The recipe sharer
This mayonnaise is utterly easy and a superb flavor. Well worth doing and very unusual.
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup light, good quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup 2% plain yoghurt
grated rind of 1 fresh lime
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp freshly grated gingerroot
1 clove garlic
In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, yoghurt, lime rind and juice, ginger and garlic.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or for up to 24 hours.
Delicious!!!
While trolling the internet for new and interesting recipes I found the beginnings of this recipe and then adapted it. The flavors are really stunning and the chicken becomes sticky and browned with the deep chutney and five-spice flavors permeating it. The orange gremolata sprinkled over the top when you serve it really adds a zing. This is lovely served with simple boiled brown rice in chicken broth
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Serves 4 – 6 but can easily be augmented
1/2 heaped cup of your favorite chutney (make sure it’s a good strong flavored one)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 heaped tbsp spicy brown mustard or coarse grain mustard
1 heaped tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp five spice powder
8 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Gremolata
2 tbsp Italian parsley, freshly snipped
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 tsp orange rind, finely shredded
In a medium sized bowl combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing well.
Put the chicken thighs in a baking dish, pour over the mixture and coat well.
Put in the oven on a high shelf preferably, for about 45 minutes, taking out and giving a stir about 1/2 way through the cooking.
The chicken thighs should be showing signs of toasty brown bits on them and be lovely with the bubbly sauce.
Mix together in a small bowl, the orange rind, sesame seeds and parsley and sprinkle over the dish as you serve it.
Enjoy!
Delicious and simple!
1 x 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
3 whole star anise
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1 whole chicken cut into pieces, or 3lbs of chicken pieces
steamed rice, to serve
Preheat the oven to 400F
Place the ginger, garlic, five spice powder, star anise, sugar, soy sauce, stock and oyster sauce in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
Place the chicken pieces in an oven proof dish and pour the ginger mixture over the chicken, coating the pieces.
Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.
Bring back to room temp and put in the oven and cook for about 1 hour or until tender. You can leave the lid or foil off in the last 30 mins to get a good bronzing of the chicken.
Serves 6
This is one of our family favorites. It’s also very popular with children because of the sweetness and stickiness the orange marmalade creates, but the hoisin and fresh ginger give it a sophistication.
It’s great straight out of the oven, at room temp and even cold the next day. Terrific for picnics too.
Serves 4 but can easily be doubled
Marinade
3 tbsp hoisin sauce (Available in the Asian food aisles)
1 tsp chili paste/sauce with garlic (If you can only get chili paste, that’s fine too, but add a couple of cloves of minced garlic)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dark or toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup Dundee-orange marmalade
3 to 4lbs chicken quarters
Garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
orange slices
1/ Combine all the marinade ingredients except for the marmalade in a large bowl. Add the marmalade and whisk the marinade well. Taste for seasoning.
2/ Add the chicken quarters to the marinade and coat all the pieces evenly. Cover and marinade the chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, turning the pieces once or twice.
3/ Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the chicken quarters skin side up in a large shallow roasting pan and roast for 50 to 55 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Baste with the juices once or twice while it is roasting. After this, turn the oven to 350F and loosely cover the roasting pan with foil, roasting at for another 30 min. Turn the oven off and leave in there for another 20-30 mins.
The meat should be falling off the bones and very moist.
4/ To serve, remove the chicken from the pan and degrease the drippings. Arrange the chicken on a large serving platter, spoon some sauce over it, and garnish with scallions and orange slices.
Serve immediately.
Advance preparation
This recipe can be made 1 day ahead, refrigerated and served chilled or prepare it up to 2 hours ahead through step 2 and refrigerate.
I intend to make this as a side on Christmas Eve alongside the crown roast of pork This is delicious and tangy with the freshly grated ginger giving it a real fresh and clean taste. It’s also great with a piece of broiled salmon as a very low fat meal
Serves 8
The Szechwan Dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt to taste
The salad
3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/4 lb snow peas, sliced thinly and diagonally
1/8 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
To prepare the dressing
In a bowl combine the vinegar, canola, sugar, ginger, red chile flakes, cilantro and salt. Set aside
To prepare the salad
Toast the almonds until golden brown and they start to smell great! You can use a toaster oven or regular oven. It should take about 7 minutes at 350F. Set aside to cool or do in advance.
Combine the red and green cabbages, red pepper, scallions, carrot, snow peas and sesame seeds.
Fifteen minutes before serving time, toss the cabbage mixture with the dressing, as this allows the flavors to meld while keeping the crisp vegetables intact.
This is fairly spicy, depending on how much Thai curry paste you put in.
I love it with spaghetti. This would use 1lb cooked spaghetti for 4 people.
1&1/2lbs raw, deveined prawns, (not too large)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 oz mushrooms, sliced,
4 tbsp chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
1&1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1&1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp red Thai curry paste
pinch of five spice powder
10 fl oz coconut milk
salt and pepper
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan, put in the mushrooms, green onions, garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes.
Add the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, red curry paste and five spice powder and stir well.
The add the coconut milk, a little more salt and pepper and the prawns.
Simmer gently for a few minutes until the prawns have turned pink and serve on a bed of spaghetti, rice or rice noodles.
This sauce can be doubled or trebled, but watch the red Thai curry paste amount. You shouldn’t double that necessarily!
This is a Gordon Ramsey recipe and is absolutely delicious!
Serves 8 to 10
1 butternut squash (about 1&1/2lbs) , peeled, deseeded and cubed
2 garlic cloves, bashed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 x 14 or 15 oz tin (the regular tin size) chickpeas drained and rinsed
Warmed or griddled pitta bread or flatbread, to serve
For the ras del hannout (for sprinkling over the butternut squash before roasting and sprinkling over prepared hummus at the end. Don’t miss this stage)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika
1. First, make the ras del hannout spice blend. Break the cinnamon stick into pieces.
Place in a dry pan with the cloves and all the seeds (but not the paprika) and toast over medium heat for about 1 minute until aromatic and the seeds are popping (shake the spices in the pan as you heat them, to prevent burning)
2. Once toasted, remove from the heat and add the paprika. Place in a spice grinder, blender or pestle and mortar and grind until the mixture is a powder-sift it if necessary.
This spice blend will keep for up to 3 months if store in an airtight container
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F
4. Make the hummus. In a large bowl, mix the cubed squash, unpeeled garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of the Ras del hannout spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in reheated oven and cook for about 30 mins until tender all the way through.
5. Once the squash is soft, add the contents of the tray to a blender or food processor, discarding the garlic skins first. Add the tahini, chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon juice along with 2 tbsp olive oil. Blend until smooth. taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary – you might need more lemon juice too.
6. Transfer the hummus to a nice bowl or dish and sprinkle with a little of the spice blend. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with warmed or griddled pitta bread
This is lovely and a bit different with the Asian dressing complementing the avocado beautifully.
A simple but very effective starter
Serves 4
2 ripe Haas avocados
mixed greens
Dressing
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp safflower oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Chinese pepper mix (Equal amounts of whole black, white and Szechuan peppers, toasted then ground in a spice mill. You will be able to keep this for quite a while)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
Dressing
Toast the sesame seeds in a small ungreased skillet set over a high heat until they are light golden.
Combine the sesame seeds with the remaining ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Cut the avocados in half, seed and thinly slice.
Place some mixed leaves on 4 salad plates. Fan an avocado half across each bed of greens.
Shake the dressing in the jar and then drizzle it over the avocado.
Serve at once
Chilli-lime cream sauce
This sauce is terrific with either grilled fish or pasta. Thanks to Bon Appetite magazine back in 2005.
Makes about 2/3 cup
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced shallot
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp *chili-garlic sauce
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan.
Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes or so.
Add the cream and boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, mix in the chili-garlic sauce. Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking just until melted before adding the next piece. Warm through without boiling and serve.
* Chili-garlic sauce is available in the Asian section of the supermarket or at Asian supermarkets
Coconut-Curry Butter Sauce
A mixture of South Indian and Asian fusion flavors. Lovely with salmon.
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Premium unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp Indian curry powder
2 bay leaves
3 -4 whole cloves
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, but keep chilled
Kosher salt to taste
In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the butter and salt.
Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces to 1/2 cup.
Turn the heat down to low, then whisk in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce.
DO NOT let the sauce boil at this point or it will curdle horribly!
Season to taste and serve