Spicy bean wraps

Our sporty weeknight family favourite.

 Quick, nutritious, low fat, inexpensive and delicious.

Ready for table in 20 minutes.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp oil

1 onion ( finely chopped)

1-2 cloves of garlic

(1 tsp grated fresh ginger, optional)

1 tin of baked beans

2 tins of other beans 

(red kidney, black eye, butter, cannellini etc)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp mild curry powder

black pepper

salt to taste

fresh or dried herbs

 (parsley and coriander or mixed herbs)

Method

Fry the chopped onion in little oil for few minutes. 

Add garlic ( and ginger if used)

Stir in the baked beans 

and drained washed other beans.

Add spices and salt and cook for 5 minutes 

adding a little bit of water if it gets too dry.

Use your imagination with your spices

 (cajun spice, cumin, coriander etc. are really nice too) 

If you don't like hot, leave out the chilli. 

Add the herbs and check the seasoning.

Serve in wraps with my garlic yoghurt,

 grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan), salad and chilli sauce

Garlic yoghurt dip

250 ml plain yogurt 

2 tbsp creme fraiche or mayonnaise

1 tbsp salad cream

1 clove of crushed garlic

salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together

Vegetable Flan tray bake

Tasty savoury tray bake. 
I love this recipe. It is very versatile and everyone seems to like it.

 Great light evening supper or lunch.

 Really nice as a part of a buffet. Perfect for picnics. 

Ingredients

150 g butter

250 g/400 ml plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

40 g/ 100 ml rolled oats

250 g tub of quark

1 tbsp oil

1 onion

500 g of mixed veg (fresh or frozen)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2-1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper

1 ball of mozzarella
70 g grated cheddar

100 ml double cream
150 ml milk
3 eggs

smoked paprika or mixed herbs (optional)

Method

preheat oven to 200°

Mix baking powder and flour together.

 Rub cold butter and flour mix together in until you get breadcrumb like texture.

 Mix in oats and quark. 

Line baking tray with baking paper and spread the dough mixture on it evenly.

Fry onion in a little oil. Add vegetables and cook for few minutes until tender.

 Add crushed garlic, spices and seasoning. 

In a separate bowl mix together milk and cream. Beat in the eggs. 

Spread the veggie mix onto the pastry base,

 then shredded mozzarella and grated cheddar. 

 Drizzle over the milk & egg mix evenly.

 (Sprinkle over herbs or smoked paprika)

Bake in 200°c for 20-25 mins until golden brown.  

Let cool down and cut into squares or rectangles.

Variations:

Replace some of the veg with cooked chicken,

 fried spiced minced beef/lamb, sausages, tuna etc.

You can use any combination of vegetables.
 Mixed frozen works really well.


Tip: If you don't have quark, replace it by 150-200 ml of plain or Greek yoghurt 

  

Raspberry Pavlova

The ultimate finale to any summer BBQ.

 Great with any seasonal fruit. Raspberries are my favourite.

Tartness balanced perfectly with a sweet meringue.

Ingredients

4 large free range eggs

200 g caster sugar

pinch of salt

2-3 punnets of raspberries

600 ml whipping cream

vanilla sugar to taste

Method

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl* until they form stiff peaks.

Keep whisking and gradually mix in the sugar and pinch of salt.

 On high setting whisk for few minutes until the egg whites are

 smooth and glossy. 
(*the bowl needs to be clean of all grease and no trace of egg yolk in the whites)

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

Spoon the meringue onto the paper and shape into a large oval.

Bake in preheated oven of 150°C for an hour.
After an hour turn off the heat and leave the meringue in 
the oven to cool down.


Take half of the raspberries and crush them with a little sugar.
Whip the cream with vanilla sugar (or sugar & vanilla essence) until soft peaks.
Spread the crushed berries onto the cooled down meringue. 
Then the whipped cream and finally top with the remaining raspberries.

 Great for entertaining, you can bake this well in advance
 and then finish off with the cream and berries just before serving. 

Minced lamb kebabs

My best kebab recipe. 

Works also for kofta meatballs and burgers.
 Perfect for barbeques.
Make a bigger batch and freeze kebabs 
for a quick microwave dinner later.
Great recipe for low carb diet!!

Ingredients

1 kg minced lamb

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp chopped green coriander leaves

1 egg

Method

Mix thoroughly all the ingredients together. 

Leave to marinate

(from an hour to overnight)

With wet hands form long kebabs on bamboo skewers (makes about 8-10).

Cook under hot grill about 15 mins turning once.


Serve hot from the oven with pitta or naan, salad, mint yoghurt and chilli sauce. 

Chicken Tikka

Tasty chicken dish that can be marinated the night before.

Oven cook or great for summer barbecues. 

Serve with pitta and salad. 

Ingredients

1kg  chicken thigh pieces with the skin on (5-6 pieces)

150g  plain yoghurt

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp salt

juice of half a lemon

Method

Clean and wash the chicken and trim excess fat. 

Score the skin with a sharp knife.

Mix yoghurt with ginger, garlic, salt, spices and lemon juice.

Rub the marinade into the chicken and leave aside.

 (Anywhere between half and hour to overnight)

Cook uncovered, skin side up, in a moderate oven 200°C for about an hour.
(Until the chicken is tender and the skin is nice and crispy).




Mint raita
200ml plain yoghurt
200ml crème fraiche
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
salt to taste


Mix all the ingredients together.
  

Pakoras with two Chatnis

Pakoras! 

The best ever snack. Quick, inexpensive, vegetarian and so tasty. 

This recipe will fill two full trays. Enough to serve 6-8.

Ingredients

2-3 potatoes

2 onions

2 tsp salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp whole jeera (cumin)

small bunch of fresh green coriander

2 cups (350-400g) gram flour (chickpea flour)

500 ml water

vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

Peel and slice the potatoes and onions thinly (about 2mm thick).

Place them into a large bowl with spices, salt, coriander, gram flour and water. 

Mix together. Batter should resemble the consistency of pancake batter.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. 

Start frying the pakora mix in batches by spooning 

tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil.

Make sure to take both onion and potato with each spoonful.

 Keep the oil on a medium heat.

 If the oil is too hot the pakoras will brown too quickly, but potato stays uncooked.

You can fit around 5-7 pakoras in each batch.

Fry until golden brown turning at least once.

Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel.

Best served immediately hot and crispy with chatni and tea!!
 
Tip! For variation other vegetables can be added:
e.g. baby leaf spinach, small florets of cauliflower, peppers

Yoghurt and mint chatni

150 ml plain yoghurt
50 ml creme fraiche
heaped tbsp chopped mint
(heaped tbsp chopped green coriander optional)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together



Mint, tomato and onion chatni

1 red onion
1 tomato
1 green chilli 
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped green coriander
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste


Place all the ingredients into food processor with a little water and whiz together.
Alternatively finely chop all the ingredients by hand and mix together.

Smoked Aubergine, kofta and potato curry

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

500g minced lamb or beef

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

3 cloves of garlic

fresh breadcrumbs (1 slice of bread)

1 egg

2 aubergines

For the curry:

  4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions

1 tsp whole jeera (cumin)

3-4 small whole green chillies

3 cloves of garlic

2 cm piece of fresh ginger

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp bassar (Pakistani curry powder or mild curry powder)

5 whole cloves

2 tsp salt

2 large potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)

1/2 tsp garam masala

small bunch of fresh green coriander

Method

 Mix together the meat, spices, egg and breadcrumbs and crushed garlic. 

(Make the breadcrumbs either in a food processor or by chopping it)

Set the mixture aside.

 Roast the aubergines by placing them straight on the flame of the gas cooker one at the time. Let them char all over and keep turning them until they are black and burned on all sides. This is a little messy and can look slightly mad and scary. Place the charred aubergines in a colander to cool. 

 If you haven't a gas cooker, the aubergines can be roasted under a grill in the oven.

In a large pan, heat the oil, then add sliced onions and fry until golden. Add jeera and fry for a minute then add crushed garlic and finely sliced ginger, whole green chillies and fry for a few more minutes. Add tinned tomatoes and a little water. Stir and cook until the oil starts to separate then add the spices and salt. Leave to cook on a low heat while you make the meatballs. Add some more water if the sauce becomes dry or starts to stick at the bottom of the pan. 

In a frying pan heat a little oil.

  With wet hands form the meatball mixture into little oval shaped balls and fry turning once until brown. Add the meatballs and peeled cut potatoes into the curry sauce.

Peel the charred aubergines under cold water until clean. Cut off the stalk, chop roughly and add to the curry. Top with water and simmer on low heat until the potatoes are cooked. 

Add garam masala and chopped green coriander.
 Check the seasoning, might need to add some more salt as the potatoes soak it up.

Serve with chapattis or rice and plain yogurt.