Burrito Bowl

There is no right way to eat a burrito bowl; you can mix and match from so many gorgeous bits and bobs but this is my perfect combination both in terms of flavours and textures. I always operate a ‘build your own’ policy in my house – just put it all out on the side and ask your guests to start a burrito conveyer belt.

My bowl starts with fluffy white rice and shredded lettuce. I accompany that with black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, chopped chicken, pickled jalapenos and a good few dashes of hot sauce to finish.  I think chicken is the best meat for this dish, but steak, pork or even salmon might work for you. I chopped up one breast from a roasted chicken and it was plenty for two of us when served in this way. The beans provide lots of protein and it’s so tasty that you’ll definitely feel satisfied! I don’t think it needs tortillas, but of course you could wrap all of the above in a soft tortilla if you wanted to.

Black Beans:

• 400g tin of black beans
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 white onion
• Salt (smoked is nice if you have it)

Start by dicing the celery and onion then fry then gently in a frying pan. After 10 minutes add the beans, cumin and tomatoes plus about half a tin of water (use the tomato tin and swirl around to get as much as possible out of the tin). Leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary as the mixture cooks down. Done!

Guacamole:

• 1 very ripe avocado
• Juice of half a lime
• Half a green chilli
• Big pinch of salt
• Black pepper

Pulse everything in a food processor, or chop the chilli finely and mash up with everything else in a bowl until you get the consistency you like.

Pico de Gallo (Tomato Salsa):

• 7-8 baby plum tomatoes
• Half a red onion
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 jalapeno or green chilli
• Handful coriander
• Big pinch of salt
• Touch of oil (optional)

Pulse everything in a food processor or chop all the ingredients as evenly as possible and combine. Add the oil (if using), salt and lime juice – keep tasting until it blows your mind.

What’s your perfect bowl?

Creole Chicken Jambalaya

This Creole style jambalaya is my definition of warming, comforting food. The tomatoes make it Creole (as opposed to Cajun), and the addition of chorizo, while inauthentic, gives a piquancy and chewiness which I love. If you can, buy the best quality chorizo you can reasonably find and use homemade chicken stock for extra nutrition and flavour.

Ingredients (easily serves 4):

• 250g long grain rice
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes or passata
• 450ml chicken stock
• 2 cooked corn on the cobs or handful of frozen sweetcorn
• 150g chorizo, sliced (best quality you can get)
• Leftover roast chicken, chopped (I used the meat from both legs)
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 white onion
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 green peppers
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon celery seeds
• Black pepper
• Salt (smoked salt is great in this recipe if you have it)
• Knob of butter
• Drizzle of oil for frying
• 4/5 spring onions to garnish

Method:

• Finely chop the celery, onion and green pepper (or pulse in the food processor).
• Heat a small amount of oil and a knob of butter in your biggest frying pan and add the chopped vegetables, then turn down the heat and gently soften for about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and wipe down the pan, then turn up the heat and add the chorizo. When the chorizo has released its bright, punchy oil add the vegetables back in to the pan and pour in the rice. Stir everything to coat in the oil.
• Add the spices and herbs including a really good amount of black pepper.
• Add the crushed garlic and mix well.
• Fry the mixture gently for another few minutes then add most of the stock and the chopped tomatoes. Turn down the heat to allow the pan to simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Cut the kernels of sweetcorn from the cob by standing the cob on its end then using a sharp knife to push downwards.
• Chop the cooked chicken and add to the rice mixture along with the sweetcorn.
• Stir well and taste the rice – you can add a bit of water or stock if it looks a little dry.
• Cook until the rice is tender and until you’re happy with the seasoning.
• Serve in big bowls with spoons, finished with a generous handful of sliced spring onion.

Garlic Spatchcock Chicken with Creamy Orzo and Rocket

This is a really easy tea with notably very little washing up! We have served this as a crowd pleaser for friends in the past but tonight I’ve made it for two. You can add your own twist with different vegetable sides or by using a regular soft cheese if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 medium chicken (around 1.4kg)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5 tablespoons light olive oil
• 250g orzo pasta
• 150ml half fat crème fraiche
• 100g soft goat’s cheese
• 2 lemons
• 70g fresh rocket
• Small bunch of parsley
• Salt and fresh black pepper

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 200 degrees.
• Flip the chicken so the breast is facing down then use a strong pair of scissors to cut down the back bone. Once you’ve cut all the way down turn the chicken over and use your hands to push down until you hear a crack and you feel the bird flatten out.
• Place the chicken in a large roasting tin.
• Bash or blend the garlic with the oil until completely smooth (any pieces of garlic will burn in the oven) then pour over the chicken and rub in all over.
• Season the chicken on both sides with plenty of salt and pepper then roast for 1 hour basting 2 or 3 times with the juices from the tin.
• Once the chicken is out of the oven, cover loosely with foil while you prepare the orzo.
• Cook the orzo in plenty of boiling, salted water for 7 minutes then drain keeping about a mug full of the cooking water.
• Add the crème fraiche, goat’s cheese and juice of 2 lemons then mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
• Allow to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes then taste again. Adjust flavourings to your own preference (salt, pepper, lemon) then stir through the rocket and turn off the heat.
• Roughly chop the parsley and stir through the orzo.

How you eat this is down to you! I removed the breasts and legs from the chicken then served on top of the orzo but this could work equally well in the middle of the table so people can help themselves. If you’re making this for a crowd chicken thighs would be ideal on or off the bone. I don’t tend to cook chicken breasts but if you prefer them, a griddled breast sliced on top of the pasta would also work well.

Chicken and Butter Bean Casserole

Today seemed the perfect opportunity to make a rich, warming casserole to use up lots of things I had in the fridge and cupboard. We ate this with boiled potatoes which I think are seriously underrated. I love the fluffy texture of and they’re healthier than butter and milk loaded mash.

Ingredients:

• 600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• 2 carrots
• 1 large white onion
• 3 sticks of celery
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tin of butter beans (drained)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (best quality)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large glass white wine (optional)
• 2 chicken stock cubes (we recommend Knorr)
• 1 pint boiling water
• Olive oil for frying
• Salt and fresh black pepper

Method:

Start by preparing the ingredients so you’re ready to go!

• Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery (this is called a mirepoix and makes the base of lots of classic recipes). Take the time to ensure everything is diced finely and evenly so everything cooks at the same time; it’s worth the extra effort and is actually quite therapeutic!
• Finely slice the garlic and roughly chop the pepper.
• Season the chicken all over with salt and black pepper.
• Drain the beans and open the tin of tomatoes.

Now for the cooking…

• Heat some oil in a large frying pan then add the chicken, keeping it on a high heat. Fry the chicken for 5 minutes then turn over; the chicken should be golden on the outside. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat.
• Add the mirepoix (see above) to the pan and fry gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring every so often.
• Put the chicken back in to the pan, then add the red pepper, paprika and garlic.
• If you have some leftover wine, turn up the heat and add it now, letting it bubble for a minute or two to burn off the alcohol.
• Now add everything else! So in go the tomatoes, beans, stock cubes, water, oregano and bay leaf.

Options for the rest of the cooking time.

1. Transfer the whole thing to a slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours,
2. Leave it in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook very gently on the hob for an hour, or
3. Use an oven proof frying pan or transfer to a dish and cook in the oven at around gas mark 5, 190 degrees for an hour.

Party in Your Mouth Roast Chicken

My mouth had a party, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chicken
• 2 large white onions
• 100g butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• Big handful of any fresh green herbs! (I used chives, parsley and coriander because they’re in my garden, but pretty much any combination will deliver freshness and flavour – ask me if you’re not sure!)
• 2 lemons
• Salt
• Black pepper

It’s easier to make the butter in a food processor but you can do this by hand if you don’t have one (Christmas is coming, so stick one on your list).

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 210 degrees of gas mark 7.
• Mash or blend the butter with 2 cloves of garlic, the juice and zest of lemon, herbs, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Carefully slide a spoon underneath the skin of the chicken breast to make a pocket for the butter. Take your time so you don’t rip the skin.
• Score each chicken leg once with a sharp knife.
• Push a tablespoon of butter under the skin of each chicken breast, then push the mixture up the breast so it gets right under the skin.

• Rub the rest of the butter all over the chicken using your hands.
• Half the other lemon and push the halves in to the cavity of the chicken.
• Slice the onions and lay them out on the bottom of the roasting tin, then bash the remaining garlic cloves and throw them on top. Give the onions a good season with salt and black pepper, then drizzle a bit of oil over the top.
• Sit the chicken on top and season with a bit of salt, then cut a lemon in half and push in to the cavity.

• A medium chicken will take about an hour, but during the cooking time, take it out and tilt the tray so the juices gather at one end. Spoon this juice over the top of the chicken a couple of times during cooking – it will give even more flavour and keep the breast moist.
• Once the cooking time is up, take the chicken out and cover loosely with foil for at least 15 minutes.
• You can make a gorgeous gravy by adding some water, stock or wine to the roasting tin. Let it bubble away to deglaze the tin (I do this by putting the roasting tin directly over a couple of the gas hob rings). Add some flour to thicken or just use some gravy granules if you’re in a rush.
• Tuck in!

Chicken and Chorizo Risotto with Lemony Breadcrumbs

I can’t quite believe it, but Jason and I have been married for two years now! In celebration, I made this gorgeous risotto which I think really combines Jason’s love of meat with my preference for something a little more refined.

We drank a bottle of champagne during cooking and eating, but otherwise, I would have been tempted by an off-dry white like a Riesling. Tesco have a Finest Steillage Mosel Riesling on offer at £5.99. For something different, it would be great with a slightly floral Gruner Veltliner (such as Pannonica at £7.99) to compliment the rosemary in the crunchy topping.

For an enjoyable cooking experience, get everything ready before you start and don’t be scared to take the risotto off the heat if at any point if you need to buy a little extra time.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless and skinless thigh fillets, chopped
• 100g spicy chorizo (about half a ring), chopped
• 250g Arborio rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• Large glass of white wine
• Large knob of butter for frying
• 500ml chicken stock

For the topping:

• 1 crusty bread roll or any stale bread, torn in to pieces
• Zest from half a lemon, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
• 1 sprig of rosemary, leave removed
• 3 or 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• Glug of olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• In a large pan, gently melt the butter and add the onion, frying on a low heat for about 10 minutes.
• Heat a separate frying pan and add the chorizo (no need for any oil), spreading the pieces out evenly over the surface of the pan.
• Once the onion is soft, tip in the rice and stir to coat in the butter, then add a good pinch of salt and fry for 5 minutes.
• Once the rice is sizzling slightly, add the wine and continue stirring until the liquid starts to soak in to the rice.
• Add a ladle of stock to the rice and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed, then carry on going until all the stock has been used and the rice is tender. Should take about 25 minutes but don’t worry if it’s more or less. Keep tasting!
• After you’ve used up a quarter of the stock, toss the chorizo round in the pan and add the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium and keep your eye on the pan, giving it a stir as needed. It’s important not to substitute for chicken breast in this recipe, as it will dry out if cooked in the pan for this length of time.
• Once the rice is cooked add the Parmesan and stir through gently. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary either with a pinch of salt or a bit more cheese (go for the cheese!).
• Finally, add the chorizo and chicken to the cooked risotto, including all the oil from the pan.

For the topping:

• Rip up the bread roll in to pieces, remove the leaves from the rosemary and combine in a food processor with the garlic, lemon zest, oil and a big pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
• Pulse a few times until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs then heat up a frying pan and tip the mixture in.
• Fry until crispy and golden (and smells incredible), then set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Spoon the gorgeous, creamy rice in to bowls and top with a generous helping of the crispy topping and a massive glass of very cold wine. Cheers everyone!

Beer Can Chicken with Gravy

The fun bit with this recipe is that by choosing a rub and a matching beer, you can go to any country you like. I went for jerk paste and Red Stripe on this occasion (because I’m a bit obsessed with jerk) but there are lots of combinations you can try. If the beer you want to use doesn’t come in a can, just save and wash an empty one that you can pour it in to. There are some good pre-made rubs and pastes in the shops, or you can experiment with your own versions – if you’re thinking of something specific please feel free to ask us and we’ll help you make it! Here are my flavour suggestions:

• Budweiser with BBQ, chips, corn on the cob, coleslaw
• San Miguel with lemon/paprika/garlic, patatas bravas, rocket salad, garlic mayo
• Cobra with Tandoori, fluffy basmati rice, chickpea and spinach curry
• Efes with lemon and oregano, toasted pitta breads, houmous, mixed salad
• Carling with salt and pepper, crusty bread rolls, gravy for dipping!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chicken
• Paste or rub of your choice
• 1 can beer
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of flour

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (Gas Mark 6). Remove your oven racks, leaving one at the lowest point to give the chicken room to stand up!
• Open the can of beer and pour half in to a glass (or down the sink if you’re weird).
• Place the chicken neck side up on top of the can – it should fit nicely in to the cavity.

• Cover the chicken with your choice of rub/paste.
• Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• CAREFULLY transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, basting a couple of times during cooking. (To baste, simply spoon the juices from the bottom of the tray over the chicken, helping to make the skin crispy and seal in flavour).
• After an hour, CAREFULLY take the chicken out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

• To serve, I found it was best to take off the legs and wings first by slicing the skin with a knife then using tongs to pull off the joints. Put them on a serving plate and cover with foil.
• Taking the can out of the chicken can be tricky, so I gently tipped over the chicken in the tray and removed the can while it was lay flat.
• Transfer the rest of the chicken to the serving plate and cover with foil.

For the gravy:

• Once you’ve managed to remove the can from the chicken, pour the beer in to the roasting tin.
• Using your largest ring on your hob, heat up the roasting tin on the stove, allowing the beer to ‘deglaze’ the flavours from the roasting tin. Add a little bit of water or some extra beer if you don’t think there’s enough liquid.
• Add a tablespoon of flour and use a whisk to combine with the liquids. It might look lumpy but keep whisking!

• Once it’s starting to thicken, taste and adjust seasoning if required. I like to add a little bit of lemon juice to most gravies, but it’s optional here.
• Take off the heat and transfer to a jug for pouring, or a bowl for dipping!

As Jason had gone out with his friends, I kept it simple and served my jerk beer can chicken with a hot pitta, salad and lots of the spicy gravy poured over the top. Heaven.

 

Complete Cheats Chicken Curry

This version of chicken curry really is a cheat, but its quick and tasty and much healthier than a takeway. You can use any curry paste you prefer but our favourite brand is Pataks. This recipe uses rogan josh paste as it gives a medium heat, but if I feel like something spicier I just top with fresh green chillies. If you prefer a creamy curry, stir through cream or natural yogurt before you serve.

Ingredients

• 400g diced chicken breast
• 1 large onion or 2 small roughly diced
• 2 cloves of garlics peeled and chopped
• 3 heaped tablespoons of Pataks rogan josh paste
• 2  diced peppers (any colour)
• Handful of sliced mushrooms (100g)
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons spoons of tomato puree
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Handful of coriander
• Vegetable oil

Method

• Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok and fry onions until softened.
• Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, add to the pan with the garlic and mix everything together.
• Add the curry paste to the pan and ensure all the chicken is coated, then fry on a medium- high heat for a couple of minutes. It’s important to fry the paste at this stage or you’ll end up with raw spices which taste earthy and have a gritty texture.
• Add the peppers, mushrooms and the tins of tomatoes.
• Fill up the empty tomato tin to halfway with water and add to the pan along with the the tomato puree and stock cube.
• Give everything a good stir and leave to simmer for 30-45 mins.

 

When you are ready to serve, chop a handful of coriander and stir through. We ate this with white basmati rice and toasted naan bread.

 

 

 

Jerk Chicken Skewers with Mango Salad

As with all our recipes, we never profess to know the completely authentic ways to prepare food from around the world, rather we make the versions we like to eat, with ingredients we can find!

This recipe is a very easy way to serve a healthy, very tasty meal with plenty of chilli heat. We love Dunn’s River Jerk Paste which you can usually find in the world food aisle of big supermarkets, but if you can’t find it I’ve used the Tesco Ingredients one and still thought it tasted great. Depending on who you’re feeding, this might be enough food for a lighter tea or a lunch. If you need carbs (as if I could give this to Jason without), then try making Rice and Peas to go with it.

If you can, marinade the chicken the day before to give a deeper flavour but it will still be tasty even if you add it just before cooking.

Ingredients:

• Two chicken breasts
• Heaped tablespoon of jerk paste
• 1 small red onion
• 1 ripe mango
• Half a cucumber
• Handful of coriander
• Juice of a lime
• 1 red pepper
• 1 red chilli

Method:

• Slice each chicken breast length ways to make 4 strips, leaving them lined up against each other. Using wooden or metal skewers, push 4 skewers through the fillets then slice the chicken to create 4 kebabs. Spoon on the paste and use the back of the spoon to coat the meat. You probably don’t want to do this with your hands, unless you don’t mind smelling like jerk for a couple of days.
• Leave the marinade as long as you can.

Turn on the grill and start on the salad!

• Peel and half the red onion, then slice thinly.
• Slice the red chilli down the middle, remove the seeds and slice thinly. Even if you think you like it hot, you really won’t need extra heat if you’re serving with the chicken.
• Slice the cucumber in half lengthways then scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Slice in to thin strips.
• Deseed and thinly slice the red pepper.
• Slice up the mango (there are several good youtube videos that show you how to prepare a mango, so if you need to, watch one before you hack it to pieces!)
• Roughly chop the coriander and combine all the ingredients in your serving bowl.

• Add the lime juice, a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of salt then mix together and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Once you’ve made the salad, you can finish off by grilling the chicken.

• Place the chicken skewers under the grill for 5 minutes each side – they really don’t need any longer or you’ll dry them out.
• Pile the salad in the middle of the plate and top with the skewers.

 

 

 

 

Summer Roast Chicken with Pesto New Potatoes

Sundays are the perfect time to get family together but when it’s hot outside, a roast dinner just isn’t what people fancy. This is a lighter and (we think) easier alternative to a traditional roast.

Summer Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken thighs (allow for 3 per person)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Juice and rind of a lemon
• Handful of fresh thyme (leaves only)
• Large glass of wine
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method:

• Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs using a pair of scissors, then put the thighs in a large bowl ready for the marinade.
• Crush the garlic and add to the bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon rind, thyme and seasoning. Get stuck in with your hands and ensure all the chicken is coated, then cover. The chicken can be left in the marinade from 30 minutes to overnight before cooking.

• When you’re ready to start cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and pre-heat the oven to about 180 degrees (Gas Mark 5).
• Place the thighs on a baking tray with a little bit of room between each to allow the fat to go crispy. Carefully pour the wine in to the bottom of the tray and cook in the oven for about 35 minutes.

Once the chicken is in, you can start preparing the potatoes. Timing wise you have about 20 minutes in between cooking the chicken and the potatoes so it’s a good slot to prepare the vegetables or salad to go with it. We recommend Green Bean Salad with Mustardy Dressing and Tzatziki

• Once the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes (set a timer if you’re being organised), bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
• Chop any bigger ones in half and add the potatoes to the pan. Boil for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through then drain.
• After 35 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven and transfer to a plate, covering loosely with a sheet of tin foil. Pour the juices from the bottom of the roasting tray in to a saucepan and leave on the hob ready to make the gravy.
• Put the potatoes in to the roasting tin, add a tablespoon of olive oil (not extra virgin) and plenty of salt and pepper, then toss everything around to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated. Turn the oven up to 200 degrees (Gas Mark 6) and roast for 20 minutes.
• Once the potatoes are looking golden, transfer in to a large bowl or dish and add a heaped tablespoon of green pesto. Stir the pesto through the potatoes and take to the table.

Now would be a good time to shout ‘dinner’s ready’ and get a helper to set the table.

• Heat up the cooking juices from the chicken until the gravy starts to thicken slightly then pour over the top of the thighs. Finish with some chopped parsley if you love it as much as us. Take everything to the table with lots of serving spoons.

I think this would be good with a classic green salad as an alternative, or try some steamed carrots and broccoli if you prefer a less calorific lunch. Wine wise, lots of whites would work well. We had a White Rioja (Spanish) and a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (Australian) on the go during cooking and eating.