Easy Tandoori Style Chicken

Alan has asked me to write down some easy recipes that he can make while I'm away during the week. So here's the first.

2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger (optional)
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika

This is a double marinaded chicken dish. The first marinade is the lemon juice and salt. Sprinkle the salt liberally on both sides of the chicken breast. Then place it in an oven proof dish and sprinkle the lemon juice over it. Then put this to one side while you work on the second marinade.


The base of the second marinade is grated onion. Since I can't face the idea of grating onion I put it, the garlic and the ginger in a chopper (or a blender) and let it do all the work. Then add it and the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and give it a good stir. Once they are well combined spread the marinade on both sides of the chicken breasts and return them to their oven proof dish. This should be covered in cling film and put in the fridge for at least an hour, over night works better.

When you are ready to cook the chicken preheat the oven to 200C (Gas Mark 8). Place the chicken at the top of the oven and leave for 20 minutes. At the end of this time take the chicken out and check that it's cooked right through. If not pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes just to be sure.

I like to serve it with rice and a salad.


This method of marinating will work equally well with other cuts of chicken or with lamb chops or steaks. It's important that there is no skin between the marinade and the meat so make sure that you pick skinless chicken. If you use lamb chops then you could also cook them under the grill.

Plum ketchup

One of the (dis)advantages of Mum and Dad's new house is the fact that the garden used to be an orchard and this summer they've produced a quantity of fruit that, even with Mum, Claire and I going at full speed, we've not been able to process fast enough. Mum's been palming them off to anyone and everyone who would take them of her hands...

So I found myself with a very large quantity of plums a few weeks ago. And since my husband doesn't like them I couldn't stew them and freeze them for use later as Mum has been. Last summer I tried Delia's plum ketchup recipe and it was a big hit and since each batch uses 8lb of plums it could the perfect way of dealing with a glut.

Plum ketchup is an old English recipe from the days when we rule the world in sauce making. It's a deep glossy savoury fruit sauce and though slightly unusual we've found that it works really well where you'd use Branston pickle or occasionally even brown sauce. It's been a real hit and several people have asked me if I was going to be making it again this year. Delia's recipe can be found here: Victoria Plum or Damson Ketchup. Or if you prefer the book it can be found here: Delia's Complete Cookery Course - Classic Edition: Vol 1-3 in 1v




It looks like this years is going to be at least as good as last years. And it gives me even greater satisfaction knowing that it's made using 16lbs of my Mum's plums. (And also knowing that I've got a bunch of christmas presents sorted already!)

Oat and Maple Cookies

I've been making these cookies for a few months and they are a big favourite. The only downside to them is that they disappear almost as soon as they've been made.

As with the last post a picture will follow...


Makes 24

7oz butter
4 tbsp light brown sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
8oz porridge oats
2 oz self raising flour

1. Pre heat the oven gas mark six
   
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together until the butter goes pale
3. Mix in the maple syrup
4. Add the oats and the flour and mix well
5. Put balls of the mixture onto a well greased baking tray (I use baking parchment so I know they won't stick) and flatten them out a bit with a fork (unlike other cookies these ones won't spread out as they cook so they need to be flattened and they are going to come out of the oven more or less the same size as they went in)
6. Put them in the oven for 15 mins or until the oats on the outside are starting to turn golden
7. Allow to cool a bit before you eat them
8. If you have any left over they should keep for a week in an air tight container
   

Mini Cheesecake Recipe

I'm not sure what I'm going to actually put in this blog but for now I've got a couple of recipes that I need to put in a safe place. They may even be of use to someone other than me!

This recipe is my adaption of one in Annabel Karmel's "New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner". They're a very grown up dessert to have come from a children's cookbook and I'm going to make them next time I do a buffet.




Makes 12
8 digestive biscuits
75g butter
250g marscapone cheese
1/2 jar lime curd (lemon curd works too)
Juice of half a lime (Or a lemon)
125ml double cream
12 raspberries (optional)

You also need a mince pie tin and 12 paper cases

1. Crush the digestive biscuits to a fine crumb (I put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin)
2. Melt the butter (30 seconds in the microwave does the trick) and mix it into the biscuit crumbs.
3. Put the paper cases into the mince pie tin and divide the crumbs evenly between them. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon.
4. Put the cheesecake bases into the fridge to chill
5. Put the marscapone, lime curd and the lime juice into a bowl and mix thoroughly
6. Whisk the cream to the soft peak stage and then fold the cream into the cheese mixture
7. Divide the mixture evenly between the cheesecakes and top each one with a raspberry
8. Leave the cheesecakes in the fridge for at least an hour to set. Overnight works best.