butter beans and rinse well, and add to the bowl.
3. Slice avocado lengthways, twist until halves separate and remove the stone.  Scoop out small chunks with a teaspoon into the bowl.
4. Rip mozzarella ball into small pieces and add to bowl.
5. Toss salad in a generous amount of olive oil.
6. Season only when serving.

Date and Chocolate Squares

Ingredients:

• 8 oz rich tea biscuits
• 1 dessertspoon golden syrup
• 1 dessertspoon each of caster sugar and cocoa
• 2 oz chopped dates
• 4 oz margarine or butter

Method:

1. Crush biscuits with a rolling pin.
2. Melt the margarine, syrup and sugar in a saucepan.
3. Stir in cocoa, biscuit crumbs and chopped dates.
4. Press into a square sandwich tin which has been well greased.
5. Melt chocolate and pour over mixture. Leave overnight, until firm.
6. Cut into squares or fingers.

I find, putting the biscuits into a plastic bag before crushing works well.

Aloo Chana Chaat / Chickpea Curry

Healthy and filling curry, using chickpeas and potatoes.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seed
• 1 tsp Cumin Seed
• 2 Medium Onions
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 in Ginger
• 1 tin Chopped Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 Medium Potatoes
• 2 Tins of Chickpeas
• Fresh Chopped Coriander to garnish
• Salt and Pepper to season

Method:

1. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 2 tbsp olive oil
2. Fry mustard seeds and cumin seeds until seeds pop (not burn) 
3. Roughly chop the onions, garlic and ginger and fry in pan for 5 min
4. Chop potatoes into 1-2 cm cubes and add to pot of boiling water
5. Pour tin of tomatoes, puree, turmeric and contents of pan into a blender, and blend until smooth
6. Return to pan, adding remaining oil and spices, bringing it to a simmer
7. Rinse the chickpeas well, and add to pan
8. After a few minutes of cooking the chickpeas, crush about half of them (using a potato masher)
9. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and add to the pan
10. Cook for a further 20 min on the lowest heat
11. Season and stir in some of the fresh coriander
12. Serve with freshly made chapatti and basmati rice

Method 2.0 (less hassle):

1. Thinly slice onion, chop ginger and crush garlic.
2. Heat olive oil in large, heavy based pot (such as a casserole dish or stockpot) 
3. Fry mustard seeds and cumin seeds until seeds pop (not burn).
4. Add onions, garlic and ginger and fry for 5 min
5. Mix in all spices, season and cook briefly
6. Add tinned tomatoes, roughly a cup of water and tomato puree and mix well
7. Once this is simmering, added chopped potatoes (roughly 1-2cm cubes)
8. Cook for 20 min
9. Add chickpeas
10. Cook for 20 min on the lowest heat, or until potatoes are tender
11. Check seasoning and stir in some of the fresh coriander
12. Serve with freshly made chapatti and basmati rice

Apple/Rhubarb Crumble

Serves 4 / 6

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 500g / 1lb cooking apples or rhubarb
• 100g / 4oz sugar or more depending on sharpness of fruit used

For Crumble Topping:

• 150g / 6oz plain flour
• 75g / 3oz butter 
• 50g / 2oz castor sugar

Method:

1. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. 
2. Put apple slices into a heatproof dish (~1 litre / 2 pints), in layers with the granulated sugar.
3. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the castor sugar and mix together.
4. Sprinkle the crumble thickly and evenly over the fruit.
5. Put into the centre of oven, 180C / 350F or gas 4 and bake for 35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
6. Serve with warm custard or fresh cream.

Notes:

You could stew the fruit first, which I would do with the rhubarb and then bake for a shorter time.

Hummous

A popular mid-eastern dip or starter. One which I will happily have as the main ingredient in a meal. Or with pitta bread to soak up the one beer too many after a night out. This version is fiery and spicy due to the garlic and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

• 110g dried chickpeas (use twice the weight of tinned chickpeas)
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon – juiced
• 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp good quality olive oil
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt

Method

• Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water – they should double in size
• Discard any small, hard or discoloured chickpeas
• Place the chickpeas in a saucepan with enough fresh salted water to cover them and a bit more
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and put the lid on
• Cook for about an hour and a half, or until tender
• Put the chickpeas in a blender, reserving the cooking liquid
• Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid
• Blend this until smooth, then add the tahini – the exact amount of which will depend on personal taste
• Add a liberal amount of cayenne pepper, season with salt if required and blend until smooth
• You may need to add extra cooking liquid if the hummous is too thick

Notes

• Put in a serving bowl, and garnish with cayenne and a drizzling of olive oil
• Serve with warm pitta bread, or toasted ciabatta.
• To adjust the spiceyness either add or remove garlic and cayenne. Personally, I like it fiery!
• For a creamier hummous, replace some of the cooking liquid in the blender with full-fat milk. Best added late, as the lemon juice can curdle it if added too soon!
• Ready to eat immediately, though the flavour does seem to develop overnight. Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, just give it a good stir and garnish before serving. Though to be honest, I haven’t really pushed the boundaries on this one. It just doesn’t seem to last very long!