Low Fat Turkey Chilli

24th September 2024
by thefoodwife

Serves 5-6

I popped to the shop this morning and picked up a 500g pack of 2% fat a turkey mince, reduced as it needed using up today. I also grabbed a couple of can of mildly spiced mixed beans. I knew I’d get home and throw together a turkey bean chilli along with some basic ingredients I already had at home, and this is what I did…

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

500g 2% fat turkey mince

1 pepper, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 sachet of fajita seasoning or homemade fajita spice mix

2x cans of spiced mixed beans

1 jar (680g) passata

Salt and Pepper

Step 1: Heat the oil in a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes before adding the garlic. Continue to cook gently for a few more minutes.

Step 2: Add the mince and brown slightly before adding the pepper, fajita seasoning and the tomato purée. Cook this out for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Add the beans and their sauce, along with the passata. Swill the passata container out with a little water and add this to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes on a low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice or tortilla chips.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup with Garlic Butter…

24th September 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 3L

As the weather turns, and the nights draw in, what better comfort than soup. This bowl of sunshine will warm you up and it makes a nice vat of it so you can feed a crowd, or portion it up for the freezer for another day.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (weighing approximately 1kg), peeled, deseeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

500g (approx3 medium sweet potatoes) peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 head of garlic, wrapped in foil

Vegetable oil

1.5L Vegetable stock (vegan/gluten-free if required)

Salt and pepper

To serve:

Crumpets (vegan/gluten-free if required)

Butter (vegan if required)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan) and get a large baking tray. Drizzle with a little vegetable oil and toss the squash, onion and sweet potato around, grind some salt and pepper over the top. Make a small hole in the vegetables in the centre of the tray and pop the foil wrapped garlic bulb in there. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

Step 2: Towards the end of the 40 minutes, put 1.5L of vegetable stock in a large sauce pan, bring to a simmer. Once the vegetables are out of the oven, add them to the pan along with 5 cloves of the garlic (skin removed) and take off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Toast crumpets to serve, and then take a clove of the roasted garlic and smash it together with a little butter (one clove should be enough for four crumpets). Spread over the hot toasted crumpets and serve immediately with the soup.

Any left over roasted garlic can be stored in the fridge for a few days and added to sauces or pasta.

Spiced Lamb Kofte Stew with Olives and Preserved Lemon

18th September 2024
by thefoodwife

Serves 4-6

So warm and comforting, and the heat in this is adjustable to suit all palettes. The main flavours of lemon, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and garlic are echoed in both the sauce and the koftes.

Serve with rice or couscous for a fragrant and delicious meal as the nights start to draw in.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 white onions, finely chopped

2 thumbs of ginger, peeled and finely grated

4 fat cloves of garlic, finely grated or crushed

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cumin

2 preserved lemons, finely chopped (pips removed)

400g lamb mince

2 tbsp tomato purée

500ml water/lamb stock

80g olives

80g spinach

Small bunch of parsley, chopped

1 lemon, juice and zest

Step 1: Using a large heaven bottomed frying pan, over a medium low heat, fry the onions in the olive oil, for five minutes before adding the garlic and ginger and cooking for a further five. Next add the ground spices and preserved lemons. Cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Remove half into a large bowl.

Step 2: With the half remaining in the frying pan, add the tomato purée, cook for a couple of minutes before adding the stock (or water). Bring to a simmer.

Step 3: With the half in a bowl, add the lamb mince, a good grind of pepper and a pinch of salt, and use your hands, mix everything thoroughly.

Step 4: Using clean, damp hands take a pinch of mixture and form it into either a small meatball. Once you’ve made the ball squeeze it in your fist to make a small kofte. Carefully place each one into the simmering sauce, repeating until all the mixture has gone.

Step 5: Add the olives, and then simmer everything together for 20 minutes, gently stirring occasionally (although don’t attempt this for the first 10 minutes to avoid breaking up the kofte).

Step 6: Check the sauce and season as required, adding the cayenne pepper if you want a kick of heat (start with a small amount!). Before serving add the spinach (fresh or frozen) and cook until wilted, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley and the lemon zest.

Soft Sugar ‘Skull’ Cookies

17th September 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes approx 20 cookies

Easily made dairy-free, these cookies have a spooky decoration which is oh-so cute! You want a chilled, firm dough so start making these a few hours before you need them so they can chill in the fridge until ready to bake. Even better, make the dough the day before for a quick bake!

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter (dairy-free if required)

150g granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Jam (smooth/seedless)

Chocolate (dairy-free if required), melted

Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Next add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.

Step 2: Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat again until you have a smooth dough. This should not take long but you may need to scrape down the sides of the bow to incorporate everything.

Step 3: Take a large sheet of grease-proof paper and tip the dough out into the centre. Roll the dough into a thick sausage shape, about 20cm long and twist the ends tight. Store in the fridge to chill until firm.

Step 4: When ready to bake, prepare a large baking sheet with grease-proof paper and preheat the oven to 180c fan.

Step 5: At this point either keep the log of dough round, to have rounded cookies, or use your hand through the grease proof paper, to create a narrow jaw section to create more of a skull shape. Slice the cookies evenly, about 1cm thick, and place onto the prepared baking sheets about 5cm apart. Use your thumb and little finger to make two indents in each cookie in place of eyes. Fill each indent with a little jam. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Pipe the chocolate into a spooky smile once fully cooled. Allow to set.

Store in an airtight container.

Spooky “Mummy” Sausage Rolls

16th September 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

A fun twist on sausage rolls for the Halloween season! Using chipolatas and shop-bought ready-rolled puff pastry makes these a super easy activity to make with the kids.

Ingredients:

12 chipolatas

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry

American Mustard

1 egg, beaten

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180c (fan) and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.

Step 2: Un-roll the puff pastry and brush with a thin layer of the American mustard. Then using a sharp knife cut 24 strips roughly 5mm wide (you will probably have a little bit of pastry left…cheese straws anyone??).

Step 3: For each chipolata you will need two strips. Press one end of each strip together to create one continuous strip of pastry. Begin winding it (mustard side in contact with the sausage) around the chipolata. Place them on the lined baking tray. Repeat until all sausages are wrapped.

Step 4: Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden.

Allow to cool slightly (or completely) before serving. You can also use some more mustard to dot on some little eyes onto one end of the sausage before serving!