CHERMOULA CHICKEN WITH ROAST VEGGIES

My love for Middle Eastern food still hasn't left me. I can't tell you what it is but I am just so into the way every flavour possible is combined in the most harmonious ways. We are talking savoury, sour, sweet and bitter all in one dish mixed with so many different aromatic spices and ingredients. It's like a mini festival for the taste buds.

Remember when I made this? We had plenty of dry chermoula spice left over sitting in our spice cupboard and I thought chermoula chicken baby. You've probably gathered by now that I am a big fan of roasting veg and meat. It's easy, it's a one pot or tray business and the taste is unbeatable. Also if you are on a diet, having an array of homemade spice mixes in your cupboard is a great way of making a usually bland meal taste amazing while still being super healthy.

This is very yummy with a little Greek yoghurt on the side and the spicy chicken contrasts the sweet vegetables beautifully.

Try it, you'll love it!

Etta xo

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Print this recipe

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 5mins

COOKS 45mins-1hr

INGREDIENTS

• 4 good size chicken legs (approx. 1.2kg)
• 3-4tsp chermoula spice mix 
• 4 green chillis
• 3 medium-large sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks
• 1 large aubergine, cut into bite size chunks
• 4 elephant garlic cloves (you can get them here)
• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• low fat Greek yoghurt to serve

For the Dry Chermoula Spice mix
(mix all this in an airtight jar and it'll keep for a good few months)

• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp sweet paprika

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. Prick the chillies and push one under the skin of each chicken leg. Place the legs into a large bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the chermoula spice mix over the top. Using your hands rub everything into the chicken until it's well coated. Place onto a baking tray.
2. Put all the veg into a good size baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper. 
3. Place the chicken on the top shelf of your oven and the veg two shelves below. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing the vegetables half way through. You want them to be charred around the edges and gooey in the middle.
4. Serve the chicken on top of the roast vegetables and a dollop of greek yoghurt on the side. 

ASIAN CHICKEN + CABBAGE SALAD

How miserable is this weather? Snow would be fine... absolutely fine! It's winter so it can snow! But come on who thought it was a good idea to constantly rain? Not your usual London drizzle... we are talking buckets and buckets and buckets of rain. The other day it decided to majorly thunderstorm on the 500 meter walk from the station to my house. I am talking lightning striking next to me and golf ball size chunks of hail (errr... maybe peanut... but they were big enough to hurt).

When you've been slapped around by hail, torrential rain and high-speed winds and are absolutely soaked you need a vitamin fueled dinner, spiced up with loads of chilli and ideally flavoured with some yummy spices. This is where this Asian Chicken Salad comes in. We are talking plenty of shallots and Chinese cabbage, packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, carotene and much, much more. Of course it does help that I am a bit of a sucker for any Asian style salad (see here) and that Mat cooked it and I didn't have to move a finger (<= yep I know it seems to be a re-occurring trend. I might just let him take over my blog :P)

Absolutely delicious, super easy and very healthy, this dish is a pure taste sensation. Be warned (!!!), do not cook for a dinner date, dinner party or if you have an important meeting the next day. You know what I'm saying! Shallots and garlic is what I am saying!

Enjoy,

Etta xo

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Print this recipe

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 10mins

COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 70g shallots, peeled and very thinly sliced (if you have a mandolin slicer, use that and mind your fingers)
• salt
• 1tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 400g chicken thigh fillets (at room temperature), you can also use chicken breast
• 2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tsp honey
• 400g Chinese cabbage, core removed and finely shredded
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
• 15g Thai sweet basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 40g roasted peanuts, lightly smashed in the pestle and mortar + a bit more to garnish
• freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

• 3tbsp fish sauce
• 3tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1tbsp rice vinegar
• 2tbsp palm sugar, disolved in 1tbsp hot water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 red bird's eye chillies, finely chopped

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Mix together the soy sauce and honey. Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl and pour over the soy sauce/honey mix. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Sit the chicken thighs into a baking tray and pour over any remaining sauce. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked and all juices run clear.
2. While the chicken is cooking, mix the shallots, salt and 1tbsp of rice vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for 30 minutes, or until softened.
3. For the dressing, mix together the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined.
4. Once the chicken is cooked cut into bite size strips and add to the bowl of shallots as well as any juices that have dripped into the baking tray.
5. Mix in the Chinese cabbage leaves, shredded carrot, Thai basil and peanuts until well combined.
6. Pour over the dressing, season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper, then mix well until the dressing coats the salad ingredients.
7. Pile onto large plates and sprinkle with any remaining peanuts... and if it's not spicy enough for you drizzle some Sriracha on top. Works a treat!

Recipe taken from Rick Stein and adapted by Etta.

BALSAMICO + ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH ROAST RADISHES + RED PEPPERS

Sunday was meant to be just another simple Roast Chicken day... you know with some roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings and all that. Then I opened my cupboard to find all my potatoes had gone... well ... black. There definitely was no saving them, trust me I tried.
A short mini tantrum later I went to call my thriving rosemary plant to the rescue and attacked the big bag of radishes which was waiting in our fridge to be turned into a salad.

And then I remembered Spoon, Fork, Bacon's simple roast radish recipe... OMG ... have you tried this? Amazing!! Bit of lettuce, some sliced cucumber and baby tomatoes and you've got yourself a delicious dinner of sweet and sticky chicken and tangy roast veggies.

Enjoy!
Etta xo

PS Excuse the dreadful pic... I only had the iPhone to hand :(

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Print this recipe

SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 250g radishes, halved
• 2 red peppers, cut into bite size chunks
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 8 chicken thighs
• 4tbsp balsamico + a drizzle extra for the salad
• 2tsp brown sugar
• 3 sprigs rosemary, stems removed and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 little gem lettuce, cut into strips
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. 
2. Season the bottom of your chicken thighs with sea salt and pepper and place into a baking tray, skin-side up.
3. Dissolve the brown sugar with a couple of tablespoons of boiling water (stir until all sugar has turned into liquid). Add the balsamico, rosemary and garlic and mix everything together. Carefully pour over the chicken thighs. Make sure most of it ends up on the chicken rather than in the baking tray. Keep spooning the marinade onto the chicken until as little as possible is left in the bottom of the tray. Trust me, whoever is doing the dishes later will thank you.
4. Place into the hot oven and roast for 45 minutes.
5. Mix the radishes and red pepper with the lemon juice, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute on a baking tray. Once your chicken has been in the oven for 20 minutes, place the veggies in the oven and bake for a further 25 minutes.
6. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes on four plates, drizzle with some balsamico and olive oil. Top with the roast veggies and roast chicken and garnish with the spring onions.

Devour!

CHICKEN + ROAST VEG TRAY BAKE

I am soooo sick of washing up every night... and really I feel I shouldn't be complaining as Mat does most of it. Because we get home so late, by the time I've cooked and we've eaten it's too late to even attempt to clean up. So most mornings we wake up to piles of dishes, pots and pans and it just isn't a nice sight.

There's been plenty of plumbing going on (most of it DIY) and I am so grateful for a hands-on boyfriend who can get his head around pretty much anything. We are about to order our first dishwasher and I have never been so excited about a kitchen gadget.

In the meantime I am trying to keep the washing up to a minimum and am loving one tray bakes. I also stumbled upon Martha Stewart's one pot pasta dish and will definitely give this a go soon. If it's a success I will certainly be sharing :)

This one-tray chicken and veggie bake is one of my favourite meals to prepare. It's tasty, seasonal, super easy and fairly quick. Also the leftovers work nicely as a salad the next day.

Enjoy!

Etta xo

PS This recipe is pretty similar and just as yummy: Sausage and Veg Bake
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SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 35-45mins

INGREDIENTS

• 8 chicken thigh fillets
• 1 aubergine, cut into cubes
• 2 carrots, cut into batons
• 2 celery sticks, cut into batons and leaves finely chopped
• 2 small red onions, cut into wedges
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• a handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
• 1tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp honey
• sea salt and black pepper

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C.
2. Place all the veg into a large baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Toss everything using your hands. Sprinkle everything with the thyme leaves and chilli flakes.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Take out, stir the veg, then top with the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with the honey.
4. Put back in the oven and cook for a further 25-30 minutes. 

That's it. Enjoy with a green salad if you wish but it's just as nice on its own.

CRISPY MUSTARD + BASIL CHICKEN, WITH HERBY BROAD BEANS & SWEET POTATO MASH

Happy Thursday all. It's once again been a while. I really need to make this blogging business a more regular occurrence and get organised (which is hard when you are the world's most unorganised person ... ever).

I've got a right old treat for you today. This one was one of those dinners where you plan a meal, go shopping and then realise you are missing half the ingredients. (Did I mention I was unorganised?) So then you go and rummage through your fridge and kitchen cupboards searching for substitutes, all the while thinking - this is going to be a disaster (especially because you've got guests over :-O)

It could have been - a true disaster. Substituting taragon with basil and using cheap golden breadcrumbs from a packet rather than fresh ones isn't a good start. Well and then I didn't have any chips or salad to accompany the chicken and ended up making broad beans with goats cheese and a sweet potato mash. Flavour overload!?

But it was good... like really good... and I am going to shut up about what a disaster it could've been now and share the recipe!

Happy cooking everyone!



SERVES 4
PREPARATION 10-15mins
COOKS 30-40mins

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts
• a handful of basil, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• approx. two handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs (or the golden ones from the packet), the amount of this depends on the size of your chicken breasts.
• 1 garlic clove, minced

For the broad beans:

• 200g frozen broad beans
• 125g soft goats cheese
• 125g greek yoghurt
• a handful of your favourite herbs (parsley, chives, dill, mint...) finely chopped

For the sweet potato mash:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, quartered
• 1 large red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 small potato, halved
• 1 lime
• 50g feta, crumbled

• salt and pepper
• olive oil

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C. Wrap the chicken in some cling film and bash with a rolling pin or bottom of a jar to flatten, then remove the cling film. 
2. Mix the mustard, basil and minced garlic into a smooth paste and add a drizzle of olive oil. Spread evenly over the chicken breasts, then roll the coated meat in the bread crumbs. I used a small amount of bread crumbs at a time and kept topping up the plate when needed. 
3. Arrange the breaded chicken breasts on a baking tray and drizzle or spray with a little olive oil. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and all juices run clear.
4. Place the sweet potato and potato into a medium-large microwavable dish. Place half a lime in the middle and cover with cling film (make sure you use microwavable cling film). Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Once done remove the cling film and squeeze any remaining juice from the lime (careful it's hot). 
5. Using a fork work the potatoes mixing them together and crushing them at the same time. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add the juice of the second lime half, the chilli and the crumbled feta. One last mix and you're ready to go. At this stage you can sprinkle some coriander on top if you wish. 
6. Add the broad beans to a pan of boiling, lightly salted water and cook for 3 minutes until defrosted and warmed through. Drain and cool down with cold water.
7. Whisk together the goats cheese and yoghurt until smooth and fluffy. Add the broad beans (crushing them a little while mixing) and the herbs. Stir everything together thoroughly, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

And your ready to dish up. Hope you enjoy!

MUSTARD + MAPLE CHICKEN WITH COLESLAW AND A WARM COURGETTE SALAD

Last week was calm. I only had a three day work week, the clocks changed and the sun is still shining when I get home. Mat's been making our home even more homely and cooking up a storm.
I really love cooking and planning meals and then photographing them and sharing them with all of you but sometimes it is nice to come home and have a yummy meal and a lovely glass of wine put in front of you.
That's what I got on Wednesday - tangy Mustard Chicken, Spicy Coleslaw and a Warm Courgette salad - finger-lickingly yummy. I could get used to it ;)

And because it was so good I thought I'd share it with all you lovely people.

Hope you enjoy!








SERVES 3-4
PREPARATION 15mins
COOKS 50mins

INGREDIENTS
For the chicken

• 6-9 chicken thigh fillets
• 2tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1tbsp dijon mustard
• 3tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2tsp marjoram or Provençal spices
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt and pepper to season

For the Coleslaw

• 1/2 white cabbage, finely sliced, ideally using a mandolin slicer
• 1 carrot, finely sliced, ideally using a mandolin slicer
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 3tbsp mayo
• salt and pepper
  

For the Courgette Salad

• 2-3 medium sized courgettes, cut into ribbons using a potato peeler
• virgin olive oil
• salt and fresh black pepper
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 15g pine nuts, toasted
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 20g parmesan, grated 

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C.
2. Combine mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup in a small bowl. Season the bottom of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish and evenly spread the mustard mix over the top of the chicken. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and the juices run clear.
3. In the meantime combine all the coleslaw ingredients in a large bowl, taste for seasoning and set aside.
4. Toss the courgettes with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Evenly distribute on a baking tray and place in the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the courgettes are soft and start to crisp.
5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the chillies, parsley, garlic and pine nuts. Once the courgette is cooked add to the bowl then drizzle with a little more olive oil and the lemon juice and mix to coat. Sprinkle over the parmesan.
6. Serve the chicken alongside your coleslaw and courgette salad.
   

GARLIC CHICKEN AND CHINESE GREENS

A long time ago my mum and dad used to own an Asian restaurant in a small rural town in the South of Germany. That's the sort of food I grew up with and never appreciated as a child and teenager.

Ever since they moved on to new things it is my dad's cooking I crave. I miss coming home after school and ordering Shanghai Duck with the best steamed rice ever and topped with crispy rice noodles. I miss spicy and sour king prawn fried rice with a side of iced cucumber and the fact that I could always just wander down to the restaurant and "shop" for any ingredients I wanted to get for my own cooking.

More recently I've been pestering my dad for advice on how to cook Chinese food at home. How to steam, how to make the perfect fried rice and how to put together my own curry sauce. Slowly but surely I have started to master certain dishes and Chinese food has become a great part of our day to day meals.

Just like my dad I am a massive hater of frying food - deep or shallow, I hate it. While dad hates the smell and mess I am mortified of the hot splashing oil, fires or hurting myself.

So when I made garlic chicken the other day I made it very clear to Mat that he should savour every last bite as I am never making it again. (To tell you the truth I might try it again because it was so terribly yummy ;)

So here you have it; deliciously tender, crispy and fragrant garlic chicken and Chinese greens.

Enjoy!








SERVES 3-4
PREPARATION 10mins
COOKS 30mins

INGREDIENTS

• 4 chicken thigh fillets or 3 chicken breasts, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
• 4 spring onions, bruised and diagonally sliced
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 3tbsp corn flour
• 1tbsp fish sauce
• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 2tbps shaoxing wine
• salt and pepper to season
• sunflower oil

For the Pak Choi

• 2 bulbs of pak choi, chopped
• 100g mange tout, sliced diagonally
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• 1tsp brown sugar
• 1tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove finely sliced
• 1 cm piece of ginger, peeled and very finely sliced

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Season the corn flour with plenty of salt and pepper. Roll your chicken in the flower and dust off any excess flour.
2. Fill a wok (or large frying pan) with about 1.5-2cm of oil and place on a high heat. Once really hot start frying the chicken in batches for about 3-5 minutes each side, until golden on the outside and cooked on the inside. Transfer onto a kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil. 
3. Once the chicken is cooked, clean your pan. Add a little oil and transfer to a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a couple of minutes until the garlic has started to soften. Add the Shaoxing wine and cook for a couple of minutes until it's reduced by half. Add the spring onions, soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce and cook until the sugar has dissolved. 
4. Add the chicken to the sauce and stir until well coated. Transfer to a warm bowl and set aside.
5. Wipe your wok and heat a little oil over a medium to high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few minutes til soft. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Mix in the mange tout and pak choi and cook for a further five minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still crunchy. Taste for seasoning and serve alongside the chicken. 

CHICKEN & BACON BURGERS

Those of you who know me know that burgers are right up there on my scale of favourite foods of all times. I have to admit that very often I wish I loved celery sticks that little bit more, but unfortunately I don't - so that's that. I therefore continue to cook up a burger and potato wedges meal on a regular basis and am no stranger to many of London's favourite burger joints. 

There is nothing better than a freshly barbecued beef burger, made of seriously good minced meat, held between a floury, soft bun (recipe here) and topped with aged cheddar or monterey jack. *swoon*

I never seize to try and find a healthier version of the classic burger and have to say that more often than not I fail miserably. The other week we decided to give this chicken and bacon burger a try and believe it or not... it was well good! The secret is the lovely smokey pancetta you add to your minced chicken breast and the light and slightly green tasting avocado mayo. I highly recommend you try this!

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 15mins

COOKS 30-45mins 

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INGREDIENTS

•  400g minced chicken breast (if you have a food processor you can buy diced chicken breast chunks and whizz them)
• 70g diced pancetta
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 fresh chili, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 very ripe avocado
• juice of half a lemon
• 3tbsp mayonnaise (replace with creme legere if you want to go super healthy)
• 4 soft white burger buns
• 50g rocket
• 4 medium size sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
• salt and pepper to season
• soft burger buns to serve

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Place the chicken mince, pancetta, onion, garlic, egg, chili, thyme, a pinch of salt and some black pepper in a large bowl and combine thoroughly, ideally using your hands. (Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.)
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Combine your potato wedges with some olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper until the potatoes are well coated. Scatter on a baking tray and place in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes.
3. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Shape four burger patties out of the minced meat and once the oil is very hot fry for approximately 7 minutes on each side. Your burgers are done when golden brown on the outside, juices run clear and no pink meat remains.
4. Mash your avocado and mayo together using a fork. Once smooth add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cut your buns in half and toast lightly. Pile some rocket on the base of each bun and sit a chicken burger on top. Spoon over the avocado mayo and serve alongside the sweet potato wedges.

This is another perfect spring/summer barbecue meal (once that spring finally arrives and the rain decides it's done its thing) and absolutely divine with some ice cold beer.

Enjoy!

Recipe taken from Waitrose and adapted by Etta.