THEGAYUK

Category: Recipe

  • RECIPE | Green Eggs And Ham, Christmas Morning Surprise

    Makes 6 |  Prep 20 mins |  Cook 20 mins

    Whip the batter up for these make-ahead muffins on Christmas Eve and then place in the fridge in their baking tray until you’re ready to cook them in the oven on Christmas morning. Now that’s a wake and bake!

    They smell amazing as they’re cooking and come out festively green, packing an energy & antioxidant punch from Matcha green tea. You can of course leave the Matcha out if you want to (although it’s undetectable on the palette), and vegetarians can swap the pancetta for wild mushrooms or cherry tomatoes.
    INGREDIENTS.

    6 large organic eggs

    100-150g cubed pancetta

    25g grated parmesan (or cheese of choice)

    1 tsp dried oregano

    1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 finely chopped garlic clove)

    1 tsp baking powder

    1 tbsp matcha green tea powder (optional)

    small handful pumpkin seeds

    METHOD.

    • Grease a 6” mould muffin baking tray with butter or oil.
    • Dry fry the pancetta in a pan until golden and crisp (about 5 mins on high). Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel, placing another piece of towel on top, pressing down to soak up excess oil.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 6 eggs.
      Sieve in the baking powder and matcha green tea. Add the garlic powder, oregano, and parmesan, continuing to whisk well together for a few minutes.
    • Transfer the egg mix to a jug so you can now easily pour the mixture into the muffin moulds. Distribute the pancetta pieces (reserve some for scattering at the end) between the moulds at this point too. Cover and put in the fridge until morning, or if cooking straight away, continue with below steps…
    • Have your oven heat to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6.
    • Use a teaspoon to give each muffin a little stir and top with a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
      Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they have risen slightly, and are firm to the touch.
    • Remove from the oven and leave to cool in their tin for about 5 minutes before serving, scatter over any reserved pancetta. Epic either hot, warm or cold.

     

  • Your Christmas Eve, Morning and Boxing Day Meals Sorted

    Food Editor, Jordan Lohan, has literally out done himself for this feast…

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  • Recipe | Butternut Stew, Perfect for A Christmas Eve Get Together

    Butternut Stew | Serves 2 (or 4 with salad / steamed vegetables) |  Prep 15 mins | Cook 45-60 mins

    This is totally comforting and satisfying (not to mention nutritious). Mouthfuls go from moments of mellow tomatoes, squash, leeks and carrot (I like purple carrots in this recipe), to spikes of chilli, smoky chorizo and fresh, green coriander. Non meat eaters feel free to omit the chorizo.

    A one pot winner perfect for Christmas Eve or anytime that you require minimal; effort, expense, and washing up.

    Ingredients:

    1 onion, chopped roughly

    1 leek, chopped roughly

    2 carrots, chopped into 2-3cm chunks

    1 small butternut squash (250g of large chunks)

    4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    1 large red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

    100g cooking chorizo, sliced

    50g pearl barley

    300g jarred herby passata (or use a 400g tin)

    2 bay leaves

    2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)

    1 tbsp dried marjoram

    1 tsp ground ginger

    400ml hot water, with 2 tsp bouillon (or use a stock cube)

    1 tbsp coconut oil, or other cooking oil

     

    to serve

    handful pumpkin seeds

    fresh coriander

     

    Method

    1) Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick saucepan and over a medium heat begin to fry the chorizo, onions and leeks.

    2) After 5 minutes add the rosemary, chilli, marjoram, ginger and garlic. Stirring around the pan for a few minutes.

    3) Add the passata and bay leaves, and allow to bubble out for a couple of minutes.

    4) Add your pearl barley, butternut squash, and carrots and cover with the stock water.

    5) Once the sauce has reached boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and leave for 25 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then.

    6) Remove the cover from the pan and continue to simmer until your butternut squash and carrots are cooked through. Shake the pan every now and then.

    7) Remove from the heat, season with black pepper and scatter over pumpkin seeds and coriander when serving.

  • Recipe: One Pot Pasta, Perfect As A Winter Warmer

    Serves 2 (with leftovers) |  Prep 10 mins |  Cook 20 mins

     

    It cannot get much easier or simpler than this. Some veg, pasta, and water all in one pot, makes a winning dinner choice for Christmas Eve, keeping prep/cook/washing up and expense down before all round and inevitable indulgence on Christmas Day. You don’t even need to drain the water with this savvy self saucing delight!

     

    INGREDIENTS.

     

    200g fusilli longhi (or spaghetti / linguine will do!)

    350g herby passata (jarred)

    100g wild mushrooms

    100g frozen petit pois

    1 medium onion, thinly sliced

    1 lemon, zest only

    15g basil, leave whole

    1 tbsp paprika

    1 tsp bouillon powder (or half a stock cube)

    500ml water

    90g ricotta cheese

    Parmesan (enough to go crazy with, it is Christmas!)

     

    METHOD

     

    1) Add all the ingredients (except for cheeses) to a large saucepan or stockpot (you may have to break your pasta in half), stir around a bit and ensure the majority of the ingredients is covered by the 500ml water.

     

    2) Stirring regularly, heat on high to reach boiling point and then reduce to a simmer.

     

    3) Test your pasta after about 10 minutes, keep testing until al dente or cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat, remove the basil stalks and discard.

     

    3) Stir in the ricotta, season with black pepper and a little salt.

     

    4) Transfer to serving bowl(s) and adorn in parmesan and freshly torn basil leaves.

    5) Served with salad and breads this meal could easily serve more people.

     

  • Devilled & Pulled Leftovers, Perfect for Leftovers on Boxing Day

    Serves 2-4 people (with salad, toasted breads)

     

    A lovely and traditional method of using up leftover chicken or turkey, pairing the dark leg and thigh meat with a spicy sauce, and the light breast meat with a cream sauce. Devilled sauce would normally call for dijon mustard but I use wholegrain, as mustard seed is a wonderful antioxidant. Curry powder is also often used but I go with turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties, which is enhanced using coconut oil in the dish also.

     

    Pulled sauce, usually made with heavy cream, but I use half fat creme fraiche and grass-fed butter (superfood!). To plough some goodness into a usually nutrient stripped sauce I go heavy on the herbs with parsley and dill, both very good sources of vitamin C. Anti-oxidants present in parsley and dill adds to the sauce’s calcium qualities.

     

    INGREDIENTS.

    150g breast meat

    150g leg / thigh meat

     

    Devilled

    1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

    2 tbsp mango chutney

    1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

    1 tsp apple cider vinegar

    1 tsp turmeric

    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (reserve the cayenne to stirring through after the cooking process, as cooking with cayenne actually turns its anti-inflammatory properties into inflammatory, and should always be used as a seasoning like salt or pepper)

    1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

     

    Pulled

    50g grass fed unsalted butter

    100g half fat creme fraiche

    1/2 lemon, juice of

    1 garlic clove, finely chopped

    15g parsley, finely chopped

    15g dill, finely chopped

     

     

    METHOD:

    Mix all the ingredients for the devilled sauce in a large bowl, use a fork to do this if your coconut oil is solid.

     

    Mix together the leg/thigh chicken meat with the sauce and pre-heat your grill to a medium heat.

     

    Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly by rubbing in a little coconut oil.

     

    Spread the chicken in its sauce out in a thin layer and grill, you’ll want to get some crispy bits on there, but keep an eye on it.

    Serve.

     

    In a deep frying or sauté pan, begin to melt the butter until it starts to bubble.

     

    Lower the heat and quickly add the creme fraiche and stir constantly for a couple of minutes.

     

    Add the chicken breast and stir into the sauce, add the garlic and herbs for the final minute and remove from the heat. Squeeze over the lemon juice, season & serve.

     

  • RECIPE: Bone Broth: A Delicious And Nourishing Boxing Day Treat

    Makes about 1 litre |  Prep 10 mins | Cook 8 hours plus! (more…)

  • RECIPE: Overnight Oats, The Inexpensive Christmas Morning Breakfast

    Serves 1 hungry person | Prep 5 mins | No Cook

     
    Simple and inexpensive. Prepare these on Christmas Eve and let these overnight oats soak in the fridge to produce a “cooked”, creamy, gorgeous fuss-free breakfast to wake up and dig straight into in the morning filling and nutritious, a great way to begin your day, and not just at Christmas! The jars I use in the image are a 500g capacity.
    INGREDIENTS.

    Basic Recipe

    50g quick cook / rolled oats

    100ml coconut milk (not tinned variety, from alpro or koko)

    3 tbsp natural yoghurt

     
    METHOD.

    Mix all ingredients in a jar / bowl / vessel of your choice.

    Stir in either of the flavour combinations below.

    Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or minimum 3 hours), remove and serve.My favourite flavour variations;
    Berry Coconutty- In picture on right

    50g raspberries (frozen is fine)

    small handful brazil nuts, chopped

    small handful blueberries (frozen is fine)

    small handful coconut flakes

    1 tsp vanilla paste / extract (optional)
    Apple & Cinnamon (tastes like pure Christmas!)- In picture on right

    1 small apple- blitzed or finely chopped, or 2 heaped tbsp apple puree

    1 tbsp maple syrup / honey

    1 tsp cinnamon

    small handful walnuts

    small handful raisins

     

    BACK TO CHRISTMAS FOOD IDEAS

     

  • RECIPE: Bubble And Chic, The Perfect Way To Use Up Christmas Leftovers

    Makes 4 |  Prep 20 mins | Cook 50 mins

     

    Leftovers never looked so good before, right? You can make changes to this recipe dependent on what vegetables you may have leftover from Christmas. Celeriac could be swapped for the beetroot (you will lose the pinky redness of the dish though), use any kind of cabbage or brussell sprouts, standard potato instead of sweet, leek instead of onion etc.

     

    INGREDIENTS.

    1 carrot (peeled if non-organic), roughly chopped

    200g uncooked beetroot, peeled and chopped in small chunks

    200g sweet potato, skin on and roughly chopped

    225g red cabbage, chopped

     

    1 medium onion, finely chopped

    8 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

     

    goes well with;

    dollop of yoghurt

    lemon zest

    pomegranate seeds

    romanesco / cauliflower / broccoli

    raw radish slices

    parmesan

     

    METHOD.

    Pre-heat your oven to 220c / 200c (fan) / Gas Mark 7

     

    Heat a little oil in a frying pan a gently sweat out the onions for 10 minutes, once softened, set aside.

    Meanwhile you can boil the carrot, beetroot, sweet potato and red cabbage in a large saucepan and do so for 15-20 minutes.

    Drain the vegetables thoroughly and tip into a large mixing bowl. Mash the vegetables lightly, then add in the panko breadcrumbs (if your mix looks overly wet then add a couple more tablespoons), and then stir in the onion. Season heavily with black pepper, and just a wee pinch of salt.

    Once cool enough to handle, use your hands to shape into four “cakes”. Alternatively you could use a cookie cutter or ringlet as a mould for the cakes, spooning in the mixture and pressing down as you go. Set the cookie cutter aside once all cakes are shaped.

    At this point you could top each cake with a good grating of parmesan. Now, place into the oven for 30 minutes. Pop under the grill for a few minutes on high if you want them extra crispy!

    Remove from the oven and serve with a dollop of yoghurt, pomegranate jewels, grated lemon zest, and some more left over vegetables that have been lightly steamed, I used romanesco and some raw radish.

  • RECIPE: Pistachio Pavlova, Something Different For Christmas Day Pudding

    Serves 6-8 people |  Prep 30 mins |  Cook 2-2.5 hours (more…)

  • RECIPE: Figgy Lavender Pudding, The Ultimate Christmas Pudding Replacement

    Serves 10-12 |  Prep 40 mins | (plus overnight soaking, and minimum 4-5 hours chilling once assembled) No Cook
    Pretty in purple, this dessert has no added sugars, dairy, or flour and uses only natural & nutritious ingredients. If you have an aversion to lavender then leave it out, but i promise you its presence is subtle and is really lovely.

    INGREDIENTS.Base

    200g pecans

    100g hazelnuts

    210g pitted fresh dates

    4 tbsp coconut oil
    Filling

    (soak the cashews & hazelnuts for the filling over night, just covering them in a bowl with filtered water)

    250g cashews

    100g hazelnuts

    150g dried figs (fine for the packet to say “slightly rehydrated”)

    90g runny honey

    75g blueberries (frozen is fine)

    75g coconut oil, melted

    1 lemon, juice of

    2 tsp culinary lavender (optional, but lovely!)

    optional- fresh figs to serve on top

    METHOD.

    9-inch springform tin (less than 9 inch is fine but will result in a cake with more height)
    BASE- Use a food processor or high powered blender to blitz the pecans and hazelnuts, and then adding the pitted fresh dates and coconut oil next, blitzing once again until combined.
    Put the base of the cake tin down on top of greaseproof paper, use as a guide to draw a circle around it. Cut the circle out and then lay the circle on the bottom of the tin, greasing with a little oil.
    Begin to spoon in the base mixture into the tin pressing down as you go, distributing evenly. Set aside in the fridge overnight, or place in the freezer for a few hours if you want to speed things up.
    FILLING- Drain the soaked nuts thoroughly, and then place all filling ingredients in a food processor or highly powered blender and combine thoroughly. If your processor struggles to combine the filling into a uniform texture then remove some and work in smaller batches, adding extra honey to loosen it up as you go.
    Spoon the filling into the cake tin on top of the nutty base and smooth over the top with a spatula or back of a spoon.
    Place back into the fridge and I really recommend leaving it for a day, covered, for the flavours to develop, but it essentially would be ready to eat after chilling for 4-5 hours.
    Remove from fridge 10 minutes prior to serving.

  • RECIPE | Artichoke And Pistachio Pesto

    Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | No Cook

    Quick & Easy / Minimal Ingredients / Vegan / Anti-Oxidant Rich / Digestion Helper

    Creamy, garlicky, and nutty, bound together with olive oil and lemon, this pesto makes a lovely change from the usual basil pine nut combo. This pesto also doesn’t have any cheese in it so is suitable for Vegans. You can whip this up in 5 minutes, you could have it “raw” and spread on toast, or use as a stir through sauce for pasta. I use it to stuff cod fillet’s in the Posh Cod & Chips recipe.

    ARTICHOKES- A long standing digestive aid, first discovered by the Egyptians, used to also combat acid reflux, stomach discomfort, bloating, and mild diarrhoea. (SOURCE: http://www.livestrong.com/article/471274-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-artichoke-hearts/ ). Artichokes are also a good source of anti-oxidants; silymarin, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid.

    PISTACHIOS – Rich in mono-unsaturated fats like oleic acid make the pistachio nut another good source of anti-oxidants. Pistachio nuts also contain carotenes, vitamin E, and polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds which help remove free-radicals from the body. They are also rich in the essentials for boosting our immune system; copper, manganese, iron, zinc and selenium. (SOURCE: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pistachio.html ) Pistachios also contain potassium which can aid healthy digestion.

     

    Ingredients.

    1 400g can artichoke hearts, drained

    30g shelled pistachio nuts

    2 tbsp olive oil

    1 tbsp lemon juice

    1 garlic clove

    Small bunch fresh parsley leaves

     

    Method.

    1. Place all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until you have a paste.
    2. Serve or keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.