Summer Sandwiches: Chicken Pitta a la Tairina

Hello All,

I made roast chicken yesterday and I had odds and ends of salad in the fridge, so I thought I would make a yummy snack!

I was in a rush and was thinking of what to do for lunch so it came to me – chicken with pitta!

This dish is easy and simple, and will take less than ten minutes to make.  It is also part of my summer sandwich theme (hey it is still hot!!)

Chicken Pitta

Ingredients

• Pitta bread
• Roast chicken
• Tomatoes
• Watercress
• Cucumber
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard

Method

1. Heat the pitta under the grill until slightly crisp on both sides.
2. Spread mayonnaise and mustard on the pitta.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, cucumber and watercress.
4. Add sliced roast chicken pieces.
5. Roll and eat it!

Tairina xx

Mushroom and Spinach Fricassee

Hello!

I have been eating a lot of meat at the moment and I thought I would cook some vegetarian dishes only.  I had gone to the market and bought my round of lovely fresh produce, and wanted to combine two of my top vegetables: mushroom and spinach!

Both are rich in iron and are a perfect pair if you want something refreshing and healthy! You can also cook it with a seafood dish and it would be a great side dish.  Furthermore, this dish can be cooked within 5 minutes, so very quick and easy if you are on the go.

Ingredients

• Fresh Spinach
• Large Button mushrooms
• Chilli Flakes
• Garlic
• Mustard Seeds
• Sunflower Oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Lightly fry mustard seeds in the sunflower oil for 30 seconds.
2. Add crushed/chopped garlic.
3. Add the Spinach and mushrooms (slice the way you like it)
4. Lightly fry for three minutes until the vegetables have slightly softened.
5. Add the chilli flakes and stir.
6. Serve and eat!

Tairina xx

Vegetable Noodle Stir fry

Hello!

I was rummaging around my fridge today and found some nice veggies lying around not getting cooked! I wanted to make something quick and easy using what was left in the fridge. I also had some egg noodles that I wanted to use so I thought I would combine both together and make a vegetable stir fry.

Ingredients

Sesame Oil
Large Red Chillies
Green and Yellow peppers
Bean Sprouts
Eggs
Egg Noodles
Soy Sauce

Method

1. Boil the egg noodles and drain. Sprinkle it with sesame oil. Ensure that the noodles are coated with the sesame oil.
2. Finely chop your vegetables and quickly stir fry with sesame oil. Add the bean sprouts last.
3. When the vegetables have slightly softened, add your eggs and quickly stir to ensure that the egg is in pieces.
4. Add the egg noodles and ensure the noodles is mixed with the vegetables and egg.
5. Add soy sauce and stir.
6. For a kick, thinly chop the large red chillies to sprinkle over the noodles.

Enjoy!

Naked Hot Dog

Hello All,

I hope you have a good week. I have spent the week clearing the house out and I needed to do something fun so I thought I would indulge in some cooking!

I was making summer sandwiches that can be done quickly. I know when you are running your home, looking after the kids or working, you need to be able to work quickly in the kitchen.

I bought some mini sausages in the shops as I don’t usually buy them. They had cheese and onion in them. I wanted to experiment with them and decided to make a hot dog.

So this hot dog recipe is part of my series of sandwiches in a hurry. The reason why the hot dog is called ‘naked’ is because it is! All the toppings are underneath the hot dog rather than splashed above. This saves all those yummy toppings spilling out of the hot dog on to the table or floor and in to your mouth instead!!

Ingredients:

Cheese and Onion Sausages
Baguette
White Onions
Tomato sauce
Mustard

Method:

1. Pop the sausages in he oven.
2. When cooked, fry the white onions until golden and caramelised.
3. Cut your baguette open and thinly spread butter.
4. Add tomato sauce, mustard and drizzle the onions on to the baguette.
5. Place the sausages on top and eat!

Tairina xx

Bacon Butty

Hello All,

I love bacon and a good slap up English Breakfast with hot coffee and maybe a side a of orange juice…right back from my fantasy and onto my dish of the day!

Bacon sandwiches are my alternative to the full monty breakfast and are quick and easy to make.  The only difference between my version and the regular version, is I made the bacon crispy and added golden syrup to the sandwich.  I also love brown bread.  I did not have my favourite seeded bread but another alternative that did the job.

Here goes:

Bacon Butty

Ingredients:

• streaky bacon
• egg
• bread
• butter
• golden syrup
• tomato sauce

Method

1. Fry the bacon until crispy and dry on a paper towel.
2. Fry your egg as you prefer
3. Lay your bread and butter it.
4. Drizzle golden syrup.
5. Add the tomato sauce.
6. Place the bacon on top, then the egg and there it is finished!

This sandwich is part of my summer sandwich theme and it is all about making tasty sandwiches in a hurry!!

Tairina xx

Chilli Squid

Hello All,

I went to the shops to buy seafood, which I love.  When I was growing up, seafood naturally featured heavily in our daily cuisine, and I wanted to spice up a firm favourite: squid.

Eating squid often brings back memories of mine and my children’s childhood, spent eating by the sea, with family and friends.  We would often have picnics or eat at restaurants that specialised in squid.  I simply love it.

Chilli Squid

It is light and can be enjoyed all to yourself or shared!

Ingredients

• Squid
• Red Peppers
• Red Chillies
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Sesame Oil
• Soy Sauce

Method:

1. Marinade the squid with crushed garlic, ginger and sesame oil.  Marinade either overnight, or if in a hurry, 15 minutes before cooking.
2. Use a small wok, and stir fry the squid and marinade.
3. Add the peppers and chillies.
4. Then add soy sauce.

Enjoy!  You can cut your squid in to smaller pieces if you prefer.

Tairna xx

Aubergine Curry with Salt Fish

Dear All,

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday. I made a lovely lunch of goat curry with some nice side dishes. One one them being Baby Aubergine.

This dish has always been a firm favourite of ours. It is quick and simple to do and delicious.

 

Aubergine Curry with Salt Fish

Ingredients

• Baby Aubergine
• Sesame oil
• Three chopped shallots
• Two crushed garlic
• Three chopped chilies
• Half a teaspoon mustard seeds, caraway [fennel] seeds, methi [fenugreek] seeds
• Half a teaspoon tumeric [haldi]
• Curry leaves
• Salt fish chunks [wash thouroughly, cut into chunks]
• Few spoonfuls coconut milk

Method:

1. Wash and slit the baby aubergine halfway, leave the stalks on.
2. In a pan add sesame oil and throw the aubergines in then all all the seeds, onions, garlic, curry leaves, salt fish and chilies.
3. Let them all gently fry then simmer gently on a very low heat.
4. When aubergine is three quarter cooked, add coconut milk and turmeric and it is done!

A truly beautiful dish, enjoy.

Small note, salt is not needed as you will get that from the salt fish. Ensure to turn the aubergines gently as they might break. Keep the stalks on to stop breakage.

Tairina xxxxxxx

 

Chilli Samphire Soup

Hello All,

I am continuing with my experimentation of samphire.

Previously, I pan fried the samphire and added coconut.  This time, I wanted to keep the chilli, but create a broth or test it’s merits as a soup.  I wanted to create something simple that could accompany a main fish dish or seafood dish.

So as I am in the early stages of this experimentation, I hope you are enjoying and trying out my recipes!!

Chilli Samphire

Ingredients:

• Samphire
• Red Chillies
• Ground black pepper
• Sea Salt
• Olive Oil

Method

1. Heat the olive oil and add the samphire, salt and ground black pepper.
2. Let it pan fry for a minute.
3. Add two cups of water.
4. Put in a large handful of Samphire
5. Let it simmer for five minutes
6. Switch off heat and add two chopped red chilies

Enjoy!

Small note: only add a dash of salt taste first and only add more if necessary.

Tairina xx

 

 

Sunday Roast Pork and Apple Sauce

Hi All,

I thought I would make a yummy roast dinner.  I went to the butchers and had purchased a nice cut of belly pork and thought I would make this with some lovely apple sauce, with fresh apples from the garden!

We are lucky to have three apple trees that all produce excellent cooking apples every summer.  As they fall off and brown quickly, I aim to use them for pies and apple sauce.  As I was cooking a roast pork, I knew the apple sauce would be the perfect accompaniment.

Roast Pork and Apple Sauce

Ingredients

• Belly Pork
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Apples from the garden
• Salt

Method

1. For the pork, I rubbed salt over the skin and the underside and popped it in the oven.
2. For the potatoes, I fry them.  I fry them in butter and oil (naughty!) and put it in the oven to keep warm.
3. I boiled my vegetables.
4. For the apple sauce, I peeled the skins off the apples, chopped them and placed them in a pan.  I added salt, and let it simmer until soft.
5. Once all the elements are cooked, I sliced the meet, added the potatoes, vegetable and apple sauce.
6. I cheated with my gravy and did it from a packet but you can make your own!
7. Eat!

Enjoy, Tairina xx

 

Summer Salad

Hello All,

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Today I have been cooking up some lovely treats and experimenting in the kitchen!

I was market shopping today and as I adore the local market where I go.  So I cannot wait to cook all the lovely produce when I get home!  I had to make sandwiches for lunch and I thought I would add a good dose of salad.  Sometimes we forget to eat salad, which is so good for us, and being in a hurry, we do not often make time.

So I am sharing with you a crisp, light and simple salad that you can make for the family or for any summer parties which can be made in under 5 minutes.

Crisp Summer Salad @tairinaskitchen

Ingredients

• Cucumber
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Beef Eater Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Spring Onions
• Salad Cream

Method

1. Chop all the salad vegetable as you would like.  Dress the salad with chopped spring onions and a healthy dose of salad cream (if you so wish).

Enjoy! I cannot stress how fantastic local markets are for fresh produce.

Tairina xx