Cider & wholegrain mustard chicken

Tender chicken thighs in a creamy, cider sauce with a wholegrain mustard & parsley tang.

Best served with rice and tenderstem broccoli

Serves 2

- olive oil

- 250g chicken thighs

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, crushed

- 200ml cider

- 100g crème fraiche

- 2 generous tsp wholegrain mustard

- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1. Fry the chicken thighs in the olive oil in a deep pan until cooked, then remove and set aside.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the same pan then add the cider and bring to the boil.

3. Return the chicken to the pan and cover and simmer for ten minutes, or until reduced.

4. Stir in the crème fraiche, mustard and parsley - bubble for 5 minutes then serve on a bed of rice.

Enjoy :)

Butternut squash, mushroom & stilton risotto

Comforting & delicious

The blue cheese gives this dish a gorgeous, strong flavour which works perfectly with the more subtle flavours of the mushrooms and butternut squash. The best part - it all cooks in one pan!

 Sorry for the un-appetising photos, but butternut squash and mushrooms don't make the most pleasant of colours...

Serves 2 (big portions)

- olive oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 tsp lazy garlic, or 1 fresh clove, crushed

- 200g butternut squash, chopped into chunks

- 150g mushrooms, sliced

- 125g brown rice

- 500ml vegetable stock (use 1 and a half vegetable stock cubes)

- dried sage & parsley

- 50g stilton, crumbled (or any blue cheese)

1. In the oil, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add the squash and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes longer.

2. Stir in the rice, then pour in the stock and add the herbs. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

3. Stir in the cheese and serve!

Enjoy :)

Chicken casserole

Once again, sorry for the un-appetising photos but there's no pleasant way to photograph any sauce that has leeks and mushrooms in ha... This was something I threw together at the last minute and it turned out really well in the end. I called it a casserole but it doesn't even go in the oven so it's really simple and quick to make but tastes delicious. It's made with chicken thighs which I love as they're so tender. Best served with rice!

Serves 2

- olive oil

- 3 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut in half

- plain flour

- 1 leek, sliced

- 3 rashers of bacon, chopped

- 100g mushrooms, quartered

- 100ml white wine

- 250ml chicken stock

- 1 tsp dried parsley or mixed herbs

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and coat the chicken thighs in some flour - cook the chicken thighs in the oil until golden brown. Set aside.

2. Next, fry the bacon, leek and mushrooms in the pan until softened. Pour in the wine and chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, cook the rice in a separate pan)

3. Return the chicken to the pan and add the herbs and seasoning. Cook for a further 5 minutes then serve with the rice.

Enjoy :)

Moroccan Lamb

I made this meal a few weeks ago in an attempt to make two lamb steaks a bit more interesting. I looked up various Moroccan lamb recipes and most of them were slow cooked and different cuts of meat so I had to make quite a few adjustments. I nearly always use smell to decide what I should put with what, and this is especially important when adding spices in this dish, but I had a blocked nose at the time so cooking this was a bit of a nightmare. It also meant I couldn't really taste it  very well when eating it - all I know is that it was very hot in my mouth (spicy hot), but I am a massive wimp when it comes to spice so if you enjoy spicy food this will probably seem very mild. My mum said it had a lovely flavour so I'm trusting her and sharing this with you guys! The honey and apricots will add a sweetness to counteract the spice, which will go perfectly with the warm cinnamon and tomato flavours.

Serves 2
- 2 lamb steaks
- olive oil
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 300ml lamb/beef stock
- handful of dried apricots, quartered
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- handful of pine nuts
- handful of parsley, chopped

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3 / 160 degrees. Rub oil on the lamb steaks.

2. In a dish, combine all the spices, and rub the lamb steaks in the mixture until coated. Keep in the fridge for half an hour.

3. Fry the onion and garlic in a large pan until soft. Add the lamb steaks, browning each side. Then, add the tinned tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has started to reduce.

4. Next, add the apricots, pine nuts, honey and parsley and stir.

5. Return the mixture into the dish and cover with foil. Cook in the oven for about an hour, or until the meat is tender and the sauce reduced. Serve with rice and vegetables!

Enjoy :)

Stuffed red peppers

I made these with the stuffed mushrooms - I love meals like this, I just think it's a really good way to eat the vegetable as opposed to just having them chopped up in something - it's much more interesting and you actually get the flavour of the pepper. I made a simple tomato and basil risotto to go inside and then just topped it off with lots of cheddar cheese!

Serves 2
- 1 large red pepper, cut in half
- olive oil
- 1/2 vegetable stock cube with 300ml water
- 125g rice
- cherry tomatoes, quartered
- basil leaves, torn
- cheddar cheese, grated

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180 degrees, and remove the seeds from the pepper.
2. Brush the pepper halves with olive oil and place on a baking tray.
3. Meanwhile, to make the risotto, prepare the stock and pour into a pan, bringing to the boil. Add the rice and cook over a moderate heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft to taste. (You can always add more water)
4. Add the tomatoes and basil to the rice, and stir, heating for a few minutes.
5. Stuff the pepper halves with the risotto and grate lots of cheddar cheese on top.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the pepper is softened and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy :)

Creamy bacon and leek risotto

I have a really similar post here so I wasn't sure whether to bother putting this up, but this recipe doesn't have chicken in it and is more creamy because of the crème fraiche so it is kind of different! This is really simple, and really delicious so give it a try...

Serves 2
- knob of butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 rasher of bacon, cut into chunks
- 1 leek, sliced
- 175g rice
- 300ml water with 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 heaped tsp of crème fraiche
- parmesan, grated
- parsley, for garnish


1. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the bacon and continue to fry for a few minutes.
2. Add all the leeks and cook until separated and softened. Next, stir in the rice until coated.
3. Meanwhile, make up the stock and add to the pan - bring to the boil, then simmer for around 15 minutes - or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft.
4. Stir in the crème fraiche and serve with grated parmesan and a sprig of parsley!

Enjoy :)

Egg fried rice

My mum bought some 'sticky pork belly slices' from Sainsbury's the other week which you just bake in the oven, so I decided to whip up some egg fried rice to go with it. Usually I would add peas but I felt like using carrots and green beans for a change. This is super easy to make - probably not the best egg fried rice ever because if you make it properly you should let the rice cool down etc etc but who has time for that.... this is fine if you just want some yummy rice very quickly!

Serves 2

- 185g wholegrain rice

- 1 carrot, sliced

- large handful of green beans, chopped

- sesame oil (or olive)

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions in salted water, with the green beans and carrot. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, stirring until coated. Gradually pour in the egg, stirring and frying until the egg is set. Voila!

Enjoy :)

Soy, honey and garlic salmon

This marinade was a bit of an experiment, and it worked out really well. The sweetness of the honey with the salty soy sauce went perfectly well along with the garlic which I didn't expect! The salmon was incredibly moist and tender - I wished I had someone to share this with! I was just cooking for myself, since my mum doesn't eat fish. So please try this and let me know what you think. I wasn't very hungry at the time so I just served it with broccoli that I stir fried with sesame seeds, but this would be lovely with wholegrain rice.

(Sorry for the lack of posts - can't believe I only did 7 in June! I have been on holiday recently as well so quite a lot of these recipes are from a few weeks ago that I just haven't had the time to post. Hope you enjoy and sorry again for being so silent recently)

Serves 1

- 1 salmon fillet 

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tbsp honey

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

1. In a small dish, mix all the above ingredients half an hour before cooking to allow time to marinate.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees / gas mark 4. Wrap the salmon in foil and place on a baking tray in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flaky

Enjoy :)

Sea bass with tomato and herb risotto

This risotto can be eaten on its own or goes perfectly well with white fish, like sea bass, or chicken. There was a huge shock horror of not having any normal or risotto rice, but only basmati!! However, I used the basmati and after a long cooking time in lots of stock, it did seem to work - although next time I will use a risotto rice. This is really simple, with the rice you only need a few tomatoes, some fresh herbs (I used parsley), chicken or vegetable stock, parmesan and a dash of cream or mascarpone. We pan-fried the fish so the skin was deliciously crispy, complimenting the soft, creamy risotto perfectly. I added pesto on top of the fish and in the risotto, but if you don't like pesto then it isn't a necessity. I served the risotto on a bed of spinach, and we had broccoli and green beans too, so apart from the dash of cream and bit of parmesan, this is a fairly low-sat-fat meal. The perfect meal if you want to impress!

Serves 2

- dollop of butter/margarine

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 100g risotto rice

- 3/4 chicken or vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 250ml water

- handful cherry tomatoes, quartered

- large handful of parsley, finely chopped

- drizzle of olive oil

- 2 sea bass fillets

- handful of parmesan, grated

- dash of single cream or mascarpone or crème fraiche

- few teaspoons of green pesto

- handful of ready washed fresh spinach leaves

1. Fry the onions and garlic in the butter until softened. Stir in the rice (it should start to look translucent). Add the stock mixture and cook for around 20 mins, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft - you may need to add more water as you go along - keep stirring and testing the rice.

2. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the fish for a few minutes on each side, until the skin is crisp, and the fish is cooked through (cut open to check)

3. Add the cherry tomatoes and parsley to the risotto and stir until combined (you can do this before all the water is absorbed). Add the parmesan, some cream and pesto, and season to taste. Make sure all the liquids are reduced.

4. Place the risotto on a bed of spinach leaves and top with the sea bass. Garnish with some pesto, parmesan, fresh parsley, and a few cherry tomatoes!

Enjoy :)

Chicken, bacon and leek risotto

It still amazes me how creamy and filling a risotto is when it has no creamy ingredients in it what so ever! (apart from some parmesan) It's so clever how by cooking rice this way you get an amazing, rich texture that isn't even too unhealthy. I never used to be that keen on risotto but I am slowly changing my mind... They are so much easier to make than I assumed as well; this dish will definitely impress!

Serves 2

- dash of olive oil

- knob of butter

- 1 1/2 chicken breasts, sliced

- 4 rashers bacon, chopped

- 1 leek, chopped

- 200g rice

- 450ml boiling water with chicken stock cube

- parmesan, grated, for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and cook the chicken breasts until browned (well, white).

2. Add the bacon and leeks and cook until the leeks are soft and the bacon has turned lighter in colour.

3. Add the rice and stir through, coating in the ingredients and adding more butter if necessary. The grains of rice should start to fry and go translucent (try not to let them stick to the pan though, keep stirring!)

4. Prepare the stock in a jug and pour into the saucepan and stir. Cover and simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the water is absorbed and the rice if soft to bite (try some).

5. Serve and top with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan, mm

Enjoy :)

Chicken with katsu sauce

First of all I have to apologise for the photo - I didn't get one which really shows the sauce and it all looks a bit unclear and messy - I think I was just far too excited about eating it to worry about the photo! I got this from Lisa Faulkner's book again, and just like the macaroni and cheese dish from her book (here), it was very yummy! The sauce was mild which was perfect for me considering I don't like spicy food, although it did leave my mouth feeling hot. The sauce was also nice and sweet from the apple, it tasted so delicious mixed in with the wholegrain rice. And last but not least, the chicken! Who doesn't love crispy chicken!? It really is so simple to breadcrumb your own chicken and actually quite fun dipping it in the egg etc. It was perfectly moist chicken with crunchy crumbs, which complimented the smooth sauce and soft rice brilliantly. I was very weary about cooking this because I have never made any type of curry sauce in my life and had no clue of the consistency it was meant to be or anything - I still don't know if I did it right, but my boyfriend really loved it and suggested that next time there should be more sauce. So either he's just greedy with sauce, or I made it too thick haha...

Serves 4 (I halved it)
- 4 chicken breasts
- seasoned flour, for dusting
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 75-100g dried breadcrumbs
- oil, for frying
- wholegrain rice, to serve

For the sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 200ml chicken stock
- 200ml water
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 small apples, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
- salt & pepper

1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until softened and slightly brown. Add the turmeric, curry powder and ketchup and stir. Add the stock, water, soy sauce and grated apple, season with salt & pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the cornflour paste and cook for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

3. Blend with a hand blender or food processor until smooth and set aside until needed.

4. Meanwhile, wrap the chicken in cling film and flatten with a rolling pin.

5. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes. Dust each chicken breast with flour, dip in egg, and coat in breadcrumbs.

6. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken over a medium heat for about 7 minutes each side until cooked through. Don't forget to boil or microwave some rice!

7. Reheat the katsu sauce gently and serve with the chicken and rice. I served with broccoli as well.

Enjoy :)

Mince and rice

This is one of my favourite things to cook at uni!

It's quite simple, and uses a lot of store-cupboard ingredients which is always handy

Ingredients: (serves 2)

- 15g butter

- 250g beef mince

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 2 rashers of bacon (preferably smoked), sliced

- 50g mushrooms, sliced (I usually use more than this)

- 100g rice (I use wholegrain)

- 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes (I use a whole tin otherwise it would go to waste...)

- 1/2 beef stock cube, dissolved in 200ml of water

- 1 tsp mixed herbs

- Handful of grated cheddar

1. Brown the mince in the butter, then add the bacon and onions.

2. Once cooked, add the mushrooms, then stir in the rice until coated in the mince mixture.

3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the stock cube mix.

4. Add the herbs and season to taste.

5. Stir, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked (no crunch).

6. Don't forget the grated cheese!

Simple as that! Enjoy :)