Peri Peri Chicken

Who doesn’t love peri peri chicken???

I use jalapeño chillies for this just to reduce the heat a little for my sons but feel free to add more chilli or consider using the seeds.

I always roast two chooks, one just isn’t enough these days in my house, leftovers are great in quesadillas and nachos or topping a crunchy salad. Consider making stock with the bones, roast the chooks on the removed spines so they act as a rack and then all the bones can be used for stock, I like to make a sweetcorn soup with this stock.

Ingredients

2 x 1.4kg chickens, spines removed and butterflied

2 limes

8 large garlic cloves

4 green jalapeños, 2 chopped with seeds, 2 chopped with seeds removed

50mls honey

salt and pepper

Method

Prepare the chicken by removing the spines with poultry shears and then pressing down on the breasts to flatten.

Combine the lime juice, garlic, chilli, honey and seasoning in a bowl and then use a stick blender to process.

Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover and marinade for 6-24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Lift the chicken out of the marinade and lay in a roasting tin, reserve the marinade. Wrap a little foil around the wing tips if they are on the upper side of the chicken like mine.

Slide the chicken into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, brushing regularly with the reserved marinade and pan juices. Towards the end of cooking, remove the foil from the wings and marinade with the rest of the chook.

Allow to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Potatoes, Chorizo, Chickpeas And Eggs

I love tapas and this dish has lots of Spanish influence in it.

As I make this for my boys I tend to buy my butchers mild chorizo so I can add the chilli later on. Something worth remembering for people with coeliacs is checking that your chorizo is gluten free, it should be but sometimes wheat is added.

This serves 10-12 as part of a tapas meal. When I make it for our dinner as the main dish I just serve it on thick slices of rustic bread for the non coeliacs in the family and coeliac son and I just have it as is! Leftovers are fabulous, reheated the next morning with a fresh egg on top.

Ingredients

500g mild Spanish chorizo, skin removed and sliced thinly

1kg potatoes, peeled and diced, 1cm

1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes

3 teaspoons smoked paprika

400g baby tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

eggs

Method

I use a large, 32cm frying pan to make this.

Heat the pan over a high heat, add the chorizo and cook until crispy and the fat has rendered out.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo and then add the potatoes to the pan, stir well to coat in the fat and then turn the heat down to medium, fry, stirring frequently until fully cooked and crispy.

Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chorizo.

Pour most of the fat out, return the pan to the medium heat and add the onion, cook until soft and then add the garlic, cook for 1 minute and then pour in the rinsed chickpeas, chilli,if using, and smoked paprika, cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the halved tomatoes and most of the parsley. Season with pepper and check if you need salt.

Return the chorizo and potatoes to the pan, stirring well, heat through and then make wells in the mixture and crack however many eggs you need into the individual wells.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil and cook until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny.

Sprinkle over the remaining parsley and serve.

Barbecued Lamb And Haloumi Salad

In a family of males, meat features regularly on the menu but this is a favourite, known as cave man salad by the boys and with the added bonus of bribing them to eat the salad as it has the meaty juices all over it!

Serves 6.

Ingredients

1.4kgs well trimmed lamb cutlets

4 garlic cloves, crushed

8 teaspoon zatar

2 teaspoons sumac

2 teaspoons ground cumin

zest and juice of 1 lime

50 mls oil

200g haloumi

200g mixed lettuce leaves

1 carrot, grated

1 capsicum, thinly sliced

6 tomatoes, quartered

1 pomegranate, seeds only

Method

Combine the lamb, garlic, zatar, sumac, cumin, lime zest and juice, salt, pepper and oil, allow to marinade for thirty minutes.

Heat the barbecue flat plate over a high flame.

Mix all the salad ingredients and plate up.

Cook the haloumi on both sides and then place it on the salad.

Now pop the meat into the BBQ and cook, turning once, to your liking.

Place the cooked meat on the salad, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and serve.

Cajun Chicken Schnitzel

These are so popular, I could only take this fleeting photo before they were all eaten!

I use fresh gluten free breadcrumbs that I make myself with GF bread rolls, I never cut off crusts as the dark crumbs help to  give you a darker colour and the bread is so expensive I can’t handle any waste!

This recipe makes 12 schnitzel, you can freeze them uncooked, layered between baking parchment to save them sticking. Cooked leftovers are a treat the next day in a gluten free wrap with salad.

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts, cut into four chunks

180g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Zest of one lime

salt and pepper

oil to fry

Method

Line your chopping board with baking parchment, place a piece of chicken on top, cover with another piece of baking parchment and whack it with the flat side of a meat tenderiser until thinner than 0.5mm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne, herbs,  onion powder, garlic powder, lime zest, salt and pepper, mix well.

Dip the chicken into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat until all of the chicken is done.

Heat a frying pan with the oil and shallow fry the chicken in batches.

Serve hot with a wedge of lime.

Pumpkin And Parsnip Soup

A very smooth soup deserves some garlicky crispy crumbs to elevate it to something really quite fancy!

I use gluten free fresh bread that I crumb but use regular if you can.

Serves 12 and leftover soup freezes really well.

Ingredients

50mls olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

900g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and diced roughly

500g parsnips, peeled and diced roughly

275g potato, peeled and diced roughly

2 litres vegetable stock

salt and pepper

CRUMB TOPPING

100mls olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

200g gluten free breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Method

In a large stock pot or pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the garlic and cook for one minute, add the pumpkin, parsnip and potatoes, stir well and then cover.

Allow the veg to sweat for 20minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, salt and pepper and bring up to the boil, simmer gently for 30 minutes until all of the vegetables are soft.

Allow to cool a little and then whizz using a stick blender until smooth.

To make the garlicky crumbs, heat the oil in a frying pan, once hot add the garlic and cook over a medium heat for around one minute.

Add the breadcrumbs and cook until crispy.

Stir through the parsley, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the garlic crumbs over each bowl of soup.

Three Bean Chilli

It’s always handy to have a good vegetarian chilli recipe and this one is a winner, we have it with a dollop of sour cream and a little grated cheese with rice or I thicken the sauce and use it as an enchilada filling, yummy!

If you can’t find tinned cherry tomatoes then tinned chopped tomatoes work just the same and I buy big jars of fire roasted capsicums as I’m lazy, you could char the capsicums over the barbecue and peel them yourself if you are that way inclined!

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

A good splash of olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

4 garlic clove, crushed

2 red chillis, deseeded and finely diced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

4 Fire roasted capsicum, finely sliced

2 x 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 425g tin black beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes in tomato juice

500mls vegetable stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons maple syrup

salt and pepper

Method

In a wide pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the garlic and chilli and cook for one minute.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring up to a gentle simmer, uncovered, simmer for 45 minutes until thickened.

 

Sticky Lime And Maple Wings

It’s Friday night and chicken wings are the go!

These are a savoury version of lime cordial, if that makes sense??? Very much of the finger licking variety! And did I mention gluten free, egg free and dairy free!

Serves 6-8 depending on sides.

Method

1.2 kegs chicken wings, tips removed and cut in two at the joint

2 limes

30mls olive oil

150mls maple syrup

6 garlic cloves

3 teaspoons salt flakes

pepper

Method

In a large zip lock bag, zest and juice the limes. Add the maple syrup and oil.

Crush the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle and add to the lime.

Pop the chicken into the bag, squish around and leave to marinade in the fridge for 2-6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Line two baking trays with baking parchment.

Spread the wings out on the prepared sheets, skin side up.

Pour over the excess marinade.

Slide the trays into  the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, basting regularly.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Crepes

As my youngest has recently been diagnosed with coeliacs/celiacs I am back to experimenting with gluten free baking again.

We had these crepes, spread with a little softened salted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. Brilliant for breakfast, dessert or as we had them for an afternoon tea treat.

Makes 24. If freezing, seperate each crepe with a piece of baking parchment so you can just peal off what you need.

Ingredients

225g buckwheat flour

50g caster sugar

4 eggs

400mls milk

150mls water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

30g butter, melted

softened salted butter and maple syrup to serve

Method

Put your crepe pan on to heat over a medium to low heat.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre.

In a jug, whisk the egg, milk, water and vanilla. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.

Take your whisk and as you pour the liquid into the dry ingredients slowly draw the flour in from the sides to avoid lumps.

Pour just enough batter into the hot pan to allow you to swirl it round and cover the base of your pan.

Cook until the top looks dry and the edges are beginning to colour.

Flip over and cook the other side for a few seconds, just to colour it up a little.

Tip the crepe onto a plate, cover with a clean, dry tea towel and continue making the rest of the crepes.

Twice Cooked Pork With Star Anise

This is a traditional Chinese way of dealing with fattier cuts of meat and it really works.

To ensure your dish is gluten free, if you need to, check your hoisin sauce, rice wine and chilli bean sauce as these are the places that gluten will be hiding. You can use sherry as an alternative to the rice wine if necessary.

This is a BIG quantity, it will feed 12 at least! I like to freeze leftovers in individual boxes with some cooked rice for easy dinners another day.

Ingredients

2.2 kg meaty spare ribs

80g fresh ginger, scrubbed and sliced, I don’t bother peeling it

4 spring onions, topped and tailed and cut into 3-5cm lengths

6 star anise

8 peppercorns

salt

50mls oil

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

700g red capsicum, deseeded, sliced into 5cm pieces

400g red onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 leeks, white part only, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2cm semi circles and washed

3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

100g gluten free chilli bean sauce

200mls chicken stock

100mls Chinese rice wine

10g sugar

2 spring onions, topped and tailed and finely sliced

Method

Fill a large, I use a six litre pan, with cold water, salt it well and add the spare ribs.

Bring the pan up to the boil and simmer for five minutes, skim off any impurities.

Add the ginger, spring onions, star anise and pepper.

Bring back up to the boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Drain the meat in a colander and discard the ginger, spring onions, star anise and peppercorns.

Once the meat is cool enough to handle, gently remove the bones and gristle and cut into 1-2 cm cubes.

Bring a large frying pan or wok up to a high heat, add the oil.

Once the oil is hot, stir fry the pork until the fat is rendering and it’s becoming crispy. This can take 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your meat and strength of your heat source.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork, set the meat aside and drain off most of the fat in the pan.

Return the pan to the heat and add the garlic, capsicum, onion and leeks. Stir fry for 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan, stir well.

Combine the soy sauce, chilli bean sauce, chicken stock, rice wine and sugar in a jug, stir well and then pour into the meat mix.

Stir to combine and then cover, bring up to a simmer, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Serve topped with the last two spring onions.

 

Corn Couscous With Edamame And Pinenuts

Corn couscous is a brilliant alternative if you are following a gluten free diet! It also makes a nice change from rice in our house. Check the cooking method recommended on the packet as there does seem to be some differences with the makers.

I’ve used chicken stock here but vegetable stock works very well too and if you aren’t a fan of edamame, frozen peas and baby spinach make a great alternative.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

30ml olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

215g corn couscous

250mls boiling chicken or vegetable stock

200g cooked edamame

50g Pinenuts, toasted

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

Take a pan with a well fitting lid, heat over medium heat, add the oil and once hot, add the onions and cook until soft. Towards the end stir in the cumin too.

Pour in the stock and couscous, stir once and cover, allow to simmer gently for 2 minutes and then, leave covered for 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the edamame, pinenuts and parsley and serve hot or at room temperature.