Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemons

11th June 201811th June 2018
by thefoodwife

I always try to buy free-range chicken; if I’m going to eat meat it makes me feel better as a consumer and also I think it tastes better, so it’s a win win. The last couple of times we’ve had a whole roasted chicken I have stuffed the inside with preserved lemons. They provide a delicate flavour to the flesh and enhance the caramelised juices with a salty citrus hit.

Roasting a chicken is a simple and fuss free way of cooking and can feed several people in one sitting. Alternatively it can provide the basis for two or three meals for a couple of people (try the leftovers shredded into my Asian Noodle Peanut Salad).

Ingredients:
1 free-range whole chicken (giblets removed)
2 or 3 preserved lemons, halved
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Place the chicken in a roasting tray and insert the preserved lemons inside the bird through the opening at one end.

Step 2: Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Place in a preheated oven at 190c and cook for 45 minutes per kilogram plus a further 20 minutes.

Step 4: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for a good 20 minutes before carving.

Serve as a classic roast dinner, or enjoy in the summer with a warm potato salad and a green salad.

Sticky Chilli Chicken

28th April 201828th April 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 4-6

There is something deeply satisfying about eating juicy meat straight off the bone, and my sticky chilli chicken does not disappoint. The ingredients are simple and, if you’re anything like me, they are probably things you’ll find lurking in the fridge or cupboard.

Ingredients:
1kg chicken pieces (a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
1 red onion cut into thin wedges
2 carrots cut into batons
1 red pepper cut in to one inch pieces
1/2 orange cut into eight pieces
Juice of half an orange
1 inch ginger peeled and diced
1 heaped tbsp chilli jam
2 heaped tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Step 1: Add all ingredients into a large sealable bag (I like using the large ones from IKEA – I’m sure you know the ones I mean, they are frequently listed as a must-have purchase when paying the big blue box a visit). Squish everything together so the meat and vegetables are pleasingly coated in the sticky mixture. Leave (preferably overnight) in the fridge to marinate.

Step 2: Spread the contents of the bag in a baking tin and put in a 190c oven for 50 minutes.

Serve with rice, and if you fancy some extra veg, some steamed greens.

Quesadillas

19th April 201822nd April 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 4 small/2 large

I love Mexican food. It’s so fresh and zingy with spices. One of my favourites to batch cook is the Jamie Oliver recipe ‘Chilli con Jamie’ which is sweet, smoky and deep with the flavour of chillis, enhanced by coffee. It is slow cooked with chunks of beef that are then shredded into the sauce, and it makes for a much more satisfying chilli than one made with mince.

This evening we were going to have fajitas but I decided to mix things up and so decided we’d have quesadillas. I decided to make my own fajita spice mix, but you could always use one from a shop. I made my quesadillas with free range pork, but they would be good with free range chicken or beef too. Likewise, if you wanted to try a veggie version, why not replace the meat with some roasted diced butternut squash or sweet potato; their natural sweetness will go well with the spicy seasoning.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, small dice
1 pepper, small dice
300g meat (e.g. pork/chicken/beef) cut in to 1/2 cm dice
1 portion of fajita spice mix
Juice of 1/2 a lime
2 tbsp chopped coriander
8 small wraps/4 large wraps
200g grated cheese that is good for melting e.g. mozzarella
Oil for frying e.g. Frylight

Step 1: In a frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil, onion and peppers and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are softened and browned slightly.

Step 2: Whilst these fry, combine the fajita spice mix and the diced meat in a bowl and stir to ensure that the meat is evenly coated.

Step 3: Increase the heat and add the meat, fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure all sides of the meat are being cooked.

Step 4: Add the juice of half a lime and cook for a further couple of minutes to allow the meat to finish cooking through, and to evaporate the moisture to leave a dry mix.

Step 5: Remove from the heat and stir through the chopped coriander.

Step 6: Place a separate, non stick frying pan on a medium heat and spray with Frylight or wipe a small amount of oil on the pan. Place 1 small tortilla wrap in the pan, and top with about 1/8 of the cheese, followed by 1/4 of the cooked meat mixture, another 1/8 of the cheese and finally another wrap. Use a fish slice to press the quesadilla down and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom layer of cheese has begun to melt and the bottom wrap should have crisped up and turned golden brown. Spray the top wrap with a little more oil and then use the fish slice to flip the quesadilla and cook for a further 1-2 minutes on the other side. Turn the quesadilla out and keep warm whilst you repeat the process with the remaining wraps and mixture.

I would serve two of these (small) quesadillas per adult for a main meal, served with a salad (try mixing lettuce, spring onion, avocado, chopped jalapeños from a jar, and dress with the juice from the remaining lime and a little olive oil).

Korean Chicken Wings

7th April 20188th April 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

For the last decade I have been a frequenter of the various Asian shops and supermarkets of Bristol, and a few years ago the lady who runs the Oriental Market on Gloucester Road introduced me to gochujang, the spicy pungent Korean fermented chilli paste. It quickly became a firm favourite. I would happily eat it in various forms for days on end, although a simple stir fry would be my go-to, especially when I was on a weight loss drive and wanted something with lots of flavour that would satiate my chilli cravings.

I decided to try something a little different from my stir fry and came up with this dish, which is definitely not for a diet day! The wings are rich and sticky and hot from the gochujang, extremely pleasing, enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken wings

For the marinade:
3 tbsp gochujang paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp honey

Step 1: Combine the five marinade ingredients and place in a ziplock bag with the wings and squish them together to ensure all surfaces are coated – leave to marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Step 2: Spread the wings in their marinade on a baking sheet and bake at 190c for 45-50 minutes.

Step 3: Serve with a salad (try my sweet and crunchy slaw) and I like it with rice or sweet potato fries.