Spinach & Nutmeg Soup

Spinach & Nutmeg Soup

The NCG Kitchen

Reference: http://newcoventgardensoup.com/recipes-grouping/spinach-nutmeg-soup/

Ingredients

• 25 gs butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 25 gs plain flour
• 900 mls vegetable stock
• half a lemon, juice of
• 700 gs fresh spinach
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 50 mls single cream
• 150 mls milk

Cooking Instructions

STEP 1 – Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion, then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, without browning. STEP 2 – Stir in the flour, then cook gently for 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock, lemon juice, spinach and nutmeg. STEP 3 – Cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Blend until smooth, then stir in the milk and cream. STEP 4 – Season to taste, then reheat gently and serve. 

BBC Lemony roast chicken pie

Reference: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1974655/lemony-roast-chicken-pie

Prep:1 hrCook:3 hrs, 15 mins

Skill level

Moderately easy

Servings

Serves 6

A pie that's worth taking the time over, crisp shortcrust pastry filled with roasted chicken and a creamy onion and fennel sauce

Ingredients

• 3 lemons, 2 halved
• 1 large chicken, about 1.85kg
• 25g softened butter
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large fennel bulb, diced
• 50g flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 170ml pot single cream
• small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 500g pack all-butter shortcrust pastry
• little flour, for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Push lemon halves inside the chicken’s cavity – they should all fit if you fiddle them around. Sit chicken in a smallish roasting tin, smear butter over the breasts and season well. Roast, breast-side up, for 30 mins, then flip over and roast, breast-side down, for a further 1 hr 30 mins-1 hr 40 mins until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when you pierce the thigh with a knife.
2. With 30 mins to go, pour all juices from the tin into a jug. After juices and fat separate, spoon 50ml fat from the top into a big, wide pan. Add the celery, onion and fennel, and soften gently for 20 mins.
3. When the chicken is done, pour any more juices into the jug. Reserve an extra 2 tbsp fat (see Nearly spring greens, related recipes) and discard remaining fat. On the heat, stir the flour into the veg until absorbed, then gradually stir in the stock and chicken roasting juices, simmering to a sauce. Stir in cream and parsley, remove from the heat and season.
4. Shred chicken from the carcass in large-ish chunks, discarding skin – if the bird is still hot, use clean rubber gloves or 2 forks. Juice the roasted lemons, pick out the seeds and stir all the juices and roasted pulp into the sauce with the chicken. Taste and season with a squeeze more juice from the final lemon if it needs it. Tip into a large pie dish.
5. Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface until big enough to cover the pie. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and lift on the pastry. Trim edges, then press and crimp to seal. Brush all over with more egg and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and crisp.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2012

Spiced swede fritters

SERVES 4 as a starter, MAKES 15
PREP 20 mins
Cook 35 mins

Ingredients
1 swede (about 650g), peeled and diced into small chunks
75g/2 1/2 oz plain flour
100ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz crème fraiche
1 egg, beaten
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
small handful coriander, chopped
sunflower oil, for frying
mango chutney, to serve

1. Cook the swede in a pan of boiling water for 15 mins until tender, then drain well. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, creme fraiche and egg to make a smooth, thick batter. Stir in the chilli, onion, spices and coriander, then season generously. Very roughly mash the swede and stir in the mixture.

2. Heat a splash of the oil in a large non-stick pan and cook small, flattened spoonfuls of the mixture for 2 mins on each side until crisp and browned. Serve hot with chutney.

Chicken & Almond Pilaff

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking 1 hour
Serves 4

ingredients
240g Tilda Wholegrain Basmati rice
2 tbsp veg oil
8 chicken drumsticks, skinned and scored (approx, 1kg)
2cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2-3 cloves
50g almond flakes
600ml chicken stock
200g green beans, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes until golden
3. Add ginger, garlic and dry spices and cook for 1 minute
4. Transfer to a casserole dish and stir in the remaining ingredients
5. Cover and cook for 1 hour until the rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

Prawn Laksa

http://www.thefitnessproject.co.uk/recipe/prawn-laksa-soup/

Ingredients

• 150g (5.3oz) cooked prawns
• 2 handful’s beansprouts
• ½ cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
• 50g (1.7oz) medium rice noodles
• 400ml tin Light unsweetened coconut milk
• 500ml chicken stock
• Coriander (leaves)
• 2-3 tbs Laksa paste (or use homemade as below)
• Laksa Paste
• Dried red chilli
• 2-3 fresh red chillies (deseeded)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch cubed piece fresh ginger (peeled & chopped)
• 1 bunch fresh coriander stalks
• 2 limes (zest & juice)
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs Sesame oil
• Ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. To make the Laksa paste: Put into blender the chilies, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, sesame oil, lime zest & juice and fish sauce then blend to a paste.
2. Heat a large pan or wok add olive oil and Laksa paste cook for approx one min then add the coconut milk and chicken stock.
3. Simmer gentley for 10-15 mins.
4. Add the noodles to the soup, simmer for a few minutes
5. Then add the prawns and bean sprouts and heat through.
6. Ladle soup into 2 bowls and top with cucumber ribbons and sprinkle with coriander leaves 

Nasi Goreng by Jeremy Pang

Reference: http://www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/19137/nasi-goreng-recipe

At a glance

• Cuisine Chinese
• Recipe Type Main
• Difficulty Easy
• Preparation time 10 mins
• Cooking time 10 mins
• Serves 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 egg
• 0.5 red pepper
• 2 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1 glug sesame oil
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 6 tiger prawns peeled and deveined, optional
• 30 g (1.1oz) petit pois 

Step-by-step

1. Finely chop the spring onions and place the rings into a small prep bowl. Finely dice the red pepper. Finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok on high heat. Add the garlic and peppers to the wok and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Push aside to allow space for the rest of the ingredients. Now heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok on high heat.
4. Crack the egg into the wok and fry. Once the egg is half cooked, break the yolk and cut into the white with your spatula.
5. Now push the egg to one side of the wok to allow space for your rice.
6. If using add prawns and cook until just pink. Separate the rice as much as possible using a wooden spoon/spatula.
7. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok. Once smoking hot, add the rice to the wok and mix well, trying to separate rice so as to remove any large clumps.
8. If using add petit pois now. Once the rice is well mixed, add 1 tsp shrimp paste and 1 tbsp kecap manis to the pan.
9. Continue to stir fry and make sure the paste and soy sauce get well mixed into the rice.
10. Finally add a dash of sesame oil and stir. Serve in a large bowl with spring onion scattered on top.

Recipe from The School of Wok (follow them on Twitter - @schoolofwok)

Parsley Rarebit Chicken

Serves 6
Prepare 25 minutes
Cook 35 minutes

6 chicken breasts, skins on

Rarebit
25g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
25g plain flower
100ml porter or other dark ale
1 tsp salt
2 tsp english mustard powder
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp soft light brown sugar
1/2 x 25g pack flat leaf parsley, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
100g mature cheddar, grated

1. For the rarebit, melt the butter in the pan; stir in the flour until bubbling. Gradually whisk in the porter; boil for a few minutes. Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl, cool. Beat in the remaining ingredients.

2. Slice each chicken breast horizontally, leaving one side so it opens up like a book. Spoon some rarebit into the centre, then fold the meat over again so the breasts resemble their original shape. Seal the opening shut with cocktail sticks.

3. Wrap each breast in buttered foil; grill on a hot barbecue for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Unwrap and grill for 1 minute on the barbecue skin-side down.