Spiced Chicken Drumsticks with Coconut Peanut Dip
Monday, August 23, 2021With a savoury, sweet, citrusy, tangy and a little spicy coconut peanut dip, these well spiced chicken drumsticks are perfect for a budget-friendly TV dinner with some seasonal leafy greens and crispy roasted potatoes. The flavours come out best when the chicken drumsticks remain infused in the marinade for at least 1 hour, but not more than 6 hours as the marinade contains lime juice, which can worsen the texture by making it too dry if sitting too long. Longer is not always better. Stabbing the chicken with a fork allows the marinade to penetrate deep inside of the meat and enhance the flavour.
Coconut Peanut Dip | |
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- Soak the dried chillie peppers in 3 tbsp of hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes. In a blender, add the soaked chillie peppers with water, ginger, garlic, black pepper powder, cumin powder, cayenne powder, turmeric powder, lime juice and olive oil. Process all the ingredients into a paste.
- Stab each chicken drumstick all over with a fork and place them in a baking pan. Season with salt and rub marinade generously on the surface of the chicken and make sure all the sides are thouroughly coated with the marinade paste. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Roast the chicken for 35 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Combine peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, zest, ginger, soya sauce, chilli powder, and oils together in a bowl. Top with chopped peanuts and herbs.
- Serve chicken with lime wedges, tomato wedges if using, and prepared coconut peanut dip.
Beetroot Penne with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Arugula
Saturday, August 21, 2021This fuss-free, low-cost and delicious pasta meal only takes 10 minutes to make, perfect for a simple lunch for any weekday and is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Deep purple-red beet juice is used to transform the plain penne into a vibrant, fun and exciting pasta dish. Use gluten-free pasta if you have a gluten intolerance or other gluten-related disorders.
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- Cut the beetroot into 1/2cm thick slices, then slice each into 4-5cm long sticks. Set aside.
- Place water and beetroot juice in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in pasta and cook, uncovered, over high heat for about 7 minutes. Add in beetroot sticks, and lower the heat to medium, and cook 3 more minutes until the beet juice mixture is almost absorbed and the pasta al dente.
- Wash and dry scallions, then cut into fine rings. Season the pasta with your favourite sea salt and freshly milled black pepper.
- Divide arugula and beet pasta between serving plates. Sprinkle chopped scallions over and top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Scatter some chopped toasted walnuts over if you desired.
Chicken Cutlets in Creamy Sundried Tomato Parmesan Sauce
Thursday, August 19, 2021Easy, flavourful, and ready in 30 minutes, this skillet chicken cutlet in creamy, cheesy sun dried tomato sauce recipe is a crowd pleaser. The sauce is not only great for chicken, also perfect for salmon or shrimp. Be sure to use real, freshly grated parmesan cheese, which makes the difference to the texture and flavour of the sauce. Fantastic over some pasta or with zoodles if you are on keto.
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- Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm while you make the sauce.
- Add garlic, chilli flakes and sundried tomatoes to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add white wine. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add in chicken broth, cream, Parmesan and any accumulated juices from the chicken. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste and season.
- Return the chicken cutlets to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce and chopped herbs.
Spicy Kidney Bean Dip with Dark Chocolate
Tuesday, August 17, 2021This is a creamy, spicy bean dip made with red kidney beans, tomato and dark chocolate. It's a snap to put together and packs loads of flavours. Enjoy it with chips, homemade crackers or crudités as an appetizer or a snack between meals.
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- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add in chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until aromatic, for 2 minutes.
- Add in chopped tomato, chopped chilli pepper, and red kidney beans. Stir briefly. Pour in red wine and broth or water. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. If you prefer a chunky dip, then use a potato masher to mash everything together. Stir in chopped chocolate. Set aside to cool.
- Stir lime juice and tabasco into the mixture. Transfer to a serving plate. Granish with cacao nibs, chives and chilli flakes.
Golden Spiced Sandwich Loaf
Sunday, August 15, 2021A mix of exotic, aromatic spices (turmeric, fennel, cayenne, cumin and nigella seeds) adds not only beautiful golden colour, also amazing flavour and complexity to this deliciously high-risen sandwich loaf with a beautifully soft, tender crumb. You can enjoy it plain as it is or toast it up as the breakfast with some butter and homemade jam or slice it thick and turn into French toast or use the leftover to bake up a batch of croutons for your next salad, soup and more.
Spice Blend | Dough |
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- Mix together all of the ingredients for the spice blend. Bring the milk to a simmer and stir in the spice blend. Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for at least 2 hours. I covered it with a plastic film and left it overnight in the fridge.
- Heat the infused milk to lukewarm and place in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the maple syrup, butter, salt, yeast, and nigella seeds. Add the flour and mix and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 8 minutes.
- Turn out the dough on a work surface. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with a bit of olive oil. Return the dough and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and roll it into a log. Place the log seam-side down in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise till doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.