Monthly Archives: April 2014

Spicy Chick Peas Curry

DSCI2740This is a rather ‘warm’ vegetarian curry for all you who like a temperature raising dish.

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 can of 400g tomatoes

1 can of 400g chick peas, drained and rinsed in cold water

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp chilli powder

Salt and pepper to season

Dawn: Anyone who knows me, knows that my palate is rather mild in terms of curries of any kind.

Andrew: Sometimes spicy is good, to bring out the true flavours of a dish.

Method

  • In a frying pan, put the onions and add a little cold water. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the white flesh of the onion begins to become transparent in look and the texture is softened.
  • Add the tomatoes and chop them. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilli powder; cook the combined ingredients for 10-15 minutes on a low to medium heat and stir.

Dawn: If the ingredients start to look a little dry, simply add a little warm water and stir it in.

Andrew: You might like to add a teaspoon of tomato puree, too, to emphasise the tomato taste.

  • Now add the chick peas and cook for a further 15-20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring constantly.
  • Serve with boiled rice from our “How to boil rice” essentials range with the recipe here for you: http://wp.me/p3lk3r-mw

Dawn: If you are thinking you’d like to add some meat to this dish, then why not try 25g per person of chorizo, sliced and chopped into small pieces? And you can find out how to rehydrate dried chick peas with your recipe here: http://wp.me/p3lk3r-h1

For more in the Cooking Duo’s “How to” essentials range and more recipes, follow this blog – www.forfoodlovers.wordpress.com – and our Twitter account @Love_Food_UK. You’ll also find us on Mumsnet Bloggers Network and Foodies100…oh, and did we mention Facebook? See you there for more fab food chat!

 

 

 

 

How to Make Porridge

A slow energy release food, porridge keeps us feeling full, longer. It’s also a great contributor to helping lower our cholesterol.

Ingredients

Serves 1

50g porridge oats

300ml of water or milkDSCI2775

Method

  • Put the porridge oats in a saucepan and add the water or milk.
  • Place the saucepan on a low to medium heat and stir constantly. The the mixture will start to thicken and become creamy in look and texture.
  • Serve in deep bottom breakfast bowls. Dust with cinnamon or ginger. Ginger is used in the first photo and here’s the porridge ‘nude’, in effect – without any spice added: DSCI2770

Dawn: There’s no need to measure the ingredients as it’s relatively easy to use a ratio of 2:1 – 2 parts liquid to 1 part porridge oats. 
Andrew: Yes, a half mug of porridge oats plus a full mug of water or milk. Quick and easy: just what our “How to” range is all about! 

For more in the Cooking Duo’s “How to” range and more recipes, follow this blog – www.forfoodlovers.wordpress.com – and our Twitter account @Love_Food_UK. You’ll also find us on Mumsnet Bloggers Network and Foodies100…oh, and did we mention Facebook? See you there for more fab food chat!

Aubergine and Hot Chicken Salad

DSC_0013

Here is another of our salad stable! A great way to use up ingredients and keep healthy, too.

Andrew: There are similarities to the spicy chicken salad here.

Dawn: With a more Mediterranean touch, too.

Andrew: We have used the giant garlic croutons, again.

Dawn: Those would be excellent in a soup!

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 day old ciabatta roll (or any day old stale bread)

1 garlic clove

1 chicken breasts cut into 1 cm pieces

1 aubergine cut into 1 cm cubes

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

A handful of spinach

1 fresh vine tomato

A few sun dried tomatoes, sliced

A handful of pitted black olives

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method

  • First make your giant croutons. Slice the ciabatta into 1 cm slices, cut the garlic in half and rub the cut side on both sides of the bread.
  • Fry these gently in a little olive oil until golden on both sides, and set aside.
  • In the same pan fry the chicken and aubergines, with the chilli flakes, until thoroughly cooked. You may need to add a little more oil, or if you want a healthier option, a spoonful or two of water.
  • Allow the aubergine to turn golden and soften up.
  • In your salad bowl, arrange the spinach, croutons and olives, then give a good stir with your fingers to mix everything up.
  • Slice the fresh tomato, and lay slices alternately with pieces of sun dried tomato.
  • Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and if you wish drizzle some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes as dressing.

Andrew: This was superb served fresh!

Dawn: And equally as tasty the next day in a lunchbox!

Andrew: The garlic really infuses into the bread and aubergine, and develops its flavour into the next day.

Dawn: Great for busy bees!

For more handy hints and tasty treats, and actual alliteration, keep following forfoodlovers.wordpress.com and our Twitter feed @Love_Food_UK and on Facebook  Lovefood Forfoodlovers where it would be great to get more likes!