Chicken with Peppercorns and Ginger

This is a recipe by Anjum Anand. It's simple to make and is one of the best Chicken recipes I've ever had. Give it a bash and then buy the book...Indian Food Made Easy.







You need:

For the marinade..
9 or 10 cloves of Garlic, peeled
10g fresh Ginger - peeled
1 tsp Garam Masala

Other ingredients..
1 Chicken stock cube, dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
1kg chicken breasts and thighs, skinned
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 small Onion - peeled and finely chopped
2 green Chilli
15g fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced into shreds
1 tbsp Ground Coriander
salt, to taste
200ml water
1 tbsp ground Black Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 handfuls of fresh chopped Coriander


Blitz the Garlic, Ginger, Garam Masala and Stock together to make a paste. Then cover the chicken with it and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. 2-3 hours is better! Bring the Chicken back to room temperature before cooking.

Heat the oil in pan and add the Onion and sauté for 6-8 minutes until brown. Add the Chilli, Ginger, Ground Coriander and salt, then leave to cook for about a minute.

Add the chicken to the pan with the marinade and brown all over. Pour in the water and Black Pepper, bring it to the boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Check often and add a splash more water if needed.

Turn up the heat and leave for 3-4 minutes to reduce the sauce to just a few tablespoons, then stir in the Garam Masala, Lemon juice and Fresh Coriander just before serving with pickles, rice, indian breads etc....

Feeds 4

Printable version of this recipe

Spicy Spanish Lentils with Sausages

You can easily make this one for a Vegetarian, just leave out the Sausages and Chorizo. As long as you don't overdo it with the meat, this is quite a healthy meal as well!








You need:

8 x Sausages - use the best quality Pork sausages you can get
250g dried Pardina or Puy Lentils
1 x 410g Tin Chickpeas
6 x Shallots - finely diced
2 x Garlic Cloves - finely sliced
1 x Red Pepper - finely diced
1 x teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 x teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 x tablespoons Olive Oil
1000ml Vegetable Stock (or Chicken stock if cooking for carnivores)
100g Chorizo - sliced
Salt and Black Pepper
Small handful fresh Coriander - chopped
Small handful fresh Parsley - chopped
150ml Red Wine
2 x teaspoon dried Chilli Flakes

Add the Lentils to a saucepan with the Stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the Olive Oil in a pan and gently fry the Sausages until cooked. Add the Chorizo to the same pan for the last 5 minutes. Set the cooked Sausages and Chorizo aside. Now add the Shallots, Red Pepper, Garlic, Chilli, Paprika and Cumin to the pan and fry gently for 3 or 4 minutes until the Shallots and Pepper begin to soften.

Drain the Lentils and add them to the Shallots and Peppers in the pan. Add the drained Chickpeas and 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Stir well and then add the Red Wine, the herbs and the Salt and Black Pepper to taste. Let the wine come to the boil and then stir well to combine everything together. Don't cook too long or all the wine will be absorbed. You don't want that, as the dish may turn out too dry. By adding the wine last, it will help provide some sauce for the Lentils

Serve with fresh bread

Feeds 4

Printable version of this recipe

Spiced Kefta with Lemon

Kefta are Lamb meatballs, flavoured with Onions, Herbs and Spices. This is a North African dish and is a good one to try if you have friends round. You can serve the dish in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.







You need:

450g Minced Lamb
2 Onions - grated or blitzed to a puree
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Fresh Chilli - finely chopped
20g Butter
2 tablepoons Olive Oil
25g Fresh Root Ginger - finely chopped
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley - chopped
25g Fresh Coriander - finely chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Lemon - quartered
300ml Cold Water
Salt and Black Pepper
Pinch Saffron if available - if not use Turmeric or Paprika for colour

In a large mixing bowl, add half the Onion to the Lamb, along with the Cinnamon, Parsley, Cumin and Cayenne. Season well with Salt and Pepper, then get your hands in there and mix everything well for about 5 minutes. Shape the Lamb into small balls - about the size of a walnut.

Take a heavy based pan (with a lid) and melt the Butter with the Olive Oil. Add the remaining Onion, the Ginger, Chilli and Saffron (or Turmeric/Paprika)if using. Cook gently until the Onions begin to colour, about 10 minutes, then add the Coriander and Lemon juice.

Pour in the water, then bring to the boil and add the Lamb meatballs. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pan. Poach the meatballs gently for about 20 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove the lid, tuck the Lemon quarters into the pan and then simmer lid off fo a further 10 mins to allow the sauce to reduce.

Serve with fresh bread to mop up the juices, or with Cous Cous or rice.

Feeds 4

A Fish Curry

This is one of those recipes where you can play with the ingredients depending on what you can get your hands on at the time...I've listed what I used, but you could try adding some mussels, monkfish or whatever fish you fancy. This curry isn't too hot, it's just lightly and nicely spiced.






You need:
1 Large Onion - roughly chopped
500g (approx) Fish and Shellfish. I used these listed below.....
2 x Salmon Fillet - cut into bite sized pieces
2 x Haddock Fillet - cut into bite sized pieces
4 x Squid Tubes - cleaned and cut into rings
8 x raw, shelled Tiger Prawns
2 x Large Fresh Red Chillies - finely chopped
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of dried Chilli flakes
4 x Tomatoes - chopped
400ml Vegetable (or Fish) Stock
100ml Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Heat the Oil in a large, heavy based pan. Add the Onion and cook over a low heat for about 10 mins until softened and just starting to colour. Add the chopped Chilli to the pan, followed by the dried Chilli, Garam Masala and Ground Turmeric. Stir well to combine and cook for a minute.

Add the chopped Tomatoes and cook gently for 5 or 6 minutes. Now add the Stock and bring to the boil. Add the Fish and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes. Stir in the Coconut Milk and season to taste, then simmer for a final 2 or 3 minutes.

Serve with Rice and Naan Bread

Feeds 4

Pico de Gallo Salsa

A traditional spicy Salsa, ideal to serve with Quesadillas, Fajitas, Nachos, Chips, Dips etc etc etc. This tastes even better if you make it the day before you want it.

You need:

3 Large ripe Tomatoes
1/2 a Red Onion - finely chopped
1 Large Fresh Green Chilli - deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Fresh Coriander - finely chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper

Halve the Tomatoes and scoop out and discard the juice and pips. Finely dice the flesh and place in a large non-metallic bowl. Add the Onion, Chilli, Coriander and Lime Juice. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper and then stir well to combine the ingredients

Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes - more if you can!

Makes 4 servings

Chorizo and Cheese Quesadilla

This brings back holiday memories from a few years ago...we went to the States for 3 weeks and our first week was spent in San Diego. The first thing we ate after getting off the plane was Quesadillas at the Seaport Village. This is another take on a previous post. You can leave the Chorizo out if making this one for Veggies.






You need:

115g Mozzarella Cheese - grated
115g Mature Cheddar Cheese - grated
200g Chorizo - diced
4 Spring Onions - finely chopped
2 Fresh Green Chillies - deseeded and finely chopped
8 Flour Tortillas
Vegetable Oil - for brushing
Salt and Pepper


Place the Cheeses, Chorizo, Spring Onions, Chillies, Salt and Pepper to taste into a bowl and mix well to combine.

Divide the mixture between 4 Tortillas, then top with the remaining Tortillas

Brush a large non-stick frying pan with a little oil, and heat over a medium heat for 30 seconds. Add 1 Quesadilla and cook, pressing it down with a spatula for 3 or 4 minutes until the underside is crisp and lightly browned. Turn over and cook the other side, pressing down with the spatula for another 2 or 3 minutes - until the cheese is melting. Remove from the pan and keep warm

Cook the remaining Quesadillas and then cut into quarters. Serve with some home made Guacamole and Pico de Gallo Salsa

Feeds 4

Sausage Chilli

I've been betrayed......I came back from a work trip during the week, to find that my (vegetarian) wife had been sniffing around on Swedish Mike's site. She had taken it upon herself to make me the Sausage Chilli that Mike blogged back in November. In true Mike stylee, she freestyled it a bit and used some Bassett Burner sausages that we bought from Crumps Butchers in nearby Wootton Bassett. They are well known locally for their sausages and you sometimes need to get in there early to get your hands on some.

The Bassett Burners are a type I'd never tried before and they are HOT, HOT, HOT. Good job that Bil's freestyling had left out some of the chilli powder!

No need for me to list the recipe..you can find it over at Mike's Blog and you can either copy his recipe or freestyle your own version

White Bean Chilli

This one is based on a recipe by Simon Rimmer. It's well worth a try as you probably haven't had it before...make it hotter if you like but the way i've described below does have quite a kick.







You need:

2 Onions - finely chopped
1 bottle Sol or Corona Beer
3 Garlic Cloves - crushed
2 Red Peppers - finely chopped
1 Fresh Green Chilli - de-seeded and finely chopped
1/2 jar Sliced Jalapeno Peppers (Discovery ones are fine) - finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
400ml Vegetable Stock
Bunch Fresh Coriander
50ml White Wine Vinegar
400g can Cannellini Beans - drained
400g can Butter Beans - drained
1 tablespoon Dried Italian Seasoning
250g Cheddar - grated

Place the Beer, Onions, Garlic, Red Peppers, Fresh Chilli, Chopped Jalapenos, Chilli Flakes, Cumin and Stock into a large pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes

In a food processor, blitz the Coriander together with the Wine Vinegar and a large pinch of salt to make a thin paste. Add this paste along with the Beans, the Italian Seasoning and the Paprika to the spiced stock...simmer for 25 minutes

Serve and sprinkle with the Cheddar. This is good served in bowls with Flour Tortillas or with Tortilla Chips

Feeds 2 hungry people

Chicken Spinach and Coriander Curry

This is a really easy way of making a curry without relying on pastes or pre-bought sauces. You can make it as hot as you like and it would also work well with Fish or Lamb







You need:

2-3 Chicken Breasts - cut into 1 inch cubes
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Green Chilli
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Onion
1 inch piece of Fresh Root Ginger - peeled and finely grated
3 teaspoons Garam Masala
1.5 teaspoons Turmeric
1.5 teaspoons dried and ground Coriander
1.5 teaspoons Paprika
1.5 teaspoons Chilli powder
4 tablespoons water
80g Fresh Coriander - roughly chopped
80g Baby Spinach
50g Butter

In a blender or food processor, blitz up the Onion, Garlic and Ginger until it's a puree. Melt the Butter in a large frying or saute pan over a gentle heat. Add the Onion/Garlic/Ginger puree and cook gently, stirring for about 5 minutes.

Add the Chicken to the pan and cook for a further 6 or 7 minutes, stirring often until the chicken is colored. Add the Turmeric/Chilli powder/Garam Masala/Coriander and Paprika. Stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the Tomatoes.

Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, blitz the green Chilli and water in a blender to make a thin puree. Stir into the Chicken along with the chopped fresh Coriander and the Spinach. Cook for 5 minutes to allow the Spinach time to wilt down.

Serve with Rice and Naan Bread

Feeds 2-3 people

Macho Chicken Nachos

I made this dish when i fancied something a bit different to the usual Nachos. Using flour Tortillas instead of the shop bought nachos turned out to work really well.










You need:

4 or 5 Flour Tortillas - cut them into large triangles
1 Chicken Breast - cut into 2cm chunks
1 Red Pepper - thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Fajita seasoning mix
200g Mature or Extra Mature Cheddar - grated
1/2 Jar Jalapeno Peppers
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Sour Cream/Guacamole/Salsa to taste

Pre-heat oven to 180c

Once you have cut your Tortillas into large triangles (make them slightly bigger than the shop bought nachos), heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the Tortilla triangles a few at a time and cook for 30 seconds each side. Set aside.

Now add the oil to the pan followed by the chicken. Add the Fajita Seasoning mix, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring well until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

In a large glass or oven proof baking dish, place a layer of the tortillas, followed by half the chicken spread evenly on top. Evenly spread half the Jalapeno peppers on top, and then sprinkle over half the cheese. Repeat with another layer of Tortilla/Chicken/Pepper/Cheese

Bake in a pre-heated oven for approx 5 mins until the cheese is melted. Serve hot with Salsa/Guacamole/Sour Cream to taste.

Feeds 2 - or 1 hungry person!

Albondigas (Meatballs) and Rice

Meatballs and rice with a simple, spicy sauce. Bil made this one for my dinner tonight. Not bad, get in from work and find a veggie has cooked you a nice meaty dinner :-)








You need:

225g Pork Mince
225g Beef Mince - extra lean of course.
2 cloves Garlic - crushed (divided)
2 Spring Onions - chopped
1 Egg - beaten
2 tablespoons Breadcrumbs
1 Chilli - seeded and finely chopped (red or green)
1 teaspoon ground Cumin (divided)
4 tablespoons Olive Oil (divided)
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 green Pepper - finely diced
1/2 a teaspoon ground Coriander
400g tin Chopped Tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of sugar

First off, make the spicy sauce......heat 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil in saucepan and add the Onion and green Pepper. Cook gently for 5 mins to soften. Now add 1/2 of the Chilli, half of the Cumin, half of the Garlic and the Coriander. Stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, then add the Tomatoes. Cook for about 5 or 6 minutes until the sauce has reduced down and thickened slightly. Set aside.

Now for the meatballs.... Pre-heat the oven to 180c then mix the Pork, Beef, remaining Garlic, Chilli and Cumin, together with the Breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until well combined then gradually add the Egg to help bind everything together. Turn the mix onto a lightly floured surface and shape the mixture into about 16 balls.

Pour the remaining Olive Oil into a large frying pan and whack the heat up high. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook for between 5-10 mins, turning frequently until brown all over. Remove the meatballs from the pan and drain well on kitchen paper.

Place the meatballs into an ovenproof dish, pour over the spicy sauce and then cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the Spring Onions and boiled Rice.

Feeds 4

Low Fat Chicken Curry

This is a low fat chicken curry, that is full of flavour. You can adapt this and use prawns, beef, lamb - whatever takes your fancy.








You need:

4 Chicken Breasts - skinless, boneless and cut into bite sized chunks
2 Onions - roughly chopped
1 Chicken Stock Cube (or beef, or vegetable)
20g Fresh Coriander - chopped
1 Red Chilli - chopped
2 teaspoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
2 tablespoons Curry Powder - up to you how hot!
1.5 inch piece of Fresh Ginger - peeled and chopped
3 Cloves Garlic
410g Can of Chickpeas - drained
large handful of Spinach leaves

Put the Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Chilli, Turmeric, Paprika, Curry Powder and half the Coriander into a food processor and blend to a puree.

Pour the puree into a saucepan or frying pan,and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring often. Note: No oil required!

Add the Stock Cube and 400ml of boiling water. Bring everything back to the boil and then add the Chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes

Add the remaining Coriander and then stir in the Chickpeas and Spinach. Heat through for 2-3 minutes only, so the Spinach wilts.

Server with all the usual pickles, poppadums, naan breads, boiled rice etc

Feeds 4

Fire Fry

Here's a really hot one for a cold(ish) early Spring day. Up to you which chillies you choose for this dish, but the hotter you can stand, the better.







You need:

225g Lean Lamb fillet - cut into 3 inch long strips
120 ml Natural (plain) Yogurt plus same again to serve
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1 teaspoon fresh Root Ginger - grated
2 cloves Garlic - crushed
1 teaspoon hot Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Onions - finely chopped
300 ml Water
2 tablespoons fresh Coriander - chopped
1 Bay Leaf
2 Red Chillies (hot as you can stand) - deseeded and shredded
2 Green Chillies (hot as you can stand) - deseeded and shredded

In a bowl, mix together the Yogurt, Ginger, Garlic, Chilli Powder, Cardamom, Salt and Garam Masala. Add the Lamb strips and stir well to coat with the marinade. Cover with some cling film and leave in the fridge for about an hour, longer if you can!

In a large frying pan or a Wok, heat the Oil and fry the Onions for approx 5 minutes until they soften and begin to brown. Now add the Bay Leaf, followed by the Marinade and Lamb mixture.




Mix everything together well and cook over a medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes.


Pour over the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the water to evaporate and reduce, but not completely. When you still have approx 2 or 3 tablespoons of water left in the pan, it will have turned into a nice thick sauce.

Scatter the Lamb with the sliced Red and Green Chillies and the chopped Coriander.

Serve with boiled white rice and some of the Plain Yogurt to cool it down!

Feeds 2

Caribbean Peanut Chicken

Found this recipe in an old book full of recipes using Chilli and Spices. The combination of Chicken and Peanut Butter works really well with the heat from the Chilli, just make sure you use a medium or hot Chilli








You need:

4 skinless Chicken breast fillets -cut into thin strips
225g long grain Rice
2 tablespoons Groundnut oil
15g Butter - plus extra for greasing
1 Onion - finely chopped
2 Tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 fresh green Chilli - seeded and sliced
4 tablespoons smooth Peanut Butter - use the reduced fat variety if preferred
450mls Chicken stock
1/2 Lemon - juiced
lime wedges - to garnish

For the Marinade:
15ml Sunflower oil
1-2 cloves Garlic - crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons mild Curry powder
juice 1/2 lemon


Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir in the Chicken. Cover with clear film and set aside in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Now cook the Rice in plenty of boiling salted water until slightly undercooked (approx 8 minutes). Drain well and turn into a generously buttered casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Heat 1 tablespoon of the Oil and Butter in a large pan and fry the Chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes until evenly brown. Add more oil if necessary.
Transfer the Chicken to a plate.

Add the Onion to the pan and fry for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned, adding more oil if necessary. Stir in the chopped Tomatoes and Chilli. Cook over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Mix the Peanut Butter with the Chicken Stock. Stir into the Tomato and Onion mixture, then add the Chicken. Stir in the Lemon juice, season to taste, then spoon the mixture over the Rice in the casserole.

Cover the casserole. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until piping hot. Use a large spoon to toss the rice with the chicken mixture. Serve at once, garnished with the lime wedges.

Vegetable Biryani

Another fairly quick dish to put together. This is low in saturated fat and very filling. Make it as spicy as you like, I chose to use a Madras paste and it turned out fine.







You need:

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 a small Cauliflower (broken into small florets)
1 large Sweet Potato (peeled and cubed)
1 medium Onion (sliced)
1/2 litre Vegetable Stock
2 tablespoons Curry Paste
1 Red Chilli (de-seeded and finely chopped)
large pinch Saffron Stands
250g Basmati Rice
100g Green Beans (top and tailed, then halved)
juice of 1 Lemon
handful of fresh Coriander (chopped)
25g roasted and salted Cashew Nuts

Turn your oven on to 200c. Pour the Oil into a medium sized casserole or baking dish. Put the dish in the oven for 5 mins, to heat the oil. Add all the veggies (apart from the Beans) and give them a good stir to coat them in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stick the dish into the oven for a good 15 minutes.

Meanwhile....mix together the Curry Paste, the Saffron, the Chilli and the Stock.

Remove the dish from the oven and add the Rice and Beans to the dish. Give it a good stir to mix everything together well, then pour the stock mixture over everything. Cover the dish tightly with tin foil and return the dish to the oven. Turn the oven down to 190c.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove the dish, remove the tin foil and then stir in the Lemon juice and the Coriander. Scatter with the Cashew Nuts.

Feeds 2 and is easily doubled - you just need a bigger dish!

Prawn Pilau

Another easy to make, low fat dish.










You need:

2 Tablespoons Curry Paste - I used Korma, from a previous dish
1 Small onion (very finely chopped)
300g Basmati Rice
700ml Stock (Vegetable or Chicken)
150g of cooked, peeled Prawns
1 Cup of Frozen Peas
1 Red Chilli (sliced into rings)
Handful of chopped Coriander

Over a gentle heat, fry the Onion with the Curry Paste for 5 minutes. Add the Rice and stir well to ensure all the grains are coated with the Curry Paste. Add the Stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes

Turn off the heat and stir in the Peas, the Prawns and the Chilli. Cover again and leave to stand for a further 5 or 6 minutes.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with the Coriander scattered on top.

Feeds 4

Spicy Tuna Hash

So...following my recent kick up the arse health-wise, I've decided to make the next couple of posts slightly more healthy. This Tuna dish can be put together in about 15 minutes, and is dead easy to make.







You need:

1 Onion (chopped)
500g Cooked Potatoes (cut into chunks)
1 Tablespoon Curry Paste - I used Korma, but your call.
2 x 185g tins Tuna in Springwater (drained)
A handful of chopped Coriander or Parsley
1 Tablespoon Olive or Sunflower Oil

Gently fry the Onion in the Oil for about 5 mins. Add the Potatoes and the Curry Paste and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring well. It helps if you slightly crush the potatoes at this point.

Now stir in the drained Tuna and cook for a few minutes until it starts to "catch" on the bottom of the pan. Stir again and cook for a few more minutes.

Mix in the Coriander or Parsley and serve! How easy is that?

Feeds 2

Nacho's

You'll happily pay 3 or 4 quid for this in the pub, so why not make it at home? Ideal for a Saturday night in front of the TV. I make mine with a Chilli to go with it, but you can make it even easier and leave that out..either way is good!







To feed 2, you need:

2 x Big Bags of Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips (such as Doritos)
1 Jar of Red or Green Jalapeno Peppers
1 lb lean Pork Mince
1 400g (ish) jar of Chilli Sauce - your choice how hot
250g Mature Cheddar - grated
125ml Sour Cream
1 Small Jar of Salsa - your choice how hot
A serving of Guacamole

If serving with Chilli, then simply brown the Pork Mince for 10 minutes in a pan. Add the Jar of Chilli sauce, then stir and simmer for 30 minutes.

For the Nacho's, place a layer of the Tortilla Chips in a large serving bowl.

Spread Red or Green Jalapenos on top of the chips to taste. And don't go mental with them........Sprinkle with 75g of the Cheese.

Add another layer of Tortilla Chips on top, spread some more Peppers on top of the chips. If serving with Chilli, now put a generous spoonful on top of the Chips, in the middle of the bowl.

Cover with another 75g of Cheese or even more if you like it.

Place in the Microwave and heat on full power for about 90 seconds to melt the cheese. Repeat for the 2nd bowl.

Serve with a good dollop of Sour Cream, Guacamole and Salsa. Easy!


Because Bil is a veggie, hers gets made with Veggie Chilli instead of Pork Chilli..everything else stays the same.

Scallops with Vodka and Rigatoni

This came about because I didn't have any squid for the dish I planned to make. I knocked this up from some store cupboard essentials and some frozen Scallops.

You need:

200g of frozen Scallops - use the little white ones, not the expensive ones with orange roe attached

1 x 400g tin Plum tomatoes
4 or 5 large Basil leaves - thinly sliced (or chiffonade if you feel posh)
Dried Chilli flakes to taste
1 Onion - thinly sliced
2 large cloves Garlic - crushed
2 tablespoons Tomato Puree (paste)
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
2-3 tablespoons Vodka
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Gently heat the Olive Oil in a pan and add the Onion and Garlic. Cook gently for approx 5 mins until the onion is softened but not colored. Add the Tomato Puree, Oregano and Chilli flakes. Mix well and cook gently for another 2 or 3 minutes. - The chilli flakes we use are home made and hot as hell, so 1/4 teaspoon is plenty. You may need more to give it a bit of a kick.

Add the Plum Tomatoes to the Onion mix and stir well to break up the Tomatoes. Add the Vodka and Scallops then simmer gently for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the Rigatoni according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta well and return it to the cooking pan.

Add the Tomato/Scallop sauce to the Pasta and stir well to combine all the ingredients. Decorate with the Basil leaves



Feeds 4

Patatas Bravas

Adding vinegar to the spice mix makes it extra spicy and it really is hot. You can serve with sour cream to cool it down a bit. We've seen this dish sold as Tapas in Spain, but never had it until today....

You need:

1.5 lb New Potatoes
5 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Garlic coves - chopped
3 dried Chillies - seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspooon Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Paprika - I use La Chinata Hot Smoked Paprika, available in Supemarkets
2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1 Green Pepper - sliced into thin strips

Put the Potatoes into a pan of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Drain and leave them to cool. Once cool, cut them in half or into bite sized chunks.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or saute pan. Fry the potatoes, turning them frequently until they are golden - approx 15 mins.

Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, crush the Garlic, Chillies and Cumin together to make a rough paste. Mix the paste with the Paprika and the vinegar.

Now drain most of the oil from the Potatoes and add the Paprika paste and Green Peppers. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Be advised, the vinegar will sting your eyes at first!



Serve as Tapas, or as a side dish, with or without Sour Cream

Feeds 4