Home made flat bread with Chicken, peppers, hummus, feta and Tzatziki

There’s nothing better than having a meal made for you with lots of love all wrapped up in it. I was on the receiving end of this a few months ago when a special friend made this for my family. It was ridiculously comforting and yummy! I have made it a few times since and have played around with the topping options as they are pretty much limitless, but this one is the Courtney Original and always the favourite of the varieties that I now make. Thanks Courts! Come and cook for me again!!

For the flat bread

• 2 Cups of Self Raising Flour
• 1 Cup of plain, natural greek double cream yoghurt
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to season

In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Once a sticky dough is formed, turn out onto a floured surface and kneed until well combined. Add more flour if the dough stays too sticky. Tear dough off in ‘balls’ that are roughly 1 and a half times the size of a golf ball. Roll out and then dry fry on both sides until done. Set aside.

This makes about 5. You can double if making more.

For the topping 

• 3 x Chicken breasts , diced into small squares
• 1 large red pepper diced into small squares
• Seasoning of your choice for the chicken (I used sweet sticky chicken spice)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 – 3 rounds of feta cheese
• Hummus
• Tzatziki
• Rocket (Arugula) for garnish

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and the seasoning and the red pepper into the frying pan and stir fry together until the chicken is just done.

Spread a layer of humus on the flatbread. Then top with the chicken mixture and then crumble the feta on top of the chicken mixture and then top with blobs of tzatziki and serve.

Serves: 4 to 5 people

Courtney’s special touches: 

You can add cubes of roast butternut and caramelised onions. DELISH!

 

 

 

 

Crispy Oriental Chicken Salad

Well things in our home have been hectic to say the least! A busy toddler is no joke! But I am trying to get back into getting  bit more creative with the meals I have been making and I am trying hard to find a little time to look for some yummy recipes to share with you. I found this one yesterday and made it last night and it was a real winner! My son has a gluten intolerance so I used gluten free flour to make the whole dish gluten free and it was a hit! Beautiful fresh flavours. I apologise for the quality of the photo – I’ll get better!

Ingredients: 

For the Batter: 

• 3 Eggs
• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 cups flour (I used gluten free flour)
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• Salt and pepper

For the salad: 

• 4 – 5 chicken breasts
• 3 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 large carrot, finely Julienne
• 1 cup red or green baby cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cucumber – sliced
• 60g flaked almonds and 2 chopped spring onions for sprinkling on top
• Oil for frying

For the dressing: 

• 6 Tbsp Honey
• 3 Tbs sushi vinegar (you can use rice wine vinegar)
• 2 tsp dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Splash of sesame oil (half a teaspoon at the most)

Method: 

1. Put all the dressing ingredients into a little blender and blitz until mixed and put aside.
2. Mix the egg and milk together in a bowl and then in a separate bowl mix the flour and cornflakes together and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the chicken into thin strips, then dip each strip into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture, making sure that it is covered completely.
4. I used my deep fryer to cook the strips but if you don’t have one then you can use a pot and put enough oil in to deep fry at a relatively high temperature until the coating is a crispy golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel. You will need to probably do the chicken in batches.
5. Mix all your salad greens and bits in a bowl or separate bowls for each person, place the chicken strips on top and then sprinkle with the almonds and spring onions. Finally dress the salad with that yummy dressing! ENJOY!

Chimichurri Chicken with Mexican Brown Rice

I’m on a serious health kick at the moment! I’m delving into the unknown world of lentils and chickpeas and beans! I must say I have really enjoyed feeling good and eating clean and knowing that my body is thanking me for what I am putting in and not groaning in desperation with all the work that I usually make it do!

I have been pleasantly surprised by the really great recipes out there with healthy ingredients. Previously when I wanted to eat healthy I would end up dying of boredom just a few weeks in and revert to tastier (unhealthier) options. But I am happy to say that I will be trying some really healthy (interesting) recipes that are full of wonderful flavours and popping them onto the blog for your enjoyment too!

I made this last night and was delighted with how it turned out. If you are watching your fat intake then go easier on the chimichurri on your serving, but otherwise it is packed with gorgeous flavours and so so good for you!

The mexican rice is so fresh and tastes really authentic! If you are a coriander fan, I would throw some in the mix here too as I think it will add a lovely punch. although it actually doesn’t need it!

Just a tip if you are not used to cooking brown rice. The brown basmati is divine and it takes an extra 10 minutes to cook. So bear that in mind.

ENJOY!

For the Chimichurri:

2 packets (60g) Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

½ Packet (15g) oreganum

4 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp (45 mls) white balsamic vinegar

1 – 2 tsp (5 – 10mls) dried chilli flakes

½ cup (125ml) olive oil

Salt and milled pepper

 

4 fresh chicken skinless filleted breasts, flattened

1 cup (25oml) brown basmati rice, cooked

1 tsp (5ml) cumin seeds

2 spring onions, finely chopped

½ small can (17-g) corn kernels drained and rinsed

1 packet (350g) mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can (400g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

 

• Blitz chimichurri ingredients together until smooth. Reserve half and pour remaining mixture over chicken breasts. Refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes.
• Toss the rice with the cumin, spring onions, corn, tomatoes, kidney beans and seasoning.
• Heat a griddle pan, drain excess marinade from chicken and cook for about 7 minutes on each side or until charred and cooked through.
• Serve chicken with rice, reserved chimichurri and lime wedges.

 

Serves 4

Recipe and Photo from the Fresh Living Magazine

Chicken and Roast Vegetable Lasagna

I make my own lasagna for this dish because quite frankly I enjoy the therapeutic benefits of it. My husband says I am mad so you can decide if you want to do that. If so, see my “hand made pasta” recipe on this blog. If you want to use dry lasagna sheets, thats perfectly fine!

I would recommend that you try this on a weekend as it is quite time consuming. You are looking at about 1 hour 45 mins of prep time and a further 35 minutes of baking and resting time. so it’s not a quick one. But it is well worth the effort. I doubled the recipe and fed 15 people last night. I thought I would have had loads of leftovers, alas…. it was flattened!

I use the rotisserie chicken (that I buy in my supermarket already cooked) because unlike what my husband thinks, I am not THAT mad! And I also find that the chicken is just lovely and moist which really does make a difference!

1 box of Lasagna Sheets

OR if you would like to make your own pasta use the recipe here: https://stickaforkinmeimdunne.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/hand-made-pasta/ 

1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken

4 rounds feta cheese

250g mozzarella cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground sea salt

1 tbsp dried sweet basil

For the white sauce:

100g butter

100g plain flour

1 litre full cream milk

100g grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Roast Veggies:

Olive oil

Butter for frying

1 large or 2 medium butternuts

Balsamic reduction

1tbsp fresh thyme leaves (no stalks) or dried thyme is also ok

2 large sweet potatoes

1 punnet baby marrows

2 large leeks

For the mushroom sauce:

Butter for frying

300g button mushrooms

½ tsp paprika

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

• Preheat your oven to 200 C
• Line 2 baking trays with foil and rub with a little bit of olive oil.
• Peel and slice the butternut and sweet potatoes into rounds about 1cm thick. Place the butternut on one of the baking sheets with some balsamic reduction drizzled on top. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, salt and pepper. On the other baking sheet place the sweet potatoes with a little drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the trays in the oven and roast until nicely golden. Turn the veggies over once about halfway through cooking so you get some good colour. They will take about 20 – 25 minutes to cook.
• When they are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool and then turn your oven down to 180C
• Meanwhile you can start the sauce. on a low heat, melt 100g butter in a medium saucepan, add in the flour and mix into a paste. Warm the milk up in the microwave for about 2 minutes and then add to the butter and flour paste a little bit at a time until incorporated. Turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Add 50g of the Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with some salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring it every now and then to prevent a skin from forming.
• Slice the mushrooms up in a food processor and tip them into a frying pan with about 30g butter, the garlic, paprika and some salt and pepper and stir until the mushrooms are cooked. Then add about 1 cup of the white sauce to the mushroom mixture and the cheddar cheese and mix until combined. Set the mushroom sauce aside.
• Slice the baby marrows and leaks up and put them into a frying pan with a little butter and some salt and pepper to taste and fry until soft and cooked through.
• While the marrows are cooking, break the chicken up into bite size pieces and set aside.
• In a large pot of water, precook the lasagna sheets (if using dry sheets) until soft and put them one side (don’t put them on top of each other as they will stick together)

To assemble the lasagna:

• Get a large casserole dish and place a little bit of the white sauce on the bottom and then a layer of the lasagna sheets
• Next, place the butternut rounds on the lasagna sheets in a layer. Using your fingers, break up the feta over the butternut evenly.
• Drizzle with a little bit of white sauce, just in blobs. Don’t cover with too much sauce.
• Another layer of lasagna sheets. Then do a layer of the chicken bits and then pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken, covering the chicken completely.
• Another layer of lasagna sheets, then do a layer of the sweet potatoes and then top the sweet potatoes with the baby marrow and leek mixture. And drizzle with some white sauce.
• Another layer of lasagna sheets and then top with mozzarella and the dried sweet basil.
• Place the lid on your casserole (or cover with tin foil) and bake for 25 minutes. Take the lid / foil off after that and grill until the cheese turns golden brown and bubbles.
• Rest for about 5 – 10 minutes in a warm place before serving.

Serves 6 – 8.

Chicken Dim Sum with Coconut Buns, Cucumber Pickle and Hoi Sin Sauce

 

I recently received the Jamie Oliver 15 minute meals book as a gift. What a gift!! I am loving the quick and more importantly healthy recipes that are in it and they are all just packed with my kinds of flavour! I will be trying and testing and blogging the good ones for you. I tried this one last night. I was a bit worried about steaming buns and steaming chicken (!!) as I had never done that before but it was so exciting to see how it all just worked!

I used portobellini  mushrooms as I couldn’t get to the right shop to get the mixed mushrooms, but they worked beautifully. I laid it all out in the steamer and in the small bowls (see the definition of Dim Sum below) and my family tucked in! We loved it J

You do need one of these bamboo steamers though – it’s essential!

 

For the Coconut Buns

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

2 coconut milk tins (500g) of self raising flour, plus extra for dusting

 

For the Chicken, pickle & garnishes

2 x 200g skinless chicken breasts

140g mixed mushrooms

3 tbsp hoi sin sauce, plus extra to serve

2 limes

200g tenderstem broccoli

1 cucumber

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice or white wine vinegar

½ a bunch of fresh coriander

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Pickled ginger

1 – 2 fresh red chilies

 

• Pour the coconut milk into a food processor with 2 heaped tins worth of self-raising flour and a good pinch of salt, whiz to a dough, then tip on to a flour dusted work surface. Roll the dough into a sausage shape, cut into 8 even sized pieces, then place each one into a double-layered muffin case, and squeeze those into one layer of the steamer. Pour 5 cm of boiling water into a large wok or on top of a medium saucepan. Put the basket of buns on top with the lid on and leave to steam hard.
• Cut the chicken into 1cm strips and toss in a bowl with the roughly torn mushrooms, hoi sin sauce, juice of ½ lime and a pinch of salt. Mix with your hands.
• Tip the chicken and mushroom mixture into the second steamer basket along with the trimmed broccoli and pop underneath the tray of buns for 5 minutes until cooked through.
• Peel the cucumber into ribbons (I used a vegetable peeler), toss into a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar and a few torn coriander leaves, then with clean hands squeeze and scrunch everything together to make a pickle.
• Toast the sesame seeds in the frying pan on a low heat until golden, then tip into a little bowl, cut the remaining 1 ½ limes into wedges, and serve with the pickled ginger and extra hoi sin sauce in little bowls.
• Serve the buns and chicken in the steamer trays, scattering everything with the remaining coriander leaver and finely sliced chilli.

 

Serves 4

Recipe and Photo from Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals

 

What does DIM SUM mean??

Dim sum refers to a style of Cantonese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum is also well known for the unique way it is served in some restaurants, whereby fully cooked and ready-to-serve dim sum dishes are carted around the restaurant for customers to choose their orders while seated at their tables.

Eating dim sum at a restaurant is usually known in Cantonese as going to “drink tea” as tea is typically served with dim sum.

Oriental Chicken Salad

This recipe was given to me by a friend. I tried it the same night and absolutely loved it! It’s light and full of wonderful flavour. The ricotta is also such a lovely touch and works so well with the chilli. It makes a great change to throwing some Feta onto a salad!  Thanks Nikki for a great addition to the blog and my meal planning 🙂

2 Handfulls of rocket

1 handfull of fresh watercress

2 handfulls baby spinach

2 small oranges

1 block or 1 tub of Ricotta cheese

3 Spring onions, finely sliced

3 baby marrows, thinly sliced (lengthways)

6 – 8 baby rosa or cherry tomatoes

4 chicken breast fillets

1 Tbsp chicken spice or BBQ spice

Salt and pepper to season

2 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp dried origanum

Dressing:

1 tbsp Soya sauce

2 tsp Honey

2 Tbsp Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

A squirt of lemon juice

• Slice the chicken thinly into strips, season with chicken spice and salt and pepper and brown in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil.  Set aside to cool
• Line a baking tray with foil. Break the ricotta into crumbs onto the baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, dried origanum and chilli flakes.
• Grill in the oven until golden brown and then set aside to cool.
• Grill the marrow slices in a griddle pan with some olive oil. (You can serve it raw if you like)
• Prepare salad greens and other raw veg.
• Cut the skin off the oranges and then slice into segments.
• Arrange the rocket, watercress and spinach on a plate and top with the marrows, chicken, ricotta, tomatoes and orange slices.

For the dressing:

• Mix all the dressing ingredients together giving it a good whisk and then drizzle over the salad when you are ready to serve.

Serves 4

Recipe by Nikki Nilsson

Soy-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stir Fry Veggies

I love the way you can spruce up chicken with some gorgeous texture and flavours. The chicken part of this recipe is from the Fresh living Mag, but the stir fry veggies are my quick and easy stir fry veggies. You can add some chopped chilli if you want some heat!

1.5kg Chicken thighs (skin and bone still attached)

Olive oil

1/4 Cup (60ml) soy sauce

2 Tbsp (30ml) oyster sauce

Salt and milled pepper

Stir fry veggies:

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1  x 2cm piece fresh ginger (grated)

1 carrot – sliced lengthways

3 baby marrows – sliced lengthways

1 baby cabbage, sliced thinly

1 baby leek, sliced thinly

1 red pepper, sliced julienne

Sliced mushroooms

A handful of cashew nuts

a glug of soy sauce

– Preheat your oven to 200 C

– Toss chicken in a little oil

– Heat a pan until hot and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides

– Whisk together soy and oyster sauces

– Place chicken onto a foil-lined baking tray, coat with soy sauce mixture and season.

– Roast for 15 minutes until chicken is sticky and caramelised

– Fry garlic and ginger in some olive oil and add the vegetables, cashew nuts and soy sauce and stir fry until cooked to your liking.

Serve with steamed basmati rice or noodles.

Serves 4

Carol’s Curried Chinese Chicken

I was given this recipe about 13 years ago! I thought I had lost it only to find it recently. I made it last night and it brought back great memories of when I really started cooking and trying out new recipes! I will always be grateful to Carol for passing on some amazing recipes that I STILL use today!

If you dont want to cook the chicken you can use a shredded cooked chicken (one you buy, or you can roast a whole chicken and shred it into this sauce which I actually prefer doing as you get gorgeous different textures of meat).

The sauce is a fragrant, spicy, sweet and sour type sauce, it’s hard to explain, but very delicious! Its a great way to liven up a few chicken breasts!

4 Tbsp Olive oil

900g chicken fillets

1 clove garlic – crushed

1 Green Pepper – sliced or diced

1/2 Red pepper and 1/2 yellow pepper – sliced or diced

1/2 punnet button mushrooms – sliced

5 small onions, sliced

Sauce:

1/2 C Sugar

1/2 Cup Vinegar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp dried sweet basil

2 sticks cinnamon

5 cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 C boiling water – can add more

1 small tin of tomato paste

– Heat a frying pan on high heat and quickly fry the chicken strips in some salt and pepper and garlic until coloured and JUST cooked. Set aside.

– Gently fry the onions in oil for a minute or two. Add the peppers and the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes.

– Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and then pour it over the onion mixture and simmer gently until veggies are tender.

– Add the chicken strips to the sauce, mix well and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve with steamed basmati rice or egg noodles.

Serves 4

Recipe by Carol Elliott

Cashew Nut Butter Chicken

I came across this recipe and it is similar to mine but with some interesting little twists. I love using chicken thigh fillets for curries like this as they keep their moisture and you can give them that tasty char without drying them out too much. The cashew nuts also adds an awesome element, similar to a korma.

250ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt

45ml (3 tbsp) ready-made butter chicken spice paste

750g chicken thigh fillets, skin and bones removed, roughly chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 onion, chopped

3cm fresh ginger, grated

1 green chilli, seeded and chopped

30g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter

3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

5ml (1tsp) paprika

15ml (1 tbsp) garam masala

1 x 410g tin chopped tomatoes

250ml (1 cup) chicken stock

250ml (1 cup) water

125ml (1/2 cup) fresh cream

100g unsalted cashew nuts

– Preheat your oven to 180C

– Combine the yoghurt, spice paste, chicken, and seasoning in a large bowl. Coat well, refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight which will be best)

– Place the onion, ginger and chilli in a food processor and blend to form a paste.

– Melt half the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the cardamom pods, paprika and garam masala. Cook for 1 minute then add the onion mixture and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

– Add the tomatoes, stock and water. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly and transfer to a food processor. Blend until smooth and return sauce to the pan.

– Place the chicken on a baking tray, season well and grill until the chicken is cooked and slightly charred, turning half way, 12 – 15 minutes.

– Add the chicken to the tomato sauce together with any juices. Add the cream and remaining butter and heat through.

– Grind the cashew nuts with 15 – 30 ml (1 – 2 tbsp) water in a food processor to form a paste. Stir into the curry and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes.

– Serve the curry with fresh coriander, chopped red onion, poppadoms, steamed basmati rice, sliced red chilli and naan bread.

Serves 4 – 6

Recipe from Food and Home Entertaining Magazine

Tandoori Chicken Curry

I am by no means a curry expert, but it is a cuisine that intrigues me greatly and I am on a bit of a mission to understand it more! But this recipe is one that I have kind of tweaked and changed along the way and it has become somewhat of a hit in my home and with my friends. It has great flavour and the creamy decadent sauce is delicious with gorgeous fresh naan bread!

12  large chicken breast fillets or 12 chicken thighs on the bone with the skin

For the Marinade: 

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp tandoori masala (or garam masala, or tandoori spice mix)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp tumeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

500ml buttermilk (or natural plain yoghurt – but I find buttermilk is best)

1 tsp red food colouring

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 3cm piece of ginger, grated

For the sauce: 

1 large onion, diced and mixed with 1.5 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp tandoori masala (or garam masala)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp tumeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder (you can leave this out if you want a mild curry, or add extra if you want it very hot)

1 tin chopped tomatoes

4 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp salt

Remaining marinade

250 mls fresh cream

3 tbsp butter

– Score the chicken fillets (or the thighs)

– Mix all the marinade ingredients together, place the chicken into the marinade – making sure all the pieces are submerged.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

– Heat the oven to 180 C and line a baking tray with some tin foil.

– Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake it a bit to get rid of excess marinade (not too much because you want it to cook with some marinade)

– Place the chicken fillets (or thighs) onto the baking tray and bake until done. The fillets only take about 15 – 20 minutes, please watch it carefully and don’t over cook them! The thighs will take about 35 – 40 minutes.

– Take the chicken out and set aside

– When you have put the chicken in the oven, start the sauce – the longer it simmers the better.

– Fry the chopped onions and sugar in about 2 tbsp of butter. then add the dry spices and stir until fragrant.

– Add the remaining marinade and stir well.

– Add the tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, sugar and salt and stir well. Bring it to the boil and then reduce the heat and let the curry simmer slowly for about 45 minutes.

– Blitz the sauce in either a food processor or with a hand held blender until smooth.

– Add 1 – 2 tbsp pf butter and the cream and then taste and adjust the seasoning.

– If you have used fillets, chop them up into bite sizes pieces and then add them to the sauce and let the chicken heat through. Or if you have used thighs, just pop them in the sauce and heat through.

– Serve with white basmati rice and naan bread or popadoms.

Serves 4

Recipe & Photo by Lindsay Dunne