Sally Serves It Up

Ottolenghi Chicken with Zatar & Sumac

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:58:00 +0100

I made this Ottolenghi recipe the other week for a bigger group with a huge deboned chicken. I loved it so much that I made it again this Sunday but with chicken thighs instead. Boneless chicken thighs would work well, as would drum sticks. Basically any chicken with this amazing sauce is DELISH. Everything goes all caramelised and yummy.

I served it up with some sauteed asparagus and raw courgette ribbons tossed in extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, basil and sea salt. I sprinkled the whole thing with some toasted seeds which makes it all crunchy and slightly smoky - just lob them in the oven for the last 5-8 minutes of the chicken’s cooking time.

Ingredients - Serves 4 (but it’s flexible!)

2 chicken thighs per person

2 heaped tbsp zatar

1 heaped tbsp sumac

1.5 tsp all spice

1 tsp cinnamon

2 red onions, finely sliced

1 lemon, finely sliced

Sea salt and black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

200ml water

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and then mix in the chicken. Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When you’re ready, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the chicken (skin side up) on a large baking tray, along with all of the marinade and cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the skin has gone golden and the chicken cooked through. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before eating.

Mix your scrambled eggs with spring onion and parsley. Serve...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:17:22 +0000

Mix your scrambled eggs with spring onion and parsley. Serve with Frank’s RedHot sauce and a big squeeze of lemon on your smoked salmon. Perfect weekend breakfast.

Chicken Livers

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:09:00 +0000

I think my body was craving iron yesterday because I desperately wanted some chicken livers for dinner. Not only affordable but an amazing source of protein, iron and B vitamins (more of that in this great Guardian article), they also have a incredibly velvety texture that I love and makes for a really welcome change to other meats. I tossed them in some chilli flakes, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and fried them in a wok with a little olive oil for about 8 minutes total (I like them a bit pink).

I served them up with roasted cauliflower and a parsley/caper/anchovy dressing. SO good. A big portion worth every bite.

I loved this sea bass ceviche I made on Saturday night. I...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:10:34 +0000

I loved this sea bass ceviche I made on Saturday night. I marinaded the chopped bass in lime and chilli flakes for about 15 minutes and then mixed it with finely chopped red onion, a pinch of sea salt and served with coriander and homemade guacamole.

Inspired by my favourite Bill Granger Chicken Noodle Recipe, I...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:06:35 +0000

Inspired by my favourite Bill Granger Chicken Noodle Recipe, I swapped around a couple of ingredients to make it a little bit healthier. Instead of sugar, I used 1 tbsp of truvia and instead of rice noodles, I used Slim Pasta. I also grilled the chicken and only used one tablespoon of oil for the dressing. I love these sweet and sour flavours.

Roasted Cauliflower

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:48:46 +0000

I just roasted some cauliflower and served it up with a very piquant dressing made of garlic, anchovy and capers. I had it with some tuna and it was really delicious. Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients - Serves 1

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 anchovy fillet, chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Small handful parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Toss the cauliflower on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes (you don’t want it too soft but it depends how big your pieces are). Meanwhile whisk together the anchovy, garlic, capers, dijon and vinegar and then add the oil. You won’t need extra salt. When the cauliflower is done, toss with the dressing and throw in the parsley. Serve with another squeeze of lemon.

Spicy Coconut Noodles With Salmon

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:14:21 +0000

I have an annoying cold which isn’t really surprising considering I vacuum packed away my winter puffer last week and have been walking around in my Spring coat ever since. Unpacking the coat has to be one of the most depressing things I’ve ever done. Anyway, a cold makes me crave really fresh punchy flavours… things like chilli, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and coriander. And this recipe has all of them! Inspired by a favourite Clean & Lean recipe, it really hits the spot and the Slim Pasta works incredibly well instead of rice noodles.

Ingredients - Serves 2

2 salmon fillets

200ml coconut milk (you can use coconut cream but I had this in the cupboard)

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tbsp fish sauce

100ml boiling water

1 stalk of lemongrass, finely chopped

2 red chilli, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 spring onions, finely sliced

1-2 packets of the Slim Pasta - drained and rinsed

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 small bunch of coriander, finely chopped

1 lime

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and get the salmon ready on a baking sheet (seasoned and lightly oiled). Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. After about 3 minutes, scatter the pumpkin and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for the remaining cooking time.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a wok on a medium heat and add the lemongrass, chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onion. Be careful not to burn and cook on a low/medium heat for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and about 100ml boiling water. Allow this to simmer for a couple minutes and then add the noodles. Mix through with the coriander and allow to heat up. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes. When the fish is ready, serve on top of the noodles in bowls and garnish with the toasted seeds and a big squeeze of lime.

Kale & Walnut Pesto

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 10:10:09 +0000

The other night I really fancied something vegetarian. I had some amazing kale and a whole load of basil so I decided to make a pesto to have with my new favourite Slim Pasta. I blitzed equal amounts of kale and basil with a few good glugs of olive oil. I added about two tablespoons of parmesan, a big squeeze of lemon and a small handful of walnuts. The end result was absolutely delish.

I served it up with the Slim Pasta, some avocado and flaked almonds.

http://www.slimpasta.co.uk/

Some Food Diaries

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 09:53:00 +0000

7am: Water with cider vinegar

7.30am: Builder’s tea. Green juice: 1 apple, courgette, cucumber, broccoli, kale, celery, lemon.

9am: Filter coffee with cream and cinnamon.

1pm: chicken breast with M&S pea/sprout salad with lemon dressing.

5.30pm: 5 green olives. Decaf green tea.

7pm: Roasted salmon fillet with beetroot, avocado and herb salad. Quite a big portion.

…

7.30am: Builder’s tea.

8am: Green juice: 1 apple, cucumber, fennel, kale, celery, lemon. 2 fried eggs.

11am: Coffee with cream.

2pm: M&S green bean and edamame salad with a chicken breast. Wasn’t quite full/satisfied so had another nespresso with cream.

4.30pm: Personal Training

6pm: Handful sugar snap peas

8pm: Mixed sashimi. 3 tuna and chive rolls. 3 salmon and avocado rolls.

9pm: 2 small tangerines, 1 square dark chocolate.

…

7am: Builder’s tea.

8am: Small white coffee. Two eggs with two rashers of bacon. Two small tangerines.

10am: Builder’s tea.

1.30pm: barrecore

4pm: seaweed strips. Homemade grain free tabbouleh. 4 green olives.

6.30pm: Slim pasta with homemade kale/basil/walnut pesto, some flaked almonds and half an avocado (only a little parmesan). 3 pieces of rigatoni version I made for Frank!

7pm: Green apple and decaf green tea.

…

8am: Builder’s Tea - exhausted! Smoked trout with red pepper and macadamia nuts.

10am: Green juice: celery, apple, fennel, broccoli, cucumber, lemon

1.30pm: barrecore

3pm: 6 salmon nigiri. Small portion tuna/salmon tartare.

7pm: White wine spritzer. Bottle of red wine. #winefordinner

…

7.30am: Builder’s tea. Half a red pepper, smoked trout, 10 macadamia nuts. Coffee with cream.

10am: Celery, cucumber, apple and lemon juice.

12.30pm: Homemade grain free tabbouleh with some hot smoked salmon.

3pm: Tea, small handful raw pistachios.

8pm: At a friends for dinner. Scallops with peas/bacon. Lamb shank with roasted veg and mash. Lots of wine!

Beetroot & Avocado Salad

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:09:42 +0000

This Ottolenghi inspired salad worked wonderfully with the huge piece of grilled salmon I had with it. I saw a recipe of his for beetroot with avocado and took it from there. Some parsley and mint would have worked well but I had made a huge bowl of detoxing grain-free tabbouleh the night before. Serve it up with some crumbled feta.

Ingredients - Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side salad

2 heaped tbsp basil (small handful)

2 heaped tbsp coriander (small handful)

1 heaped tbsp tarragon

1 heaped tbsp dill

4 beetroot, peeled and sliced as thinly as poss into discs

1 ripe avocado

2 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin/sunflower)

2 heaped tbsp sesame seeds

2 heaped tbsp flaked almonds

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp cider vinegar (it needs some punch - lemon or sherry vinegar would also be good)

1 lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and toast the sesame and almonds seeds for about 5 minutes until just golden. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to boil and then cook the beetroot in it for about 8 minutes - until just tender but still with some bite. Drain and leave to cool. Chop all of the herbs and throw into a large bowl. Add the beetroot and seeds and stir through. Whisk the olive oil and cider vinegar together with a really generous teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Pour over the beetroot and mix through. Lay the beetroot on a plate and add the sliced avocado and toasted almonds/seeds. Give everything a squeeze of lemon and an extra pinch of salt.

Courgette & Carrot Crustless Quiche

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:32:31 +0000

I found this recipe in my paleo booked. It called for twelve eggs (to serve four) which I thought was a little excessive - I wasn’t about to waste twelve of my Burford Browns on this experiment! So I took it down to five which worked fine. I had it with roast chicken on Sunday evening and then with half an avocado for breakfast this morning. I served it up with lots of Frank’s hot sauce.

And this is going to sound a little old before my time, but I think this could be a really good way to get children to eat vegetables… You see I think about these things now that I have nephews.

Ingredients - Serves 4

5 eggs, beaten

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 large courgette, peeled and grated (squeeze out water with your hands)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Butter an oven proof dish and pour the mixture in. Cook in the oven for about 35 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Can it be true? Slim Pasta

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:10:00 +0000

I was at barrecore the other day and was talking to Niki, the founder, about my food cravings since really cutting down on carbs/grains/legumes. I explained the only thing I was genuinely missing was a bowl of delicious pasta and some crusty sourdough bread - natch. She said there wasn’t much I could do about the bread but I should try this new Slim Pasta - available at Revital Health and Holland and Barrett. So I bought it straight away and was very dubious about the whole thing. I’m a big believer in that if you’re cutting down on things, you should also enjoy them in their best form from time to time (cue lunch at La Famiglia and a loaf from Gail’s) and this natural vegetable fibre with 7 calories really didn’t look like it would do the trick, especially with the tag line “Eat Water”.

Anyway, last night I decided to have some with this sort of spicy chilli/bolognese thing I had made. I opened the packet as instructed and rinsed it under warm water to get rid of the ‘starchy odor’, which I will say was definitely quite pungent. I lobbed it into a pot on a low heat and mixed it around for about a minute. I then added in the sauce and cooked until heated through.

I then sat down and tried some and it was great! Even Frank thought so. It has the right texture and really makes you feel like you’re eating something a lot more substantial. I’m not saying this tastes exactly like the real thing but if you’re making a gain of saving around 300 calories, it’s worth it (unlike wholewheat/gluten free pasta). Try it.

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=4973&prodid=5966

p.s. Niki said the fettuccine is the only one to go for and of course, I listen to everything she says.

Greek Lamb Stew

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:38:10 +0000

This is a Nigella recipe modified and edited for two (with a few other modifications). I often associate making things like this for a big group but it’s just as easy to make it for fewer (saying that, the lamb neck was only £3 so it would be a good thing to roll out for a bigger crew). I cooked it at 150 degrees for two hours and couldn’t believe how rich and sweet it was, especially considering how few ingredients it has. Serve it up with some fresh oregano & feta. You could have roast potatoes on the side or some delicious sourdough like we did.

Definitely make this on a Friday or Saturday and eat the next day. You’re meant to take the carrots out but I just mushed them up because they were SO GOOD.

Ingredients - Serves 2

300g lamb neck fillet (give or take) - remove any excess fat and chop into bite sized chunks

1 large red onion, finely sliced

1-2 carrots, peeled & cut into chunky batons

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 x 400g tinned tomatoes

1 stock cube

1/2 bottle white wine

Olive oil

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. In a heavy casserole pot, heat some oil and brown the meat. Make sure you allow it to brown for long enough - it really helps with the flavour. When done, remove and add the onion. Fry on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add more oil if necessary. Add the garlic, celery and herbs. Fry for a further few minutes. Add the meat back in and mix through. Add the tomatoes, wine and stock cube. I always add 1/2 a tin’s worth of water as well. Bring to a boil and put the lid on. Transfer into the oven for about two hours. Stir half way through. Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes until you serve.

Be My Valentine

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:19:00 +0000

Click here to check out the healthy Valentine’s day menu I did for fantastic fitness and wellness website Lunges and Lycra.

Main Course: pan fried veal with slow roasted tomatoes, butternut squash, rocket and salsa verde.

Paleo Pancakes

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:47:56 +0000

I found these gluten and dairy free pancakes in my trusty paleo book. They were actually quite delish! If you don’t want to have pancakes tonight for health reasons, these are the things for you.

I served them up with some crispy bacon and Grade B maple syrup.

Ingredients - Serves 2 (makes two pancakes)

3 eggs

1 tbsp coconut flour

1 cup grated courgette (about 1 courgette)

Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together. Heat a pan and cook for a few minutes on each side.

I’ve been doing a lot of this sort of thing lately -...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:45:45 +0000

I’ve been doing a lot of this sort of thing lately - mainly because it’s so bloody delicious. I roasted a whole sliced fennel bulb with chicory, red onion and sliced lemon. Served up with chopped toasted hazelnuts, blue cheese and a rotisserie chicken.

Food Diaries January: Week 4

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:24:00 +0000

The beginning of this week didn’t start out too well but I pulled it together by the end and just finished four days of intensive exercise and really good eating. Feel great.

…

7.30am: Coffee with cream. A bit of hot smoked salmon, 1/2 avocado, 10 nuts.

10am/11am: Two builder’s teas.

2pm: Chopped little gem with celery, parsley, seeds and chicken breast. Rapeseed balsamic vinaigrette.

7pm: I was invited by Total Greek Yoghurt to a cookery evening with Paul Merrett. We made a three course dinner: squid with chorizo, rack of lamb with sweet potato salad, rhubarb syllabub. One glass of champagne, 3 glasses of wine.

…

7.30am: Coffee with cream. Grilled chicken breast with mustard.

12.30pm: Miso soup. Hot smoked salmon fillet.

7pm: Bottle of wine. 3 g&ts(!). Shared calamari. Green salad with small fillet steak and blue cheese dressing. When I got home and was drunk, I carefully counted out 10 nuts and ate them, before falling asleep with one ear plug in.

…

7.30am: Quite hungover - mostly just tired. I had a Total 0% Greek Yoghurt pot with some nuts and seeds. Two coffees with cream. Water with lemon.

12pm: Builder’s tea.

1pm: Byron skinny burger (no bun) with some coleslaw and avocado.

7.30pm: I really didn’t fancy any meat. I roasted shallots, tomatoes and baby courgettes with capers, basil and anchovies. Served it up with steamed cavolo nero tossed in homemade pesto.

8pm: FRANK HAS MADE THOSE BLOODY BROWNIES AGAIN - I had one with a nettle tea.

…

7.30am: Lemon verbena tea. 1/2 avocado and 1 egg.

10am: Chamomile tea.

1pm: Hot smoked salmon, miso soup, 1/2 cucumber and red pepper with 1 tbsp rapeseed/balsamic vinaigrette.

2pm: Rooibos tea.

5pm: Driving down to Norfolk with my friend, Alice. We ate a lot of brazil nuts. When we got there we shared a packet of hot smoked salmon with 1/2 avocado and some cherry tomatoes.

…

10am: A pink grapefruit. A fried egg. Two mugs of rooibos. 10 walnut halves.

1pm: Moules marinieres. Lots of spoonfuls of the creamy broth.

4pm: Kale chips. Rooibos.

7pm: The most delicious dinner ever. Roasted chicory and fennel with lemon, roast chicken breast and homemade roasted garlic mayonnaise. Afterwards, I had a carrot so that I could eat more of the mayonnaise.

9pm: peppermint tea

…

10am: Rooibos tea. Smoked salmon, 1 scrambled egg with extra egg white, 1/2 avocado. 10 walnut halves.

1pm: 6 oysters. Shared devilled chicken livers, pork and pistachio truffles and smoked kipper pate. Delish.

5.30pm: Hungry and tired and craving a drink. Pink grapefruit, 10 nuts. Some cucumber slices. Glass of firefly tonic with lemon.

8pm: Roast chicken with roasted red onion/artichoke/capers/tomatoes/anchovies.

9pm: one gluten free beetroot brownie :(

…

Really got it together over the next four days!

7.30am: Coffee with cream. Smoked salmon, 1/2 avocado. 10 hazel nuts.

10am: rooibos tea

12pm: chopped chicken salad with celery, little gem, parsley and seeds. Tamari roasted Sicilian almonds/pumpkin seeds.

2.30pm: rooibos tea

5.30pm: bikini bootcamp barrecore

8pm: Stuff red peppers. A few slices of cucumber. Decaf green tea.

…

7.30am: Coffee with cream. Smoked salmon, 1/2 avocado. 10 hazel nuts.

10am: rooibos tea

12.30pm: chopped chicken salad with celery, little gem, parsley and seeds. Tamari roasted Sicilian almonds.

5pm: Personal training - HARDCORE

8pm: Prawns with cavolo nero and butter. BIG decaf green tea. 10 almonds.

…

7.30am: Coffee with cream. Smoked salmon, 1/2 avocado. 10 mixed nuts.

10am: rooibos tea

12pm: Tamari roasted pumpkin seeds. Byron skinny burger (no bun) with coleslaw.

5pm: Big Builder’s Tea

6.30pm: barrecore

7.30pm: Miso soup, salmon/tuna sashimi salad.

9pm: Decaf green tea

…

7.30am: Coffee with cream. Smoked salmon, 1/2 avocado. 10 mixed nuts.

10am: rooibos tea

1pm: M&S flowered sprouts, leeks and greens with lemon butter and poached salmon.

2.30pm: rooibos tea

5pm: White Americano

6pm: Personal Training at the Lomax Gym - hard work and a change from my normal routine.

7pm: Two turkey meatballs with asparagus, samphire and green beans. Got home and had three small pieces of the mushroom chicken Frank had made, with a small chopped green salad and decaf green tea.

…

Homemade Mayonnaise

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:48:24 +0000

I’ve never made homemade mayonnaise before. It’s always seemed like a bit of hassle. But after reading my paleo books extensively this weekend, which is the way of eating/living I’m now trying to follow, I found out you can eat a bit of mayonnaise (as long as it’s homemade) and I got very excited.

For supper on Saturday, my friend Alice taught me how to make mayonnaise to go with our roasted chicory, fennel and chicken. She made it look so easy that I almost believed it was and I had visions of me in ten years time making homemade mayo for my children’s sandwiches - it was great. We gently roasted a whole bulb of garlic in the oven for about 45 minutes until it had gone soft and squeezed some of the cloves into the mayonnaise - it was beyond delicious. After dinner, I chopped up a carrot simply as a vehicle for more mayo. I’m sure you’re not meant to eat as much as we did, but something that good needs to be enjoyed! Here is the recipe from my paleo book - do with it what you will (think chives, chervil, parsley and garlic).

Ingredients - makes 1/4 cup

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 egg

Pinch of salt

Firstly, make sure everything is at room temperature. Whisk the egg and lemon in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly and give everything a really good mix every now and then. The slower you add it, the better. Add the mustard and the salt and whisk in. After about 10 minutes you should have a really lovely creamy texture. Season accordingly.

TIP: If you seal in an air tight container, the mayonnaise will be good until the expiration date of the egg.

Stuffed Peppers

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:15:32 +0000

Another recipe inspired from my new paleo book, these stuffed peppers really hit the spot after a particularly challenging barrecore session and equally challenging journey home. God, the rain and wind was morbid. Anyway, I’ve adjusted the recipe for my cookery needs - such as cooking the mince on Sunday night so that I could come home and lob it into the peppers and straight into the oven on Monday night. I’ve also gone heavy on the herbs, as always.

This recipe isn’t prescriptive but I think it’s a really good basis for you to make a healthy mid week supps.

Ingredients - Serves 3-4 (but 3 if you’re me and Frank)

500g pork mince (lamb or beef or even turkey would work well)

1 large red onion, finely chopped

2 ribs of celery, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large red pepper per person (mine were partic small so I had 3 halves)

1 tin chopped tomatoes

About 8 cherry tomatoes (optional)

Handful of chopped basil/parsley

Salt and black pepper

Gently fry off the onion, garlic and celery in a pot (I’m becoming very partial to my new Green Pan wok) for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the mince and fry for a further 10 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and about a 1/4 can’s worth of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. When it’s the consistency you like, stir through the herbs and season.

At this point, you could either spoon the mixture into the halved red peppers or set it aside for later. Either way, you need to cook the stuffed peppers in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

I served mine up with some dijon mustard. Frank had quinoa. We felt really healthy.

An incredible lunch at The White Horse in Brancaster Staithe:...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:42:24 +0000

An incredible lunch at The White Horse in Brancaster Staithe: half a dozen oysters followed by smoked kipper potted pate, pork and pistachio truffles, and devilled chicken livers. I want to go back for more. Now.