Chicken Tagine…

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Chicken Tagine…

….with apricots, cinnamon and chickpeas! These are all the classic flavours I conjure up when I think of a chicken tagine. The weather promised rain and high winds so it felt suitable. Sadly the rain didn’t come but we still feasted after busy days.

Those dried apricots soak up the juices like mini cinnamon infused orange sponges and the chicken meat slides from the bone like butter from a knife. Feel free to de-bone the thighs but this is the one recipe where I tend not to given how tender they become with slow, moist cooking. I recommend using some good quality chickpeas only as they will be roasting for a while. The cheap supermarket brands will do nothing but disappear. Spend the extra 40 pence people!

It really is an easy assembly job once you get that pan on the hob and into the oven but one that will impress guests and leave you hosting and not bound to the kitchen. Or it’ll simply satisfy your fiancee at the end of a long Tuesday as ours did here.

Serves 3 (big portions or 4 smaller)

  • 6-8 chicken thighs (skin on). I usually serve 2 per person but use 1 if serving smaller portions
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander
  • 2 tbsp Ras el hanout
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained. I use these Napolina chickpeas as they are by far the best. It makes a difference from own brand retailers.
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 80g dried apricots, halved
  • Handful coriander, chopped
  • Handful flaked, roasted almonds
  1. Preheat the oven to 190. Get yourself a fairly shallow casserole dish. Ideally you want all chicken in one layer so nothing is submerged so have this in mind.
  2. Heat your casserole dish with a tsp of olive/sunflower oil (NO Extra Virgin oil – I must stress, do not ever heat/cook with this. It’s for dressings only). Season the chicken well on both sides and on a high heat, skin side down, cook in the pan until beginning to crisp. Turn over onto the flesh side for a minute then remove all chicken pieces to a plate. You should be left with some oil and juices – use it!
  3. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the onion to the same pan. Sweat for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Season well as you go.
  4. Add the ground spices and stir to combine for 1 minute or so.
  5. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cinnamon stick and apricots and stir.
  6. Add enough of the stock so you have a nice thick sauce but not so its really thin. You can adjust by cooking any excess liquid off at the end but you don’t want the chicken to drown!
  7. Stir to combine and check the seasoning.
  8. Return the chicken to the pan and place each thigh skin side up into the dish. You don’t want to submerge the chicken skin or it won’t crisp up in the oven. Skin should be exposed on top.
  9. Cook for about 1 hour checking to make sure it hasn’t dried out of liquid (top up with hot water/stock if needed) and to check the skin is crisping up! Turn up the heat if it isn’t. After 80 minutes or so it should be nicely thick with crispy skin. Remove from the oven and let it rest and cool slightly.
  10. Scatter with the coriander and the sliced almonds.
  11. Serve with fluffy cous cous if you wish with a squeeze of lemon!

 

Cauliflower “Tabbouleh” with Kefir Lime Dressing

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Cauliflower “Tabbouleh” with Kefir Lime Dressing

I

‘ve adapted an Ottolenghi classic that was taken from his most recent cookbook ‘Simple’ which introduces this recipe quite candidly. I therefore don’t need to say much other than chop and mix. This, like a lot of my recipes, is open to interpretation for the flavours that you like. Change the herbs, add different spices or use different citrus juices and just taste as you go!

I added a Kefir dressing here simply because I served mine with some lamb kebabs that needed that element and frankly my body needed a probiotic hit! Feel free to use Greek or natural yoghurt too.

If you have some to hand and want to increase the aesthetics, scatter over some fresh pomegranate seeds for colour and crunch!

Serves 4 as a side  (Adapted from Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower ‘Tabbouleh’)

  • 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 lemon
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • 1 large handful coriander (about half a 30g bag)
  • 1 large handful basil
  • 1 small handful dill (optional)
  • 75g dried cranberries
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 150g kefir yoghurt (I used Yeo Valley brand)
  • 1 lime
  • 1 pinch ground cardamon (optional if you like the powerful taste!)
  1. Put the cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until you have finely chopped ‘breadcrumb’ cous cous. Tip into a serving bowl.
  2. Add the juice of 1 lemon and mix well. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Toast the flaked almonds in a hot dry frying pan until just turning golden – watch them or they will burn quickly. Set aside to cool.
  4. Chop the herbs roughly and mix into the cauliflower along with the cranberries and cumin.
  5. When ready to serve, stir through the flaked almonds so they stay crispy.
  6. Mix the kerif with the juice of the lime and the cardamon. Drizzle over the salad!

Frittata (Bacon, Onion & Cheddar)

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Frittata (Bacon, Onion & Cheddar)

T

rying to explain what a frittata was to my fiancé (who is, to his defence, South African) went a bit like this…

It’s like a Spanish tortilla…

Its like a giant omelet with tasty stuff in it…

Its like a quiche without a crust…

Whilst these all helpfully describe this Italian egg dish, I feel the later is the best choice and far quicker than having to make pastry but all the satisfaction of the contents. That said it is SUCH a versatile recipe for adding in anything you’d usually do with your quiche – spinach, flaked salmon, smoked haddock, chorizo, peppers, chicken, feta, chorizo…its endless and a good fridge raider meal as long as you’ve got a pack of eggs.

It started out as our vegetarian Monday night meal…and then I added bacon. But add mushrooms & feta and it makes an excellent vegetarian sharing brunch dish. Or instead of using a frying pan, tip the mixture into individual muffin wholes for bitesized ‘frittata’ snacks! Perfect warm or at room temperature and a really quick dinner fix.

The fresh courgette salad here was the perfect light and zesty side which I’d recommend. But a simple salad would also go down a treat. I cannot stress the simplicity of this one. Sometimes going back to basics is so rewarding.

Serves 4 

  • 6 large free range eggs
  • 3 thick cut or 6 skinny rashers smoked bacon
  • 1 large or 2 small white onions, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 bag kale or a few big handful
  • 1 large handful grated cheddar cheese (gruyere would also be amazing here 50/50 with cheddar)
  • Few sprigs rosemary or thyme (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 220.
  2. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Gently saute the onion for about 8-10 minutes with some salt and freshly ground pepper. You want it to turn soft and golden so it needs slow and low cooking (often covered with a lid if you can to create some steam). After this time the onions will sweeten.
  3. Chop the bacon into the pan in bitesized pieces and cook for a few minutes.
  4. Crush the garlic and add with the chopped rosemary/thyme if using and cook gently for a few minutes.
  5. Whilst this is cooking, bring a pan of water to the simmer and plunge in your kale. Cook for just 1 minute and then drain and leave to dry.
  6. Once the onion and bacon are cooked, add the kale and mix to combine.
  7. Whisk the eggs in a big jug with some salt and plenty of pepper. Grate in the cheese using about 1 big handful but as much as you like really.
  8. Turn the heat to a medium low on your frying pan and quickly pour oven the egg/cheese mixture evenly making sure it fills all the gaps in the pan. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds to form a bit of a crust around the edge before popping the frying pan in the oven.
  9. Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden on top! It won’t take long to cook so it should be set in the middle fairly quickly and even puff up and ‘soufflé’ a little.
  10. Remove from the oven and carefully (and skilfully!) slide it out onto a serving board. If is ends up in one piece, nice job.
  11. Serve with a lovely simple salad of watercress/rocket with some lemon juice or my courgette salad below…

Courgette, Almond & Lemon Salad (Serves 4)

  • 4 large courgettes, chopped in matchsticks
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • 1 handful chopped coriander
  • Handful basil, leaves roughly ripped
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • Parmesan cheese to serve.
  1. Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add the flaked almonds and toast for a few minutes until beginning to turn golden. Keep your eye on these, shaking often as they will burn quickly. Set aside in a bowl.
  2. In this bowl, add the coriander, basil and the zest of the lemon.
  3. Heat the frying pan again until hot and add just a small tsp of olive oil.
  4. Add the courgette matchsticks and fry quickly, shaking the pan often. You don’t want to colour them or turn them soggy, you just want to warm them and take the raw edge off.
  5. Season well with freshly ground pepper and salt.
  6. Remove from the heat and toss with the almonds and herbs.
  7. Peel over (using a speed peeler) some nice wafers of parmesan cheese. Serve!

Lime Salmon Fillets with Mango & Tomato Salad & Pimped Sweet Potatoes

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Lime Salmon Fillets with Mango & Tomato Salad & Pimped Sweet Potatoes

T

he idea of a salmon fillet covered in a spicy rub and roasted until crisp is forever pleasing. Confusingly for me, some people don’t eat the crispy skin but it is my absolute favourite especially in this recipe. Its the lime/garlic butter sauce on the side of this salmon that really packs a punch! This can be served simply with rice or a nice mango salsa but if you chose to make all 3 of these recipes then prepare for a plate of FLAVOUR! These 3 elements really pack a punch.

The mango ‘dressing’ , whilst spicy, is really refreshing with the hot salmon. The creme fraiche on the potatoes is also welcome with all the hot spice flavour but feel free to experiencing or miss out a couple of elements here.

I’ve listed each recipe separately but if making for dinner or your guests, make the salad ahead of time. Then roast the potatoes and start cooking the salmon and sauce when the potatoes are ready as they will keep warm on the side.

Serves 2

Salmon (adapted from Half baked Harvest)

  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 1 heaped tsp chilli powder
  • 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 heaped tsp honey
  • Handful chopped coriander
  1. Preheat the oven to 200.
  2. Place the salmon in a bowl and add the chilli powder, paprika and some olive oil. Massage the dry spices into the salmon and then chill in the fridge for a few hours or at least 10 minutes.
  3. When ready to cook, heat a frying pan until hot. Add the salmon, skin side down and cook until crisp for 3 minutes. Turn the salmon onto its flesh side to sear the outside.
  4. Place the salmon and a touch of the cooking oil onto a baking tray skin side up and bake for 5 minutes only.
  5. Whilst baking, turn the heat of the frying pan to a medium and add the butter – be sure it isn’t too hot or it will burn.
  6. Add the crushed garlic and cook quickly just to take the raw edge off. You may need to take the pan off the heat to stop it burning if its too hot.
  7. Add the lime zest and juice to the pan along with the honey and stir quickly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped coriander.
  8. When the salmon is ready add back to the pan skin side up.
  9. Serve the salmon with a spoonful of the lovely garlic, lime sauce.

Mango, Tomato & Corn Salad (adapted from Peter Gordon “Savour”)

  • Cherry tomatoes (about 250g) sliced
  • Sweetcorn, about 150g
  • 5 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 mango, peeled, chopped
  • Handful basil leaves
  • 1/2 garlic clove
  • 2 tsp chopped ginger
  • 1 small chilli, chopped (as hot as you like)
  • Lemon zest (half a lemon)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  1. Combine all ingredients apart from the tomatoes, sweetcorn and spring onions in a food processor. Blend until smooth adding some olive oil to loosen to your desired texture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  2. Combine the cherry tomatoes, corn and spring onions in a serving dish and spoon over some of the mango dressing. Serve the rest on the side.

Pimped Sweet Potatoes

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 4 heaped tbsp half fat creme fraiche (or use soured cream)
  • Zest 1 lime
  • Chopped coriander to serve
  1. Preheat the oven to 200.
  2. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and toss with salt, pepper and a little oil on a baking tray.
  3. Roast for about 20-30 minutes until beginning to turn golden and crisp at the edges.
  4. Once cooked, remove from the oven. Grate over the zest of half the lime.
  5. Spoon over some generous tbsps of cream fraiche and top with the rest of the lim zest. Scatter with the chopped coriander.

Chocolate Cherry Brownies

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Chocolate Cherry Brownies

I

always get a little timid about bringing brownies out the oven too early in fear I’ll be left with a molten mess in the centre. I left these in 10 minutes more than the recipe instructed but I think this time, I hit a winner! Gooey and fudgey and room for less baking time is always good to know.

I always jump from brownie recipe to brownie recipe but I think I’ll be sticking with this for next time. I used glace cherries here as they remind me of my childhood but fresh would clearly be better so feel free to through them in (de-stoned of course)

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

  • 130g butter
  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 55g glace cherries (or use fresh!) chopped
  • 55g pecan nuts, roasted and lightly chopped
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 55g cocoa powder
  • 75g plain flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 and grease and line a brownie tin (20cm square tin) with parchment.
  2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted fully. Remove from the heat and add the cherries.
  3. Sieve together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt and then combine fully with the melted chocolate.
  4. Add the nuts and mix well.
  5. Add the eggs and mix very well until fully combined and glossy.
  6. Tip into your tin and bake for 20-30 minutes (i feel 25 was ideal).
  7. Leave to cool completely before cutting – this will also make sure the middle sets if looking a bit molten!

Enjoy with a cup of tea to brighten a dull Tuesday afternoon !

Udon Chicken Noodles

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Udon Chicken Noodles

T

his was a really quick dinner! I rarely ever cook noodles but with 7 nights of guaranteed meals to experiment with lately without the interruption of that 2019 fad we called socialising, I’ve more time to test!

My fiancee said his stomach was happy after this meal so I think job done! One note for next time was perhaps to make a sticker glaze…

The recipe below is how I cooked it…I’ve listed a second option for a sticky glaze below that which is taken from this recipe (Sticky Soy and Sesame Pork) which would also work well with udon instead of rice.

If you want to make this vegetarian/vegan – toss in some tofu and mushrooms!

Serves 2 hungry people (or 2 with leftovers)

  • 300g chicken breast diced (or 2 chicken breasts)
  • 400g ready to eat udon noodles
  • 1 red pepper, cubed
  • Handful green beans, chopped in half
  • Bunch spring onions (about 6), chopped
  • 1 red chilli (I used birds eye), chopped
  • 1 large knob ginger, chopped (the more ginger, the better if you’re a fan)
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • Handful coriander, chopped
  1. Marinade the chicken in a large bowl with the ginger, garlic, chilli, soy, 1 tsp sesame oil and the honey and leave for about 30 minutes.
  2. Heat a tsp of oil on a medium high heat in a large frying pan and gently fry the pepper and green beans for about 8 minutes until beginning to soften.
  3. Next, add the chicken and its marinade and cook until the chicken is just cooked but don’t let it overcook or it’ll dry out. It doesn’t take long!
  4. Meanwhile while the chicken is cooking, put the noodles into a bowl and pour over some boiling water to loosen the strands. Gently mix until the noodles come apart. Drain well and drizzle with the other tsp of sesame oil to keep them from sticking.
  5. Once the chicken is a a few minutes away from being ready, add the spring onion and cook for the final few minutes.
  6. Add the noodles and stir everything well making sure to coat them in the juices – add a splash more soy if needed.
  7. Remove from the heat, sprinkle over the coriander and serve! You can even toss in some salted peanuts if you like.

Sticky Glaze option

  • 1 heaped tsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  1. Marinade the chicken as above.
  2. Combine the cornflour with about 2 tbsp cold water in a mug. Add the rest of the ingredients for the glaze and stir.
  3. Cook the recipe above up to completing stage 5.
  4. At this stage, add the sticky glaze and stir quickly well. If it gets too thick, add a splash of cold water and stir until smooth.
  5. Add the noodles and coat everything well. Loosen with a touch of cold water or soy if needed.

Sprinkle over your coriander!

Sticky Hoisin Potatoes

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Sticky Hoisin Potatoes

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use many sources of inspiration for my cooking, one of them being instagram. The visuals instantly trigger a cascade of ideas for recipes, menus, themes or dinner ideas. I saved this recipe about a year ago and have meaning to make it ever since. The tempting sticky glaze of the roasted potatoes and the sharp green from the green onion won my eyes over.

This is an easy side dish with a punch. It can be easily scaled up for guests and adds a bit of a twist from your usual roast potatoes or rice. I served mine with some simple seabass but it would make an excellent side to so much more – duck breast, roast chicken, pork loin.

Serves 2 (Adapted from the_clumsy_vegan)

  • About 250g new potatoes (or enough for you appetite) cut in half
  • 2 small red peppers, cubed
  • 5 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 knob ginger, sliced finely
  • 1 chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Tabasco
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • Basil for serving
  1. Preheat the oven to 200.
  2. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes so they are soft but do not over boil or they will be waterlogged.
  3. Drain and let dry and cool for a few minutes.
  4. Tip your potatoes onto a non stick baking tray (or line with parchment) and gently crush them using a fork or masher. Drizzle with some olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crispy and golden.
  5. Heat a tsp of olive oil and the sesame oil in a frying pan. Add the pepper and spring onions and gently fry for about 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the ginger and chilli and cook for a further few minutes.
  6. When you’re ready, add the soy and a generous splash of tabasco and gently simmer.
  7. Add the potatoes once they are golden and crisp and stir to combine.
  8. Finely add the hoisin and mix everything gently to combine.
  9. Scatter with basil and serve!

Mango & Chilli Noodles with Prawns

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Mango & Chilli Noodles with Prawns

H

eat wave London! We love and hate you. Love for the warmth, pleasure and vitamin D; hate for the fact that it reminds me so painfully that I don’t have a garden, a field surrounded house or a paddling pool. Alas, I treated us to a prawn dinner on a Tuesday night to kick start the week. We geared up the braai and threw half a kilo of juicy prawns onto the griddle. I simply marinated the prawns in some lemon zest, garlic and olive oil before cooking for about 5 minutes until vibrant orange but feel free to cook without a marinade.

I also had a deliciously big skate wing waiting patiently in the freezer. It was my first attempt at cooking skate so I decided to keep it simple to accompany our feast! Roasted at 180 for 15 minutes with some S&P and lemon slices.

Noodle Salad

Serves 2-4

  • 100g vermicelli noodles
  • 3 spring onions, sliced finely
  • 1 carrot, sliced into julienne (I’ve linked this before, but this is what you need OR just slice thinly)
  • 1 mango, chopped thinly
  • 1 handful salted peanuts
  • 1 handful coriander, chopped
  • 1 handful mint leaves, chopped
  • 4 tbsp desiccated coconut (toasted lightly in a pan)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 3-4 tbsp lime juice (1-2 limes)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 2 birds eye chillis – chopped
  1. To make the salad, get yourself a big serving dish and add the chopped spring onions, carrot, mango, mint, coriander and toss to combine.
  2. Pour boiling water over the noodles and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain and refresh under some cool water. Drain well and add 1 tsp of sesame oil to prevent them sticking.
  3. Toss the noodles and salad ingredients well – the noodles won’t mix well with the veggies so do your best. Equally, you can cut the noodles in half with some scissors to make them easier to toss/eat.
  4. In an old jam jar, combine the soy, honey, lime, sesame oil, fish sauce and chilli and shake well (lid on obviously!). Taste and add more of what you feel it needs. I totally made this up but it tasted good!
  5. Pour about 3/4 of the dressing over the noodles and toss well. Add the rest if you feel it needs it. Don’t drown your noodles! Scatter over the peanuts and sesame seeds and serve! with your BBQ prawns or some nicely grilled salmon or sea bass!

Skate wing is a delicious meaty white fish! It doesn’t have any bones but instead cartilage that lines the wing. The meat flakes away from the cartilage so nicely you won’t fear getting a stray bone! One of the nicest fish cuts I’ve had in a long time and a dream to serve.

Home-made Burgers

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Home-made Burgers

D

ate night burgers on a Friday after what has been the busiest work week since lockdown! Its a blessing not to have to waste time commuting home after a busy day so I could move from desk to kitchen to beer in hand within minutes of shutting down the emails! I’m not your classic burger fan but I’m not sure why. I like to eat slowly and find that burgers are often a food that you inhale?! I’ve always preferred to eat mine without the top bun like an open sandwich with a knife and fork!

You can pimp your burger fillings as you like, I’ve listed a few suggestions below. I always try to add a gherkin for the flavour, some lettuce for crunch and some avocado for indulgence and extra healthy fats! Add cheese if you like. When it comes to sauces I’m usually a faithful T sauce user but I recently discovered an amazing burger sauce from M&S (below) that ticked off my craving for both sauce and gherkin!

A few burger tips – don’t go low on the mince fat content. Use minimum 12% which I did here but 20% works well. If you can, get your mince from the butcher where you can be a bit picker on the fat choice. Don’t season the burgers mix too much, rather season the outside well before cooking. Don’t be tempted to overcook, keep checking as you go. Also don’t undercook – call me boring but ideally you should be fully cooking any mince for safety but you also won’t get the same benefit from a ‘pink centre’ as you will a steak so its pointless in my eyes..

Serves 2-4 (makes 2 large, and 2 small burgers)

  • 500g good quality beef mince (minimum 12% fat)
  • Bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
  • 1 shallot, chopped finely
  • 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
  • Burger buns – whatever your preference.
  1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl with some pepper and only a little pinch salt.
  2. Do not pound the meat together just gently mix handling lightly or you’ll have dry solid burgers!
  3. Gently bring the meat together into 4 burgers – I make 2 larger ones (2.5cm high) and 2 x smaller ones. Place on a plate and chill for about 20 minutes.
  4. Before cooking (on the grill/BBQ) season the burgers well on the outside with salt. Cook, ensuring a good amount of colouring on the outside as this is where the flavour is. (About 4 minutes each side depending on the size but keep an eye on them.)
  5. I like to lightly grill the burger bun and then dip (inside surface down) in the cooking juices of the burgers before serving.

Side suggestions

  • Sliced avocado
  • Litte gem lettuce
  • Grated mature cheddar cheese
  • Pickled red onion – chop 1 x red onion thinly. Put in a shallow bowl and spoon over 4 tbsp white white vinegar and 1 tsp sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes.
  • Homemade chips – chop 2 large potatoes into chips. Season, scatter over 1 tsp of dried rosemary and drizzle with a little oil. Roast at 190 for about 30 minutes until golden and crunchy.
  • Chopped gherkins. I actually bought the below sauce from M&S which was incredible. I think it made the burgers!

Bean Chilli

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Bean Chilli

S

ometimes you just need chilli and cornbread in your day. I love a comforting chilli, slow cooked and more often than not these days, made with chunks of braising beef that can be shredded rather than the traditional mince. However, sometimes time isn’t always in the equation for the privileges of slow cooking! On my meat free days or for vegetarian (or vegan) guests, I often make this version and its the smoked paprika that is the winner here for that ‘meaty’ replacement. That said, don’t you dare think about skimping on that. If you don’t have paprika, sorry you’ll need another trip to the shops!

It offers the same comfort and depth of flavour. I know I sound like a broken record but this really can be knocked up in 20-30 minutes max. It really is just a task of opening a lot of cans and stirring. But the take home is that it is wholesome. Its leans away from processed foods and its really cheap. 

9 times out of 10 I will make a cornbread loaf to accompany this (recipe here) but if time does not permit you can enjoy this in SO many ways. Serve on rice for the extra grains or just devour in a bowl like soup. I like to pimp the toppings here with guacamole, soured cream, grated cheddar and coriander. Dip crunchy tortilla chips into it or heck…make a nachos and get that grill on! It also makes an excellent vegetarian burrito filling with eggs and rice. Ok…stop it now I’ve given you quick, cheap and versatile.

Serves 4 (I have never made less than this and would advise you make a batch. It serves 2 with extra and is great reheated/frozen for an even quicker ready meal!)

  • 1 x can mixed beans (I always use Napolina for the quality but any mixed beans will do. Avoid anything in a sauce already)
  • 1 x can black beans
  • 2 x cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika,
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (use as much as you like. I like to use chilli flakes rather than fresh to control the spice here)
  • 1 lime

Toppings & Sides

  • Soured cream OR plain yoghurt with a squeeze of lime
  • Grated cheddar cheese
  • Chopped fresh coriander
  • Guacamole (Or mash 1 avocado with juice from 1/2 a lime and some salt and pepper)
  • Cornbread (see here)
  1. Get yourself a heavy based casserole dish or saucepan.
  2. Heat a splash of sunflower oil and add the onion. Sweat for 8-10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further few minutes.
  3. Add the spices and chilli and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Drain the beans and wash them briefly. Add the beans to the pan and stir. Season.
  5. Add the tinned tomatoes and stir. Wash out the tomato cans with a little water and add that too until its a thick/thin as you desire.
  6. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let everything warm through. 
  7. Add the juice of 1/2 lime and serve with your toppings and sides!

Don”t feel bound by the beans I suggest here – 2 cans of your favourites will work well. I suggest a mixed can as a base and then go wild with your second – chickpeas or extra kidney beans work well here.