Bombay Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes

The monthly newsletter from Schwartz [www.schwartz.co.uk] arrived in my inbox today. Schwartz is a well known brand of herbs and spices in the UK and I regularly use their products. They do some very good spice mixes that can be added to stir-fries for a quick meal. Their website has a wide range of recipes and is a site I rate very highly. This recipe for Bombay Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes was in the newsletter and I will be trying it out next week as my vegetarian meal-of-the-week.

This quick and easy vegetarian curry, spiced with a medium-heat Curry Powder, is delicious served with naan bread and Greek yoghurt, for a delicious mid-week meal for all the family. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 25g (1oz) butter
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tbs Schwartz Medium Curry Powder
• 15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 x 400g tin chickpeas
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbs sugar
• 125ml (4fl oz) water
• 6 mini naan bread
• 200g (7oz) Greek-style natural yoghurt
• Schwartz Sea Salt and Black Pepper to season

Method

1. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion over a low-heat for 10 minutes, until softened and golden brown.
2. Add the Medium Curry Powder and fry for 1 minute to release the flavours. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, lemon juice, sugar and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste.
3. Delicious served with warm naan bread and natural yoghurt.

Quick Singapore Noodles

This is a quick and healthy mid-week meal which is great for using up any vegetables that are in the cupboard. I tend to use a mix of peppers, spring onions, mange tout, beansprouts and leeks, but any vegetables that can be stir-fried can be thrown in. The same goes for meat... I generally use chicken but pork, turkey, beef or prawns will do. The basic ingredient is straight-to-wok noodles - I use Amoy Singapore noodles, which contained 2 individually sealed packets and are already flavoured. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the meat and vegetables and 10 minutes to cook. Great for when you have come in from work and are going out later in the evening.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 1 chicken breast, cut into small strips
• 1/2 green/red/yellow pepper, cut into small slices
• 4 spring onions, sliced diagonally (use both white and green parts)
• 1/2 green/red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 sachet straight-to-wok Singapore noodles
• dark soy sauce

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok until slightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry until the meat has turned white.
2. Add the vegetables and chilli pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the noodles. Stir-fry until well mixed with the meat and vegetables
4. Add a dash of dark soy sauce to taste. Mix well.
5. Serve immediately.

Sausage and Egg Pie

This is a childhood favourite and was always served with (Heinz) baked beans and mash. I still make it today, and it is very, very simple to cook. Always use good quality sausages - I like the Saints & Scholars brand from Sainsburys or the Paul Rankin sausages from Waitrose, both being Irish-type sausages with the flavouring familiar from home.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 packet ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 packet good quality sausages
• 3 eggs, beaten
• large pinch mixed herbs (I use an Italian mix, with rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil)
• handful fresh chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 C/ Gas mark 7. Grease a pie plate with butter or margarine.
2. Fry the onion until translucent and set aside.
3. On a floured surface, roll out half the puff pastry to cover the bottom of the pie plate.
4. Skin the sausages and spread the meat evenly over the pastry base.
5. Add the cooked onion, mixed herbs and parsley to the beaten egg then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Roll out the remaining half of the pastry, ensuring it is bigger than the pie plate.
7. Give the egg mixture another whisk to ensure all the ingredients are well distributed and pour over the sausage base. Cover with the pastry lid.
8. Seal the edges of the pastry with cold water and crimp the edges to prevent leaking. Trim off any excess pastry.
9. Beat an egg yolk and using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the pie.
10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until the pie is golden and well risen. Avoid the temptation to open the oven door during the cooking period as this can cause the pie to sink.
11. Serve hot, ideally with baked beans and potato mash.

*When I was a kid, George Best advertised Cookstown sausages in Northern Ireland, so this is a good excuse to post a picture of him in his prime!

Creamy Ham Pasta Bake

A very simple pasta bake with ham, cream and cheese for when you don't have a lot of time to cook. 

Forget ready-made meals, this home-cooked meal is ready in no time at all, and you can customise it with leeks, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, spring onions or whatever you have to hand.

Most types of pasta are fine to use with this recipe. Personally I use bows [farfalle], shells [conchiglie], spirals [rotini], penne or macaroni.

Ingredients
250g pasta of choice
1 garlic clove, finely diced
125g ham, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
dried oregano to taste
dried basil to taste
200ml cream
grated cheese (mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar etc.)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 220 C / Gas 7.

2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta in it for about 8 minutes until al dente. Drain and put back into the pan. Stir in the garlic, ham and herbss. Pour in the cream, mix and pour into a buttered baking dish.

3. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

4. Serve with a side salad and/or garlic bread

Potato and Chickpea Balti

At least once a week I have a vegetarian meal. Apart from it being a good way to have my 'five-a-day' and eat healthily, I enjoy meat-free food. However, I am quite fussy about vegetables - I will not eat cauliflower under any circumstances - so it is also a good way of trying out new ingredients. This easy to make curry is one of my favourites. It will serve 2 but I like to keep half for the next day and eat it in pitta bread or a chapati wrap.

Ingredients
1 small onion, quartered
1 clove of garlic
1 large red chilli, deseeded and halved
2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp vegetable oil
175g potatoes, cubed and parboiled
200g tinned chickpeas, drained
400ml vegetable stock
1 small green pepper, deseeded and cut into squares
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
handful of fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method
1. Put the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and spices into a food processor and whizz to a fine paste.

2. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to bring out the flavour of the spices. Add the potatoes, chickpeas and stock. Mix well and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add the green peppers and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

4. Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves over the top.

5. Serve with Basmati rice and naan bread.

Moroccan stir-fry chicken with couscous

This is a quick and tasty mid-week dinner for one. Once the preparation is done, this meal takes about 10 minutes to cook. If cooking for more people, just multiply the quantities by the number of people. You can also add dried apricots, chick peas, courgettes etc. if desired. Fresh coriander leaves can be used to garnish.

Ingredients
2tbsp Sainsbury's Stir Fry Oil
2 tsp Sainsbury's Moroccan Style Tagine paste
1 chicken breast fillet, sliced
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and cut into small slices
1/2 red chilli. deseeded and finely sliced
4 spring onions, sliced
100ml water
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water
handful sultanas
handful flaked almonds
1 pack Sainsbury's Coriander & Lemon Savoury Couscous

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok until slightly smoking. Add the tagine paste and stir-fry for one minute until fragrant.

2. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the meat has turned white, ensuring it is well coated in the paste.

3. Add the pepper, chilli and spring onion and mix well.

4. Add the water, mix well and bring to the boil. Add the cornflour mixture and blend into the sauce. Turn the heat down and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

5. Meanwhile cook the couscous according to the packet instructions.

6. While the couscous is soaking, add the sultanas and almonds to the chicken mixture and stir.

7. When the couscous is ready, serve in a wide bowl (a pasta-type bowl is best) with the chicken mixture on top, accompanied with hot pitta bread.