Pick me up soup

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total page views: 82 (come on people that's rubbish!) 

Can you believe we're a week into November and it's only about 6 weeks till Christmas. How scary is that! I really feel like winter has crept up on me this year but I guess that's partly because we've been spoilt with particularly mild weather. But this week has been awful. I actually had to de-ice my car yesterday (I suppose it doesn't help that I leave home by 7am). I wore my furry winter boots to work and there was a point in my commute where I wished I had picked up my ear muffs. And in addition to all the extra clothing the other joyous thing the winter brings is germs! I can almost see them around me, on the escalator hand rail at the station, in the tube or on the door handles at work. When I see people coughing and spluttering next to me on the train I almost wish I could 'borrow' surgical masks from work and wear them home. But I know there's no avoiding it. So the key is to protect yourself. WASH YOUR HANDS! Trust me it helps. None of that antibacterial stuff, although I do carry that around in abundance. Just good old soap and water and a thorough hand washing technique. Guidelines say it should take between 40-60 seconds to wash your hands properly. Try it, it's a long time!! And being in direct patient contact I must wash my hands a minimum of 15 times a day. They are so dry now, I really must get some better handcream! 

Anyway, apart from OCD hand hygiene the other key is improving your immune system. And what better way than through your diet. I'm a convert to the use of turmeric. My mum told me that if you feel a sore throat coming swallow 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric (this is actually very hard to do as it just sticks to your tongue) followed by a gulp of water to wash it down. This is the best home remedy I have ever come across. I suggest it to everyone that ever mentions to me that they are coming down with something and I have even been known to take a little pot of turmeric to poorly friends' house in case they don't have any! My other home remedy tip is allium sativum. Don't worry it's nothing illegal, it's only garlic! N and I are huge believers in the power of garlic. I know it can be antisocial but we eat it in abundance, particularly when we feel like we are coming down with something. Like today. We both felt like we were fighting off something. My remedy was homemade chicken and leek soup with loads of garlic. It's just what I needed, I feel better already! 

Chicken and Leek soup

(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 35-40 mins)

Ingredients 

- 2 chicken breast fillets

- a small onion - roughly chopped 

- loads of garlic (I used 5 large cloves) - roughly chopped

- 1 large or 2 medium leeks - chopped into thick slices

- 1 large potato - chopped into large pieces

- 1 Knorr chicken stock pot dissolved into 750 ml (or you can use a stock cube)

- chopped parsley 

- oil for frying

- black pepper

Method

- Fry the onions and garlic in a deep saucepan

- Add the leek and potatoes and cook for a few mins

- Add the chicken breasts and stock. Stir. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked and potatoes are soft

- Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the rest of the soup in a jug blender and blend until smooth(ish). You can also use a hand blender, although I hate these! I have never got the hang of not spraying myself with food!

- Cut the chicken into small pieces. If you cut along the grain of the chicken breast it should 'shred' quite easily 

- Return the blended soup and chicken into the saucepan. Add the chopped parsley and black pepper, and boiling water if you wish to make the soup thinner

- Serve with crusty bread or for an extra garlic boost try my garlic bread recipe (April 2012) 

Last Minute Dinner

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Tuesday's total page views (sorry I forgot to list this yesterday!): 138

Yesterday's total page views: 144

I took some prawns out of the freezer this morning with absolutely no idea what I was going to do with them. I had made my 'paelotto' earlier this week so that was out and, although N could eat it every day, to be honest I'm a bit bored of stir fry. I pondered all day - in between actually seeing patients of course. And then the flavours came to me. I could taste them. Onions and garlic in a silky sauce with earthy mushrooms, succulent baby prawns and fresh tomatoes. All tossed in al dente spaghetti. My mouth was watering all day. I had high expectations from this dish and trust me it didn't disappoint. 

Easy weekday spaghetti 

(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 20-30 mins) 

Ingredients

- 120-150g spaghetti

- 1 small onion - finely chopped

- 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped 

- 1 pack of cooked prawns 

- 6-7 mushrooms - sliced 

- 2 tomatoes - chopped 

- Mixed Italian herbs or parsley

- 100ml chicken stock 

- Black pepper

- Squeeze of lemon juice 

Method

- Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside

- Fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden 

- Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes

- Add the prawns and herbs and stir. Fry for 2-3 mins 

- Pour in the stock and simmer until the sauce has thickened 

- Add the spaghetti and toss through 

- Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper

Pizza Romano

I love Paris. It has to be one of my favourite cities and a place where N and I go back to again and again. It's just so easy. Hop on a train from St Pancras and a few hours later you're in one of the most beautiful cities in world. A decade ago the thought of going back to a place time and again sounded so boring but as I've got older I relish the familiarity. Once you've found a great hotel, wonderful sights to see and exquisite restaurants serving delicious food why would you not want to go back? The other advantage with revisiting great cities is that you've already seen all the sights, so you can pick and choose what you go back to. The first time N and I visited Paris together was the middle of winter. We dressed up in coats and hats and boots and gloves and set out first thing in the morning to see the sights of Paris. We walked all day. By the time we got to dinner at 9pm I was exhausted and before my salmon main course arrived I was nodding off at the table!

So now when we go to Paris we take things at a slower pace.  We amble around the streets near the delightful boutique hotel we stay at in the 9th arrondissement. We venture out and see a sight per day, my favourite being the beautiful gardens of the Musee de Rodin. And in fact sometimes we don't even see a whole sight. I mean who could imagine covering the whole of the Louvre in a day! But the most wonderful part is that we visit the same restaurants and often order the same dishes each time we go. They're not fancy restaurants. Just good honest food and great service. And in fact one of those isn't even French. We found a great pizza place just round the corner from our hotel. Pizza Romano. I can still taste the thin, slightly crispy base, drenched in garlic oil, fresh chillies, sweet vine ripened tomatoes, sprinkled with fresh peppery rocket and covered in salty Parma ham. In the absence of another trip to Paris I've had to recreate it at home. It's pretty amazing but not quite Pizza Romano. N pack your bags we're going to Paris! 

Pizza Romano 

(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 25-30 mins + 1 hour if you make the dough in a bread machine) 

Ingredients

- Ingredients for pizza base or ready-made pizza base

- 2-3 tomatoes - sliced

- 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped or crushed 

- Black olives - finely sliced

- Spring onions - sliced

- Chilli oil

- Rocket leaves

- Pack of Parma ham 

- Black pepper 

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan

- Make the dough as per the bread machine instructions and roll on a floured surface

- If using the ready made bases remove from package and place on a surface

- Sprinke on the garlic cloves and drizzle with chilli oil

- Spread evenly the olives, spring onions and sliced tomatoes onto the base

- Sprinkle with cracked black pepper and top with rocket leaves

- Place in the oven for 12 minutes or until the base is cooked

- Remove from the oven and top with Parma ham slices 

- Return to the oven for 5 minutes

- Drizzle with more chilli or or plain olive oil 

- Slice and serve 

Home Essentials

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total page views: 111

I do shop regularly, I get an Ocado delivery about twice a week, yet how is it that sometimes there is absolutely nothing in the fridge. Obviously I don't actually mean nothing. But even if I am having one of my most creative days I would still struggle to make a decent dinner out of carrots, Tabasco, strawberry flavoured muller corner and eggs. Yesterday was one of those days. I managed to pull together a paella-type concoction which actually tasted quite good, but sadly not blog worthy. The main problem was I didn't have any tomatoes. I mean cherry would have been ideal but I would have settled for regular. But no matter how much I searched I could not even find one little tomato. I knew the paella would survive. It ended up more like a risotto. Or a 'paelotto' as I decided to name it. But my biggest concern was the look on N's face when he came home and found out there was not a tomato to be found. You see N loves tomatoes. He eats them like fruit. Some times 2 or 3 whole tomatoes after a meal which has already contained tomatoes. Personally I don't get it, I actually don't like tomatoes very much, although I do get heavily persuaded to eat them these days by a certain tomato addict. But it got me thinking about my shopping order. There are a handful of things that are always the same. I'm sure everyone has staples but I wonder whether everyone's are the same. And ours have evolved over time. They used to be eggs, bread, milk, cheese, bananas, tomatoes etc. but somehow they have grown to include oranges, kiwis and most recently choc ices! So what are your shopping must haves? Name 5 things you absolutely must have at home. Go on write a comment. I know it's a hassle but I'd love to hear what you have to say. The page views are increasing every day, which is fantastic, but let's make this post an interactive one! 

Asian style tuna

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total page views: 79

Mondays are without a doubt my most stressful day, so I apologise if I keep this post short. It's the start if the week, I had a crazy busy day and work and it didn't help that it was raining most the day, which meant that while walking home from work in the dark I accidental ended up ankle deep in a puddle! Joy! To top it off Monday is the night the rubbish gets put out. Why do they make it so complicated. What's with the alternate weeks for garden waste collection? I never know when it's an odd week or even week or a red week or green week or whatever it is. I used to try and work it out on the website but then I realised you actually need a special refuse collection degree to get it right, so now I put everything out every week and just hope for the best. I suspect I'm not the bin man's favourite resident! 

Anyway rant over, let's get to the point. And actually this has ended up being a longer post than I had planned, so now I will apologise for it being too long! So, I was looking through my blog archives last night and I couldn't believe that I have never posted this recipe. I know I say this about a lot of dishes but I think that this one is, without a doubt, N's favourite meal. And actually maybe mine too. We have it all the time (well about once every 2 weeks actually)! I tend to alternate this with my Oriental sea bass on a weekly basis. Odd weeks tuna, even sea bass. Or should that be green and red weeks. I'm getting refuse collection flashbacks...Aargh!

Asian style tuna

(Serves 2| total prep and cooking time 30-40 mins) 

Ingredients 

- 2 tuna steaks

- 2 spring onions- sliced

- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped 

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- handful of chopped coriander

- juice of 1 small lime 

- 1/2 small chilli - deseeded and finely chopped 

Method 

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan 

- Place the tuna steaks into a shallow oven proof dish

- In a bowl make the marinade. Add the oil, soy sauce, spring onions, garlic, chilli, coriander and lime juice and mix well

- Pour over the tuna steaks and cover the dish with foil

- Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour if you have time. If not just cook it straight away

- Place in the oven for 20 mins or until cooked through. 

- Serve with stir fry vegetable and egg fried rice or Chinese style noodles

Does a 10 minute meal really exist? It does if you cheat!!

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total page views: 67 

I find super quick meals difficult. I have to admit if I need to make a speedy dinner it tends to be ready made chicken kievs or frozen pizza but sometimes you need something quick AND healthy. This is just such a dish. It helped that I had leftover rice already made otherwise perhaps it's a 15 minute dish rather than 10! Either way it's perfect for those evenings where you want to eat well but don't want to spend all evening slaving over it. Especially when there are more pressing matters to attend to, like watching Downton Abbey!

Chicken and vegetable stir fried rice 

(Serves 2 | total prep a cooking time 10-15 mins)

Ingredients

- 120-150g rice (I use 3 handfuls per person, probably not very accurate but it does the job) 

- 1 pack roasted chicken pieces

- 1 pack mushroom stir fry

- 1 egg

- soy sauce

- Chinese five spice (Barts brand is best as it has no added salt or sugar)

- toasted sesame oil 

- groundnut oil for frying

- tablespoon chopped coriander 

- oyster sauce (optional)

- Chinese rice wine vinegar (optional) 

Method

- Cook the rice of you don't have any leftover. Rice will stir fry best of it's cold so if you have time put it in the fridge

- Heat the groundnut oil in a wok 

- Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk 

- Pour into the wok and scramble the egg

- Transfer into a plate and keep aside

- Add a little more oil 

- add the stir fry veg and chicken pieces. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently 

- Return the egg to the wok

- Add a sprinkling of five spice, a dash of soy sauce, and some sesame oil

- If you wish add a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a splash of rice wine vinegar

- Add the rice and coriander and mix well

- Cover and cook on a low heat for a few mins 

Cook's tip: swap the roast chicken of cooked prawns for a dish that's just as quick 

Winter warming lamb curry

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

I never make lamb curry. It takes too long and I know N will say it's too heavy for a week night dinner. But winter's coming and it's time for comfort food. Yes, I know that last statement is debatable. This has so far got to be the warmest October I can remember. There were trick or treaters last night with sleeveless tops on! But the nights are drawing in and there is Christmas In the air (or in the shops at least) so in my mind winter is here. I had some diced lamb in my Ocado shop this week and I just couldn't decide what to do with it. I usually make a lamb casserole or a hotpot but I fancied something a bit different. So lamb curry it was. And my two concerns were unfounded. Firstly my mum gave me great tip. She suggested simmering the curry in the oven rather than on the hob which meant that although it still took a while to cook, I didn't have to watch over it. I managed to sneak in a shower and put the washing away...talk about a good use of time. And secondly, N loved it, there were no complaints whatsoever! 

Lamb Curry

(serves 2 | prep time - 20-30 mins | cooking time - 45-60 mins)

Ingredients

- 300g diced lamb shoulder or leg 

- 1 finely chopped onion 

- 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped

- 2 inch piece of ginger - finely chopped

- 1 heaped teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

- pinch of garam masala 

- 1/2 chilli - finely chopped

- small tin (227g) chopped tomatoes

- Tablespoon chopped coriander

- salt to taste 

- oil for frying (e.g sunflower or rapeseed) 

- Approx 200ml water

Method

- Heat the oven to 160 degrees fan

- Cut off any extra fat from the lamb

- Heat some oil on the hob in an deep dish suitable for use on the hob and in the oven. Don't worry if you don't have one you can always transfer it to a different dish part way through

- Fry the onions, garlic and ginger until softened and golden brown

- Add the lamb and fry until sealed (outer edges are cooked). Stir often

- Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric 

- Stir regularly and cook for approx 5 mins

- Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander and chilli and still well and cook for 5-10 mins. Keep stirring regularly

- Add water and salt to taste

- Place in the oven for 45-60 mins

- Return to the hob to dry out any excess water until you get the gravy consistency you like. If it is too dry you can add some water 

- Add the garam masala and stir through