georgie – Page 19

Chicken Caesar on rye

11.07.2014 by georgie // 1 Comment

I love leftovers, they make my life so much easier at the moment. I am still at home a lot of the time, and as much as I am trying to look after myself and cook nice things I can’t always muster up the energy. Some days I can’t get out of bed or off the sofa. Not often, but it happens. Thats when the soup comes out, or something from the freezer that my Yiayia has made. Or, if I am really lucky, there are leftovers.

So last Sunday Pete and I treated ourselves to a homemade roast. Lemony thyme roast chicken, roast potatoes, honey glazed carrots, kale, cauliflower cheese, homemade cider gravy… the lot. Afterwards I took a lot of pride in packing up the leftovers and making stock with the chicken carcass. Normally I’d just turn the meat into a salad or broth the next day, but I’d also made a loaf of rye bread on the weekend and wanted to use that too: cue the chicken Caesar open sandwich. I had forgotten how much I loved chicken sandwiches! With shredded organic roast chicken, a delicious creamy dressing, some sort of crunchy element, what is not too like? I’d forgot the beauty of chicken Caesar too, a result of many bad pub meals with fake dressing I am sure…

So here you go, a perfect leftover lunch for one. Not too naughty and tonnes of flavour.

CHICKEN CAESAR ON RYE

This dressing could definitely take a fine grating of garlic, if thats your cup of tea.

Serves 1

A thick slice of rye, sourdough or gluten free bread
80g shredded cooked chicken, preferably free range or organic
An anchovy
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon English mustard
Parmesan
A heaped tablespoon of Greek yoghurt
Half a lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
A spring onion, finely sliced
A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cucumber

Using a vegetable peeler, shred the cucumber into ribbons. Place in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice (keeping some for the chicken) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss together and leave to one side.

If your bread is fresh simply lay on a plate and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. If it is a few days old, toast it first – you could even rub the toast with the cut side of a clove of garlic for a little added flavour.

Place the anchovy in a pestle and mortar and bash to a paste with a little pinch of salt and pepper (not too much salt though as the anchovy and parmesan are already very salty). Add the mustard and yoghurt and mix together well. Then squeeze in the rest of the lemon juice and finely grate in a little parmesan (just a few gratings, you won’t need lots) and stir. Spoon the dressing over the chicken, mix it all together and then pile on top of you bread or toast. Finish with the sliced spring onion and parsley, and serve.

Salted chocolate and coconut biscuits

11.06.2014 by georgie // Leave a Comment

As much as I love to bake cakes I don’t often bake biscuits. I’m not sure why, maybe because I know if I do Pete will eat them all?! (Mean!) I have to say however I do normally prefer a cookie, something a little chewier and more unctuous, but I love the look of cutout biscuits. So I set out to find a good middle ground: a good simple chocolate cutout biscuit, but with a slightly chewier richer texture. Cue the salted chocolate and coconut biscuit. The salt and brown sugar give this biscuit a deeper edge. The coconut extract is totally optional. Just be sure to not bake them too long or they’ll end up crunchy.

And if you like a sandwich biscuit these bad boys work a treat.

SALTED CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT BISCUITS

Makes around 24

190g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
115g salted butter, room temperature
Good pinch of fine sea salt
150g soft light brown sugar
1 large egg, free range or organic
Coconut extract
30g good quality cocoa

Cream cheese filling (optional)

175g cream cheese
50g butter, room temperature
125g icing sugar, sifted

Place the butter in a freestanding mixer and beat until softened and pale. Add the egg, sugar and cocoa and beat until well mixed. Depending on the strength of your coconut extract you will need to add around 20 drops (the more concentrated/ natural the better). Add to the bowl along with the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Beat till mixed together, but don’t over work it as you don’t want the mixture to be tough. Scoop the dough onto a sheet of cling film, pat it into a ball and wrap up well. Pop into the fridge for around 1 – 1.5 hours, until firm.

When you are ready to bake your biscuit preheat the oven to 180/ gas mark 4 and line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper. Roll the biscuit dough out (I find it easier to divide it into 2, leaving half in the fridge, whilst I cut the first half. It stops the dough getting too soft and warm). If you are making them into sandwich biscuits roll them a bit thinner, just over 1/4cm. If you are keeping them as single biscuits roll them a little thicker, over 1/2cm thick. Bake for around 8 – 10 minutes depending on the thickness. You want them to be just cooked and still a little soft in the middle. Too long, and they’ll be too crisp. Keeping them a little soft means they’ll retain the softer, chewier texture. Remove from the oven and leave the biscuits on the tray for a few minutes, then place on a cooling rack.

Decorate your biscuits however you wish! On the un-sandwiched ones, I played around with fondant icing and letter stamps (I ‘glued’ the fondant icing on with molten chocolate). For the thinner biscuits I sandwiched them together for an oreo style biscuit (very delicious).

For the filling all you will need to do is beat together the butter and cream cheese, ideally in a freestanding mixer. When mixed together well, beat in the icing sugar, and then spoon into a bowl and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Use a spoonful of the icing to sandwich your biscuits together.

Lamb siniya

11.04.2014 by georgie // 2 Comments

I’m starting to write more of my own recipes again, but this is one that caught my eye a few months ago when I was religiously working my way through a mound of cookbooks. It is from the fabulous Honey & Co book, a lovely book filled with delicious Middle Eastern treats from their Central London restaurant.

This recipe attracted me as it sounds like nothing I have ever tried before. It is very simple to follow and quick too (perfect midweek dinner). In the intro the authors describe it as a lighter version of a shepherd’s pie, to which I wholeheartedly agree. It isn’t stodgy, and goes wonderfully with salad and pickles. Definitely a recipe I will be making again and again.

As much as I would have loved to have shown you inside this dreamboat of a recipe ain’t a looker. It’s aaaaaall about the flavour.

Honey and co extract — Honey and Co extract

LAMB SINIYA (from the Honey & Co cookbook)

I made two alterations when I made this the second time. One being that I added chopped baby spinach to the base, as I like to get greens into our diet whenever possible, and it is a very beige recipe (works a treat). The second being instead of pine nuts on top I sprinkled crushed sesame and coriander seeds. Purely because my husband has a nut allergy, and also I love the flavour.

Serves 4 – 6 (very easily halve-able)

1 small cauliflower, broken in to florets
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g minced lamb
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons baharat spice mix (or Lebanese seven spice mix)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
5 balls of frozen spinach or 150g chopped baby spinach (my added extra)
200g natural yoghurt
200g tahini
2 large eggs, free range or organic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pine nuts (or sesame and coriander seeds)
1 tablespoons chopped parsley, to serve

Place the cauliflower in a saucepan with a litre of water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 – 6 minutes until the florets are soft. Drain and place in a shallow casserole dish (about 22cm in diameter).

Fry the onions on a medium heat in a frying pan with the oil and half a teaspoon of salt until the onions start to go golden. Add the minced lamb and another half teaspoon of salt, increase the heat to high and use a spoon to break the meat into small pieces. When the lamb starts to brown, sprinkle on the ground fennel and baharat spice mix and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and spinach (if using) and continue to cook and stir for around 3- 5 minute or until the spinach has cooked down. (If using frozen spinach it may take a little longer). Spread the lamb mixture around the cauliflower. You can prepare this stage up to a day in advance – just cool, cover and store in the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 180/ gas mark 4.

Mix together the yoghurt, tahini, eggs and lemon juice. If the mixture is very thick, stir in rough water to loosen slightly, a couple of tablespoons perhaps – the consistency should resemble thick yoghurt. Spread the topping over the lamb in the dish. Sprinkle the pine nuts (or seeds) all over and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes or until the tahini looks set and slightly golden. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

NB: if you can’t find baharat spice mix, have a go at making your own.