Asian flavors · Poultry

Chicken Tikka Masala

Belinda

Britain’s favorite dish; the classic chicken tikka masala.
This much-loved chicken curry recipe from Madhur Jaffrey features garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander

Probably created in Britain, chicken tikka masala is easily the most popular Indian curry in the UK today, and yet nobody is quite clear about its origins. It is possible that a chef in Birmingham, with too many tandoor-roasted chicken pieces (‘tikkas’) left over, decided to reheat them in a quick stir-fried curry sauce. However it originated, it is here to stay.
The tikkas need to marinate for six to eight hours, so bear that in mind when you come to make the dish. Serve it with Indian breads or rice. A black dal would go well with such a meal.

For the chicken tikka:
675g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
1¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp peeled, finely grated root ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed
1 tsp ground roasted cumin
1 tsp paprika
½–¾ tsp chili powder
6 tbsp whipping cream
½ tsp garam masala
3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

For the masala:
4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
140 g (5oz) onions, halved and finely sliced
1 tbsp peeled, finely grated root ginger
5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
¾ tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
4 tbsp whole milk plain yoghurt
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped
350 ml (about 1 1/2 cups) chicken stock
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp garam masala
4 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

You will need 4 flat metal long skewers for the chicken

Start by marinating the chicken tikka. Put the chicken in a non-reactive bowl and rub in the salt and lemon juice. Prod the chicken pieces lightly with the tip of a knife and rub the seasonings in again, then set aside for 20 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, cream and garam masala. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for six to eight hours (longer will not hurt).

When you’re ready to cook, make the masala: pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan and set it over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry until they brown, six or seven minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to fry, stirring, for a minute. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder and paprika. Stir for 10 seconds, then add a tablespoon of the yoghurt. Stir and fry until it is absorbed. Add the remaining yoghurt in this way, a tablespoon at a time.

Now put in the tomatoes. Fry them for three or four minutes, or until they turn pulpy. Add the stock and salt, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. The sauce should turn thick. Stir in the garam masala and coriander leaves, taste for balance of seasonings and add more salt if you need it.

Shortly before you eat, preheat the grill to its highest setting. Thread the chicken on to two to four skewers (the flat, sword-like ones are best). Brush with the 3 tablespoons of oil and balance the skewers on the rim of a shallow baking tray, so that the meat is suspended and does not touch the tray. Place about 13 cm (5 inches) from the source of heat and grill for six minutes on each side, or until lightly browned, cooked through and charred in places. (Cut a large piece of chicken to the centre to check there is no trace of pink.)

When the tikkas are cooked, reheat the sauce and fold in the chicken. Serve immediately.

Do-ahead · Meat

Mexican Tortilla Pie

Belinda

This is one of my favorite family recipes and my kids always adored it.
It’s really easy to make, looks very impressive with all the layers, tastes divine and serves like a cake!
To be honest there is no limit to how many layers you can have and everything sticks well together with the cheese so it’s worth playing around with this recipe.

Screen Shot 2020-07-23 at 12.43.21 PM

Serves 4

2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 1/2lb lean ground beef
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 oz package taco seasoning mix (El Paso or Lawry’s)
1 1/2 – 2 cans (14oz) refried beans
8 flour tortillas
3 heaped cups grated sharp cheddar
1 good bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
16 oz jar salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 avocados diced

Preheat the oven to 350F
Grease a deep 9″round loose-bottom cake tin
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the ground beef and cook for 5 mins or until brown, breaking up the lumps with the back of a spoon.
Drain off the excess oil.
Add the seasoning packet and crushed garlic and cook for a further 5 mins until heated through.

Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the cake tin then spread 1/3 cup of refried beans on the bottom, then 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on top. Top with some chopped cilantro then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese and 1 tbsp salsa.
Continue layering with the remaining tortillas, refried beans, ground beef, cilantro, cheese and salsa, ending with a tortilla sprinkled with cheese- it should end up looking like a dome shape.

Bake for 20 – 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and browned.
Cool slightly in the tin, then turn out onto a plate and cut into wedges. Top with a dollop of sour cream and the diced avocado.

** To be honest, after making this so many times, I use far more of each ingredient than the recipe asks for and really go to town, adding crushed garlic to the ground beef and black beans or corn.
The cheese is the glue and who doesn’t love lots of cheese so go for it!

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces

Aji Verde (Spicy Peruvian Green Sauce)

Belinda

Recipe from food blog, “Cookie and Kate”

Aji verde is spicy Peruvian green sauce, made with cilantro, jalapeños, a little mayonnaise and Parmesan. It is utterly irresistible drizzled onto tacos, used as a dip for tortilla chips, shrimp and as a sauce for roast chicken, french fries, fish, beef… absolutely anything!!

Yield: 1 ¼ cups, but can be easily doubled or trebled

½ cup mayonnaise
2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro, mostly leaves but small stems are ok (from 1 big bunch of cilantro or 1 ½ medium)
2 medium jalapeños, seeds and membranes removed but reserved, roughly chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (1 ounce) grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients. Blend until the cilantro has broken into very tiny pieces and the sauce is green and mostly smooth (no matter how long you blend it, it will still have some texture to it).
Taste, and adjust if necessary.
This sauce is intentionally bold and spicy and I usually think it’s just right as written. However, if the flavor is too overwhelming, blend in 1 tablespoon of olive oil while running the food processor. If it’s not spicy enough, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds and blend again.
If it doesn’t have enough zip, add another tablespoon of lime juice and/or a pinch of salt.
Aji verde keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

NOTES
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: Simply omit the Parmesan. To temper the flavor a bit, drizzle in 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil while running the food processor.

MAKE IT VEGAN: I think you could replace the mayonnaise with equal parts vegan sour cream, and omit the cheese.

Yum!

Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

Sheetpan layerless lasagna

Belinda

Recipe from Giada de Laurentis

Lovers of crispy lasagna edges, this one’s for you! This spin on the classic dish isn’t only easier (no tedious layering required) but it ensures more perfectly crisp bites all throughout. Broken up lasagna pieces, or taccole pasta, make it feel more layered than your average baked pasta.
Feel free to assemble this ahead of time and refrigerate until it’s time to serve – then pop it in the oven when it’s time to eat.

Serves 6
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1lb taccole pasta or lasagne pasta broken into 2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (5- oz) container baby spinach
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 red onion, diced
4 cups jarred marinara sauce (Rao is the best one)
2 1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella, divided
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Oil a straight sided 12 x 17-inch baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil along with the garlic and pepper flakes to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and the salt and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is almost completely wilted, another minute. Remove the spinach mixture to a strainer and press firmly to remove any excess liquid. Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slice up the spinach into chopped pieces. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet and bring it back to medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan along with the sausage and cook, undisturbed until the sausage is beginning to brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break apart the sausage into bite sized pieces.
Continue to cook, stirring often and breaking apart as needed, until the sausage is lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Add the onion to the pan and cook until the onion is fragrant and beginning to soften, another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Be sure it is a large enough pan to allow the pasta to swim freely. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes stirring often to avoid clumping. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, add the marinara to the pan with the sausage and onion and mix well. Add the pasta water, pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the same pan and stir to combine.
Spread the entire mixture on the prepared 12 x 17-inch baking sheet.
Dollop the pasta with the ricotta-spinach mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup parmesan cheeses.
Bake until the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbly, and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Fish · Pasta

Easy creamy prawn linguine

Belinda

Recipe from food blog, Skinny Spatula

Creamy prawn linguine (linguine con gamberi) is the stuff pasta dreams are made of. Smothered in a creamy garlic sauce with lemon, this prawn and pasta recipe is ideal for date night or simply when you feel like a treat.

Serves 4

350 g (12 oz.) linguine
30 g (1 oz.) butter
250 g (9 oz.) shrimp
4-5 garlic cloves
100 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
200 ml (1 cup) double cream
2 tbsp creme fraiche
25 g (1 ounce) grated Parmesan
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Boil the linguine two minutes less than recommended on the package.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan, add the prawns and cook for five minutes until slightly brown.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant.
Add the wine, herbs, and chili flakes and simmer for 5 minutes until the wine evaporates.
Stir in the double cream, creme fraiche, and parmesan, cook for another minute until all creamy and bubbly and stir the pasta in.
Season to taste, add the lemon juice and parsley and serve immediately.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Meat · Pasta · Vegan

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles With Pork and Scallions

Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine

With chewy noodles, well-browned ground pork, and crunchy cabbage, this take on yaki udon (stir-fried udon noodles) gets its flavor from an umami-rich punch of soy sauce and mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine. (You might recognize the combination from teriyaki recipes.) It also has green onions for a fresh bite and a drizzle of sesame oil for nutty depth. You can easily make it vegetarian: Simply omit the pork and sub in 8 oz. shiitake or crimini mushrooms instead.

If you don’t have mirin in your pantry already, it’s easily found in many larger grocery stores, East Asian markets, and online. Some brands may be labeled “aji-mirin.” This common product is an imitation of true mirin (the name translates to “tastes like mirin”). Whatever you find will be delicious in this recipe, but if you spot hon-mirin (a.k.a. true mirin, which is quite a bit more expensive) it makes the dish even more special.

This is a weeknight-ready, quick-fire udon noodle recipe, so prepping your ingredients before you start cooking is a smart move. See the step-by-step instructions here.

Serves 4

2 tbsp avocado or vegetable oil, divided
4 cups very coarsely chopped green cabbage (from about ¼ medium head)
2 7-oz packages instant udon noodles, flavor packets discarded
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
8 oz ground pork
5 scallions, white and pale-green parts coarsely chopped, dark-green parts thinly sliced
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup mirin
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Step 1

Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add cabbage and cook, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage leaves are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set skillet aside.

Step 2

Place udon in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don’t have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain in a colander. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Transfer cabbage to bowl with noodles. Wipe out skillet.

Step 3

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is brown, about 3 minutes. The pork will never brown if you’re fussing with it the whole time, so when we say “undisturbed,” that means keep your paws off it and let the heat of the pan and the pork do their thing. When pork is browned, break up meat into small bits. Cook, tossing, just until there’s no more pink, about 1 minute.
Add chopped scallions (the pale parts), ginger, and red pepper. Continue to cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and bottom of skillet has started to brown, about 1 minute. Add udon mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are coated in sauce (be sure to scrape bottom of skillet to dissolve any browned bits), about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and fold in 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds and dark-green parts of scallions.
Top with more sesame seeds before serving.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free

Baked feta with cherry tomatoes

Belinda

This recipe is superb and is an adaptation of a viral TikTok video used with pasta. Serve with warm focaccia bread.

4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1lb sweet cherry tomatoes
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 good-sized shallot or 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 small red chillies (sliced) or a good pinch or dried red chili flakes
Flaky sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
10 oz block Greek feta or a couple of smaller ones. (It doesn’t have to be exactly 10 oz)
A good handful fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chili honey, to drizzle
Good bread for serving

Heat the oven to 400F. Place one rack in the middle of the oven and one near the top, under the broiler.

Put 2 tbsp olive oil into an 8″ or 9″ oven-proof baking dish that is presentable.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, chopped thyme, shallots and chillies. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Toss to coat, then add the blocks of feta. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the feta and tomatoes, crack more pepper and gently toss without breaking the feta blocks.

Transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes. After that, transfer to the broiler rack and change the setting to the BROIL, watching carefully incase it burns. Broil on high for 5-8 mins or until the tomatoes are starting to char and blister.
Meanwhile, heat up the bread in a toaster oven or another oven.
When the tomato/feta dish is ready, pull out the dish and add the torn basil leaves, gently stirring to combine so the feta “smooshes” into the tomatoes and it becomes a gooey mess!
Drizzle with the chili honey and serve

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Fish · Holiday Food

Salmon tartare with dill, lemon and capers

Belinda

Serves 6

If you love serving smoked salmon for a starter, this salmon tartare is a great modern twist, using fresh and smoked salmon.
A super appetizer and can be made no more than 3 hours earlier and refrigerated.

1 shallot, finely diced
2 lemon, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
400g skinless salmon fillet
200g smoked salmon
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp non pareil capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp crème fraîche
lemon oil or olive oil
melba toast, to serve

Put the shallot in the lemon juice and leave to soak.
Cut the salmon into tiny cubes and finely chop the smoked salmon.
Put all the fish into a bowl, add the dill, capers, mustard, crème fraîche, 1 tbsp lemon or olive oil and the shallot and juice.
Fold it all together gently and season with black pepper and salt if needed.
Serve in neat rounds with melba toast and lemon wedges on the side, and drizzle with a little more lemon oil.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Soup

Curried lentil soup

Belinda

This recipe calls for medium curry powder, but it’s flexible. If the one you have is mild or very spicy, adjust the heat level with more, or less, red pepper flakes.
Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 2½-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 tbsp medium curry powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup red lentils
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus leaves with tender stems for serving
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well
Lime wedges (for serving)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook onion, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lentils and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, ½ cup cilantro, a generous pinch of salt, and 2½ cups water; season with pepper. Set aside ¼ cup coconut milk for serving and add remaining coconut milk to saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy, 20–25 minutes. Season soup with more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve, divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with reserved coconut milk and top with more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Do Ahead: Soup (without toppings) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

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

Chicken Basque

Belinda

This is a super and easy recipe from Delia Smith.

1 x 3½ lb (1.75 kg) chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
brown basmati rice measured to the 8 fl oz (225 ml) level in a glass measuring jug
10 fl oz (275 ml) chicken stock (or stock made from Marigold vegetable bouillon powder)
6 fl oz (170 ml) dry white wine
½ large orange, cut into wedges
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 oz (50 g) black olives (pitted if you prefer)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 large red peppers
1 very large or 2 medium onions
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 oz (150 g) chorizo sausage, skinned and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) slices
2 oz (50 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 level tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
½ level teaspoon hot paprika

Start by seasoning the chicken joints well with salt and pepper.

Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into six strips. Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size. The dried tomatoes should be drained, wiped dry with kitchen paper and then cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces.

Now heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the casserole and, when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces – two or three at a time – and brown them to a nutty golden color on both sides. As they brown remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper, using a draining spoon. Next add a little more oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from time to time, for about 5 minutes.

After that, add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and toss these around for a minute or two until the garlic is pale golden and the chorizo has taken on some color. Next, stir in the rice and, when the grains have a good coating of oil, add the sun-dried tomato paste, paprika and chopped thyme. Pour in the stock and wine, and add some seasoning. As soon as everything has reached simmering point, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it’s important to keep the rice down in the liquid).

Finally, place the wedges of orange in among the chicken and scatter with the olives.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for about 50 minutes-1 hour or until the rice is cooked but still retains a little bite. You can also watch how to make Perfect Rice in our Cookery School Video for Long-grain Rice on this page.

Alternatively cook in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C), for 1 hour.

You will also need a wide, shallow, flameproof casserole with a domed lid, measuring about 9½ inches (24 cm) at the base; or, failing that, any wide flameproof casserole of 8½ pint (4.5 litre) capacity.