All posts tagged: Quick recipes

Air fryer caramelised Vietnamese pork recipe

Air fryer caramelised Vietnamese pork recipe

Published by skeptic

This is great served with white rice, cucumber slices and julienned carrot or, for a lighter meal, in crunchy lettuce wraps. Timings  Prep time: 10 minutes, plus coating time Cook time: 15 minutes Serves 4 Calories 222 kcal per serving Ingredients  4 pork shoulder steaks (about 500g), trimmed of visible fat and thinly sliced 1 tsp cornflour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 40g brown sugar 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tsp dark soy sauce pinch of red chilli flakes 1½ tsp lemongrass paste olive oil spray ½ small red onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp grated fresh ginger To serve handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped 2 spring onions, sliced 1 red chilli, sliced Method Place the pork in a bowl. Add the cornflour and bicarbonate of soda with 1 tbsp water and leave for 15 minutes. Mix the sugar, fish sauce, light and dark soy sauces, chilli flakes and lemongrass paste in a separate bowl and add 3 tbsp water. Preheat the air fryer to 200C …

Air fryer sweet-chilli salmon bites with sesame-garlic broccoli recipe

Air fryer sweet-chilli salmon bites with sesame-garlic broccoli recipe

Published by skeptic

If you want to tone down the spiciness here, omit the cayenne pepper. Or, for extra heat, sprinkle with finely chopped red chilli. I usually serve this with rice or noodles but you could also try it with cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative.  Timings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 7 minutes Serves 2 Calories 447 kcal per serving Ingredients 325g wild salmon fillets (skin removed), cut into 2.5cm cubes ½ tsp sweet paprika ½ tsp garlic granules ½ tsp onion granules ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) ¼ tsp ground ginger olive oil spray 250g broccoli florets 1½ tsp toasted sesame oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce To serve 1 spring onion, sliced squeeze of lime juice, plus some wedges pinch of sesame seeds (optional) Method Place the salmon in a bowl with the paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, cayenne pepper (if using), ginger and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Spray with olive oil and toss until evenly coated. In another bowl, toss …

Beef carpaccio with horseradish and parmesan recipe

Beef carpaccio with horseradish and parmesan recipe

Published by skeptic

Carpaccio is a simple anytime starter or light main course. It’s important to buy a super-fresh fillet or sirloin and it can help to pop the beef in the freezer for 30-40 minutes before you need it; this firms it up and makes slicing it a little easier. Some people like to slice the meat paper-thin so that the plate can almost be seen through it, but I find you can’t taste the actual beef this way; slightly thicker slices are fine. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes, plus optional freezing time Serves  4 as a starter Ingredients 400-500g trimmed beef fillet or sirloin 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle 60-80g fresh horseradish root, peeled 100-120g Parmesan Method Place the beef (wrapped in cling film if you like) in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, if you wish. Using a very sharp knife, carve the beef into slices about 3mm thick and arrange on serving plates, covering as much of the surface as possible.  Season the beef and drizzle with olive oil. Finely grate the horseradish all over the beef to taste, followed by the Parmesan. Serve immediately. …

Kibbeh Nayeh (Lebanese raw lamb) recipe

Kibbeh Nayeh (Lebanese raw lamb) recipe

Published by skeptic

This is basically a Middle Eastern lamb tartare and, just as with steak tartare or carpaccio, the lamb needs to be as fresh as possible. I like to serve it as a starter with a minty salsa or as pre-dinner snacks on little pieces of lightly toasted Moroccan flatbread. A few delicious salted Cambodian Kampot peppercorns on top (something I tried recently from stonygroves.co.uk) are a nice touch. Timings Prep time: 15 minutes  Cook time: 5 minutes (if serving with flatbreads) Serves 4 as a snack or starter Ingredients 4 tbsp finely chopped parsley 2 tbsp finely chopped mint 1 medium red or green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all 3 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon 400g fresh lamb fillet from the best end or rump, trimmed of sinew and finely chopped 6 spring onions, finely chopped 1 tsp smoked or unsmoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 30g bulgur wheat, pre-soaked in boiling water for an hour, then drained To serve flatbreads (optional) about 20 salted Kampot peppercorns (optional) Method Mix together 1 tsp each …

Tinned tomato risotto recipe

Tinned tomato risotto recipe

Published by skeptic

Don’t immediately diss this because it’s made with tinned tomatoes. It’s a great dish and one of the most popular in my house (where it’s known as risotto margherita because it uses the same ingredients as the pizza). To get it done in 30 minutes you have to work fast at the beginning. After that, it’s just stirring. It’s up to you how far you go with the embellishments. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 25 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 75g butter ½ medium onion, very finely chopped 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 350g risotto rice 100ml dry white wine or dry vermouth 600ml vegetable stock (or chicken if you prefer) – you may need a little more, or you can use water once your stock has run out 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (I use Mutti) 75g Parmesan, grated Optional extras 8-12 little round balls of mozzarella (bocconcini) 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 6 anchovies, very finely chopped 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped Method Heat the olive oil and …

Pizza baked eggs recipe

Pizza baked eggs recipe

Published by skeptic

The base for these eggs echoes the flavours of a pizza alla marinara. I’ve added a few olives and anchovies at the end, partly because they go so well with eggs, but also because in my mind they’re the best pizza toppings. For the bread, anything you have will work (although note that toasted supermarket pittas do an excellent impression of leftover pizza crusts). Timings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves 2 Ingredients 1 x 400g tin finely chopped tomatoes (or passata) 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 6-8 small olives (such as the Taggiasca variety) 1 basil sprig, plus a few extra leaves to garnish 2-4 medium eggs 2-4 salted anchovies in oil Parmesan, freshly grated warm bread, to serve (pittas or similar puffy flatbreads work well here) Method Empty the tomatoes into a 26-28cm sauté pan or low casserole dish with a lid and place over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, oregano, olive oil, olives, basil sprig and a big pinch …

Macaroni ai due formaggi (two-cheese macaroni) recipe

Macaroni ai due formaggi (two-cheese macaroni) recipe

Published by skeptic

This is a rich, straightforward two-cheese pasta that you can make with any tube shape (or indeed any pasta shape you fancy). It’s simple to make as all you need to do is melt mozzarella with Parmesan and cream to make a sauce, and toss this through cooked pasta. A golden crunchy topping of breadcrumbs is a delicious finish. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 500g mascarpone cheese 110g freshly grated Parmesan  220ml double cream 300g macaroni or tubetti (follow the recommended portion size per person for whatever type of pasta you’re using)  1 tbsp finely chopped chives For the topping 40g fresh white breadcrumbs 20g freshly grated Parmesan Method Melt 500g mascarpone with 110g freshly grated Parmesan in a thick-bottomed pan over a low heat and gradually bring it to the boil.  Add 220ml double cream and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a couple of minutes, whisking so the mixture is smooth, then take off the heat. Meanwhile, cook 300g pasta in boiling, salted water according …

Spaghetti with cockles recipe

Spaghetti with cockles recipe

Published by skeptic

This British take on spaghetti alle vongole uses cockles instead of the traditional clams. The version here is great, but if you can get your hands on three-cornered leek, which is plentiful right now, you can swap out the garlic and parsley and instead add a handful of the leaves, finely chopped, at the same time as the cooked cockles.  Timings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 500g spaghetti 100ml cider 1kg cockles, well rinsed 2 large shallots, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped a good pinch of dried chilli flakes or finely chopped fresh chilli 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed 150g butter, plus more as needed 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley Method Cook 500g spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet until al dente, then drain in a colander, saving a little of the cooking liquid.  Meanwhile, heat 100ml cider in a large saucepan, add 1kg cockles and cook over a medium heat with the lid on, shaking the pan …

Rustic maltagliati pasta with squash and chilli recipe

Rustic maltagliati pasta with squash and chilli recipe

Published by skeptic

Maltagliati is a rough-cut, squarish pasta popular in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Cipriani Food calls its version tagliardi (available online and quick to cook) and I really like using it in vegetable pasta dishes like this or with a meat ragu base.  If you can’t find this, cook lasagne sheets and cut them into irregular squares or rectangles about 2.5-3cm big. You can cut your squash to the size and shape of the pasta. Timings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 500g butternut squash, or other sweet orange-fleshed squash variety, peeled and seeds removed (about 300g after prep) 200g maltagliati 1 medium red chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all 100ml extra-virgin olive oil 100g butter 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped 50g Parmesan, freshly grated, plus more to serve Method Cut the 300g squash flesh into rough 2.5-3cm squares and then into thin slices so they resemble the pieces of pasta; I use a mandoline for this.  Bring a pan of salted water …