JALAPENO POPPER STUFFED KFC FRIED CHICKEN GLUTEN FREE

Oh my gosh this is one of those I can't stop eating winner dinners.

Crispy Southern fried chicken stuffed with fresh jalapeños, cream cheese, gooey mozzarella a fresh burst of home grown roasted cherry tomatoes, my family wolfed these down along with the few extra I had planed for fridge raiding!

Prep time 15 minutes / Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients 

(makes 4)

4 large chicken breasts

8 fresh jalapeños diced

1 lrg tub soft cream cheese

2 balls mozzarella pulled in half

12 cherry tomatoes

1 glug olive oil

The KFC 11 Spice Blend Dredge

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp white pepper

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp celery seed ground

2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tbsp ginger

1 1/2 cups gram flour (naturally gluten free) or gluten free flour

1 tsp baking powder

Mix the spices with the flour.

1 ltr frying oil

8 cocktail sticks

Fill your skillet two inches deep with oil and slowly bring up to 170 C / 338 F temperature.

To create a pocket for stuffing take the thick end of the chicken breast, on the side push a small sharp knife in to the center of the breast then work the blade left and right inside the centre of the breast not piercing out through the sides of the chicken, this creates a pocket inside the chicken breast.

Dice the jalapeños and mix in the cream cheese, divide by four and stuff in to each breast.

Sear off the cherry tomatoes in olive oil for five minutes.

Then push three cherry tomatoes and half a mozzarella ball into the pocket.

Use two cocktail sticks to pin the pocket hole closed.

To coat the chicken take two bowls, in one bowl place the KFC spice blend, in the second,in the second bowl add the eggs and beat, season with salt and pepper.   

Dip the breasts in the flour, then the egg and then back in to the seasoned flour coating throughly.  

Cook the breast in the oil and leave for two minutes, turn and leave for a further two minutes repeat again cooking in total for approx 8 minutes.  To check if the chicken is cooked all the way through take a metal skewer and instert in the thickest part of the chicken, leave in for a few seconds, remove and touch the skewer to the tip of your nose or upper lip if its hot your chicken is cooked.  Alternatively use a temperature probe  74 C / 165 F.

Remove from the oil, place on paper roll and rest for a minute, serve with comforting buttery mashed potatoes.

SPINACH FALAFEL HASH AND POACHED EGG

VEGETARIAN BREAKFAST

Lovely simple fulfilling breakfast full of great flavours with a rich voluptuous poached egg.

A great source of protein, iron and amino acids along with the nutritional power house egg.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

Falafel

50ml olive oil

1 small shallot finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 red pepper finely diced

500g fresh spinach finely chopped

1 can chickpeas drained

OR

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked 24 hrs

1 lemon juice and zest

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Good pinch sea salt and black pepper

1/4 tsp baking powder for a lighter texture

Hash

2 large potato boiled and roughly mashed

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Good pinch  salt and white pepper

Poached Eggs

2 eggs

1-2 litres water simmering 

50ml apple cider vinegar

Heat a tbsp of olive oil, gently soften with out colour the onion and garlic, add the spinach and wilt.

Place all the ingredients except the potato, apple cider vinegar, salt and white pepper in a blender along with the spinach and pulse until finely chopped, not a puree or this will make the balls dense.

Roll into balls and coat in the remaining olive oil and bake at 180 C / 356 F for 20 minutes until crisp.

Once cooked mix 6 balls into the mashed potatoes and form into potato cakes, sear in a pan for a few minutes until crispy.

Bring the water and apple cider vinegar to a very gentle simmer, crack the eggs in to two small ramekins, gently stir the water to creat a hint of a vortex then gently pour the eggs into the water one at a time and leave to cook for 2 minutes, remove and drain.

Serve the poached egg on top of the falafel potato hash.

SLOW BRAISED THOR’S HAMMER BEEF IN RED WINE AND BONE MARROW STOCK GRAVY

 Gorgeous slow braised Thor’s Hammer shin of beef with a mirepoix of vegetables and herbs, marrow bone stock and a couple of bottles of burgundy red wine, a sumptuous tender falling of the bone beef dish that is a WoW at the dinner table.  

The back leg of beef is cut and French trimmed to reveal the shin bone full of lovely marrow that will melt into your stock gravy and that is why it resembles Thor’s hammer, this cut is also known as osso bucco, full of deep flavour and worth the 5 hrs slow unattended cooking.

The left overs are great for carnitas stuffed into tacos, burritos, enchiladas, cottage pie, Cornish pasty’s and pies.

Ingredients

(serves 4+)

3kg Thor’s hammer

Generous pinch Himalayan salt

1/2 cup peanut or sunflower oil

1 kg carrots peeled and rough chopped

2 leeks sliced

4 onions quartered

1 bulb garlic peeled and crushed

4 stalks celery roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh thyme

10 black pepper corns

2 jelly beef stock in 2 ltr water

2 bottles good burgundy red wine

Stock Gravy

50g butter

1 tbsp plain flour

Accompaniments 

Make ahead buttery mashed potatoes

(ready to re-heat in the oven 30-40 mins)

Cabbage

Braised carrots from the slow cooking

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 392 F

First bring Thor’s hammer out of the fridge 2 hrs before cooking, generously rub with oil and season with salt, heat a large pan hot and sear and caramelise each side and the end of the beef, take off the heat, add the rest of the ingredients.

Lower the oven to 180 C / 356 F

Cover with a lid or parchment paper and then foil and place in the oven to cook, after 3 hours take out and turn the beef over, check the tenderness (check the tenderness every 30-60 minutes from now on) until the bone just slips out of the meat approximately a further 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes to soak up the juices.

Best Stock Gravy

Strain off all the juices keeping to one side and remove the braising herbs and vegetables reserve some of the carrots for serving.

Add the butter to the pan and melt, add the flour and cook off for 2 minutes, slowly whisk in the reserved cooking stock, taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.  Keep on a gentle simmer while you plate up.

Serve with the buttery baked mashed potatoes, the braised carrots, cabbage and a generous pouring of the stock gravy.

VEGAN MADRAS CHICKPEA CURRY BURRITO

Great tasting good for you food that is so gorgeous, sumptuous and satisfying, the coconut curry sauce is wonderful.  

Creamy coconut chickpea and sweet potato madras curry stuffed into a rainbow chard leaf or flour tortilla wrap with spinach and kale, accompanied with a raw beetroot and chilli pepper slaw.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 5 minutes

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 large rainbow chard leaves or collard green 

1 tbsp twice coconut oil

1 sweet potato peeled diced

1 can chickpeas

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Himalayan sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper 

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 small onion finely diced

1 tbsp madras curry paste from a jar or…

(home made recipe below)

300ml creamy coconut milk

1" turmeric grated or 1/4 tsp ground

2 generous handfuls of chopped kale

2 generous handfuls of torn spinach

2 spring onions sliced

1 red chilli diced

1 handful fresh chopped coriander 

Beetroot Slaw

1 beetroot peeled and grated

1/2 red pepper finely diced

1 red chilli finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

If your making the madras curry sauce yourself do this first or up to a few days ahead also left overs freeze well for a speedier meal next time.

I like to prep all my ingredients first which makes this a speedy cook.  Pre heat your oven to 180 C / 355 F.  Bring a pan of water to a simmer and just drop the chard leaves in simmering water for 60 seconds then pat dry and place the rainbow chard burrito wraps on your plates ready to stuff.  

Toss the sweet potato and chickpeas in coconut oil, salt, pepper and cumin place on a shallow roasting tray, roast in the oven for 20 minutes.  Heat a pan add other tbsp of coconut oil and soften the onion and garlic add the turmeric, chilli and madras curry paste, cook for a couple of minutes then add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer, add the kale and spinach and reduce the coconut milk until you have a medium thick sauce, take of the heat and add the roasted sweet potato and chickpeas stir through and sprinkle over the spring onions, fresh red chilli and coriander.  Meanwhile toss all the slaw ingredients together and place a portion on your plates.

To wrap the burrito place the madras filling in the centre of each leaf reserving a little of the sauce for serving over the finished burrito, then to wrap, bring the top and bottom of the leaf over the filling then repeat with the left and right sides and then roll the burrito over so that the seam side is face down, this will keep your burrito firmly wrapped, you can also pick this burrito up and eat as a street walker.  Drizzle over the remaining madras sauce and enjoy.

Homemade Curry Masala Sauce

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6 and freezes great for next time)

Best Ever Curry Base Sauce 

2 tbsp ghee 

2 onions chopped

6 cloves garlic grated

2" ginger grated

1/2 red pepper diced

1/4 white cabbage chopped

1 carrot chopped

5 tomatoes chopped

1/2 cup tomato puree 

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground fenugreek 

1 tsp turmeric 

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp garam masala

1 ltr water

A one pot cook, heat a large deep saucepan medium hot, add the ghee, onions and garlic, soften for 7 minutes, then add all the other ingredients except the garam masala add 1 ltr of water or stock.  Simmer for 30 minutes, then using a stick blender blitz to a smooth sauce, add the garam masala, that's the base sauce made this is now ready for the second layer of spices, finish spices and some slow unattended cooking time to reduce down to a thick sauce.

The Second Layer Curry Spice Mix

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder more if you like heat!

6 cardamom pods bashed

2 " ginger grated

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp mango chutney optional

1/2 juice lime

1 tbsp finishing spice powder mix (recipe below)

Finishing Spice Powder Mix

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric 

1 tbsp ground coriander 

1 tbsp heaped curry powder

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp garam masala

Once your base sauce is blitzed, add second layer spices except the fresh coriander, lime juice and mango chutney, then add the finishing spice powder mix, leave to gently bubble away until a medium thick consistency, your curry paste is now ready to use.

BIG GREEN EGG STICKY KOREAN SHORT RIBS

BIG GREEN EGG BARBECUE KOREAN SHORT RIBS

Barbecue by

Miss Kristi-Lou

Aromatic sticky ginger Korean short ribs, marinated in a soy, sesame, ginger, garlic and honey paste, cooked over direct heat in the BGE adding that extra depth of grilled flavour only cooking over coals can give you.

I really recommend to marinate these ribs over night as this really sets the flavour in and makes a big difference.

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

Marinade

5” piece ginger roughly chopped

1 shallot peeled and halved

2 cloves garlic peeled

4 tbs honey

5 tbs soy sauce (gluten free for me)

2 tbs mirin

2 tbs sesame oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 kg Korean cut short ribs

Ask your butcher for the LA galbi cut, this is where the short ribs are cut in very thin slices across the bone.

To serve

Garlic saffron rice and a ginger and green peppers vegetable stir fry.

Blitz all the marinade ingredients together and on a flat baking tray massage into and all over the short ribs, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Fire up your kamado for direct heat cooking, maintain a cooking temperature of 200-220c / 392-428f.

Place your ribs on the grill and close the lid, every 2 minutes turn until the ribs are caramelised and have charred in places, around 4-6 minutes in total.  

Serve with a side of garlic saffron rice and ginger stir fried vegetables or stuff into iceberg leaves with a side of sweet chilli sauce.

LOADED BACON AND CREAMY CHEESY MASHED POTATOES

LOADED MASHED POTATOES

WARNING...EAT IN PRIVACY!

(re-post a gorgeous memory)

My face just wants to fall straight into this glorious plate of can’t stop spoon eating creamy cheesy bacon loaded butter mashed potatoes, best eaten alone in privacy or with people who love you and with a spoon so you can maximise the load on each mouthful.

20 minutes cooking time/ Super easy

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

1 kg Idaho potatoes peeled and rough chopped

1 453g tub Philadelphia cream cheese

2 sticks of butter

1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt 

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (lowers glucose uptake) 

12 rashers natural un smoked bacon

4 spring onions finely chopped

300g 4 Mexican cheese mix

Dirty Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water with a very generous pinch of salt and bring up to a rolling simmer.  Cook the bacon crispy, chop and reserve to one side along with the chopped spring onions.  When the potatoes are fork tender around 20 minutes drain and leave to steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes,  place back in the pan on a low heat, add the butter and cream cheese, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar let warm through then mash to a smooth or lumpy consistency, to your liken. 

To Finish Loaded Potatoes 

Mix half the Mexican cheese mix, bacon and spring onions into the mashed potatoes, stir to combine, serve the potatoes on to a platter then top with the remaining cheese and bacon, pop under the grill/broiler for a few minutes just to melt the cheese, remove and sprinkle over the spring onions.

HOT CROSS BUNS BEST EVER

BEST EVER HOT CROSS BUNS

(re-posted)

Glorious spiced fragrant hot cross buns, the smell fills the home with great anticipation of good eating and family moments, lightly toasted and topped with lashings of Cornish creamy salted butter, a sumptuous way to celebrate Easter.  

I have never made hot cross buns before, I’m more a cook than a baker and for good reason! but I was surprised how easy and un-complicated these were, I love working with dough and I knew these were going to be good as the dough was gorgeous and light to handle.  These only take 10 minutes to make and 3 x 1hr proves I followed/tweaked a little from Paul Hollywood's good food recipe

10 minutes hands on / 3 x 1 hour proves / Baking 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

(makes 15)

500g 00 flour (caputo)

10g yeast

1 tsp salt (keep separate from the yeast)

100g caster sugar

300ml warm milk

80g butter melted

1 egg beaten

1 apple grated

Zest of one orange

1 tsp heaped ground cinnamon

100g dried fruit

25g mixed peel

100g plain flour

water

1 tbsp apricot jam

To Serve…

Lashings of room temperature salted butter and possibly marmalade.

Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl, warm the milk and butter together until the butter has melted.  Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the warm milk and the beaten egg, using a wooden spoon bring the mixture together to form a dough and knead for 5 minutes.  Place in a oiled bowl and cover the top with oiled clingfilm, not touching the dough, place in a warm place to prove for 1 hour.  Take the dried fruit and place in a bowl, add a fragrant teabag and pour over some hot water to soften the fruit.

Once 1 hour up mix in the cinnamon, apple, orange zest, mixed peel and dried fruit, (drain off the tea) and leave to prove again for another hour, the dough will be slightly wet and sticky that is good.

After this second prove, dust your worktop with flour and tip out your dough, divide the dough into 15 equal ish size balls and place on a greased baking tray with space around each bun to allow room for expansion, cover with oiled clingfilm loosely and again prove for another hour.

Now to apply your cross, mix the flour with some water to make a thick paste, fill a pipping bag and pipe on the cross.  Now they are ready to bake, 200 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Once cooked glaze the top with some warm apricot jam, saw in half and pop under the grill to toast, load with way to much butter and I like to pop back under the grill for 30 seconds again to get the mound of butter melting from the top as the bottom will have soaked into the bun making these the best ever hot cross buns, eat immediately.