Many moons ago for one of my first ever KitchenMason blog posts, I wrote about a fantastic recipe for BBQ pulled pork. It’s one of mine & the Mr’s favourites & perfect for a lazy Sunday as there is minimal effort & minimal pot washing required! So today, as seen as we are celebrating being together for 7 years, we decided to dust off the slow cooker and have a lazy & relaxing day. (Plus, I thought my original post could do with a bit of a revamp!)

Also, I have had a mild addiction to coleslaw ever since I was a kid. I say mild, I mean monumental! There are tons of recipes for pulled pork across the internet and lots of them seem to pair it with home made coleslaw. So I thought I would too.

Without further ado, here is what you will need to make a mountain of pulled pork & a vat of coleslaw.

(Pulled Pork recipe is adapted from the Two Peas & Their Pod blog & the Coleslaw recipe comes courtesy of The Slow Roasted Italian blog.)

BBQ Pulled Pork

• 1 Onion, medium sized
• 110ml Ketchup
• 85ml Cider Vinegar
• 50g Light Brown Sugar
• 55g Tomato Puree/Paste
• 2 tbsp Smoked Paprika (See note 1)
  
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1.5k Pork Shoulder, bone in/fat trimmed (See note 2)
• Crusty Cobs/Baguettes to serve

Coleslaw

• 1/2 Head of White Cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 Carrots, grated
• 1/2 Onion, grated
• 250ml Mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
• 2 tbsp Sour Cream
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar

Note 1: You can use normal paprika but you won’t get that lovely smokey BBQ sauce flavour you really want. It is best to get the good stuff.

Note 2: Get your butcher to cut it in half  so you know it will actually fit in your slow cooker. (Unlike me and the Mr did… all will be explained later!)

First up, chop the onion into thick-ish slices and lay in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Next, add in the rest of the ingredients and give it a right good mix up!

Now, this is the part where me and the Mr tripped ourselves up a bit. We totally forgot to check that the pork shoulder would actually fit into our slow cooker…

It wasn’t for lack of trying though! But between the two of us, that thing was NOT going to split into two pieces and fit. Whoops. So do make sure to check that yours will fit and if needs be, ask your butcher to chop it into two pieces!

Anyways, I put my thinking cap on and suddenly…

Problem solved! I covered it in foil and turned my oven on to 90°C/Fan 70°C. So whether you are doing it in a slow cooker or in the oven, cook for at least 6-8 hours until completely cooked through and practically falling off the bone.

Meanwhile… make the coleslaw.

Thinly slice the cabbage and grate both the carrot & onion. Place into a large bowl and leave to one side.

In another large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients and whisk it up to make a thick & creamy sauce.

Now pour the sauce over the veg & mix in thoroughly until it’s all evenly coated.

Store in an airtight container and pop in the fridge. Make sure you give it at least 30 minutes resting time before you eat it just to let the flavours settle.

6-8 hours later… The pork is cooked! Take it out the oven/slow cooker and remove all the meat. Using two forks back to back, shred all of it and put back into the pot to absorb all that beautiful BBQ sauce & warm through.

Serve in warmed baguettes or crusty cobs. I used some half baked baguettes this time.

This has to be one of the most simplistic foods in the world to make and one of the tastiest! The smokiness from the paprika is wonderful and the sharpness of the coleslaw cuts through it magnificently!

This has been and will remain, one of my all time favourite foods and a definite crowd pleaser.

Hope you all enjoyed the post, until next week!

Miss KitchenMason

This was one of my first ever posts as an online food blogger & one that the Mr said was one of his fave sweet treats. So I thought I would revisit it and give it a bit of a face lift. To be honest, it deserves it!

Here is what you will need to make about x12 small bars.

• 3 Standard sized Mars Bars
• 60ml Double Cream
• 90g Rolled Oats
• 125g Plain Flour
• 5 tbsp Soft Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonated Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 140g Butter
• 100g Chocolate, chopped (Or Chocolate Chips)

Line a 20cm (8″) square baking tin with parchment/baking paper. Do so by measuring out a large square that is equal to the length, width & sides of the tin – all the way around. Then cut one slit in each corner so you can fold them into the tin. (as per the pics below.)

Break up 2 of the 3 mars bars and put into a saucepan along with the cream. Over a low heat, stir until its all melted and smooth. Leave to one side to cool whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C

Meanwhile, chop up the last Mars Bar & the 100g bar of chocolate into largish chunks and put in the freezer whilst you make the flapjack. This will make sure that you end up with chunks of Mars Bar & chocolate in the centre rather than just melted goo. (which, to be fair, sounds delicious but it’s worth it – trust me!)

To paint a picture, imagine little pockets of chunky chocolate accompanied by gooey segments of melted caramel & nougat …. yeah, you get the imagery … : )

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Then add in the oats, light brown sugar & salt & give it a mix. Cube up the butter and rub into the flour mix with the tips of your fingers until it forms a crumbly dough.

Now press half the mixture into the prepared baking tin and pop into the oven for about 15-20 minutes until it’s a beautiful golden brown.

Leave too cool for about 10-15 minutes, then remove the chopped Mars Bar/chopped chocolate from the freezer and randomly scatter along the cooked flapjack base.

Pour over the mars bar mixture – if it is too thick after cooling, simply add a little more cream to loosen up the mixture.

Next step, press the remaining oat dough onto the top of the mixture. It’s potentially a little bit messy, but if everything is as cool as it should be (cucumber style…) it shouldn’t be toooo messy!

Pop this bad boy into the oven for about 20-25 minutes until lovely and golden on top. (Rotate half way to ensure an even bake.) Allow to cool in the tin for at least 15-20 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing into bars.

And there you have it sports fans – the Mars Bar Oat Bar! It’s quite beautiful isn’t it? It’s nowhere near as sickly as I imagined it to be. In fact, it’s actually quite moreish. I can kinda’ see why the Mr requested me to make it again. NOM!

Hope you enjoyed the post my lovelies!

Misd KitchenMason

• 400g Strong White Bread Flour
• 100g Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour
• 10g Salt
• 10g Fast Action Yeast
• 30g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 330ml Cool Water
• 8 rashers Smoked Back Bacon, fat removed*
• 150g Strong Cheddar Cheese
• Olive Oil

* (Yes I know, it’s practically a crime to take out the best bit of the bacon but just do it! It won’t work as well if you leave the fat on as it gets a second cooking when you bake the bread. So if you do, you’ll pretty much cremate the bacon, NOT COOL!)

Right, down to business!

Tip both flours into a big mixing bowl and add the salt to one side & the yeast to the other. Make a well in the centre and add in the butter & 3 quarters of the water.

Get your hands in and mix it all up, keep adding more water until you have picked up all the loose ingredients from the bowl & formed a rough dough. You might not need all the water or you might need more – aim for a soft dough but not soggy.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead well for a good 10-15 minutes or until you can stretch the dough quite far without it breaking.

When the dough is ready, place in a large, lightly oiled bowl – cover with cling film and allow to double in size for at least an hour. If it goes past this point by an hour or two though, it doesn’t matter.

Whilst the dough is proving, get the filling ready. Cook the bacon, either in the oven or a frying pan, and chop into pieces. Next, grate the cheese.

When the dough has risen to at least double it’s size, throw the bacon and cheese on top of it and incorporate by kneading lightly in the bowl.

Then tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until all the bacon & cheese is fully incorporated – any pieces of bacon that come out, simply push back in.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions & shape into ovals by doing the following.

1. Flatten each piece into a rectangle using your knuckles (image 1)

2. Fold the sides over each other (image 2)

3. Repeat steps 1 & 2

4. Roll them up, a bit like a baguette. Turn seam side down & point the ends.

5. Dust the tops with flour & slash the tops deeply (image 3)

Having two loaves to a tray, put each tray either into a clean plastic bag or loosely cover with cling film. Leave to prove again for 1 hour or until when poked lightly, the dough springs back quickly.

Preheat your oven to 220°C/Fan 210°C.

When the loaves are ready, drizzle with some olive oil and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes until they are all a lovely golden brown colour.

Just look at it, isn’t it beautiful? I can’t imagine that I could ever make bread in my kitchen that is better than this. I may as well give up now! Well, I won’t obviously – but you know what I mean!

I have had this for my packed lunch at work. Naturally, slicing the bread like the picture above makes really small slices, so I overcame this problem by using half a loaf and slicing horizontally to make a sort of doorstop sandwich. It was amazing! And very filling too, so a great lunch to see me through the rest of the day until tea time.

If you were toying with the idea of getting into bread making, you should give this one a go. It will totally convert you I promise!

Well, until next time my lovelies.

Miss KitchenMason

This weekend I had the pleasure of dining at the only pub to have ever been awarded 2 Michelin stars. It was my first ever Michelin experience and one that I will never forget as long as I live! The trip was to celebrate my Mum’s Birthday, so a big shout out & Happy Birthday Mum!

The Hand & Flowers pub is situated in a lovely little country town called Marlow on the outskirts of London. As soon as you walk in you feel completely relaxed in it’s rustically charming atmosphere. There is no posh, hoity toity-ness about this place at all. You are just made to feel completely at ease and very welcome by the supremely delightful front of house staff. When your table is ready, you are lead to beautiful solid oak tables with some seriously comfy chairs/sofas. With fresh flowers & lit candles on every table, you can’t help but just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Which leads me onto the food. Aaah, the food… I’m literally struggling to find words to describe how breathtakingly fantastic it was! Well, have a look at the photos and see for yourself how intriguing and beautiful each dish was.

Complimentary

When you are seated, the waiter brings you over a basket of white & wholemeal sour dough bread followed by a newspaper cone of whitebait fish with a marie rose dipping sauce. All complimentary and all delicious! Which I’ll be honest, I found quite surprising as I’m not a huge fish eater!

The Starters

This was my starter. Blowtorched Scottish Scallop with Warm Roast Chicken Bouillon, Morels, Nasturtium and Apple. I have literally never tasted anything like this before and I can honestly say, I don’t think anything is going to come even remotely close to how freaking amazing it was! The scallops just melted in your mouth and that teamed up with the apple jelly at the bottom of the bowl, wow. Just, wow. It was like there was an angelic choir having a sing song in my mouth!

This was the Mr’s starter, Pork and Mushroom Terrine with Dill, Pickles and Toasted Sourdough.

The Birthday girl’s starter, Parfait of Duck and Foie Gras with Orange Chutney and Toasted Brioche.

Dad’s Starter, Potato “Risotto” with Baked Potato Stock, Fresh Morels & Hop Shoots.

The Main Courses

This was my main course, Tenderloin of Wiltshire Pork with Pickled Mustard Leaf, Malt Glazed Cheek, Garlic Sausage and Potato Dauphine. This was like playing hide and seek with your dinner. Every time you moved something on the plate, another food appeared out of nowhere! I was halfway through the meal before I discovered the garlic sausage and the ham hiding at the back! (Best garlic sausage & ham I’ve ever eaten in my life by the way!) The glazed cheek was incredible though. For something that is so fatty, it just melted in your mouth leaving behind a delicate sweetness that worked beautifully with the rest of the dish. I must admit though, it was the little crispy potato dauphine balls that did it for me – outstanding!

This was what the Mr had for his main course, Fillet of Lancashire Beef with Hand and Flowers Chips, and Béarnaise Sauce. He allowed us all to steal a chip each, BEST CHIPS EVER! They were so stupendously soft & fluffy in the middle and super crispy on the outside! I’m sorry Heston, move over – there’s a new chip master in town! I tried a piece of the fillet steak with the sauce too. It was out of this world! Absolutely remarkable.

This was what the Birthday Girl chose, Cornish Red Mullet with Beef Dripping, Oxtail and Bay Leaf Dressing. I’ll be honest, the look of it scares the crap out of me! I’m not a fan of having a whole fish on a plate in front of me but Mum said it tasted beautiful. (Albeit, a little confusing to dissect especially if you have never eaten a whole fish before!)

And finally Dad’s main course was the Loin of Costwold Venison, King Oyster Mushroom “Farci”, Blowtorched Gem Lettuce and Salt Baked Beetroot. I tasted a bit of this too (Ok, I tried to be cheeky and nick a taste of pretty much everything I could get my hands on!) The venison was so rich & peppery! Packed with an extraordinary amount of flavour though, superb.

The Desserts

This little beauty was my dessert. The Hand & Flowers Chocolate and Ale Cake with Salted Caramel and Muscovado Ice Cream. Served with a shot glass of Real Ale. I swear I had a foodgasm when I ate this! As rich as it was, I could have eaten another. From the frosted nut on top of the muscovado ice cream, to it’s gooey chocolatey rich ale core, down to the salted caramel disc on the bottom – it was perfect in every way! Well and truly sensational!

The Mr chose the Banana Soufflé with Gingerbread Custard and Yoghurt Ice Cream as his final course. It certainly looks impressive though doesn’t it? Definitely a soufflé that rose to the occasion!

My Dad chose the Warm Sesame Pudding with Green Tea Sorbet, Crème Fraîche and Maple. But the final icing on the cake (so to speak) was what they pulled out the bag for my Mum…

How sweet is that?! It really was the perfect touch to the perfect evening. Mum had the Warm Pistachio Sponge Cake with Melon Sorbet and Marzipan by the way – and she said it was light and gorgeous which is exactly what she wanted after the rich dishes she had chosen before it.

There was one slight epic fail on my part though…

Oops! Only I could drop my spoon & smash a glass at a Michelin starred establishment, what a plank!

That mishap aside, it really was an amazing experience. But for somewhere with a 6 month waiting list I would expect nothing less!

It just leaves me to say a massive thank you and big hugs to my Mum & Dad for sharing the experience with me and the Mr. It is one that I will never forget and shall look back on fondly.

Until next time cherubs.

Miss KitchenMason

Here is what you will need to feed 2 people. (Easily doubled.)

For the Salsa

• 2 Corn on the Cob
• 1/2 bunch Fresh Coriander
• 1/2 Fresh Red Chilli (Optional)
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1-2 Tomatoes
• 1 Lime
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Potatoes

• 400g Sweet Potatoes
• 1 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (I used my Sweet Chilli Jam.)

For the Chicken

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning *
• 1/2 tbsp Polenta
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Rasher of Smoke Bacon
• 20g Feta Cheese

* You can buy your cajun seasoning OR you can make your own like I did. Simply mix the following ingredients together:

• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 1 1/4 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Prep: Get all your ingredients out so you know where you’re at. Get the kettle boiled, a lidded saucepan out, a frying pan on a medium heat and a griddle pan on a high heat.

Put the corn onto the hot griddle pan – turn occasionally until it’s nicely charred all over.

Roughly peel the sweet potatoes & thinly slice. Fill the saucepan with boiling water, season with salt then add in the potatoes & pop the lid on. Leave over a medium heat.

On a large sheet of cling film – place the chicken & sprinkle with the cajun seasoning, the polenta & some salt. Rub it all in then fold over the cling film and bash with a rolling pin until the chicken is about 1.5cm thick.

Heat the olive oil in the frying pan then put the chicken in. Turn over after about 4 minutes and cook until its got a nice colour & is cooked through.

Drain the sweet potatoes then add the sweet chilli sauce or jam to the pan. Mash with a fork then pop the lid back on and keep warm to one side.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the bacon into the frying pan and cook (turning occasionally) until nice and crispy. When it’s done, chop into small pieces.

Slice the kernels off the corn on the cob and place them in a bowl. Roughly chop the coriander, red chilli (if using), spring onions & tomatoes and add into the bowl. Squeeze over some fresh lime juice & some olive oil. Season with salt and toss to coat.

Plate up the sweet potato mash and top with the chicken. Sprinkle over the bacon pieces & some feta cheese and devour along with a big portion of the corn salsa!

And there you go. Yet another quick, easy and tasty recipe from Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals, albeit not that pretty – but still, tasty. I must say, if my Mum & Dad saw me eating this there would have been some jaw dropping! Considering I was SUCH a bad eater as a child I think they would be staring on in utter disbelief. To be honest, I even surprised myself!

The seasoning on the chicken works really really well though & that sweet potato mash, wow. One I will be using again I think!

And on that note, Until next time.

Miss KitchenMason

• 500g Strong White Bread Flour
• 10g Fine Sea Salt
• 7g Fast Action Yeast
• 250ml Cold Water
• 45g Honey
• Sesame Seeds

In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix together the flour and salt. Then add in the yeast & mix again. Make a well in the centre and add in the water and the honey. Mix on low for a minute or two until the dough comes together then mix on medium for about 5 minutes or until you can stretch the dough quite far without it breaking. It should still be quite firm though.

If you are doing it by hand simply knead for about 10 minutes or until the same result is achieved.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to double in size – this should take about an hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, knock it back on a clean work surface. (in 90° turns, fold the outside edge inwards until all the air bubbles are popped.)

Divide the dough into 9 equal portions. I found it easier to weigh them rather than second guessing!

Roll each piece into small tight balls and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Flour a baking sheet and leave to one side. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand then carefully tear a hole through the middle and widen each one, still keeping the circular shape. Dust with flour and place on the baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove again for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, get a large roasting tray and half fill it with water. Bring it to the boil on the hob then reduce to a simmer. Also, preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 190°C.

In two batches (depending on the size of your roasting tray, maybe more) carefully drop the bagels into the simmering water leaving enough room for them to spread slightly. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Then place them on a baking tray lined with baking/parchment paper. Whilst they’re still still wet, top with the sesame seeds (if using.) Place them straight into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until they are a deep golden colour.

Repeat the process with the remaining bagels.

You could easily change the flavour of the bagels by either leaving them plain instead of using sesame seeds, or you could top them with onion seeds, poppy seeds or even some sea salt. They are easily adapted to anyone’s tastes and obviously you can fill them with anything you like!

I thoroughly enjoyed baking these and I honestly think I will make them again.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post my lovelies.

Miss KitchenMason

Here is what you will need to make about 22-24 biscuits.

For the Biscuit Dough

• 115g Unsalted Butter
• 65g Icing Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 160g Plain Flour

For the Filling

• 60g Plain/Dark Chocolate
• 30g Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 tsp Golden Syrup

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, icing sugar, salt & vanilla extract. Mix on low speed at first, working up to medium until nice and smooth. Alternatively, if you don’t have a stand mixer, simply mix the ingredients in a large bowl by hand until you achieve the same thing.

Gradually add in the flour and then mix on medium speed until it comes together as a dough. (Or just mix by hand again.)

Using a teaspoon to guide the portion size, roll out balls of the dough and place them on a large baking tray about 1″ apart from each other.

Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and make dents in the middle of each biscuit whilst they are still warm. (Be fairly quick about this as they will start to break as they cool down.) I used the silicone handle of a whisk to dent mine.

Then pop back into the oven and bake for a further 7-10 minutes until just starting to brown on the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling.

Place the chocolate, butter & golden syrup in a glass bowl over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and glossy, leave to one side to cool along with the cookies.

When all the components are cooled (it should only take about 20-30 mins at the most) all that remains to do is fill those cookies! I found it easiest to load the chocolate filling into a piping bag and cut a small hole from the end then pipe it into the biscuits.

Leave on the kitchen side until the filling has set.

I love these little cookies. The dough is so deliciously crumbly and just melts in your mouth and the rich chocolate filling works well to counteract the sweetness of the biscuit.

AND they are super easy to make! Only problem is that they are slightly moreish…

Hope you enjoyed this weeks post lads and ladies.

Miss KitchenMason

Here is what you will need to make an 800g (2lb) split tin loaf.

• 500g Strong White Bread Flour
• 10g Salt
• 10g Fast Action Yeast
• 300ml Cold Water
• 5tsp Olive Oil
• Milk (for glazing)

Special Equipment

• 2lb (800g)  Loaf Tin

In a large bowl, add the flour & the salt. Mix together then add in the yeast and mix again. Make a well in the centre and add in the olive oil and 3 quarters of the water.

Note: Using cold water will lengthen the proving process but this actually makes the flavour ten times better!

Mix the ingredients until they start to come together – add more water if you need to. To be honest, the wetter the dough the better. Just don’t add loads of water as you don’t want it seriously sticky.

Lightly oil your work surface & place on the dough. Yes oil – NOT flour. Flour will incorporate itself into the dough which will ruin the balance of ingredients. Oil will simply stop it from sticking.

In 90° turns – fold the outside edges inwards. Coating the dough in oil. Then knead well for a good 10-15 minutes. The dough should end up being soft, stretchy and smooth. When you can stretch the dough quite far & thin without it tearing – it’s ready. Roll into a ball and place in a lightly oiled large bowl.

Cover with either a damp tea towel or greased cling film and leave to prove until at least doubled in size. (Approx 1-2 hours.)

When the dough has risen – take out the bowl and place on a clean work surface. No need to flour or oil the surface as the dough should not be sticky at this point.

Now you need to knock back the dough. Simply punch the dough down and then fold the outside edges into the middle to remove all the air pockets that were created during proving.

Turn the dough ball upside down (so the folds are tucked underneath) and now you are ready for shaping.

Flatten the dough into a rectangle then fold the sides in and seal by pressing with your knuckles. Then bring the top and bottom into the middle (like an envelope) and seal again. Flip the dough over and place into a lightly oiled loaf tin. (I used a stone pan so floured instead of oiled.)

Loosely cover again with a tea towel or greased cling film and leave to rise to about two thirds it’s original size. (About an hour.)

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250°C/Fan 230°C and place a roasting tin at the bottom of the oven.

Once the bread has risen to the right size, brush the top with some milk and cut a line running straight through the middle of the loaf. Try not to cut as deep as I did though lol – I got a bit carried away!

Place the loaf into the oven and throw either a handful of ice cubes or a glass of cold water into the hot roasting tray and quickly shut the door. This will create steam which will help to get a better rise from your bread.

After 10 minutes – reduce the temperature to 230°C/Fan 210°C and open the oven to let out the steam.

Bake for a further 15- 20 minutes.

Once the loaf is cooked & you have a gloriously golden crust – remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before attempting to slice. I know it’s hard but it will be worth it!

If you want your crust to stay crispy – store the loaf in paper. If you prefer your crust to go softer – store in plastic. (Either a bag or tub.)

I absolutely adore home made bread. Even bad home made bread is a million times tastier than shop bought! And there’s something so satisfying about knowing that you have created something so gorgeous from next to nothing with your bear hands.

I hope you enjoyed the post my lovelies!

Until we meet again

Miss KitchenMason

Here’s another beaut from Jamie Oliver’s 15-Minute Meals cookbook for you all – and one that took me straight back to my holiday in Thailand! It’s a seriously flavour packed dish with a spicy kick. I have adapted it ever so slightly  to mine and the Mr’s tastes but have provided you with the original ingredients too.

Here is what you will need to serve 2 hungry people.

Chicken

• 2 Chicken Thighs, skinless & boneless
• 1/2 heaped tsp Chinese 5 Spice
• 2 tsp Runny Honey
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds

Laksa (Noodles)

• 1/2 a Chicken OR Vegetable Stock Cube
• 1/2 a neck of Butternut Squash
• 1 Clove of Garlic, peeled
• 1″ piece of Fresh Ginger
• 1/2 Fresh Red Chilli (Omit if you don’t like it hot)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1/2 heaped tsp Peanut Butter
• 2 dried Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 1/4 bunch Fresh Coriander, leaves & stalks separated
• 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil (I used Groundnut)
• 1/2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 150g Rice Noodles (I used 1 nest of Dried Egg Noodles)
• 300g Asparagus (I used 100g Frozen Peas)
• 200ml OR 1/2 400g Tin of Coconut Milk (I used prepared Powdered Coconut Cream)
• 1 Lime

Firstly, fill the kettle and boil it. Get all your ingredients out on the side. Place a griddle pan & a large saucepan on the stove over medium heats and get out your food processor. (I used my mini processor as its less pots!)

Now, take your chicken thighs and place them on a large sheet of cling film. On both sides, sprinkle over the chinese 5 spice and some salt & pepper. Toss the chicken to coat evenly then fold over the cling film to cover and bash them with a rolling pin until evenly flattened. (To about 1.5cm thick.)

Place them onto the hot griddle pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes – then turn and repeat for the other side until cooked through & nicely charred.

Now onto the Laksa. Put about 400ml of boiling water into the large saucepan and crumble in the stock cube. Next, coarsley grate the butternut squash and add it into the pan. (Don’t bother peeling it.)

Get your food processor to hand. Add in (all roughly chopped so they can fit) the garlic, ginger, chilli (if using), turmeric, trimmed spring onions, peanut butter, kaffir lime leaves, coriander stalks, sesame oil (or groundnut), soy sauce and the fish sauce. AND BREATH! Phew! Did you get all that??

Good, now blitz it until it makes a paste and put it into the saucepan with the butternut squash.

Add in the rice noodles (or egg noodles) and stir a little.

Trim the asparagus and cut into halves (or take the peas out the freezer) and add them into the pan along with the coconut milk. When it’s come to the boil, don’t forget to taste it! If you don’t think it’s right, adjust it with some soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice until it’s right for you.

Whilst the noodles are cooking, let’s get back to the chicken. Take the chicken out of the griddle pan (if you haven’t already) and place on a chopping board. Drizzle with the honey, sprinkle all over with the sesame seeds & squeeze over a little lime juice. Cut into slices ready to serve.

Place the finished Laksa on serving plates and top with the sliced chicken. Serve with lime wedges and sprinkle with the coriander leaves.

This really is a bloody fantastic dish! It’s bursting with so much flavour it’s like there’s a party going on on your taste buds! The flavours really did remind me of lots of dishes I had in Thailand. Their dishes are so fragrant and spicy just like this is.

I must thank my brother Neil again for getting me Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals cook book for Christmas. I have never had a cook book that I have made so many dishes from and not been disappointed by any of them! A very worthwhile purchase & addition to anyone’s cook book collection if you ask me.

And on that note I bid you fairwell my little cherubs.

Miss KitchenMason

Anyway! I managed to scrape together some pretty decent substitutes from my kitchen cupboards and use up a few of those gorgeous home made tortilla wraps in the process.

The recipe is from a fantastic cook book called Step by Step Cook’s Encyclopedia. (Thanks to my good friend Emma for treating me to this for my Birthday!) It’s jam packed full of great recipes & step by step pictures and let’s face it, it’s ALWAYS easier with pictures!

Here is what you will need to serve two people.

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 small Garlic Clove, finely chopped
• 250g Lean Beef Mince
• 1 1/2 Tomatoes, deseeded & chopped
• 1/2 Red Pepper, deseeded & chopped
• 400g Tin of Mixed Beans (Or a washed tin of Heinz baked beans in my case!)
• 100ml Vegetable Stock
• 1/2 tbsp Fresh Parsley (or 2 tsp Dried Parsley)
• 4 Tortilla Wraps
• 100ml Passata
• 25g Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 2 Spring Onions, sliced
• Salt & Pepper

To Serve

• Small pot of Sour Cream
• Mixed Salad

First thing’s first – prep all your ingredients (slicing/dicing etc) as it will help you have a much clearer head when you start cooking. That way you won’t be fretting about chopping something when you should really be keeping an eye on your pan!

So! Now you’re all ready, heat a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add in the oil and fry the onion & garlic until softened but not browned. Remove from the pan and set to one side.

Add the beef mince to the hot pan and cook for a few minutes until brown, breaking apart as you go. Drain any fat/juices from the pan then return to the heat.

Add the onions & garlic back into the pan with the mince. Then stir in the tomatoes & red pepper and continue to cook over a low/medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.

Next up, add in the beans, vegetable stock & parsley. Season to taste with salt & pepper then leave to simmer, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce is really thick. Mash up the mixture as you go to break up the beans.

Meanwhile – preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C.

Cover up the tortilla wraps in tin foil and pop into the oven for a few minutes to warm up – this will help make them more malleable and easier to work with.

Divide the mince mixture between the four wraps, roll them up and place them seam side down in a baking tray. Pour over the passata and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and the wraps are golden.

Plate up and sprinkle over the sliced spring onions. Now they are ready to devour with a blob of sour cream and a big bowl of salad!

This one is another recipe that get’s the Mr’s approval. I think, if anything though, I would probably add a little heat into the mix next time. Maybe a fresh red chili chopped and thrown into the mince or perhaps some chili flakes. Just a little something to give it that extra kick!

Apart from that however, I thought it was delicious! And using up some of those home made tortilla wraps made them even more tasty. They are so much better than shop bought!

I hope you all enjoyed the post & I’ll catch you next time.

Miss KitchenMason