Omelette Wrap with Satay Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (April 2021) and taken from The Right Carb by Nicola Graimes.

This is a great alternative to a wheat tortilla. The right carbs come in the form of brown jasmine rice, with veg, peanut sauce and an onion pickle as a nutritious filling.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

165g brown jasmine rice, rinsed
1 tblsp toasted sesame seeds
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tblsp apple cider vinegar
100g red cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cucumber, deseeded and cut into ribbons
1 large handful coriander leaves
8 eggs
40g butter
Sea salt and black pepper

For the satay sauce
150g peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp light soya sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil, plus extra for the salad
5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 large garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, plus extra to serve

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir in the sesame seeds.
Meanwhile, put the onion in a bowl and pour over the vinegar. Set aside to pickle until ready to serve.
Blend together all the ingredients for the satay sauce with 4 tablespoons of just-boiled water in a blender.
Put the cabbage, carrots and cucumber in a bowl, drizzle over a little sesame oil, season with salt and pepper and toss until combined.
To make the omelettes, beat 2 eggs in a bowl and season. Heat a quarter of the butter in a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the beaten eggs. Tip the pan to coat the base with the eggs and cook for a minute or two until set. Keep the omelette warm, covered, in a low oven while you make the remaining three omelettes.
To serve, top the omelettes with the rice and the vegetable salad. Spoon over the satay sauce and finish with the onion pickle, coriander and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.

Spiced Salmon Pilaf

Recipe taken from the Lidl Easter Brochure – April 2021.

Serves : 4; Prep Time : 10 mins; Cook Time : 35 mins

Ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
2 onions, finely chopped
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp cumin
300g basmati rice
800ml vegetable stock
300g baby spinach
200g frozen peas
Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Onion and garlic dip

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (one with a lid) and add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning to cook each side, until just cooked through. Remove the fillets from the pan onto a plate, instead adding the onion to fry for 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, discard the salmon skin and gently flake the fillets into large chunks.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir in the ginger for kick, cooking for a further minute, then stir in the cumin and rice. Stir well, then pour in the stock to give the rice added richness. Season and cover the pan with its lid, cooking for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Add the spinach to the pan and cover with the lid, allowing it to wilt for 2 minutes, then stir through the peas, coriander stalks and most of the leaves.
Gently fold through the salmon flakes, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve scattered with the toasted almonds for crunch. Add a contrasting creaminess with some generous spoons of the garlic dip, garnishing with a final pinch of coriander.

Rhubarb and Coconut Rice Pudding

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2017) and taken from ‘A Year of Beautiful Eating’ by Madeleine Shaw.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :
500ml rice milk or other milk
200g coconut cream
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
1 tblsp maple syrup
120g pudding rice or short grain rice
2 tblsp flaked almonds, to serve
Extra maple syrup, to serve (optional)

For the rhubarb compote :
2 rhubarb stalks
2 tblsp maple syrup
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Method :

First make the rhubarb compote. Finely chop the rhubarb into 1 cm pieces. Place in a saucepan with the maple syrup and orange zest and juice. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Keep warm to serve with the rice pudding.

Meanwhile, put the milk, coconut cream, vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod and syrup in another pot, over a medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes, then bring to the boil and add the rice. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring well, until the rice is cooked through.

Take out the cinnamon stick, and the vanilla and cardamom pods. Serve the rice pudding with a dollop of the rhubarb compote, sprinkled with flaked almonds on top, plus a drizzle of maple syrup, if needed.

Big fat Greek tomatoes (Option 1)

Recipe courtesy of The Co-operative Food Magazine.

Low in Fat

Serves : 4 Time to prepare/cook : 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients :
8 large vine tomatoes
1 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tblsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 Co-operative Kalamata Olives, drained and chopped
75g long-grain rice
50ml dry white wine
130ml vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper
40g Healthy choice Greek salad cheese, crumbled

Method :

Carefully slice off top of each tomato and scoop out flesh. Reserve. Heat oil in a heavy-based pan and fry onions and garlic until soft and golden. Add parsley, tomato pulp and olives. Cook for a few minutes and then add rice.

Stir, then pour in wine, stock and black pepper and simmer mixture for 15 to 20 minutes on hob.

Heat oven to gas mark 4 / 180oC / Fan 160oC. Spoon filling into each tomato shell and top with cheese. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Feast from the East – Clay Pot Chicken Rice

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (February 2017) and taken from “Malaysia : Recipes from a Family Kitchen” written by MasterChef 2014 winner, Ping Coombes.

It’s mesmerizing watching street vendors make this dish with 10 charcoal stoves on the go. They place the pots with rice on top of the hob, which gives the dish its smokiness.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
150g boneless chicken thighs, sliced
1 tblsp vegetable oil
10g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), sliced
4 tblsp sweet soy sauce
1 tblsp light soy sauce
3 tblsp water
200g jasmine rice
Birds-Eye Chilli and Soy Dip and Stir-Fried Lettuce, to serve (Optional)

For the marinade :
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
large pinch of caster sugar
1/2 tblsp cornflour

Step One : Put the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl, cover with cold water and set aside to rehydrate for 2 hours. You can speed up the rehydration by covering them with just-boiled water. Drain the mushrooms, squeeze them to discard any excess water and cut off and discard the stalks. Quarter the mushrooms and set aside.

Step Two : Meanwhile, put the chicken in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Stir and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or 2 hours (covered) in the fridge.

Step Three : Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the sliced sausage and fry for a further minute. Add the marinated chicken and the mushrooms to the pan and continue to fry until the chicken turns opaque. Add half the sweet soy sauce and all the water. Continue to fry for 2 minutes more (the chicken needs to be nearly cooked through). Set aside.

Step Four : Wash the rice in cold water and drain, then repeat twice with fresh cold water. This will get rid of excess starch. Transfer the drained rice to the clay pot, then fill it with water, until the water sits about 2.5cm above the rice. Bring it to the boil over a medium heat, then turn down to a low simmer.

Step Five : For about 10 minutes, once the rice has absorbed nearly all the water, put the chicken mixture on top of the rice and cover the clay pot. Continue to cook on the hob over a low heat for a further 10-13 minutes. The rice will form a crust at the bottom of the pot. If using: serve with Bird’s Eye Chilli and Soy Dip and the Stir-Fried Lettuce on the side.

Mushroom and Chicken Risotto

Risotto rice gives this updated classic a deliciously creamy texture.

Serves : 4

Prep time : 15 mins
Cook time : 40 mins

Ingredients:
12oz (350g) chicken breast
3oz (75g) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
6oz (175g) button mushrooms, quartered
11oz (300g) risotto rice
Salt and pepper
2 1/2pt (1.4 litre) hot chicken stock
2 tblsp (30ml) chopped fresh parsley

Step One : Cut the chicken into dice sized chunks. Melt half the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 2 minutes.

Step Two : Add the chunks of chicken and the quartered mushrooms and fry together for about 5 minutes.

Step Three : Stir in the risotto rice and season well. Add 1/4pt (150ml) of the chicken stock and stir well. When the liquid has completely absorbed, add more stock, stirring continuously. Add all the stock in this way, letting it evaporate fully before adding more (after 20 minutes, the rice should be soft and swollen).

Step Four : Remove mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and parsley. Season to taste and serve hot.

Easy Paella

You can make and serve this great family favourite all in the same dish

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Serves : 6
Prep time : 40 mins
Cook time : 50 mins

Ingredients:
¼ tsp saffron
900ml (1 ½ pints) boiling chicken stock
8 chicken thighs, skinless
225g (8oz) chicken or turkey sausages
1 tblsp paprika
2 tsp sunflower oil
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 courgettes, sliced
250g (9oz) American easy cook rice
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tblsp sun-dried tomato paste or ordinary tomato puree
125g (4oz) stuffed green olives
2 tblsp parsley, chopped

Step One : Dissolve saffron in boiling stock. Coat the chicken and sausages with paprika. Heat oil in a large pan, add chicken, sausages and chilli powder and brown for 5 mins. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step Two : Fry onions, garlic, pepper and courgettes for 10 mins. Add rice and stir for 1 minute, then mix in tomatoes, tomato puree, olives and 1 tbsp parsley. Pour on the stock, stir and return the chicken and sausages to the pan. Bring to the boil.

Step Three : Simmer paella uncovered for 30 mins, then sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Tip: Turkey or chicken sausages have only half the calories of the traditional pork and beef sausages and they’re really tasty too.

Turkey Rice Salad

Recipe taken from The Ultimate Christmas Cookbook

A delicious crunchy salad to use up leftover turkey during the holiday festivities.

Turkey rice salad
Ingredients:-
225g (8oz) brown rice
50g (2oz) wild rice
2 red dessert apples, quartered, cored and chopped
2 celery sticks, coarsely sliced
115 (4oz) seedless grapes
45ml (3 tblsp) lemon or orange juice
150ml (1/4 pint) this mayonnaise
350g (12oz) cooked turkey, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Frilly lettuce leaves, to serve

Serves: 8

Step One : Cook the brown and wild rice in boiling salted water for 25 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain.

Step Two : Turn the well-drained rice into a large bowl and add the apples, celery and grapes. Beat the lemon or orange juice into the mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper and pour over the rice.

Step Three : Add the turkey and mix well to coat with the lemon or orange mayonnaise.

Step Four : Arrange the frilly lettuce leaves over the base and around the sides of a warmed serving dish and spoon the rice on top.

Christmassy salad servers …

Prawn Creole

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 16 mins;

Low Fat

Ingredients:
1 tblsp onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp green pepper, deseeded and chopped
775g can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chicken gravy granules
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
A few drops of hot pepper sauce
2 tblsp cornflour
1 lb (450g) peeled cooked prawns
11oz (325g) freshly cooked rice
5oz (150g) chopped parsley

Step One : Place onion and green pepper in a large frying pan with 4 tblsp water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3-4 mins, or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chicken granules, sugar, thyme and pepper sauce. Simmer, uncovered for 8 mins.

Step Two : Blend the cornflour with 4 tblsp cold water and stir into pan. Cook stirring, over a medium heat until thickened. Cook for a further 2 mins.

Step Three : Add prawns to pan and heat through.

Step Four : Mix together rice and parsley and serve with prawn creole.

Other Seafood recipes can be found here …

Bean and Pepperoni Risotto

Serves: 4 – Prep time: 20 mins – Cook time: 35 mins – Cals per portion: 560

A colourful, easy to make twist on a classic dish.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
1 onion, sliced
225g (8oz) carrots, diced
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
200g (7oz) Pepperoni, sliced
1 tbsp (15ml) paprika
225g (8oz) easy-cook brown rice
225g (8oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 ½ pt (900ml) chicken stock
283g (10oz) can red kidney beans, drained
396g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained
50g (2oz) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Basil leaves to garnish

Step One: Heat the olive oil and cook the onion until softened. Add carrots, green pepper and pepperoni and cook for 2-3 mins. Stir in paprika and rice. Cook for 2-3 mins, so all the grains are coated.

Step Two: Stir in chopped tomatoes and ¼ pt (150ml) of the stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed.

Step Three: Gradually add the remaining stock, waiting for it to be absorbed, before adding more. When it’s all added, the rice should be tender. Add a little more stock if necessary. Add the beans and chickpeas and heat through. Stir in the Parmesan and scatter over the basil leaves.