Recipes – Page 2 – The Mum Reviews

Restaurant-worthy refried beans for tacos & more

I am a true Mexican food fanatic. I grew up in Los Angeles, so it’s part and parcel of my childhood. I usually rate a restaurant based on their refried beans; maybe it’s silly, but if they can’t get these right, I’m usually less than impressed with the more complex dishes. As the mum of two small children, I don’t have a lot of time to soak beans from scratch, but this recipe using tinned pinto and black beans is so tasty, you’ll hardly know the difference.

Refried beans can be pretty calorific if you use traditional methods, like including pork fat or lard as your “fat”. For sure it tastes amazing to use drippings, but I can’t handle that much grease, and I don’t keep lard on hand. For this recipe, I use 50/50 butter and veg oil for frying the onions and spices, and the flavour is just as rich. My daughter loves these beans so well, she asked for a bowl to herself. I like them in tacos and burritos, or with a handful of tortilla chips for dipping. This may be a side dish or the star of the show, but it’s easy and fresh. I doubt you’ll go for tinned refried beans again.

You’ll need:

425g/15oz tin pinto beans
425g/15oz tin black beans
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon veg oil
¼ cup chopped white onion
1 heaped teaspoon mild diced chilies (I use a small tin of fire roasted diced chilies for flavour, not heat)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chicken stock concentrate, or 1 stock cube
3-4 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

The method:

Open and drain your beans, but don’t rinse them so that you keep some of their own liquid.

In a wide pan, bring the oil and butter to heat together over a medium-high heat before adding your onions.

Coat the onions in the oil/butter and begin to lightly fry before adding your diced chilies and dry spices.

Allow the spices and chilies to fry lightly for about a minute before adding the drained beans.

Coat the beans with the onion mixture and bring to temperature, allowing the bean liquid to begin to evaporate/reduce. This offers a little frying to some of the beans, before we cover the lot with stock.

Add your chicken stock concentrate and enough water to just cover the beans. Give it all a good stir, cover the pot and reduce to a medium-low heat.

Once the beans are boiling away, covered in a pressure cooker environment, they’ll soften even more, and take on the spices and chicken flavour. I usually allow them to boil for about 20 minutes, topping up the water if it begins to stick on the bottom.

After 20 minutes or so, uncover and bring out the potato masher, if you want to crush the beans. You don’t need to do this, but the smooth consistency of restaurant beans won’t be matched without some smashing.

Once I’ve mashed the beans, I add another ¼ or ½ cup of water to loosen the beans and help them cool down. I go another step and use my food processor to blitz the beans once they’ve cooled a little, especially when using black beans. If you’re only using pinto beans, they’ll likely smash easily enough with the masher.

Once I’ve whizzed the beans, I add salt and pepper to taste, but the chicken stock and butter add sodium, so be sure to taste before piling on the salt.

These refried beans are ready to eat as is, or you can roll them up in a tortilla, serve with rice or chips, or put them into tacos like we did last night. I also made a quick batch of taco meat using ground turkey, and the kids gobbled it up. I hope you’ll enjoy these as well as we do, and have fun making your own restaurant-style beans.

Gorgonzola Potatoes recipe

As a parent of two young children, I am mindful of the foods they eat, and the types of processed foods and chemicals that come into their diet. I try my best to cook from scratch, so I know how to pronounce the ingredients, and so my kids can see their mum using ingredients instead of packets. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not nearly perfect, and of course there are days that require a fast food emergency or a frozen pizza hail Mary. I try to minimise the chances by cooking baking trays of food that can be used and reused and frozen and reused later. This dish is a great example.

Served with a roast for a large crowd, or served with Polish sausage for a quick midweek meal, this is an easy dish that tastes extravagant. Using baby potatoes cuts the cooking and prep time, and my flourless cream sauce is gluten-free and fail proof. I strive to incorporate grown up flavours into my recipes. Even though they’re geared towards my 4- and 6-year-old, my husband and I still have to eat dinner! I find introducing the kids to more complex flavours, like stinky cheese, is best done in stages. With this in mind, please feel free to up the stinky ante and go for all gorgonzola in the recipe, but I’ve done a 50/50 with a sharp cheddar to mellow the blue cheese.

This recipe takes just over an hour, but it’s broken up with waiting for the potatoes to boil, and later the oven takes over. As a busy mum, I manage this midweek around washing up, potty breaks and sibling rivalries. The cheese sauce is so simple, and I can walk away from it if I have to without fear of burning. I cook gluten-free meals for my husband, but I’ll never go back to a flour-based sauce again after adopting this method. We like this with kielbasa and steamed broccoli, but it can be served with any number of meat/less varieties. I usually pop the sausage into the oven below the potatoes so they finish together, and it’s scrumdiddlyumptious. Hope you like it!

You’ll need:

Large pot 1/3 full of water (approx. 1 ltr)
15-20 baby (new) white and/or red skin potatoes (I half-filled a 9×13 glass baking dish)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped white onion (I use frozen)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 ½ cup chicken stock (I used a teaspoon of concentrate dissolved into water)
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups single cream (or half & half)
Salt and pepper to taste
Large baking dish to single-layer the potatoes in the sauce

The method:

Bring to the boil a large pot full of the potatoes and water. Allow to boil for 10-15 minutes until just soft, slightly beyond parboil.

If you’d like to use a second pot, you can start the cheese sauce now, but I usually get something done while I’m waiting and then reuse the pot while the potatoes drain and cool.

Drain the potatoes and allow to cool slightly for minor handling. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.

I use the same pot to now melt the butter and onions and allow to lightly fry on a medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes.

Add the dry spices and fry with the onions for about 1 minute before adding the chicken stock.

Allow the chicken stock to reduce by a third for about 5 minutes over a medium high heat.

Add the gorgonzola and cheddar and stir into the stock until it’s melted and incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the cream and stir into the sauce, reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Have a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Don’t worry if it looks like a little oily – as it reduces it will thicken up. Once the sauce covers only the mostly boiled potatoes, they will soak up the sauce so nicely (I promise).

While the sauce is reducing, the potatoes will have cooled and you can either use a cutting board, or my lazy method of toss and slice in the colander.

Once you’ve halved (most of) the potatoes, gently transfer them into the cheese sauce to coat them well.

Pour the potatoes and sauce into a baking dish (greased if metal). If you’ve missed a couple of potatoes in the toss and slice, this is your chance to slice away before putting the dish into the oven. The baby potatoes are so creamy themselves, it’s nice to keep larger chunks, so I don’t go crazy.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until golden on top.

My family love this dish, and it’s lovely to see them embracing stinky cheese. We had it this week with sausage and broccoli, then again with fish and peas. I’ll freeze a portion for easy midweek reheat, or it will go perfectly with a Sunday roast. I hope you find your favourite combination!

Tarragon Chicken with Mushroom and Spinach recipe

I don’t always have it in me to eat kid-type foods, so I make my kids eat grownup food once in a while. This is a recipe that can easily be used for a dinner party, but my kids really like it too! As with most of my meals, I try to hide vegetables and use mild spices. You can opt out of the splash of white wine if your kids are just not having it, but it really does add an acidity that cuts the cream nicely.

I like the fragrance of fresh tarragon, but dried works really well, and I even use a bit of the dry flake to top up the tarragon flavour at the end if necessary. I prefer to use my cast iron pan, to get good colour on the chicken, but your favourite browning pan will still work a treat. Try not to shift the chicken once you’ve placed it so that a nice rich colour develops, even if it’s only on one side. It’ll add to the flavour of the dish once you deglaze with the wine or water.

My house was smelling so good once I got started on this, and it only took 45 minutes from start to finish. A midweek feast, really, and easy with plain white rice to serve. I use my rice cooker with just a tab of butter and dash of salt to cook with the rice. The sauce from this recipe requires no additional flavour from the rice as it’s so rich and creamy.

You’ll need:

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2-3 chicken breasts
2-3 sprigs fresh tarragon (2 tablespoons dried)
1 cup sliced leek
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black or white pepper
1 tsp dried garlic powder
1 tablespoon salted butter
¼ cup white wine (optional)
½ cup warm water
2 cups single cream or half and half
1 cup finely chopped white mushrooms
1 cup chopped spinach (I use frozen)
1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
Serve with white or brown rice for four adult meals, 2 cups dry rice should do the trick

The method:

Warm your oil in a pan over a medium heat before adding the sliced leeks and a handful of tarragon leaves (no stems). Allow the leeks and leaves to lightly fry for about 1-2 minute.

Press the leeks to the side of the pan to clear the oil; you’ve now flavoured it for cooking the chicken.

Add the chicken breast, room temperature is best for getting good colour, and put the leeks on top of the breast so the chicken gets good contact with the pan and the leeks don’t burn.

Allow the chicken to brown, try not to shift it, for about 3 minutes on each side.

Add a tab of butter and allow it to melt before adding the mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms in around the chicken to allow a light fry in the oil with the leeks and tarragon mostly on top of the chicken.

Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with aluminium foil.

Add the white wine or a bit of water to deglaze the pan; basically scrape everything off the bottom to save that flavour for your sauce.

Add the cream and combine, allowing it to come up to a light bubble.

Add the chopped spinach and incorporate into the sauce.

Add the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, and any dry tarragon you feel you need to taste.

Add the chicken back to the pan with any juices from resting and allow to lightly simmer for about 15-20 minutes over a low heat. You can cover the pan if you feel like it’s reducing too quickly.

I use a rice cooker to make 2 cups of white rice to serve, so this is the perfect time to get that started. The chicken and rice should finish at just about the same time.

Check the largest/thickest piece of chicken after 15 minutes simmering to see if the juices are running clear. Once you’re satisfied the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and serve over the rice.

Depending on how much sauce you want, you can allow this reduce further, or add a bit more cream to mellow the flavours for younger diners.

The mushrooms and spinach disappear into the leeks and tarragon, and the sauce is just lovely over the rice. It’s a pretty healthy meal, really, and gluten free! Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry recipe

This a great detox dish if you’re fed up of heavy meals and roasts after Christmas. It’s naturally sweetened by the roasted sweet potatoes, and brightened with lemon or lime juice. My daughter happily scoops up this dinner with her tiny 4-year-old hands, relishing every bite. She even asked for it for lunch, declaring she hates sandwiches and needs lentils and rice. It is a perfect combination for young eaters – easy to eat independently once mummy mixes it together so the rice is coated.

I like the texture and sweetness that oven-baked sweet potato adds to this recipe, and the kids do as well. I’m usually the kind of cook that likes a one-pot meal, but the added baking dish is totally worth it for this. The bonus in the winter is the warmth to be gained from 45 minutes of a high temperature oven. Yes please! This recipe includes carrots, sweet peppers and peas in the rice, so it packs a veggie punch. No meat here, but you could add some tandoori chicken from my previous recipe if you feel like you need it. Lentils provide plenty of protein, though, so we don’t miss the meat. Serving it with a bit of Greek yogurt also adds protein, and creaminess!

I must admit that I don’t measure my spices – I add in dashes – so the measurements in the recipe are approximate. You can use a tandoori spice mix, garam masala or a curry powder that you like instead, but the below spices are those that I find work best with this recipe, so I dash them in. If you prefer, you can add about 1 tablespoon of your mix of choice instead of those below, but I encourage you to try your hand at a bit of dramatic flair and pinch, dash or sprinkle right into the pan.

This is best served with rice; I use jasmine rice because you don’t need to rinse it and it’s a straightforward 1 rice to 2 water ratio. For curry, I like to add frozen peas and a dash of Chinese Five Spice to cook with the rice for the aromatic favour it adds. Whether using a pot or rice cooker, I recommend layering the frozen peas first, then a tab of butter and sprinkle of five spice, then the rice and lastly the water. It saves the rice from burning to the bottom if, for a multitude of mom reasons, you can’t get to it right on time.

Even on its own, this lentil dish is delicious and can be spiced up with chili for braver tastebuds. My kids like it mild, so I don’t have chili here, but feel free to add it to taste.

You’ll need:

1 medium sweet potato
1 tablespoon vegetable oil of choice, high heat tolerant (olive oil isn’t recommended)
1 tablespoon ghee or veg oil
1 medium chopped white onion (about ¾ cup if using frozen)
1 cup/1 medium finely chopped or grated carrot (I use a cheese grater)
1 cup/1 medium finely chopped bell pepper (yellow hides really well)
1 cup rinsed red lentils (or yellow, but please rinse well)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon paprika powder
1 cup roughly chopped coriander/cilantro (fresh is best, but use less if using those little tubes…)
3+ cups of warm water (additional water to top it up as needed to soften lentils)
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (optional, but adds creaminess)
If serving with rice, I use 2 cups jasmine rice, 4 cups water, 1 cup frozen peas, a tab of butter and a dash of Chinese Five Spice.

The method:

Begin with preheating your oven to 400F/200C for the sweet potatoes.

Peel and chop the potato into roughly the same size pieces for even cooking and add to the tray.

Toss the potatoes in a bit of oil and cover with aluminium foil for the first half of the baking time (20-30 minutes).

In a large skillet, add the ghee or oil, onion and carrots, and lightly brown over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Measure and rinse your lentils, ensuring the water runs clear through a sieve. Add the lentils and the peppers to the onions and carrots.

Add your dry spices and coriander to the mixture. You can use a premixed dry curry spice if you prefer.

Give it all a good stir to coat the lentils well with your spices, and allow them to lightly fry for about 2 minutes before adding the water to cover the lentils.

Reduce the heat to med/low, cover your skillet with a lid and allow the curry to soften. You want to be sure the lentils are covered, so you may need to top up the water occasionally. This should only take 20 minutes, but it depends on the lentils.

After 20-30 minutes in the oven, remove the aluminium foil from the sweet potatoes and finish uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until lightly-browned edges show off the natural caramelisation.

Once the lentils are just about the desired texture, the sweet potatoes should also be done, approximately 45 minutes all in. Remove the potatoes from the oven and add to the curry. The potato pieces will naturally break apart into the curry as you stir them into the mixture.

At this point, I’ve usually started my rice. There’s a lot going on with this dish, but it simmers away without needing attention, so there’s plenty of time to get the rice going in time for serving. The curry will happily bubble away, reducing to your favourite consistency.

The roasted sweet potato thickens the dish, so you can mix it thoroughly or leave larger bits – it’s up to you! If you like the added creaminess, you can also add the Greek yogurt to mellow the spices and sweetness. If adding yogurt, be sure the temperature is reduced and you just bring the curry back to a light bubble before serving.

We enjoy this with just a bit of rice and a nice big ladle full of lentils. My husband and I usually add a dash of chili flake or a spicy chutney, just for the heat. My daughter especially loves this curry, and doesn’t even need rice. I hope you give this a try and enjoy!

Chocolate Date Bread recipe

This is a bread loaf recipe that I use whenever I find myself with some dates. You can chop up your own, or score some candied nuggets as I’ve pictured. I can usually find these boxes of date nuggets at the grocery store around Christmas time, and I stock up. You can find dried dates year round, and this recipe is just as delicious with the food processor dicing up the fruit and adding a little extra sugar.

My family love this for pudding, breakfast, snack and elevensies; it’s not just a Christmas pud, even if it’s perfect for the holidays as well. I’ve often gifted a loaf of this bread to new mums or for parties, because it stays moist for ages if you store it in a ziplock bag before slicing to serve. My daughter calls this my figgy pudding, mostly because it’s always around for tree decorating and accompanied with warm drinks. It’s simply the easiest bread I’ve ever made, and it always garners rave reviews.

I like that this bread requires I put the kettle on. I call it my cuppa tea bread; it starts with making a cuppa, and is usually in the oven by the time I’ve finished it. Strictly speaking, it’s best to let the dates soak for up 45 minutes, until they’re nice and soft, but I usually get away with 20 minutes with the nuggets, and it leaves larger chunks of fruit. If I’ve diced whole, dried dates, I usually make sure I let the dates soak a little longer before I get started with the rest of the dough. That way I’ve softened the skins as much as possible before adding in to bake. Both methods are here, and both are easy, quick and delicious! Happy baking!

You’ll Need:

¾ cup diced dates
1 1/8 cup boiling water
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 cup white granulated sugar (3/4 cup if using candied date nuggets)
1 ½ TB butter, softened
1 med egg
½ tsp salt
½+ tsp vanilla (up to 1 tsp, to taste)
2 ¼ cup plain white flour (not self-raising)
1 cup chocolate chips
Optional 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The Method:

Put the kettle on with enough for your cuppa and the cup of water to soak the dates. If you’re using the nuggets, you won’t need to prepare the dates first, but if you’re dicing yourself, have the bits ready for the boiling water. I usually have the food processor whizz up the dates if I’m starting with whole, but you can easily hand chop rough bits. Nuggets are usually candied with sugar, so I reduce the amount of sugar I add to the dough.

Preheat your oven to 300F/150C and grease a loaf pan, 9 x 5 inches is best.

Add the boiling water to the dates and baking soda in a heatproof container, and allow all three to fizz away for about 20-40 minutes. You want the dates to be soft and fluffy, and the water to cool before you add it to the dough.

While your dates soften, cream together the butter and white sugar before beating in the egg.

Check the temperature of the dates after they’ve soaked for 20 minutes, and add to the mixture once you’re happy the dates are soft. Add the salt and vanilla and stir together well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Add the flour in gradually in three or four batches, ensuring the batter is well mixed.

Add the chocolate chips, and walnuts if you like, and mix in with a few strokes. Try not to over stir and allow the flour to get too stretchy, it’ll make it a bit dense. The chocolate chips may melt a bit while you stir, so not over doing it at this stage will also help keep chips.

Pour the batter into your greased loaf tin and set it in the middle of the oven for one hour.

Once a toothpick slides out clean from the middle, it’s done. I almost never need more than the 1 hour exactly, but all ovens vary.

Allow to cool before removing from the tin and serve in slices. Enjoy!

Tips for a perfect, portable Lemon Drizzle Cake

My mate who usually does the recipes for this blog has had the typical run of awful winter bugs this week, so hasn’t had time to write anything up for us. I’m not the cook that she is, but I occasionally excel at a bit of baking, when I apply myself. Serendipitously, this week I had the need (and by need, I mean the need to show off) to bake something for an event with my work colleagues.

The challenge I faced was that I needed to travel into London with whatever I baked, and there was a train strike on. So I needed something that I could carry on a taxi, a bus, two trains, and for a long walk, without it turning into an inedible lump of crumbs by the time I arrived at my destination.

The solution I found was this Lemon Drizzle Traybake with a lovely crunchy topping, which I found on Mary Berry’s website. That website has weird rules that you have to ask permission to link to it, so I won’t link to it, but I’m sure you can find it using our friend Google (as the BBC would say, other search engines are available) (but not really).

I’m also reliably informed that lists of ingredients cannot be copyrighted, so I’m cool to list them here, plus I’ve added all the equipment you need so there are no surprises if, like me, you don’t read the method until it’s too late. The method has been adapted to suit my own skills – in other words, I’ve tried to make it idiot-proof. I’m happy to report that not only did it travel well, but all of my colleagues ate more than one piece, so it must have been good.

You’ll need:

225g (8 oz) butter, softened
225g (8 oz) caster sugar
275g (10 oz) self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
2 small unwaxed lemons
175g (6 oz) granulated sugar
a big mixing bowl
30 x 23 x 4 cm (12 x 9 x 1 ½ inches) metal baking tray
cooking spray oil
non-stick baking parchment
Scissors
electric mixer or wooden spoon coupled with strong mixing arm
rubber spatula
a wire cooling rack

The method:

One thing to consider: this cake tastes a lot better if you make it the day before you want to eat it.

At least 3 hours before baking, put your butter out on the worktop to soften. If you cut it into smaller pieces, it will soften faster.

When your butter is soft, preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Then, rummage around and find your baking tin. The tin I used is a tray I would normally use for making fish fingers and chips. It is a very shallow baking tray and I think you need to make sure you have the right depth of tin to get this right (see dimensions above).

Measure out a rectangle of baking parchment so it is the same size as the tin (including the sides, not just the base), and cut it with the scissors. If you try to rip it on the crap ripping thing on the edge of the box, it will go all crooked and Mary Berry will have bad dreams.

Baking equipment.jpg — Can you tell I didn’t take any pictures of the actual baking process?

Spray the tin with your cooking spray and then stick the baking parchment onto it neatly as possible, pushing it down so it sticks to the spray.

Now it’s time to grate your the rinds of your 2 lemons into your big mixing bowl. Do use a fine grater, like one you’d use to grate parmesan cheese. If you use a proper lemon zester, the pieces will be too big and might be a bit chewy in the cake.

A grater.jpg — Be careful not to grate your knuckles like I did.

Once you’ve done your lemon rind grating, put your naked lemons aside for later. Then stick your softened butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour, level teaspoons of baking powder, eggs and milk into your mixing bowl.

Use your electric mixer now to mix the mixture for about 2 minutes, until smooth. You could stir it with a spoon if you don’t have a mixer, but your arm will get tired.

Then, dump the mixture into your lined tin, using your rubber spatula to get all the mixture out of the bowl and then to smooth out the mixture in the tin. Try not to drop the bowl like I did. It got heavy after a minute of holding and scraping!

Stick your tray of goodness into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly with a finger.

When it’s finished, remove it from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for just a few minutes. Then lift it out onto a wire rack with the baking parchment still attached. Place your tray underneath the wire rack to catch the drips of the topping you’re going to make. When it cools enough so you won’t burn your hands, extremely carefully remove the baking parchment. I found ripping it in strips worked for me, but you might find a more clever method.

Now, juice your two naked lemons and add the granulated sugar to the juice. It should have a runny consistency but enough sugar so that every spoon has lemony sugary-ness. You may need to add extra sugar for it to be right. While the cake it still warm, spoon this topping onto the cake, one teaspoon at a time, and spread it out evenly across the cake.

Leave the cake to cool completely, then cut it into little squares and store in an airtight container. Eat with tea and friends. Or hide in a cupboard so you don’t have to share it with your kids.

Tortilla Soup recipe

Pretty much any restaurant that serves Mexican food serves a version of Tortilla Soup. It’s brothy, fragrant and delicately spiced. Most recipes ask you to have a bit of shredded chicken on hand to pour the broth over when serving. I don’t usually have baked or boiled chicken laying around, unless I have a leftover roast that hasn’t been picked bare, so my recipe includes cooking the chicken in the broth. As per the name, tortillas are usually grilled and sliced to top the soup, but I’ve found a handful or corn or flour tortilla chips add the texture, flavour and namesake without the fuss of grilling my own.

If you haven’t tried Mexican soups, you haven’t truly embraced the winter warmer. This is a simple dish, but the depth of flavour may surprise you. Many recipes for tortilla soup have as little as four spices, keeping a clear broth to pour over shredded chicken. I like to incorporate as many vegetables as possible when cooking for my family, so I load this one up with onion, carrot, white beans and tomato. I also thinly slice chicken breast whilst still slightly frozen, and then boil it in the soup to keep it moist and tender, and add natural chicken flavour to the soup. This allows the chicken to begin to shred after boiling away for just twenty minutes or so. It’s an all in one pot, midweek meal that smells and tastes amazing.

You’ll need:

1 teaspoon oil of choice
1 cup chopped onion (I use frozen)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (fresh or dried)
1 cup grated carrot
1 8oz tin diced tomato
1 tin 8oz white/cannellini beans
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon oregano flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional depending on kids’ heat threshold)
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-6 cups of water
2 cups chopped coriander/cilantro (fresh is best)
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 small bag of corn or flour tortilla chips the break up on top when serving
Optional shredded cheese for serving

The method:

It’s easiest to prepare your chicken first, so that you have clean hands for stirring and adding spices. I like to slice chicken breast when it’s slightly frozen, so this dish is perfect for a packet I’ve had out thawing for dinner. Fresh chicken (or no chicken for the vegetarians) is still perfectly wonderful – I just tend to keep small freezer bags with meal-size portions of chicken and minced beef on hand for meal planning. Slice the chicken against the grain in thin strips. I find this works best for the shredding you want to achieve in a short amount of time.

I like to do this in one pot, so I begin with heating the oil, onions and garlic together over a medium high heat in a large soup pot. After a minute or two, the onions should be translucent and the garlic lightly frying.

Add the grated carrot, tomato and salt, and stir into the mixture. Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the pot.

Once the beans are mixed in, add the dry spices and give it a good stir before allowing it to bubble.

Once the tomato and carrots have softened slightly – 5 minutes or so should do the trick – add the chicken slices and just coat with the mixture.

Add the water straight away to avoid frying the chicken, you want the chicken to be submerged to boil.

Allow the water to come to the boil before adding your chopped coriander.

Once the pot is bubbling nicely, the chicken will go white quickly and the beans will begin to break down. I have been known to add only half of the tin of beans to begin with, and save the second half for later to retain texture, but it’s up to you if you want to add this step.

I allow this soup to boil with the cover on for about 15 minutes before reducing the temperature to a simmer and removing the lid. This helps the chicken to soften and absorb the flavours of the soup.

You can let this simmer for ages, but it’ll be ready after 30 minutes if you’re hungry – even sooner if you just make the broth and pour it over leftover chicken or no chicken at all.

To serve, my kids like this ladled over rice, with a few corn chips broken on top. I love a big, steamy bowl as it is, a couple of corn chips and a small handful of shredded cheese on top. My husband just wants a bowl of soup with a few drops of hot sauce and he’s happy. However you take it, this is a family favourite that offers a Mexican flare and isn’t heavy with refried beans and cheese. It’s veggie packed, bursting with flavour and aroma, and is sure to make your family think you slaved for hours to get such succulent chicken. Buen apetito!

One-pot tuna pasta recipe

I’m all about the quick, 20-minute meal to feed the hungry crowd, and this version of classic tuna pasta is dead easy. I really like the sweetness added by frying off a few onions in butter before adding the tuna. Usually, tinned tuna is simply stirred into the dish, but I fry it a bit with the onions as I break up the meat, and it just adds a depth of flavour without being labour intensive.

You can use gluten-free pasta if you prefer – any shape will do – but I like standard macaroni for this dish. I know it’s tempting to use a tin of condensed cream of mushroom or chicken soup, but I promise this is just as easy and less gloppy. I only want one pot to clean, so I boil the pasta and peas together, make the sauce while they drain, and then toss it all together again. Easy peasy.

You’ll need:

2 cups dry pasta
1 cup frozen peas
4-6 cups water

For the sauce:

1 cup chopped white onion (I use frozen)
2 TB butter
1 tin of tuna
1 tsp dried garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
1 cup single cream or half and half
1 cup shredded cheese of choice (I use mild cheddar for the kids)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional splash of milk to loosen the sauce as preferred

The Method:

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add your pasta. Adjust the quantities for a larger pot, but this should easily feed a family of four to five people.

After half the cooking time for your pasta, add the frozen peas and bring back to the boil.

Once the pasta is tender, drain the pasta and peas and allow to rest while you use the pot.

Add butter and onions over a med-high heat and allow the onions to go translucent.

Add the tinned tuna and break it up, coating it with the butter and onions, and allow the mixture to fry slightly.

Add the dried garlic and oregano, and mix well before pouring in the cream. Stir well, continuing to break up the tuna and allowing the cream to warm.

Add the cheese a bit at a time, stirring well into the creamy tuna in about three batches. Feel free to add more cheese than stated if you love it!

Allow the sauce to begin to bubble slightly before returning the pasta and peas. Mix well and give it a taste to add salt and pepper as you see fit.

This couldn’t be faster for a midweek meal; most ingredients are staples! Hope you enjoy this no-fuss version of a classic tuna pasta. If you just can’t live without the cheesy-baked top, go ahead and throw it into a baking dish and cover with shredded cheese. I didn’t have the time to oven bake, and this was on the table in 20 minutes! It left me time to play some Uno with the kids.

“Thanksgiving” Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Mash

Having only recently returned to the States after a decade-long hiatus from Thanksgiving, I was mildly overwhelmed by the volume of activity involved in this traditional feast. After spending many years basically forgetting about Thursday’s main event, I hadn’t prepared for the flurry that would surround at least four days of stuffing ourselves, and a turkey. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I also hosted a “Friendsgiving” on the Saturday following the blowout at my parent’s house on Thursday.

That being said, I had nary a moment to snap photos along the way between basting, roasting, caramelising and child herding, so I hope you’ll forgive the lack of step by step pictures this week. What I do have for you though, are three incredibly easy recipes that can be used for a Sunday roast or midweek feast. Trade chicken for the turkey and reduce the time by loads, and you’ll have a dinner to give thanks for – I promise.

Back in the day, a green bean casserole meant tinned beans, condensed cream of mushroom soup and fried crispy onions on top. These days, I prefer to start from scratch to ensure it’s gluten-free and free of wacky preservatives and stabilisers. Not only is it healthier; it’s a million times tastier. My family couldn’t say enough, or eat enough, of this classic side dish with homemade flavour. The sweet potato mash is just my preference to standard white mash, and it adds a lovely sweet balance to the savoury beans and turkey.

Some tips for turkey

For Friendsgiving, I slow roasted a medium-sized turkey coated in honey mustard until it was falling off the bone. At just 110C/225F for 8-10 hours, keep the bird covered with foil and with approximately 2 cups of chicken stock on the bottom of the roasting tin. I add one large onion to the cavity and sprinkle garlic salt to stick to the mustard coating. I started with the breast down and flipped it half way through (4 hours in), increased the heat to 180C/350F and uncovered for the last 15 minutes to crisp the skin. You can do the same with a large chicken, reducing the time to 3-4 hours, for succulent, juicy meat. Always be sure to check the meat is cooked through before serving; all ovens vary!

Green bean casserole and sweet mash

You’ll need:

• 2 medium white onions
• 1 tsp veg oil of choice
• 1 TB salted butter
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh or dried garlic minced
• 2 cups chopped fresh mushroom of choice; I use white
• 2 cups double/heavy cream
• 6-8 cups topped and tailed fresh green beans
• 4 pieces of bacon chopped roughly (optional)
• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 2 TB salted butter
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, allspice, clove and nutmeg)
• ½ TB Greek yogurt or soured cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of milk or cream to loosen for preferred texture (optional)

The method:

Begin with slicing the onion into long strips and adding them with the oil to a wide pot over a medium heat. The onions will sweat and begin to brown after a few minutes of little stirring. Once they begin to brown slightly, try to stir more often so they don’t fry instead of sweetening.

After ten to fifteen minutes, you should begin to see them all browning, shrivelling and producing a lovely sweet aroma. You won’t need to add any sugar – these release their own natural sweetness that’s impressive.

Once the onions have produced a nice glaze, add the mushrooms and coat them with it. Add in the balsamic vinegar and a tab of butter. Keep stirring until the mushrooms and onions are well blended.

Add the cream and dried garlic, stirring continuously to avoid scorching the cream. Using a non-stick pan is ideal for this, because sometimes the kids need you urgently and you don’t have time to ruin dinner.

Once the cream has incorporated into the onions and mushrooms and reduced slightly, add the chopped bacon and pour the sauce over a baking tray full of halved green beans.

Bake covered at 180C/350F in the top 1/3 of the oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.

For the sweet mash, bake the whole sweet potatoes at 180C/350F for 1 hour, or until they’re running juices. I usually line a tray with foil to avoid clean up of the leaky sugars.

Allow the soft potatoes to cool slightly before scooping into a large bowl and discarding the skins.

Add the butter and smash the potatoes and butter until smooth.

Add the yogurt or soured cream and dry spice and mix thoroughly. Taste your mash to be sure it doesn’t need a splash of milk or cream to loosen the texture.

Serve these green beans and this mash as side dishes to any kind of roast and you won’t be disappointed. With the above method for turkey or chicken, it’s amazing. Once the bird is out of the oven, you can easily make gravy with the remaining stock, but the green beans have a lovely gravy of their own that’s delicious. My family and friends were filled to bursting with these moreish sides. Happy feasting!

Layered enchilada casserole recipe

I grew up in Los Angeles, and Mexican and Latin foods are comfort foods for me. For over a decade, I lived in the UK, outside of London (where there would have been wider choice of ingredients), and I struggled to find the ingredients for most of my favourite dishes. I even imported things like roasted, diced chillies, and chipotle spice via home visits or care packages from my mum. These days, however, even a local Tesco has a good chance of having most of the ingredients for this recipe – the times, they are a’changing.

I am a big fan of enchiladas. They’re especially nice for my husband’s wheat/gluten allergy, as they’re a corn tortilla dish instead of flour. The enchilada sauce (basically watery chili powder) can be bought in a tin or jar, and it saves a step and a pan. You can buy enchilada packs in the supermarket, and it should have corn tortillas and the red enchilada sauce. If you prefer to use Quorn over beef, it’s also vegetarian, and you can also substitute refried beans for meat for the same result.

Most of the time, if you order an enchilada plate in a restaurant, it’s dripping with cheese and sauce, and can be a little overwhelming. This recipe misses none of the flavour, but includes the all-important hidden veg and goes a little easier on the cheese. Casserole presentation allows for several more servings in the baking dish, and is so much easier to put together than trying to roll up each enchilada. I even let the kids help me layering the tortillas, meat, cheese and sauce in assembly line fashion. It’s delicious fun, topped off with a bit of soured cream and salsa or a side salad – the whole family will be coming back for more.

You’ll need:

1 cup chopped white onion (I use frozen)
1 tsp veg oil of choice
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fresh or dried garlic minced
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chipotle pepper powder
1lb lean minced beef
½ cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped coriander/cilantro (frozen or fresh)
I packet of small corn tortillas (approximately 10-15 used)
1 8oz jar or tin of enchilada sauce (if you can’t find ready-made, it’s pretty easy to make)
3-4 cups shredded mild cheese (Double Gloucestershire and Red Leicester are lovely for this)

The method:

To begin, I add the onions and dry spices to a hot pan with a bit of oil. Once the onions are coated, I add the beef and mix it all together in the pan.

Fry off the mixture, browning the beef and onions together. This will keep the spices from burning and allows the meat to absorb all of those flavours.

Once the beef is mostly browned, add the carrots and coriander with about 1/3 cup of water and reduce heat to simmer.

While the beef simmers and reduces, you can begin to layer the casserole in a baking tray.

Add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before adding a layer of tortillas. I usually cut some of the tortillas in half to fit nicely against the sides.

Add a layer of shredded cheese onto the tortillas, and then a layer of meat, before covering with another layer of tortillas. Top the tortillas with another couple tablespoons of the sauce before the cheese the next time to wet them.

Repeat once or twice, depending the depth of your baking dish. The last layer should be just sauce and cheese, for a nice crispy, gooey cheese top.

Bake uncovered at 180C/350F in the top 1/3 of the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or more to cool before serving.

I usually add a dollop of soured cream and some hot sauce to mine, but the kids like it just the way it is!

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Some tips for turkey

Green bean casserole and sweet mash

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