Coconut Thai chicken “zoodle” soup

June 7, 2018 Belinda

I made this recipe from the blog Endless Meal, last night and we loved it so much we’re having it tonight too. The zoodles are quite terrific and you don’t miss the pasta aspect of them at all. The recipe takes about 20 minutes to make too.

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Serves 4, or 2 if you’re really hungry

2 tbsp coconut oil
1-2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (depending on how hot you like it)
1 tsp each of ground coriander and ground turmeric
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
4 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp honey
3/4 red onion, chopped
1- 15oz can coconut milk, or if you like it really creamy, use coconut cream
3-4 large zucchinis, spiralized or cut into zoodles

* Optional toppings – bean sprouts, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. All worth using!

Add the coconut milk and red curry paste to a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Let the curry paste cook for 2 minutes then add the coriander and turmeric and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the chicken, red onion, chicken broth, fish sauce and honey and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and heat through.
Add the zucchini and let cook for 2 minutes or until soft enough to twirl around a fork.

Serve immediately and if using, top with the scrumptious added toppingz

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Coconut-braised chicken quarters with chorizo and potatoes

June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 Belinda

This is a beauty! I just love cooking with chicken quarters as they are so moist and flavorsome and with the addition of fresh ginger and crushed coffee beans in the gremalata, it’s definitely in a category of it’s own! Also the recipe is easy to judge for people as 1 good sized chicken quarter is enough per (normal) person!
The beauty of this recipe is that it is also a Whole30 recipe with the substitutions of olive oil instead on canola oil and ghee instead of butter.

Serves up 4 generously or 6 normally!

2 tbsp canola or olive oil
6 good sized whole chicken legs
Pepper
1/2lb fresh Mexican-style chorizo, but I have been known to use Spanish chorizo chopped small
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 dried chili de arbol, broken in half
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1lb baking or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces lengthwise
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee

Gremalata

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra sprigs
7 coffee beans, finely crushed (1/2 tsp)
2 tsp finely grated lime zest

Preheat the oven to 425 F
In a large enameled or cast-iron braising dish, heat the oil. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
Working in 2 batches, brown the chicken over moderate heat, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken to a large plate
Add the chorizo and onion to the pan and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 10 mins
Stir in the ginger, garlic and chili and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute
Add the coconut milk, potatoes and chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Cover and braise in the oven for about 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the lime juice and butter and season with salt.

Meanwhile make the gremalata.
In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Spoon the braised chicken and potatoes into shallow bowls.
Garnish with the gremalata and cilantro sprigs and serve with lime wedges

Make ahead
The braised chicken can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Poultry

Roasted chicken quarters with dates, olives and capers

June 3, 2017 Belinda

Yet another Ottolenghi recipe that is beyond delicious. Take the two days to marinade the chicken to maximize the flavor and tenderize the meat.Don’t cut corners.

Serves 4 generously

8 whole chicken legs of a good size, skin on
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
About 1/2 oz fresh oregano, torn
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pitted green olives
2 oz capers, plus 2 tbsp of their juices
3 oz Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthways
2 bay leaves
5 fl oz dry white wine
1 tbsp date syrup or treacle
Salt and black pepper

Place the chicken in a large, non-reactive bowl and add all of the ingredients, apart from the wine and date syrup, along with 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for 2 days, stirring the ingredients a few times during the process. (The other thing you can do is get a very large plastic bag that self seals and use that to marinate everything)

Preheat the oven to 350F

Spread the chicken quarters out on a large roasting dish along with all the marinade ingredients. Whisk together the wine and date syrup and pour over the meat.
Place in the oven and cook for 50 mins, basting 2 or 3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, transfer everything to a large platter, sprinkle with some fresh oregano leaves and serve

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Poultry

Whole chicken legs braised in orange, sage, ginger and mustard

May 21, 2017January 10, 2023 Belinda

My sister highly recommended this Mary Berry recipe and modified it so it wasn’t too sweet. It turned out to be delicious and so easy. Like Delia Smith, Mary Berry, now in her eighties, is a British “institution” in highly successful, fail-safe recipes, particularly baking and it’s well worth investing in some of her recipe books.

Serves 4 to 6

6 whole large organic chicken legs
3-4 tbsp clear honey
1 heaped tbsp cornflour
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade
20 fl oz freshly squeezed orange juice (don’t be lazy and use juice from cartons!)
6 fat garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp coarse grain Dijon mustard
4-5 tbsp Seville orange marmalade

Combine all the marinade ingredients, mix well and place in a large, resealable plastic bag with the whole chicken legs. Seal the bag making sure all the chicken is coated with the marinade then put in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 F or Gas Mk 6.
Take the chicken out of the plastic bag, reserving the marinade to make the sauce. Arrange the chicken legs, skin side up in a large roasting tin and drizzle with the honey.

Place in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, lower the oven to 375F

Measure the cornflour into a pitcher, add the marinade and mix until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken and return to the oven for a further 40 – 45 mins.
Remove the tin from the oven. Taste for seasoning

Serve a whole chicken leg per person some some of the sauce and enjoy!

PS The marinade mixed with the cornflour thickens the sauce when it cooks in the oven

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Grains · Poultry

Asian-influenced chicken and coconut “paella”

January 3, 2016February 7, 2016 Belinda

This is Tyler Florence’s Asian version of a Spanish paella which is gorgeous. The chicken thighs are lightly crusted with crushed coriander seeds then sauteed and tucked into basmati rice that has been simmered in sweet coconut milk and ginger. Need I say any more?

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Pea Salad
1 cup frozen peas, thawed in a colander under cool water
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 bunch watercress
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mint leaves for garnish
Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Coarsely crack the coriander by either pulsing in a spice grinder, wrapping the seeds in a tea towel and crushing them with a rolling pin or grinding them in a pepper grinder on a coarse setting.
Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper and sprinkle all over with the cracked coriander.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep ovenproof skillet. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down and give them a good sear for 4 to 5 mins to develop a nice crust.
Turn and cook for 4 to 5 mins on the other side to brown the meat. Take the chicken out of the pan.

Put another 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, ginger and bay leaf, and cook, stirring for 4 to 5 mins, until the onion is soft but not colored.
Now you’ve got all this great flavor going on in the bottom of the pan; chicken drippings, onion, ginger and bay leaf. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until the grains are well coated with oil. Stir in the lemon zest. Now add the broth and coconut milk and bring that to a simmer.
Tuck in the chicken thighs, put the whole thing in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until the rice is tender and bound by a creamy sauce and the chicken is entirely cooked through,about 30 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf.

When the chicken is done, put the peas, mint and watercress into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Taste for seasoning. To serve take a big spoon and scoop out some chicken and rice and garnish each plate with the pea salad

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Chinese chicken salad

August 15, 2015February 11, 2016 Belinda

Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients in the dressing. It is well worth it and you will mostly have them in the pantry if you like Asian-style cooking. This is one of my favorite salads.

Serves 6

For the Sesame-ginger dressing
3 tbsp Chinese mustard
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 medium piece of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp hoisin sauce (available in most supermarkets)
1/2 tbsp sweet chilli paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing;

Put the mustard in a blender and then add the sesame oil, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce and salt and pepper (go lightly on the salt because of the soy sauce).
Give it a quick blend and check for seasoning.

For the chicken salad

1 medium Napa cabbage, washed and shredded
1 medium iceberg lettuce, washed and thinly sliced
1 medium romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 cup snow peas, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
3/4 to 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup bean sprouts
6 chicken breasts, (6 oz each) cooked and diced
Garnishes for the salad
crispy wontons (available in supermarkets)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted

To make the salad

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, lettuces, peppers, snow peas, peanuts, green onions, carrots, beansprouts and diced chicken.
Toss together with the sesame-ginger dressing until well combined.
Divide the salad among 6 plates and garnish with the crispy wontons, cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

Appetizers · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Turkey tonnato

May 5, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

Given I’m not using beef or veal in recipes, I have replaced the usual veal tonnato with turkey and it’s brilliant! Thank you to Giada de Laurentiis for this recipe.

2 pound turkey breast, skinless and boneless (Or you can be really lazy and use precooked thickly sliced turkey, (1/2 ” slices) then miss the cooking stage of the turkey completely)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tuna Sauce:
6 ounces canned white meat tuna, packed in olive oil, do not drain. (Try not to use a tuna that contains soy.)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 anchovy fillet, drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/3 cup Kraft Real, or Helmann’s Real mayonnaise. (Or a good quality Whole 30 version)
Chopped parsley leaves, capers or lemon slices, for garnish

Preheat oven 375 F.

Season the turkey with salt, pepper and herbs. Coat with olive oil, place in a baking pan and pour the chicken broth around the turkey. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch slices, on an angle. Allow to sit in baking pan with juices as you make sauce.

In the bowl of a food processor add the tuna, anchovy, lemon juice and capers. Puree until creamy, about 1 minute. Pour the tuna mixture into a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.

Place the slices of turkey on a platter and pour the tuna sauce on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Asian flavors · Curry · Pasta · Poultry · Soup

15 minute Coconut curry noodle soup

May 2, 2015September 13, 2018 Belinda

Want a bowl of heaven in 15 minutes? This recipe is from a great blog called Woks of Life and has all my favorite ingredients rolled into one bowl of deliciousness.

Makes 2 generous portions

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (or 3 tbsp if you like it really spicy)
8 oz. boneless chicken breast or thighs, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tbsp fish sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
6 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles (or the fine rice noodles)
A bag of beansprouts (about 10 oz)
1 lime, juiced
Sliced red onion, red chilies, cilantro, scallions to garnish

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Fry for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes, just until the chicken turns opaque.
Add the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. At this point, taste the broth for salt and adjust seasoning accordingly (add salt if needed, or if it’s too salty, add a bit of water).

Put the dried rice vermicelli noodles in each of your large soup bowls, add a large handful of beansprouts, a good amount of roughly chopped cilantro and about 1/4 cup chopped scallions per bowl.
Pour the boiling soup over all this and add a good squeeze of lime juice to each bowl.Let sit for about 4 minutes until the noodles are cooked. Serve

(Alternatively, you can add the noodles to the boiling broth to cook them, and then divide among serving bowls).

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry

Slow roasted garlic and lemon chicken

March 29, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

There is nothing nicer than throwing everything into a roasting pan and watching it caramelize slowly, turning each ingredient into a mouthful of sweetness. The beauty of this dish is that the lemon turns sweet and incredibly tender and you can pop the chunks straight into your mouth, skin, pith and all! Thanks to the irrepressible Nigella Lawson.

Serves 4 but can easily be augmented

1 chicken (approx 4½lbs) cut into 10 pieces
A bulb of garlic separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons (preferably thin-skinned) cut into chunky eighths
1 handful fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup white wine
black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Put the chicken pieces into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up.
Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on some pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavor-intensifyingly low heat, for 2 hours.
Remove the foil from the roasting tin, and turn up the oven to 400ºF. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30-45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caramelize at the edges.

I like to serve this as it is, straight from the roasting tin: so just strew over some thyme sprigs, warm some lovely bread and make a quick green salad and Bob’s your uncle!

Dairy-free · Poultry

Chicken with potatoes, prunes and pomegranate molasses

March 22, 2015February 7, 2016 Belinda

Again, here is another gem from Yotam Ottolenghi with a stunning mixture of flavors.
It is SO easy that you just throw everything into a bowl, mix well together then throw into a large baking/roasting dish. Bingo!

Serves 4 to 6

8 whole chicken legs (each with a drumstick and thigh attached, about 4 1/2 lbs in all)
16 medium fingerling or baby Yukon potatoes, peeled
3 large onions, peeled and quartered
5 oz pitted prunes
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp maple syrup
5 oz sweet mango chutney
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp oregano sprigs, plus a few picked for garnish

Heat the oven to 400 F
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, then tip it all into a large ovenproof roasting or baking dish.
Cover with a lid or thick foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Lower the heat to 350 F, remove the foil and cook for 1 1/2 more hours, stirring every now and then. If it starts to burn a bit, replace the foil or lid.

When the time is up, remove the dish from the oven, stir once more, cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes to rest and allow the flavors to mingle. Garnish with a few oregano leaves and serve with a sharp green salad and some good bread to mop up the lovely juices