BBQ Burger Buns

Sometimes I like to shake things up so decided to flavour my bread for our slow roast pork bap.

To be fair it turned out far better than I expected so here's the recipe!! 

500g flour (any will do, doesn't have to be strong bread flour)

150g warm water

150g warm milk

7g dried yeast (14g fresh yeast)

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

10g oil

Knorr BBQ paste

In a bowl chuck the flour salt and sugar.

I always weigh the liquids for accuracy but roughly 1g equals 1ml.

Mix all these together then add to the flour.

Knead for 5 mins until it forms a dough and leave to prove until double in size. 

Knock it back then shape into rolls, brush the tops with a little knorr BBQ paste mixed with a little water and cook on 170c for around 15 mins, the toll will sound hollow when tapped.

I served mine with slow roasted belly pork and salad.

Piri Piri and Cheddar Swirls

So seeing as I still have some Knorr Piri Piri paste ( this stuff goes really far ) I thought I'd make some of these bad boys!!

You will need

500g flour 

7g fast action yeast

40g oil

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

290g warm water

Knorr Piri Piri paste 

2 good handfuls of grated mature cheddar cheese

Combine flour salt and sugar in a bowl,

Mix the water oil and yeast then chuck this in the dry ingredients. Knead unil a dough forms.

You don't need to wait for this to prove, roll the dough out into a rectangle about half a centimetre thick.

Spread the Knorr Piri Piri over the entire dough, I like mine spicy so I used 3 tbsp but it's up to you how much you can handle! Sprinkle evenly with the mature cheddar and roll up like you would a Swiss roll, like this.....

With a serated knife carefully cut into slices around 2cm thick like this....

Arrange on a lined baking tray about an inch apart like this...

Then let them prove for around 30 minutes, chuck them in a preheated oven on 160c for 12 minutes or until golden brown like this....

These are wicked for a picnic!!! 

For even more hints and tips check out the Knorr Chefs Hacks website here and get your free sample, you wont regret it!!!

Easy Homemade Fudge

So with the bank holiday coming up its a great time to get in the kitchen and make yourself and kids a treat for when you watch a movie right? 

This fudge recipe is so easy but really tasty. 

All you need is

300ml milk

100g butter

350g sugar

Chuck all these in a heavy based saucepan and simmer to 115c or until it starts to thicken and no longer comes up when boiling.

No pictures for this one as yet but will add as soon as poss.

Southern Fried Chicken

It's been a while since the last post but have to share this awesome chicken recipe, always goes down a storm!!

So 

Take four boneless chicken thighs (you can use breast but I find the thigh has more flavour).

Cover with milk and refrigerate for about an hour.

While that's happening, in a bowl chuck a good cup full of self raising flour 1tbsp chilli powder 1tbsp smoked paprika and 1tbsp garlic powder.

Take your chicken and shake off the excess milk then coat in the flour mix.

Shallow fry on a medium heat until golden then finish in the oven at 180 for 10 mins or until the juices run clear.

Stuffed Plaice with Fragrant Rice

I don't often ask for recipes but the dish from Jack Settle is awesome!!

Make sure you check out more of what he's doing on Twitter @Chef1Jack. 

Stuffed Plaice with Fragrant Rice

Serves 6

1 onion medium diced
1 bulb of Fennel
2 lemons zest
1 lemon juiced
1 star anise
200g long grain rice
6 Plaice
Small Bunch of Parsley and Fennel or Dill


Sauce Vierge

Onion medium diced
5 tomatoes de seeded and diced
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley
Small bunch of Coriander
Small bunch of basil
2 lemons juiced and Zested
400ml of Olive Oil
200g Capers

Method,

1) Put the rice on to boil with a star anise and cook for 10 minutes season with salt. Once cooked cool down with cold water for 15 minutes and leave to the side for later.

2) In a pan sweat the fennel bulb and onion  until translucent and add your rice. Take the pan off the heat, chop the parsley and fennel and dill put the herbs into the pan along with the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and white pepper.

3) The plaice will require patience but hang in there. Get your plaice and season the inside with not much salt and pepper. Insert the rice and fill half plaice and try to fold it like a book. For cooking insert a cocktail stick in the plaice make sure you have soaked your sticks in water otherwise it will burn during cooking.

4) Cooking the plaice, put the oven on 150C. Put the plaice on a tray lined with baking parchment. Put the plaice into the for 15-20 minutes.

5) While the fish is cooking make the sauce Vierge. Add your onions and tomatoes into the olive oil and cook to blood temperature (37.5C). Add your herbs, lemons and capers. Leave to rest in the pan.

6) Once the fish has cooked plate the fish and serve with a simple green salad. And dress the fish with sauce vierge.

Enjoy 

Thanks Jack and keep up the good work!!

Consider this recipe well and truly nicked lol

Easy Singapore Style Noodles

So I got told off today by someone who checks my blog daily for any updates, so here you go!!

For me there's nothing better on a winters day than a good plate of hot and spicy noodles. 

You will need...

4 red or green chilli

Half a bulb of garlic

A good thumb size chunk of ginger

6 tablespoons of curry powder 

500ml vegetable oil 

Chuck all the ingredients in a blender until smooth then gently heat for around 15 minutes or until the rawness of the curry powder has gone. Leave to cool.

You can use this paste to stir fry your meat and vegetables, then toss through your noodles. 

Here's mine 

Chilli Cheese Bites

Ok so quick post today.

I needed a quick starter and everyone here loves a bit of chilli and cheese.

So a bit like a beignet (fritter),

In a mixing bowl chuck in a good few handfuls of self raising flour, some chopped chilli (up to you on this one but I like mine hot) and a few good handfuls of mature cheddar cheese.

Bond it all together with some cold water until you get a really thick batter, thick enough to hold on a spoon but not so thick it won't drop off, then spoon them into the fryer. Fry until golden, drain and serve.

I servers mine with some mixed leaves and a tomato and balsamic chutney. 

Easy Choc Chip Cookies

So sometimes in my job I need to make something sweet in a hurry and these bad boys are a clear winner for me!! 

For the dough.

100g soft brown sugar

125g butter

1 egg

225g self raising flour

200g Choc chips

Beat the butter sugar and egg together Until fluffy then fold in the flour and chocolate.

Stick it in the fridge for half an hour until it firms up, then roll into balls a bit smaller than a ping pong ball. 

Bang them on a baking tray about 3 fingers apart because they speak.

Chuck them in a pre heated oven at 200c for 10 mins. 

They will be very soft when you first bring them out but after a few minutes you will have amazing cookies. 

Easy White Sugar Cake

I know I know!!! Its been a while but in my defence it has been super busy lack of staff amongst other things!!

So Ive been mucking about in preperation for Chinese New Year, I hate the usual dessert idea of banana fritters so after extensive research (google) came up with this!

Take

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

5 tsp dried yeast

Chuck the rice flour sugar and water in a pan and continuously stir on a medium heat for around 10 mins until it starts to thicken up.

Allow to cool for about 20 mins then lob in the yeast and give it another mix.

Set aside for an hour or so until it starts to bubble and double in size.

To cook

Pour mix into a steaming pan lined with parchment and cover.

Steam for around 20 mins.

Let it cool before cutting it up. If you are impatient like me it just sticks to your knife!!!

How to make creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

I used to make this in a restaurant I used to work in and recently got asked for the recipe, and as it has been remembered from seven years ago it must be a good one!!

So you need:

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 large banana shallot/medium onion finely chopped

6 sliced button mushrooms

A couple of handfuls of baby spinach

200g penne pasta

400g fresh thick cream

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Bring a pan of water to the boil and chuck in your pasta with a good pinch of salt.

While that's cooking in a frying pan lightly fry your onion and garlic until soft, then chuck in your sliced mushrooms.
Cook for a few minutes stirring occasionly then lob in your cream.
Simmer for a few more minutes but keep stirring so the cream doesn't burn.
Turn the heat down and throw in your spinach, cook for 2 more minutes.
Season with saslt and pepper.
Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce.

This serves 2 so if you need someone to share it with give me a shout!!

How to make Chip Shop Curry Sauce

Everyone loves a bit of chip shop curry sauce right?? If im honest I've "borrowed" this recipe. I didnt think.it would work but how wrong was I?? Its wicked and super easy!!

So

Obviously depends on how much you want to make but all you need is....

2 cups boiling water
4 table spoons of curry powder
1 vegetable stock cube
A good splodge of mango chutney
Cornflour to thicken

Add the curry powder, stock cube and mango chutney to the water. Let it cook for a bit. (5 mins) at this point give it a taste and decide if you need more curry or mango.

Add a dash of water to your cornflour and lob it in the sauce. Thicken untill it's sauce like.

Sorted

Ps thanks Kay!!

How to make Curry Powder

OK so its been a while since my last post but things have been super busy lately!!

No excuse I know so I thought I'd give you this little gem!!!

Shop bought powders are fine but can sometimes be lacking in flavour or can be a little too spicy so...

Basic ingredients are

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon tumeric

and depending on how hot you want it 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Works great as a rub too

Enjoy

BBQ Pork Belly and Asian Noodle Salad

It's been a while since my last post and with all the heat we have been having lately I thought i'd give you this little number!!

It's a nice, light little lunch packed with plenty of flavour.

For the Pork

I would normally slow cook a whole belly, but I cook for around 90 so get your butcher to cut a few 6oz slices.

Lay your Pork slices in a roasting tin and smother with your favourite BBQ sauce or knock up your own. I do 2 parts ketchup to 1 part brown sauce, some mixed herbs and a Tbs honey.

Cover with foil and whack it in a pre heated oven on around 150c. We need it to slow cook so the fat melts into the meat making it really tender. A 1 1/2 inch slice should be done in about an hour.

While all that's going on, fill a bowl with just boiled water and chuck some rice noodles in. Leave them to soak for around 10 minutes then run the cold tap over them to stop the cooking process.

For the Salad you need

2 Sliced peppers
3 Cloves chopped garlic
2 Sliced onions
3 chopped Spring onions
2 Chopped chilli (more if you like spice)
2 Pak Choi
1 small bunch Coriander
1 bag Salad leaves
Soy sauce
Tbs sugar
2 Tbs Sesame oil (veg oil will do)

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a wok and chuck in your peppers garlic sliced onions and chilli.

When they start to soften add the spring onion and Pak Choi. Now's the time to lob in your sugar and a few dashes of soy sauce. Check.for seasoning and allow to cool.

Mix all the cooked ingredients with the chilled drained noodles and chuck in your salad leaves and coriander.

Dress your plate with the noodle salad and Pork, drizzling some of the Porks cooking sauce around the outside.

Sorted

Easy Piri Piri

This recipe is fantastic for spicing up any dish but works best with chicken as a marinade but works just as well as a condiment, not much more to say about it really so I wont bore you with origins or how I came across it (more trial and error).

So here's how I do it.

Firstly to save washing up I roast off 6 red chilli and 5 cloves of garlic in tin foil on 180c for around 10 minutes.

Then chuck them in a blender with the zest of a lemon.

While it's doing it's thing slowly pour in some oil until it gets to pouring consistency. Olive oil is best for this but vegetable oil works just as well.

Check for seasoning.

Sorted!!

When it is at this stage it's great for a marinade or for a base for stir frying, and if you want to turn it into a sauce just lob in some chopped tomatoes.

Will add pictures of the various uses in due course!!

Tomato and Mango Chicken

Well its the school holidays and for me that means one thing, the company I work for let me loose in other peoples kitchens!!

Today I was covering a work mate and he had Tomato and Mango Chicken on the menu.

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture but believe me when I say it looked pretty good.

This recipe is really quick and easy and tastes great....

So

Mix together

3 parts tomato ketchup
2 parts mango chutney
1 part cream

It should look like 80's classic prawn cocktail sauce, smack this over your chosen cut of chicken and bang it in a pre heated oven.

It comes out looking like a shiny tandoori because of the sugar in the ketchup.

How to make Popcorn Pannacotta

As you know I like taking a dish and putting my own spin on things and it doesn't stop at dessert!!

This dish is far easier than it sounds but tastes great!

It does take a bit of time but well worth the effort!

So I popped my own sweet popcorn on the stove.

Get the deepest pan you have and chuck in your popcorn kernels so they cover the bottom. Now glug some oil in so they are just covered and sprinkle with sugar.

On a medium heat start to warm the pan shaking every now and then, when the first one pops get your lid on straight away and keep shaking until the popping stops.

First job done, now Pannacotta.

You need
1 litre cream
Sugar to taste
6 sheets gelatin
Popcorn

Take a litre of cream and gently warm through with some of that popcorn you made. Keep tasting until the popcorn flavour comes through and add sugar if you need it.

While thats infusing chuck your gelatin in cold water as per packet instructions.

After 5 minutes drain off the gelatin and squeeze all the water out.
Add this to your infused cream, stir in and then pass through a seive to remove the popcorn.

Pour into moulds and fridge until set.

Job done!!

I served mine with salted caramel sauce and some left over popcorn!

Authentic Dhal

Alot of you might not know that im blessed to be part of a punjabi family, so when I went to visit a couple of weeks ago I took the opportunity to nick this fantastic recipe.

Now when you taste proper indian food its worlds apart from what we might get from a takeaway!!

This recipe for dhal is in 2 parts, the lentils and the Turka. The Turka gives amazing flavour and depth and can be used in any dish you might want to make.

So for the lentils

1 full cup of green lentils

1/2 cup black lentils

5 cups water

1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala ( punjabi is best )

Cook altogether until lentils are soft.

While thats cooking make your Turka

In 2 tbsp oil fry

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1 chopped onion

Brown these then add

8 cloves garlic

1 chopped green chilli

1 tsp fresh ginger

1/2 tsp masala

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Chuck this into your soften lentils and season to taste.

Thanks for letting me take your recipe Pinks!! You are a star

Enjoy!!

Cardamom and Mango Cake

Right then, if you have read any of my other posts you can probably tell I like to be a bit adventurous when it comes to flavour combinations! So ive got Bangra Burgers on for lunch and wanted to carry on the indian inspired theme, what do you chuck on for dessert? Rice pudding? A traditional indian dessert like kulfi or gulab jamun? Not me! Cardamom and Mango Cake! Very tasty! Heres how I did it.

Made a normal sponge ( see previous recipe )

In a pan on the hob heat equal water to sugar and lob in 5 or 6 cardamom pods. I used green ones.

Bring it to the boil and reduce to a syrup.

Set aside to cool.

Turn out your sponge and make little holes with a cocktail stick all over.

Tip over you syrup.

Arrange on your desired plate and garnish with mango coulis.

At the school its all about getting the students to try new things and flavours. Always handy if you csn make it work in a cake!!

Enjoy!

Easy Tempura

You'd think that being a chef in a school has massive holiday benefits right?? On the whole this is true but in my case I get to go to some of our other lovely kitchens and cook with them for a while. To be honest I quite like moving about, it gives me chance to see what other chefs are doing and how I can change it to make it work in my kitchen.

With that in mind I was mucking about with tempura batter today and came up with this!

1 egg
1 cup plain flour
1 cup ice water
Very hot oil

I used this batter for vegetables but works well on anything so give it a go!

Lobster Thermidore Pizza

So as part of our street food week I thought it would be a good idea to make a gourmet pizza, little did I know that I would be acquiring a couple of beautiful lobsters from Kingfisher in Brixham. So as I only got 2 lobster to serve 85 I made a really nice cheese and lobster sauce to top my pizza and garnished with a slice of their amazing smoked salmon. Classic street food! Take something that shouldn't be there and make it work!! Have a go!!