This is a recipe for a lovely lady Called Mo Mo, well I call her Mo Mo, Mo like me is a fan of 2 pot cookin’. Yeah 2 pot cookin’ is the only way to go baby. Anyway here ’tis:

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

You will need: (serves 2-3)

• 2oz Butter, plus a desert spoon of veg oil
• 1 Large onion peeled and diced
• 2 Chicken breast (diced)
• 2 tbsp of mild or medium curry powder
• 1 Tin of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1tbsp peanut butter (optional)
• 1 Chicken stock cube
• Salt and sugar to taste
• For a more creamy sauce add a little cream (optional)

Method:

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the onions and cook till soft. Now add the Chicken and cook until flesh turns white. Add the curry powder and stir in reduce the heat a little and continue stirring for about a minute. Now add the tomato puree and stir in. Dissolve the stock cube in about a 1/4 pint boiling water and add to the pan. Now add the coconut milk and if you’re using it the peanut butter. Let it simmer for a while then add a little salt if needed and 2tsps of sugar and finally finish with cream if you’re using it. Bang that’s it.

Serve with your favourite rice and other lovely Indian accompaniments.

Houmous a great tasy versatile dip

This recipe is for my mate Chris aka “Shoney”. We shared a can of shandy new years eve and I promised I would post this recipe. So here ’tis

you will need:

for the caramelised onions

• 1 large red oinon.
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
• 2 tsp sugar.
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the houmous:

• I tin of chick peas (big tin around 400g)
• 2-3 garlic cloves crushed or a good tsp of garlic puree.
• 2-3 tsps of tahini (sesame paste)
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil.
• Juice of one lemon.
• salt and peeper to taste

method:

First prepare the carmelised onions. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan. Cut in half and chop into thin slices. Add to oil and cook very slowly on a low heat.

While the onions are cooking, you can do something else for about half an hour.

OK. open the tin of chick peas and drain. Place in a large deep bowl. Extract the juice from the lemon in your usual way and add to the chick peas, taking care not to add any pips. Now add  2-3 teaspoons of tahini paste, the garlic and the olive oil.

By now the onions should be soft. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and stir for 2 minutes. Now add the balsamic vinegar and continue stiring until mixture is dark and sticky, normally another couple of minutes should do it.

OK. empty the contents of the saucepan into the bowl and blitz together with your hand blender. (if you don’t have one, get one now they’re only a couple of quid and I find them indispensible in the kitchen. I got mine form asda for under 4 quid.) When blended season to taste. Job done!

You can replace the caramelised onions with olives, chillies, sundried tomatoes, or various other flavours. The choice is yours.

Another favourite recipes, this one is for my wifes boss, the lovely Kay.

The following make shitloads, well depending on the size of yer balls, my wiffe like ‘em small, you may like ‘em big, anyhow you can freeze what you don’t use.

you will need:

1lb Lean beef mince
1/2lb Pork mince
2 – 3 slices of bread
2 Large Spanish onions
salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (be quite generous)
1 Large egg.

method:

You will need a large deep mixing bowl  (I got mine for under 3 quid at Asda) and a hand blender or liquidizer. If you haven’t you will need to chop the onions and bread as fine as possible.

First off chop the onions then puree with a hand blender inthe large deep bowl. Now cut up the bread into small pieces, add to bowl and use the blender to mix together. When bread and onion well blended (no lumps) add the beef and pork mince the seasoning and egg. 

(you can experiment quite a bit with the seasoning. Try adding chilli, garlic and cumin for Mexican style ball, or even substituting the pork with lamb mince and  North African style balls)

Now the best way to blend all the ingredients is by using yer hands (wash ‘em first though) Mix throughly until you have one great big f— off meatball. Now grease a large baking tray.

Now prepare a floured surface a plate or tray of whatever and extra for your hands. Get the size of ball you want from the mixture and roll between your palms, then place on a floured surface. do this until all the mixure has gone.

You can now either bake them for 10 – 15 mins (200 gas  5 – 6) or pan fry ‘em it’s up to you.

For the sauce please see the recipe for tuna meatballs.

One of my best mates asked me for this recipe in the summer. Here it is at last Chris. It is one of my all time favourite dishes. If you have read previous posts you may notice that all the recipes are one or two pot affairs. Yep! two-pot cookery is cool oroonie.

You will need (serves 4)

• 3oz Butter + splash of veg oil (veg oil helps stop the butter from burning)
• 600g Smoked Haddock
• 150g Prawns (optional, can also use King Prawns)
• 1 Onion
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 1tsp Tumeric (Safron can also be used if yer a posh git)
• 3/4 pint Fish Stock 
   
• Small Pot Cream
• 200g of yer favourite rice
• 1 tsp Thyme

Smoked Haddock and Prawn Chowder

MethodMelt the butter and the oil in a thick bottomed saucepan. Finely chop the onion and add. (if using fresh prawns, you can chuck the shells etc in as well) Skin the Haddock and add the skin as well. Turn down to the lowest heat. cover and cook for about 20 mins. Now add enough plain flour about 1 – 2 tbsp to absorb the butter and make a roux, add a little cayenne and the tumeric. Stir for about 30 secs to cook the flour. Add the stock stir to a smooth consistency. Sieve the sauce into a suitable saucepan, using a spoon to press out all the lovely juices.

You should now have a delicious smooth slightly yellow sauce. Dice the Haddock fillets and cook in the sauce, when cooked (a couple of mins) add the prawns to warm through and finish with the cream.

Cook the rice in your normal way, but with the Thyme in.

In the last couple of days I have posted some recipes friends have asked for. Over the next couple of weeks I shall be putting up a few more recipes. The next one will be Smoked Haddock Chowder with Creole Rice. Other recipes I intend on posting:

• Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
• Seafood Spaghetti
• Peanut Chicken

A great dish that was introduced to me by a close friend, the lovely Angela. Another close friend the equally lovely Tracey has asked for this recipe. Here ’tis.

A cheap but superb dish

For the Tuna Meatballs

You will need (serves 2)

• 1 Tin Tuna
• 4 Spring Onions
• 1 Slice Brown Bread
• 2 tps Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg
• Seasoning (salt, pepper, mixed herbs)

For the Tomato Sauce

You will need

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Stick of Celery
• 3 – 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 Pint of Vegetable Stock
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp of Tomato Puree
• 1tbsp Basil
• Splash of Wine (optional)

Making the meatballs.

Crumb the slice of bread by cutting up as small as you can then rubbing together in a large bowl. Finely chop the spring onions and add to the bowl. Drain the tuna. Yep chuck it in the bowl now add the parmesan seasoning and egg mix well. This should make beetween 8 – 10 balls. Grab some mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands then roll it in some flour. Do this until all mixture is used. Then shallow fry until brown in vegetable oil for 5 – 8 mins.

Making the Tomato Sauce

Pour the oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat. Finely chop the onions, celery and garlic and add to the oil. When softened add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, tomato puree, bay leaves, salt, pepper and wine. Stir well. Turn down to the lowest heat and cover. Let this simmer now for a good hour, stirring ocassionally.

For a spicy tomato sauce simply throw in a couple of chillies.

For a sauce with a smooth consistency, use a hand blender when the sauce is cool.