Muffintopjules

Harissa and preserved lemon roasted chicken wings with parmentier potatoes.

Quick and easy dinner idea with plenty of flavour.

Blitz up preserved lemons with harissa paste with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Marinade the wings for at least an hour and roast it for around 45mins.

Chop potatoes in small cubes and roast with olive oil, harissa seasoning, fresh garlic, salt & pepper.

Gochujang noodles with chicken and stir fry veg for dinner tonight.

Spicy, sweet and sticky noods. All about the Gochujang sauce.

Spiced Keema (beef mince) with baby sweetcorn and mange tout.

Nice quick and easy spicy mince dinner served with brown pitta bread.

Ingredients
500g lean beef mince
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic made into paste
1 tbsp ginger made into paste
3/4 cup oil
1/2 packet Indus Keema seasoning mix
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup water
3 green chillies
100g baby sweetcorn
100g mange tout
Roughly chopped coriander
Brown pitta to serve

Method
In a large pan, sweat the onions in the oil until translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger paste, green chillies along with the keema seasoning and mince. Fry until browned.

Add the tomatoes and water and cover the pan. Cook for further 10 mins. Add the sweetcorn and mange tout after and cook until tender.

Stir in the coriander and serve with toasted pitta.

Done.

Fried egg coated Cauliflower with red pepper sauce & feta.

Wanted to try something a little different with cauliflower so dipped them in egg and fried them to make these moreish bites. Paired with a red pepper sauce and feta to balance it out. Bangin’

Ingredients
Cauliflower cut into bit size pieces
3 eggs beaten
2 red romano peppers
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 shallot diced
80ml veg stock
Tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Feta

Method
Par cook the cauliflower until al dente.
Season the beaten eggs with turmeric, salt and pepper.
Dip the cauliflower in the eggs and shallow fry until crispy on all sides.

For the sauce
Blacken the Romano peppers skins over a flame or in the oven. Place them in a food bag to steam and make it easier to remove the skin.

Once done, slice them open and remove the seeds. Chop roughly.

Fry the garlic and shallot in a pan with the olive oil until softened. Add the peppers and fry for a couple minutes. Add in the stock and let it get to boil. Blitz in a food processor or blender and then season with salt and pepper to your taste.

To serve, dollop some of the red pepper sauce over the cauliflower and finish with the feta and some chives to garnish.

Roasted Squash, Fennel and Chickpea Salad.

A great warm spiced winter salad with a creamy tahini dressing. I paired this with a lamb curry but perfectly fine on its own. So good! Taken inspo from a recipe but with a few tweaks.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash cut into 1cm half moons
1.5 fennel sliced
2 red onions sliced
2 tsps chilli flakes
2 tsps ground cumin
5g coriander roughly chopped
500g chickpeas (I used dried and soaked overnight but can use can)
1.5 tsps sumac
50ml tahini
50ml coconut yoghurt
1 lemon for zest and juice
30g toasted hazelnuts roughly crushed
Drizzle of honey

Method
Bake the squash, onions & fennel seasoned with the 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp cumin and salt/pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well before baking until the squash has caramelised on both sides.

Separately, boil the soaked chickpeas for about 40mins until tender. Drain and place in another baking tray and season with salt, pepper, remaining chilli flakes/cumin and drizzle with olive oil. Bake these for 10-15mins.

For the tahini dressing. Combine the tahini paste, lemon juice/zest, 50ml water with a pinch of salt and whisk till smooth and dressing like. Add extra water if too thick.

Assembly
On a large platter, place the roasted chickpeas and then layer the butternut squash, fennel & red onion. Drizzle the tahini dressing generously over all of the salad and also drizzle a bit of honey across top. Finish by sprinkling over the toasted hazelnuts and coriander. Serve warm. This is banging!

Getting on the chopped salad bandwagon cos it’s defo winter kind of food.

Laziest type of food for brunch using last nights leftovers.

Cajun roasted chicken breast with a French bean, broccoli, red onion salad with baby plum toms and radishes. Basic vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Finished off with a garnish of chopped coriander. Serve with a couple soft boiled eggs on the side.

Baked sea bass with mixed peppers, red onions, garlic & lemon.

Easy Friday dinner where you just throw everything in a roasting tin with olive oil and salt, pepper & touch of ras el hanout.

Apple Tarte Tatin.

First attempt at making this pretty simple tart and was pretty decent!
But on the darker shade of caramelisation but still tasted good!

Ingredients
320g ready rolled puff pastry
100g butter
100g caster sugar
2 tsps vanilla bean paste
5 pink lady apples peeled, cored and quartered
1 cinnamon stick
1 egg beaten

Method
Preheat oven on gas mark 6.

Melt the butter in a heatproof pan about 20cm diameter on medium heat. Add the sugar and vanilla bean paste and mix till sugar is dissolved. Also add the cinnamon stick and lower the heat to a medium low. Keep an eye on this so that it doesn’t burn. Turn off when it reaches a nice golden colour. 8-10mins. Be careful with this because it will be extremely hot. (My finger felt it)

Let it cool for 5 mins and then add the quartered apples. Place how you like directly onto the caramel.

Unroll your pastry and place over the apples. Tuck the sides around the apples.

Prick with a fork all across the pastry and then brush it with the beaten egg.

Place in the oven and cook until pastry is golden brown. Around 20mins.

Let it cool after taking it out. Run a knife around the sides. Then place a plate (large enough to cover the pan) over the pan and flip the pan over. It should all release and you’re done. Serve with ice cream, cream or custard. Enjoy!

Simple pork escalope schnitzel.

Wanted something quick, easy and comforting. This pork schnitzel ticked all of those boxes.

Ingredients
8 Pork steaks (trim off the fat)
2 cups Breadcrumbs
2 cups plain flour
3 eggs beaten
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
Lemon wedges to serve

Method
Lay the pork steaks on a chopping board layered with cling film and cover with cling film too and then beat the steaks till flattened with a sturdy pan. About 3-4mm thick.

Place the flour in a baking tray with the paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Mix well.

Have another tray with the beaten eggs and another with the breadcrumbs.

Dredge the steaks in the flour dusting off any excess. Dip in the egg and drain any excess and then finally cost with the breadcrumbs.

Shallow fry for 3-4mins on each side on low heat. If it starts to brown too quickly then just lower the heat.

Serve with lemon wedges and whatever side you want.

Enjoy.

Lemon & thyme spatchcock chicken with rice & beans.

Wanted to make Jamaican style rice and beans so paired it with this banging spatchcock roast chicken. So much flavour in the rice with summer fresh flavoured chicken.

Ingredients
Whole chicken
1 lemon
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves
1/2 onion chopped roughly
Olive oil
Salt
White pepper

Rice & Beans
500g long grain brown rice
1 can coconut milk
1 can red kidney beans drained
3 sprigs thyme
1 1/2-2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 whole Scotch Bonnet
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 clove smashed

Method
Spatchcock the chicken (YouTube how to do).
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and white pepper all over. Squeeze the lemon juice all over too and rub all over.

Lay the chicken on top of the onion and garlic and place the thyme on top. Leave the lemon halves in with the chicken too and roast for 1 hr 15mins on gas mark 7.

Baste with the juices half way through.

For the rice (wash rice first), put all ingredients in a larger pot and mix well before adding the rice. Mix again so rice is fully submerged and coated.

Heat on high heat until the water starts simmering and then put on lowest heat. Cook for 50 mins or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff through the rice and serve.

This was one of my favourite dinners for a while!

Pork & Chorizo Sausage Rolls with Apple chutney 👌🏽.

These are simple to make and savoury goodness! Buttery puff pastry with a pork sausage/chorizo filling lined with Apple chutney. Only a few ingredients too.

Ingredients (to make 26)
2x Just roll push pastry sheets
600g pork sausage meat
4 inch block chorizo cubed
Extra Special Spiced Apple & Pear chutney from asda
1 egg beaten
Black sesame seeds
2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp smoked paprika

Method
Mix the sausage meat, chorizo, seasonings and 5 tbsps water and mix well.

Lay out the sheets of puff pastry and cut in half long ways. Dust a bit of flour underneath so it doesn’t stick to the surface.

Spread a thin layer of chutney in the centre on the pastry leaving a border around. Make a cylinder of sausage meat mixture and lay on top of the chutney in the middle.

Brush some egg around one edge of the pastry and on top of the meat then fold the other side over to stick to the egg brushed side. Press down to stick and then use a fork to press lines into it.

Cut into 5 cm portions and then lay them out on a baking tray. Chill until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6. Brush the sausage rolls with the remaining egg and sprinkle some black sesame seeds over.

Bake until golden brown for 30-35mins and you’re done. Serve with some more chutney on the side.

Sticky lamb ribs.

Back on it with these moreish sticky, sweet and salty lamb ribs. Garnished with spring onions, fresh red chillis and sesame seeds.

Ingredients
1.5kg Lamb ribs
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp rock salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chilli flakes
Drizzle of olive oil
Spring onion, red chilli, fresh coriander and sesame seeds to garnish.

Method
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients apart from the garnish with the lamb ribs. Combine well and let it marinade for at 4 hours (overnight preferably).

Pre heat oven on gas mark 7. Roast for 40 mins. Baste 3 times with the marinade after 10mins, 20mins and 30mins.

Garnish with the red chilli, sesame seeds, fresh coriander and spring onions to finish.

Roasted cauliflower with green tahini salad.

Bringing this one back for the summer because it’s so good!
Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with fresh pomegranate, lentils and a green tahini dressing. Fresh and vibrant.

Ingredients
1 cauliflower cut into wedges
1 can chickpeas
2 tsps cumin seeds
2 tsps paprika
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
3 tbsp tahini paste
1 lemon
Handful of fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 can green lentils
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method
In a roasting tin, mix the cauliflower and chickpeas with the cumin, salt, paprika and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast for 25-30mins or until the cauliflower/chickpeas are crisp and cooked.

Make the dressing by blending the tahini, lemon juice, salt and fresh parsley. Add 3 tbsp water to loosen and add more if not drizzle consistency.

Plate by putting the lentils, then the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. Drizzle the sauce and scatter pomegranate. Drizzle with olive oil and it’s done.

Chocolate Caramel buttons & White Chocolate Toblerone Blondies.

Buttery, chocolatety blondies with a sprinkling of flaky salt. A sweet treat on a chilled Sunday.

Ingredients (makes 32 squares)
2.5 tablespoon granulated sugar (for sprinkling)
2.5 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1.25 teaspoon baking powder
20 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 white chocolate Toblerone chopped
1.25 teaspoon kosher salt
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2.5 large egg
5 tablespoons water
2.5 tablespoon vanilla extract
Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Method
Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat, constantly stirring until it starts to smell nutty and light brown. Let it cool for 15mins.

Add all the dry ingredients once butter cooled (light brown sugar, baking powder, flour & kosher salt). Mix until a glossy thick batter. Add the water, eggs and vanilla extract and mix again.

Mix in 2 1/3s of the chocolate pieces.

Spread the mixture in 2 baking parchment lined 6x6 inch baking tins.

Top with the granulated sugar and bake for 18-23mins or until the edges start browning. (Gas mark 5 or 350F). Prick the middle to check it still moist.

When out of the oven, sprinkle flaky salt and let it cool for at least 15mins.

Cut into squares and you’re ready to eat! Enjoy!

Creamy chicken thigh & sun-dried tomato linguine.

Finally used some sun-dried tomatoes I bought from Naples in this fitting tribute to my holiday last month. Not too many ingredients too. So good 🤤

Ingredients (serves 6)
6 Boneless chicken thighs sliced
100g Sun-dried tomatoes chopped
500g Linguine
1 onion diced
6 garlic cloves diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
Plant based cream 250ml
250ml Chicken stock
Handful fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Method
Sauté the onions and garlic in a large pan until softened.

Add the chicken and cook until browned. Add the tomato paste and sundried tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock and cream and simmer for 10 mins.

Cook your pasta until al dente and then add straight to the sauce.

Add the parsley and serve. 👌🏽

Chatpate - A popular Nepalese snack consisting of rice puffs, kurkure masala munch (like spicy niknaks), wai wai noodles and other ingredients mixed up to create a spicy moorish side dish. So easy to make.

This is so good!

Ingredients
Rice puffs
Kurkure masala munch
Wai wai chicken flavour noodles
Green chillies diced
Lemon juice
Tomatoes diced
Red onion diced
Chilli powder
Curry powder
Fresh coriander chopped
Olive oil

Method
Break up the dry parts (kurkure & noodles) and mix with all other dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Then add the tomatoes, oil, coriander, chillies, onions and lemon juice.

Add the chicken seasonings from the wai wai noodles, curry powder and chilli powder.

Taste and add more seasoning if required. You can add as much of each ingredient as you like.

Mix really well and enjoy!

Fusilli bucati corti with aubergine, salcission (sausage) passata sauce.

Beauty of staying in an is having the option to cook your own food. And having local grocery stores close by you can buy the freshest local ingredients.

Ingredients
Fusilli bucati corti
Sausages x2 cubed
1/2 Aubergine cubed
100g Passata
Handful Fresh basil
2 tbsps Olive oil
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Dried basil
1 tsp Dried oregano
Pinch of sugar

Start boiling water for the pasta in a large pot.

Cube the aubergine and fry in a tbsp olive oil. After it has slightly softened add the sausage and cook until browned.

Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Add the seasonings to the aubergine and sausages and then the passata. Simmer on low heat till the pasta is cooked al dente.

Add a couple tbsp pasta water to the sauce snd drain the pasta. Add to the sauce and mix well. Add in the remaining olive oil and fresh basil and you’re done! Buon appetito!

Creamy butter bean chicken thigh stew.

Silky, creamy butter bean sauce with herbs and roasted chicken thighs immersed and served with toasted sourdough. Yum!

Ingredients
3 echallion shallots diced
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 cans butter beans
300ml creme fraiche
450ml chicken stock
Chicken thighs skin on
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp dried tarragon
1.5 tsp dried coriander leaf
Juice from 1 whole lemon
Kosher salt
White pepper
Sourdough bread

Method
Sauté the shallots and garlic till soft in a large pan and then add the drained butter beans. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Meanwhile season the chicken thighs with the kosher salt and air fry for 10 minutes till skin becomes slightly crispy.

Add chicken stock, fresh thyme and all other seasonings to the beans. 2 tsps kosher salt and lemon juice.

Let it simmer on low heat.

Add the chicken thighs to the the beans and cook on medium heat for 10mins. Add the creme fraiche and mix well. Check for seasoning and let it simmer for another 10mins.

Serve with toasted sourdough and enjoy!

No-bake Strawberry cheesecake.

Simple indulgent strawberry cheesecake tonight.

Ingredients
300g digestive biscuits
100g unsalted butter, melted
500g full-fat soft cheese
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml double cream
300g strawberries

Method
Crumble the digestive biscuits in a large bowl and add the butter and combine to look like damp sand. Put into a 20cm springform tin and smooth out. Leave to chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Whisk the soft cheese, double cream, vanilla extract and sugar until thick and creamy.

Fold in 2 thirds of the strawberries.

Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and smooth out.

Decorate the top with the remaining strawberries.

Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight and you’re done.

Jollof rice with spicy thyme roasted pork belly.

My freestyle attempt at making jollof rice. Packed full of flavour and paired perfectly with the pork belly.

Ingredients
Pork belly sliced into bite size pieces.
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
Pinch of salt and pepper
Vegetable oil

Simply slow roast in the oven until crusty and succulent.

Jollof rice
Ingredients
4 cups long grain rice
1 can plum tomatoes
2 tbsps tomato purée
1.5 tbsp curry powder
1.5 tbsp garlic powder
1.5 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 scotch bonnet
1 onion chopped
2 red peppers sliced
5 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup veg oil
1 tbsp ghee

Method
Blitz everything together apart from onion, pepper and half the stock.

In a large pot sauté the onion and pepper till soft then add the rice.

Stir and add the rest of the stock and the sauce. Bring it up to the boil then lower the heat and let it simmer until the rice is cooked.

Stir in the ghee to finish.

Winter warming Orzo chicken soup.

A flavoursome warming creamy chicken wing soup with orzo pasta. Perfect for a cold winter Sunday.

Ingredients
5 sticks Celery diced
1 whole onion diced
5 small carrots peeled and diced
12 chicken wings split into 2 pieces each
5 cloves garlic crushed
3cm ginger crushed
1 large leek sliced
1 large red chilli diced
2 chicken stock cubes
2 cans coconut milk
Water
Fresh coriander to garnish
Tbsp garlic powder
Tbsp dried coriander leaf
Tbsp dried thyme
Salt & pepper
1 packet orzo

Method
Sauté the carrot, celery and onion in a pot. Once softened, add the chicken garlic & ginger.

Cook for 5 mins and add the leeks and chilli. Also add the stock cubes, garlic powder, salt and pepper, dried coriander leaf and dried thyme.

Cook for another 5 mins and then pour enough water in to cover the chicken. Let it simmer on medium heat and then add the coconut milk.

Simmer for 5 mins and taste the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the orzo and stir it in. On medium heat cover the pot and simmer for 15mins.

Check the orzo is cooked and then add the fresh coriander to finish.

Serve immediately and enjoy!
#🐔

Hainanese Chicken Rice. Chickenny goodness!

This is my attempt at this staple Singaporean rice dish. My take was a bit of a one pot quicker version. Tasted pretty good and went down well with the fam.

There are other processes like making your own chicken stock and rendered chicken oil. All processes that can be done in advance and stored for future use.

If you’d like the recipe, drop me a message.
#2023

Roasted pork steaks with a creamy brussel sprout side served with rice.

Getting into the Christmas dinner spirit early by trying out this option for brussels. Accompanied the pork really well 🤤

Ingredients
Pork steaks
6 Garlic cloves crushed
Bag of brussel sprouts
400ml double cream
3 tbsp mirin wine
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 chicken stock cube
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Method
Simply season the pork with salt, pepper and fry in a bit of vegetable oil. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic to the pan too and once brown on both sides, place on a roasting tray and finish off in the oven on low heat.

Slice the brussel sprouts and sauté in the same pork frying pan with the garlic. When starting to brown, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss and then add the mirin wine, Worcestershire sauce and stock cube. Add 100ml water and stir to dissolve the stock cube.

After a couple minutes, add the double cream and let it bubble. Taste and season if required further.

Serve the pork with the creamy brussel sprouts with jasmine rice and voilà!

Cumin, ras-el-hanout and sumac roasted chicken with Talong (fried aubergine in egg) on rice.

Talong is one of my favourite Filipino sides. Aubergine dipped in eggs and fried till crisp. So good!

Sweet & sour chicken & cashew stir fry on jasmine rice.

Why get a takeaway when you can make it at home?

Ingredients (serves 4)
400g chicken breast cubed
1 red pepper chopped into inch pieces
1 large pak choi
6 stems spring onions
6 garlic cloves crushed
200g roasted, unsalted cashews
3 whole green chillies
100ml water
2 Tsps corn flour
4 Tbsps hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
2 Tbsps rice vinegar
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Method
Lay the cashew nuts on a baking tray and bake for 5 mins till browned. Leave aside once done.

Mix the hoisin, cornflour, water and soy sauce in a bowl and leave aside.

Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper and in a wok, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and brown the chicken on medium heat.

Cut the white hard parts of the pan choi into inch cuts and also dice the white part of the spring onions. Add to the chicken as well as the red peppers & green chillies and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add the vinegar and heat on high until it evaporates by half. Add in the ready made sauce and let it cook for 3 minutes.

Taste the sauce for seasoning and add any extra salt and pepper to taste.

Add the green part (chopped) of the Pak choi and sauté for a minute. Turn off the heat and finish off with the roasted cashews, spring onion and sesame oil.

Serve on jasmine rice and you’re done!

Simple chicken tagine with wholemeal flatbreads.

Quick and easy chicken tagine with ras el hanout as the main flavour profile. Garnished with coriander and dabs of creme fraiche. 👌🏽

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts cubed
3 echalion shallots sliced
5 garlic cloves crushed
3 green chillies diced
2 canned tomatoes
Coriander to serve
Creme fraiche to serve
Salt & pepper to season

Flatbreads
200g wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp salt
100ml water
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Add a tbsp ras el hanout to the chicken with salt & pepper. Leave in the fridge for an hour. I then cooked mine in an air fryer for 10mins. Leave aside.

Fry the shallots, garlic, chillies & ras el hanout in olive oil until the shallots soften. Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 10mins until it has reduced down. Add the cooked chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir and leave to simmer for another 10mins.

For the flatbreads, mix the flour, salt and water until you make a soft dough. Drizzle in the olive oil and knead for 5 mins. If too wet, add a little more flour. If it becomes dry then add a little water. Use the dough straight away or leave in the fridge till you want to use.

Split the dough into 4 and flatten out to form the flatbread shape. Doesn’t have to be a perfect shape. Heat with a little olive oil in a pan until both sides are browned.

Serve the tagine with coriander and dabs of creme fraiche and your flatbread. Can also be eaten with rice.

Enjoy!