THEGAYUK

Category: Recipe

  • RECIPE | Party Rice

    Serves 8-10 people | Prep 15 mins | Cook 25 mins

    This is great for serving to a crowd as part of a buffet- especially if you’re in a hurry. It would work nicely alongside plain char-grilled Mediterranean vegetables. Also pretty with parsley.

    If you’re serving up onto individual plates, use a ramekin to make a mould for the rice and then turn out onto the plates.

    Ingredients.

    150g white & wholegrain basmati rice

    150g black rice

    400g canned tuna (280g drained weight)

    110g ham hock, cooked (got mine from Sains.)

    1 ball (150g) mozzarella, shredded or diced finely

    1 can sweetcorn

    ½ can cannellini beans

    30g cocktail gherkins, sliced

    8 small hotdogs, sliced

    2 eggs, hard-boiled and mashed with a fork

    4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

    4 tbsp lemon juice

    Salt & Pepper

     

    Method.

    1. Get a large saucepan of boiling water on the go and add both types of rice (just double check they both require around 25 minutes cooking time). Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and set aside.
    2. In a large mixing bowl now combine all the ingredients together and mix well, seasoning with a touch of salt and a few good scrunches of cracked black pepper. Serve.

     

     

  • RECIPE | Pizzucchinis

    Serves 1 | Prep 5 minutes | Cook 30 minutes

    Half a large courgette counts as 1 of your 5-a-day. These speedy snacks use collagen encouraging courgette as a nutritious base for classic pizza flavours from tomato, mozzarella, oregano, and basil. Play around with different ingredients and herbs for toppings; olives, anchovies, fresh chilli, whatever you have or fancy really!

    COURGETTES – Appearances from our anti-oxidant friends, vitamins C & A. The dietary fibre in courgettes can also help lowering our cholesterol levels. The same fibre matched with the courgette’s water content will also make you feel full, and with a low calorie content could be used for weight management.

    Courgette’s are also great for our skin; hydration, anti-ageing, collagen formation, and puffy eyes.

    Ingredients.

    1 courgette, halved lengthways

    Mozzarella, I use pearls (darling) and slice in half

    Cherry tomatoes, quartered

    Dried oregano

    Dried basil

    Garlic granules

    Olive oil

    Chilli flakes (optional)

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 210c / 190c (fan) / Gas Mark 6 ½

     

    1. To make sure your courgette halves sit flat on your baking tray, use a knife to level the bottoms out by taking a small slice off, if necessary.
    2. Brush lightly with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of garlic granules on each courgette half.
    3. Top with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella (sit them close together so as the cheese melts it secures the tomatoes in place).
    4. Scatter with basil, oregano, and chilli flakes to your desired level of herb! Top with some freshly cracked black pepper and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is going golden and courgettes are just cooked through and still have a bit of bite!

     

  • RECIPE | Golden Pomodorino Cake

    Prep 30 mins | Cook 45 mins

    As tomatoes are part of the fruit world it makes it a little easier to understand how this translates in the form of a cake. Eaten raw these little pearls of sunshine have a natural sweet taste, and they go quite well with pomegranate seeds in salads. Research has shown that most of tomatoes health properties are actually enhanced through the cooking process.

    The de-seeding and skinning process of the tomatoes may seem laborious but the end result of this cake is pure gold. Moist and lightly flavoured with lemon make a good pairing for pomegranate decoration and the sweet sharpness they will bring to the dessert.

    YELLOW TOMATOES – Yellow tomatoes have double the amount of iron to red tomatoes. It’s a close call as to which is the more beneficial colour tomato. Some highlights of the yellow tomato are that they contain more; phosphorous, potassium, zinc, niacin, and folate than red tomatoes. SOURCE : http://www.prevention.com/which-healthier-red-tomatoes-vs-yellow-tomatoes ). Lycopene, normally associated with red tomatoes (baked beans are a good source for this also), but our bodies can actually digest Lycopene from that found in the yellow tomato. Lycopene is known for its many health benefits including anti-cancer properties and protection from heart disease. (SOURCE: http://organiceyourlife.com/lycopene-and-yellow-tomatoes/ )

    Ingredients.

    2 eggs

    225g self-raising flour

    140g unsalted butter

    140g caster sugar

    140g yellow tomato purée (around 225g of yellow tomatoes make this much purée after de-skinning and de-seeding)

    1 tsp baking powder

    ½ tsp baking soda

    ½ tsp salt

    ½ tsp lemon zest

    pinch cinnamon

     

    to decorate;

    pomegranate seeds

    icing

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 180c / 160c (fan) / Gas Mark 4

     

    1. Rub butter over some greaseproof paper and use this to line a loaf tin.
    2. Begin by de-skinning and de-seeding the tomatoes. Make a cross with a sharp knife on each tomato and plunge into recently boiled hot water for 30 seconds – 1 minute. Drain from the hot water and immediately plunge into cold water for the same amount of time. Peel away the now loose skins and squeeze to purge the seeds from the tomato.
    3. Purée in a small food processor until smooth. Set aside.
    4. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined and fluffy.
    5. Add the eggs, whisking one in at a time.
    6. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour and sift about half of the flour mix into the buttery sugared mix, stir well to combine.
    7. Add all the tomato purée and stir through thoroughly.
    8. Sift in the remaining flour and stir.
    9. Pour the cake batter into the greaseproof paper lined loaf tin and place in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean after inserting in the centre of the cake.
    10. You can serve pomegranate seeds on the side, or make up some icing with icing sugar and drizzle on top of the cake where you can then “glue” the seeds on top using the icing.

  • RECIPE | Thyme Roasted Baby Leeks

    Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 15 mins

    LEEKS- The lovely leek can be a great tool to use for detox. Leeks fibre content cleanses the digestive tract, as well as being a potent diuretic. Leeks are also good sources of calcium, vitamin C, potassium, B6, and iron! SOURCE: http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/leeks.html )

    Ingredients.

    Olive oil, glug

    White wine vinegar, glug

    1 pack baby leeks (usually 5-6)

    1 garlic clove, sliced finely

    Few thyme sprigs, leaves removed

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

     

    1. Top and tail the leeks and remove the first outer skin.
    2. Blanch in boiling hot water for 3 minutes.
    3. Drain thoroughly, place in a baking tray and pop in the glugs of olive oil and vinegar, along with the thyme leaves and garlic.
    4. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes until they start to turn golden on top.

  • RECIPE | Herby Pork Chop

    Serves 2 |  Prep 15 mins Cook 15 mins

    Herb up your life! This deliciously bronzed, herb spiked, panko crumb pork is super easy to put together and is a treat to the taste buds with a lemony undertone thrown in too. I served mine with Thyme Roasted Baby Leeks, steamed tenderstem broccoli, and a small whole jacket sweet potato each. The recipe is easily doubled and you could also apply the same method to flattened chicken breasts.

    Pork is a great source of protein, and is also another good way of getting zinc into your diet. 85g of pork contains just under 2mg of zinc, and men require about 11mg a day (women 8mg). Zinc is an important mineral to consider for healthy immune system function. 85g of pork chop is also only around 137 calories. (SOURCE: http://www.livestrong.com/article/415403-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-pork-chops/ )

    Ingredients.

    2 pork chops (without bone)

    60g panko breadcrumbs

    30g plain flour

    1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

    1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

    1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

    1 tsp basil, finely chopped

    ½ tsp garlic granules

    1 lemon, zested

    1 egg, lightly beaten

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

     

    1. Set out the following in 3 separate bowls / plates alongside one another to create yourself a little workstation; plain flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs that have been mixed with herbs / lemon zest. (See picture).
    2. Dust the pork chops in flour and shake off any excess.
    3. Dip in the beaten egg to coat and wait for any excess liquid to drip out over the bowl.
    4. Then fumble the chops in the breadcrumb mix coating thoroughly.
    5. In a frying pan large enough to accommodate both chops, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium to high heat.
    6. Fry the chops for 3 minutes on each side.
    7. Place the chops on a baking tray and place in the oven to finish cooking for 8-10 minutes.
    8. Remove the chops from the oven and plate up with your desired sides.

     

     

  • RECIPE | Griddled Romaine Lettuce Hearts

    Serves 2  | Prep 5 mins | Cook 5 mins

     

    Simplicity at it’s very best. I actually now prefer these lettuce hearts cooked as opposed to in a cold salad. Slightly charred matched with a sharp, creamy dressing this simple side could match any main, or you may even want to serve it as an unusual starting course.

    – Just 94g of romaine lettuce provides you with 107% vitamin K, 45% vitamin A, and 31% of folate, of your recommended daily intake, to name a few!

    (SOURCE: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=61 ). Make the romaine your new romance with lettuce. Compared to the standard iceberg lettuce, the romaine has; less sugars and salt, twice the amount of protein and calcium, three times the vitamin K, four times the amount of iron, eight times the vitamin C, and seventeen times the amount of vitamin A. It’s a no-brainer. SOURCE: (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-powerful-advantages-of-eating-lettuce.html )

    Ingredients.

    For the dressing:

    1 ½ tbsp olive oil

    1 tbsp mayonnaise

    1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

    1 lemon, juice of

    1 garlic clove, crushed

    Salt & pepper, to tase

    1 Romaine lettuce heart, halved

     

    Method.

     

    1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
    2. Lightly oil the lettuce halves on their cut sides with a brush, and heat a griddle pan to a medium-high heat.
    3. Griddle the lettuce halves cut side down for 2-3 mins.
    4. Remove from pan and serve drizzled in dressing.

  • RECIPE | Cannellini & Fennel Dip

    For me and my kitchen stress head it’s all about taking it easy in the kitchen and not overloading yourself with too much to do before your guests arrive. Getting up early and prepping is key. I decided to make my own bread which is laced with pureed beetroot, later turned into my Camp Crositini served alongside a warm Cannellini & Fennel Dip.

    We have aniseedy fennel with garlic, rosemary, lemon parmesan, white beans and smoked cheese, blitzed then baked in the oven making this one hot yes!

    Ingredients.
    2 fennel bulbs, outer leaves removed and cored cut into chunks
    4 cloves garlic
    440g cannellini beans, cooked
    1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
    1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    45g parmesan, grated (with extra for topping)
    45g smoked cheese, grated (with extra for topping)

    Method.
    Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

    On a baking sheet combine the fennel chunks and 2 of the garlic cloves with a drizzle of oil. Season. Roast for 30 minutes, having tossed around once during. Set aside and raise the oven temperature to 230c / 210c (fan) / Gas Mark 8.
    In a frying pan, pour 120ml of olive oil in over a medium heat. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until golden.
    Add in the beans and rosemary, cooking for a couple of minutes more. Remove from the heat.
    In a food processor, blitz the beans and garlic, fennel and garlic, lemon juice, smoked cheese, parmesan, and 60ml more of olive oil, until smooth.
    Transfer the blitzed mix into a small casserole dish, sprinkling with some extra grated cheeses. Bake until bubbling and gold for around 30 minutes.

  • RECIPE | Beef Chilli with Black Rice

    You will have to trust me on the Chinese five spice. It complements the smoky fiery flavour of the beef chilli perfectly. This is probably one of my favourite’s to make, my friends love my chilli. You can reduce the cooking time by adding less of the stock but I prefer a long, long cook for this.

    Serves 4-6 people
    Prep 10 mins
    Cook 1-2 hours

    If I’m doing this for a crowd I serve a Scotch Bonnet chilli pepper on the side to see who’s man enough to give one a go! If you are going to do this, please remind your guests that the Scotch Bonnet ranks in category 4 on the scoville heat measure, and is of similar heat to a habanero, jamaican hot pepper, and the not so comfortingly named, Fatalii. Have plain yogurt / milk on standby!

    BLACK RICE- Where has black rice been all my life? After trying this for the first time only recently I can honestly say I will never eat a bowl of the white stuff ever again! A spoonful of black rice contains more antioxidants than that of blueberries. The anthocyanin antioxidants within the rice are linked with memory improvement, protection against heart disease and even cancer. Black rice is a fantastic source of Iron and also vitamin E. I decided to serve my devilish beef chilli with black rice to give a gothic, unusual and nutritious edge to the dish. Black rice is not just for show, it’s so good for you!

    BEEF- Around 85g of beef provides you with the following of your daily requirements; 50% protein, 39% zinc, 37% B12, 24% selenium, 20% phosphorous, 18% niacin, 16% B6, 14% iron, 12% riboflavin. ( SOURCE: http://www.beef.org/udocs/Beef%20Bytes%20Health.pdf )

    KIDNEY BEANS- 177g of kidney beans will provide you with the following of your daily requirements; 57% folate, 45% fibre, 42% copper (great for the immune system), 38% manganese (good for bone production & skin integrity), 34% phosphorous (another one for bones but also digestion), 30% protein, 23% B1, 21% iron.

    The kidney bean is a good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre, along with many other beans. When beans are combined with whole grain rice, the kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. Kidney beans can also increase your energy by replenishing iron stores. (SOURCE: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=87)

    REDUCED SALT & SUGAR BAKED BEANS – It’s this kind of cheap, easily accessible food that we can utilise for our health without having to import a wonder herb or grain from the Amazon. Baked beans can help towards achieving 7-a-day along with great fibre and protein benefits. Lycopene within the tomato sauce is a powerful antioxidant that has shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. (SOURCE ; http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-baked-beans.html )

    Ingredients.
    1 dried chipotle chilli, rehydrated, de-seeded and chopped finely
    1 ham stock cube, made up with 500ml hot water
    2 tsp Chinese five spice
    1 400g can kidney beans in a chilli sauce
    1 400g can organic chopped tomatoes
    1 230g can reduced sugar & salt baked beans
    2 onions, chopped roughly
    60g smoked chorizo, skin removed and sliced into rounds
    1 tbsp carotino oil (or any other healthy cooking oil of your choice)

    75g black rice, per person.

    Method.
    1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes until they are translucent.

    2. Add in the beef, Chinese five spice, chorizo, chipotle and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

    3. Tip in the tomatoes, mix and let them cook out for a couple of minutes.

    4. Add both kidney and baked beans to the pan, along with the stock.

    5. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 1-2 hours dependant on how much stock you want to use. I use all the stock and simmer for 1.5.

    6. Start cooking your rice in boiling water half an hour before you want to serve.

  • RECIPE | Devilled Eggs with Smoked Bacon

    These cute n creepy hors d’oeuvres’ will definitely put smiles on your guest’s faces. Simple, inexpensive, and being fun to make add to the delight of this dish. The classic flavour combination of egg and bacon brought into the realm of a dinner party by adding whole grain mustard, spring onions and black olive. You could do a half n half batch by adding some cayenne pepper on top of some of the eggs for variety.

    Serves 8 (as canapés)
    Prep 30 mins
    Cook 10 mins (egg and bacon)

    The recipes suits 8 people for canapés (1 egg each), but you may want to make more as they’re one bite wonders and extremely more-ish. In the event of leftovers, you’ve already got breakfast sorted!

    EGGS – 1 egg provides the following of your recommended daily intake; 22% selenium (selenium deficiency, which some people who are HIV positive may have, has implications on immune function, depression, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypothyroidism, infertility in males), 15% B2, 9% phosphorous (bones & teeth, digestion, hormones), 9% B12, 7% B5, 6% vitamin A, 5% folate. Although eggs are high in cholesterol they do not adversely affect blood cholesterol. In fact, eggs help raise the “good” cholesterol, HDL. Eggs are also a fab source of protein containing all the essential amino acids in right doses. (SOURCE: http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs/ )

    Ingredients.
    80g light mayo
    8 eggs, hard boiled and halved
    3 rashers smoked bacon, cooked until crispy and finely chopped
    2 spring onions, finely sliced
    1 tsp wholegrain mustard
    small bowlful of black olives

    Method.
    1. Carefully scoop the hard-boiled yolks out of the egg halves. I found it easiest to loosen one edge of the yolk with a teaspoon and the whole yolk would follow.

    2. In a bowl, mash together with a fork the; yolks, mayo, bacon, spring onions, wholegrain mustard and a little black pepper.

    3. Scoop your fluffy egg and bacon mix back into the hollow of the egg halves. You could also pipe the mix back into the hollows if you’re feeling pedantic about presentation.
    4. At this point you have now made devilled eggs and they can be served straight away or kept in the fridge for a few hours until required.

    optional

    5. To add a Halloween twist and make them into spider eggs, have your bowlful of black olives and your chopping board out and slice whole olives into halves to create the bodies of the spider. Slice small lengths of olives to create the legs. I found it easiest to place the spider legs on top of the eggs, and then place the spider body on top of the legs to complete the look.

  • RECIPE | Pumpkin Soup

    I find the process of hollowing out a pumpkin quite tedious, so the last thing I want to be doing afterwards is chopping other vegetables to go in a soup that will just be blended anyway. Take the pressure off and keep this super simple (and cheap!) by using a frozen vegetable mix of carrots, onion, and celery. By using ham stock your tapping into the bacon / pumpkin squash classic flavour combo but saving pennies & calories too by not using any actual meat. This recipe showcases how simplicity really can bring out the best in flavours.

    Serves 4 (can be frozen)

    Prep 15 mins
    Cook 30 mins

    Starter / Inexpensive / Quick & Easy / Antioxidant Rich

    PUMPKIN – 100g of flesh is only 26 calories. Pumpkin is also recommended by dieticians in cholesterol management and for weight loss programs. Also in 100g of pumpkin flesh comes around 246% of your recommended intake of vitamin A. Pumpkins, like carrots contain carotenes and anti-oxidants that help promote good eye sight. B-complex vitamins are also abundant in the pumpkin; folate, niacin, B-6, B-5.

    Ingredients.
    450-500g pumpkin flesh (save the seeds and roast them for 10-15 minutes, lovely!)
    250g frozen vegetables (carrot, onion, celery)
    1000ml hot water
    2 ham stock cubes
    1 birds eye chilli

    Method.
    1. Heat a large saucepan and place the frozen vegetables in for 5 mins to defrost and soften.
    2. Add the pumpkin, chilli, hot water, and stock cubes and bring to the boil.
    3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
    4. Take off the heat and use a hand blender to blend until smooth.
    5. Serve with freshly grated nutmeg, smoked paprika and some pumpkin seeds scattered on top.

  • RECIPE: Chicken Coal

    Nuggets. Notoriously loved. Notoriously unhealthy. Not these!

    CREDIT: Jordan Lohan

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