Sticky Bacon Ribs

Sticky Bacon Ribs

These ribs are a wonderful snack or a starter for a meal. They can also be started off on the oven and finished off on a Barbecue for that lovely smoky flavour.  Marinade for at least an hour but preferably overnight in the fridge to let all the wonderful flavours combine and infuse in the meat.

Serves 3-4:

1kg of bacon ribs

For the marinade:

4 tablespoons of Olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon of fish/oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons of honey

1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice

1 teaspoon of chopped sage

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

A few cloves of garlic whole

A big pinch of black pepper

Method

If the ribs are still in a rack, carefully cut down between the bones to separate.

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a mixing bowl, place the ribs in an even layer in a large roasting tray and pour in the marinade and toss the ribs about so they all get coated. Cover with cling-film and place in the fridge.

When you’re ready for cooking, place the roasting tray into a preheated oven at 200°c for 35 minutes, take them out half way through cooking and give them a toss around. You can then finish off on a BBQ or under the grill to caramelise the sticky marinade.

Easy Thin Pizza Base

Easy Thin Pizza Base

Ok, I’m sure like most people, I have bought many different pizzas from frozen to fresh, thin base to stuffed crust. But this to me is by far the nicest and has proved a hit over and over. It works out so economical. I can safely say I’ll never buy a pizza again!!

Makes up to 6 pizzas:

300ml skimmed milk

1 sachet of baker’s yeast

500g strong flour

Pinch of salt

Method

Heat milk gently in a saucepan or heatproof bowl in the microwave, add the yeast and stir until dissolved.

Sift flour and salt into mixing bowl. Make a well in middle and add the milk with dissolved yeast.

Mix together using a spoon, it should be quite sticky. Empty out onto a lightly floured work surface, kneed it for 10 mins. Add a little oil into a large clean bowl and smear around, into bowl and cover with Clingfilm for 40-50 mins to proof (rise).

Punch out the air, it can be used right away or wrap in Clingfilm and keep in fridge.

When using pull off a ball smaller than a tennis ball and roll it out on a lightly floured surface, don’t worry about perfect circles.

Pop it onto an oiled pizza tray and lightly spoon on some pasta sauce, grate over some cheese of your choice (I just use low fat cheddar), and add the toppings of your choice.

10-15 mins in a HOT oven will make a lovely crispy pizza.

Leftover dough will keep in the fridge for a few days or can be frozen.

Quick Fix Hummus

Quick Fix Hummus

Hummus is a great snack or light lunch serves with some breadsticks, cracker bread or pita bread… even vegetable sticks for an ultimate health kick.

Calories 466

58 calories per portion

Makes 8 portions:

1 can of chickpeas

1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

A pinch of salt

5 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of paprika

Method

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set a few to one side to be used for serving on top.

In a food processor add the remaining chickpeas, mince in the garlic and add the juice of half the lemon along with the cumin seeds, salt, water, oil and paprika. Whizz up until you get a smooth consistency.

Taste and add more seasoning if required (salt and lemon juice). Serve in a bowl with a sprinkling of the whole chickpeas and a little more paprika.

Toast with Honey, mascarpone, nutella and strawberries

Toast with Honey, mascarpone, nutella and strawberries

This recipe is so simple and freaking delicious.

6 slices of whole wheat bread

6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

1 heaping tablespoon of honey

Fresh strawberries, sliced

Nutella; slightly melted in microwave (helps to drizzle on easier)

Sliced almonds

Method

Lightly toast the bread under the grill.

Mix the mascarpone and honey in a small bowl. Spread on your slice of toasted bread, then arrange the strawberries on top, drizzle on the Nutella and sprinkle on the nuts.

Balsamic Chicken and Chorizo

Balsamic Chicken and Chorizo

I made this dish again as a quick and no fuss meal. It’s quite healthy served with steamed broccoli or couscous. Alternatively you can have it with pan fried potatoes or sweet potato wedges.

Calories 816

204 per portion

Serves 4

4 medium chicken fillets

A finger length piece of chorizo sausage

1 red, 1 green and one yellow pepper

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves

5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

100ml chicken stock

1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs

Sea salt & black pepper

Method

Preheat oven at 180°c. Drizzle some olive oil in a roasting tray, cut the chicken fillets in half lengthways and season them and place in tray. Slice the chorizo and add to the tray also.

Peel and slice the onion, de-seed the peppers and cut into thin strips. Bang the garlic with the back of knife, this releases the flavour more.

In a pan put a splash of oil and add your sliced onion and stir fry for a few mins until softened. Add in the peppers and garlic, fry for another minute then tip the mixtures over the chicken in the roasting tray.

Pour over the stock and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle over the herbs and roast in oven for 30 mins. Halfway through the cooking time, give it all a good stir around and spoon the juices over the top.

Check that the chicken is cooked through before serving.

Peppered Beef and Green Vegetable Stir-fry

Peppered Beef and Green Vegetable Stir-fry

Putting a simple stir-fry like this together is not only simple and speedy but also very healthy. We got lean steak, fresh vibrant green vegetables and rice noodles which contain no fat. They are 95% rice flower which contain no gluten, fat, salt or sugar. Rice noodles can be found in most supermarkets, but if you are having trouble finding them, they will be found in any Asian supermarket.

Calories 1118

559 per portion

Serves 2:

200g of rice noodles

1 medium sirloin steak

Black pepper

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 large green pepper

2 medium courgettes

Half a head of broccoli

Rapeseed oil

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of honey

Method

Cook the rice noodles according to the packets instructions.

Trim all excess fat from the steak and slice into thin strips, season with a generous amount of freshly crushed black pepper and set aside. Peel and slice the onion and garlic, deseed and slice the green pepper thinly, slice the courgettes and cut the broccoli head into small florets.

In a very hot wok add some rapeseed oil and allow it to heat, carefully stir-fry the beef until sealed all over then remove and set aside. Add another splash of oil to the wok and add in the onion and garlic and stir-fry for about 2 mins until slightly softened. To this add in the green pepper, courgette and broccoli and stir-fry for another 3-4 mins until cooked but not softened too much. Add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce and honey, give it all a good toss and add the beef and cooked noodles.

Cook for a further 2 mins on a high heat, tossing and stirring the wok to reheat the beef and noodles. Serve into 2 large bowls immediately.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Sage

Stuffed Pork Chops with Sage

This is my take on quite a regular weekly dinner for some. This version really ups the flavour stakes and will definitely leave you wanting more.

Serves 4:

1kg of floury potatoes, diced with skins left on

4 thick pork chops on the bone

1 bulb of garlic

200g packet of bacon lardons

24 fresh sage leaves

2oz of softened butter

4 dried apricots finely diced

Rapeseed oil

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°c. Put the potatoes into a saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 4-5 mins; you only want to par-boil them. Drain them in a colander and let them dry off in the steam.

Lay the pork chops flat on a chopping board and insert a small paring knife in horizontally into the chop and make a hidden pocket making sure the tip of the knife does not come out either side.

On a clean board place the butter, dried apricots, a finely chopped clove of garlic, 8 chopped sage leaves and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Now mash all together with a fork making it into a flavoured butter. Push this butter equally into the pockets of the pork chops.

Take 8 leaves of sage and dress them in rapeseed oil and then dip one side down in some plain flour and push one flour side down onto each side of the chops. Set aside.

In a large oven dish pour in the potatoes along with the bacon lardons and the rest of the cloves of garlic, season and drizzle with oil. Place into the preheated oven. After 10 mins place a frying pan onto a hot hob and add a drizzle of oil, when the pan is really hot put in the chops and fry for 10 mins turning occasionally to get them nice and golden.

Remove the dish from the oven and add the chops on top in a layer, pop back into the oven for 10-15 mins depending on the thickness of the chops.