Curried Pumpkin and Chicken Stew - Halloween

Ingredients: (enough for 3 people) “for more add more potatoes”

• 1 small pumpkin (peeled, cut into pieces)
• 1 large potato (cut into pieces)
  
• 1 can of cooked chickpeas
  
• 1 large onion (cut in pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves (perforated)
• 4 Cardamoms (just the seeds)
  
• 2 Chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
  
• 1/2 cup tomato pulp
  
• 1 soup spoon of curry powder (not very spicy)
• 1 flat soup spoon of turmeric
  
• 1/2 soup spoon of paprika
• 6 great mushrooms (or 12 small ones)
• 1 bunch of coriander (chopped)
• a little of olive oil and coarse salt.

Preparation:

Put in a pan it a little olive oil to cover the bottom plus pinch sea salt, once hot add the onion, the garlic, the cardamoms seeds, the onion and the pumpkin, always stirring until it goes golden.

When is golden (a little caramelized) then add the chicken, stirring it regularly to seal it all around, then add the tomato pulp, the paprika, the chickpeas, the turmeric, the mushrooms (if they large cut in quarters, if small in halves), the potato and the curry powder. Now it cover the pan with a lid and as soon as it starts boiling, reduce to minimum and leave it to cook for 25 minutes (+or-) adding a little water if it needs.

After is cooked, add the coriander and cook for a further minute and then serve it.

The inspiration for me was the Halloween pumpkin , carved with the flame inside, represented in this dish, the flame heat by the spicy hot kick and its softness pumpkin flesh, this is a dish partly sweet dish and partly spicy, and the textures are soft and at the same time grainy and silky.
Excellent Halloween representation. Yum yum, one that you really need to make.
if you want a greater visual use pumpkin halves as bowls to serve this delish meal in.

Yasai Katsu Curry (Wagamama style dish, my way)

Receita em Português AQUI

(This is my dish, photo taken with camera)

Everyone has been waiting for this one a proper Wagamama (Yasai Katsu Curry, 72 on the menu) dish made my way the secret is out hehe!! All made from my head and senses as had no recipe, just what is tasted like to go by and textures in my mouth.

(This is Wagamamas dish, photo taken with phone)

Recipe ingredients: (I'll be a bit vague, as it depends on people)

• 2 slices of butternut squash (per person)
• 2 slices of sweet potato (per person)
• 2 slices of aubergine (per person)
• 2 eggs mixed in a bowl
• 1/2 packet of water crackers in a bowl (crumbed to resemble rough bread crumbs)
• 3 soup spoons of plain flour (in a bowl)
• 3 soup spoons full of olive oil
• 2 soup spoons of garam masala
• 1 spoon of turmeric
• 1 soup spoon of medium curry powder
• 1 soup spoon of ground coriander seeds
• 1 garlic finely chopped
• 1 piece of ginger the size of a garlic clove finely chopped
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 300grs of risotto rice (to make the sticky rice)
• salt and pepper to taste.

All the above ingredients are depending on the number of people but based initially on 4.

the risotto rice to be sticky rice I done it as follows, cooked it in very little water just to cover the rice, and as it cooked and drank the water I added more (hot) water to it, once virtually cooked, put it in a sieve drain passed a little boiling water through, and drained it again but not entirely, put it back in the pan with a lid on and let it rests a good 4-5 minutes.

The curry sauce you can make this in advance and heat it near the time to put over rice and fried stuff (I decided not to cover fried stuff as wanted to show it in the photo).
Put a little pan on the stove with a little olive oil about 3 spoons full, once hot add the very finely chopped, garlic, onion, and ginger, let these cook until golden, at this stage add all the powders, garam masala, turmeric, med curry powder, ground coriander seeds and a little seasoning salt and pepper. Let these cook until it forms a paste add about 2 glasses of water, and once boiling, mix in a glass two spoons of plain flour and some warm water, mix well so it has no lumps, must be gravy consistency, then pour half into the boiling curry and stir briskly, once that is farly thick blitz it with the blender to smoth out the pieces of garlic, onion and ginger add a little more flour and water to it and mix again briskly until it gets like a very thick gravy. And is ready to go over the rice.

"The veg" the aubergine is fried from raw, however the butternut and the sweet potato are part-cooked in water for only 3 minutes, to make these is very simple you need a pan with vegetable oil very hot (or a dip fryer) and each slice of veg goes in the flour first, then the egg and finally in the cracker crumbs (normally Panko crumbs are used, but I feel crackers are just as good and cheaper) then in the fryer until golden brown (don't forget to turn them) . Once done they should drain a little in some kitchen paper, then served with the rice and curry sauce also with a little mixed leaves salad (also supposed to have a little pickled ginger, I didn't get enough time to make that :D ) see pictures.

So that is how you make it at home if you time it right all will come out hot, if not stick it in the oven for a blast before serving hehe (minus the salad) Have fun, I know I did.

(This is Wagamamas dish, photo taken with phone)

(Again my Dish, photo taken with camera)

Cod Spinach "En Croute" with (Yasai Katsu style) Curry Sauce & Rice

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI


This was my main meal for my birthday, all freshly made by "mois", cod with spinach and Charlotte "en croute" with an Asian twist and also a celery rice and chunky curry sauce.
I have to put two recipes here as the rice and fish are two separate things combined hare in this dish, however the rice can be eaten on it's own as a recipe or with items such a grilled chicken breast marinated in garam masala, or grilled fish and many other things....same applies to the fish as it can be accompanied by potato parsnip mash incorporated with a couple of tea spoons of mustard with mustard sees, and so on.

Fish recipe ingredients: (feeds 10)

• 10 fresh cod fillets (portions)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 8 Charlotte's (finely chopped)
• 2 hands full of spinach leaves about 100grs (roughly chopped)
• 2 hands full of bread crumbs about 50grs
• 2 soup spoons of chopped almonds
  
• one hand full of almonds with skin (finely chopped)
• 2 soup spoons of olive oil
• 2 large (mild) finely chopped chillies (previously de-seeded and de-veined)
• 1 tea spoon of cumin
• 1 tea spoon of turmeric
• 2 soup spoons of port wine
• 1/2 lemon juice
  

Lay the fish in non stick oven trays, then sprinkle them with a little pepper, salt, paprika and lemon juice, and leave them to marinade. While that is happening place a wok or frying pan on the stove and put the oil inside once very hot add the onions and the garlic, cook these until golden brown stirring occasionally. Once that is achieved add the cumin, turmeric, almonds and chopped chillies cook for a further 3 minutes, lastly add the spinach, and cook this until the spinach is reduced (should be about 2 minutes more.

I a bowl place your bread crumbs and add then the mixture to the crumbs to for a paste, if too dry you can always add a little melted butter. Lay this paste over each of the fish to completely cover the top, and they are ready to go in the oven (gas 200c) place a foil leaf over the fish over the first 10 minutes and take it off over the last 5 minutes, all together 15 minutes should suffice to cook well the fish.

The accompanying rice and curry sauce (as promised) has been inspired by one of Wagamamas dishes Yasai Katsu Curry, menu item number 72.

Recipe Ingredients: (for 6 people)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  
• 1/2 courgette (finely diced)
• 1 chilli (finely sliced, de-seeded and de-veined)
  
• 8 Charlotte onions (finely diced)
  
• 1 soup spoon of mild (or medium) curry powder
• 1 tea spoons of cumin
• 4 sticks of celery heart (finely diced)
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
• 1 glass of water
• 2 spoons of plain flour
  
• pick some of the celery leaves and a garlic clove (to be cooked with the rice)
• 500grs rice (basmati)

Place a pot with water on the stove and some salt, once boiling add the celery leaves and 1 garlic clove sliced + 500grs rice. Cook this until done (about 10-12 minutes). Rinse in boiling water and drain...but while rice is cooking do the sauce.

For the sauce place a wok or large deep frying pan on the stove with the olive oil in, once very hot add the Charlotte, garlic, chilli, cumin, curry and celery cook these for about 7-10 minutes. Then add the courgette and the turmeric and cook for a further 5 minutes. Separately mix about 2 full soup spoons of plain flour and a full glass of water, pour this into the frying veg and will make a thick curry sauce.. if too thick add more water if too thin mix a little more flour and water and add it slowly to thicken sauce further.

Serve rice (oval shape) and pour about 1 & 1/2 serving spoons over the rice to cover it all (see picture) as a serving idea.

This is me cutting my Birthday Cake

Chicken Curry Risotto

Fantastic risotto I wanted to combine two different types of foods and managed to successfully do just that with this dish.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs chicken thighs (de-boned and skinned, diced)
• 1 cup of frozen peas (you can use fresh ones too)
• 1 red pepper (other colours will do like orange or yellow, not green though| diced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
  
• 400grs basmati rice (long grain will also do, but be aware is likely to cook faster)
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1 soup spoon of premixed curry powder medium hot (choose your preference, so mild or hot or very hot will do too)
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
• 1 tea spoon of cumin powder
• 1 pint of vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 tomato can (chopped)
• 1 soup spoon of tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil
  

You start by putting the onion; garlic; pepper; cumin; turmeric; curry powder and salt & pepper, in a pan where you heated till very hot the olive oil. Cook all of his until the onion is semitransparent, at this stage add the carrot and the chicken (you can add a little more olive oil if to dry and a few drops of water) cook until the chicken is sealed.

At this stage add the rice always stirring cook for a further 2 minutes at this stage add the tomato tin, peas and the tomato paste, keep cooking and stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck, as it get dry add a little stock, keep cooking and stirring and repeat the process until all stock is gone the whole thing should last about 15-18 minutes never let the mixture get to dry as risotto is supposed to be slightly sloppy, also remember if not enough the stock to keep all with the right consistency add water (the reason why I say this, is because there are many varieties of rice even within the basmati range, some rices soak more liquid that others, never do this with precooked rice as this is rubbery).

Once all is cooked add the coriander (chopped) give it a stirr, turn the cooker off, put a cloth over the top of the pan and the lid over the cloth and let it rest for about 3 minutes, then serve.

Seafood & Chicken - Turmeric Rice

This recipe is a little expensive, but it doesn't have to be as you can replace certain food elements with other cheaper ones, like cheaper prawns and instead of fresh squid use crab sticks and so on.
But even when I say a little expensive, is not as expensive as you may think the whole cost could be between 7 or 8 pounds and feeds 6-7 people so about one pound something per person, well worth it though.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 large red chilli (finely chopped)
  
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
  
• 1 large red pepper (medium chopped)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (1 minced, 1 crushed)
  
• 6 large mushrooms (medium sliced)
  
• 1 medium fresh squid (cleaned around 250-300grs, strips sliced)
• 250grs fresh uncooked prawns (cut in halves)
  
• 2 medium chicken breasts (no skin, diced)
• enough rice for four people around 400-500grs (I used Basmati)
  
• 1 tin of tomato (chopped) pomodoro
• 1 tea spoon of medium hot curry powder
• 2 soup spoons of turmeric powder
• 1 chicken stock cube (I used OXO)
• 2 bay leafs
  
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• optional a cinnamon stick
  

Preparation:

Place two pans on the heat one half filled with water, one glug of oil, the crushed garlic and one bay leaf plus salt. The other one with, two glugs of olive oil, the minced garlic, the bay leaf some salt and pepper.
Once the one with the water is boiling add the rice and let it cook should take 10-12 minutes to be fully cooked, once cooked put it in a sieve and rinse it with boiling water and set it aside to drain.

the one with the old, add the chopped onion, pepper, chilli, and the curry powder, once the onion is translucent add the chicken and the turmeric, now it tends as is cooking for it to dry a bit, so you can add a little water, always stirring to seal the chicken so it stays nice and soft, once the chicken is fully sealed add the tomato tin, again always stirring, if it continues to get a little dry you can add more water (or stock or white wine), but at this point add the stock cube (crumb it before adding it) let this cook until the chicken is fully cooked.

at this stage add the mushrooms, the prawns, the cinnamon stick and the squid, it literally only takes 3-5 minutes for these to cook, as you just want them cooked, any longer and they will be rubbery. Once that is done remove from the fire add the mixture to the rice, fold it in until all is well mixed and let it stand for about 2 minutes, and is ready to serve.

if you require more taste and colour you can also add when putting the mixture with the rice a big bunch of chopped parsley...the only reason I did not is that I suffer with too much iron in the blood and parsley is full of it, so although I can eat it I should not abuse. Hope you enjoy this as much as i and my family did.

Turkey Curry and / or Quorn Curry

Receite em Português AQUI (com pequenas diferenças)

Pictures above illustrate the Turkey dish (and the rice was boiled with turmeric)

Endeavouring to do something quick but at the same time good enough for vegetarians (as my wife is one) and also for meat eaters as I wanted to use some turkey I decided to do a Curry to feed 6 people.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots (thinly sliced)
  
• 1 & 1/2 onions (diced)
  
• 1 large courgette (diced)
  
• 1 large red pepper (diced)
  
• 10 medium mushrooms (quartered)
  
• 1 chilli (de-seeded and thinly sliced)
  
• 3 large garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  
• 1 big bunch of coriander (chopped)
  
• 1 & 1/2 tin of tomatoes
• 2 soup spoons of tomato paste (diluted in a little water)
  
• 1 large soup spoon of cumin powder
• 1 large soup spoon of garam masala
• 2 large soup spoons of turmeric
  
• 1 large soup spoon of coriander seeds powder
• 1 large soup spoon of sweet paprika
• 6 glugs of olive oil (half per pan)
• 300grs Turkey
  
• 300grs Quorn
  

I mixed all the powders together than divided it in half, on two seperate pans I poured 3 "glugs" of olive oil, once hot added the powders and let it cook for a little time once it formed a paste and cooked a little I added theonion, garlic the chilli and the meat/quorn (please notice I divided ingredients all the way through in half, for each pan appart from the meat and quorn which is one 300grs for each pan) cooked this until the meat/quorn was cooked through adding a little water when a little dried, then i added the pepper, the courgette the mushrooms the and carrots cooked this for about 5 minutes and added the tomato (again half to each pan) and let this cook for 10 minutes then added the tomato paste (half each) and let this cook for a further 10 minutes.
While this was doing I boiled some rice with 4 crushed cardoms, 2 crushed garlic, a tea spoon of cumin powder and a tea spoon of turmeric (if you want the rice to be white don't use turmeric), once the rice is cooked drained it rinsed with boiling water removed the cardoms and put it in a pan drizzled with a little olive oil (optionally you can stir in some chopped coriander and some green raisins) put a lit and let it rest for 2 minutes.
Once the curry is one minute away from being cooked add a generous bunch of coriander (half each) and garnish each plate with a fe coriander leaves on top see picture...this one was really tasty.

These Pictures bellow illustrate the Quorn Curry (and rice was boiled without turmeric)