I can’t get enough curry recipes into my repertoire. We all love curry in our family even the children so I’m forever making it and experimenting with new versions. It’s such an easy dinner to make and share when you have a get together.
This chicken bhuna is rich, spicy and packed with flavour. Serving with mango chutney is compulsory along with some fluffy naan breads and basmati rice. I leave it all on the side and everyone helps themselves. Some more so than others!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium onion – diced
4 chicken breasts – chopped into pieces
3 cloves garlic – minced
Tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato pureé
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chilli powder
Glug of ground nut oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Method
Pan fry your diced onions in ground nut oil for a minute over a low heat. Add your spices and garlic. Cook your onions low and slow until fully softened. This part really helps enhance the flavour of the curry.
Add your tomatoes and tomato pureé and simmer for half an hour or so. Add your chicken pieces and simmer for another 20 minutes until fully cooked through.
Cajun salmon nicoise salad is a favourite in our house. Fresh, crunchy and healthy but still filling. Who says you can’t have salads in the Winter? I grew up eating salads all year round.
If I’m keeping it low calorie I’ll do it this way otherwise I might add in a few baby potatoes to change it up a bit. I drizzle it in a dressing made from extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, wholegrain mustard and salt and cracked black pepper. It’s absolutely divine.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and cracked black pepper to season
1 gem lettuce
4 tomatoes
2 eggs – boiled
Handful of green beans
Few slices of cucumber
10 olives of choice
Juice of half a lemon
Dressing: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, half teaspoon wholegrain mustard, squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.
Method
Pre heat oven to 190c/ 170c fan
Chop your salad and dress it with the dressing. Meanwhile, put 2 separate pans on to boil your green beens and eggs. I boil the eggs for approximately 4 minutes in boiling water and leave to rest for a couple of minutes. The green beans only need 5 minutes or so in boiling water as its nice to have them crunchy.
Drain the eggs in cold water and peel and slice in half.
Drain the green beans and leave to cool a little as you don’t want them to wilt the salad.
Place your salmon in a parcel of tin foil and sprinkle over your paprika and cajun seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze over your lemon juice. Drizzle over a teaspoon of olive oil over each salmon fillet and gently cover over with the foil.
Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 12 minutes. Once it’s fully cooked remove from oven and set aside for a moment while you place your salad, green beans and eggs on a plate.
Top with your salmon.
Tip: This dinner is perfect with an ice cold glass of sauvignon blanc.
We are definitely in the lover camp when it comes to pineapple on pizza. Have you ever made your own pizza’s with fresh pizza dough? Trust me when I say they are delicious you will be over the moon if you try it. Of course feel free to make your own pizza dough but some of the shop bought ones in the chiller at the supermarket are great.
It’s the easiest thing ever to knock up and tastes so fresh and full of flavour. A great lunch to make with the kids.
Ingredients
1 pack of ready roll pizza dough
1 cup of tomato sauce ( you can use any pasta sauce)
2 slices of ham (cut into small pieces)
3 pineapple rings – chopped into small pieces)
Salt and cracked black pepper to season
Half a bag of grated mozzarella
Method
Pre heat your oven to 200c / 180c fan
Take a baking sheet and roll out your pizza dough onto it. Lots of the dough packs have a greaseproof paper under the dough and if so you leave this under the dough while it’s cooking to make it easier to remove from the tray. Check your instructions first though.
Spoon over your tomato sauce, sprinkle over your grated mozzarella and add on your toppings. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
Place in the centre of the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven at the end of cooking time when the cheese is bubbling and it’s cooked through.
Tell me it’s Autumn without telling me it’s Autumn! Filled with chicken, leek and asparagus with a puff pastry lid and hint of thyme for extra delight, this pie is divine.
I make only with a puff pastry lid to keep it lower in calories not that it should be a factor when making a pie but I can’t help a habit of a lifetime.
I serve with lots of fresh veg and smother in delicious gravy. Feel free to add a pastry bottom and buttered new potatoes for a bit of extra Autumn comfort.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts or 500g left over chicken
1 pack of ready roll puff pastry
200ml chicken stock
100ml double cream
Half teaspoon of dried thyme
Salt and cracked black pepper to season
5 asparagus spears – chopped into four
2 leeks – sliced into discs
Beaten egg to glaze
Dusting of flour to roll pastry
Method
Pre heat oven to 200c / 180c
Add your hot stock to a large saucepan with your chopped chicken, chopped leek and chopped asparagus. Simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through ( approximately 15 minutes). You can add your chicken in after 10 mins if you are using left over roast chicken.
Allow to cool and swirl in your double cream and thyme. Season according to your liking.
Meanwhile, roll out your puff pastry on a floury surface.
Add the filling to your pie dish and allow to cool, then place the pastry on top and crimp around the edges.
Brush with beaten egg and bake in the centre of your hot oven for 20 minutes. When the pie looks golden, remove and serve with delicious gravy and vegetables of choice.
Fresh, hot and spicy. This dish is full of oriental flavour. I made it with noodles but rice would work too.
Packed full of mange tout, fresh chilli, peppers and onion it’s a plateful of crunchy deliciousness that’s so good for you.
If you can marinate the chicken overnight all the better but don’t worry if not it will still be lovely.
Serves 3
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (cut into thin strips)
1 lemongrass stalk (peeled and sliced thin)
1 red chilli ( thinly sliced)
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 tablespoons chilli oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 small red onion ( cut into strips)
12 mange tout
2 handfuls of beans sprouts
Half a red pepper – cubed
Half teaspoons salt
Half teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon ketjap manis
100ml water
Handful of coriander to serve (optional)
Method
Put your chicken strips, lemongrass, garlic, 1 tablespoon of chilli oil and fish sauce into a large bowl and mix together. Cover and leave overnight if time permitting. If not just set aside.
Heat your oil in a wok and pan fry your onion strips to caramelise. Add your your bowl of ingredients that you have marinated and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Now add your mange tout, pepper and bean sprouts and continue to pan fry for another 5 minutes or so until they soften.
Add the salt and sugar stirring all the time for another minute or so.
Throw in the soy sauce, ketjap manis and water.
Get a small measuring cup and scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the liquid and mix with the cornflour. Now stir it back into the pan of ingredients. Continue to cook stirring all the time until the sauce begins to thicken. Always ensure you add the cornflour to liquid before stirring into ingredients otherwise it can separate and not stir into the mix properly.
Once ready toss your noodles into the stir fry mixture and serve.
Tip: Top with loads of fresh coriander if youlove it. It gives it such an elevated flavour.
Perfect mid-week dinner that’s quick and easy but feels like comfort food. I sometimes make this in the week if I haven’t got time to make a full roast but everyone fancies one.
I served mine with asparagus and honey glazed carrots but feel free to substitute the veg for any you have.
Perfect with a glass of ice cold sauvignon blanc.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 cloves garlic – minced
Salt and cracked black pepper to season
Tablespoon mixed herbs
Method
Pre heat oven to 200c / 180c fan
Mix your cream cheese and minced garlic together with a fork.
Slice your chicken breast across the centre of the breast and stuff with your cream cheese and garlic.
Wrap your chicken in a slice of prosciutto.
Sprinkle over half the mixed herbs on each chicken breast and season with salt and cracked black pepper.
Place on a baking sheet in the centre of the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
Tip: Serve with a crispy, fluffy jacket potato and load up with mature cheddar and lots of fresh veg on the side.
Quesadillas are so popular and we have them a lot, so I love trying out new marinades for them. This one is definitely my favourite.
The smokiness of the paprika is a marriage made in heaven with the honey. The perfect blend of smokey and sweet. It works so well with both chicken or prawn. I like to add as many dips as possible with a big squeeze of lime. Great weekend food to enjoy around the table with your friends and family.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts or 300g raw king prawns
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 teaspoon honey
Squeeze of fresh orange
2 glugs of olive oil
1 red, green or yellow pepper – cut into strips
1 medium onion – cut into strips
To serve
Fresh lime to squeeze over
2 wraps each
Cup of grated mature cheddar
Guacamole, sour cream or salsa for dipping
Method
Measure all your spices out and add to a large mixing bowl. Spoon out half a teaspoon of the mix for your peppers and onions later and set aside.
Stir to combine all the spices together. Cut your chicken into strips and add to the bowl of spices along with a glug of olive oil. Mix thoroughly so all of your chicken is coated in the spices. Alternatively if you are using prawns do the same with those.
Now add your minced garlic ( 2 cloves), honey and a squeeze of orange juice. This last bit of the marinade will give it a sweet kick. If you can do this overnight then all the better but to be honest I sometimes add my marinade at the time of cooking and it’s still full of flavour and delicious.
Add a glug of olive oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and add your onion and peppers. Cook them down with a clove of minced garlic and a sprinkle of the spice mix that you saved earlier. Once they start to soften set aside on a plate.
Now add another glug of oil to your pan and pan fry your chicken strips. When they are almost cooked add your peppers and onions back in.
Set your wraps out on the work surface and fill with the delicious chicken or prawn mix. Sprinkle over your cheese, fold the wrap and heat in the pan for approximately 1 minute so the outside of the wrap is slightly toasty and warm. If you have a griddle pan all the better.
Remove, slice in half and enjoy with all the dips and your friends and family.
TIP: Lovely served with couscous or rice and a fresh salad.
I love lasagne. I’ve made if for years but still find new ways to change it up. I like to add a bit of this and a bit of that, whatever I’ve got in the fridge really. I had a few mushrooms so in they went, a nice slosh of rich red wine, somer rosemary, thyme and celery. The list goes on. One of my friends adds butternut squash.
It’s such a comforting dinner and it’s worth making your own white sauce as it’s quicker and easier than you think.
I serve it with a crisp side salad full of onion and vine tomatoes, some garlic bread and a nice glass of full bodied red. Perfect comfort food.
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g fresh lasagne sheets
500g steak mince
1 onion – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
Handful of sliced mushrooms
200ml beef stock
400g passata
100ml red wine
Stick of celery – thinly sliced
Teaspoon thyme
Teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon worcester sauce
Salt and cracked black pepper to season
large glug of olive oil
For the white sauce
50g butter
50g plain flour
300ml milk
100g grated cheese
100g mozzarella – grated
50ml double cream
Half an onion studded with 4-5 cloves
For the topping
100g grated cheddar
100g grated mozzarella
Method
Pre heat your oven to 200c / 180c
Pan fry the onions and celery in a large glug of olive oil for a couple of minutes, add your minced garlic, sliced mushrooms and carry on frying for about 5 minutes.
Now add the mince and stir until the mince is browned.
Add your passata, beef stock, red wine, salt, black pepper, worcester sauce and herbs.
Simmer gently for about 30 minutes or so.
For the white sauce
You can of course buy a white sauce but it so easy to make you may as well make your own.
Melt your butter in a pan and whisk in your flour to make a roux. Slowly add your milk bit by bit whisking all the time.
Add your grated cheese, mozzarella and double cream.
Stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add your clove studded onion while the white sauce is gently bubbling and thickening. Set aside.
Before assembling the lasagne pre heat oven to 200c / 180c fan
For the lasagne
Add some lasagne sheets to the bottom of your dish. I used three so that will let you decide roughly what size oven proof dish to use. I also used fresh pasta sheets as they are easier to cut to size should you need to.
Now add a layer of mince ( about a 1/3rd of it) and layer on another level of pasta sheets.
Pour on about 1/3rd of the white sauce.
Layer on some more mince and top with another level of pasta sheets.
Add another 1/3rd of the white sauce.
Now add the rest of the mince and another level of pasta sheets.
Pour over the white sauce and sprinkle over the grated cheese for the topping.
Can you tell I’m addicted to making curries? It’s our favourite food and the whole family eats it which is always a bonus. This is similar to my prawn version but the swap for chicken and the lentil addition makes it a lot more filling and a nice change.
I don’t know about you but if I can’t have mango chutney with a curry I’d rather not have it. Rather like going to Mcdonalds when they forget to give you the sauce for the nuggets! Fuming! You get what I’m saying. Add your mango chutney to the side, fluffy naan bread or crunchy poppadoms and this is on a level with the takeaway and nowhere near as many calories.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Half tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion – thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Half teaspoons chilli powder
Half teaspoons turmeric
Half teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts
125g asparagus
Half tin of coconut milk
1 teaspoon light soft brown sugar
Tablespoon ground nut oil
Can of ready cooked lentils
1 whole lime
Method
Pan fry your thinly sliced onions in your pan over a medium heat with the ground nut oil.
As the onions begin to soften add the garlic and all the spices. Now add your chicken strips and pan fry until almost cooked. You might want to add a dash more oil.
Add the chopped asparagus and tomatoes giving a good stir to combine. Now add the coconut milk and stir some more.
Once the chicken is fully cooked add your lentils and simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.
Finally squeeze in the juice of half a lime and stir in a teaspoon of light soft brown sugar.
Tip: Fabulous served with naan bread, mango chutney and coconut rice
A great way to change up chicken and rice and salad, which to be honest I could eat every day.
Feel free to add your herb of choice. Parsley, coriander or dill all work fantastically with this dish.
It’s perfect as a side for bbq’s too but we love it for lunch the next day. Quick, simple, delicious and healthy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons chilli olive oil
2 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb sized piece of ginger – grated
1 red chilli – sliced into thin strips
2 chicken breasts
1 onion – sliced
300g basmati rice
750g vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt and cracked black pepper to season
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
Splash of dry white wine
3-4 broccoli stalks – chopped into small pieces
Method
Add your chilli oil, garlic and ginger to a large frying pan and add your onions. Slowly cook the onions so they are all soft and translucent. Now set them aside on a separate plate, leaving the oil still in the pan.
Add your chicken strips, fresh chilli slices, cumin and chilli flakes to the pan. Stir all around and make sure your chicken is almost cooked through. Usually about 5-6 minutes or so. Now add the rice to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Slosh in your splash of white wine.
Pour in your hot vegetable stock, add your little broccoli pieces and simmer gently until your rice is fully cooked usually about 20 mins.
Tip: Lovely served with extra fresh red chilli if you’re brave enough and a wedge of lime each.
Love To Cook With Suzi 