Sunday 14th of April 2013

The final weekend of the school holidays has been, for me, split between relaxing before the chaos hits and cooking up a bit of a storm to prepare for busy days ahead.  We enjoyed my Lamb Stew with Summer Flavours on Friday night, helped along by a steaming mound of couscous, some salad and a scattering heaping pile of my Herby Cheese.

Saturday Lunch was a courgette and goat's cheese tart; made to my usual recipe, but using my lovely new rectangular tart tin from Lakeland.  The new tin made the tart much more presentable and neater to slice, though I found it rather more difficult to get the tart out of this tin than with my workaday round tins.  We ate the tart with some salad and steamed new potatoes (I normally eschew potatoes with party, but I ran across these spanking Charlotte potatoes and was irresistibly drawn to them...  In the evening, the boys and I enjoyed a casual supper of cheese and biscuits with salad and fruit in front of Doctor Who and The Voice.  I like a cheeky weekend fix of Sir Tom, I do (even if his tendency towards name-dropping is worse than ever!).

Now, with school bags packed and ready for the morning, I can truly relax, having cooked an enormous batch of Slow-Cooked Onions (and I used red onions today) to see us through the next couple of weeks, prepared a very nice-looking vegetable curry to go in the slow-cooker tomorrow and served up a bacon and mushroom risotto for lunch.  In advance of school starting tomorrow, the boys and I are looking forward to a 'last supper' of mussels in garlic butter sauce with some crusty bread before it's back to metro, boulot, dodo. Back to the grindstone...

Cath xx

Wednesday 20th of March 2013

Tonight was, most definitely, a risotto night. Comfort food at its finest.

Risotto alla Carbonara

That is all....

Cath xx

Saturday 16th of March 2013

Today's lunch was planned to be a nice and easy affair; I cooked the Tuna & Pea Kedgeree that I've written about before, which has become a staple favourite at Distracted Towers, not only of ours, but of more than one friend to whom I've introduced the recipe,  It would have been a lot more straightforward had I not, in some kind of completely demented fit, decided to make a garnish of deep-fried, shredded leeks.  The leeks were a lovely addition (yay!I was right!), but the only problem now is that I suspect that they will now be *necessary* at every serving.  Rod for my back, or what!

The afternoon passed in a haze of homework and assorted nonsensical whining, before the rugby kicked off at 5.  This was the big part of my day, and I had cunning;ly provisioned a supply of supermarket chill-cabinet stuffed-crust pizze to, effortlessly, keep the troops quiet while I watched y bechgyn (the boys) win so convincingly.  Wales 30 - England 3!.  That is all...

Cath xx

Wednesday 6th of March 2013

Always reliable in this house, risotto... I won't lie and say that it's not one of my most regular go-tos for dinner.  Over the years,  I've mentioned risotto numerous times on the blog, but tonight's was a goodie.   I try, every week, to cook at least one meat-free meal (though this one ultimately failed when I used some homemade chicken stock that I had in the 'fridge, oops) and it seems to have paid off because my boys are huge fans of vegetables (although, as I've written before, they fall on most foods as though ravening beasts,  so they're possibly not the best examples to give).

Anyway,  here's a good recipe for a vegetarian risotto (if you use vegetable stock). Saying that though,  frankly,  water spiked with a bit more of the same white wine would serve admirably...

large lump of butter
4 leeks, halved and sliced
200g chestnut mushrooms,  quartered
2 cloves garlic,  minced
300g arborio rice
glass of white wine
1 litre hot stock
chopped parsley
grated parmesan

Melt most of the butter in a large,  heavy pan.  Fry the leeks and mushrooms until soft. Add the garlic and then the rice,  stirring well.   Pour in the wine and stir well until absorbed. Add the stock a cupful at a time,  stirring often and waiting until each batch of stock is absorbed before adding the next.   When the rice is tender,  stir in the remaining butter,  diced,  along with the chopped parsley and the parmesan. Stir vigorously and then leave the pan, covered and off the heat, for five minutes or so.  

Serve with crisp green salad leaves.

Cath xx

Friday 1st of March 2013

Tonight,  I cooked chicken fried rice with leftover roast chicken from Wednesday and some rice that I cooked last night and left to go cold. Fried rice always tastes better and has a nicer texture when you start it with COLD rice,  rather than still-warm rice that you've only just cooked.

I heated some groundnut oil in my largest le Creuset,  then quickly fried a few chopped spring onions with a little garlic and ginger. I threw in a couple of handfuls of shredded, cold, cooked chicken and stir-fried it briefly. The rice went in next and was stirred around with my wooden fork.

When the rice is coated in the oily juices from the pan, push the rice to one side and slowly pour in, bit by bit,  2 eggs that you have beaten with a splash of light soy sauce.   Scramble the eggs around, flicking them through the rice as best you can. Stir through a couple of handfuls of defrosted frozen peas with another little splash of light soy and a good drizzle of sesame oil.   I'm sure that it's this last touch of sesame oil that gives this rice such an authentic 'carry-out' flavour.

Serve with some bought-in prawn crackers and have dark soy on the table for those who want more of its savoury saltiness.

                                              Cath xx

Risotto alla Carbonara

Yes, it's been a while. I won't go into boring details, nor will I make excuses for my time away, just know that I'm back, hopefully for good!


This is a lovely recipe that can be easily thrown together from ingredients that can be kept in the 'fridge or the cupboard for a good while.  I am wholly won over to the oven-method for risotti; I love the therapeutic stirring of a trad risotto but more and more often, especially on a week-night, there are more pressing tasks to attend to than standing over a steamy pot for half an hour. My mascara is grateful, let me tell you!. 


'Oven risotto' is very straightforward, and ideal if you have guests too, as the bulk of the work can be gotten out of the way, a dish bunged in the oven and a good time had by everyone (rather than by everyone else, while the cook stirs, cursing, in the kitchen). This risotto alla carbonara feels rather indulgent with its creamy texture and is almost a one-pot meal, though of course you do need hot stock, so if you're using homemade you'll need to heat that in a pan too, soz.  I've moved away over recently from my previously much-admired Touch of Taste bouillon liquid to another Knorr product, the oh-so-convenient Stock Pots; these are now my storecupboard emergency stock replacement of choice. 


The Black Forest Ham is not, I know, at all authentically Italian, but it eliminates the need to fry pancetta (thus saving on washing up) and gives a wonderfully rounded, smoky flavour  Anyway, I tried it once because we had a pack in the 'fridge that needed using up and the rest is, as they don't say but should, merely a matter of geography.  As for the cheese rinds, I find that they are a wonderful addition to this kind of risotto.  They impart a delicious, deep flavour to the risotto and are very popular with my children, who both love the savoury chewiness of the cooked-down rinds.  To this end, whenever I finish a chunk of Parm., I scrub the rind well under hot water, then transfer it to a bag in the top of the freezer set aside for cheese rinds.  Just fish out one or two and add them to risotti when you add the stock.  They can also be useful in certain soups, but do remember to remove the rind(s) before using the stick-blender.  I write from scalded experience...

Risotto alla Carbonara


30g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 stick celery, finely chopped 
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
300g risotto rice
100ml dry vermouth (or white wine)
200g pack Black Forest Ham, chopped
2 Parmesan cheese rinds, if available (and see above)
1 litre hot stock.
3 eggs, beaten with 100ml double cream and 50g freshly grated Parmesan, 


Melt the butter in a large ovenproof casserole and soften the onion and celery.  I sometimes add a little chopped garlic at this point, sometimes not.  As with so much, food is all about how you feel!  When the onion and celery are very soft, tip in the rice and stir to coat in the buttery pan juices.  Pour in the vermouth, stir in the chopped ham and pour in the hot stock.  Stick the pot in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 180°.  Remove the pan from the oven and vigorously stir in the egg mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and leave for five minutres while you  pour a(nother?) drink and finish setting the table or whatever.  With risotto, I like a salad and a glass of wine, both crisp, nothing more.

Cath xx

It's Leeking again!

I love cooking with leeks.  It feels right, somehow, using them as often as I do when I live in Wales, but I suspect that I would use them almost obsessively wherever I lived.  They give a delicacy of taste that onions, however useful (and they are) in cooking, simply cannot provide - leeks are, to me, definitely the blushing ingénue to onions' dashing cad.   They go particularly well with chicken, cheese (ooh, leeks and blue cheese...) and ham or bacon, but I also love them with black pudding and with salmon.  Mustard is another friend of the leek, and this wholegrain mustard-spiked chicken dish is a great favourite of ours.


Chicken with Wine and Mustardy Leeks


8 chicken thighs
5 leeks, halved and sliced
200ml white wine
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
200ml chicken  stock
15g butter


Heat a little cooking oil in a casserole pan and brown the chicken well all over.  Remove to a plate and set aside, then put the sliced leeks into the pan and cook, stirring, until soft.  Add a splash of boiling water from the kettle to help scrape up any chicken bits from the bottom of the pot as you stir.  Stir in the mustard and add the stock. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it melts.  This will help to emulsify the saucy leeks a little.  Put the chicken pieces back on top of the leeks, pop the lid on and transfer the pan to the oven.  Cook at 160°c for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the chicken skins and reduce the sauce a little.


I served this with a pan of brown rice, and we had pre-dinner munches on root vegetable crisps (with a cheeky G&T for me!)

Cath xx

One Pot Wonder

I love a meal that cooks in one pot... Not only is it easy to serve but, happily, easy to wash up after.  This is something that was quick to throw together with ingredients that, bar the chicken, I always have in the cupboard.  As for the chicken, thighs are always a sensible option, easily portion-controlled and much, much tastier than all the skinless breast fillets you can throw at me!  I usually have these in the freezer so it was an ideal meal to make when we are snowed in.  The Jamaican spice blend can be any of your choosing, bringing a hint of sunshine and warmth to what is - essentially - a very simple meal.

One-Pot 'Jamaican' Chicken with Rice and Peas

3 tbsp dripping or oil
1 large onions, peeled and chopped
1-2 tbsp Jamaican or jerk seasoning
8 chicken thighs (skin on)
350g long-grain rice
1 litre chicken stock
400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well

Heat the fat in a large pan and lightly brown the chicken pieces on all sides.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Fry the onion gently until soft.  Add the spice mix, then tip in the rice and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time. Stir in the kidney beans and then add the chicken stock.  Lay the browned chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top.  Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Cath xx

In the Mood

So, what do you think of the new look?  Freshened things up a little, hasn't it?  I've been in that sort of mood today and , after redesigning the page this afternoon, I was entirely ready for some serious kitchen action.  I say serious, but, despite the loooong list of ingredients below, please know that I put this meal together tonight in little over half an hour.  All the ingredients, bar the meat, are standard storecupboard and 'fridge stock in my home, and I usually have some minced lamb in the freezer.

Frankly, I think that this dish is perfectly flavoursome without the lamb, but the males of the household prefer it with, so there we are.  Rice and lentils are a great combination anyhow and adding just a handful or so when cooking 'plain' rice gives a new dimension of texture and taste to an ordinary side dish. Lentils are a great, inexpensive source of protein and the children have loved them since they were very small.  One of their favourite weaning foods was this Cheesy Lentil Savoury.  Type 'lentils' into the search bar above to see more of my recipes using this often-underappreciated (in the West, at least) ingredient.



 Spiced Rice & Lentils with Lamb

2 tbsp oil (I use rapeseed)
2 x 1” pieces of cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
5 cardamom pods
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
5cm piece ginger, minced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper,
250g minced lamb (optional!)
175g red lentils
200g basmati rice
750ml  water
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp  melted ghee or butter
1 tbsp lime juice (bottled, in my case)
Chopped parsley


Heat the oil in a heavy pan and briefly fry the cinnamon, cloves, bay and cardamom.  Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, then mix in the garlic, the ginger and the other spices.  Add the lamb, if using, to the pan and brown it well, then tip in the rice and lentils and add the water.  Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for15 minutes, until  the rice and lentils are tender.  Using a fork, stir in the garam masala, the melted ghee (or butter), the lime juice and plenty of parsley.  Serve with some sort of flatbreads (pitta, naan, chapati...) and some raita or natural yoghurt.

Cath xx

Oh, me and my paella...

On my birthday earlier this month, finding the queue at the Cadbury shop untenable, I sneakily visited the Professional Cookware Company shop at the designer outlet 'village' in Bridgend.  How chuffed was I, to find a gorgeous paella pan for £6.00; half price from the usual £12.00.  We have had several variations on the paella so far, starting off with the pork, chorizo and spinach version from Moro: the cookbook.  The most surprising part has been how effortless it is, nothing too taxing is ALWAYS my kitchen motto!


Gaining confidence in the process has been swift; I concocted a version with added black pudding last weekend, but tonight I truly did myself proud and I really had to share this one with you.  I suspect that you don't really need a proper paella pan for this; I'm sure a decent, deep, non-stick frying pan would do.


Chicken & Chorizo Paella with Purple Sprouting Broccoli

cooking oil (your choice)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chicken breast fillets, cut into scraps 
1 tsp smoked paprika
80g chorizo, diced
250g paella rice
800ml chicken stock, hot
100g purple sprouting broccoli, in 2cm lengths

Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft and golden.  Add the chicken and the garlic and continue to cook until the chicken is well sealed and the garlic is fragrant in the pan.  Stir in the paprika and add the chorizo and the rice.  Pour in the chicken stock and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Leave the pan alone; stirring at this point makes the rice 'claggy', trust me!  Cook for 10 minutes, then tip the chopped purple sprouting onto the surface of the rice and leave for a further 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, cover  with foil and leave for a further five minutes. Remove the foil, fold everything together with a fork and serve, not without a hint of smugness.

Cath xx

Comforting Food. Again.

OK, Back to it.  This is what I cooked tonight, making use of the contents of the 'fridge... After using it as an accompaniment for my Fruity Spiced Chicken last night, I had loads of leftover brown rice sitting in a box, waiting to be used, so that had to go somewhere.  Rootling around in the depths of my brain, I decided that it would be just the ticket for a vegetarian 'baked rice' recipe.  So I dug some garlic butter out of the freezer (I always make masses at a time and freeze it in portions to use, not only for more garlic bread, but also in more general cooking),  and got to thinking about mushrooms and what sort of binding sauce would be good.  Obviously, you can just use regular butter and add in a few cloves of minced garlic when you fry the 'shrooms, then add some chopped herbs to the dish later, but the ready-homemade-and-frozen garlic butter plan is, I beseech you, truly the way forward.

Cheesy Mushroom Rice

700g cooked brown rice
50g garlic butter (with herbs, if possible)
400g mushrooms
40g butter
40g plain flour
1 tsp English mustard powder
500ml milk
200g Cheddar cheese

Melt the garlic butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until very brown and what I call 'squeaky'; there should be no liquid left in the pan at all and you will know just what I mean when the mushrooms, almost, seem to squeak  Meanwhile, make an all-in-one white sauce by putting the butter, flour, mustard powder and milk into a saucepan and, whisking continuously, bring it all to the boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer briefly, then remove from the heat.  Add half the grated cheese and stir well until it has melted into the sauce completely.  Put the cooked rice into an oven dish, add the mushrooms and mix the cheese sauce in thoroughly.  Top with the remaining cheese and bake at 200°c for 30 minutes or so, until the top is somewhat crisp.

It was really, really nice - I cannot sufficiently explain how much I wanted to eat, well, ALL OF IT.  This one is definitely a keeper...

Cath xx

Forgetful, moi?

OK, so this is basically supper made with what I had in the fridge.  I had planned to make a risotto tonight; we had a roast chicken yesterday and I used the slow cooker to make some stock last night, while we slept.  Mid-afternoon, though, I had a mini-panic attack when I realised that I had completely neglected to take any bacon or similar out of the freezer to use in the risotto and that, having all had chicken rolls at lunch, it was unlikely in the extreme that the cold, cooked chicken would cut it .  On its own, in any case...  

Necessity being the mother of all invention, come suppertime, I opened the fridge and began unloading 'possibles' onto the counter.  Decision: chorizo would boost the bit of chicken we did had and spinach is always a winner in this household.  Result: possibly the best risotto I have ever made.  Very inauthentic, very unItalian, but very delicious nonetheless.

Risotto with Chicken, Chorizo & Spinach

25g butter and a drizzle of olive oil
1 onion, diced
200g risotto rice
50ml dry vermouth
800ml hot chicken stock
800g chorizo sausage, diced
100g cold, cooked chicken
couple of handfuls spinach leaves
25g fresh parmesan, grated

Melt 15g of butter with a drizzle of olive oil in a deep, heavy frying pan. Soften the onion, then tip in the rice, stirring to coat all the grains with the fat. Pour in the vermouth and cook for a minute or so to evaporate the alcohol. Then, still stirring all then time, add a ladleful of chicken stock at a time and allow it to be absorbed by the rice each time before adding the next. After you've put in all but 2-3 ladlefuls, add the chorizo and chicken and continue cooking in the same way. . When the last of the stock is absorbed, fold in the spinach, then add the parmesan and the last 10g of butter, cut into pieces. Give it all a good stir, then take the pan off the heat, cover it and leave it for a couple of minutes.  Throw a green salad together, set the table, pour a drink and serve, smugly...

Cath xx

Peas Please!

 Like many people, I suspect, without frozen peas I would feel bereft.  As well as the inevitable childhood chips-and-peas accompaniment, they are a useful ingredient in their own right.  So easy to throw into meals for a burst of colour and flavour; going so well with not only traditional British flavours but also with exotic spiced curries and pilafs.  Add softened onion, stock and cream (and bung in some mint or basil if you like, too), blend, and you have a beautiful light soup in moments.  Tip some into a risotto or make a meatless carbonara; the possibilities seem almost endless.

So it was pleasing to find, in the post, the new recipe booklet from the Yes Peas! campaign.  Full of all sorts of interesting recipes, such as Green Pea Hummus, Mild Pea & Sweet Potato Curry and Pea and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread, tonight I tried this Pea & Tuna Kedgeree.  It was very easy to make and very satisfying to serve - both my little boys had several helpings!

Pea & Tuna Kedgeree

This recipe is just as it appears in the booklet, with my additional notes in italics. I substituted 2 tbsp of ghee for the oil-and-butter mix.  The photo was, gratifyingly, taken by me and not by a food stylist!

300g frozen peas
4 eggs, hard-boiled and shelled
250g long-grain rice (I used basmati)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
30g butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp mild curry paste (I used Patak's Tikka)
1 tsp cumin seeds
400g tin of tuna, drained
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Squeeze of lemon
Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 160°c.  Cook the frozen peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and set aside (I actually just put them in a jug, poured a kettle of boiling water over them and left them for 3 minutes).  Roughly chop the eggs.  Add a pinch of salt to a large pan of boiling water, add the rice and return to the boil, stir well, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender, drain in a sieve and set aside (as always, I used my electric rice cooker to do this - with 2 manufacture-supplied measuring cups of rice).  Heat the oil and butter (ghee) in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan (large saucepan), add the chopped onions, curry paste and cumin seed and fry until the onion is cooked, but not brown, stirring all the time.  This will take about 3 minutes.  The add the rice, peas and tuna to the cooked onions and mix in well (I put it all into an oven dish at this point).  Cover (with foil) and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (I didn't bother).  Remove from the oven, add the roughly chopped eggs, parsley and lemon juice and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Serve with a green salad (I eschewed this, but did put a bowl of natural yoghurt on the table).

Cath xx

Back-to-School Risotto

Well, the holidays are over and school starts tomorrow.  Today has therefore been spent in a spin, dashing around trying to locate errant plimsolls, pencil sharpeners and other associated, ephemeral dross.  We also had to take the Christmas decs down; I know the last day of the hols isn't ideal, but I can't bear to see the back of Christmas for another year and always leave them up until the last lord leaps, piper pipes and drummer drums.

I love cooking risotti, as I know I've written before, but more and more, when up against it, I've taken to getting the bulk of it done in the oven; after all anything in the oven can, in a sense at least, be ignored while you get on with other things.  A good comforting supper was in order tonight, not least for me as James is going to (admittedly nursery) school for the first time tomorrow and it has all gone so quickly.  It feels like only yesterday that I was writing about weaning him into solids and now look at him; my little peach is not-so-little any more.

My method for doing a risotto in the oven is very straightforward, either with 300g risotto rice (I tend to use arborio as it's the most widely available) and a litre of stock, which makes dinner for the four of us, or with 450g rice and 1.5 litres of stock, which makes enough for a lunch for me and one (or both, if needs be) of the children the following day as well.

Soften an onion, in butter, in a large ovenproof casserole.  When very soft, tip in the rice and stir to coat in the butter.  Pour in a slug of white wine or dry vermouth, then add any extra ingredients (and see below), pour in the stock and pop in the oven.  Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 180°, then stir in a handful of grated parmesan and pop a lid on for five minutres while you set the table and pour yourself a drink.

Tonight;'s risotto was made with ham stock and the last, diced, meat from our Christmas ham but past successes in this line have included a mushroom version, a chicken and herb version, bacon and pea and prosciutto wth cubes of roasted butternut squash.  To be continued, I'm sure...

Cath  xx

Changing Lanes

Sometimes, no matter how much I think about, and organise, my weekly menus in advance, when the time comes to cook I just don't feel like the cooking, or the eating, or indeed both and so I change my plans. Tonight I was going to make some lamb kofte to eat with salad and pitta, using up some Mint Raita I made at the weekend to go alongside. However, it became this filling and very moreish rice dish instead, which borrows heavily from my Vaguely Middle Eastern Coucous. I have a horrible, sneaking suspicion that this went down better than the originally intended, more labour-intensive dinner. Never mind, if nothing else, it provides proof indeed that the very best meals are often little more than happy accidents brought about by my fickleness.

Lamb Pilaf with Fruit & Spices

Lamb stock is more useful than you might initially think and I make it easily with whatever bones we happen to have from chops, shanks or other joints. It's really worth having in the freezer, but if not, I should substitute vegetable stock.

1 onion, sliced
500g minced lamb
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
500g basmati rice
handful sultanas
handful dried apricots, chopped
1 litre lamb stock
plenty of chopped fresh parsley

Heat some oil or butter, or indeed both, in a large pan and fry the onions until soft and beginning to colour. Add the lamb and brown it, then tip in the spices and stir well to mix. Stir in the rice and the dried fruits, then pour the stock into the pan. Bring up to boiling point, then clamp on a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and without removing the lid (no peeking at all, trust me), leave to stand for 5 minutes. Fork through some chopped parsley; I would have loved to put some fresh mint in too, but I didn't have any, then take it to the table and serve straight from the pan. Yum!

Cath xx

Enter the Dragon

Remember Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce on Dragons' Den? Well, my hubby does, and for weeks has been driving me crazy with borderline-racist faux Jamaican requests for "some of de Reggae Reggae, man". Today I gave in and bunged some chicken thighs in the sauce to marinade, before swiftly going out shopping and visiting friends, thus avoiding the risk of having to listen to jokes which are just not funny. Sorry, hon, the truth hurts.

Having to eat the resulting meal, however, absolutely did not. I've never liked secrets anyway; now I feel vindicated by how right Mr Roots was to share his old family recipe with all of us. I can't even begin to describe the gorgeous smell that wafted from the kitchen while the chicken was cooking, nor how delicious it was. If you're not yet a convert - and tonight, to a man, woman and two children we were - then get out and buy some of, as they say, that wonderful stuff.

To go with the chicken, I was going to cook just some plain rice, but then I got my cooking mojo on and made this Caribbean-inspired rice and beans dish. Flavoured with coconut, it was (almost) as much of a hit as the Reggae Reggae chicken itself.

Red Beans & Rice

I used brown rice because that's what we have in the house, but use white if you prefer.

butter and oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 - 3 tsp lazy garlic
250g rice (and see above)
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/4 tsp powdered chilli
50g dessicated coconut
400g can red kidney beans

Heat a little butter and oil in pan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic together until soft. Add the rice and turn it in the fat to coat the grains. Stir in the herbs and chilli, the add 450ml boiling water from the kettle along with the coconut and drained, rinsed beans. Cover the pan, then bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Fluff it all up with a fork, then serve.

Cor! -onation Chicken

Last night, I was soooo organised and made a really nice lunch to take out to a friend's house today. I shook off any potential food-snobbery and tried out some frozen cooked rice for the first time. I was not disappointed; it allowed me to assemble this rice salad easily and in next to no time at all. You just weigh out the required rice, pop it in a basin with a little water and microwave ever so briefly. Because I wanted it cold, for a salad, I cooled it fast by putting it in a sieve and running it under the cold tap.

Coronation Chicken Rice Salad

225g frozen rice, 'cooked' and cooled (and see above)
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp curry paste
100g cooked chicken
50g sultanas
1-2 tbsp chopped chives
watercress, to serve

Combine the mayo, curry paste and about 50ml water to make a creamy curried dressing. Mix in the rice, then stir in the chicken, sultanas and chives. Serve on a bed of watercress for the full 'coronation chicken' experience...

Ooh, it was lovely - might have to have a repeat performance soon!

Blogger's Block

I just don't know what to say tonight - it's been one of those days. Busy the whole day; I haven't stopped, but I'll be darned if I've any idea what I've been doing with my time. Constructive? Fun? Not on my watch! So, in the absence of anything else to write about, let's proceed directly to what I cooked for dinner. It was lovely - I'll give it that - and the livers were cooked perfectly, despite my inner disquiet about frying and then poaching, but it has totally failed to cure my writer's block. It's hubby's night off, so maybe sharing a bottle of rosé will help. Ha! Well, it's an idea, at least...


Spiced Chicken Liver Pilaf

Cartons of frozen chicken livers vary between 100g-200g, depending on your butcher or supermarket, but are usually the size of a standard tub of cottage cheese. Don't lose sleep over it...

2 x cartons frozen chicken livers, defrosted
2 tbsp flour
butter
approx. 6 spring onions, chopped
500g brown basmati rice

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 cardamom pods

100g cashew nuts, chopped roughly

1 litre HOT chicken stock
chopped fresh parsley

Drain the chicken livers of any liquid and toss them in the flour. Fry, in a large pan, over a very high heat, just until sealed, and set aside. Add some more butterto the pan, then soften the spring onions and add the rice with the spices, stirring until the grains are coated in fat. Return the livers to the pan, stir in the chopped nuts and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan and turn the heat right down. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed, then fork through lots of chopped fresh parsley.

Kedger-ooney!

Our day today was full of friends and fun, which cheered up a miserable rainy day no end. It did, however, mean that I was cooking dinner on the hop, rather than enjoying a leisurely, drawn-out preparation sesh, which is more usual when the lovely Karl is at home to help out with child-wrangling (hurrah).

With a microwave and an electric rice cooker, though, I can knock a pretty mean kedgeree in very little time and with next to no effort. This is great, seeing as kedgeree is one of my most bestest, favouritest things to eat ever. In fact, the amount of kedgeree I can put away is phenomenal (in really quite a scary way!). You know the saying "enough is as good as a feast? With kedgeree, for me at least, a feast is never enough. Oh well, maybe I can work it off sometime.

Incidentally, for my recipe, and further adumbration on the subject of kedgeree, see my June 2007 post, Comfort Food #1. That photo's making me hungry again; "My name's Cath and I'm a kedge-aholic..."

Variations on a Theme

I'm rather getting into this rice pilaf thing at the moment. It makes a change to be cooking it on the hob, rather than just bunging it in the rice machine. Although I had no particular plans for it, I bought some minced beef in the butcher's the other day; you can make lots of different dishes with it and I can always knock up a Savoury Mince Crumble if I'm really stuck for a meal idea. After some thought, however, I came round to this, which is an on-the-hoof revision of another mince dish I occasionally make.

Spiced Mince Pilaf


Obviously you can substitute another minced meat for the beef, if you prefer. Lamb would probably be my first choice, though I have a feeling that turkey would work excellently here too.

garlic-infused oil
1 onion, diced
450g minced beef (and see above)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
250g basmati rice
4 tbsp split red lentils
200g frozen peas

Heat some oil in a large pan that has a lid. Soften the onion, then brown the mince. Tip in the spices and 150ml water. Bring this to the boil, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon or whatever. Stir in the rice, lentils and peas, then pour in a further 450ml water. Cover the pan and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat, then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed.

This makes a meal on its own, to be honest, but I added a tomato salad and some pitta bread, together with sour cream for dolloping over the pilaf. No pudding tonight, as we had apple crumble and custard yesterday (with no leftovers, pah!) and I don't seem to have gotten rpound to much baking lately. I really must do something about that.