thefoodwife – Page 42 – The Food Wife

Lemon Posset

5th April 20195th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Lemon posset has been my go-to dessert of late. Itâ€™s something that can be made the day before (it needs a decent amount of time to set in the fridge so making it a day ahead is preferable anyway). Iâ€™ve also opted to go for one serving dish but these can, of course, be poured into individual glasses or ramekins.

I always leave the zest in the posset, but you can strain it out at the start of step 3 if you prefer.

The quantities can be easily scaled up or down, but due to its richness aim for 100ml of cream per person.

Ingredients:
600ml double cream
130g caster sugar
3 unwaxed lemons, juice and zest

Step 1: Place all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently bring to the boil.

Step 2: Boil for five minutes and then remove from the heat.

Step 3: Pour into your serving dish(es) and allow to cool before covering and putting in the fridge for a good 12 hours.

I like to serve this with a berry compote (simply heat berries, fresh or frozen, with caster sugar to taste, until the berries break down and release their natural juices, then allow to cool) and ginger biscuits such as my gluten-free ginger cookies Iâ€™ve previously shared.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

1st April 20191st April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

Growing up, it was much to my sisterâ€™s annoyance that if we were getting a Chinese take away I would always request lemon chicken. I love its astringent sourness whereas she does not! Luckily though, the Food Husband shares my love of it. However, Iâ€™m struggling to think when we last had a Chinese takeaway, but Iâ€™ve been working on my own version, and it is a pretty good dupe. Itâ€™s fairly quick to cook (itâ€™s all in the preparation) and Iâ€™m sure itâ€™s much healthier than the takeaway version.

I made this totally gluten-free in order to cater for my husbandâ€™s dietary requirements, but itâ€™s the soy sauce, stock and flour that are the ingredients you need to ensure are gluten-free if necessary.

Preparation is key to this recipe. Have everything ready to go into the wok and it will then be ready in no time. Iâ€™ve also done steps 1-3 an hour before weâ€™re going to eat so that I know that after the Food Baby is in bed, dinner will be ready to eat not long after.

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 egg white, beaten
300g chicken (thigh or breast) cut into thin strips
5 tbsp corn flour
Pinch of ground white pepper

For the stir fry:
Vegetable oil
1 onion, large dice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 inches of ginger, julienned (thin strips)
1 pepper, large dice

For the sauce:
2 lemons (juice and zest)
2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp sugar
150ml vegetable/chicken stock (gluten-free if required)

Step 1: Begin by marinating the chicken strips in a bowl with the soy sauce and beaten egg white. Allow to marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Step 2: Next you are going to coat each piece of marinaded chicken in the cornflour which has had a pinch of white pepper stirred through it.

Step 3: In a wok, heat some vegetable oil over a high heat and then cook the floured chicken in batches, until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper (it does not need to be cooked through at this stage as it will go back in the wok later).

Step 4: Add a little more oil to the wok and start to stir fry the onion, garlic, ginger and pepper. Cook over a high heat for three or four minutes and then reintroduce the chicken. Keep everything moving and after a couple of minutes, add all of the sauce ingredients. Stir for a couple more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.

Serve immediately with rice.

Chorizo and Butterbean Stew with Sweet Potato and Red…

28th March 20198th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

Sometimes you just want a bowl of warmth that you can eat with a spoon, and this is just that.

No oil is needed as the chorizo will release its own, adding extra flavour. However if you were making this a vegetarian or vegan meal, then omit the chorizo and heat a tablespoon of oil before adding the onion. You may also want to add a little more paprika, but do this at the end when you check the seasoning.

Made in just one pot it is ready in about half an hour, and can be eaten on its own; but you could also try it with some white fish, a serving of green vegetables or a chunk of crusty bread.

Ingredients:
200g chorizo ring, peeled and sliced into slices 3-4mm thick
1 onion, medium dice
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tsp hot paprika
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 red pepper, deseeded, medium dice
1 tin butterbeans, drained
350g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
150g red lentils
500g passata
700ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, over a medium heat, add the chorizo and let its oil come out. After a couple of minutes add the onion and stir, cooking for another five minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic, red pepper and paprikas and stir, and cook for a minute.

Step 3: Add the beans, lentils and sweet potato, stir well and then add the passata and stock. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the saucepan, lower the heat (it should still be simmering) and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the lentils are soft.

Step 4: Check the seasoning and serve.

Cheese and Vegetable Scones

26th March 201926th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 10

Whilst these started as a recipe to get more vegetables into the Food Baby, they are so delicious that I found myself eating just as many as him!

These are easy to make and can be frozen too, making them a super convenient lunch or snack; simply get them out in the morning to defrost and they are good to go in an hour or two.

Despite squeezing the excess water out of the vegetables, they still add extra moisture to the dough, so you will need to have more flour on standby to add to the dough as needed.

Ingredients:
225g self raising flour (plus extra)
Pinch of salt
55g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 small carrot, grated and squeezed of its excess water
1 small courgette, grated and squeezed of its excess water
50g hard cheese, grated
1 tbsp pesto (I used a sundried tomato one, but use whatever type you fancy)
Large pinch of smoked paprika
150ml milk

Step 1: In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and butter by rubbing between your fingers (cold hands are best) until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 2: Next stir through the grated cheese and squeezed vegetables along with the pesto and paprika.

Step 3: Finally gently stir in the milk (I like to use a table knife for this, and you want to mix the minimum amount to avoid the dough becoming tough). Itâ€™s at this stage that you may need to add a little more flour, until the mix is no longer sticky.

Step 4: Roll out until an inch thick and cut out into your shape of choice. Don’t twist the cutter though as this will stop them rising evenly. Transfer to a lined baking sheet (if you want you can brush the top with a little beaten egg or milk for a glaze, or dust with a little flour for a soft finish).

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven at 220c (fan) for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Chicken and Leeks in a Cream and Wine Sauce

20th March 201920th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

This recipe definitely reminds me of the 1990s, specifically the dish I would always order at a local restaurant we went to for birthdays. It was always chicken in some sort of creamy sauce, served with long grain rice and a chopped salad with vinaigrette.

This recipe was born out of using up some wine and cream left over from some weekend indulgence. It is simple and quick to make but also wonderfully versatile as it can be served with rice or potatoes, stirred through pasta or even used as a pie filling. Creme fraiche could replace the double cream, in which case omit the vinegar. A spoonful of whole grain mustard could also be stirred through before serving. If making this as a vegetarian meal then replace the chicken with Quorn pieces.

Ingredients:
Oil
1 leek, trimmed, thoroughly washed and sliced into rounds
1 stick of celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
250g chicken (breast or thigh meat), cut into thin strips
1 tbsp plain flour (gluten-free if required)
1 large glass of white wine
50ml double cream
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Begin by heating a little oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the celery and leeks and start to soften (but not brown).

Step 2: After three or four minutes add the garlic and cook out for a minute or two.

Step 3: Dust the sliced chicken with the flour and then add to the pan. Seal on all sides and then add the wine. Stir frequently so that it thickens from the flour and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickened.

Step 4: Finish the sauce by stirring through the cream and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable (or salad!).