Mackrel and ground nut sauce

This recipe is inspired by a Ugandan dish called 'binyebwa' which is a ground nut sauce, traditionally served with 'matoke', a savoury green banana. I have adapted the recipe below to add more spice and flavour. The flavours will mature and get richer the following day after it has been cooked, and the recipe below allows for leftovers to be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

It's a great dish to make for large groups as it goes a long way. It's also high fibre, healthy fats, protein ,Omega 3 fish oils and Omega 6. 

Peanuts in particular are a source of Biotin, Vitamin E, Magnesium, B Vitamins and Maganese.

Read more here about the nutritional and health benefits of peanuts.

Ingredients

• 1 whole red bell pepper
• 1 red/white onion
• 1 can chopped tomatoes/ 6 fresh tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomatoe puree
• 200 grams (approx) of ground roasted peanuts
• 2 heaped tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• 1-2 chopped carrots
• 1 tablespoon thai red curry sauce (options)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 packs of hot smoked mackerel fillets
• 1 - 2 table spoon coconut oil
• 1 bag of fresh spinach
• Canned kidney beans

Spice mix

• Ground mixed spice (2 tsps)
• Curry powder (2 tsps)
• Paprika (2 tsps)
• Tumeric (2 tsps)
• Black pepper (minimum of 3 tsps)
• Whole cumin seeds (2 tsps)
• All purpose seasoning (1 tbsps)
• Dunns river fish seasoning (2 tsps)

Extra flavouring /seasoning

• Bay leaves
• Black peppercorns (5 - 6 balls)
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 fish stock cube
• Chili flakes (optional)
• Lemon juice (dash)
• Coconut milk/ dried coconut flakes (optional)

Tools

• Cast iron dish
• Vegetable chopper
• Garlic crusher
• Spoon measurer
• Scales
  
  

Method

Stage 1

Finely chop the onions and red pepper and fry them in the coconut oil

Add the garlic and the spice mix and fry lightly for a few minutes

Add the chopped tomatoes and allow to simmer 

   

  

   

Step 2

Pour boiled water in a measuring tub and add the chicken and fish stock cubes, stir until dissolved.
Grind the peanuts (a handful at a time) and add to the sauce, then pour over the peanuts and the stock mixture stirring as you are adding. Add the peanut butter and continue to stir well.
Stir in the lemon juice, chilli flakes and coconut milk.

Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

TIP: At this point you can do a taste test to check the flavour, and add extra spices based on personal preference. (I usually add more black pepper and all purpose seasoning at this point.)

Stage 3

Add the carrots and the spinach, stir and fold the sauce over so that the spinach blends into the sauce.

Add the Mackrel (you can slice them into small pieces or add the fillets whole)

Stir, cover with the lid and then put in the oven on a low heat (not more than 100 degrees for a fan over) and cook for around 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with white or brown rice.

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The flavours will mature and get richer the following day after it has been cooked, and the recipe above allows for leftovers to be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

Pineapple upside down cake (Gluten free & Lactose free)

This recipe was borne out of a desire to enjoy gluten and dairy free cakes , as I have developed a gluten and lactose intolerance.

This was my first attempt at cake baking and I chose it because pineapple is one of my favourite fruits. 

I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding some extra flavour and fibre, and it came out very light and fluffy with a balanced flavour. 

Ingredients 

425g tin pineapple rings in juice (I used 5 rings )

4 tbsp Billingtons Golden caster sugar

235g/8oz dairy free Vitalite butter

175g/6oz Billingtons Golden caster sugar

3 free-range eggs, beaten

175g Doves Farm Gluten Free Self Raising White Flour

1 tsp Betty Crocker baking powder (gluten free)

pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp Arla Lactose free semi skinned milk

1 tbsp Linwoods Milled Flax, Chia Seed, Apple & Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4. Butter the sides of a deep 20cm/8in cake tin.

2. Drain the pineapple slices and leave to dry on kitchen paper. Put the soft brown sugar and 60g/2oz of the butter in a small frying pan and melt over a medium heat. Spoon into the prepared cake tin. Cut seven of the pineapple rings in half to make semi-circles and arrange around the tin – you may only need six of the rings depending on how tightly you pack the slices. Place the remaining whole ring in the middle of the tin.

3. Cream the remaining 175g/6oz butter and the caster sugar together until pale and light. Gradually add the eggs, mixing well between each addition. Add 1 tsp of the pineapple juice from the can.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture in step,  add the milk and mix until smooth. Carefully pour the mixture over the pineapple slices and spread evenly to level out.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 1 minute and then carefully turn out onto a serving plate and leave to cool. This cake is best served slightly warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream, lightly whipped cream or custard.

Practical tips: 

•  Use a handheld mixer for step three if you don't own a standing mixer
•  Use a cake liner for the baking tin to make removing the finished cask easy

Good for: short baking time, short prep time, fruit cakes.

    

Lean & Green Salmon Bake

To start off the new year as I intend to go on, I came up with this light and nutritious recipe using salmon fillet and green vegetables. 

The 'lean' comes from the fish. Fish forms a valuable part of a healthy balanced diet. It is recommended to eat at least two portions per week, one of which should be 'oily fish' such as salmon or mackerel. This recipe amounts to two portions (i.e x2 fillets) if prepared for one person. One portion can be had for dinner and the other for lunch the following day ;-)

The 'green' comes from fresh spinach leaves and courgettes. Spinach is low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, high in niacin and zinc, protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. In other words, it's loaded with good things for every part of your body! 

Courgettes are low calorie vegetables; there are only 17 calories per 100 g.They contain no saturated fats or cholesterol and its skin is good source of dietary fiber. Using a spiraliser makes the preparation quick and fun. If you have a hand-held version, simply use it like you would use a pencil sharpener, by turning the courgette in a clockwise circular motion until the spirals appear.

As I added no seasoning or salt to the vegetables during cooking, I chose salmon as the 'main' item in this dish because it has a lot of inherent flavour, even without the extra seasoning. Salmon can be replaced with mackerel - another oily and flavourful fish. The spinach can be replaced with kale. Kale is a source of manganese, copper, calcium vitamins A, C, B6 and K. 

Good for: low fat, fresh, fish, omega 3, no heavy carbs, vegetables.

Substitutes: 

• Salmon - Mackerel
• Spinach - Kale

Ingredients 

x2 fresh salmon fillets

fresh spinach leaves

Spiralised courgette

1 chopped red pepper

1/2 chopped white onion

4 black pepper corns

2 cardamon pods

all purpose seasoning

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Preparation

1. Add the onions and red pepper to a casserole dish.

2. Lightly season the salmon with the all purpose seasoning and placed on top of the onions and red pepper.

3. Add the pepper corns and cloves to the dish and cover with lid.

4. Place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the salmon is light pink and flakey.

5. Spiralise half a courgette, using the handheld spiraliser and place in a shallow frying pan. Top with a handful of spinach leaves. 

6. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the courgette and spinach and fry on a very low heat for a few minutes until soft.

7. Serve the salmon on top of the courgettes and spinach.

8. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on top to finish.

Louise's combo curry

This recipe is another original that I conjured up one evening I was cooking for my family. If you are cooking for one, there will be leftovers you can refrigerate or freeze for lunch or dinner on following days. This means the effort you make one evening in the kitchen frees up your time later in the week ;-)

The recipe came together from using tinned items that had been gathering dust in our cupboards as well as incorporating fresh spinach leaves which taste far better than the tinned kind.

Fresh spinach has a light flavour and can be added to any stew, soup, or even juice without overwhelming other flavours and they have lots of nutrients and vitamins. The important thing is to add the fresh ingredients last so they are not over cooked and do not lose their special benefits.

Curries and stews are great for experimenting with different ingredient combinations. You can substitute any of the ingredients in bold for numerous different recipes. Here are a few recommendations to start you off:

Sweet potatoe - fish, beef, lamb, butternut squash, white potatoes
Chickpeas and Kidney beans - butter beans or black beans
Spinach - kale, white cabbage

Good for: flavour, group meals, leftovers, experimental cooking

Ingredients
x1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped red onion
tikka masala paste
3cm of shaved ginger
fresh coriander leaves
1 sweet potatoe
1/2  a 400 g tinned chickpeas
1/2 a 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
Tbsp light coconut milk
Fresh spinach leaves
1/2 a 400g tinned Kidney beans 
Tsp of Tomato puree
Tsp Tumeric
Tsp Cumin

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 200-220 degrees

2. Cut the sweet potatoe into small - medium chunks (i.e 16 pieces). Wrap each in foil and roast in the oven for at least 20-30 minutes.

3. Chop and fry the onion in the olive oil until they turn clear.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomatoe purée, tumeric, cumin, tikka masala paste and ginger and stir well.

5. Add the chick peas and kidney beans and allow the mix to simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Remove the sweet potatoe from the oven and add to the pan. Add coconut milk and add more tumeric to get to the desired curry colour. Add the spinach and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with boiled brown rice and top with coriander leaves.

Louise's Beef Hot Pot

My name is Louise, I'm 29 years old and I can't cook.

Well... I can but I rarely try new recipes because it is quicker to make meals I know, rather than learning new ones.

To break the routine, I decided to challenge myself to come up with a new recipe once a week.

One night after work I had a few hours to spare, so I grabbed a few random ingredients from Sainsbury's and came home to make a beef stew.

This is something I had never cooked before, and had no recipe to follow.

To my surprise the outcome was fantastic and inspired me to start this blog, sharing my 'slap dash' recipes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen.


The first recipe is my beef hot pot which is good for: sundays, family dinners, group meals, leftovers and flavour.

My flat mates tried it and loved it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did :-)


Louise's Beef Hot Pot

Ingredients
500gdDiced beef
Dunn's River All purpose Seasoning
1x Beef OXO cube
0.5x Vegetable OXO Cube
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 small chopped onion
1 finely chopped red pepper
1x spiralized carrot*
Olive oil
1 tsp tomate puree
1 tbsp wholewheat flour
Brown/white basmati rice

* A JML Vegetti spiraliser for £11.99, is quick and effective for  cutting carrots, courgettes, squash and sweet potato.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add the onion, red pepper, carrot and olive oil to a pan and fry gently for a few minutes.
3. Smother the beef in the all purpose seasoning and a dash of olive oil
4. Add the beef to the pan and crumble the OXO cubes in
5. Fry the beef with the vegetables until the beef is brown all over
6. Add tomato puree, flour and boiling water to cover the meat and vegetables
7. Stir well and leave to boil for a few minutes
8. Transfer the mix to a casserole dish with a lid, and cook in the oven for at least 1 hour. 
9. Option to add more wholewheat flour to thicken the stew as you wish.

Rice 

1. Boil water in a kettle.

2. Measure 1 cup of rice, to 2 cups of boiled water and add to the pan / to a glass casserole dish with a lid.

3. Crumble 1/2 vegetable OXO cube into the rice and water and stir in.

4. If using the stove, cook the rice on low heat for 10-20 minutes. (20 minutes for brown rice)

5. If using the oven, put the casserole dish with a lid in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees. Once the top of the top layer of rice looks fluffy and curled upwards, the rice is ready.

Chef’s tips: 

• Use meat on the bone and a slow cooker overnight, for tender meat and rich flavour. 
• Substitute rice for yorkshire puddings and seasonal vegetables for a sunday meal.