Category Archives: Meals in one

Crispy Chicken Fajitas – KFC style!

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Beef, Chicken, Meals in one

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KFC style chicken wrap

KFC style chicken fajita

I love fajitas, I find them so practical and they are good whether you decide to use chicken, mince or opt for the veggie option. What I find always makes a good wrap are some fried/ roasted peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and grated cheese – I’d say those are always my staple ingredients in a fajita. I love crispy chicken and as I walked past KFC the other day it made me really want a chicken fajita! So I decided to try and make it at home. Once you have made you crispy chicken breast then it’s super easy and you can also make your own breadcrumbs. Slice you chicken and add your other ingredients to the wrap. Otherwise you can make a simple and delicious wrap that’s great when you’ve got a few friends round.

Here’s how to make a typical fajita.

What you need:
4-5 Wraps
Meat of your choice
1 onion sliced
2 peppers
1 – 2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
Chopped tomatoes mixed with thinly chopped chilli & shallots
Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Lettuce leaves

Chicken wrap

Crispy chicken fajita

When I make fajitas with normal chicken chunks or mince I fry the onion first then add the meat and spices and a few minutes before it’s ready add the peppers. These spices are also very similar to the ready-made fajita kits you get but are much healthier!

Put the wraps on a plate covered with tin foil and place in a low heated oven for 5 minutes before serving.

In seperate bowls put the meat, the tomatoes, sour cream,, cheese & lettuce leaves. Place wraps and bowls on table and start filling the wraps with your favourite ingredients.

Enjoy!
Mel

Pasta carbonara – with pancetta or salmon

02 Saturday Jun 2012

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This is another recipe that my husband makes. YUM!

Pasta carbonara – with pancetta or salmon

It is a variation of the traditional carbonara but that’s why I like it.

Here is what you need:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Pancetta (cut up into pieces)
Spaghetti (boxed is better than fresh)
3 Eggs
1 cup of Parmesan
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Shallot
2 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)
Parsley (chopped)
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper

Get your pasta going because you will use the pasta water later. Put oil into a pan on medium heat. Add your pancetta, you want it to be slightly crispy. After about 5 minutes, once some of the fat has rendered, add your garlic and shallot. Turn your heat down stirring occasionally. Drain your pasta and set aside 1/3 cup of the water. Whisk your eggs, black pepper and the pasta water. Keep whisking and add the Parmesan cheese and cream. Toss the pasta in the pancetta/garlic/shallot pan and then mix in the egg mixture with some parsley. You can sprinkle more cheese on top if you like!

And for a bit of a variation Mel uses cooked or smoked salmon instead of pancetta. Great for a vegetarian option.

Enjoy!

Joy

My hubby’s Chili

16 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in Beef, Meals in one

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My hubby's Chili

This is for a 7 quart pot

What you need:
2 large onions
1 green pepper
1 tbl olive oil
3 whole cloves garlic
2 lbs of ground sirloin
1 lb smoked brisket (from your butcher shop)
1 28oz can of crushed stewed tomatoes
2 28oz cans tomato sauce
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of corn
1 bottle of dark beer
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1.5 tbl of flour
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of red chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

Saute the onions, green pepper and whole garlic cloves in olive oil until the veggies start to sweat. Then add your ground sirloin.  As soon as your beef starts to brown, add your seasonings: flour, cumin, red chili powder, salt, pepper and paprika.

In a separate bowl, mix your tomato paste and beer together. Set aside.

Next, add your tomato sauce, peeled stewed tomatoes and tomato paste mixture. Stir well. Now add your beans and corn. Simmer for 1 hour. Lastly, add your smoked brisket and let simmer on low for 2 hours. It’s important to let the chili completely cool before warming it back up for your guests.

This is for a VERY mild chili because I am still breastfeeding I cannot have anything too hot.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives!

Enjoy!

Joy

The Best Beef Stew – served in bread bowls

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Beef, Meals in one

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The Best Beef Stew

This is Dave Lieberman from Food Network’s recipe.
I got this recipe about 7 years ago and no other stew comes close to being this delicious. It is the BEST!
I made this for a dinner party and served it in bread bowls….just for fun! My guests LOVED it.

What you will need:

2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small onions, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed (optional)

 Season the beef cubes lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise the heat to high. At first, the beef will give off some liquid, but once that evaporates, the beef will start to brown. Cook, turning the beef cubes on all sides until the pieces are as evenly browned as possible, about 5 or 6 minutes after the water has boiled off.

If the pan starts to get too brown at any point, just turn down the heat a little. Scoop the beef into a bowl and brown the rest of the beef the same way using the remaining butter. Scoop out the second batch of beef, then add the carrots and onions and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it has been worked into the veggies and you can’t see it any more. Pour in the chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes, and toss in the rosemary.

Slide the beef back into the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn down the heat so the liquid is just breaking a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook about 60 minutes. Stir the stew several times while simmering so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom. Stir the potatoes into the stew, cover the pot completely, and cook until the potatoes and beef are tender, stirring occasionally, about another 60 minutes….maybe longer.
Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes until the green beans turn bright green and are cooked through but still have a nice snap to them.

Enjoy!
Joy

Pumpkin soup in a pumpkin

03 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in Meals in one, Soup and stews

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I remember my mum making pumpkin soup in the pumpkin itself when I was younger. So when I went to Alexis’ in Belgium and saw that his parents had pumpkins growing in their garden I took one straight back with us to London and gave it a try.

Now I have to be honest with you and say that I fell asleep in front of the tv whilst it was in the oven so I’m not sure how long it should be in the oven. Mine was over-cooked as it was in there for too long, that is for 2h30mins so it probably should be in the oven for 1h30. Though check it throughout cooking time as it will also depend on the size of your pumpkin.

What you will need:

One medium size pumpkin
2 onion
4 garlic cloves
3 slices of bread
Cream
Herbs (I used tyme)

Heat your oven to 200C. Cut the top of the pumpkin off and empty its seeds. With a spoon scrape out some of the pumpkin and put in a bowl. Slice your onions, garlic and fry in a pan until slightly golden and then add the pumpkin, continue to cook for a few minutes. In the pumkin add a bit of the onion mixture, add a bit of cream, herbs and a slice of bread and continue layering. You can add sliced bacon or anything else you want in your soup. At the end add about half a glass of water. Put the top back onto the pumpkin. Put the pumkin in a round cake tray as this will help it keep it structure. Place the pumpkin in the oven for 1 to 1 and a half hour . You can pick the top with a knife when it goes through the pumkin is cooked.

Enjoy!
Mel

My Favorite Grilled Cheese

27 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in Meals in one, Simple meals

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I’ve been eating grilled cheese like this for about ten years now and often forget that most people don’t add extras like I do.

Eating becomes a challenge when you are taking care of a newborn. Because I am breastfeeding, I have to incorporate healthy foods throughout my day.
This has been my “go-to” when I only have a few minutes to cook but want to feel full and satisfied.

Here ‘s what you need:
2 slices of whole wheat bread
2 slices of cheddar cheese
1 avocado (sliced)
1 tomato (sliced)
1 teaspoon of butter

I buttered one side of each slice of bread and put the butter side down on a hot pan on medium low heat.

Each slice of bread gets a slice of cheese. One piece of bread gets the avocado and the other gets the tomato.

The two slices of bread are cooking simultaneously (open faced) because this grilled cheese is so thick that it’s too hard to flip.

Once the cheese has melted, I place one slice of bread onto the other so that I can enjoy all of the ingredients in every bite.

*Please note that this sandwich is also good cold and great for picnics.
 The ingredients do not take up a lot of room, can be easily assembled and you can usually find the ingredients in any country.
 You can use the exact same ingredients or you can use a fresh baguette and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

 Mel and I have eaten this sandwich quite a bit when exploring a new city because it is easy to share with someone and inexpensive!

Joy

Mushroom Sandwich, Anyone?

30 Monday May 2011

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It sounds a bit strange but my husband and I had this in Amsterdam and I have been making it ever since!

What you need:

1 clove of Garlic (minced)
Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1/2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Butter
1 cup of sliced Crimini Mushrooms (I am sure you can use different kinds, Crimini works best for me)
Salt & Pepper
1 Tablespoon Goat Cheese
1 Egg (Over Easy)
Splash of wine (white or red)
1 piece of bread (Your choice, but I found that the thicker, the better)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (I think our maximum is 250C do you guys have a different temperature to us?).

Put a saute pan on medium-low heat. Let the pan get hot before adding your olive oil.
Then, add your onion, garlic, butter, salt & pepper.

After a minute or so, add your mushrooms and let this mixture heat up together until you see the water extract from the mushrooms. This usually happens in 3-5 minutes.

During this 3-5 minutes, spread the goat cheese onto your bread and put the bread in the oven for 3-5 minutes. You are just melting the cheese a little so it shouldn’t take long.

The water from the mushrooms should have evaporated by now and this is when you add your wine and turn your heat on low. Keep the pan uncovered and let the wine slowly cook down to nothing! This should take about 10 minutes.

While you wait for your wine to disappear, remove your bread and start to fry your egg over easy.

Once the wine is gone, put the mushroom mixture over your bread and cheese and top it with fresh parsley.

Now you can put your egg over easy on top and enjoy!

Joy

Anyone Tired of Pasta?

08 Friday Apr 2011

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Most people think I am nuts when I say that I really do not care for pasta, but it’s true. If I am going to mix a protein or vegetable with something, I prefer rice.  However, if I’m cooking without meat but want more protein in my meal, I will use Quinoa instead. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to make and has 8 grams of protein per cup! It  also has 5 grams of fiber. The thing with Quinoa is that once it is cooked, you have to add something to it or it can be dry. Below is my go-to recipe when I need to use up some vegetables or just want to cook something meat free.

What you will need:

Quinoa (Red or Traditional)
Olive oil
Your favorite spaghetti sauce
Onion
Garlic
Bell Pepper (any color)
Mushrooms
Tomato
Any fresh herb (I’ve used parsley, basil or even rosemary is nice)
Parmesan cheese

Once you have cooked your quinoa, add a little olive oil right away and give it a good stir. Then add your favorite spaghetti sauce. Add however much you want. If you add too little, the quinoa will seem dry.

Then, saute your veggies in the order listed above. The last thing you want to add is your fresh herb or herbs. Combine your veggies with your Quinoa and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

If you have time and want to to add another layer of flavor, you can saute your onion, add the garlic and then add your mushrooms. Let these veggies cook for a few minutes and then add a splash of red or white wine. You will need to let these cook down which will take about 5 minutes. Then you can add your bell pepper and tomato. You can substitute zucchini or asparagus for any of the veggies listed.

Joy