Posts Tagged ‘red chillies’
Pineapple with lime & chilli syrup
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Ingredients
* 100g caster sugar
* 2-3 red chillies depending on how hot you want the syrup, finely chopped
* 1 lime , zested and juiced
* 1 pineapple , halved, cored and cut into wafer-thin slices
Method
1. Put the caster sugar in a pan with 100ml water. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved, then add the chilli and boil until the liquid becomes syrupy. Cool. Add the lime zest and juice. Lay the pineapple slices on a plates and drizzle the syrup over.
Tags: lime, pineapple, red chillies
Posted in Pudding and desserts | No Comments »
Seared chicken & asparagus with mango salsa
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Seared chicken & asparagus with mango salsa
Ingredients
FOR THE MANGO SALSA
* 4 medium, firm but ripe mangoes
* juices of 2 limes , zest of 1
* 2 small red onions , finely chopped
* 4 red chillies , seeded and finely chopped
* 40g combined weight fresh flatleaf parsley and coriander, chopped
* 250ml extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp caster sugar , optional
FOR THE ASPARAGUS
* 60 asparagus spears
* 125ml olive oil
FOR THE CHICKEN
* 5 tbsp light olive oil
* 20 skinless, boneless chicken breasts , about 140g/5oz each (preferably freerange)
Method
1. The day before: make the mango salsa, peel the mangoes and cut the flesh into tiny dice. Put into a bowl with the lime juice and zest, the red onions, chillies, parsley, coriander and olive oil. Taste, and mix in a teaspoon of sugar if you feel it needs it. Put in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Put 2 baking trays in the oven to preheat. Hold each asparagus tip about a third of the way down from the tip between your thumb and forefinger, and your other hand at the bottom. Start to bend it gently and it will snap just above the tough bit which you can throw away. Now toss the asparagus in the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Put in a single layer on the pre-heated baking trays and roast for 12-14 minutes, giving them a good shake halfway through. When they are cooked, remove from the baking trays to cool or else they will keep cooking. Keep the oven on.
4. For the chicken, heat a griddle pan over a high heat till hot. Brush the chicken with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken breasts, 4 at a time in the pan (depending how many will fit) for 2-3 minutes each side – they should be well marked with the griddle lines. Remove from the griddle and lay in a single layer on foil lined baking sheets. Roast for 12-15 minutes until cooked. Take out of the oven, cool, then cover and put in the fridge.
5. On the day: take the mango salsa from the fridge and leave at room temperature to allow the flavours to combine.
6. When you are ready to serve, arrange on two platters, allowing three spears of asparagus topped with a chicken breast per person. Spoon over the mango salsa, reserving some to put in bowls on the side, and drizzle over any oil from the salsa.
Tags: asparagus, chicken, coriander, lime, mango, parsley, red chillies, red onions
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »
Asparagus coconut crêpes with sweet chilli sauce
Friday, May 6th, 2011
An eye-catching, elegant main with incredible flavours – perfect for a vegetarian dinner party
Ingredients
FOR THE CREPES
* 4 rounded tbsp plain flour
* 3 eggs , beaten
* 100ml coconut milk
* ½ tsp turmeric
* 4 tsp sunflower oil
* 4 spring onions , finely sliced
* 2 bunches asparagus (about 20 spears), trimmed
* 2 eggs , hard-boiled and chopped
FOR THE SAUCE
* 4 tbsp golden syrup or honey
* 4 tbsp light soy sauce
* 4 tbsp lime juice
* 2-4 red chillies , finely chopped
* 1 garlic clove , crushed
* 50g salted, roasted peanuts , ground with a mortar and pestle
TO SERVE
* 1 cucumber , thinly sliced
* 1 small bunch mint
Method
1. To make the sauce, mix together the golden syrup or honey, soy sauce and lime juice until smooth. Stir in the chillies and garlic. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle in the ground peanuts. Set aside.
2. Make the crêpes: stir the flour, eggs, coconut milk, turmeric and some seasoning together until smooth. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tsp oil. Pour in a quarter of the batter in a thin layer and swirl the pan to coat the base. Sprinkle with a quarter of the spring onions before it sets. When golden underneath, flip over and cook the other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Make 3 more crêpes in the same way, adding 1 tsp oil each time.
3. Steam the asparagus for 3-5 mins. To serve, divide the asparagus and chopped egg into 4 portions. Place a bundle of asparagus on a crêpe, sprinkle with egg, then roll up – if you want, cut them in half on the diagonal. Serve with a garnish of cucumber and mint leaves, with the sauce spooned over or on the side.
Tags: asparagus, coconut milk, eggs, garlic, honey, lime juice, red chillies, roasted peanuts, soy sauce, spring onion, turmeric
Posted in Meal Suggestions | No Comments »