Teriyaki Chilli Salmon

Posted on 29/04/2019 by Anna

This recipe really should be called salmon with a rattle around the kitchen cupboard, accurate but less catchy. It came about ages ago after I’d seen something similar in a magazine but had none of the requisite ingredients. I use teriyaki because that is what I had originally but light soy sauce will work a treat. Sweet chilli sauce, ginger and a squeeze of lime are the only other additions along with salmon which I usually have in the freezer. It defrosts quickly, is reliably bone free (happy children) and quick to cook.

Sweet, salty, hot and sour is nothing new and this combination of tastes are rightly celebrated. You won’t believe what a good foil they are to salmon and frankly supper made this quickly and easily can only be a cause for applause. Serve on rice or turn some ready cooked noodles in the sauce to heat through – either way clean plates are to be expected.

Teriyaki Chilli Salmon

The coriander and spring onions make a pretty and delicious addition but don’t panic if you find yourself short of one or both of these two – the sauce will more than hold its own without.

2 fillets salmon

2 teaspoons oil

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (see intro)

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1/2 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 a lime, juiced

A few sprigs of coriander, roughly chopped

2 spring onions finely sliced

Mix the teriyaki, sweet chilli, grated ginger and the lime juice in a shallow bowl and put the salmon skin side up in this for 5-20 minutes depending on how long you have. Heat the oil in a small frying pay and add the salmon skin side down. Cook until the colour has changed half way up the fillets then turn and cook the other for about 5 minutes, adding the marinade for the last minute. Let it bubble but don’t let it cook and reduce too much or it will become over salty. Peel the skin off the salmon then serve pouring over the sauce and strewing over the spring onions and coriander if using. Serves 2.

Baked feta with chilli and herbs (or olives)

Posted on 20/12/2018 by Anna

Tapas, mezze, picnic, however you refer to this style of eating I loved putting a load of different dishes on the table to pick at. Whether as lunch itself or simply a couple of things to whet the appetite before the main event. You will find many such recipes on these pages Cheese Gougeres (November 2016), Moutabal (February 2017), Artichoke Crostini (March 2013), Grissini with Rosemary (May 2015) are a few. More often than not the little plates I serve are vegetarian and it has often been a good way to entice my children to try something different. Rather than being faced with an entire supper of something new and unfamiliar – this is an opportunity for them to try something whilst knowing there is a myriad of old favourites to tuck into at the same time.

I am a little ambivalent about feta. If it is mild I am happy to tuck in, enjoying its salty edge. Too strong or mature however and it ventures into that hirsute, goaty thing that I struggle with. In this recipe use whichever type of feta you prefer – you can even find feta style cheese now that only contains cow’s milk.

This baked feta graced our table on Saturday evening amongst some other goodies. I served it with homemade little tortilla chips (don’t panic the chips are homemade not the tortillas – find the recipe in Girls’ Night In, February 2014) and this was the first empty plate, it literally disappeared before my eyes. Warm, soft, salty with a bite from the chilli – this could be one of the most moreish things I have eaten.

Now this is a winning get out of jail free card if you need a last minute canapé or snack to go with drinks. The warm soft feta has a completely different character to the cool white chunks more familiarly seen in Greek salads. It takes on a delicate squidge that is enormously inviting and along with some chilli flakes and a sprinkling of herbs is the perfect mouthful to scoop onto a pita or tortilla chip. Packs of feta last for ages in the fridge and along with some hardy herbs you may have weathering the winter storms and chilli flakes in your cupboard you are all set. Sometimes I add olives to the dish before baking, it depends whether I have any to hand and its very good either way.

Feta with Chilli and Herbs (or Olives)

The ingredients that follow are what I tend to have on hand and therefore what makes this a store cupboard saviour. You can use chopped fresh chilli if you prefer and even pickled chillis for a different but very delicious vibe.

200g pack of feta

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, depending on how hot you like

A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme

25g black or green olives, pitted (optional)

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200. Put the feta in a small ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the chilli and thyme, drizzle with oil and add the olives if you are using them. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until soft but not collapsing. Serve with homemade pita chips, tortilla chips or whatever you like.

Olive, thyme and chilli soda bread

Posted on 03/12/2018 by Anna

I made this recently to put out before lunch when friends came over and it was gone in minutes. Served with a garlicky courgette dip it was just the ticket with some pre lunch drinks and kept the children more than happy. As luck would have it this takes minutes to make and as such is something I regularly turn to. Although I love making all kinds of bread and make a loaf of white or sourdough weekly, this is a great one to have up your sleeve when the clock is ticking and there is no time for proving and rising.

Whilst I might not have buttermilk in the fridge at all times, I always have yogurt to hand. This, let down with a bit of milk, works a treat in place of buttermilk and means a loaf of this moreish bread is never more than about half an hour away. My daughter adores olives and chilli so can polish off half of this loaf without thinking and it takes the sting out of the veggie soup or salad that often accompanies it.

Essentially a riff on my seedy soda bread, April 2013, I add some punchy flavours to this one. The chilli is up to you but I think it works a treat with the olives and thyme. There is a thyme plant outside the kitchen that manages to soldier on whatever the weather so along with some store cupboard olives this one is always a contender for lunch or supper. Or serve as I did at the weekend with a dip, a herby labneh perhaps or hummus and you will have happy faces all round.

Olive, thyme and chilli soda bread

I make this with a mix of wholemeal and regular white flour but you can go with all white if you prefer or if that is what you have. Buttermilk sometimes comes in 284ml tubs for some reason so just make this up to 300ml with milk. If you are using yogurt, use 200ml and make it up to 300ml with milk.

150g wholemeal flour, plus a bit extra

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

300ml tub buttermilk (or yogurt, see introduction)

50g olives, I like a mix of green and black, chopped up a bit

1 teaspoon thyme, leaves only

1/2 teaspoon chilli (omit this if you like)

Preheat the oven to 200. Put the flours, salt, bicarb, sugar, olives, thyme and chilli in a large bowl and mix. Add the buttermilk and give it a good mix together. Sprinkle some wholemeal flour on a baking sheet, make the dough into a ball, put on the tin, sprinkle a little more flour over and cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crusty, golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

Chicken with Harissa, Potatoes and Broccolini

Posted on 02/05/2018 by Anna

A few of you may recognise this as one of my earliest recipes on these pages. So long ago in fact that it doesn’t even have a photograph. Although I cook my recipes over and over again this is the first time I’ve duplicated one here. The reason being I felt it lacked fanfare originally and is such a reliable and delicious lunch or supper that I thought it deserved a shout out, as they say. Also and somewhat inevitably, I have tinkered with it adding potatoes to the original to make it a complete one pan meal.

It is this sort of dish that I find an absolute Godsend on weekdays when I’m frazzled and need to think of (yet another) family supper that is quick, easy, undemanding, not too expensive and above all delicious – clean plates after all are what we want to see. This ticks all those boxes, cooked in one pan which you can bring to the table, incorporates potatoes, meat and veg along with a super easy spice addition by way of the harissa. I refer you here to a comment I made about the original which still stands – “Crisp skinned chicken sliding off the bone in a spicy red jacket with crunchy greens to give verdant vigour!”

Chicken with Harissa and Broccolini

If you like things a little spicier feel free to add more harissa and if you want it a little saucier, add a glug of white wine with the final teaspoon of harissa.

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

8 waxy potatoes, halved

5 teaspoons harissa paste

1 pack tenderstem broccolini

Chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190. Put the potatoes and oil in a large baking pan and turn to coat. Put half a teaspoon of harissa under the skin of each thigh and squidge a bit to spread. Put the chicken in with the potatoes, season and roast 30 minutes. Towards the end of this cooking time blanch the broccolini in boiling water for 1 minute and drain. Remove the chicken from the oven, stir the last teaspoon of harissa into the cooking juices and then fit the broccoli in and around the chicken and potatoes (put some of the chicken on the potatoes if that helps). Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Season, sprinkle with parsley if you like and serve, this is enough for 2 adults and 2 children but you can multiply it at will.

Greens with garlic and soy

Posted on 12/10/2017 by Anna

I have a feeling these greens could be magic. My daughter really doesn’t like broccoli, in fact she has an aversion to most green veggies, however not only will she happily help herself to these without encouragement (bribery) but will have seconds. Unbelievable. I’ve mentioned before that its one of my life’s works to find a way my children will enjoy all, or most, vegetables and this is one of those successes. I imagine the garlic and soy sauce go a long way towards making these so ridiculously delicious. Whatever it is, I maximise the advantage and these are served regularly at my table alongside all manner of stir fries or anything with an Asian note.

Quick, healthy, cheap, delicious – what is not to like about this dish. I am happy to tuck into these for a lone lunch and indeed ate, or rather greedily scoffed, the greens you see in the picture for lunch today. A side of rice would have worked well to soak up the delicious sauce but I didn’t even get round to that. We had something like this at Wagamama and loved the simplicity and crunch so couldn’t wait to have a go making it myself. I suspect the original may have some additional ingredients but I couldn’t suss them and regardless love the pared down ingredients in the recipe below as much as the flavour. You could add a pinch of chilli flakes if you want or a squirt of Sriracha to the greens but honestly, they don’t need it.

Greens with Garlic and Soy

Use any crunchy greens that catch your eye. I always use broccolini and pak choi as that was what I had first had. This time I’ve added the last of the green beans from the garden and you could use regular broccoli if that is what you have. Going completely off piste, carrots work well in this application although they take longer to lose their raw crunch so bear this in mind before you add the garlic and soy. Just thought you should know.

1 tablespoon oil

1 head of pak choi cut into sixths lengthwise

A handful of broccolini (around 8 stalks)

A handful of green beans, topped, tailed and halved

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari if you prefer

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 4-5 minutes until just losing their rawness and gaining a little colour. Put in the garlic and stir quickly so it doesn’t burn followed by the sugar and soy sauce. Cook for a further minute stirring all the time and then serve. This is enough for 2 with rice for lunch or 4 as a side.

Pasta with Bacon, Garlic, Chilli and Parsley

Posted on 26/09/2017 by Anna

We have had masses of building work done over the summer, hence my silence on these pages. Some days I had a kitchen to use, other days not so much. Once the Aga was decommissioned I moved onto a two ring gas hob (no oven) and once that was a goner it was braais or picnics. There have certainly been some stressful moments and I have deposited more money in the swear box than I care to think about. My poor husband and children have had to put up with a lot of unusual suppers from a rather mad-eyed cook but it was worth it and we now have a fabulous new kitchen.

The thing about being put on the spot kit wise is that it really focuses the mind. If all the gadgetry has been boxed up (or just covered in dust) and there is only a pan to hand then one must make do. One such recipe that came into play was this pasta with bacon, garlic, chilli and parsley. Comprising of store cupboard and garden ingredients this can be reliably whipped up with the minimum of equipment, time or energy. On one occasion I also added a pile of halved cherry tomatoes because I had some that needed using up. It is certainly just as good without and I wouldn’t use tasteless winter (or jetset) tomatoes for the sake of it.

I highly recommend making this whether you are enjoying building works or not – it is cheap, very cheerful and everyone, particularly the children love it – what could be better (apart from a new kitchen).

Pasta with bacon, garlic, chilli and parsley

As with many of my recipes this is open to interpretation – if you adore bacon then add more; if your children can’t bear chilli then leave it out. The parsley is very much an ingredient here rather than merely a garnish but if the green stuff horrifies your little ones……

6 good fat rashers of smoked streaky bacon

2 large cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1/2 bunch parsley

300g pasta of your choice

Olive oil

Get your pasta cooking in a large pan of generously salted water. Put a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and snip (I find scissors easiest here) the bacon into it. Cook until just turning crispy then add the garlic and chilli, stir it around over a gentle heat ensuring the garlic doesn’t brown. When the pasta is done, drain it retaining a little of the cooking water. Tumble the pasta into the frying pan and mix well with the bacon, garlic and chilli adding a splash or two of cooking water to keep the whole thing quite slippery. Chop the parsley over the top, season well and serve with parmesan if you like. This amount is enough for two adults and two children.

New Slaw

Posted on 20/05/2016 by Anna

What happened to good old fashioned coleslaw? I say good but actually, so many times it wasn’t, sometimes in fact it has been downright terrible. Limp, greasy, over oniony, short on seasoning, cabbage too big, drowned in cheap mayo etc etc. Poor coleslaw has hung its head in shame and hidden at the back of the buffet table. Until now and talk about a makeover – the humble coleslaw has had some sort of sonic reinvention, spruced up and started wearing international couture. Asian Slaw, Spicy Slaw, Citrus Slaw, Moroccan Slaw – it’s thrown off its dowdy mayo, lost the Cole and got down and funky with the kids. Spicy, herby, tangy or hot – Slaw can be anything you like as long as it is crunchy.

I love a crunchy salad and regulars to these pages will know I am not stranger to this type of side. My Christmas Salad (December 2013), the Thai-ish Salad (November 2015), Carrot Salad (January 2013) and of course the Celeriac Remoulade (January 2016) are variations on the slaw theme. They are all cheap and easy to rustle up, happily retain their crunch for a couple of days in the fridge and will go with a myriad of other things as well as being perfect for lunch on their own (I particularly like this ones with a piece of cold salmon). There is an added bonus though and its a huge and resounding boom of a bonus. Children love them. Who knew that getting raw veggies into children could ever be so easy? My son particularly likes my Christmas Salad and regularly has if for his packed lunch. My daughter however adores this gingery, piquant New Slaw the best, told me it is her favourite salad and had it three times this week.

Carrots, fennel, beetroot, cabbage (green, white or red), radish, celeriac, apple, broccoli – any of these work well. Then do you want a sharp, zingy dressing, maybe spicy too? Or perhaps a creamy dressing, a little more traditional although I favour yogurt or creme fraiche here over the ubiquitous mayo. Add herbs, lots of them and seeds are good too. Sometimes I add dried cranberries or raisins as I love that little burst of sweetness. Customise your slaw as you please, make your own bespoke version. We eat one of these raw, crunchy types of salad a few time a week and this one is the current favourite. Gingery, herby and with a little heat it goes perfectly with barbecued chicken and I will post my favourite grilled chicken recipe in the next week or so. Meanwhile may the crunch be with you, it is delicious and you can just feel it doing you good.

New Slaw

The other day I didn’t have any cabbage so used more carrots and it was just as good. Different but just as good and that is the point of these slaws really, add a little more or less of something as you please, make it your own.

3 carrots, peeled

1/4 of a small red or green cabbage, core removed and finely chopped

6 radishes, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

A thumb of ginger, peeled

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

A small packet of coriander

A small packet of mint

A handful of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil, a light one

Juice of 1 lime, you may need 2 depending on their size and juiciness.

Grate the carrots and put into a large bowl with the radishes, onions, cabbage and chilli. I use a box grater for this rather than an attachment in the processor as I find using this makes the veggies really wet. Finely grate the ginger, add this to the bowl along with the olive oil and lime juice. Season and mix well with your hands so that everything is combined. Chop or snip the herbs over the salad, add the raisins/cranberries if using, mix once more and serve to happy faces.

Penne con Salsiccia (or Sausage Pasta)

Posted on 01/03/2015 by Anna

So I promised you easy, everyday family food and then give you shortbread. This is to make up for it. For those days when I have so much on my to do list I can’t think straight and whilst busy writing and testing a couple of recipes I don’t actually have anything for supper. For those days you need emergency food that can be conjured up from whatever you might keep in your fridge or larder.

Any day of the week my daughter would choose pasta for tea. Ideally a Bolognese type ragu or this sausage pasta. My son however doesn’t like pasta or sausages…. Quite a conundrum and this tends to remain for days when he is out. I must stress though that of all the people, child or adult, who have tried this, he is the only one who doesn’t like it!

I love this though and whenever I cook it for my daughter I hover greedily and wish I had thought of it for our supper. Speedy and simple, the sauce takes no more time to make than the pasta does to cook. Add as much or as little chilli as you like depending on your diners. I struggle to find spicy, Italian sausages around here so add heat with some dried chilli flakes whose smoky flavour is perfect here. Should you be able to find some genuine salsiccia (you lucky thing) the taste a bit once it is cooked before adding chilli in case it is not required.

This is supremely comforting, quick, cheap and easy – what more could you want?

Sausage Pasta

I might add the some leaf spinach along with the cream and water if this is for our dinner letting it wilt in the heat of the sausage sauce. My daughter would be horrified if I did this to her favourite supper so I tend to leave the spinach out for her but sometimes I add some peas…..

1 tablespoon oil

6 good sausages, skin removed

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of chilli flakes (see above)

1 tablespoon cream

1/2 a small bunch of parsley, chopped

150g short pasta, I use penne but it is up to you

Parmesan to serve

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the sausage, breaking it up as much as you can. When it is starting to look a little brown and crisping around the edges add the garlic and chilli. Cook for a few more minutes to lose the rawness in the garlic and then add the cream and 3 tablespoons of water out of the pasta pan. When the pasta is cooked drain then add to the pan with the sausage, give it all a good mix, taste and see what seasoning it needs then sprinkle over the parsley and serve with lots of grated parmesan. Enough for 2 but easily doubled or tripled.

Girls’ Night In

Posted on 28/02/2014 by Anna

Some years ago, before marriage and children, a girl’s nights in seemed to be a fairly frequent occurrence and enormous fun. Different in those days though when, to be frank, a couple of bottles of wine, a packet of cigarettes and a video (remember those) of Take That Live made for a belting evening with the girls. You know who you are!

These days however, finding a free evening is a different ball game. Children need ferrying from one after school activity to another and there is a husband to be fed. The girlfriends from those heady, single gal days are now dotted around the World rather than living just down the road and the Take That video looks like a sad relic next to all the dvds.

So I was particularly pleased when a couple of Dorset friends suggested coming over for wine, movies, popcorn and ice cream. We are going to kick off with frozen raspberry daiquiris, a grown up slush puppy. I persuade myself that the lime juice and berries go some way towards off setting the rum and the fabulous bright zingy pink seems a suitably girly start. Then chilli – perfect fork food to eat in front of a film, spicy and warming. Rich with tomatoes, earthy cumin and a good blast of heat from the chilli and cayenne. Alongside I will offer the essential sour cream, grated cheddar, extra chillies and home made tortilla chips. For pudding I have good vanilla ice cream in the freezer and the wherewithal for either hot chocolate sauce or salted caramel sauce depending on our mood.

All that remains is to decide whether it will be a “no one puts Baby in the corner”, “Goose, you big stud” or “Kevin, I think I broke your shower” evening…..

Chilli

There are probably hundred of recipes for Chilli but this is how I make it. You can go the cubed beef or mince route – I use mince just because that is what I have always done and a little nostalgia is not a bad thing on a Girls’ night. For the tortilla chips, I buy regular tortillas and cut them into 6 or 8, brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with a little salt and bake at 200 for about 5 minutes or until crisp. They are just right with the chilli but you could serve rice too. You can cook this ahead of time or the day before.

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

1 yellow, red or orange pepper, sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

400g beef mince

2 heaped teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 – 1/2 cayenne pepper (I do a 1/4 if serving to children, 1/2+ for adults)

250ml red wine

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Chopped parsley or coriander, whichever you prefer

Preheat the oven to 150. Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the onions and pepper for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic followed by the mince and cook, stirring, until brown. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne and a generous amount of black pepper, then the tomatoes, puree, ketchup and wine. Give it a good stir, bring to a simmer, put on the lid and cook in the oven for an hour, add the kidney beans and cook for a further hour. Check for seasoning, sprinkle over the parsley or coriander and serve with whichever accompaniments you choose. Enough for 4 with rice.

Firecracker Red Cabbage and Sausages

Posted on 07/11/2013 by Anna

It took me a while to come around to Guy Fawkes night as a child. I found the whole Guy business both slightly mad and macabre. Firstly because they always looked like a giant pair of tights stuffed with old clothes tied with baler twine and sporting a huge hat over the grinning face. Rarely worth a penny I thought. Macabre because I didn’t really like the idea of burning anyone although I did realise it was purely symbolic. Childish anxieties I guess.

What would cheer me up however was the promise of something good to eat whilst standing around an enormous bonfire. I can see it now on our village green, almost two storeys high, a huge beast of a fire shooting sparks into the night sky and belting out heat. There was usually the promise of a toffee apple, good for nibbling the toffee off only to be left with a rather sticky green apple on a wobbly stick. Or cinder toffee, crunchy, splintering and sticking your teeth together. Always on offer were hot dogs, proper sausages rather than frankfurters with a good squirt of ketchup which inevitably found its way onto your woolly gloves.

Sadly our fireworks were rained off this week but if they hadn’t been this is what we would have been eating as a relish with our hot dogs. Sweet, tangy and with a good kick of chilli it is delicious in a bun with a good banger on top. It would be just as at home served on the side with some sausages or perhaps with roast pork or maybe a ham. Ideas, ideas….

Firecracker Red Cabbage

As I was making this I cast an eye over a jar of chilli jelly which you could very easily use in place of the redcurrant jelly and chilli flakes – the reason I didn’t was because they vary so much in their heat so difficult to suggest how much to use. You could give it a try and taste as you go. This amount of chilli means my children are happy with it, add more if you want.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 red cabbage, quite finely chopped

Good pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and stir. Add the red cabbage and give it a good stir and then add the remaining ingredients. Cook gently for half an hour with a lid on and half an hour with the lid off to allow the liquid to bubble down to a syrup which will coat the cabbage. Taste, it might need a little more salt or a spritz of balsamic. Serve with sausages in buns or on plates, enough for 4.

Anna May, everyday…

Tag Archives: chilli

Teriyaki Chilli Salmon

Baked feta with chilli and herbs (or olives)

Olive, thyme and chilli soda bread

Chicken with Harissa, Potatoes and Broccolini

Greens with garlic and soy

Pasta with Bacon, Garlic, Chilli and Parsley

New Slaw

Penne con Salsiccia (or Sausage Pasta)

Girls’ Night In

Firecracker Red Cabbage and Sausages