Jambalaya

There are very few things that I miss living in the states and although I am from the Northeast, proper Barbecue and southern cuisine is impossible to find outside the states. I was craving something with a spicy kick and there is no dish better and more full of flavour than Jambalaya. A proper version would include andouille sausage, chicken and crayfish, but to make mine a leaner version, I have chosen Chicken Breast and Prawns. Its a fantastic dish to make for a group of friends or in my case to make a big batch of so I have food for after work during a busy week. Its a take on a very classic recipe and a delicious way for a healthy meal.

Ingredients:

1 KG Chicken Breasts (I leave them whole and as you stir the finished dish it should pull apart nicely)

450 Grams Prawns (uncooked) If they are frozen, make sure they are defrosted before cooking.

1 small bag of long grain rice

2 Large White Onions (diced)

3 Celery Stalks (diced)

2 Carrots (peeled and diced)

3 Red Bell Peppers (diced in large pieces)

5 Vine Tomatoes (diced in large pieces)

3 chilli peppers (diced)

Seasoning – Black Pepper (a good 10 grinds of the pepper mill, Sea Salt (3 large pinches), a few shakes of cayenne pepper & chili flakes, then a Large pinch of each the following dry herbs; Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, Sage, Basil & Parsley) Also, to spice it up a touch and give a great flavour, I usually add a few dashes of cholula hot sauce.

Instructions:

Get a large pot and put it on low heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Turn up the heat a touch and add the onions. Add a pinch of salt and stir. There will be a good amount of onions so be sure to stir them around to make sure they all get cooked evenly. When they appear translucent, add in the rest of the vegetables and all of the seasoning. Give it a stir and let everything cook for a few minutes to release all of their liquids. Now Add the chicken and also 3 cups of water. Stir the chicken in with everything and put the lid on the pot. Let cook for 10 minutes and then give another stir. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 40 minutes. Then add in the rice and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Now toss in the shrimp and stir them in to everything. Let cook for another 6 minutes and then pull off the heat. Leave the lid on and let sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the dish to thicken up. I usually serve with a bit of rocket on the top to add some colour and give the dish a bit of greenery. Happy dining y’all.

Lamb Kofte, Grilled Eggplant, Red Pepper & Asparagus Salad, Saffron rice served with Tsatsiki

As I delve into a life of exercise and eating healthy, I wanted to recreate a fantastic spread for a Sunday lunch that screams flavour and even those not watching their weight would enjoy. I have pulled together a bit of middle eastern and mediterranean tastes to create my idea of a summery Sunday lunch. This recipe could feed 4-6, depending on how voracious everyones appetites are. All the ingredients are all natural and the combination of flavours will be total crowd pleasers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

There are four parts to this meal. My version of a Lamb Kofte Kebab, Grilled Eggplant, Red Pepper & Asparagus Salad, Saffron Rice and Tsatziki.

I start with the Lamb. The best thing to do is to prepare the lamb the night before, but if you start with it, it will have an hour or so to sit before you come back to it.

Ingredients:

1 Kg Lean Lamb Mince (the better the quality, the better the end result)

3 Eggs

1 Large Shallot (diced finely)

1 clove garlic (smashed)

25 grams fresh mint (diced finely)

25 grams fresh coriander (diced finely)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 level tablespoons garam masala spice mix

A good shake of cayenne pepper & red chili flakes and a couple of pinches of sea salt

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients and make sure everything is mixed thoroughly. Cover and set aside.

When you come back to it, form them around a kebab skewer. Make sure you do not put too much on at a time to ensure they grill evenly. When you complete the kebabs, grill on a hot barbecue for a few minutes on each side until cooked to your liking.

Grilled Eggplant, Red Pepper & Asparagus Salad:

Ingredients:

3 small eggplants

3 red peppers

1 small bunch asparagus

3 large shallots

100 grams feta cheese

A few pinches of fresh mint (diced finely)

1/2 lemon

olive oil and sea salt

Preparation:

Slice eggplant thinly. Lay the slices out and drizzle with olive oil and a touch of sea salt. Get a grill pan very hot and sear the eggplant on either side. When it is cooked through, lay on a flat platter. Next, grille the red peppers until they start to blacken and soften. Take them off the heat and peel off any of the charred spots. Then slice and layer over the eggplant. On the same grille pan, add the asparagus and cook til they are just done. You can test by stabbing the thickest part with a fork and seeing if they are starting to soften. They should only take a couple of minutes. Lay them on top of the eggplant and red pepper. Next, slice the shallots into rings and grill until they are starting to soften. Then put them in a small bowl and add the mint. Combine the shallots and mint and arrange over the other vegetables. Next crumble the feta over the top and give a squeeze from the lemon to dress.

Tsatsiki:

This is another part of the meal that you can either do the night before or make sure you prepare it before cooking everything else.

Ingredients:

1 tub thick greek yogurt (I use Fage as it tends to be the best in terms of thickness and it is all natural)

2 small cucumbers diced up

1 clove garlic smashed

1 small handful of finely diced fresh mint

1 pinch sea salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to mix everything and then let sit in a refrigerator.

Saffron Rice:

The easiest part of the meal. Saute 1 shallot that has been diced up in a touch of olive oil. Add enough rice for 5-6 people. Follow your favourite rice brand’s cooking instructions. Just when the water comes to a boil, add in two big pinches of saffron and a pinch of sea salt. Let sit before stirring to make sure it gets nice and fluffy.

To serve:

Put a big spoonful of the saffron rice on your best plates, serve kofte on top with a big dollop of the tsatsiki and have a bit of the salad on the side of the plate. My favourite way to do it is serve it family style and have your friends have at it!

It’ll put a shakeup into the world of a proper Sunday lunch! Enjoy!!

Prawn & Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

I am into my health kick now, so onto my next meal. I have always had a love for Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and this is an attempt to recreate those flavours in a very healthy and delicious way with my own interpretation of a traditional glass noodle salad, where I substitute rice noodles as I have a limited diet at the moment.

I like this recipe as there are so many flavours that come out and it is important to combine the ingredients in different stages to ensure you have those layers through the salad.

The recipe below is for a huge portion to either share with friends or to keep for a few days, as it is great leftover.

Ingredients:

1 packet of very thin rice noodles

700 grams of Chicken

500 grams of Prawns

3 small cucumbers – diced into small pieces

2 carrots – 1 grated and 1 cut into thin 1 inch slices

3 large shallots

1 small bunch mint

1 small bunch coriander

500 grams baby plum tomatoes

1 red chile (or 2-3, if you like a real kick)

1/2 cup water

3 limes

4 tablespoons fish sauce

1 small packet of cashews (crushed)

Preparation:

For the noodles;

Bring a large pot (make sure it is a good size to ensure the noodles get evenly cooked) of water to a boil and add the rice noodles. After 2-5 minutes, depending on the noodles, strain them and rinse with cold water and set aside.

For the dressing;

Add the water, lime juice and fish sauce to a small mixing bowl. Mix this together and then mix in the grated carrot & finely diced red chile to the mixture and stir. Let this sit for about 10-15 minutes as this will allow the sweetness from the carrots infuse into the liquids and act as a substitute for sugar. Then stir in the chopped coriander and mint and set aside. You may need a touch more water or fish sauce, depending on your personal taste.

For the shallots;

Saute in a wok with very little olive oil until they are starting to cook through. Then pull them out and put them aside to cool and finish cooking. This will allow for a great consistency with them.

For the chicken;

Give the chicken a good cover of the pepper grinder. Saute in a wok with a touch of olive oil. As soon as they are browned, toss in a bit of water and cover for 5-8 minutes to finish cooking it through. If you have coconut water kicking around, throw in a splash for an ever better flavour.

For the shrimp;

If it is already cooked, leave as is. If it isn’t, follow the same recipe as the chicken, just make sure you don’t overcook the shrimp.

To bring together the main event.

In a very large mixing bowl, toss in the cooked noodles. Then add the chopped cucumber, the julienned carrot, cherry tomatoes (which are great halved), cooked shallots, chicken and shrimp. Then add the dressing and toss together carefully to ensure an even coating. Serve in your favourite bowl with a bit of crushed cashews on top.

I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Hope you Enjoy it as much as I did!

Crab Salad

Well, my inner fat kid was getting a little too big, so fat camp had to start. This is a first of many healthy recipes to accompany a workout.

Here is my version of a summery crab salad.

Ingredients
One tin crabmeat
Two handfuls baby greens
One half of a cucumber
A cup of small cherry tomatoes
Half a mango diced
a lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
A teaspoon of mayonnaise
Half teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash Tabasco

Preparation
Place the greens in a bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice
Add tomatoes, cucumber and mango

In a separate Bowl add crab, mayo, squeeze of lemon, mustard, dash Tabasco and a touch of sea salt & pepper and stir together.

Put the crab over the salad and finish with fresh pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Simple and delicious! Enjoy!!