Eggy Rice

Now here's a nice recipe. This another one from the best cook book I acquired last year, Hungry?, by the people who make Innocent Smoothies. You can see from my original post here, that this was sent to me to review so I'm aware that my praising it seems like a bit of a sales pitch but I honestly love this book. I've tried maybe a dozen of recipes from it so far and pretty much all of them have been winners. And if you don't believe me then have a look at the reviews on Amazon via the link above.

This recipe is one of my favourites. If you like stir fries but fancy a change from noodles then this is ideal. I love the flavour combination of soy, oyster sauce and lime and there's enough veg included to make it feel like a really healthy meal. Plus, like most stir fries, it doesn't take long to bring it together once all your ingredients are ready.
















Eggy Rice
(adapted from Hungry by the Innocent Smoothie People)

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
8 spring onions
2 pak choi, washed
2 carrots
groundnut oil
4 large free-range eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon runny honey
2 tablespoons rice wine
600g cooked rice
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 limes
a glug of soy sauce
chilli sauce (optional)

1) Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic, finely slice the spring onions and pak choi, and grate the carrot. Set all these aside.

2) Put a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and let it get really hot. Add a splash of groundnut oil and lightly scramble the eggs for about a minute. When just cooked through, remove the eggs from the pan and drain on some kitchen roll.

3) Give the wok or pan a clean and add a splash more oil. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, then stir in the honey and rice wine and cook for another minute.

4) Add the cooked rice, egg, spring onions, pak choi, carrot, oyster sauce, a splash of sesame oil, juice of 1 lime and a big glug of soy sauce. Turn up the heat and cook for 5 more minutes, until the rice is piping hot.

5) Serve with a wedge of line and a dash of chilli sauce for an extra kick.

Serves 4

Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Lime Cake with Margarita Cream

A new blog post at last! Unfortunately, I've been having trouble finding the time to sit down with my laptop lately what with visits from family, upcoming trips and birthdays and various other things that come under that general heading called "life".  But I just had to share this fabulous recipe from Nigella's most recent book Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home that, like so many, I had been wanting to try for ages.

It's a well know fact that chocolate and lime sit very happily together in recipes as I'd previously proved with Nigella's Chocolate Key Lime Pie - a triumph of flavour combinations.  This recipe takes similar flavours and mixes them up to make a delicious, flourless chocolate cake.  This cake has plenty of chocolate and eggs and a small amount of ground almonds in place of the flour. These combine to form a rather runny cake batter which transforms into a rich, moist but still light cake. The lime juice adds a citrusy edge that reminded me of a Chocolate Marmalade cake that I've made a number of times.

The thing that really takes this cake to the next level though is the Margarita Cream that you can serve with it. Lime juice, Cointreau, Tequila and icing sugar are added to cream and beaten to produce something that is nothing short of heavenly.  The usual rich, heavy cream is transformed into something light, fragrant and utterly delicious. As Nigella suggests, this could easily be served as dessert in it's own right with just a biscuit or two on the side.

The whole thing was very easy to put together. If making it for a dinner party the cake can be made several hours, or even a day in advance and the cream takes just 5 minutes to whisk together before serving.

You can find the recipe for both the cake and the cream on Nigella's website here and I urge you to try it!

Harissa Lamb Tacos

I came across this recipe recently in the July edition of delicious magazine, in the Shortcut Suppers section. It certainly was quick to make however whether the portions sizes are enough for an evening meal is up for debate. The original recipe called for 250g of lamb mince but I decided to put in the whole 400g pack and put any leftovers in the freezer. It was all polished off by the two of us pretty swiftly though, together with 3 tacos each rather than the 2 listed in the original recipe, and we both agreed it would have been nice to have something extra on the side. I would say this definitely falls into the light supper category rather than proper dinner.

Having said all that, though, these were really nice. The jar of harissa (which I've never used before) had three chillis on the side so I was worried it would too spicy but the flavour turned out to be quite understated with hardly any heat. The addition of the lime juice and the mint yoghurt finished off the tacos beautifully. I'll definitely be adding this one to my list of quick mid-week dinners.

Harissa Lamb Tacos

(adapted from delicious Magazine July 2011)

1 tbsp olive oil

400g good quality lamb mince

1 red onion, chopped

1 heaped tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa or similar, or more to taste

1 lime, cut into quarters

6 taco shells

small bunch of fresh mint, chopped

200g greek-style natural yoghurt

1 little gem lettuce, shredded

1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the lamb mince and season well. Fry, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes over a medium-high heat.

2) Stir in the onion and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring, until the lamb is nicely browned and the onion is softened. Stir through the harissa and cook for a couple more minutes, then pour over 350ml water and simmer for 10 minutes until sticky. Squeeze over 2 of the lime quarters.

3) Meanwhile, heat the taco shells according to the pack instructions and stir the chopped mint into the yoghurt.

4) Spoon the harissa lamb into the warmed taco shells and top with shredded lettuce. Serve with the mint yoghurt and remaining lime wedges.

Serves 2 - 3

Forever Nigella - Salad Days

I haven't been able to participate in the last couple of Forever Nigella challenges but when I saw the theme this month I was keen to take part. The theme for this month's Forever Nigella challenge is "Salad Days" and is being hosted by Dom at Belleau Kitchen. The weather is warming up (or at least it was until this weekend!) and salads are becoming more appealing so it was great to have the opportunity to try out one or two new recipes.

The first one that caught my was the Chinatown Chicken Salad, which is tucked away in Nigella's latest book, Kitchen, among a selection of recipes for using up leftover chicken. It's well worth cooking some chicken from scratch just for this recipe though. I really loved all of the different elements that made up this salad, in particular the crunchy tortilla chips and peanuts and the delicious gingery soy/lime dressing. All of the ingredients came together perfectly to make a delicious dish which was a complete meal in itself.

I had some tortilla chips and lettuce left over from the previous recipe so I decided to try out the Quick Chick Caesar Salad, also in Kitchen. This is a slightly speedier version of the classic Caesar Salad which replaces croutons with tortilla chips (although Nigella also suggests using cubes of garlicky roast potatoes, which sounds delicious). While it didn't quite have the wow factor of the Chinatown Chicken Salad it was nevertheless a really delicious filling tea. I've never made a proper Caesar Salad dressing before which, in this case, includes a raw egg, so I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. It was lovely though, although next time I might use a little less lemon juice.

As before, one of the principle rules for participating in the Forever Nigella challenge is that we're not allowed to reproduce the recipes we use on our blog posts. The aim is encourage our readers to go out and buy Nigella's books and reap the benefits as we have. I really would recommend Kitchen to anyone - it's a great book containing some truly fantastic recipes.

Chocolate Key Lime Pie

This is recipe has gone straight into top ten favourite dinner party desserts, ticking every box along the way - it's super easy to make, you can prepare it the night before, oh and it tastes fantastic too!

I chose to make this recipe as part of this month's We Should Cocoa challenge. Each month, participants have to make a recipe that includes chocolate and another pre-selected ingredient.

This month's challenge is being hosted by Chele of The Chocolate Teapot and the extra ingredient is lime which was a fantastic choice. I love cooking with limes and immediately thought of two chocolate lime recipes that I'd come across recently in Nigella's Kitchen book. I ummed and ahhed for ages but eventually settled on this one and I am so glad I did (the runner up was Chocolate Lime Cake with Margherita Cream). It really is so straightforward to make (I think it took about 30 minutes tops) and I absolutely loved the lime/chocolate combination. A 5 star recipe for sure.

Chocolate Key Lime Pie

(adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

300g/10 1/2 oz digestive biscuits

1 x 15ml tablespoon cocoa powder

50g/1 3/4 oz soft unsalted butter

50g/1 3/4 oz dark chocolate chips

1 x 397g can condensed milk, preferably chilled

4 limes to give approx 2 x 15ml tablespoons finely grated lime zest and 175ml juice

300ml double cream

1 square best quality dark chocolate

1 x 23cm x 5cm deep fluted tart tin with loose base

1) Put the biscuits, cocoa powder, butter and chocolate chips into a food processor and process to a dark, damp sandy consistency. Tip into the tart tin and press on to the base and up the sides. Place in the fridge to chill.

2) Pour the condensed milk into a bowl (and if you're using a tin be VERY careful when you lick the lid - which you will). Zest the limes into another bowl and reserve for decoration later. Add the juice of the limes to the condensed milk, whisking to mix.

3) Pour in the double cream and whisk together - in a freestanding mixed or with a hand-held one - until thick, then spoon the mixture into the chilled biscuit crust and use the back of the spoon to finish off the top in a swirly fashion.

4) Chill the pie in the fridge for 4 hours (if the condensed milk was chilled), until firm or, ideally, covered overnight. When you are ready to serve, unmould the pie from the tart tin, but leave it on the base.

5) Grate the chocolate to give a light dusting to the top of the pie then sprinkle with the lime zest. Serve immediately, as it will become soft if kept out of the fridge for too long.

Serves 6-8

The pie can be made 1 day in advance. When chilled and firm, tent with foil (try not to touch the surface of the pie with the foil as it will leave marks) and store in the fridge. Store the zest in a bowl, tightly covered with clingfilm. Decorate with zest just before serving. The pie with keep for a total of 2-3 days in the fridge.

Forever Nigella - A New Blogging Event

Well here we are, two weeks into the new year already. I've taken a couple of weeks off from blogging while I tidied away all the seasonal bits and bobs and generally cleared my head ready for the year ahead but now I'm ready and raring to go again.

So, I'm kickstarting the new blogging year by participating in a new blogging event. While looking through the UK Food Blogger Association forums I was delighted to discover that Sarah from Maison Cupcake had made the excellent decision to start up a monthly challenge to celebrate Nigella Lawson's recipes called Forever Nigella.

It's no secret that I am a big Nigella fan and one who loves her books AND her television programmes. OK so a lot of people think that her shows are just too OTT for words and I admit that a black satin dressing gown wouldn't be the first choice of kitchen attire for most people but who cares? Her recipes WORK.

Each month a theme will be set, and for the first month of this blogging challenge the theme is "Seasonal Sensations". Hmmm, well I discovered the Forever Nigella challenge about a week ago so unfortunately my desire to bake something Christmassy has been packed away with the tinsel and all the leftovers have been eaten. No matter though - I have stuck to the theme by taking two recipes from Nigella's Christmas book but they are just the sort of thing I want to eat at this time of year when excess is something I'm trying to avoid.

The first recipe is a fairly simple one - Antioxidant Fruit Salad. Sometimes simple is good though and this combination of mango, blueberries, pomegranate and lime juice is wonderfully refreshing and full of flavour. This is delicious for breakfast with some natural or greek yoghurt or with something a little more substantial, which leads me on to my second recipe.

The second thing I made (and I decided to make both as they are both simple recipes but go so well together) is a Cranberry, Almond and Honey Granola. I love granola and make it often and this one caught my eye I because of the dried cranberries which are my favourite dried fruit. The warm flavours from the cinnamon and honey are complemented by the slight sharpness of the dried cranberries and the almonds and seeds provide great texture.

Now I'm afraid that the rules of this challenge are such that I'm not allowed to post the recipes being used unless I've changed more than two of the ingredients (which I haven't). This is to encourage as many people as possible to go out a buy Nigella's books - an idea I heartily endorse!

Thanks again to Sarah for hosting this new challenge. I'm already looking forward to next month's.

Courgette Cake with Lime Curd filling

Following on from my previous post, if you've managed not to eat all of the lime curd straight from the jar with a spoon then this is the cake to go with it. As I suggested, this really is one of the best layered sponge cakes I've come across and I don't know why it's been so long since I first made it some years ago. Don't let the courgettes put you off - they do a similar job to the carrots in a carrot cake by adding moisture. On it's own this is actually a fairly plain tasting cake, however it has a wonderful texture and, when combined with the lime curd filling and cream cheese icing, turns into something pretty amazing. This truly is a five star recipe.

Courgette Cake

(adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson)

60g/2oz raisins (optional)

250g courgettes (2-3), weighed before grating

2 large eggs

125ml vegetable oil

150g/5 1/2oz caster sugar

225g/8oz self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon baking power

1) Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4. Grease and line two 8inch/21cm sandwich tins.

2) If you're using raisins, put them in a bowl and cover with warm water to plump them up.

3) Wipe the courgettes with a kitchen towel (but don't peel them) then grate using the coarse side of a box grater or similar. Turn them into a sieve over the sink to remove excess water.

4) Put the eggs, oil and sugar into a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the flour, bicarb and baking powder and continue to beat until well combined. Stir in the courgette and drained raisins.

5) Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 30 minutes until slightly browned and firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.

For the filling

200g cream cheese

100g icing sugar, sieved

juice of 1 lime, or more to taste

2-3 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts

1) Beat the cream cheese until smooth.

2) Add the icing sugar, beating well to combine, then stir in the lime juice to taste.

3) Assemble the cake. Put one cake on a serving plate and spread thickly with lime curd. Put the second cake on top and spread with the cream cheese icing. If you feel the icing needs firming up a little put the cake in the fridge for a while. Just before serving, scatter the chopped pistachios over the top.

Serves 8 - 12

Lime Curd

This post is the precurser to my next one as this is the filling for a most excellent cake. If you think that making your own lime or lemon curd is a task reserved only for the most dedicated cook then please think again. This recipe could not be simpler and produces something that can only be described as divine.

It helps if, like me, you love limes. I adore the smell of limes and in this recipe they add the most delicious fragrance and the perfect sharpness against the background of butter, sugar and eggs. If you make anything this year then please make this!

Lime Curd

(adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson)

75g unsalted butter

3 large eggs

75g caster sugar

125ml lime juice (of approximately 4 limes)

zest of 1 lime

1 x 350ml jar (sterilised by washing thoroughly and drying out in an oven heated to 140c)

1) Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan

2) Add all of the other ingredients and whisk to a custard over a gentle heat (this took me 10-15 minutes. Bear in mind that it will thicken further as it cools)

3) Let it cool before filling a jar (or a cake) with it. Keep in the fridge.

See - easy as pie!

Guacamole

I love guacamole (or Piquant Avocado Salsa as Anthony Worrall Thompson calls it - is there a difference?) and would happily eat it all day long if avocado wasn't quite so heavy on the calories. This is the best thing that can happen to an avocado if you ask me. I'm not really a fan of them in their natural state - I find their bland, smooth texture a bit weird and icky. Add some tomato, spring onion, lime juice and spice though and they just come alive. This is gorgeous served just as it is with plain tortilla chips.

Piquant Avocado Salsa

(adapted from Anthony Worrall Thompson's GI Diet)

1 ripe avocado, peeled and stoned

1 tomato, de-seeded and diced

2 spring onions, sliced

Juice of 1/2 - 1 lime

1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of ground coriander

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (or not in my case)

1 teaspoon chilli oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1) Mash the avocado with the back of a fork but don't make it too smooth.

2) Fold in the other ingredients and season to taste.

Serves 2

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

Ever since I dug out my copy of Bill Grainger's Everyday and lavished a bit of attention on it as part of my Unloved Cookbooks project I've been promising myself that I would come back to it at some point and try out the other recipes that caught my eye.

So the next recipe on the list was Bill's Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry. This recipe was fairly simple and straightforward and the result was everything I've come to expect from Bill Grainger - fresh, light and healthy but with good flavour - an ideal weeknight supper.

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

adapted from Everyday by Bill Grainger

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

750g/1lb 10 oz boneless chicken thighs, cubed

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

90g/3 1/4 oz baby English spinach, chopped

Large handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

1) Heat the oil, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.

2) Add the chicken and increase heat to medium-heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.

3) Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4) Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.