Recipe – Sicilian Sardine Pasta

I had a tin of sardines hanging around in my cupboard so wanted to find a recipe to use them up that was not too ‘fishy’. I know that probably sounds ridiculous but I’m not a huge fan of the taste of oily fish on its own but mixed with other things, I quite like the saltiness it can add. I found a few versions of this Sicilian dish online and kind of mixed up a few recipes to create this one. We enjoyed this for dinner one night and the fennel and pine nuts add really lovely flavours and textures.

Ingredients

A generous handful of dried raisins or currants

1 can of sardines in oil

1 fennel bulb, chopped – save the fronds too!

A pinch of chili flakes

Diced bread – you could use normal bread but a sliced up French stick is better

One onion, roughly chopped

A handful of pine nuts

Enough pasta for two people (I used fusilli)

A small handful of fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

How to make it

• Begin by soaking the raisins in hot water for about 15 minutes until plump then drain

• Pour a little of the oil from the sardines into a large frying pan on a low to medium heat
• Add the chili flakes and the fennel fronds then sauté for a minute
• Add the diced bread and fry for about 5 minutes until crisp and golden

• Transfer the croutons to some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil
• Add the rest of the sardine oil to the pan followed by the fennel and onion

• Soften on a medium heat for about 10 minutes
• In a separate pan, cook your pasta until al dente then drain
• Add the pine nuts and raisins to the fennel and onion followed by the sardines (you can break the fish into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon)

• Cook for about 5 minutes then add the croutons back in and cook for another 3
• Add the pasta and mix well
• Season to taste then serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top

Recipe – Sausage and Beer Casserole

Ahhhhhh hello half term! This break could not have come soon enough for me and I plan on making the most of it. I started today with a lovely lie in then eggs and smoked salmon – a perfect start.

Today’s recipe is a lovely seasonal dish that you can make for a crowd or some extra portions for the freezer. You can also add a twist depending on what sausages or beer you decide to use!

Ingredients

A glug of olive oil

6 sausages

I onion, roughly chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

A tray of mushrooms, sliced

1 can or bottle of beer

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

Mixed herbs (fresh or dried)

Salt and pepper

A handful of green beans

How to make it

• Begin by lightly frying the sausages in a large pan with the oil until browned on all sides

• Add the onion and garlic and fry for another 5 minutes

• Next, add the mushrooms for another few minutes

• Pour in the beer, chopped tomatoes, herbs and a good helping of salt and pepper

• Mix well and leave to simmer for about half an hour

• Add your green beans (I also threw in a handful of shredded carrot I had in the fridge)

• Serve with crispy potatoes or mash

Recipe – White Chocolate and Chai Tea Bread

After root canal treatment this week, I am feeling very sore and very sorry for myself. Ian has been lovely, making me a huge pile of cheesy mashed potato when I asked for ‘soft food’ for dinner. I’m hoping I will be back to my old self soon as I’m not used to feeling so glum!

I’m not a regular bread baker but add white chocolate and chai tea to the mix and I will give it a go! I love chai tea to drink and it adds a very delicate layer of spices to this bread.

Ingredients

275g of self-raising flour

A 7g sachet of yeast

50g of caster sugar

200g of white chocolate, broken into chunks

25g of butter

150ml of boiling water with 2 chai teabags steeped in it and left to cool

How to make it

• Being by putting the flour, yeast, caster sugar and white chocolate chunks into a large bowl

• Add the butter and cooled tea then mix with a wooden spoon until it has turned into a sticky dough

• Tip out onto a floured surface and begin to knead. This is a very sticky mixture at first but keep going and after 10 minutes or so, it will all come together

• Next, leave the dough under a clean tea towel for 20 minutes to rise
• After it has risen, place in a lightly greased loaf tin and leave to prove in a warm place (I always use the airing cupboard!) for about half an hour

• While it proves, preheat the oven to 180°C, Gas Mark 4
• Pop the dough into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and your kitchen is filled with the delicious smell of warm bread!

Recipe – Mushroom and Chickpea Stew

It definitely feels like the end of summer. I usually walk home from my Pilates lesson in the evening sun on Mondays but last night I was wrapped up, running home in the wind and rain. We haven’t caved in and put the heating on yet but I don’t think it will be far off!

I enjoyed this healthy stew all summer but it would be just as comforting in the coming colder months with a big dollop of sour cream on top.

Ingredients

A glug of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 teaspoons of turmeric

3 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes

Salt and pepper

1 red onion, roughly chopped

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

5 tablespoons of tomato puree

Boiling water

1 courgette, halved and sliced

1 tray of mushroom, sliced

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 small jar of black olives

Fresh coriander

Sour cream (or natural yogurt)

How to make it

• Begin by heating the olive oil in a deep pan on a medium heat
• Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper and gently fry

• Add the onion and fry for another few minutes
• Next, pour in the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and fill the empty cans with boiling water and add them too, stirring well

• Bring to boil then turn it down to a simmer
• Add the courgettes and mushrooms and cook for about half an hour

• Add the chickpeas and olives and cook for another 15-20 minutes

• Season to taste then serve with couscous, a generous handful of fresh coriander and good dollop of sour cream

Recipe – Chicken, Courgette and Cranberry Couscous Salad

Anyone else love a bit of alliteration?!

I’ve only been back to work for a few weeks and I am already craving more variety for my lunches. This salad is really tasty and one I will be making a big bowl of in the coming weeks. I love giant couscous but this would work just as well with the normal variety as well as quinoa.

I have purposely left the ingredients fairly vague as it is a real ‘throw-it-in-as-you-go’ recipe and if I made it again I’m sure I would find something else in my fridge to add!

Ingredients

3 courgettes, sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

A small jar of black olives, halved

A handful of cranberries or pomegranate seeds

Half a block of feta, cubed

Fresh coriander

A couple of radishes, chopped

Four servings of giant couscous (or other grain)

How to make it

• Begin by lightly frying the courgettes in oil until they have started to soften then allow to cool

• In a large bowl, add the courgettes, chicken and black olives and season well

• Next, add the cranberries, feta, radishes and coriander and mix well

• Add the couscous and serve with hummus and flatbreads

Recipe – The Best Ever Sandwich!

You may wonder why something as simple as a sandwich has made it onto a recipe page but this lunch was so good I felt I had to share!

Ingredients

A glug of olive oil

1 chicken breast

1 teaspoon of honey

2 slices of bread, toasted

Mayonnaise

One ripe avocado

Salt and pepper

A pinch of paprika

A pinch of chili flakes

Salad leaves

2-3 cherry tomatoes, sliced

A handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

How to make it

• In a frying pan on a medium heat, gently fry your chicken breast in the oil until cooked through
• Drizzle over the honey and allow to slightly brown before removing to cool then slicing
• Take your toasted bread and spread one slice with mayonnaise
• On the other slice, crush the avocado and season with salt and pepper than add the paprika and chili flakes
• On top of the mayonnaise, add the salad leaves
• On top of the avocado, add the sliced tomatoes and chopped coriander

• Lay on your chicken pieces

• Carefully put your two pieces of bread together and enjoy! x

Recipe – Coca Cola Chicken

After indulging in chicken wings on an almost daily basis whilst in America, I was craving chicken again so had a play around with this recipe. I call it Coca Cola chicken but it is akin to a very mild, sweet barbecue sauce and one that makes the meat almost fall off the bones. You can make this with drumsticks, wings or even thighs.

Ingredients

A glug of olive oil

9 chicken drumsticks

One can of Coke (I used Diet Coke)

One tin of chopped tomatoes

One teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

Salt and pepper

Some fresh coriander

How to make it

• In a large pan, add the oil and chicken and brown for a few minutes on each side on a medium heat
• Pour over your can of Coke, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and mustard, season well and stir
• Lower the heat slightly and allow to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced and thickened

• Remove the chicken legs and scoop up the rest of the sauce
• Serve warm with some fresh coriander and my Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Recipe – Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Last week, I made a chicken dish and I wanted to make a really flavoursome side dish that didn’t involve my usual default ingredient of potatoes. I found a tin of chickpeas in my cupboard, my brain started ticking and I came up with this little beauty.

We ate them warm from the oven but I think they would be lovely left to cool as a salad ingredient too.

Ingredients

1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

One garlic clove, crushed

One teaspoon of cumin

One teaspoon of smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

A drizzle of olive oil

A handful of fresh coriander

How to make it

• Preheat your oven to 180°C, Gas Mark 4
• In an ovenproof dish, place the chickpeas, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and oil. Stir well to ensure the chickpeas are coated in the spices

• Roast for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy

• Sprinkle over the coriander and serve

Recipe – Fish Tacos

Phew – it is hot! I have been loving the sunshine so far this week – we are even thinking of an impromptu camping trip at the weekend if it continues. My weekly food shop reflected this today too with lots of lovely fruit and salad ingredients and treats coming in the way of salted caramel ice cream!

One of my favourite summery recipes is fish tacos. They are light, vibrant and full of flavour and don’t take too long to cook either. I serve my fish with a salsa, salad, sour cream and hot sauce. I would usually have guacamole too but my avocado didn’t ripen in time for this recipe!

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

A handful of fresh coriander

The juice of one lime

Salt and pepper

4 small white fish fillets (you can use any firm white fish for this recipe – I picked up haddock this time)

A handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped

About 1/3 of a red onion, finely chopped

A couple of radishes, chopped

Mini tortilla wraps

Salad leaves

Sour cream

Hot sauce

How to make it

• Begin by making the marinade for the fish. In a bowl, add a glug of olive oil, garlic, coriander and most of the lime juice (save a squeeze for the salsa!)

• Add the fish fillets and allow to marinade for at least an hour
• Next, I made up my salsa by mixing up the tomatoes, red onion, radishes, some more coriander, salt, pepper, olive oil and a squeeze of lime juice

• Heat a griddle pan to a medium heat then lay your fish fillets in the pan
• Cook for a few minutes on either side

• Now layer up your tacos! I like to start with salad, then the fish and finally the salsa and sauces…sooooooo good! x

Recipe – Sugar-Free Banana Pancakes

After a week or so on my sugar-free attempt, I was really craving something sweet and pudding-like. I was browsing through some recipes and found these two ingredient pancakes which are so simple and easy to make that they may just be my new favourite weekend breakfast. Just bananas and eggs…it really is that simple!

I jazzed mine up with some blueberries for a little extra sweetness and colour but the basic ratio to remember is one banana to two eggs.

Ingredients (for two people)

2 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork

4 eggs

A small bowl of blueberries

A drizzle of oil

Honey (optional – I know it isn’t sugar free but this block of proper honey was delicious!)

How to make it

• In a bowl, mix together your mashed up bananas and the four eggs to make a batter

• Heat a frying pan on a low to medium heat and add a drizzle of oil
• Using a ladle, pour the batter into the pan and pop a few blueberries on top

• Fry until golden then flip them and do the same on the other side
• Serve warm and add a helping of runny honey plus some more berries