Roasted Broccoli with Chilli Yogurt and Orange

Recipe Courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2020) and taken from Life Kitchen by Ryan Riley.

Broccoli pairs deliciously with aromatic orange, which provides an uplifting aroma and acidity to balance out the other flavours. Ideal for a quick lunch.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :
230g long-stem broccoli
Olive oil
1 tsp capers
Small handful of flaked almonds
3 tblsp full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Chilli Oil (see recipe)
1 orange, zested and halved
Sprinkling of sumac
Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Heat the oven to 180oC. Place the broccoli on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the capers over and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds over and bake for 5 minutes more, until the broccoli is tender and the almonds golden.
While the broccoli is baking, combine the yogurt and Chilli Oil in a bowl. Peel and segment one orange half. As soon as the broccoli is ready, squeeze the juice from the remaining orange half over the top, sprinkle with a good dusting of sumac and orange zest and serve with a dollop of the chilli yogurt (sprinkled with chilli flakes, if you like) and the orange segments on the side.

Chilli Oil:

Ingredients (Makes 200ml) :
200ml rapeseed oil
40g dried chipotle chilli flakes
20g red chilli flakes

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the oil. Bring it to a simmer – be very careful as the oil will be extremely hot. After a few moments, drop in a chilli flake: if the oil is hot enough, the flake will sizzle slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in both types of chilli flakes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Pour the cooled Chilli Oil into a sterilised jar and seal with a lid.

Hot & Cold Pickled Tomatoes with Chilli Yogurt

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2020) and taken from Life Kitchen by Ryan Riley.

The sweet tang of vinegar in this dish balances beautifully with the savoury tomatoes. Adding chilli yogurt makes the tomatoes sing and rounds off the dish.

Serves : 3-5

Ingredients :
150ml red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
6 coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
12 mixed-colour cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 tblsp full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Chilli Oil (see recipe)
Warmed flatbreads of naan breads, to serve
Handful of mint leaves, to serve

For the Chilli Oil (makes 200ml)
200ml rapeseed oil
40g dried chipotle chilli flakes
20g red chilli flakes

Method :

Stir together the vinegar, both seeds and the bay leaves in a bowl. Place a saucepan on a high heat and pour in half the liquid, with half the aromatics. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat.
Divide the tomatoes between two bowls and pour the hot liquid into one bowl and the cold into the other. Leave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt and Chilli Oil in a bowl.
To serve, spread the warmed breads with the chilli yogurt, top with both hot and cold tomatoes – discarding the bay leaves – and scatter over the mint.

For the Chilli Oil :

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the oil. Bring it to a simmer – be very careful as the oil will be extremely hot. After a few moments, drop in a chilli flake: if the oil is hot enough, the flake will sizzle slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in both types of chilli flakes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Pour the cooled Chilli Oil into a sterilised jar and seal with a lid.

Flavour Sensations – Crispy Pork with spring greens, soy and lime

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (June 2012)

Serves : 2

The zestiness of the lime perfectly complements the crispy pork.

Preparation : 15 minutes

Total time : 1 hour 45 minutes

Get ahead : Fry the shallot in advance and drain on kitchen paper

Ingredients :
1 x 600g piece belly pork
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tsp vegetable oil
250g spring greens
2 bird eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 tblsp Soy sauce
1 tblsp Thai fish sauce
1 tblsp sesame oil
1 tblsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Sea salt

Step One : Preheat the oven to 220oC / Fan 200oC / Gas Mark 7. Rub 1 tsp of salt into the skin of the pork belly. Roast in a shallow roasting tin for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160oC / Fan 140oC / Gas Mark 3 and cook the pork for 1 hour, then turn the oven up to the initial temperature for the final 15 minutes.

Step Two : Meanwhile, fry the sliced shallot in the oil in a frying pan for 5-6 minutes or until it’s golden and crispy. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain.

Step Three : Towards the end of the cooking time for the pork, bring a pan of water with a steamer to the boil. Trim the spring greens, discarding any coarse ends of the stems, and shred the leaves.

Step Four : Mix half the chillies with the sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil. Steam for the greens for 6-7 minutes or until tender, then toss with the chilli dressing and divide between two warm bowls.

Step Five : Slice the pork belly and serve on top of the greens. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, if using, the crispy shallot and the remaining chilli.

Chocolate Beef Chilli with Jalapeno And Cheese Scones

Recipe taken from Clodagh’s Suppers: Suppers to celebrate the seasons by Clodagh McKenna published in Psychologies Magazine (February 2019) chocolate beef chilli with jalapeno and cheese scones

Ingredients for the Chilli :
50g salted butter
300g minced beef
1 small white onion or shallot, finely chopped
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 small dried chillies, chopped
100g smoked bacon lardons
100g fully cured, ready-to-eat chorizo, diced
150ml red wine
400g can cherry tomatoes
300ml water
1 tblsp brown sugar
2 tsp finely chopped fresh or dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tblsp tomato ketchup
50g dark chocolate, grated
400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

For the scones :
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tblsp baking powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
50g salted butter, chilled and cubed
125g Dubliner cheese, grated
2 jalapeno chillies, finely chopped
125-150ml milk or buttermilk

Serves : 6

Step One : Place a flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat and add half the butter. Once melted, add the minced beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Step Two : Add the remaining butter to the casserole dish, stir in the onion or shallot, ginger and garlic and cook for two minutes, then stir in the cumin, cinnamon and dried chillies and cook for a further minute. Add the bacon lardons and chorizo and cook, stirring for about three minutes until lovely and crispy.

Step Three : Return the beef to the pan and stir well. Pour in the red wine and cook for two minutes more. Then add the tomatoes, measured water, sugar, oregano, bay leaves and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer over a low heat for two hours.

Step Four : While the chilli is cooking, make the jalapeno and cheese scones. Preheat the oven to 200oC , gas mark 6, and dust a baking tray with flour. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in half the grated cheese, followed by half the jalapenos, then gradually mix in enough milk with a fork to make a soft dough.

Step Five : Roll out the dough on a floured work surface into a round, 1 cm deep. Cut into six wedges, place on the floured baking tray and sprinkle the remaining cheese and jalapenos on top. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

Step Six : Remove the lid of the casserole and stir in the chocolate and kidney beans, then simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve with the jalapeno and cheese scones.