The Future is Bright - Chicken with Lemon and Thyme #BrightFutures

Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to forget about the things that really matter, in my case, spending enough quality time with my children, as I know that by teaching them and investing in them, you create bright futures for all that come into contact with them, either directly or indirectly. We talk about waste; we talk about caring for the environment; we talk about helping those less fortunate than us.

That is why I am enthusiastic about the idea of promoting a #BrightFuture, Unilever’s drive to promote sustainability, ethical practice and their dedication to improving people’s lives across the world. As this is a food blog, I want to talk about the ways in which you can create brighter futures for others by thinking seriously about how we buy, treat and consume food.

Unilever’s involvement with Rainforest Alliance certified products is one way in which you can do something pretty great by doing very little. A PG cuppa, for example, and a sit down with those who you love is an immediate hit of kindness and an example of caring for those around you, whilst supporting those in the tea plantations around the world who wish to farm sustainably. Making a simple choice of putting a Rainforest Alliance banana into your child’s lunchbox means that you are thinking about the health and wellbeing of your children as well as helping those on banana plantations have a better life. Crumbling a Knorr stock cube to make a chicken stock is supporting the idea of farming sustainability because of their desire to improving agricultural practices in the production of their goods.

So what do I do? What can we do?

Seasonality

I buy in season. Buying strawberries in winter is crazy because they take like wet cotton wool and have been flown half way around the world. The taste of the first strawberry from the garden in late spring/early summer, when it has been gently warmed by the sun is the stuff that makes us foodies swoon with delight… and most kids too.

Buy what I need.

I can’t get to the supermarket in the week as I am usually hiding behind a veritable ‘Great Wall of China’ of exercise books. So, I do it all online, but only after planning what I intend to cook for the week and buying just what I need. I used to throw out loads and feel guilty about the (wo)manpower that had been wasted to make it, the energy needed, the fact that people are starving in many parts of the world and I am filling a bin full of food that, with more forethought, could have produced a tasty meal.

Leftovers are pretty fabulous.

The joy of making that oversize cottage pie/lasagne/chilli is that you get to put what’s leftover into a plastic container and take it to work the next day. Bung it in the microwave, wait for the ping and hey presto, you’ve avoided wasting petrol and additional costs by not going to the pie shop (if you’re me, that is…)

Sustainability and Ethical Practice

The selecting of products which support growers and producers is something that can be easily accomplished. You’re probably supporting many of these great causes already by buying products that support producers worldwide and happily, many of these products are not necessarily more expensive than those that are not as ethically orientated. Win win. However, it’s worth considering those products that might be dearer, especially something like chicken, which tastes so much better when there has been ethical treatment of the chook before it reaches the bright lights of the fridge section.

Talking of chicken, and this is where there has to be a recipe, for this is a food blog, I love getting all of us sat down round the table sometime of a weekend and having a really good meal. Brighter futures start at home; those moments where I can spend quality time with Lola and Finn, chatting, laughing, teaching, caring… Cooking is one of the ways that I show my love and in my own way I am creating a safe, happy environment which I hope that will encourage my children to pass on as they grow.

Easter Chicken with Thyme and Garlic, adapted from ‘Eat Greek for a Week’ by Tonia Buxton

Ingredients:

1.5kg free range/organic/corn-fed chicken

2 lemons (unavoidable air miles, due to a lack of Mediterranean climate…)

1 bay leaf

3tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp thyme leaves

Approximately 40 cloves of garlic (unpeeled, thankfully)

2 large onions (or you could use 10 peeled shallots)

150ml white wine

250ml chicken stock (I used a Knorr stock cube – see my preamble)

100ml Greek yoghurt (many small producers make their own versions of ‘Greek’ yoghurt)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c Put a lemon and a bay leaf into the cavity of the chicken. Season the chicken all over, including the inside. Brush the oil over the chicken skin and season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one tbsp. of the thyme leaves over the chicken.

Place the cloves of garlic and the onions in the bottom of a large ovenproof casserole and put the chicken on top.

Cut the remaining lemon into quarters and tuck them in under the bird.

Pour over the wine and the chicken stock, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Put the casserole onto a moderate heat until it reaches a simmer, then, place in the oven for about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. Ensure the chicken is cooked through by piercing the thickest part of the leg with a skewer or knife to see if the juices run clear.

Carefully remove the chicken, onions and garlic to a warmed dish, leaving the ‘sauce’ in the bottom of the casserole. Cover with foil. Skim the sauce for any fat that has risen to the surface then add the remaining thyme and the yoghurt to make a ‘creamy’ sauce. Bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, season to taste and then pour the sauce into a warmed jug.

Serve the chicken with the sauce and whatever suitable accompaniments you fancy.

 This post is an entry for BritMums #brightFuture Challenge, sponsored by Unilever and linking to http://www.brightfuture.unilever.com.

Sephardic Supper - Ottoman Style Braised Meat with Cannellini Beans

 

 

This recipe is from the most beautiful cookery book I possess - and cookery books are often a work of art these days anyway really, but this one really is beautiful. It's that beautiful that I don't want it splattered with ANYTHING. If you saw the state of some of my 'go to' cookery books, with little notes and the evidence of messy cooking, well, in one way it's quite reassuring of a wonderful collection of recipes, but when I cook anything from this book, it's positioned at the other end of the room from the cooker, for fear that it being any nearer will result in it being in line of a random splatter or mucky fingerprint.

 

 

 

So, I maybe should tell you the name of this cookery book seeing as I have bigged it up in such a way. It's called 'Stella's Sephardic Table' and I spotted it in a book shop a few years ago just before Christmas. It was a revelation - not only was my ego interested as the cover bore my name, but its gold lettering and its origins on the Greek island of Rhodes, coupled with visions of antique maps, and elaborate scroll like writing had me hooked. I wanted it from Christmas, but it was too late to do much about it, so I asked for it for my birthday instead and lo and behold, I was very, very fortunate. (Thank you Phill! xx) 

I should probably also say that this is the biggest cookbook I have ever owned. Big and beautiful.

Anyway, I shall cut to the chase. Seeing as the days are getting colder and I am a big fan of a one pot wonder, I was really tempted by this wonderful recipe which hints at warm, exotic origins and can blip away doing its thing whilst I am doing my thing. I sometimes think I should rename this blog 'One Pot Wonder' because there are so many of them on this blog, but I would find it hard to find anything more satisfying to sit down to after a cold day outside.

 

Ottoman Style Braised Meat with Cannellini Beans, adapted from 'Stella's Sephardic Table' by Stella Cohen

 

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad and three others

 

Ingredients:

 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1kg of braising steak cubed or other stewing cut, cubed or cut into bitesize pieces

1 marrow bone (probably optional, available from butchers, Waitrose or Ocado, which is where I got mine)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 leek, washed, white part only, sliced

1 celery stalk (and leafy top, if you like) sliced finely

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of parsley

500ml chicken stock

Two tins of cannellini beans

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

1/4 tsp sugar

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

 

Method:

 

 

 

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pan over a medium high heat. Add the beef and cook in batches. I put the marrow bone in to and kept it in the pan to leech its wonderful bone marrow into the pan as the beef browned. When the beef is browned, remove to a plate.

 

 

 

 Now add the onion, the leek, the celery, bay leaf and parsley sprigs to the pan. Cook until everything is softened and picking up the beef residue from the pan. Return the browned beef to the pan. Add half the stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for an hour or so, or until the meat is tender. Keep checking and add hot water if necessary.

 

Stir in the beans, the tomatoes, sugar, thyme sprigs, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour in the remaining stock and bring to the boil once again, cover and reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, but keep checking.

 

Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the salt and lemon juice and discard the herbs. It might be that you want to thicken the sauce and if that is so, remove the lid and increase the heat so that the sauce reduces. When it is at the consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

 

 

 

Serve in huge bowls!

 

 

 

 

In case the snow comes again (fingers crossed!) Venison Stew

 

 

Some people don't like snow. Luckily, I have firmly held on to my inner child and adore the stuff. If there is any better weather induced happiness than making the first footprint into virgin snow then I don't know what it is. Even lounging about on a sun lounger in the Mediterranean sun is only equal to the contentment I feel striding out through the white stuff. But then, in winter, I want snow. I expect snow. I am not a fan of three months of cold rain and grey cloud. And, because I am a subversive soul, I smile inwardly and outwardly at the chaos it brings. What's that? Snow day? Fabulous. Where's the sled?

The garden...

The oak tree...

The kids!
 

So if, like me, you have a penchant for sledging and snow in all its forms, you'll be wanting a meal to mind its own business, cooking away whilst you are busy outside pretending to be six or seven years old. And when you come in, hands stinging through cold, nose red, toes numb, glowing with youthful exuberance, your house will be alive and warm with the aroma of winey meaty stew. Your job will be to whip up a little bit of mountain of mash and some iron rich greens and then dish up. Wow. I sound organised.

 

I am frequently visiting Taylor's Farm Shop in Lathom, Lancashire and it was there that I found some diced venison which was cheaper per pound than the beef I was planning to buy. So, because I am, fundamentally, skint I decided on buying that instead, as well as my regular ham hock and about a tonne of steak mince. It was this Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe that I had in mind when buying my meat when made, turned out to be a lovely light, but substantial dish. (Mash helps here, clearly!)

 

Lola and Finn's reaction? Well, after they'd thawed out they liked the dish in general. They really liked the gravy which though thinner than you might be used to, is really flavoursome. The meat is lean and benefits from the slow cooking indicated in the recipe. Finn even ate the cabbage and liked it. I imagine they will have nailed the lid on and I still won't have figured out what makes him tick when it comes to the food he chooses to eat. Crazy.

 

By the way, there is a distinct lack of pictures here and the reason is that I am 'between cameras'. I was bought a very jazzy technical camera for Christmas which is very nice but I still haven't figured out how to take pictures without blurring them. Anything that looks clear is through luck more than judgement. It also eats batteries like you wouldn't believe and that means I use my retired camera whilst my jazzy camera's batteries are charging. And then I forget I've done that. And then I delete them by mistake...

 

Venison Stew, adapted from Stewed Venison by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall

 

(The quantities here are halved from the original recipe - enough to feed Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tbsp oil (or dripping)
125g salted pork belly or pancetta, cut into chunky cubes (I used diced pancetta)700g venison neck and shoulder meat, cut into large chunks (I used diced shoulder)1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
1 sticks celery, sliced (I diced mine very small or those who don't like celery)1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme (I used 1 tsp dried thyme)75ml red wine (I used a Cotes Du Rhone)250ml-plus beef or game stock (I used beef, and you need enough to cover the meat and vegetables) Salt and black pepper

 

Method:

 

Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan.

 

Add the pork and fry gently until it is lightly browned and the fat runs.

 

Transfer the pork to a casserole, but leave the pan and bacon-flavoured oil on the heat.

 

Now brown the venison, in batches, transferring it to the casserole as soon as it is lightly coloured.

Add the onions to the pan and sweat until soft but not brown.

 

Transfer to the casserole, then add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to the pan. Deglaze the pan with wine - allow it to bubble for a minute, to evaporate some of the alcohol.

 

Pour over the meat, along with the stock and a little water if needed: the meat should be covered by a good couple of centimetres.

 

Season sparingly with pepper, but not salt (the bacon will be quite salty).

 

Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, at a very low, tremulous simmer for one-and-a-half to two hours (up to three if you've used neck or shanks on the bone), until the meat is very tender.

 

(You can also cook it, covered, in a slow oven - about 140C/275F/gas mark 1.)

 

When the meat is cooked, taste the stew and adjust the seasoning. The juice will be thin, but well-flavoured.

 

 

 

 

Serve with a dollop of good, buttery mash and steamed seasonal greens.

 

 

Got Turkey Mince? Make Masala Meatballs

...and if you have chicken mince you could make them too. In fact, the original recipe by Neven Maguire calls for chicken mince but it isn't crucial to use it, as turkey also carries these Asian flavours well.

I think if there is any type of cuisine that Lola and Finn need convincing about, it is anything that has an Asian/Eastern influence about it and I can kind of understand that because the flavours I think call for a quite mature palate. I think once you get away from Korma or Passanda, feeding 'curry' (for want of a better term) gets more difficult as the flavours become more about spice and often heat, rather than unctuousness and delicate flavour. As is often the case, I did find myself letting this sauce out with cream for the children once I had served mine and Phill's, as this sauce packs quite a punch. It's tasty for sure but does possess more heat than you might expect. But, I like to introduce Lola and Finn to new flavours and despite the sizeable dollop of cream I placed in at the end of the cooking process, Lola and Finn were able to sample the tasty zinginess of this recipe. And it was meatballs after all. My kids love meatballs.

Obviously, this isn't just a kid thing. I am not a fan of curries that need to be served and eaten with something akin to asbestos gloves and a welding mask so should you decide to make this, and you should because it is lovely, then you may to be ready to tone things down at the end, either with cream or natural yoghurt, if heat isn't your thing. Or be restrained with the chillies; the original recipe said three, but I added two.

I changed the cooking of this recipe slightly in that I am not a fan of mince that hasn't been browned. I was concerned that the poaching of the meatballs in the sauce might make the look a bit insipid and unappetising, so once I had made them, I placed them in the oven initially to colour them before I put them into the sauce. As it is, the sauce is a rich colour which does seem to cling to the meatballs and so that 'greyness' of unbrowned meat wouldn't be so apparent.

Seasoning. I know too much salt is bad for you but eating unseasoned turkey mince is like eating damp cotton wool. You need to be prepared to put more than you might like, or expect, into the meatball mix for the meatballs to taste of anything.

Lastly, these meatballs are tasty little morsels should you get the seasoning right. I think these would be great little appetisers to serve with an Indian beer before getting down to a main course.

Masala Turkey Meatballs, adapted from Neven Maguire's recipe in 'Home Chef'

Serves Mum. Dad. Lola and Finn generously.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1lb chicken (I used turkey) mince

2 tsp freshly ground ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion, peeled, grated and squeezed dry

2 tbsp chopped coriander

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:

4 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 pint passata

3 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (I used two and the sauce was hot)

2 tsp freshly grated root ginger

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp tandoori masala powder (I left this out)

pinch of caster sugar

In addition, you might want some cream/natural yoghurt to temper the sauce to your taste, a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavours of the sauce and some additional chopped coriander for garnish.

Method:

Mix the ingredients for the meatballs together thoroughly and add about a teaspoon of salt and a grinding of pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan (you may as well use the pan you're about to cook the sauce in!) and put a teaspoon of the mixture into the oil to cook. Once cooked, taste for seasoning. If it needs more, add more to the mix and repeat. Once you are happy with the taste form the mix into meatballs about the size of golfballs, or to your preference.

Cover the meatballs with cling film and refrigerate until required.

To make the sauce, heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan that will, eventually, be big enough to hold the meatballs in a single layer. Add the cumin, cloves and bay leaf to the oil, and when they start to sizzle and become fragrant, add the onion and garlic and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

At this time, I placed my meatballs in a hot oven to colour, but it probably isn't necessary.

Once the onion and garlic mixture is looking translucent, increase the heat and cook the mixture until it is starting to brown slightly and looking a little dried out. At that point, add the passata, chillies, ginger, garam marsala and turmeric and then cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes.

Now add 12fl oz of boiling water, stir well and season with salt and pepper.

The original recipe now suggests blitzing the sauce with hand held blender to create a smooth sauce, but I didn't, being a fan of chunky, more textured sauces.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the meatballs. Continue to cook on a low heat for about 20 - 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally in case the meatballs begin to catch on the bottom.

At this point sprinkle the sugar into the pan and stir a little. You might now want to raise the heat to thicken the sauce to the consistency you prefer.

Taste the sauce once you are happy with the thickness. It may need more seasoning, you might want to temper the heat with yoghurt/cream (as I did - a heaped tablespoon initially) and then brighten the sauce with a squeeze of lemon. At this point I served mine and Phill's portion and then added more cream for Lola and Finn's portions.

I served this over steamed rice with a sprinkling of chopped coriander.

Still a bit cold; more comfort food required! Beef stew with thyme and mustard dumplings

Last week's cold snap had me craving tasty stodge once again and this gorgeous stew more than satisfies any cravings. It's a Tamasin Day Lewis recipe once again with a small amount of tweaking. Her original recipe is Beef in Barolo, but unfortunately the contents of my purse won't stretch that far, so this is Beef in Gutsy Cabernet Sauvignon instead.

Dumplings are glorious things. Soft and fluffy, and flavoured with something with a little oomph they are the most amazing and (indeed necessary if you ask me) to any stew. I elected to go down the mustard and thyme route rather than horseradish and parsley and was not disappointed. The hit of heat married fabulously with the unctuous, beefy gravy and soft, yielding meat and vegetables. Utterly delicious.

I halved the recipe you see here, but doubled the dumplings, because Phill and I, frankly, adore them. The stew is amazingly good the next day, should you be in the unlikely situation that you actually have leftovers. We drank the remainder of the bottle of cab and then slumped in front of the roaring fire, the cold snap firmly banished from our minds.

Beef in Barolo (or Cabernet Sauvignon) stew with thyme and mustard dumplings, adapted from Tamasin's Kitchen Classics by Tamasin Day Lewis

Serves 8

For the stew:

2kg braising steak (or suitable stewing cut) cut into large cubes

seasoned flour

2 large onions, sliced

olive oil

4 sticks of celery (which I omitted)

4 large carrots cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic

2 leeks, whites cut into thick discs

1 swede, peeled and cut into cubes (which I omitted)

1 bottle of robust red wine

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes

sea salt and black pepper

a bouquet made with a large sprig of parsley, rosemary, thyme and two bay leaves with two strips of orange peel, tied together, (though I just chopped up some parsley stalks, put in about two teaspoons of thyme with one bay leaf)

For the dumplings:

110g self raising flour

55g suet (I prefer vegetable)

1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme

1 heaped dsrtsp mustard powder

sea salt and black pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 150c/300f/Gas 2

Put the seasoned flour in a bowl or a zip loc bag and then add the meat, shaking or stirring to ensure that each piece is well covered.

Begin to fry off the meat in the olive oil. I use a cast iron casserole pot. Fry in batches, ensuring each piece is well browned. Once browned, remove to a plate. You may need to add more oil.

If there is any seasoned flour left, coat the sliced onions in it and then put them into the pot. Allow them to release their juices. Add the vegetables to the pot in the order that they are listed in the ingredients. When the onions are soft and have turned translucent, return the meat and their juices to the pot.

Stir the meat and vegetables, then begin to add the wine. Add the wine in two or three bursts, ensuring that it bubbles up before you add the next burst.

When the wine is simmering, add the tomatoes. If they are whole tomatoes, then squash them into the stew.

Season with salt and pepper, and then add the bouquet garni, or the chopped herbs and bay leaf if you are me.

Cover the stew and place in the oven for about three hours, checking occasionally to ensure it isn't drying up. You could also cook this on top of the stove on a low heat, but check it regularly and stir it to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

About half an hour before the end of cooking, prepare the dumplings. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and then add a little cold water to bind the ingredients. Be careful with how much you add. You want the mixture to be combined and pliable but not wet and sticky.

Using floured hands, break off bits of the dough and roll into balls about the size of a walnut.

About 20 minutes before the end of the stew cooking time, put the dumplings onto the top of the stew, part submerging into the stew. Replace the lid and allow to cook for the remaining of the stew cooking time. By then they should have swollen and become fluffy.

Serve the stew in warmed bowls with a generous helping of dumplings and a liberal sprinkling of parsley. And if you have wine left, then treat yourself to a glass.