Chilli, chilli popcorn!

Crunchy, salty and hot! Sensational popped corn with immense flavour.  The heat got to us but did we stop?..No! Lol…
A must try for this weekend! Hope you’re all good.

Go ahead! Pop some corn!

INGREDIENTS 

1/2 cup popping corn

2-3 tbsps rapeseed oil

1 tsp dried chilli flakes 

1 tsp garlic granules 

Smoked paprika to taste

1 tbsp salt

METHOD 

In a large saucepan, on a medium heat. Pour the oil and sprinkle chilli flakes. Once the oil sizzles, slowly add the popcorn kernels

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon

Turn up the heat to maximum and cover the saucepan

The corn will start to pop.  Once it kicks off, lower the heat to medium again

Wait until all the corn has popped

Transfer into a big serving bowl And munch!

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Roasted Vegetable Quinoa With Lime

A winter warmer, so quick. I think it’s too good to be true. Very tasty, healthy and comforting on a cold winter’s night…
Makes a lovely main or even a side dish to go with your Christmas dinner. Have a look and give it a go. Do let me know how you all like it. Love feedback! Until then, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 large cup precooked quinoa upon instruction

1 aubergine diced
1 bell pepper diced
12 plum or cherry tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
2 courgettes diced 2cm chunks
1 chilli sliced finely
Coriander to garnish
Fresh lime juice to taste
Olive oil
Salt to taste

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°c, place all the vegetables in a large deep roasting tray.  Season with salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil

Roast for 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and a little charred

Carefully fold in the cooked quinoa, drench in lime juice to taste.  Use freshly cut coriander to garnish the quinoa

Serve hot with a sprinkling of grated cheese

Spicy Edamame Beans

Himalayan salt is extremely new to me but I’m loving the benefits! I enjoy it in my food! I am now bathing in it and I also have a Himalayan rock salt lamp to calm me down at the end of the day. Nutritionally packed with over 80 healing minerals it’s an amazing addition to our diet and lifestyle.

I extremely enjoy it when it is sprinkled on edamame beans with various different spices.  Such a distinctive salty taste and very, very moreish!

I normally wait on them in restaurants but a few weeks back I spotted a frozen variety and I was ecstatic!  I haven’t stopped eating them since…

INGREDIENTS

200g Edamame beans in pods, cooked as per instruction
Himalayan rock salt to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli powder

METHOD

Sprinkle all seasoning on the cooked edamame bean pods

Make sure all covered in the salt and spices

Ready to pop them into your mouth!

(Himalayan salt picture courtesy of Thesnowfairy.com)

Shallow Fried Padron Chilli Peppers

As you all know friends, my husband enjoys his food and this totally inspires me to create, bake and make more new dishes.  I was really excited when he came home and was talking about his colleague & friend Nathan making tapas yesterday evening.  They both share a love of food and it’s wonderful as always, to share ideas and experience different cuisines.

The one tapas dish that stood out to me was the “Padron Chillies sprinkled in sea salt”.  Now being of Indian heritage, I adore chilli.  This fascination developed after getting married where all of a sudden I was able to eat as much sweet stuff and chilli, spicy stuff as possible.  Really tastebuds do change when you’re paired in a relationship!  You adopt each others tastes and are more open to trying new foods.

I am yet to make these tasty tapas chillies but Nathan was extremely kind to share his spread and most importantly his recipe.  The padron chilli is known as the Tapas Chilli Pepper ~ used commonly in Spanish cooking, these Padron peppers literally melt in your mouth, with a small amount saltiness and heat making them so very moreish!  They are used whilst green & immature and are very mild.  You really get to enjoy the flavour sensation without burning your palette.

These had to be shared immediately and thank you very much Nathan for introducing us to them and for the mouth watering pictures!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of Padron peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling

METHOD

Add olive oil to a very hot frying pan, when oil is hot and sizzling gently place the peppers into the oil

Cook and stir the peppers until the skin is blistered and the pepper soft

Remove the peppers from the pan, place on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt to taste

Chutney On The Cob

Do you fancy a taste of a barbecue Summer with a funky take on Indian cuisine, well then! This recipe is for you! I have just literally finished taking my last bite of corn with my spicy coriander and lemon chutney I just made. I couldn’t wait at all, to share this with you. If you have these ingredients…you must try this NOW!

It’s so healthy, filling and above all super tasty. Especially as an addition to a meal or in its own. Next time I want to team it up with some baked sweet potato wedges. My creative juices are flowing…I have many more recipes to write up! Better get down to it!

Until then, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch fresh coriander
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 green chilli
1 tbsp Sunflower oil
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Sweetcorn on the cob pre grilled

METHOD

This is the easy bit!  Just place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz for a couple of minutes until you get a grainy paste.

Don’t worry about stalks of coriander not being crushed, this way there is more flavour

Smother the chutney onto the corn, making sure all is covered.  Now ready to sink your teeth in?  ENJOY!

Stunning Spice Blends @ Home

I found this chart on Pinterest and I have truly fallen in love with it.  So concise, simple and such flavoursome combinations, I just had to share.  Let me know how you like it friends!

Have a spicy day…Much love, D x

Rosecoco Piri Piri Beans & Rice

A staple meal of beans and rice has and always has done wonders for me! I find it satisfying, comforting and most importantly healthy. Great on a winters cold evening after picking up the boys from school. Simple, efficient and delightful. There is not a lot I can say about this dish. Just go ahead and try it friends. Do let me know how you like them. You are free to change the bean but don’t forget the spices especially the piri piri!

Enjoy, Have a lovely day! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 tin Rosecoco beans drained
Salt to taste
2 Spring onions finely sliced
½ tsp ginger paste
5 tbsp tomato passata
1 tsp piri piri powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

In a non stick frying pan with the oil, fry off the spring onion and ginger with spices

Pour in the passata, season with salt and on a low heat…warm through

Add the beans, stir and cook for a further 10 minutes

Serve with some fluffy white rice.

A Spicy Masala Sandwich To End 2014

This toasted tasty Chaat and Chutney masala sandwich we devoured for brunch on Christmas day.  Also my love of cheese came into play, with a twin serving of pan fried halloumi and mature cheddar cheese within the spicy hot double decked sandwich!  A creation only my husband could come up with.  He is not afraid of experimenting with strong flavours and spices.  He produces winning dishes all the time…Yes! I know…before you say it…I’m a lucky girl! 😉

You could really add anything to this sandwich as long as you incorporate the chutney and chaat masala.  The green, extremely spicy chutney came from my Mum’s kitchen and the masala is shop bought.  It really adds an Indian touch to the whole dish!

Wishing all a fantastic New Year!..2014 has been brilliant…we’re eagerly awaiting you 2015!!!

The INGREDIENTS we used

Mum’s Spicy Coriander Chutney
Chaat masala to taste
Pan fried slices of halloumi
Grated mature cheddar cheese
Slices of tomatoes
Wholewheat bread
Butter

METHOD

Place a buttered slice of bread in a panini maker.  Layer the tomato, sprinkle the mature cheddar cheese

Place another slice of bread and spread the green chutney and shake on the chaat masala

Take the pan fried halloumi and some extra tomato and layer onto the chutney base

Finally top with the last slice of bread and toast for 5-10 minutes in the panini maker, until the bread takes on a golden brown colour

Smoked Paprika Plantain Chips ~ BAKED!!!

Growing up we were treated to plantain chips made by our parents.  Matoke as we call it, as both my parents were born in Africa.  It was prepared, sliced by hand and then deep fried.  The result would be a hot soft fluffy chip!  I have always loved them and remember my Dad buying packets of these chips in a range of flavours when I was pregnant for me to keep my energy levels up!

It was only last week that I spotted some plantain in our local supermarket.  I knew instantly that I wanted to create something with them.  So..I peeled them, sliced thinly in a food processor and set out to season and Bake!  Yes BAKE!  This way they remain healthy and I hardly used any oil!  Have a go! It’s so easy and you get fresh hot healthy plantain chips to nibble on, what could be better?

Have a tremendous day! See you tomorrow! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

2 large plantain, peeled, thinly sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ to 1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp salt or to taste

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200°c/400°f. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.  I used my pizza trays

• In a large bowl put all the ingredients together and gently massage the oil, salt and paprika into the plantain

• Lay the slices of plantain on the tray and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.  Turn them over half way

• They will brown quickly so do keep an eye on them,  they will start to crisp up and this will continue as they cool down

• Eat as soon as possible, but they will keep for a day in an airtight container

A Chilli & Garlic Red Sauce For Ravioli

I love pasta and find that making your own pasta sauce is very comforting.  You can add extra vegetables or make it spicy and vary it each time depending upon the type of pasta you are using.

My recent pasta dish allowed me to explore the simplicity of the red sauce.  All I wanted was a strong garlic and chilli hit to accompany some spinach and ricotta ravioli I had.  Which we polished off with a nice crisp glass of white wine.  A perfect sauce for ravioli..not too much going on in the sauce, just enough to add and bring out the flavours of the ravioli

I think I’m going to go and make some more! Ummmm…Have a relaxing weekend friends!, Enjoy…Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

4 garlic cloves crushed
500g crushed tomato passata
Salt to taste
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
1 large chilli chopped

METHOD

Heat the olive oil along with the crushed garlic and chilli on a low heat for 5 to 7minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn

Slowly pour in the tomato passata, season with the salt and leave to simmer on a low heat still

I cover the saucepan and leave the sauce to cook through for at least 20 to 30 minutes.  If it gets to thick then add a little water to thin in down

Serve the sauce drizzled over a ravioli of your choice

Taking some over to the weekly party over @ The Novice Gardener