Asparagus Lemon Chicken

Asparagus Lemon Chicken

4 skinless chicken breasts
80ml flour
30ml olive oil
30ml butter

Sauce:
125g butter
50ml flour
125ml chicken stock
250ml white wine
125ml lemon juice
1 bunch green asparagus, trimmed
125ml grated parmesan cheese
30ml chopped parsley
lemon wedges, to serve

Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.
Season the 80ml flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in it.
Add the olive oil and butter to a pan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes preside and remove from the pan.

For the sauce:
Turn the heat down to medium.
Melt the 125g butter in the same pan and sprinkle the flour over it.
Cook while stirring for one minute.
Add the chicken stock to the pan and whisk the sauce continuously.
Pour in the white wine and lemon juice and stir until blended.
Return the chicken to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the asparagus.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Take the pan from the heat, stir in the parmesan and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
Serve the chicken with lemon wedges on the side.

Lemon Ribs

Lemon Ribs

1.5kb lamb ribs
1 lemon, the zest grated finely
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
50ml white wine
30ml olive oil
30ml honey
45ml wholegrain mustard
10ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 2 pieces of baking paper, large enough to cover an oven roasting dish. Scrunch the paper into a ball, open it up and run it under cold water. Line your roasting dish with one of the wet pieces of paper. Set aside.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, wine, oil, honey, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Place the ribs in the prepared dish, pour over half of the sauce and spread it evenly over the meat.
Flip the ribs over, pour the rest of the sauce over and spread it evenly.
Cover the ribs with the other piece of wet baking paper and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the ribs start to brown.
Flip them over and bake the other side until golden.
Serve immediately.

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Kale and Quinoa Salad

125ml uncooked quinoa, prepared according to the packet instructions and cooled down
250ml thinly sliced kale
250ml thinly sliced baby spinach
2 red apples, cut into sticks/julienned
100g goat cheese, crumbled
60ml flaked almonds

Dressing:
60ml apple cider vinegar
30ml honey
15ml Dijon mustard
60ml olive oil

Add the quinoa, kale, spinach, apple, goat cheese and almonds to a large salad bowl and set aside.
Add the apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard to a small bowl and drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through to serve.

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

4 large leeks, sliced into coins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 litre chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
250ml cooked chicken, finely shredded
2 bay leaves
125ml cream

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add some olive oil to it.
Add the leeks and stir-fry until it is really soft.
Take about 2 spoonfuls of the leak out of the saucepan and keep aside as garnish.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the potato, chicken and bay leave and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and mash the potato against the side of the saucepan. I like my soup to have uneven bits of potato to add texture but you may blitz it at this stage if you prefer.
Pour in the cream and season the soup with salt and black pepper.
Cook for a minute or two before serving with a fresh loaf of bread.


Meatballs stuffed with feta / Köfte

Meatballs stuffed with feta / Köfte

500g lamb mince
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
60ml milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
10ml chopped parsley
10ml chopped mint
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
100g feta cheese, cubed (1,5cm x 1,5cm)

Sauce:
1 x 400g tin chopped tomato
5ml salt
10ml sugar
60ml cream

For the meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the minced meat in a large mixing bowl and break it up with your hands.
Break up the bread, add it to the bowl and pour over the milk. Mix well.
Now add the onion, parsley, mint, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and a few good grindings of black pepper. Mix again.
Scoop 30ml of the meat into your hands, form a ball and press it flat in your palm.
Place a feta cube on the mince and bring the sides up and around it. Roll the mince ball between your hands to seal.
Place the balls on an oven tray and keep going until you have no meat left.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the meatballs and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the sauce:
Add the tomato, salt and sugar to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cream, stir through and add the meatballs.
Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Serve the meatballs with rice or bulgar wheat.