Goat Curry

Don't be put off by the cooking time – make it on a day when you have time to spare and you haven't just come in from work – it may be a long time, but believe me it is 100% worth it!
Goat is something I had never tried before (I presume that’s the same for most people) but I saw this recipe and I thought I had to try it. However goat can be difficult to come across especially where I live – thankfully my dad works with someone that uses goat regularly and so we were able to get some (if you can’t get goat mutton is a perfect alternative)

Ingredients – Serves 4 – Ready in 4 hours 30 minutes

• 1kg goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• ½ tsp turmeric
  
• ½ tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
  
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 2 star anise
  
• 4 cardamom pods , lightly crushed
  
• 1 tsp unrefined light brown sugar
  
• a few curry leaves (optional)
  
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  
• 400ml chicken stock or water
  
• a handful of coriander leaves, for garnishing

CHILLI PASTE

• 1 small onion , roughly chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves , peeled
  
• 4 small seeded chillies , roughly chopped
  
• 3cm piece ginger , roughly chopped
  
• generous pinch sea salt
  
• 3 tbsp groundnut oil

Now for the How To:

• To make the chilli paste:
  
• Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and whizz to a fine paste.
  
• Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl two or three times to ensure it's all evenly ground.
  
• Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
  
• For the curry
  
• Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan.
  
• Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over.
  
• After each batch, remove to a plate and set aside.
  
• Tip the chilli paste into the pan and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  
• Add the dried spices, sugar and curry leaves, if using.
  
• Continue to stir for another minute.
  
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well.
  
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook slowly for 3-4 hours until the meat is just tender.
  
• Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil.
  
• Gently simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the curry has reduced and thickened. The meat should be very tender.
  
• Season to taste and serve topped with coriander leaves.

This was a truly amazing curry! The goat was so tender it completely fell off the bone and melted in the mouth, the paste was zingy, but wasn't over powering – I seriously have no faults on this recipe – if the idea of goat puts you off try it with mutton, as it’s cooked for such a long time the meat is delicious and so tender! We all thought it was worth the lengthy cooking time – something like this needs to be done correctly and it wasn't worth risking ruining it by trying to speed up the cooking process!

Make it at a dinner party and everyone will love it!

I think goat now stands at the strangest thing I have eaten – what about you? Have you tried anything out of the ordinary?

Bye for Now! X

Halloween pumpkin cake

So another recipe with pumpkin, this time it’s a cake! Again it was another recipe I was a bit dubious about, simply because my mind couldn’t compute a vegetable in a cake! I didn’t think it was going to be that nice, but I'm not afraid to say I was wrong! So with your remaining pumpkin, try the following!

Ingredients - serves 15 portions – ready in 50 minutes

For the cake

• 300g self-raising flour
  
• 300g light muscovado sugar
  
• 3 tsp mixed spice
  
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 175g sultanas
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 4 eggs , beaten
  
• 200g butter , melted
  
• zest 1 orange
  
• 1 tbsp orange juice
  
• 500g (peeled weight) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated

FOR DRENCHING AND FROSTING

• 200g pack soft cheese
  
• 85g butter , softened
  
• 100g icing sugar , sifted
  
• zest 1 orange and juice of half

Now for the How To:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  
• Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment.
  
• Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
  
• Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined.
  
• Stir in the pumpkin.
  
• Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch.
  
• To make the frosting:
  
• Beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge.
  
• When the cake is done, cool for 5 minutes then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
  
• Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls.
  
• If you're making the cake ahead, keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 minutes or so before serving.
  
• Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.

I was told that this reminded people of carrot cake, but seeing as I’ve never tried carrot cake I can’t really comment on that! My grandparents thought it was brought (I didn’t tell them I made it until after they ate it) the grandparents couldn’t figure out that pumpkin was used in the cake; also the women at work loved it! It was a hit all around!
Next up is something really special, and possibly the best thing I tried so far... goat curry! It is to die for!
Bye for Now! X

Pumpkin and Chickpea curry

All the years of being young and trick and treating and carving pumpkins I've never before tried pumpkin – so I thought it would be worth a try – at least I will know one way or another if I like it or not. I brought a medium sized pumpkin and good lord you get a lot of flesh on those things! It felt like I had pumpkin coming out of my ears! I swear I was close to overdosing on it!

Ingredients – Serves 4 – ready in 30 minutes

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  
• 3 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
  
• 2 onions , finely chopped
  
• 3 large stalks lemongrass , bashed with the back of a knife
  
• 6 cardamom pods
  
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
  
• 1 piece pumpkin or a small squash (about 1kg)
  
• 250ml vegetable stock
  
• 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
  
• 400g can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
  
• 2 limes
  
• large handful mint leaves
  
• naan bread , to serve

Now for the How To:

• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, and then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamom and mustard seed for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  
• Stir the pumpkin or squash into the pan and coat in the paste, and then pour in the stock and coconut milk.
  
• Bring everything to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and then cook for about 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
  
• The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
  
• Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, and then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside.
  
• Just before serving, tear over mint leaves, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and warm naan breads.

The good thing about this recipe is that it is vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and it is only 293 calories per serving – so you get a great tasting curry which is really good for you – so any of you still on your New Year diets – this is one to try!
Next up is another cake.... this time pumpkin cake! Its wonderful!

Thai Prawn Curry

This recipe is really nice, and honestly, so simple, you must try it!

Serves 4  - Ready in 20 minutes including preparation

Ingredients:

·         1 tbsp Vegetable oil.

·         1 onion, chopped.

·         1 tsp fresh root ginger, grated.

·         1 – 2 tsp Thai red curry paste.

·         400g can chopped tomatoes.

·         50g sachet coconut cream.

·         400g raw frozen prawns.

·         Coriander, chopped, to serve (optional)

Now for the How To:

·         Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.

·         Tip in the onion and ginger and cook for a few minutes until softened.

·         Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further minute.

·         Add the chopped tomatoes and coconut cream, and bring to the boil, leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

·         If the mixture is too thick add a little boiling water.

·         Add the prawns and cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes depending on the size of the prawns.

·         Serve with some plain rice. 

I really enjoyed this dish, despite making a mistake when I got the ingredients, I didn’t realise until I was on the 4^th step about to add the coconut cream when I noticed I had actually brought coconut milk, it gave the same flavouring, but it meant that the curry was more liquidy than it should of been, I tried adding corn flour to thicken it, and it did work, but not to the extent as I believe it should of, nonetheless, it was still a great dish despite my mistake.

I have also noticed that the vast majority of the recipes I have tried have coriander involved. I’ve come to the point now where I will just always leave it out, I honestly can’t bare it!

This is also a healthy dish with only 180 calories per serving!

When I make this again, I will be tempted to add another spoon or two of the curry paste to add a bit more heat, it was lovely, but recently I have really liked spicy dishes, so that and getting the correct ingredient are the only amendments I would make!

A brilliant change to the curries I usually make!

Next recipe is Pork Burgers with herby Wedges!

Bye for Now!x

Curried Potato Pasties

This wasn’t part of my weekly recipes, but more of an experiment on one Saturday afternoon when I was a little bit bored! I would make a few alterations, but I’ll come to those shortly! They were better than anything you would buy in “Greggs” FACT!

Serves 4 (comfortably, maybe even 8) – ready in 45 minutes, including preparation.

Ingredients:

·         300g Potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks.

·         100g frozen peas.

·         2 tsp oil.

·         1 Onion, Sliced.

·         1 -  2 curry paste (any type)

·         1tsp black mustard seeds.

·         Juice ½ lemon

·         Handful of coriander chopped (optional)

·         375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry.

·         1 egg, beaten.

Now for the How To:

·         Heat a large pan of water, add the potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes, until just soft.

·         Add the peas and cook for a minute. Drain and set aside.

·         Meanwhile, Heat the oil in a frying pan; fry the onion until soft and slightly coloured.

·         Add the curry paste and the mustard seeds and fry for a few minutes more until the mixture smells fragrant.

·         Carefully stir in the potatoes and peas, trying not to mash them.

·         Add the lemon juice and coriander if using and leave to cool.

·         Heat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan / Gas 6.

·         Unroll the pastry and place on a floured surface with the long side towards you and roll it out to make it a square.

·         Cut into 4 squares (or 8 if you wanted them smaller) and then cut each one into half so you have 8 (or 16) rectangles.

·         Place half onto a baking sheet, brush the edges with the beaten egg and place the filling along the centre.

·         Top with the remaining pastry and pinch the edges together to make a sealed parcel.

·         Brush with more egg, and then bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

·         If cooking from frozen bake for 30 minutes. 

It seems like a lot of work, but it is worth it, I did it for the four pastries, but I think if you were to half it to make 8 pastries, they would be a better size and easier to eat!

I hate coriander and so I left out that ingredient, it ruins anything it is in, I just couldn’t handle it, I don’t think it adds much to the flavour, but I think that’s because I really just can’t stand it!

I didn’t use a fresh lemon, as I forgot to buy it, but I used some of the lemon juice that you use on pancakes, and I couldn’t tell the difference! Its handy to use if it’s what you have to hand, the curry paste is the same as I used on a previous recipe, so I like the fact I'm actually using the ingredients and spices and herbs that I brought more than once, I was worried, id never have use for them again.

Another amendment I would suggest is maybe add a touch of chilli, or someone curry paste, where it did have a nice flavour, I did hope for a bit more of a kick, but this wasn’t the case, but I think with a bit more of kick in spice it would enhance the flavours of the pasties!

If you have time to make a proper lunch at home one weekend, I would really recommend these; I’ve never had a pasty like this from Greggs, or other bakeries! It really is worth trying!

My next recipe is homemade pork burgers with herby wedges! Yum!

Please tell me I'm not the only one that has this hatred for coriander!

Bye for Now! X

New Recipe - Jerk Chicken Curry with Beans

I have been slacking on updating on my recipes, so I'm going to have to back track a little before I get up to date.

Two weeks ago I made Jerk Chicken Curry with Beans

Serves 4 – Ready in 45 Minutes including prep time.

Ingredients:

·         8 Chicken Drumsticks

·         4 Tsp Jerk Seasoning

·         4tsp Olive Oil

·         2 Red Onions, Sliced

·         Small Bunch Coriander (optional)

·         2 x 400g cans Chopped Tomatoes

·         410g Can Kidney Beans, Drained.

·         Rice.

Now for the How To:

·         Mix the chicken with 1tsp jerk seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan, quickly brown the chicken then remove.

·         Tip in the remaining oil, onions and coriander, and then soften for 5 minutes, stirring in the remaining jerk seasoning for the final minute.

·         Return the drumsticks to the pan pour over the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

·         Remove the lid, stir in the beans, and cook for a further 10 minutes, finish with the coriander and serve with rice.

It was a very tasty dish, but I was left disappointed with the actual chicken, I know chicken on the bone is tastier etc, but I find it difficult to eat when it’s in a thick sauce and so next time I would make it with chicken breasts, I still feel as though it would absorb the flavours. Other than that I wouldn’t change the recipe, it was very tasty, which left your mouth a little zingy with the jerk seasoning.

For a good hearty meal I don’t think 438 calories per serving is bad going, it was very filling and tasty.

The next recipe is Chicken and Bean Enchiladas; I shall add that to my blog over the next couple of days, so keep checking back!

Bye for Now! x