Summer Roast Chicken

The weather outside is lovely and I want a lovely end of the week meal to reflect this. The main attraction is this chicken. Serve with potato salad, salad leave, couscous or whatever you want.

Serves 4-6 People

1 Whole Chicken
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
Handful of Rosemary Sprigs
Handful of Thyme Sprigs
200ml White Wine
Olive Oil
4/6 Strips of Streaky Bacon
Salt and Pepper
6 Garlic Cloves

1.Preheat the oven to 190c/170c Fan Assisted (If the packaging has different times follow those)

2. Begin by taking the chicken out of the packet and cutting the string. Prepare the chicken by putting lemon wedges around the chicken (between the legs and the wins) and any remaining in the chicken. Do the same with the garlic cloves. Pour the wine over the chicken.  Scatter the herbs around the chicken and a few in the chicken. Layer the bacon the strips over the breasts. Rub olive oil over the chicken and grind salt and pepper over the chicken. Cover with foil

3. General rule of thumb for roasting a whole chicken is 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes. For my chicken it was in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. (do the math and comment what the weight of my chicken was). Remove foil 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

4. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Test the chicken is cooked thoroughly by sticking a skewer through the thickest part, if the juices are clear then it has cooked thoroughly. If they don't then put back in the oven. Cut up and serve.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

Midweek meal. Jam packed risotto with a huge amount of flavour

Serves 4-6

Knob of Butter
1 Onion, diced
2-3 Chicken Breasts, diced
200g Chestnut Mushroom, cut into quarters then in half
100g Smoked Bacon Lardons
150ml White Wine
1.4l Chicken Stock
25g Parmigiano Reggiano
250g Arborio Risotto
Handful Parsley, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and diced into cubes

1. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the chicken until cooked all the way through. Remove and put on a plate with kitchen roll to dab the excess fat. Then fry the bacon for 2- 4 minutes. Then remove this from the pan and put on kitchen roll.

2. With the juices and remaining butter in the pan, add the carrots and onion and fry til softened (couple of minutes). Add the risotto rice and allow to fry for a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Allow to reduce. Then add 2 ladles of stock and stir. Allow to reduce before adding another ladle of stock. Continue until out of stock. Keep stirring so risotto doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

3. When there is no more stock add the chicken, mushrooms, bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley to pan. Serve with extra cheese and parsley.

Chicken Parcel with Summer Potato Salad

The days are getting warmer and the food is more lighter. So here is the start of the summer season. Chicken is a good staple for any summer dish and the potato salad is a good accompaniment.  A meal done in under 30 minutes!

Only cooking for yourself? Leave the other prepared breast
for another day

Serves 2

2 Large Chicken Breasts
1 Ball of Mozzarella Sliced
8 Streaky Bacon Slices
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Rocket

Potato Salad
6-8 New Potatoes, cut in half
2 tbsp Mayo
1 ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Handful of Chopped Chives
Salt and Pepper


1, Heat the oven to  200c/180c fan assisted. The take a chicken breast and make a cut in the middle of the chicken, on the side half way deep. Put the mozzarella slices in the chicken. Then lay 4 rashers of bacon down and lay the chicken on top. and wrap the chicken in bacon and season. Repeat this for the second breast.

2. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken breast one at a time starting with the side where the bacon strips meet. Flip after 4-5 minutes or when the chicken goes white then cook other side.

3. Then put the chicken on a tray and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. For the potato salad. Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked. Leave to cool. While cooling, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Then when the potatoes are cool mix with the mixture.

5. Plate the chicken, potato salad and rocket.

Slow Cooked Bolognese

Bolognese is one of those mid week meals that we all love. But sometimes making it can be a drag especially after a long day at work.. Sometimes you just want to throw it all in a pot, leave it to cook and then enjoy later. Well lucky for you I have a recipe for slow cooked Bolognese. Fry off a few things then stick it all in the slow cooker for later.

Serves 5-6

1 Onion, Diced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
500g Minced Beef
100g Bacon Lardons
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
8 Mushrooms, sliced
100ml Beef Stock
2 tbsp Plain Flour (to thicken)
1 Small Glass of Red Wine
2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Thyme
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to season

Serve with a bit of parmesan

1. Take the pot out of the slow cooker and put on the hob. Heat a bit of olive oil, Then add the beef mince and bacon. Cook til browned. Then add the garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms, cook for a further 2 minutes.

2. Put back in the slow cooker and put on a low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and give a final stir. Leave to cook for 6-8 hours.

3. Just before the Bolognese is done, boil your favourite pasta (follow the instructions on the pack). Top with grated parmesan and it's ready to serve.

Coq Au Vin

So I got a new toy for the kitchen. The time saving slow cooker! For my first outing, I decided to make Coq Au Vin.

Serves 4

600ml Red Wine
300ml Chicken Stock
4 Large Chicken Thighs
150g Smoked Bacon Lardons
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Sprigs Rosemary
2 Sprigs Thyme
150g Baby Chestnut Mushrooms
4 tbsp Plain Flour
8 Shallots, peeled and left whole
2 Carrots, chopped
25g butter

1. Put the flour in the bag with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs to the bag and shake well till the thighs are covered.

2. Take the pot out of the slow cooker and put on a medium heat add the butter till melted and covers the base of the pot. Add the chicken thighs and flour and fry to seal the chicken (all sides should be white). Add the bacon to the pan and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, return to the slow cooker and put on a low heat for 7 hours. If the sauce is too watery then add flour and leave for 20 minutes.

4. Serve with mashed potatoes

Pumpkin, Bacon and Sage Pasta

So all of you guys carving your pumpkins this Halloween, here's a suggestions of what to do with the inside. 

Serves 2

150g Fusilli 

Juice of 1 Lemon

6 Rashes of Bacon

Handful of Sage Leaves, roughly chopped

250g Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and diced

1 Garlic Clove, crushed

Olive Oil

Grana Padano, grated

1. Boil a pan of water. Then add the pasta and cook for about 8-10 minutes.

2. In a frying pan and add the olive oil. Once it begins to warm add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the pumpkin and garlic to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes. The bacon should be crispy and pumpkin should have softened. 

3. Add the sage, lemon juice and seasoning. Warm through (approx 1-2 minutes). Drain the pasta in the pan and add the pumpkin mixture to the pan with the pasta and stir. Serve with the grated Grana Padano.

Potato, Leek and Bacon Soup

It's still bloody freezing outside even if most of the snow has melted. So here is a lovely cheap warmer for you to enjoy.

Serves: 6

2 Leeks, finely sliced
25g Butter
1 Onion, finely sliced
450g Potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 litre Vegetable stock
4 rashers of Streaky bacon, chopped
100ml Whole Milk
150ml Double Cream, plus extra
3 Extra rashers of Streaky Bacon,

1. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the onion and bacon to the pan and cook until the onions have softened.

2. Add the leeks and potatoes to the pan and reduce the heat. Cook gently for about 10 minutes with the lid is on. Shake the pan occasionally so the contents don't stick to the bottom.

3. Pour in the stock and season. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and leave for about 20 minutes.

4. While the soup is boiling, heat some olive oil/butter and fry the extra bacon until its crispy.

5. After the soup has boiled, use either a hand blender or food processor, blend the contents until it's smooth. Once it's blended add the milk and cream to the pan and stir well. Taste and season. Pour into bowls, top with the crispy bacon and a drizzle of cream. Serve with bread.

Tips:

• Make it creamier by adding a bit more cream

• Make it vegetarian by getting rid of the bacon and top the soup with croutons

Pea Soup With Croutons

This soup is quick and easy and only needs a few ingredients, so cheap to make. Plus it's that time of year where it's getting colder and we all need something to warm ourselves up. 

Serves 4

Soup

400g Frozen Peas

1 Onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Mint

1/2 Garlic Clove, Crushed

3 Rashers of Bacon, chopped

Half a Pint of Vegetable Stock

Salt and Pepper

Croutons

1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Garlic, crushed

2 Rashers of Bacon, chopped finely

1/2 Slices of Bread

1.  Fry the bacon for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and onion and fry until softened. 

2. Add the Vegetable stock to the pan with the peas and boil until the peas have cooked through.

3. While the peas are boiling, mix the olive and garlic together and dip the bread in oil. Fry the bread and bacon in a pan.

4. Once the peas have cooked, blitz with a handblender. Season if needed. Pour into bowls, top with croutons and bacon and serve with crusty bread. 

Lasagne

The Garfield classic. A dish which is common among the micro meals but tastes far better when you make it yourself. Can be made in advance and cooked later.

Serves 6

Meat Filling

700g Mince Beef
Pack of Back Bacon
1 Medium Glass of Red Wine
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp of Dried Oregano
4 tbsp Tomato Puree
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
2 Onions, finely chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Salt And Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
400ml Beef Stock
Olive Oil

Cheese Sauce

50g Butter
800 ml Milk
250g Strong Cheddar (use the good stuff as the cheap stuff dosent taste nice)
4 tbsp White Flour
1 tsp Nutmeg

Lasagna Sheets

1. Get a large frying pan, put over a medium heat and add olive oil. Fry the onions and garlic until they begin to soften. Add the bacon and fry for 5 minutes.

2. Add the mince beef and fry until it begins to brown.

3.  Add stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, bay leaves, oregano, lemon juice and tomato puree. Leave to boil until the stock had reduced.

4. While the stock is boiling, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in the pan. Gradually add the flour to the melted butter until it thickens. Then add the milk to the pan and whisk. Leave on a low heat for about 5-10 minutes. If the sauce hasn't thickened add more flour. Once thickened add the cheese and nutmeg.

5. In a large oven proof dish layer the meat ragu, then lasagna sheets and some cheese sauce. Repeat this until the meat ragu and cheese sauce runs out. Then on the top grate more cheese.

6. Either refrigerate until needed or put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 200c/180c fan assisted. Serve.

Couscous Centred Chicken

So haven't posted much recently. Since its summer, going to start putting picnic style food. However if you are facing the British weather, just as nice eating the food inside. Have these by themselves or in a sandwich.

Serves 4

2 Chicken Breasts

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, crushed

Handful of pine nuts

Handful of Parsley, chopped

1 tbsp Mint, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

50g Butter

50g Couscous

200ml Chicken Stock

Pack of Streaky Bacon

75g Dried Apricots, chopped

1. Add the boiling chicken stock to a bowl with couscous. Leave for 10 minutes.

2. Lay out some tin foil and place the steak bacon on it. Flatten the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of cling film.  Lay this in the centre of the bacon.

3. Fry the onion and garlic in butter in a frying pan until softened. 

4. Once the couscous has soaked up the stock, add the lemon juice, onions, garlic, pine nuts, apricots, bit of butter, mint and parsely to the bowl. Mix well.

5. Put the mixture onto the chicken. Wrap the chicken around the couscous, then the bacon and then the foil tightly around the whole thing. Keep refrigerated overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 160c Fan assisted/180c.

7. Cook in the foil for 30 minutes. Take out of the foil and cook for further 30 minutes. Let it cool and cut into slices. Serve.

Meatloaf

An Italian dish in origin, but quite a popular dish in the USA. Such a filling dish that is quick and easy to cook.

Serves 4

Meatloaf
500g Minced Beef
3 Slices worth of breadcrumbs
1 Large Egg
3 tbsp Parmesan
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
Pack of Streaky Bacon
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Onion, finely sliced
2 tsp Oregano

Tomato Sauce
300ml Passata
200ml Beef Stock
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
1 Onion, finely sliced
1 Small Glass of Red Wine
Shake of Worcestereshire Sauce
1 tsp of Brown Sugar
Torn up Basil

1. Preheat the oven to 200/180 fan assisted. Line a loaf tine with the streaky bacon.

2. Take a food processor or blender and add the egg, beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, tomato puree, garlic, onion and oregano. Blend together.

3. Add this to the tin. Cover with the over hanging bacon. And put in the oven for an hour. It will shrink in the oven.

4. For the tomato sauce: fry the onion and garlic in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Add the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce for a minute. Then add the stock and red wine and leave to boil for 5 minutes. Add the passata and heat through. Then blend until smooth.

5. Slice the loaf and pour over the meatloaf. Serve with salad, basil and potatoes.

Homemade Baked Beans & Garlic Bread

A twist on the classic student meal.

Serves 4

3 tbps Tomato Purée

A couple of shakes of Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 Rashers of Bacon
250ml Vegetable Stock

1 Can of Canellini Beans

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp of Brown Sugar
1 tbps Mustard
Vegetable Oil

Garlic Bread
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Butter
French Baguette
Parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the grill (or use a griddle pan).Put oil in a large pan. Fry the bacon for about 5 minutes. Then  add the onions, garlic, chilli, pepper and fry for a further 3 minutes.

2. Add the stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to simmer and add the mustard and brown sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add the beans. Keep on the heat for a further 5 minutes. Season if needed.

3. While the beans are being cooked, make the garlic bread. Slice the garlic bread and place under the grill or on a griddle pan. Mix the butter, garlic and parsley together. Once the bread is toasted put the butter mixture on the toast and put under the grill for less than a minute. Serve

Toad in the Hole

A British favourite that is quick and easy to cook (with added Bacon).

Serves 4

130g Plain Flour, Shift
300ml Milk
2 Eggs
2 tsp Mustard
8 Sausages
Salt and Pepper
8 Rashers of Bacon
1 tsp Sage



1.Wrap the sausages in bacon. Then grill the sausages for 20-25 Minutes, turning halfway. Then preheat the oven for 200/180 Fan Assisted

2. For the batter, whisk the milk, mustard, sage, seasoning and eggs in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the plain white flour. It should thicken. Add more flour if too runny. Leave for 15 minutes

3. Once the sausage have been cooked transfer to a dish and pour over the batter. Then put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve

Serving Suggestions:
- Gravy (Onion Gravy)
- Mixed Vegetables
- Mashed Potatoes

Carbonara

A simple dish for when you are alone and tastes delicious.


Serves 1

2 Eggs
1 Clove of Garlic
75 g Spaghetti
2/3 Rashers of Bacon, cut into bite size bits
Salt and Pepper
30g Cheese
Knob of Butter




1. Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. While this is boiling fry the bacon with a bit of olive oil in a frying pan until crispy.

3. Mix the egg, half the cheese, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl.

4. Drain the pasta, put back on the heat and add the butter. When this has melted add the egg mixture and bacon. Cook for a further 1/2 minutes.

5. Serve with the remaining cheese.

Savoury Pancakes

Shrove Tuesday! Time to flip some pancakes... or in my case will fall to the ground.

Makes roughly 10 Pancakes

150g Plain flour
250ml Milk (Add about 50ml of water)
2 Medium Eggs
Olive oil or butter
Pinch of salt

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add salt.

2. Create a small well in the centre of the mixing bowl. Crack the eggs into the centre of the bowl and begin to whisk.

3. Gradually add the milk/water mixture to the bowl while whisking. The mixture should be a nice smooth consistency. Leave on the side for 15 minutes

4. Add a bit of butter to a frying pan. Add a ladle full of batter to the pan. Swirl around the frying pan until covered. Cook on one side for just under a minute Using a fish slice, flip the pancake over (Or if you want to look fancy flip using the frying pan). Cook for a further 30 seconds. This can be served with a sweet filling or savoury

For the filling, I chose to have a savoury filling; brie, cranberry and bacon. Such a lovely combination of flavours.

Spaghetti Bolognese

A classic which I absolutely love. To make it meatier added bacon.

Serves: 4

300g Spaghetti 

1 Onion finely chopped

1 small glass of red wine

1 bay leaf

500g minced beef

4 rashers of back bacon

5 tbps of tomato purée

Worcestershire Sauce

Mug of Beef stock

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbps of fresh oregano, chopped

Pinch of sugar

Salt and Pepper

1. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan with a bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes

2. Add the onion, bay leaf and garlic and fry until the onions soften.

3. Put the mince beef in the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon in the pan. Fry until it browns.

4. Add the red wine, sugar, salt and pepper, beef stock, tomato purée, couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat and let it simmer. The mixture should reduce. While the bolognese is cooking begin to boil the spaghetti in water with a dash of olive oil. 

5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water from the pan. Place the pasta into bowls/plates and put the bolognese over the pasta. Serve with grated parmesan cheese (which I didn't have any, when I cooked this dish, woops)

Flying Scotsman

Taken from one of the 'Come Dine With Me' episodes and I have made this quite a few times. Just changed one thing and that is the sauce. Not a big fan of whiskey so made a peppercorn sauce. Tastes lovely and a great winter warmer.

Servings: 4

4 Chicken Breasts
Pack of back bacon
1 Haggis
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Sauce
125 ml Chicken Stock
2 tsp of cornflour mixed with a bit of water
150 ml double cream
2 tsp of ground up pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180c

2. Using 2 pieces of cling film, put the chicken breasts between them. Flatten

3. Take the haggis and make 4 patties and place in the middle of the flatten chicken breasts. Roll the chicken around and wrap in bacon.

4. Place on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and cook for 40 minutes (35 minutes if fan assisted).

5. To make the sauce heat the stock on the hob and add the cornflour mixture to thicken up.

6. Begin to stir in the double cream. Once combined add the peppercorn and heat for a couple of minutes until thickened.

7. Serve

Serving Suggestions: Roast potatoes and mixed vegetables