Thai Turkeyburger with Sweet Potato Chips and Pineapple Salsa

So it’s been a while since my last post…and a lot happened in the meantime. I became a father, and moved to our own home with my family. Year’s end has been busy for me.

The new home means new equipment as well. I now cook with an electric stove besides my electric oven, so from now on I will provide cooking times and methods according to that.

Once again, my trusty spirit guide in all thing kitchen, BBC’s Good Food was the source. More precisesly this recipe.

What you will need:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 500 gram minced beef
• 2 tablespoons thai red curry sauce
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• small bunch of coriander, minced
• 200g pineapple chunks, diced
• juice ½ lime
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 buns halved and toasted

How to make it:

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Mix the sweet potato chips with the oligve oil, some salt and pepper, spred it on a baking sheet, and roast for 30-35 minutes, until crisp.
2. Mix the mince with the curry paste, half the spring onions, half the coriander, and a pinch of salt. Shape it into 4 patties.
3. Mix the remaining spring onions and coriander with the pineapple, lime juice, red chilli and sweet chilli sauce
4. Cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side in a grillpan until cooked through.
5. Serve the burgers in the buns with lettuce leaves and salsa piled on top, and the sweet potato chips on the side.

The moment before piling the salsa on the burgers

 

Patatas Bravas

The time has come, and I have cooked the patatas bravas that I couldn’t make for the tapas fiesta last time, due to my illness. Once again, my trusty source, BBC’s GoodFood magazine came to my help.

What you will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
• pinch cayenne pepper
• pinch smoked paprika
• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 kg new potatoes, diced
• 250 g small cooking chorizo, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan, fry the onion, garlic and chilli until the onion softens, add the cayenne and paprika and stir
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, then cook the whole mixture for about 20 minutes until you have a thick paste
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste
4. In the meantime, steam the potatoes for 10-15 minutes
5. Slowly cook the chorizo in a frying pan for 10 minutes, releasing its oil
6. Tip off half of the red oil and add 1 teaspoon olive oil
7. Add in the potatoes, and fry them together with the chorizo, turning the heat up continuosly, until both the potatoes and the chorizo are well fried
8. Tip into a bowl and remove the excess oil with some kitchen paper towel
9. Mix the chorizo and potato with the sauce and serve in bowls

 

This food is not unlike the Hungarian Paprika Potatoes, which was one of the earliler features in this blog. Looking at the picture, they look pretty much the same, but the truth is, that it is only because my tomato sauce became too thick. 😛

Of course the difference in the ingredients results in two remarkably different tasting dishes, but it is easy to see that the basic idea was the same with both.

Spanish Tortilla

This week I was invited to a “tapas fiesta” to a friendly couple. Originally I planned on bringing patatas bravas with me, but unfortunately I just recently recovered from an illness, and making some spanish tortilla seemed easier, and also less taxing on the stomach, so I decided on that. As so many times before, I one again turned to BBC’s GoodFood and was not disappointed.

Everyone liked the tortillas, and they went out fast, so I must say, it was a good decision. 🙂

What you will need:

• 500 g potatoes (preferably new)
• 1 onion, minced
• 150 ml olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 6 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

1. Peel the potatoes, and cut them to thick pieces (I cut them to baton)
2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil, add in the onions, followed by the potatoes 2-3 minutes later, and stew them gently, under cover for 30 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the potatoes are softened. Stir carefully so you don’t break the potatoes
3. Beat the eggs, add in the spices and the herbs, and stir in the mixture with the onion and the potatoes
4. Heat some oil in a smaller frying pan, tip everything over, and cook it on medium heat, arranging the omelette into a cushion shape
5. When almost set, invert the omelette on a plate, and then slide it back into the frying pan, cooking it for a few more minutes.
6. Invert the omelette twice more
7. Slide on a plate and cool before serving

For the “tapas fiesta” I sliced mine into small cubes, planting little toothpick flags into some of them. As it turns out, I had just about every country in Europe, but Spain. 🙂

 

Pork-pepperburger with Herby Chips

I originally planned to feature a duck burger this Friday, because that’s something that we have never had before, but asking my wallet I had to realize, that it is kinda the end of the month, and I will have to choose something less expensive. That’s how we ended up with this burger from BBC’s Good Food, to which, I had most of the stuff already.

What you will need:

For the burger:

• 500 g pack pork mince
• 100 g grated emmental cheese
• 1 large red pepper, deseeded, cut into quarters
• 1 large potato, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I had basil-oil at home, so I used that)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried coriander, marjoram, chive
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• lettuce and fried onion to serve

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon herb mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons yogurt

How to make it:

The sauce:

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving

The burger:

1. Heat the oven to 220 °C
2. Mix the potatoes, the pepper, half of the dried herbs and the oil in a bowl, then spreading them over a large baking tray, put them into the oven
3. Roast them for 20-25 minutes, turning them once after 10-12 minutes
4. Mix the mince, the garlic, the harissa, the egg, the other half of the herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl
5. Form 4 patties, heat your grillpan, toasting the bun halves in the process
6. Grill the patties over medium heat for 15 minutes, turning them once halfway through

For assembly, start with lettuce, and fried onions on the lower half of the buns, top with a patty, grated cheese, the pepper slice. Spread some sauce on the top half of the burger, and serve with the potato chips on the side.

 

The portions described here are enough for 4 burgers, with reasonable amount of chips for all of them. 🙂

Cajun Chickenburgers with Caramelized Pineapple (Burger Friday)

This will not come as a shocking surprise to those of you, who follow the blog on Instagram, but this post is a bit late. Unfortunately I was preoccupied with family matters this week, and I had no time to cook anything interesting, much less to post. But that is over now, and with this one week skip, “Burger Friday” will take back its rightful place as a weekend post.

This week’s burger originates from BBC’s Good Food magazine, more specifically this article. The setup might sound a bit unusual, but the ingredients work really well together, and the result is a truly magnificent burger.

What you will need:

• 500 g chicken breast mince
• 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (ready or home-made)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 pineapple rings
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 50 g grated cheddar
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 5 burger buns split and toasted
• a few lettuce leaves
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

How to make it:

1. Mix the cajun seasoning blend with the meat, add some salt, pepper, and from 5 patties
2. Rub some olive oil on the surface on the patties, cover them and refrigerate for 30 minutes
3. Pre-heat your grillpan, toasting the burger buns in the process
4. Grill the patties for 5 minutes on each side, so they are cooked through
5. Melt some honey in a pan, add a drop of oil, and caramelize the pineapple rings
6. Once the pineapple rings have been caramelized, place the onion slices in the pan, and fry them until golden brown

For assembly, simply spread some sour cream on both halves of the buns, top with lettuce leaves, patty, cheese, pineapple slices, and the onions.

Indian spiced shepherd’s pie

It has been a while since my last post from BBC’s GoodFood magazine. This one is one of my all-time favorites, it is not unlike layered potatoes, which is a real Hungarian comfort food, and comes with tasty Indian spices. Easy to make, perfect for lunchboxes, all together a really nice dish to feature.

What you will need:

• 500g pack minced meat (turkey or beef)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 200 ml hot stock (beef or chicken)
• 300 g frozen peas
• 800 g potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• small bunch of coriander, minced
• juice half lemon

How to make it:

1. In a large frying pan, cook the meat, onion and carrots, stirring often, until the meat is browned and vegetables start to soften
2. Add the garam masala and some salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant
3. Pour in the stock, bring it to a boil, tip in the peas and cook for a further 2 minutes until the peas are cooked and the liquid has evaporated
4. Time to cook the potatoes. Using a large pan, and salted water, cook them until tender
5. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, and stir in the turmeric and the coriander
6. Heat the oven to 200 °C
7. Transfer the mince to a casserole dish, and top with turmeric potatoes
8. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are golden

The fact, that most of its ingredients are items that can be found in any kitchen, and its easy and fast preparation make this an ideal food to be cooked “in a pinch”, and the exotic spices guarantee that you will serve something that people don’t eat every day.

Turkey Tortilla Pie

This dish is also from BBC Good Food, the original recipe can be found here. I think it is an interesting remix of chili con carne, originally described as a one-pot, but I couldn’t let my trusty frying pan to be left out, so this one will be a one-pot-one-pan.

What you will need:

• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra if needed
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 700g pack turkey mince
• 1 tablespoon chipotle paste
• 200 g tomato sauce
• 400 g can chopped tomatoes
• 400 g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 210 g can sweetcorn, drained
• 2 tortilla wraps, snipped into triangles
• Small handful grated cheddar
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

How to make it:

1. Using a pan, cook the onions in the oil on medium heat until they are soft (roughly 4 minutes). Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute more
2. Add in the mince, and stirring occasionally cook it until it is brown (6-8 minutes)
3. Stir in the chipotle paste, the tomato sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Mix in the beans and the corn, and cook for another 3-4 minutes
5. Pour the mixture in a casserole dish, and heat your oven to 200 °C
6. Randomly place the tortilla triangles on top, scatter the cheese over the tortillas, and put it in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until the topping is crisp. Check often, so it doesn’t burn.
7. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve

Looks best before serving

Tastes the best fresh out of the oven, but is still very good reheated, so makes for an ideal lunchbox meal as well, as with the portions described there will definitely be some left to pack for the next day.

Golden couscous with apricots & crispy onions

BBC’s GoodFood magazine is a major source of inspiration for me every month, several of their recipes made it to the default food rotation at home. This particular one comes around once in every two weeks since the first time we tried it. It is fast, it is delicious, and the portion described in the original recipe is more than enough for dinner and lunchbox the day after.

What you will need:

• 500g couscous
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 150 g dried apricots, chopped
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 250 g coconut fat
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• small bunch of coriander, chopped
• small handful of mint, chopped

How to make it:

1.  Boil a kettle (If you don’t have a kettle, any pan will do, the emphasis is on the boiled water anyway). Tip the couscous into a large bowl, crumble in the stock cube Add the turmeric, cinnamon and apricots, and season to taste (I added just a pinch of salt). Mix the couscous and the spices together so not everything is on the top. Pour roughly 550-600 ml boiling water over the couscous, give everything a quick stir, then cover with cling film (this part I usually botch, so I enhance the cling film with a plate on top of it as well), and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Put one of the the sliced onions in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and the sugar, pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave to steep for 20 mins.
3. Melt the coconut fat in a frying pan. Once all of it has been melted, fry the remaining onions in batches for 1-2 mins until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
4. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous.
5. Drain the steeped onions and stir through the couscous with the lemon zest and juice, olive oil and herbs.
6. Top with the crispy onions  when served (mint leaves optional).

I know the original recipe differs at some points, but I decided to post my own version (my blog after all), because for my taste that is the best version of the linked recipe. Also, this time around I couldn’t buy any of the herbs unfortunately, but I can confirm that this recipe is definitely worth cooking even without them, although they do boost the flavor.

Missing some greens, but still looking good