Not KFC Chicken

Tags

Chicken, fast food, food, healthy

The last time I had KFC was a long, long time ago and I remember being so unwell after it. Needless to say, I’ve not had it since.

I’ve made this dish before but without specific measurements and I’ve also tweaked it a little. So here is my version of a NOT KFC Chicken pieces to share with at least 4 people. Unless you’re really hungry!😋

Ingredients
• 8 pieces of Chicken thighs & drumsticks
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp garlic granules
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp mixed herbs (or you can use Oregano)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method
1. Soak the chicken pieces in the milk for 20 minutes.
2. Combine the flour, garlic granules, paprika, dried parsley, mixed herbs, black pepper & the sea salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Pre heat oven to 200 degrees C.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan.
5. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture and sear both sides in the hot pan before transferring them onto a baking tray and into the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 180 degrees C.
6. Cook for about 45 minutes or until golden and crispy.
7. Remove the chicken pieces from the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a side of salad and oven baked fries sprinkled with dried parsley, sea salt & black pepper.

Happy cooking! 💛

*I came across this and it made me laugh, had to share it!

Easy Peasy, Warm & Cosy

Tags

easymeals, food, healthy, vegan, vegetarian

Yesterday was a busy day of running errands and nursing a sick husband. It was a gloriously beautiful day after the rain and snow we’ve been getting here. So, after I prepared Chicken Porridge for my husband, I decided to have a bright coloured late lunch to go with the sunny day.

Ingredients
• Ciabatta
• Red & Yellow Baby Plum Tomatoes (sliced in half)
• Rocket salad
• Mixed Italian herbs
• Dried Parsley
• Garlic granules
• Basil pesto
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & cracked black peppercorns

Method
1. In a hot skillet, add a tablespoon of the olive oil.
2. Throw in the baby plum tomatoes along with the dried herbs, garlic granules & seasoning. Sauté for just under a minute and set aside on a plate.
3. Take the Ciabatta bread, slice in half and place in the skillet to char on both sides and soak up the now flavoured olive oil. Once charred, take it off the heat & smear your pesto on.
4. Top the warm Ciabatta with a handful of rocket and the soft warm tomatoes and serve.

A simple, bright lunch that’s quick and filling! It’s also perfect for gatherings where instead of charring the bread, just place them in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and the dried herbs.

Happy mid-week!💛

*Here are a couple of shots I took from my neighbourhood from when it snowed last week and the glorious day we had yesterday.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Tags

food, healthy, soup, winter

It was all about having hot soups in our household after the New Year as both my husband and I were down with the flu. I think the end of the year run got the best of us. We decided to walk home and I think we caught a chill.

To help beat the flu, I made a very simple bright orange soup full of goodness…

Ingredients
• 10 carrots (roughly chopped)
• 3 to 4 thick slices of Ginger
• 1 White onion (thinly sliced)
• A little olive oil & a teaspoon of butter
• Cracked black pepper & salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the olive oil & butter in a pot, sauté the onions and ginger till soft.
2. Add the chopped carrots to the pot, sauté for a minute before adding enough water to cover the carrots.
3. Simmer till the carrots are soft, blitz in a food processor, return to the pot and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes.

Serve with warm crusty bread.

A perfect soup to help beat and prevent colds & flu.💛

Spinach & Celery Soup

Tags

food, healthy, soup, vegan, vegetarian, winter

As the end of the year draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you all for your support, love and friendship. This year has been a truly blessed year for me, I got fitter and can run further, I also made some amazing friends here on WordPress and also on my Instagram.

For my last recipe of the year, I give you, my green soup for these cold winter days….also known as the Hulk soup! Haha!💚

Ingredients
• Spinach (as much as you want)
• Celery (roughly chopped)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• half a potato (roughly chopped, add more if you want a thick soup)
• Cream (optional)
• Salt & cracked black pepper
• a little olive oil & butter

Method
1. Sauté the onions and celery in a little olive oil & butter.
2. Once soft, add the potatoes, water and seasoning.
3. Simmer till the potatoes are cooked.
4. Add the spinach, leave to simmer for another minute or so, don’t overcook the spinach.
5. Process the broth in a blender, place back in the pot and simmer for another 2 mins.

Serve with a drop of cream and homemade herb & garlic croutons! A perfect winter warmer!

Wishing you all a blessed New Year and may the dreams that you dream, be the future that you find.

Feliz Año Nuevo para mi familia en Galicia! Bicos!😘💕

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Tags

asian, asianfood, Chicken, food, healthy, noodles, soup

What could be better than a good bowl of hot noodle soup with a kick of chopped chillies on a cold and rainy day? For me, nothing.

The soup is packed with garlic & ginger, all the goodness to help prevent colds and flu especially very common this time of year. The recipe is super simple and it’s just a case of simmering everything in a pot.

Ingredients
• 3 Chicken thighs
• 6 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 4 chunky slices of ginger
• cracked black pepper
• Spring onions (chopped)
• 3 to 4 carrots (chopped)
• 2 stalks of Chinese celery (chopped)
• Red chilli for garnish
• Light soy sauce (salt substitute)
• Thin flat Korean Noodles or any other noodles of your choice.

Method
1. In a pot, place the chicken thighs, garlic & ginger. Add water to cover the chicken, simmer on a medium low heat till the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
2. Fish the chicken out of the pot, set aside and add the carrots, chopped celery & spring onions into the broth.
3. Shred the chicken and place back into the pot. Season with the cracked black pepper and simmer till the carrots are soft.
4. In a separate pot, cook the Thin flat Korean noodles. Once ready, rinse with cold water so they don’t stick togther.

Place the noodles in a bowl, ladle your hot soup, garnish with spring onions & chopped chillies. Add a little soy sauce and serve. A healthy no oil, no salt dish.

Enjoy!💛

Haddock Fish Burger

Tags

burger, fastfood, fish, food, healthy, seafood

I have just realised that it has been quite sometime since I last posted something! I have been updating my Instagram page with mini posts and yes I have been eating too…lots!! Mostly warm hearty meals as it as been pretty cold here.

On another note, my husband and I have also registered to run a 7.9km on the 31st December. I have not been running for 2 weeks due to a really bad pain in my shin. So lets see how I get on…I might be crawling by the 2nd km! Wish me luck! 😑

Anyway seeing as it’s Friday, I thought I’d share my very simple Haddock Fish Burger recipe that I made a while ago.

Ingredients
• Haddock fillets
• Egg (beaten)
• Flour
• Dried parsley
• Paprika
• Cracked black peppercorns
• A pinch of salt

Method
1. Combine flour, paprika, dried parsley & the seasoning in a large bowl or a big plate.
2. Dip the haddock fillets in the beaten egg then coat thoroughly with the flour mixture and set aside. Continue doing this with the rest of the haddock fillets.
3. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and pan fry the haddock for 2 to 3 mins or until golden.
4. Once cooked you can start plating your dish.

I served mine in a warm crusty roll, with a side of oven baked fries and my Crunchy Colourful Coleslaw. I also topped it with a simple sauce using mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, dried parsley, garlic granules & seasoning.

It was a quick and simple meal full of flavours! I hope you will enjoy it too!

Happy Friday to all and have a great weekend!💙

Fishball & Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup

Tags

asian, asianfood, food, healthy, noodles, soup

It’s FINALLY feeling like autumn here…rainy, windy and much cooler than it was last week! I love the rain and have always believed that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad choice of clothes. Wouldn’t you agree?

Seeing as the temperature has dropped more than 10 degrees C, I thought it was the perfect time for some noodle soup. Light, yet comforting.

Ingredients
• Fishballs (you can get this at any Asian supermarket)
• Dried Shiitake mushrooms
• Celery (chopped)
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic (whole)
• Ginger (roughly sliced)
• 1 stalk of lemon grass (whole)
• Fish sauce
• Carrots (run your peeler down the carrot to make ribbons)
• Spring onions (chopped)
• Cracked black pepper
• Korean flat rice noodles

Method
1. Depending on how much soup you want to make, place water in a pot and to that, add your garlic, ginger, lemon grass, celery, fish sauce & seasoning. Leave to simmer for 20 to 25 mins until you get a lovely aroma of the ingredients.
2. Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in water and leave to soften.
3. Once the garlic in the soup starts coming apart, add the fishballs, some of the spring onions & the Shiitake mushrooms and leave to simmer further. The fishballs will start to float once they are cooked, once this happens, take the pot off the heat.
4. Meanwhile, throw your Korean flat rice noodles in a pot of boiling water. Once cooked, rinse with cold water so they don’t stick together in a lump.

You are now ready to plate your dish. Place the noodles in a bowl, ladle a generous amount of the hot soup into it. Garnish with the raw carrot ribbons & spring onions.

If like me you like a bit of heat and a kick to the dish, I made a simple chilli sauce to go with it. All you need is 3 little fiery birds eye chilli, smash that in a pestle & mortar, add a little sugar, salt & a good dollop of vinegar. (But beware, this chilli sauce is NOT for those who cannot take spicy food🔥) Alternatively, use a normal chilli that’s not as spicy.

I didn’t use any oil or salt for this dish so feel free to adjust according to your own taste.

Happy cooking & enjoy the cooler weather!💙

Quick Healthy Meals

Tags

easymeals, fitness, food, healthy

Since I started running again, I’ve been preparing super easy and healthy meals for my lunch. I try to run between 7km to 8km every other day and the last thing I want is to prepare fussy lunches as I’m usually pretty hungry by the time I get home.

So here are just a few photos of what I’ve been having after my runs. No recipe or method needed…just photos.

Running is…

1. The best way to shed negative energy.
2. The best way to repel boredom.
3. The best way to feel fantastic about yourself.
…and the best thing…running makes you sweat sparkle!✨

Happy Monday to all!

A Rainbow On My Plate

Tags

fast food, fish, food, healthy, rainbow, salad, salmon

I have been quite picky with what I want to eat lately…well, not exactly picky but more of a loss of appetite during the day and I’ve also been too lazy to cook anything that takes too much of my time.

So for lunch yesterday, I plated up… A rainbow!

Smoked Salmon on toast, topped with raw spinach, baby romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, capers, sweetcorn, red onions and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & lemon.

Season with a little sea salt & cracked black pepper and there you have it…a beautiful rainbow of food prepared in less than 10 minutes!!!

This is my idea of fast food!

What’s your favourite fast food?

Happy no cooking needed!😊💕

Eggplant Dip

Tags

dips, eggplant, fast food, food, healthy, vegetarian

I don’t know about you but I just love eggplants! I always try to have them available in my kitchen. I usually tend to just roast them but yesterday I bought a lovely warm Moroccan bread and wanted a dip to have with it.

So off I went online looking for inspiration. Most of the recipes called for roasting the eggplant and removing the skin but I love the skin of an eggplant so I decided to pan fry them, skin on, with a little olive oil. So here’s my take on Baba Ganoush…

Ingredients
• 1 large eggplant (sliced)
• 1 tomato (quartered)
• 2 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 125gms Greek yoghurt
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
• half tsp cumin
• sea salt & cracked black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. In a skillet, heat a little olive oil and fry the sliced eggplant until golden brown and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, throw in the garlic & tomatoes and sauté till the garlic is slightly brown and tomatoes are soft.
3. Place the Greek yoghurt, cumin, lemon juice, mint, cilantro, the tomatoes & garlic in a food processor and blitz.
4. Now add the cooked eggplant, salt & pepper into the food processor and pulse it. Have a taste to make sure it has a nice balance of flavour.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with crusty warm bread…

Add a drizzle of olive oil before serving if you wish…

It was tasty, tangy and very filling!

What’s your favourite dip?

To end off, just thought I’d share this gorgeous photo my sister in Singapore sent me this morning…

Do you love eggplants as much as I do?💞