Sticky lime and chilli chicken with spinach rice – Recommended Recipe!

Sticky Lime and Chilli Chicken with Spinach Rice – serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp oil

1 small onion, sliced

4 tbsp lime and chilli chutney

2 tbsp runny honey

4 large chicken thighs, boned (or 6 small)

500g cooked long grain rice

2 tsp yellow mustard seed

Large handful of spinach leaves

Method

1.       Heat the oven to 200C. In a small saucepan heat 1 tsp oil and cook the onion until soft. Remove from the heat and then add the honey and chutney and stir well.

2.       Put the chicken in a large bowl and pour over the chutney mixture, stirring well to coat the chicken. Tip the chicken into an oven dish and spoon over any sauce that remains in the bowl. Cook for 30 mins turning halfway through and basting. The chicken should be sticky and caramelised on the top and cooked all the way through.

3.       While the rice is still warm, gently heat the remaining oil in a pan and toss in the mustard seeds, cook for a moment or two. Tip in the rice, add the spinach and stir until it’s wilted. Serve with the chicken, pouring any juices over the top.

Source: Bart Spices recipe card.

Chilli chargrilled prawns - Recommended Recipe!

Chilli Chargrilled Prawns - makes 8, takes 10 mins to make, 15 mins to marinate, about 8 mins to cook on the BBQ from raw or 5 mins for cooked prawns (or cook for the same amount of time in a griddle or frying pan)

Ingredients

288g raw tiger prawns or the equivalent weight of cooked king prawns

8 kebab sticks (if using wooden, soak in water first to stop them from burning)

For the marinade

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Large pinch hot chilli powder or ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

Juice and zest of ½ lemon

To serve, lemons, cut into wedges (throw on the BBQ for a slightly charred flavour)

Method

1. Thread the prawns onto the kebab sticks. Put all of the marinade ingredients into a large shallow dish (long enough for the kebab sticks) and mix together.  Add the prawns andleave to marinade for 15 mins.
2. Cook the raw prawns on the BBQ for about 8 mins or until pink all over and slightly charred.  If using cooked prawns, barbeque for just a few minutes until slightly charred.

Per serving: 115kcal, 6.9g fat, 1.0g saturated fat, 0.1g sugars, 0.4g salt.

Source: the Co-operative instore magazine.

Chilli Meatballs with a Tomato & Basil Sauce - Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off

Gourmet Garden are the the producer of fresh herbs and spices easy for weekday cooking.  Their passion is organically-grown herbs and spices packaged in a convenient squeezable tube that lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge.  They are currently running a Blog Off Cook Off competition where one lucky blogger can win a trip to Australia and a whopping £3000!

Using some of their great range of fresh herbs and spices, I have to develop and make a recipe to be judged by the great Rosemary Shrager.

So here we go - here's one of my entries to the fantastic Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off competition.
Chilli Meatballs with a Basil & Tomato Sauce - serves 1-2
For the meatballs
150g minced beef or lamb
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden garlic
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden chilli
2 tbsp olive oil

For the tomato and basil sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small carton of passata (250g)
1/2 onion, very finely chopped
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden basil
1 tsp Gourmet Garden garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve
Freshly cooked spaghetti
Green side salad

1. Add all the meatball ingredients (except the olive oil) to a large bowl, mix with your hands and shape into small meatballs (about 6-8).
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs for 5-6 minutes.  Remove from the pan, set aside and keep warm.
3. Whilst the meatballs are cooking, fry the onion in a little oil in a small saucepan until soft.  Add the passata, basil and garlic and heat through gently.
4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Serve the meatballs on top of the tomato and basil sauce on a bed of freshly cooked spaghetti, with a fresh green side salad.

Chilli Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes - Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off

Gourmet Garden are the the producer of fresh herbs and spices easy for weekday cooking.  Their passion is organically-grown herbs and spices packaged in a convenient squeezable tube that lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge.  They are currently running a Blog Off Cook Off competition where one lucky blogger can win a trip to Australia and a whopping £3000!

Using some of their great range of fresh herbs and spices, I have to develop and make a recipe to be judged by the great Rosemary Shrager.

So here we go - here's one of my entries to the fantastic Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off competition.

Chilli Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes  - makes 12

Cupcakes
140g self raising flour
115g unsalted butter (softened) or liquid Stork margarine
115g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden ginger

Buttercream
200g icing sugar, sifted
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 1 tbsp hot water (cooled)
1 tsp Gourmet Garden chilli
12 strawberries, washed and wiped

1. Add all of the cupcake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined.
2. Divide between 12 large cupcake/muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven (Gas 4) for 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire cooling rack.
4. For the buttercream; beat the icing sugar and butter for 5-6 minutes until pale, light and fluffy.  Add the cooled cocoa powder/water and the chilli - mix until well combined.
5. Pipe swirls of the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes and top with a fan-cut strawberry.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Beetroot & Chilli Brownies - Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off

Gourmet Garden are the the producer of fresh herbs and spices easy for weekday cooking.  Their passion is organically-grown herbs and spices packaged in a convenient squeezable tube that lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge.  They are currently running a Blog Off Cook Off competition where one lucky blogger can win a trip to Australia and a whopping £3000!

Using some of their great range of fresh herbs and spices, I have to develop and make a recipe to be judged by the great Rosemary Shrager.

So here we go - here's one of my entries to the fantastic Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off competition.

Beetroot & Chilli Chocolate Brownies

Makes 16 brownies, preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 30-40 minutes.

250g milk or dark chocolate - preferably dark 70% cocoa solids
100g butter
250g cooked beetroot, drained and cooled
3 eggs
250g light brown soft sugar
150g flaked almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp Gourmet Garden fresh chilli
Icing sugar to dust, optional
Freshly whipped cream, to serve, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.  Prepare a 23cm square baking tin by greasing with butter and lining with a wide strip of baking paper - leave two "tails" at each side to help you to lift the brownie out of the tin.
2. Break the chocolate into squares and put into a heatproof bowl along with the butter.  Place over a pan of simmering water and allow to gently melt, stirring to mix.
3. Tip the beetroot into a food processor and blend to a coarse puree.  Add the melted chocolate and butter and eggs and mix again to incorporate the ingredients together.  Add the sugar, almonds, cocoa, baking powder and chilli and process until you have a smooth(ish) batter.
4. Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 40 mintues, checking after 30 minutes, until the top is set and the edge is starting to pull away from the tin slightly.  A skewer inserted into the centre will come out fairly clean but still a bit sticky.
5. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin, place on a cooling rack and cool completely in the tin.
6. When cold, remove from the tin using the "tails" and cut into 16 squares.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

This brownie has a definite warm kick and so the cream serves as a coolant if required!  You can adjust the amount of chilli to taste - 2 tsp was just right for my tastebuds, I wouldn't go much higher though, unless you want a large kick of heat!

I also used home grown beetroot... one of the few sucesses that I had this year with my "home grown trials"!  So, if I can manage to grow a good crop of beetroot from scratch, I'm sure you can give it a go too!

Mayan Monkey Mijas - quite possibly the best chocolate in the world!

I'm not a chocaholic.. but I do like chocolate!  I'm not a big milk chocolate fan, I much prefer a good quality dark chocolate you can nibble on rather than chocolate that you just eat and eat until you feel a bit queasy!

Whilst on holiday earlier this month, we stumbled upon a fantastic little shop in the village of Mijas, Costa del Sol, Spain. 

Mayan Monkey Mijas is tucked away in the quiet village of Mijas strategically placed on a balcony of cute shops overlooking Constitution Square - it's like a little secret that needs to be shared and shouted about; it really is that good!

The beautiful Chanel was very helpful...  there's loads of chocolates to choose from and when you're limited by baggage weight, it really was a difficult decision as to which chocolate to buy!  In the end we decided on Massaman Thai Curry Dark Chocolate and Orange & Chilli Dark Chocolate.  We also tried samples of the White Chocolate with Lavender - I really didn't think that I would like it but it was a lovely flavour and would be great to top a cupcake with as a treat or something a bit different.

These chocolates are defintely ones to be savoured and nibbled slowly - not scoffed in one and not appreciated! 

We also bought (and ate before we left the shop - oopppss!) some lovely mini chocolate figures for my children.  From robots to owls and most things inbetween, there's something for everyone. 

Chanel was even making some "special" Christmas chocolates - without giving too much away, they gave us a giggle on a wet and misty afternoon!

And.... they also sell ice cream!  "Ice Cream Heaven" to be exact.... a scoop or two of ice cream (any flavour!) covered in freshly melted, hot chocolate which immediately freezes when it touches the ice cream, resulting in a chocolate "crust"!  Sounds a bit strange... but absolutely lovely!

Mayan Monkey Mijas has a claim to fame... it's the smallest chocolate factory in the world. All of the chocolates are made on site and you can help with the process!  They run workshops (pre-booked) for children and adults.  In workshops for children, the emphasis is more fun-based, whereas with adults, they can get more technical, and explore the science, geography, etc in greater depth.

Workshops run daily at Mayan Monkey Mijas, 7 days a week. Spaces are limited, and since classes are proving as popular with children as with adults, make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment!

They can accommodate birthday parties, team-building events, etc.  Workshops at Mayan Monkey Mijas are held in their professional craft-based factory.

So, if you are planning a holiday to Costa del Sol any time soon, or are local to Mijas Pueblo (you lucky thing!), pop in and see Chanel and the guys and girls, say hello and be spoilt for choice with the amazing chocolates on offer!

Cafédirect Machu Picchu Coffee Recipe Review

This week we were sent some lovely Fairtrade coffee from the guys and gals at Cafédirect.  Now, I love coffee but as part of my blogging life, I also love to use everyday items in great recipes.  Cafédirect have a cool coffee matching guide with innovative reipes using the coffees they produce. All of their products are Fairtrade certified so you know that the growers are all getting a fair deal out of the growing and production of the coffe, tea and chocolate products.... so you can enjoy them even more!

I decided to make the Cardamom chocolate mousse on an Amaretti biscuit base with hazelnuts.  This is a recipe by Saskia Rogerson, winner of the Cafédirect coffee matching challenge.  I chose this recipe specifically for it's ingredients.  Coffee is quite widely used in desserts but here we have the addition of cardamom pods and chilli - combined with chocolate and carrot, I'm hoping the results will be quite spectacular!

So here we go.... recipe coming up!

Cardamom chocolate mousse
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
250g Amaretti biscuits, crushed
120g unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped hazlenuts
3 cardamon pods, grated

Caramelised carrot and chilli layer
2 tbsp shredded carrot
2 tbsp shredded chilli
25g unsalted butter
4 tbsp Fairtrade muscavado sugar

Cardamom, Hazelnut & Chocolate mousse
300g Fairtrade bittersweet
chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp hazelnuts
4 cardamom pods, grated
45g unsalted butter
5 free range separated eggs
4 tbsp Fairtrade caster sugar
230ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Shot of espresso made with Cafédirect Machu Picchu coffee

Method

1. Biscuit Base... Melt the butter in a pan, add the Amaretti biscuits, hazelnuts and grated cardamom. Transfer to a 28cm springform cake tin (or 6 individual ramekins) and leave to cool.
2. Caramelised carrot and chilli layer... Bring the carrot and chilli mixture ingredients slowly to simmer until it caramelises, then pour onto the biscuit so it forms an even layer.
3. Cardamom, hazlenut and chocolate mousse...  Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl heated over pan of simmering water, add espresso, cardamom, hazelnuts and vanilla extract.
4. Leave to cool. Heat the egg yolks and two tbsp sugar over the simmering pan of water. Whisk until warm then transfer to an electric mixer and mix until the yolk is pale and fluffy.
5. Fold into chocolate mixture. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, and fold into the chocolate mixture.
6. In a bowl set over ice, whip the cream until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon onto the biscuit and carrot/chilli caramel layer, and spread.  Refrigerate until set.
7. Eat!

The recipe is a bit technical at points with the separating of eggs, whisking yolks over heat and whisking egg whites to peak!  But I can say that it is definitely worth the effort!  The flavours are absolutely fantastic - you can taste each flavour with the chocolate complimenting the chilli, hazlenut and cardamom perfectly.

It was quite rich and so would recommend this dessert as a spectacular finish to a dinner party, but a small slice would be fine with an afternoon cup of coffee... Cafédirect of course!

We shared this dessert with my neighbour and over a cup of Machu Picchu coffee we decided that it would be making an appearance over the Christmas festivities with both familes!

Cafédirect products - tea, coffe and hot chocolate - can all be purchased at all major supermarkets and selected independant stores.  There's a great range of teas, coffees and hot chocolate available... it would certainly take a good while to work your way through them!  I can certainly try though!

Ryvita Recipe Reviews (2)

Well, here's the second instalment of the fabulous recipes from Mark Sargeant & Ryvita.  They are both seasonal toppings for the crispbreads - the first as a light breakfast and the second as a light lunch.

Ryvita Fruit Crunch crispbread with banana, yogurt, honey, basil & passion fruit is a quick and easy light breakfast for a great start to your day.  I actually substituted the passion fruit for strawberries as, believe me, trying to find passion fruit in my small town was a major feat - a bit too tropical for a small Welsh town!  The passion fruit/strawberries are used to flavour the yogurt & make a simple coulis so any soft fruit you can get your hands on will work just fine... also it depends on the flavours you want to use for variety.  Next time I'm on my travels to the "big town", I will definitely pick up a couple of passion fruits to redo the recipe again!

 

The flavours of the fruits with the honey & basil fitted very well together and even my children (both under 8 years old) gave this the thumbs up!

The second recipe used the Mediterranean Herb Crispbread with Sardine Escabeche.  This recipe took a bit more in the way of preparation, with lots of thinly slicing to be done but it is worth the effort.  The marinade of red wine vinegar, orange, thyme, rosemary, bay, garlic, parsley & chilli gently pickles the fennel, carrot and onion and is lovely with the sardines... in fact, any oily fish would be great to use in this recipe.

I think this recipe is most suited to eating "al fresco" sat on a sun terrace on a warm afternoon... at the moment, a wet and windy Wales will have to do but it definitely gave a Mediterranean feeling to my afternoon.  The flavours from the crispbreads paint a perfect picture of the Med and the tastes most associated with the area.

I've really enjoyed working "with" Mark Sargeant - even if from afar!  But it has shown that a normal housewife and mum can create great looking and tasting foods in a normal kitchen with (mostly!) store cupboard ingredients!  "Come Dine With Me" here I come!

And of course, innovative ways to use the underestimated Ryvita Crispbread - a great source of fibre with great new flavours for family life!

Ryvita Recipe Reviews

Ryvita.... when I say "Ryvita" what word immediately pops into your head?  I asked this question earlier on and the answers included:

• Cardboard
• Yummy to dip in soup
• Philly & cucumber
• Yack(!)
• With butter & Marmite or spready cheese
• Like eating my shoe(!)
• Yum, if you can't eat wheat
• A diet food

So overall, about a 50/50 split good & bad.... but with these new recipes from Mark Sargeant, owner of celebrated Rocksalt in Folkestone, I'm sure more of you will be swayed towards the "yes" side of the group!

I always thought of Ryvita as a diet/weight-loss product - but I love them with lots of "real" butter on them, therefore defeating the object of the diet aspect!  Mark has been working hard to develop new recipes for Ryvita inspired by the British summertime, using 4 flavours of the range;   Hint of Chilli, Dark Rye, Mediterranean Herbs and Fruit Crunch.

 
The following two recipes have the tagline of "Sun, Sea, Sand and Crunch - A Stunning Summer Spread from Ryvita".

The first uses a new addition to the range - Ryvita Hint of Chilli Crispbreads with spiced potted crayfish tails and watercress.  It was really quick and easy to make, looked absolutely stunning and would make any light lunch or starter at a dinner party look fantastic.

The spice from the Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper is perfectly complimented by the nutmeg and peppery watercress and the butter helps to keep the flavours together.

The crayfish tails could be replaced with prawns if necessary and, as a lover of rocket leaf salad, this could be a substitute for the watercress if needed.


The second uses the Ryvita Dark Rye Crispbreads with salt beef, watercress, radish (home-grown in my case!) and dill pickle.  Again, these would compliment any dinner party or as a canape at a cocktail party and are very quick and easy to make.

 

The flavours in this recipe were fantastic - Cider vinegar, English mustard, garlic, lemon and again the peppery watercress all compliment the salt beef flavours.  The salt beef could be exchanged for pastrami, peppered ham or garlic chicken - in fact most meats would go really well with the flavours shown in the recipe.

The beef recipe was my favourite of the two - but with opinions from friends round for an informal "dinner party" the overall winner was the chilli & crayfish tails Ryvitas.... but only by a small margin!

I have 2 other Mark Sargeant recipes to try out and will show you the results tomorrow... but as a quick and easy treat try Chocolate Philadelphia with strawberries on the Hint of Chilli Crispbreads... absolutely delicious!  And also shows how versatile the crispbreads are, both sweet & savoury!

 

The Ryvita Company is a truly British establishment and has milled it's own rye flour at it's home in Poole, Dorset for over 40 years.  They work with British farmers to source the very best rye sine 1925.  Let's keep Ryvita a store cupboard essential, so that when guests unexpectedly drop on your door step - you have a quick and easy stylish lunch to serve!  Personally, I am going to try the "dip-in-soup" method as well - this had never occurred to me before and great when it's Sunday evening, no shops are open and you have ran out of bread!

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and look out tomorrow for the next instalment!