Mediterranean Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite things to cook from scratch, but if I don't have the necessary store-cupboard ingredients- of which the list can be quite long- it can be expensive and take a considerable amount of time. In such times of need, I love that I picked up this sun-dried tomato and black olive risotto mix that Dad has started to stock in the shop.

I gradually added boiling water to the risotto mix in a pan for 25-30 minutes (instructions are on the back), adding some leftover cooked + sliced chicken breast, grated parmesan, and a knob of butter 5 minutes before the end. So simple yet so yummy!

 I think this recipe would be great for dinner parties when you want to impress with little effort or equally great for mid-week suppers. You can add as much or as little as you want to it as it is so delicious to start with. However if I were to make it really special, I might add some fresh sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs to garnish and give it that extra something.

NB: Click to see my moroccan chicken, couscous, and tzatsiki recipe that I cooked using a Mediterranean Couscous mix from the same range.

Andrew's Website

After months of taking pictures, writing about everything we do, and working on layout and style, my plans have finally been realised! So I'm very proud to direct you to the new website for our butchers shop at www.andrewsqualitybutchers.co.uk Take a browse and see what we do; the site includes information on where all our meat is from, special services we offer throughout the year, and a little bit about the shop's background. Here's a quick preview below...

Chicken Stir-Fry

Last week I signed up to do Race for Life at the beginning of June, and as I'm by no means a runner, I've been trying to eat as healthily as possible, and tonight I've made this super-healthy stir-fry. I also have a new camera which I'm so excited about... I need to play around with the settings but from now on I hope my pictures will be of better quality!

To make:

1 Slice a chicken thigh/breast thinly and place in a bowl. 2 Add about half a tablespoon of hoisin sauce, and a drop of soy sauce and sesame seed oil, leave to marinate for an hour if possible. 3 Slice vegetables thinly. 4 Stir-fry veg until it starts to soften and brown. 5 Add the chicken and cook until done. 

Quick Lunch: Rump Steak Roll

It's a quick post this week, but I had to share with you this delicious steak roll I had for lunch last week. Running between lectures, it was so quick and easy to prepare but filled me up and put a big smile on my face too- after all isn't that what good food is all about?! Rump steak is great to buy, as it has exceptional flavour, but is a lot cheaper per kilo than other steak cuts making it great value for money. What's more at a butchers like ours, you can have exactly what size you wish, and be safe in the knowledge it comes from local farms and will have been hung in carcass for a least 28 days. 

To make yourself: simply fry your steak in  olive oil and mixed herbs for however long you prefer, I have gone for medium rare here. While it is cooking prepare your roll with some lovely mayo or chutney, and salad. Leave the steak to rest for a couple of minutes, slice and add to your roll. Be warned the juices make it a messy lunch but the satisfaction that comes from eating it is more than worth it! 

Asparagus, Courgette, Smoked Streaky Bacon Tagliatelle

Asparagus season is finally upon us, so I thought I would show you one of my favourite combinations, asparagus and smoked streaky bacon, in this quick and easy pasta dish. Asparagus goes really well with any cured pork meats especially prosciutto ham and pancetta; I tend to think of it as a posh pea and ham combo... But smoked streaky bacon is something I always use as an alternative as it is packed with flavour, a lot cheaper, and easy to have put by in the freezer to thaw and chop up when you want it. This dish couldn't be simpler, I made it in about ten minutes after getting in late from the library this evening... as it tastes delicious there really is no excuse for 'quick' ready meals or take aways at such times!

 1 Par boil chopped asparagus for about 2 minutes to soften. 2 In a pan fry chopped streaky bacon, and finely sliced courgette. 3 In the meanwhile remove asparagus from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the bacon and courgette. 4 Saving water and pans, add some fresh tagliatelle to the saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. 5 Add a couple of knobs of batter to your veg and bacon. 6 Drain the pasta and add to the pan. 7 Dish up, grate over some parmesan, and eat immediately. The best fast comfort food after a long day!

Moroccan Spiced Chicken, Couscous, Tzatsiki

We are now selling a delicious Mediterranean couscous mix, so I thought I would experiment with some moroccan flavours for a delicious, easy, mid-week meal. The whole pack can be used for feeding 4-5 people, or if like me you are only feeding one, will last you a while. I used an Andrew's chicken thigh over chicken breast: while most people shy away from leg meat, it is a lot cheaper per kilo and stays extremely succulent and moist. I removed the bone quite easily, gradually taking the knife close to the bone to cut the meat away, so the thigh would lay flatter when cooking. Alternatively we sell skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or you can leave the bone in.

Serves 1 

1 Chicken Thigh- 1 packet of Mediterranean Couscous- Harissa Paste- Cumin- Herbs- Olive Oil- Greek Yoghurt- Cucumber- Mint

In a bowl mix a tablespoon of olive oil with the same of harissa paste, adding mixed herbs, coriander and cumin as you wish, to make a paste. 

Apply this to the top side of the thigh, rubbing into the skin. Leave to marinate for 2 hours at least, covered in the fridge. 

In the meantime I made a lovely tzatsiki to calm down the heat of the harissa. Simply take 2 heaped tablespoons of greek yoghurt and add some grated cucumber and a handful of finely chopped fresh mint. This is ever so cheap to make, healthy and lovely as it is so fresh. You could always make a bigger amount and save it as a dip for another occasion! 

When it comes to cooking heat a pan with a teaspoon of butter. When the pan is hot, add the chicken skin side down to crisp up the skin. Turn over perhaps after 4 minutes, making sure it is brown on both sides and cooked through.  In the meantime cook the couscous to the packet instructions. Slice the chicken and place on top of a bed of couscous, with a large spoonful of tzatsiki on the side. Hope you enjoy, L x

N.B this would also be lovely with our new season's lamb cutlets!

Haloumi Heaven

Finally the sun is shining so I decided to make one of my favourite summer dishes. I may not have been able to grill it on the barbecue but this basic haloumi recipe is still delicious fried in a pan. Haloumi is also a great cheese to buy and have in the fridge ready for when the sun does come out as it has a long date on it until opened; this shouldn't be a problem, it is so yummy it soon gets eaten up!

Four simple ingredients for your basic haloumi: half a block of cypriot haloumi cheese from Andrew's, 2 crushed garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, dried mixed herbs. Haloumi can take a LOT of flavour so don't be shy on your garlic and use as many fresh herbs or spices as you think best. Slice into 4. Leave to marinate while you prepare a salad or accompaniment. (Andrew's sell a great Mediterranean couscous that would go well). Heat your pan on a high heat. Add the haloumi and cook browning it each side making sure you let the cheese soften, you will see it changing texture. Slice into pieces, serve and enjoy!