Tuesday 31 January 2017

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash

This was delicious, lovely and spicy and the usual watery nature of the spaghetti squash was gone, so all in all a success.





















Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash (from Destination Delicious)
(Serves 6)

2 medium spaghetti squashes
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
450g chicken breast, chopped into small cubes
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 peppers
3 tomatoes, diced
60g cream cheese
bunch parsley, chopped  

Preheat the oven to 200C. Prick the spaghetti squashes with a fork and put into the oven. Bake for 40mins - 1 hr until soft. set the squash aside until cool enough to handle. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cajun spice to the chicken and combine.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in  frying pan over a medium high heat, add the chicken and sauté for about 5 mins. Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the pan with 1 tsp cajun seasoning and sauté until softened.

Then, add in the tomatoes and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Take the mixture off the heat. When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the spaghetti strands out of each half. Add the spaghetti squash and the chicken to the sauté pan and toss to combine. Serve.

Sunday 29 January 2017

Salmon Bulgar Risotto

This really does have a risotto like texture despite not being made anything like a risotto. It was also very tasty and felt like the flavours of summer in the middle of January!





















Salmon Bulgar Risotto (from Beauty Bites)
(Serves 4)

4 tomatoes, chopped
4 salmon fillets, chopped
200g bulgar wheat
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp oil
1 pepper, chopped
handful coriander, chopped
handful dill, chopped
handful green olives, chopped
1 tbsp capers

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar according to packet instructions. Drain.

Add the tomatoes to frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat for a few mins, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to fall apart and start looking like a sauce. Then add the bulgar and chopped salmon and mix together. If you need to, add some water.

After 3-4 mins cooking, stir in the garlic and oil. Cover and stir from time to time for another 3-4 mins. Turn off the heat and add the pepper, coriander, dill, olives and capers, cover and let sit for a few more mins on the warm stove. Serve.

Friday 27 January 2017

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash

One use for those leftover brussels sprouts!





















Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely diced
225g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
450g brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
salt and pepper
4 eggs

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture, it evaporates and the mushrooms start to go brown, about 15 mins.

Add the garlic, thyme and brussels sprouts, saute until tender, about 5 mins, let sit until the bottoms start to caramelise, about 5 mins, then mix everything up and season. Make small wells in the hash, add the eggs and cook until you're happy wth them.

Wednesday 25 January 2017

Brazilian Prawn Soup

This is a delicious soup, just lightly spicy and very filling.






















Brazilian Prawn Soup (from Jo Cooks)
(Serves 6)

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
100g long-grain rice
pinch chilli flakes
salt and pepper
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
1l water
250ml coconut milk
400g prawns, halved
juice 1 lemon
small bunch parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the onion and pepper are soft.

Add the rice, chilli flakes, salt, tomatoes and water to the pot and bring a boil. Cook until the rice is almost done, about 10 mins.

Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and then add the prawns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the prawns are just done, 3 to 5 mins. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley and serve.

Monday 23 January 2017

Five Spice Beetroot and Gammon Stew

I'm starting to really like beetroot. This is a lovely comforting winter stew with a slightly Chinese edge to it.





















Five Spice Beetroot and Gammon Stew (from Recipes from a Pantry)
(Serves 2-3)

1 onion, roughly chopped
200g raw beetroot, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp veg oil
200g smoked gammon, cubed
1 tsp five spice powder
2 400g tins borlotti beans rinsed and drained
400ml chicken stock
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Add the onion, garlic and beetroot into a blender and whizz into a puree. Heat the oil in an oven ready casserole dish and brown the gammon, before quickly mixing in the Chinese five spice. Remove the gammon and set aside.

Add the beetroot and onion puree and cook for 5 mins before returning gammon to the pot. Add everything else in, mix well and bring to the boil.

Cover the casserole, transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 1 hr.

Saturday 21 January 2017

Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes

I got some Jerusalem artichokes in my veg bag and I was hunting about for interesting things to do with them. These latkes were what I found. They are quite tasty, but they don't hold together all that well! This is also a massive amount for 2 people!! I served it with cottage cheese too.

















Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes (from Naturally Ella)
(Serves 2)

225g Jerusalem artichokes, grated
225g potatoes, grated
112g parsnips, grated
1 large egg
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
2 to 3 tbsp oil for frying

For Serving
2 poached eggs
sriracha
chives

Put the grated Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes and parsnips in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out all the excess liquid. Place in a bowl and add the eggs, flour, chives, salt, and pepper and mix.

Heat a medium, frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a tbsp of the oil and swirl around the pan. Wet your hands and measure out about 3 tbsp of the Jerusalem artichoke mixture. Pat into a patty that’s about ¼in thick. Place in the heated pan and fry for three mins. Flip and fry for another three mins. The outsides should be golden and crisp while the inside should be hot.

Repeat with remaining mixture. Add more oil as needed. Divide between four plates and serve topped with poached eggs, sriracha, and chives.

Thursday 19 January 2017

Homemade Pasta

I made home made pasta! I absolutely loved it and it tasted so much better than bought stuff! I got a pasta maker for my birthday and this was the first time I used it. It was just so much fun to make and satisfying too! I followed Jamie Oliver's instructions to the letter and it worked perfectly. I served it with salmon, cottage cheese, pesto and green veggies. Yum! Next time, ravioli!



Homemade Pasta (from Jamie Oliver)

6 large free-range eggs
600 g Tipo '00' flour

Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined. Knead the pieces of dough together – with a bit of work and some love and attention they’ll all bind together to give you one big, smooth lump of dough!

You can also make your dough in a food processor if you’ve got one. Just bung everything in, whiz until the flour looks like breadcrumbs, then tip the mixture on to your work surface and bring the dough together into one lump, using your hands.

Once you’ve made your dough you need to knead and work it with your hands to develop the gluten in the flour, otherwise your pasta will be flabby and soft when you cook it, instead of springy and al dente.

There’s no secret to kneading. You just have to bash the dough about a bit with your hands, squashing it into the table, reshaping it, pulling it, stretching it, squashing it again. It’s quite hard work, and after a few minutes it’s easy to see why the average Italian grandmother has arms like Frank Bruno! You’ll know when to stop – it’s when your pasta starts to feel smooth and silky instead of rough and floury. Then all you need to do is wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour before you use it. Make sure the cling film covers it well or it will dry out and go crusty round the edges (this will give you crusty lumps through your pasta when you roll it out, and nobody likes crusty lumps!).

How to roll your pasta: First of all, if you haven't got a pasta machine it's not the end of the world! All the mammas I met while travelling round Italy rolled pasta with their trusty rolling pins and they wouldn't even consider having a pasta machine in the house! When it comes to rolling, the main problem you'll have is getting the pasta thin enough to work with. It's quite difficult to get a big lump of dough rolled out in one piece, and you need a very long rolling pin to do the job properly. The way around this is to roll lots of small pieces of pasta rather than a few big ones. You'll be rolling your pasta into a more circular shape than the long rectangular shapes you'll get from a machine, but use your head and you'll be all right!

If using a machine to roll your pasta, make sure it's clamped firmly to a clean work surface before you start (use the longest available work surface you have). If your surface is cluttered with bits of paper, the kettle, the bread bin, the kids' homework and stuff like that, shift all this out of the way for the time being. It won't take a minute, and starting with a clear space to work in will make things much easier, I promise.

Dust your work surface with some Tipo ‘00’ flour, take a lump of pasta dough the size of a large orange and press it out flat with your fingertips. Set the pasta machine at its widest setting - and roll the lump of pasta dough through it. Lightly dust the pasta with flour if it sticks at all. Click the machine down a setting and roll the pasta dough through again. Fold the pasta in half, click the pasta machine back up to the widest setting and roll the dough through again. Repeat this process five or six times. It might seem like you're getting nowhere, but in fact you're working the dough, and once you've folded it and fed it through the rollers a few times, you'll feel the difference. It'll be smooth as silk and this means you're making wicked pasta!

Now it's time to roll the dough out properly, working it through all the settings on the machine, from the widest down to around the narrowest. Lightly dust both sides of the pasta with a little flour every time you run it through. When you've got down to the narrowest setting, to give yourself a tidy sheet of pasta, fold the pasta in half lengthways, then in half again, then in half again once more until you've got a square-ish piece of dough. Turn it 90 degrees and feed it through the machine at the widest setting. As you roll it down through the settings for the last time, you should end up with a lovely rectangular silky sheet of dough with straight sides - just like a real pro! If your dough is a little cracked at the edges, fold it in half just once, click the machine back two settings and feed it through again. That should sort things out. Whether you're rolling by hand or by machine you'll need to know when to stop. If you're making pasta like tagliatelle, lasagne or stracchi you'll need to roll the pasta down to between the thickness of a beer mat and a playing card; if you're making a stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, you'll need to roll it down slightly thinner or to the point where you can clearly see your hand or lines of newsprint through it.

 Once you've rolled your pasta the way you want it, you need to shape or cut it straight away. Pasta dries much quicker than you think, so whatever recipe you're doing, don't leave it more than a minute or two before cutting or shaping it. You can lay over a damp clean tea towel which will stop it from drying.




Tuesday 17 January 2017

Creamed Corn with Baghdad Eggs

Another yummy vegetarian lunch or breakfast. I didn't bother to cook the spinach, but you could if you felt like it. 






















6 fresh corn cobs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
½ tbsp chia seeds
400g young spinach leaves
8 eggs
1 tsp sumac

For the spice mix
3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 garlic clove
large pinch smoked paprika
2 pinches dried chilli

To prepare the spice mix, put a small frying pan on medium heat, cook the shallots in the olive oil until soft then add the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat to low, stir well and leave for another 2 mins. Leave to cool.

Cook the corn cobs in salted water for about 10 mins. Drain and, once cool enough to handle, strip the kernels from the cob with a knife. Place three quarters of the corn in a blender with the olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

Process to a very fine texture and add the remaining cooked corn and the chia seeds. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

Cook the spinach in 3 tbsp boiling water until wilted, then drain in a colander. When ready to serve, fry the eggs in a little oil with the spice mix. Divide the creamed corn between four plates, dot with the spinach and slide the eggs on top. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with flatbreads.

Sunday 15 January 2017

Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie

This was a yummy veggie pie.

















Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie (from Waitrose Autumn)
(Serves 4)
(9 WW SmartPoints per serving)

800g potatoes, peeled and chopped
splash milk
1 tbsp oil
1 carrot sliced
1 pepper, diced
300g leeks, washed and thickly sliced
40g butter
40g plain flour
400ml milk
1 tsp mustard
80g cheddar cheese, grated
1 bunch spring onions, sliced

Put the potatoes into a saucepan and over with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain and return to the pan.

Add the milk and mash well. Season.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the veg for 5 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add the milk stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the mustard and 20g cheese, season and pour over the veg.

Mix the remaining cheese and spring onions into the mash and spoon on top of the veg. Bake for 30 mins until golden.

Friday 13 January 2017

Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake

Yummy, yummy pasta dish full of veggies. Bit of a different version of a tuna pasta bake! I didn't have any olives so I used 2 tsp of capers instead. Anything slightly salty would do!





















Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake (from Super Food Family Classics - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

4 black olives, torn up
4 cloves garlic, sliced
oil
2 leeks, sliced
1 bulb fennel, sliced
2 400g tins plum tomatoes
2 tins tuna in spring water
300g wholewheat pasta
1/2 parsley, chopped
150g cottage cheese
20g parmesan, grated

Add the olives and garlic to a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add the leeks and fennel and cook with the lid on for 15 mins or until softened, stirring regularly.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 5 mins, drain.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Tip the tomatoes into the pan, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just over half fill one of the empty tins with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Drain and flake in the tuna, then simmer for 10 mins.

Add the pasta, cottage cheese and parsley to the tomato pan, season. Tip into a baking dish, sprinkle over the parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve.

Wednesday 11 January 2017

Salmon and Prawn Fish Pie

There is a lot of veg packed into this fish pie, it is a really yummy dish. 
















Salmon and Prawn Fish Pie
(Serves 4)

olive oil
1 rasher bacon, sliced
1 large carrot
1 bunch spring onions
½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp plain flour
600ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp mustard
400g frozen chopped spinach
4 x 120g salmon fillets
200g raw peeled prawns
400g frozen peas
125g feta cheese
600g sweet potatoes
600g cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the bacon into a large roasting tray with 1 tsp of oil, then put on a medium heat. Wash and trim the carrot and spring onions, chop into 1cm dice, and once the bacon is lightly golden, stir them into the tray.

Finely slice and stir in the parsley stalks. Cook for 10 mins to soften, stirring regularly, then stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the milk, bring up to a good simmer, then stir in the mustard and frozen spinach. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins, or until the spinach has thawed.

Chop the salmon into bite-sized chunks, halve the prawns, finely chop the parsley leaves and stir it all through the sauce with the frozen peas, then crumble the feta over the top and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, wash the sweet potatoes and cauliflower (leaving the skins on for extra nutritional benefit) and chop into 3cm chunks. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 mins, or until cooked through, then drain and mash well, taste, and season. Gently spoon the mash over the fish pie filling, spreading it out with a fork. Bake for 40 mins, or until golden and crisp on top, and bubbling at the edges.

Monday 9 January 2017

Meal Planning Monday

The I only went out for a couple of meals last week. Both were at the V&A! The first one I had Artichoke Bruschetta with Cucumber and Chickpea Salad and Beetroot and Radicchio Salad. Yummy and fresh.


I also went to Comptoir Libanais for lunch with my mum, we had a dips platter, falafel (which were huge), a halloumi manou'sha and some kibbeh. It was ok, the food wasn't as good as other Lebanese I have had but it was passable.


Next week, I'm meant to be going to the theatre on Monday, but the tube strike has put the end to that. Then next weekend I'm going to on a retreat in Tunbridge Wells. I'm really looking forward to some me time.


Monday
Soup with Bread
Sausage and Bean Pie with Salad

Tuesday
Carrot, Spinach and Preserved Lemon Quiche with Salad
Mushroom, Cavolo Nero and Rice Stuffed Squash

Wednesday
Beetroot Falafel with Pitta and Crisps
Chicken and Basil Coconut Curry with Rice

Thursday
Cretan Pastries with Hummus and Salad
Smoked Mackerel and Spinach Gratin with Salad

Friday
Soup with Bread

Southern Indian Crab Curry

This is a mildly spicy curry full of flavour. It was really simple to make and luscious to eat!





















Southern Indian Crab Curry (from Cook with Jamie - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

cooking spray
3 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
5 green cardamom pods, crushed and husks removed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 medium white onion, peeled and finely sliced
2-3 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
2 heaped tsp turmeric
250g brown crabmeat
400ml light coconut milk
juice 2 lemons
500g picked white crabmeat
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
salt and pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onion and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4 to 5 mins until lightly golden, then add the turmeric, a couple of sprays of cooking spray and the brown crabmeat. After a min or so, pour in the coconut milk and a tinful of water. Let it simmer for 5 mins. Then add the lemon juice and simmer for another 10 mins, or until the sauce resembles double cream in consistency.

Add the white crabmeat and half the coriander, simmer for 4 more mins. Season carefully with salt and pepper and a little more lemon juice if you think it needs it. Serve sprinkled with the rest of the coriander.

Saturday 7 January 2017

Turkish Eggs

I had these delicious eggs for lunch on New Year's Day and they were fab. Really easy to make and tasty, something different to do with eggs!





















Turkish Eggs (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)
(Serves 4)
(5 WW SmartPoints)

cooking spray
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika or chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 medium tomatoes, diced or 200g can chopped tomatoes
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
50g feta, crumbled
parsley or mint, chopped

Heat a frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the onion and peppers and cook over a medium heat for about 7-10 mins, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle over the paprika and oregano. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further couple of mins, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins.

Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Add then to the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs have combined with the tomato mixture and are just cooked through. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with feta and herbs. Serve.

Thursday 5 January 2017

Grilled Aubergine with Green Sauce

This was absolutely delicious. It also felt really healthy. I didn't bother putting it in the oven and served it over spinach and then drizzled the sauce over the top.





















Grilled Aubergine with Green Sauce (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

5 medium aubergines
salt and pepper
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 garlic cloves
80g soft goat’s cheese
100ml olive oil
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

For the green sauce
125g mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
12 basil leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp of water

Slice 4 of the aubergines lengthways in 4 thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. Place the remaining one on an open flame to char the outside skin, turning regularly. Once ready, the aubergine should feel soft when you stick a knife into it.

Once cool enough to handle, cut in two and spoon out the flesh. Place the flesh in a blender with the molasses, garlic, cheese and 50ml of olive oil. Process until smooth.

In an open pan, reduce the tinned tomatoes until you obtain a thick “dryish” sauce. Then, add the aubergine purée, mix well, taste for seasoning and keep aside.

Pat dry the sliced aubergine, drizzle some olive oil over and grill on a cast-iron griddle or on the BBQ.

Make the green sauce by blending all of the ingredients together in a processor until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Place 4 of the outside slices of aubergine on an oven dish then spoon some tomato and aubergine sauce over. Top with an inside slice and repeat the operation, finishing with an outside slice. Place in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Pour some of the green sauce onto 4 plates, place the hot aubergine stack next to it, drizzle over some olive oil and serve.

Tuesday 3 January 2017

Kale and Cannellini Stew

I made this the day I went home for Christmas so that I could have something light before the craziness of Christmas. It was delicious, lightly spicy and very filling.





















Kale and Cannellini Stew (from Deliciously Ella Everyday)
(Serves 4)

200g kale, stem removed, leaves torn up
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
280g jar sundried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp chilli flakes

Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and lightly fry the garlic for 30 secs, then add the kale. Saute turning often, for a couple of mins.

Add the sundried tomatoes and all the other ingredients. Cook for about 10 mins, until the kale is nice and soft, then season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Monday 2 January 2017

Meal Planning Monday

So I haven't shared a meal plan in a while and so you've missed out on my culinary exploits over the last few weeks.

First up I went to a cookery workshop at The Foundling Museum, all about a Foundling Christmas, we made a version of what the Governors would have eaten for their Christmas Dinner and our group made this Very Grand Salad. It was incredible and was part of a larger meal including pheasants and a whole baked salmon!





















I made a second trip to The Delaunay. I only managed to capture my starter and pudding this time. I had Mushroom Pierogie to start, which was really very good. I then had a Chicken Schnitzel Burger for main and Chocolate and Grand Marnier Dobos to finish. Really very good also.














We also went to Mr Pangs in Stamford for our usual before Christmas treat. Again I only managed to get the starters! Shredded Chicken, Chicken Curry Triangles, Seafood Gold Cup and Five Spiced Prawns. The meal was as delicious as ever and it underlines why we've been coming here for something like 20 years!

















I didn't, sadly, take any photos of our Christmas meal, so on to New Year's Eve. I went to a friends house for the evening and we had Lebanese take away from Mini Hiba in Walthamstow, we picked a selection of their hot and cold mezze and pastries and it was very good.





















This meal plan is very vague and will no doubt be subject to shuffling and change. I'm not really sure what's happening next week!

Monday
Out with my sister
Beef Olives with Parsnip Mash and Veg

Tuesday
Creamed Corn with Baghdad Eggs (The Times)
Out before the theatre

Wednesday
Out with a friend
Three Bean Chilli and Sweet Potato Bake with Salad

Thursday
Creamy Salmon Pasta Salad

Friday
Sunchoke Latke with a Poached Egg
Salmon Bulgar Risotto

Saturday
Cheesy Mash Topped Veg Pie (Waitrose)
Five Spice Beetroot and Gammon Stew

Sunday
Out for lunch

Sunday 1 January 2017

Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf

Yum, yum, yum, super simple one pot dish packed with flavour.





















Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf (from Hairy Dieters
(Serves 4)

75ml low fat natural yoghurt
juice 1/2 lemon
pinch cinnamon
15g chunk ginger, finely grated
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 tsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small courgette, diced
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
175g basmati rice
300ml veg stock
250g broad beans, double podded
large bunch parsley, chopped
small bunch dill, chopped

Mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl. Season the chicken with, then add the pieces to the marinade in the bowl and leave for an hour.

Heat the oil in a sauce. Add the onion, courgette and spices then cook over a medium heat for a few mins until you can smell the spices. Add the chicken and stir for a couple of mins until it mixes well and starts to brown.

Add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and leave for 10 mins.

When the rice has been cooking for 10 mins, add the broad beans. Leave to cook for 5 mins, then turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins. Fluff up the rice with a fork and turning it over gently so the broad beans mix well with everything else. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper and serve.