Chicken Piri Piri and Tofu Piri Piri

Based on Lorraine Pascals recipe we're close to perfecting a chicken roast with a vegan roast combination Sunday meal.

For a 1.6kg chicken and a block of extra firm tofu.

Heat oven to 180C

Make peri peri sauce/marinade by finally chopping 5 red chillies (does depend on what chillis you use of course!), Add to a small bowl with 6 crushed cloves of garlic, 3cm piece of ginger grated, 3tbsp smoked paprika, 3tsp oregano, 4tbsp soy sauce, 2tbsp Tabasco (yes tablespoons - it is meant to be hot), 3tbsp red wine vinegar, 4tbsp veg oil, zest and juice of a lime and combine.

Slice the tofu, put into a dish and use a third of the marinade to coat.

Put the chicken into a roasting tin breast side down, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Roast for 40 minutes.

Take the chicken out of the oven and turn oven up to 200C

Put 2 peeled and quartered red onions and 500g of baby potatoes in to a roasting tray with the tofu plus marinade. Gently toss. Cover with foil and put into oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil after that and cook for a further 30 minutes until potatoes and any other veg added are crisp.

Having got the tofu into the oven, cover the skin of the chicken with three quarters of the remaining peri peri sauce. Peel and quarter another 2 red onions and put them around the chicken with another 500g baby potatoes, tossing then in the juices. Put the tray of chicken and veg back into the oven for 40 minutes. 

Remove the chicken and leave to rest in a warm place. Same for veg (potatoes going back into oven if not quite done)

Remove any fat from the roasting tray. Put on hob and add rest of the peri peri sauce along with 150ml red wine or stock (or water) and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve with crisp green salad!

Rhubarb sauce to go with pork

Taste test time. Both of the below cooked and sampled with some roast pork. 

Jury is out, as in neither were 'wow, must cook that again'. If anything a mixture of the two was the nicest. As in need to tweak. 

One bit to tweak is the sage. I used purple sage leaves which is milder than green sage and could have done with a couple more leaves if I use purple sage leaves again

Rhubarb, ginger and sage sauce

Cut 400g rhubarb stalks into 2cm chunks (halve if thick stalks). Stew lightly in 20g butter with 2 finely chopped shallots, 2cm grated fresh ginger, 10 sage leaves chopped and some salt and pepper for 15 minutes.  Increase heat to get desired consistency. Add honey to taste.

Rhubarb sauce - an alternative

Slice an onion and gently sauté in oil until translucent.  Add 2tbsp water and continue cooking until very soft. Stir in 300g chopped rhubarb, 50ml red wine vinegar and 46g brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes / until the rhubarb has broken down 

Another recipe for rhubarb sauce within this blog. 

Lamb - Making two meals for two from left over lamb roast

Using up leftover lamb from a roast

Last time we had roast lamb I made two meals for two from 400-500g of leftover meat from the roast. 

Cube half of the leftovers for the curry and use the rest/slightly scrappy bits for the Shepherds Pie as they'll get minced

Shepherds Pie

Whizz up (or chop very finely) 200-250g left over lamb with any leftover gravy, 1 chopped small/medium carrot, 1 sprig parsley, 1 chopped shallot, 1 crushed clove garlic with 2tbsp ketchup.

Put in an ovenproof dish. Cover with mashed potato. Cover with foil and bake in oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Up the temperature to 200C, take off foil a bake for a further 10 mins to crisp the top

Lamb Rogan Josh

Gently fry  a large chopped red onion and a large crushed garlic cloves in oil for 10 minutes until very soft.

Add 0.5tsp turmeric, quarter tsp chilli flakes, half tbsp medium curry powder, half tbsp ground coriander and half tsp tomato paste. Fry on a higher heat for a minute. 

Add the cubed lamb (200-250g), 100 ml water, 3 quartered tomatoes and the juice of half a lemon.

Simmer for 15 minutes, season to taste and serve with sprinkling of fresh coriander and rice

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Feta and Beetroot with Poached Egg

Feta and Beetroot with poached egg. 

Serves three. Use 150g feta etc if for four.

100g feta, crumbled, add 3tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1tsp olive oil and mix until smooth (use blender if you wish), taste and season if needed.

Pat dry two thirds of a 'vac pack' of beetroot. Cut into wedges and fry the beetroot in olive oil on each side until lightly caramelised.

Poach eggs. Toast slices of sour dough (it also goes well with olive sourdough)

Spread each slice toast with the feta mix. Add layer of beetroot. Add a poached egg. Sprinkle with dukka (if you have it - there are recipes for it online) and chopped parsley .

Cheats Lasagne with optional stuffed crust garlic bread

 Based on John and Lisa's recipe.

Make the ragu bit of the lasagne using a 500g pack of frozen soya mince. The linked recipe one is good but last night I made one by: gently frying a chopped onion until soft. Add clove of crushed garlic and fry for another minute. Add the mince with 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree, a glass of red wine and 1tsp dried mixed herbs. Cook until the wine has reduced by half. Add two tins of tomatoes and chopped mushrooms, bring to the boil and cook for 5-10 minutes. Taste and season if needed

Heat the oven to 200C

Prepare the stuffed crust garlic bread if having (see below)

The 'cheat' bit: Break 7 sheets of dried lasagne into largish bits and stir into the sauce. Pour into lasagne dish. Top with blobs of creme fraiche (300ml in total) and gently spread to get a covering. Top with 200g grated cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.

Stuffed Crust Garlic Bread

Into a bowl containing 300g SR flour and 1tsp baking powder, put on 300g plain yoghurt. Combine to make a dough - knead lightly. On floured surface roll it out to a rectangle 20cmx40cm (the length is the important bit - make it over 40cm rather than under). Scatter over the best part of a 250g pack of grated mozzarella. Roll it lengthwise Swiss roll style.  Join the ends to make a circle. Put onto a baking tray with seam side down. With scissors, snip at 45 degree angles at regular intervals and gently tease the pieces apart.

Bake for 25 minutes - as in alongside the lasagne

Make garlic butter by combining 75g soft butter with 3 crushed cloves of garlic and a handful of chopped parsley. Brush it over the bread as soon as you remove the bread from the oven.

Fruity Turkey Tagine

Still to be tried

Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Gently fry a thickly sliced red onion until softened. Add the 3 carrots carrots (thickly sliced on the diagonal) and 3 parsnips (thinly sliced on the diagonal), and cook for 8 mins until starting to soften and brown a little. Stir in 2 crushed cloves of garlic and 2tsp ras el hanout and cook for a further 1 minute. Add 500ml turkey stock, a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes and a drained rinsed 400g tin of  chickpeas. Roughly chop and add 140g mixture of dried apricots and prunes along with 150ml water. Season, bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 mins until the vegetables are tender. 

Add 300g of cooked turkey (cut into chunks) and simmer for 5 mins to warm through. Stir in a good drizzle of honey, then scatter over fresh coriander and roasted flaked almonds.

Serve with couscous and Greek yogurt.

Fried Turkey Sandwich

One for the brunch list!

For two sandwiches

Mix 2tbsp mayonnaise with 1 tbsp salsa and 1 chopped spring onion. (No salsa? Finely chop a tomato and another spring onion and mix in with a pinch of chilli flakes). Season with good grind of pepper

Spread onto 4 slices bread

Add slice of gruyere cheese to each then sandwich with sliced turkey.

Fry in butter until golden brown and cheese melted.