Welcome to the Quick & Ready meals recipes.

This Page's Recipes:

Why not try! Tesco Finest Lasagne
Why not try! Tesco Finest Lamb moussaka
Why not try! Tesco Finest Potato Dauphinoise
Why not try! Bacon, Bubble & Squeak, Mushrooms & Baked Beans
Why not try! Casseroles
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Quick and Ready Meals - Section Intro

Crispy, or home roast potatoes and ready roasted sliced parsnips are available from all the major supermarkets, I can personally recommend Morrison and Tesco for their own brand products as well as Aunt Bessie’s roast potatoes as being particularly tasty, if you follow my guidelines, they’ll end up nice and crispy at dishing up time too!

For this recipe I would recommend using either Tesco’s chicken crown with stuffing and chipolatas, or one of their boneless chicken joints with stuffing, but any, boneless, turkey, pork or lamb joint with or without stuffing etc., will work just as well as long as it weighs between 1 lb (450 g, to a little over 1-and-a-half lb, 680 g,   to fit in with the preparation an cooking times,   there is no reason why you shouldn’t use chicken drumsticks or pork and lamb chops too, but please disregard any cooking instructions on the packaging.

Use other frozen veg to serve with the roast, by all means, but I think that fresh veg taste the best!  Please see glossary of vegetable preparation techniques for more information.

Most major supermarkets sell  chilled, ready-made gravy, and packs of frozen stuffing balls, plus chilled or frozen sausage and bacon rolls.    Here we go then, prepare in half the time, sit back and wait while its cooking, and then relax and enjoy!

Quick & Ready Meals - Sue’s Twenty-first Century Sunday lunch.

This 21^st Century Sunday Roast will serve three to four people according to how much you choose to prepare and upon your appetite!

You will need.

2 or three medium-sized onions, peeled, topped and tailed and cut into small chunks,
1 chilled or defrosted, small to medium boneless, stuffed, joint, weighing no more than about 1 and a half lb (680 g, my recommendation is (Tesco’s chicken crown with stuffing and chipolatas 680 g), or alternatively, pork or lamb chops or chicken drumsticks.
1 bag of frozen, crispy, home roast potatoes,
1 bag of frozen ready roasted parsnips,
1 bag of frozen stuffing balls if you are using a joint that doesn’t already incorporate it
A pack of ready-made sausage and bacon rolls,
A drum of chilled ready-made gravy.
1 medium cauliflower, outer leaves and stalk removed and discarded, the head broken or cut into medium-sized chunks, dropped into salted water to clean them.
3 or 4 medium sized carrots,  peeled, topped and tailed, then dropped into the bowl with the cauliflower.
About 3-quarters of a pint of water to add to the roasting tin,
A little salt and pepper,
Olive oil to coat the roast potatoes and parsnips.
A squirt of Jif or real lemon juice to dispel the smell of cauliflower while its cooking.

Begin by setting your oven to gas mark 5, 375 f, 190 c, 160 fan. this usually takes about 15 minutes for conventional gas and electric but it will not be necessary to pre-heat fan assisted ovens.

Line a large, deep sided roasting tin with baking foil and  after removing any packaging from your joint, put it in, spreading out the stuffing and sausages, adding extra stuffing balls if required, together with your prepared onions and about 3-quarters of a pint of warm water,   Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, then cover the top of the tin with foil.

The onions will enhance the flavour of the joint and most of the liquid will be absorbed while its cooking, any juices that remain can be added to the gravy.

Count out enough slices of frozen parsnip, (the larger more chunky pieces would be best, about three per person) and put them on a baking sheet with slightly raised sides, it will make lifting them in and out of the oven easier.  Now count out 4 or 5 chunks of frozen roast potato per person and add them to the tray.  Drizzle over enough olive oil to coat them, sprinkle over a little salt and ground black pepper, and cover the tray with foil.

When the oven has reached its temperature, put the joint in just below the top, and the potato and parsnip tray in. a little  below it,   and start timing, they need to cook for an hour and a quarter.  Now, line a small tin with baking foil, add your sausage and bacon rolls to it in a single layer, cover the tin with Clingfilm or foil and leave in the fridge to keep cool.

Transfer your prepared cauliflower into a large saucepan, add just enough water to partly cover it, plus a shake of salt, and a little lemon juice, add a tightly fitting lid and put the pan on top of the stove so that it’s ready to turn on later.

Now you can either slice your carrots and put them into a microwaveable bowl with a few tablespoons of cold water and cover with a plate or pierced Clingfilm, or, alternatively, into a saucepan with just enough water to cover them, put on a tightly fitting lid, transfer them to the stove along with the cauliflower ready to turn on later.

That’s all the preparation done now, why not go and have a cup of tea or take it easy until your hour and 15 minutes has gone by, at which time, turn your oven up to gas mark 8, 450 f, 230 c, 190 fan.

Lift the tins from the oven, remove the foil from the tops of both of them, and  swap the position of the tins round, the potato and parsnips will now be on the higher shelf with the joint, a little below it.   Now uncover the sausage and bacon rolls and put the tin on the same shelf as the potatoes.

It will not be necessary to alter the position of your tins if you are using a fan assisted oven, just remove the foil, and turn up the temperature.

Set your timer for another half an hour, and while things continue cooking, put your carrots into the microwave and set it for 12 minutes on fairly high, not full power.  and vary your cooking time accordingly, they need to be just soft, when tested with a fork.  or if you are using your hob to cook your vegetables, turn on the cauliflower and carrot saucepans, bring to the boil, turn down to simmer and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until just soft.

Remove the lid from the drum of gravy and tip it into a microwave jug, or a small saucepan.

Put your dinner plates to warm, with one extra for serving the joint,  and lay the table.

After the half hour is up, check that the potatoes and parsnips are crispy by lifting out the tin, removing one oven glove and feeling the top of them, if they are firm and crispy to the touch, put them still in their tin, back into the oven and turn off the heat.  remove the tin containing the joint on to a clear work surface, spread out your plates, and using a fish slice, transfer the joint onto one of the warmed plates.  With a large, sharp knife, slice off pieces of meat, and lift them on to each plate with your fish slice.  Now add chunks of onion, sausages and stuffing to your plates, you will recognise each one through touch by their texture.

If there are any  juices left in the tin, they can now be added to the gravy, by standing both tin and gravy jug or saucepan on a worktop and either add it with a tablespoon or lift the tin carefully and pour it in from one corner.  take the carrots out of the microwave and heat the jug of gravy for 2 or 3 minutes on high power,  until piping hot.  Or gently heat the gravy in the saucepan, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until its bubbling.

While the gravy is cooking, stand a colander in the sink, strain your carrots into it and divide them between your plates, either with clean fingers or a serving spoon.

Drain your cauliflower in the same way and add to your plates.

Take the tin of potatoes and parsnips out of the oven and, use your fish slice and fingers to evenly distribute them, you should recognise the long parsnip pieces quite easily, don’t forget to add the sausage and bacon rolls.

Spoon or pour over your gravy, and that’s it, all finished, take it to the table, sit down and enjoy it. Serve it with a nice bottle of wine and  for afters, why not try a ready-made Tesco’s finest strawberry cheesecake or pop a Tesco’s family apple pie in a moderately hot oven to heat through while you are eating the first course.

Let someone else do the washing up for you afterwards while you relax with cheese and biscuits, coffee,  and a box of after dinner mints.  What could be nicer.

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Quick & Ready Meals - Succulent Salmon Supper.

To serve 4.

You will need.

4 skinless, boneless, finest Scottish or freshly  farmed salmon fillets, weighing around 6 oz, 150 g, each.  Salmon fillets are readily available from the fish counter of most super markets.
3 tbsps, or 2 oz, of butter or margarine.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fresh chopped fennel, or  Freshly  chopped parsley to garnish.
To serve with the salmon.
A large loaf of fresh crusty white bread,  
A whole cucumber,
1 lb, 450 g, cherry tomatoes,
1  12 oz, 350 g, bag of ready prepared green leaf salad. 
A bottle of vinaigrette dressing, (optional).

When the oven has reached its temperature, bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the salmon is soft when tested with a fork.

While you are waiting, slice a loaf of fresh,  crusty bread, allowing 2 or 3 slices per person, and  spread it with a nice thick layer of butter, then arrange it on a serving dish.

Slice some cherry tomatoes, and cucumber and open a bag of prepared green leaf salad and arrange all your salad ingredients in individual side salad bowls. 

When the salmon is cooked, using a fish slice, Transfer the fillets on to warm, large,  serving plates, sprinkle with fennel or chopped parsley  and take them to the table.   Serve with the crusty bread, drizzle a little vinaigrette dressing over the side salad, and serve your meal with a bottle of chilled white wine.

For dessert, why not try a ready made,  chilled tiramisu.

Happy cooking,

Sue.   

Quick & Ready Meals - Why not try! Tesco Finest Lasagne

Tesco Finest Lasagne  600 g, which will serve 2 people.

Served with, Aunt Bessie’s crispy roast potatoes, 900 g, or Morrison’s home roast crispy roast potatoes, 900 g, which will give you more than enough.

Cook from frozen.

Please allow 15 to 20 minutes less cooking time if using chilled products.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450 f, 230 c, 190 fan.

Remove the outer cardboard sleeve and lid from the lasagne and put the foil dish on to a baking sheet.

Count out enough chunks of potato, roughly 4 or 5 pieces per person, on to a baking tin, drizzle over some olive oil and add a grind of black pepper and a shake of salt.

Put the tins in the oven, with the lasagne on the top and the potatoes just below, and cook for 50   minutes.   Then if you are using a conventional oven, not fan, reverse the position of the tins so that the potatoes are on the top.  

Cook everything for a further 20 minutes, until the lasagne is bubbling as you lift it out and the potatoes are nice and crispy.

A little tip that will come in handy when dishing up.  Because the sheets of lasagne cover the whole length of the dish, it might be a good idea to cut through it,  with a sharp knife, before serving, then use a fish slice to lift each portion on to your plates.

The purists among us would argue with me about serving two carbohydrates together, but, believe me, the flavour of the lasagne really does complement that of the roasties.  If you are feeling guilty, simply cook less potatoes and serve a few carrots and some broccoli as well.

Quick & Ready Meals - Why not try! Tesco Finest Lamb Moussaka

Why not try! Tesco Finest Lamb Moussaka 660 g, which will serve 2 people. 

Served with

Tesco Steakhouse Oven Chips, 900 g.

Cook from frozen.

Please allow 15 to 20 minutes less cooking time if using chilled products.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450 f, 230 c, 190 fan.

Remove the cardboard sleeve and cardboard lid from the moussaka and put the foil dish on to a baking sheet.

Put it into the oven, a little below the top and cook for 25 minutes.

When the time is up, spread out a single layer of oven chips on a large, deep sided baking tin, which should give enough to serve 2 to 3 people.     If you are using a conventional oven, drop the tin containing the moussaka down to a lower shelf and put the tin of chips in above it, this will not be necessary if you are using a fan oven.

then continue cooking everything for a further half hour, by which time the top of the moussaka will be set, slightly firm to the touch, but not crispy, and you should hear it bubbling as you lift it out of the oven.  The chips will be firm to the touch.

Serve with a Greek salad, containing feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce,  and olives, with a yoghurt, mint  and cucumber dressing.

Quick & Ready Meals - Why not try! Tesco Finest Potato Dauphinoise

Served with:

Tesco Tenderized Thin Chicken Breast Slices 500 g.  One bag will serve 3 people.

Cook from frozen or allow 15 to 20 minutes less cooking time if using chilled products.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 425 f, 220 c, 180 fan.

Line a deep sided roasting tin with baking foil and lay out your chicken slices in it, allowing 2 per person, in a single layer.

Remove the outer cardboard sleeve and top cardboard lid from the potato dauphinoise and put the foil dish on a baking sheet.

Peel and finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, and sprinkle it over the top of your chicken.

Drizzle over a little olive oil.

Sprinkle on a little salt and a good grind of black pepper, then cover the top of the tin with foil.

Put the tins into the preheated oven the chicken just below the top and the dauphinoise a little below, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes.

After that time, (if you are using a conventional oven, but this is not necessary for fan ovens), swap the position of the tins round so that the potato dauphinoise is above the chicken. 

Continue cooking for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the top of the potato becomes crispy.

Serve with a small side salad of chopped cherry tomatoes, crispy lettuce and cucumber, dressed with either vinaigrette dressing or salad cream.

Bacon, Bubble and Squeak, Mushrooms and Baked Beans.

Why Not Try - Bacon and bubble and squeak, (oven baked),  with your mushrooms and baked beans cooked in the microwave.

All microwave cooking instructions are based on a 900 what model and will have to be adjusted slightly to suit those with different power ratings.

To serve 2 or three people.

You will need.

1 pack of 8 or 10 rashers of either smoked or plain back bacon, (allowing 2 or 3 rashers per person).

1 bag, approx. 550 g,   of Aunt Bessie's or your supermarket's own brand, of frozen bubble and squeak.

A medium carton,  225 g, of fresh button mushrooms, about 8 medium sized mushrooms per person.

1 415 g tin of Weight watchers or other low fat baked beans.

Set your oven to gas mark 6, 400 F, 200 c, 180 fan.

Line a large, deep sided roasting tin with kitchen foil and spread your bacon rashers out on it, in a single layer.

Put two or three cakes of bubble and squeak per person, on another  baking sheet.

Empty the contents of the baked bean can into a deep sided microwaveable bowl and cover with a small plate or microwaveable Clingfilm pierced in several places.

Wipe the mushrooms with dampened kitchen paper, break them into small pieces and put them into another  microwave dish or bowl, cover with a plate or pierced Clingfilm.  

Begin by  putting the tin containing the bubble and squeak into the pre-heated oven to cook for 10 minutes.

Then, put the tin of bacon into the oven as well and  set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes.

Put your plates to warm.

Spread two or three slices of bread and butter for each person and leave them on one side.

Half way through the cooking time, put your baked beans into the microwave and cook on medium power for 5 minutes.

Take them out and leave on one side.

Put the mushrooms into  the microwave and cook on the same power setting for 5 minutes.

When your bacon and bubble and squeak are cooked, that is when the bubble and squeak feels slightly crisp on top and the bacon is as crispy as you want it to be,  serve  them up on to warmed plates.

Tip your mushrooms into a colander to drain away the liquid they will have produced and either use a large serving spoon or your fingers to add them to the plates.

Use a large slotted spoon to serve up your baked beans.

Eat immediately with slices of bread and butter.

Hope you enjoy it,

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Why not Try - Casseroles

Beef or lamb Casserole or hotpot,  baby new potatoes, broccoli and carrots.

This sounds like a complicated meal to prepare, but honestly, with the lovely selection of ready-made casseroles and hotpots on the market, along with  pre-packed,  washed new potatoes and vegetables, it couldn't be easier.

To serve two.

You will need.

Your favourite supermarket's brand of chilled casserole or hotpot,  I'm using Tesco's own brand which comes in a plastic dish with cardboard outer sleeve.

Buy either a 450 g to 600 g,  beef, beef  and ale, or beef bourguignon casserole,  you could even try one with a dumpling or cobbler topping, or, alternatively,    select a lamb casserole or  hotpot.

1 700 g, pack of baby new potatoes, which will give you enough for two meals.

1 pre-packed 250 g, fresh broccoli,

1 small 300 g, pack of baby carrots.

Begin by setting your oven to:  Gas mark 4, 325 F, 170 C, 150 Fan.

Remove the outer cardboard sleeve from the casserole.   Stand the dish on a baking sheet, pierce the plastic film that covers it with a small pointed kitchen knife, in several places.

Put half the baby new potatoes into a bowl of lukewarm water to wash away any dust, Rub each one between your fingers to help clean them, this way you can check for any tiny eyes, impurities or soft potatoes.  Then transfer into a large saucepan with enough water to cover them, add a sprinkle of salt,  and put on the lid.

Pull apart the stems of broccoli and drop it into the luke warm water to clean it and discard the root.  Add to a medium sized saucepan along with enough cold water to partially cover it, with  a sprinkle of salt and a little lemon juice if you're concerned about cooking odours and cover with a lid.

Count out several  carrots per person.  Rinse them in some clean lukewarm water, check them over with your fingers, as with the potatoes.  Then top and tail them, i.e. remove a small piece from each end.   then put them into a deep sided microwaveable bowl along with several tablespoons of water, and cover with a plate or pierced microwaveable Clingfilm.

Put the casserole into the pre-heated oven and set your kitchen timer for 40 minutes, please allow between 15 and twenty minutes extra if you are using a frozen casserole.

Put your saucepans onto the stove and your carrots into the microwave.

Put some plates to warm.

Ten minutes into the cooking time, turn on the heat under the potatoes and bring to the boil, turn down to simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly soft when tested with a fork.

When the casserole has about 15 minutes to cook, bring the broccoli to the boil, turn down to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until slightly tender when tested with a fork.

At the same time, set your microwave for 11 minutes on a medium heat and cook your carrots.

When your casserole has cooked, i.e. you can hear it sizzling slightly when you remove it from the oven, or, a little steam escapes as you take off the plastic film. use a slotted spoon to evenly distribute it between your plates, then pour over the rest of the gravy.

Tip the contents of your new potato saucepan into a large colander and use your slotted spoon to serve them out, or, if you're careful, you can push them on to the plates from the colander with your fingers.  

Tip the contents of your broccoli pan into the colander, allow a few seconds to let the water drain away, give the colander a gentle shake while its still over the sink to dislodge any remaining water,  and serve this up too.

Finally, drain and serve your carrots

This meal is good and nutritious and gives a lovely contrast of flavours.

You might think it strange not to have peeled the veg, but its so fine on both these baby vegetables that it won't matter, and, after all,  that is where a lot of the goodness is.  If you really can't stand the thought of eating any peel, just use a small vegetable brush to scrub the carrots and baby new potatoes when you clean them in the lukewarm water.

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Mediterranean Summer Salad.

This lovely salad, packed full with so many succulent flavours, is easy to prepare.   It's just right to sit and eat,  out in the summer sunshine.

You can serve as many people as you like, just adding another portion of every ingredient to an extra plate.

To serve one, you will need:

4 tbsps of dried pasta shells or twists, cooked in a large saucepan of water with a tbsp of basil infused olive oil added.

Simply drop the pasta into the pan, make sure there  is plenty of cold water to cover it, put in a little olive oil, bring it to the boil, stir it round a little so it's not sticking together, turn the heat down to a gentle boil so you can hear the pasta bubble a little bit and time it for between 8 to ten minutes.  

Test the pasta with the prongs of a fork, when it should be slightly soft, el dente.  If you are in any doubt, drop one shell onto a small plate to cool it slightly, then taste it, just to make sure.

Drain the pasta into a large colander immediately and allow it to stand and cool.

While your pasta is cooking and cooling, take a large deep sided dish or plate and just add any of the following to it.

Choose either fish or cheese as your source of protein.  

A 2 oz, 50 g, chunk of feta cheese finely crumbled or chopped.

Or, a small tin of smoked tuna or peppered mackerel, oil drained and the fish chopped and added to the dish.

 4 cherry tomatoes, halved.

One 1 to 2 inch piece of cucumber, cut in to small chunks.

Choose either a good large handful of ready to serve straight from the bag, green leaf mixed salad, or, 1 large leaf from a crunchy koss or iceberg lettuce, washed, shaken well to remove any water, then broken into little pieces using your fingers.  Alternatively, 1 large leaf from a Chinese leaf (cabbage), torn into small pieces.

Half a red or green capsicum, bell pepper or long Mediterranean sweet pepper that has been de-seeded and broken into little pieces.

Half a small banana, peeled and sliced.

A small stick of celery, washed and chopped.

2 Spring onions, washed, topped and tailed, then chopped.

A few seedless grapes, just wiped and added.

A few frozen peas, defrosted and added.

When your pasta has cooled, tip it into the dish or plate with your salad and use your hands to mix everything together.

To add the finishing touches, drop in half a dozen pitted (stoned) black or  green olives.

Add a generous coating of  salad cream or your chosen salad dressing.

Garnish with a small handful of either fresh mint or basil leaves.

Serve with fresh crusty home-made bread or sliced Italian ciabatta, generously spread with butter.

For dessert why not treat yourself to a luxury tiramisu,  a flavoured ice-cream or a pot of natural Greek yoghurt with honey.

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Quick and easy chicken curry.

Here is a lovely chicken curry recipe and, using one of the blended curry pastes, you can have the flavour as hot as you like and it'll be ready in next to no time.

To give two generous helpings,

You will need.

2 large skinless, boneless, frozen chicken breasts or fillets, weighing around 225 g 8 oz, each, put on a large deep sided plate or dish, sprinkled with a little olive oil, covered and   cooked in the microwave on full power for 7 minutes, or until tender when tested with the prongs of a fork.

Uncover your chicken and allow it to cool slightly before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.  

1 large onion, peeled, coarsely chopped and fried in a large saucepan in a little olive oil for 5 minutes until slightly softened, you can fry this while your chicken is cooking.

1 red pepper, de-seeded, broken into small pieces and added to the pan with your onion after it has softened.

Stir the pan and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the chicken, a tall can of chopped tomatoes, approx 400 g, a small handful of dried sultanas, and two dessertspoons from a jar of Pataks curry paste along with a quarter of a pint, or  5 fl.oz of cold water.

Stir the pan well, cover with a lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You can choose whichever paste you fancy, I can recommend both the balti which is medium hot or the Madras which is very hot.

What you will find, is that the sauce thickens nicely, resulting in a really tasty authentic dish.

Just before the curry is cooked, put a bag of Uncle Ben's or your supermarket's own brand of microwaveable  Basmati, Pilau,  or long grain rice on a plate, cut a slit in the top of the bag on one of the corners where you can feel a small notch.  Cook for 2 minutes on high.

Serve the curry on a bed of rice with an accompaniment of ready to eat poppadum and a selection of spicy Indian dips and relishes.

Naan bread can be slightly moistened, wrapped singly in foil parcels and warmed through in a medium oven for 10 minutes.

I have written,  tested and tasted this curry recipe especially for BJ in Scotland.  

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Home-made Beefburgers

I don’t know about you, but I’m very wary about buying  and eating burgers, sausages etc., when I’m  not sure what’s  gone into them.  I know there are some very good products out there but even so I’d still rather play safe and make my own.

To make 6 large burgers,

You will need.

1 lb, 450 g, good quality minced beef,

8 oz, 225 g, good quality sausage meat,

`1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped.

1 large egg,

1 beef oxo cube,

a little salt and pepper.

2 tbsps of olive oil.  

A little margarine.

A little flour (optional).

Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 7, 425 f, 200 c, 180 fan.

Grease a large, deep sided  roasting tin with the margarine.

Fry the chopped onion in the olive oil in a small saucepan on a low heat, until slightly soft, for about ten minutes, , stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

Put the minced beef, sausagemeat, fried onion and salt and pepper, into a large mixing bowl.

Break the egg into a small bowl to make sure its fresh before adding it to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.

Crumble in the oxo cube.

Now, with a fork, begin to mix everything together, then use your clean hands to form the burgers.  You will notice, that although the mixture will be soft, it will hold its shape when you press it together.

Now, with clean dry  hands, sprinkle a little flour over your fingers, (optional), pick up enough of the burger mix to make a fairly thick, flat round in the palm of your hand.  Drop that round on to your greased baking tin and don’t worry about the shape too much.  

Repeat the process, making sure that the burgers are spaced just a little way apart to prevent them sticking together while they’re cooking.

Put the tin into the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, by which time your burgers will be firm to the touch on their  top surface and sizzling well.

Use a large spatula or fish slice to lift them from the tin.

Serve them immediately with either mashed potatoes and vegetables, or tinned tomatoes, and mushrooms that can be cooked in your microwave while the burgers are cooking, and bread and butter.

Or, they are really lovely on a roll or cob with some extra fried onions, yummmm.

Which ever way you try them, I’m sure they will beat the shop bought ones, hands down!!

Happy cooking,

Sue.  

Quick, Chicken, Onion and Mushroom Pie.

To serve 4 people,

You will need.

2 sheets of chilled, ready rolled puff pastry, try Jus-roll pack of 2 puff pastry sheets weight approx. 425-450 g,

1 medium onion,

4 oz, 110 g, mushrooms,

1 400 g, can of chicken in a white sauce.

A small handful of frozen peas or sweetcorn (optional),

A little milk to glaze,

2 tbsps of bazil infused olive oil.

A little salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You will need to grease a medium sized 7 to 8 inch, (18 to 20 cm), diameter flan tin or cake tin that is 3 or 4 inches, 7.5 to 10 cm deep, which has a flat rim.

Begin by pre-heating your oven to gas 7, 425 f, 225 c, 200 fan.

Preparation.

Peel and coarsely chop the onion,

Wipe and break the mushrooms into small pieces,

Put the mushroom,  onion, peas or sweetcorn, into a small saucepan with the olive oil and a shake of salt and grind of black pepper then fry on a gentle heat for 4 to 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the contents of the tin of chicken in white sauce to the pan, stir well to combine the ingredients.   

Turn off the heat and leave it on one side.  

Take your pastry from the fridge and separate the two sheets.

Line the base and sides of your greased tin with one of the pastry sheets, laying it in neatly without stretching it, then trim away any unwanted pastry from the top rim with a pointed kitchen knife held vertically and run around the outside edge of the tin.

Spoon the chicken pie filling into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly to cover the pastry base.  

dampen the pastry rim on the tin with a little cold water.

Lay on the other sheet of pastry to form the pie lid, pressing  the edge onto the dampened rim of the tin to seal the edges together.  Trim away any excess pastry if necessary as before.

Brush all over with a little milk to glaze.

Prick the top with a fork in two or three places to let out the steam as the pie cooks.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown, crispy and firm to the touch.

Serve with microwave new potatoes in herb butter and some ready prepared mixed vegetables that just need to be cooked in their bag in the microwave for a few minutes.  (please see packet instructions for details as cooking times will vary according to weight.

Happy cooking,

Sue.

Spicy Tandoori Chicken with Cucumber Raita.

Although we can’t replicate the tradition of cooking this dish in a tandoor (a clay oven that gets very hot),  we can, by marinating the chicken in a spicy yoghurt sauce and turning our oven up high, get quite close to cooking something that is pretty near to being authentic.  Why not accompany it with a traditional cucumber raita.

For the Tandoori chicken You will need.

4 large skinless, boneless,  chicken breast fillets or pieces, cut in half lengthways,
a 500 g, carton of low-fat natural yoghurt,
2 tbsps of madras curry paste,
a 2 inch, 5 cm, piece of fresh root ginger,
2 cloves of garlic,
1 tsp of ground turmeric,
salt and pepper to season,

For the raita. You will need.

half a cucumber,
`1 oz, 20 g, fresh mint,
half a tsp of ground cumin.

Preparation.

The night before or several hours prior to cooking.

Peel and chop the garlic.

Peel and finely chop the ginger.

Make 2 or 3 slashes in the pieces of chicken with a small sharp knife, cut through to about half the depth.

Put the chicken in a single layer into a wide shallow non-metallic dish.

Put half the yoghurt into a small bowl and add the curry paste, ginger, garlic, turmeric and seasoning.

Stir well to combine, then pour this all over the chicken. Use a spatula or fish slice to turn the chicken over in the marinade to coat it well.

Cover the dish with Clingfilm, put it into the fridge  and chill for at least several hours or even overnight so that the chicken can absorb all the flavours.

Preparation.  To make the yoghurt and cucumber raita.

This can be made in advance and covered and kept chilled or you can make it while your chicken is cooking.

Finely chop the mint,

Coarsely grate the cucumber, Put it into a sieve and, using the back of a ladle, press out as much juice as you can.  Do this either over your sink or a large bowl.  Discard the juice.

Tip the cucumber into a serving bowl and add the rest of the yoghurt, the chopped mint and ground cumin.  

Season with a little salt and stir to mix everything together.

Now, the next day, or whenever you’re ready to start cooking, pre-heat your oven to, gas 9, 240 c, 450 f, 240 c, 220 fan.

Preparation.

Use your spatula or fish slice to lift the chicken out of the marinade, onto a rack standing inside your roasting tin.  If you don’t have a roaster with a rack, try using the rack from inside your grill pan. (Please make sure that it is a secure fit though as you are going to be lifting it into and out of a hot oven.

Put the chicken into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Now, carefully take the tin from the oven and transfer it to a heat resistant worktop.  Use your spatula or fish slice again to turn the chicken over.

Put it back into the oven and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until its firm and golden on the top surface but still moist inside.

Serve immediately accompanied by the cucumber raita, naan bread put into a medium oven to warm for a few minutes and a salad of sliced tomato and thinly sliced red onion,

Cut some lemon wedges to squeeze over the chicken after it has been dipped in the raita, yummmm.

Happy cooking,

Sue.

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