What’s good for you

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
5cm piece root ginger
2 Tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
400 grams prawns
200mls coconut cream
Small bunch coriander

1. Heat oil in pan, add onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes until softened.
2. Add the ginger and ground coriander, cumin and turmeric. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the prawns and coconut cream and season with salt and black pepper.
4. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5. Scatter chopped coriander through.
6. Serve immediately with rice and garnish with coriander sprigs.

Is lovely served with my favourite, Dhal.

This is a really mild, creamy curry that we love served with rice and Dhal.

2 Tablespoons of oil
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
About 1cm piece of root ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ – ½ teaspoon ground chilli
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 ripe tomatoes
800 grams boneless chicken (breast/thigh, cut into chunks)
150mls thick cream
200 grams baby spinach (I use a bag of pre-washed baby spinach)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Fry the chopped onion then add the crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger. Add the spices and cook for a further minute.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the saucepan. Fry over a gently heat for about 7 minutes, or until cooked down to a pulp.
3. Increase the heat to high and add the chicken. Fry until pieces turn white.
4. Season with salt and black pepper, pour in the cream and simmer for about 6 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.
6. Serve with rice.

This salad is a random invention where we had too many Feijoas and needed to make our cous-cous more interesting and tastalising.

What we used:

2 bags of “boil in the bag” cous cous
4 feijoas (skinned and diced)
½ small red onion (sliced)
1 lime (zest and juice)
knob of butter
bunch of fresh coriander
good quality olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Prepare couscous as per packet instructions (usually boil in the bag in lots of salted water for 1.5 minutes, then drain excess water).
2. In a small frying pan, gently sweat the onion in a little butter or oil until soft. Try not to brown them.
3. While the cous cous is still out, place in a bowl and season well (don’t be scared now, season it damnit!), a knob of butter and fork through until combined.
4. Add onion, finely grated zest of the lime, and coriander and loosely combine.
5. Add the fejoas – be careful not to squish them – and loosely combine.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
7. Toss a few more coriander leaves on top as a garnish
8. Mix lime juice and good quality olive oil (1:1 ratio) and drizzel over the salad to suit your tastes.

Serve with marinated chicken thighs or wings from Sam’s Kitchen and mesclun side salad dressed with olive oil (and lime juice if you have some left over).

Enjoy.

At school I was learning about cooking and these are the delicious Pikelets we made. I think you might like them too.

20 grams of Butter
1 Cup of Flour
30 grams of Sugar
2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon of Golden Syrup
About 250mls of milk

Method

1. Melt Butter
2. Mix the Flour, Sugar, Cream of Tartar and Baking Soda in a bowl.
3. Make a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the Golden Syrup and Egg.
4. Gradually add the milk and mix carefully.
5. Add melted Butter and stir gently.
6. Cook in spoonfuls in a hot greased pan.
7. When cold, add your favourite Jam.

I hope you enjoy eating!!

Serves 6

1.5kg of chicken thighs (bone in)
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1.5cm piece of ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
3 strips lemon rind or 3 Kaffir lime leaves
1 x 400ml can coconut cream (We prefer Samoan)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar (I use light brown muscovado)

1. Wash the chicken under cold water and pat dry. Trim off excess fat.
2. Roughly chop the onion, garlic and ginger and place in food processor. Process until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary.
3. Place the chicken, onion mixture and remaining ingredients in a large pan and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender.
4. Remove chicken from pan, and place on cold oven tray.
5. Discard lemon rind/Kaffir leaves and bring sauce to the boil. Cook uncovered until sauce reduces and is quite thick.
6. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides under grill.
7. Serve chicken pieces and sauce with rice and garnish with fresh coriander.