Spring Chickens for Long Hot Summer Days

Summer has finally been claimed by the UK with the arrival of long hot sunny summer days, how long we’ll get of this glorious weather your guess is as good as mine. But as the old saying says, “best make hay while the sun shines” and make the most of it, obviously taking all precautions not to burn yourselves. Chicken is the ideal meat for this weather, it is probably the most versatile of all the meat products available both in its grown form, and in its embryo form (in other words as an egg). Whether you grill, bake, roast, stew or poach it, chicken can be used in a multitude of recipes. This week’s recipes are : – Sticky Lemon Chicken, Middle Eastern Chicken & Apricot Stew and Harissa Chicken with Chickpea Salad.

My first recipe is Sticky Lemon Chicken, courtesy of GoodFood Magazine first published November 2003.

Serves 4, Prep 15mins, Cook 15mins

4 x Chicken Breast Fillets with skin, about 150g/5oz each
1 x Large Lemon
2 tsp x Fresh Thyme Leaves or a generous sprinkling of dried
1½ tbsp x Clear Honey

Preheat the grill to high and lightly oil a shallow heatproof dish. Put the chicken in the dish, skin side down, and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes. While the chicken is grilling, cut four thin slices from the lemon.

Turn the chicken fillets over and put a slice of lemon on top of each one. Sprinkle over the thyme and a little more seasoning, then drizzle with the honey. Squeeze over the juice from the remaining lemon and spoon round 2 tbsp water. Return to the grill for 10 minutes more, until the chicken is golden and cooked all the way through. Serve the chicken and the sticky juices with rice or potatoes and a green veg – broccoli or leeks are good.

My next recipe is Middle Eastern Chicken & Apricot Stew, courtesy of Olive Magazine first published February 2010.

Serves 4, ready in 30mins

Olive Oil
1 x Large Onion, chopped
1 tbsp x Root Ginger, grated
2 x Garlic Cloves, chopped
4 x Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
2 tsp x Baharat or Ras-el-Hanout Spice Blend (look for Bart spices in the supermarket) 
100g x Red Lentils
10 x Ready-to-Eat Apricots, finely chopped
1 x Lemon, juiced
750ml x Chicken Stock
A Handful of Mint or Coriander (or both), chopped
A Handful of Pomegranate Seeds (optional)

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the onion, ginger and garlic, and season. Cook for 8 minutes and then add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the spice blend, lentils, apricots and lemon juice.

Stir in 750ml of stock or water and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the herbs and pomegranate seeds (if using) and serve with rice or couscous.

My final recipe is Harissa Chicken with Chickpea Salad, recipe courtesy of GoodFood Magazine first published July 2011.

Serves 2, Prep 15 mins, Cook 8 mins

250g x Cherry Tomatoes, halved
½ x Small Red Onion, chopped
1 x400g Can of Chickpeas, drained
A Small Bunch of Parsley, roughly chopped
1 x Lemon, juice only
2 x Skinless Chicken Breasts, halved lengthways through the middle
1 tbsp x Harissa
Fat-Free Natural Yogurt and Wholemeal Pitta Bread, to serve

Mix the tomatoes, onion and chickpeas together, stir through the parsley and lemon juice and season. Coat the chicken with the harissa. Heat a griddle or frying pan or barbecue. Cook the chicken for 3-4 mins each side until lightly charred and cooked through.

Divide the salad between 2 plates, top with the harissa chicken and serve with a dollop of yogurt and warmed pitta bread.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
www.6towns.co.uk

Indiana Curry and The Spice of Life

Curries have been part of the British culture for decades, however, the restaurants and takeaways that have supplied us with their fare of Eastern delights have been with us for longer than you think. The First “Curry House” in England was the Hindoostanee Coffee House in London opened in 1810 by the British Bengali entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed, although primarily curry was sold in some London coffee houses. The oldest “surviving” Indian Restaurant in the UK is Veeraswamy on Regent’s Street, London which has been open since 1926.Such has been the popularity of Indian cuisine in the 1960’s there were approx 500 restaurants by 2011 there were 9400 (a slight decrease on 2009 where there were approx. 9500) in the UK. The main concentration of them can be found in London, representing 45.9%, closely followed by the Midlands 15.9% and the North West at 9.7%.

However, the first curry RECIPE in Britain appeared in “The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy” by Hannah Glasse in 1747. The first edition of her book used only black pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of “currey”. By the fourth edition of the book, other ingredients such as turmeric and ginger were called for. The use of hot spices was not mentioned, which reflected the limited use of chili in India — chili plants had only been introduced into India around the late 15th century and at that time were only popular in southern India. Many curry recipes are contained in 19th century cookbooks such as those of Charles Elmé Francatelli and Mrs Beeton. In Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, a recipe for curry powder is given that contains coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, mustard, ginger, allspice and fenugreek; although she notes that it is more economical to purchase the powder at “any respectable shop”. According to legend, one 19th century attempt at curry resulted in the invention of Worcestershire sauce. Curry recipes and their books today number in the millions and are readily available in many formats and on many platforms, such websites and blogs (http://greatcurryrecipes.net being an excellent one to check out).

Oh, and by the way, the best drink to have with a curry is not a pint of lager… it’s a cup of tea.

So, this week’s recipes are…. Yes you’ve guessed it PIES!!… No, of course they’re not, they are curries : – Easy Chicken Biryani, Indian Butternut Squash Curry and Curried chickpeas.

My first recipe is Easy Chicken Biryani Courtesy of Olive Magazine March 2011.

Serves 4, Prep 10 mins, Cook 50 mins

1-2 tbsp x Tandoori Paste
1 x Lemon, zested and juiced
3 tbsp x 2% Greek Yogurt
2 x Large Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into pieces
1 x Onion, chopped
Oil
250g x Basmati Rice
400ml x Chicken Stock
A Handful of Fresh Coriander , chopped

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the tandoori paste in a bowl with the lemon juice, yogurt and chicken, season with a little salt and mix well with your hands.

Fry the onion in 1 tsp oil until it softens and browns, then put into a shallow casserole with the rice, lemon zest and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is almost tender.
Put the chicken pieces on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Sit the chicken pieces on top of the rice and put the lot in the oven for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.

To make it healthier, Biryani is often made with ghee and butter, which gives the rice a rich flavour; but cooking the rice in stock instead adds flavour without the calories and fat. Mixing 2% Greek yogurt with tandoori paste makes the marinade less harsh, without adding much fat.

My next recipe is Indian Butternut Squash Curry Courtesy of GoodFood Magazine October 2010.

Serves 4, Prep 10 mins, Cook 40 mins

200g x Brown Basmati Rice
1 tbsp x Olive Oil
1 x Butternut Squash, diced
1 x Red Onion, diced
2 tbsp x Mild Curry Paste
300ml x Vegetable Stock
4 x Large Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 x 400g can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp x Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
A Small Handful of Fresh Coriander, chopped

Cook the rice in boiling salted water, as per pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the butternut squash for 2-3 mins until lightly browned. Add the onion and the curry paste and fry for 3-4 mins more.

Pour over the stock, then cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the squash is tender. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, then gently cook for 3-4 mins, until the tomatoes slightly soften.

Take off the heat and stir through the yogurt and coriander. Serve with the rice and some wholemeal chapattis if you like.

And my last recipe is Curried chickpeas Courtesy of GoodFood Magazine February 2011.

Serves 4, Prep 15 mins, Cook 15 mins

2 tbsp x Vegetable Oil
1 tsp x Cumin Seeds
1-2 x Red Chillies , deseeded and chopped
1 x Clove
1 x Small Cinnamon Stick
1 x Bay Leaf
1 x Onion, finely chopped
½ tsp x Ground Turmeric
2 x Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 x400g can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp x Paprika
1 tsp x Ground Coriander
2 x Small Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp x Chopped Coriander

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the cumin, chillies, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf together until the cumin starts to crackle. Tip in the onion, turmeric and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 mins until starting to soften, then add the garlic.

Continue cooking 4-5 mins until the onion is soft, then add chickpeas, paprika, black pepper and ground coriander. Give everything a good stir so the chickpeas are well coated in the spices.

Add the tomatoes and 2 tbsp water. Cook on a medium heat until tomatoes are soft and the sauce is thick and pulpy. Take off the heat and sprinkle on the coriander.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
www.6towns.co.uk