Chicken salad with pecans and pancetta

I'm obsessed with pancetta at the moment. Salty pig strips can only ever be a good, addictive thing. Even when they are referred to as "salty pig strips". It isn't the main event in this recipe but it adds a wonderful luxuriously salty note to what otherwise is quite a subtly flavoured salad. I've adapted this from an Emeril Lagasse recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2):
1 bag of mixed salad leaves (the lazy, and therefore best, way)
6 slices pancetta, chopped into small strips
2 chicken breasts, poached and chopped into bitesize chunks
1 clove peeled garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
Salt and black pepper
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
A handful chopped fresh parsley
A couple of pinches of chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup whole pecans

Heat a frying pan on high heat and add the pancetta. There's no need to add any oil - the pancetta, as it frys, will render down and become crispy and golden. Once it is cooked to your liking, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken breast chunks, the garlic, the celery, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, parsley, tarragon and pecans. Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix until well combined. Taste for seasoning.

Split the salad leaves between two plates, spoon over the chicken mixture and top with the pancetta.

Homemade cheeseburgers

 

I'm going to blame the blurriness of that picture on the fact that I was really hungry and just wanted to eat the deliciousness that was this burger. It had nothing to do with my terrible photography "skills"

What can I say? These are tasty and really easy to make. Using a griddle plan helps to get some nice charring on the burgers.

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 burger buns (I like sesame seeded 'cos I'm old school)
1/2 lb steak mince
A good splosh of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 slices of cheese (I used Jarlsberg)
4 slices tomato
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
2 gerkins, sliced lengthways into strips
Condiments:
I made a makeshift burger sauce with ketchup, mayo and diced gherkin but you could use any sauce you wanted
Ketchup

In a large bowl add the mince, egg yolk, minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. With clean hands, gently mix the ingredients until they are just combined (squishy!) Try not to over-mix as this can toughen the burgers. Pour a tiny bit of olive oil into your hand and take half the mixture. Form into a ball and then squish down to create a burger. Place on a plate and repeat the process with the other burger. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Take the burgers out of the fridge about ten minutes before you want to cook them. Heat a griddle pan on high heat. Take the burgers and with your fingers just rub a bit of olive oil on them. Adding the oil to the meat instead of the pan means they shouldn't smoke as much. Add to the pan and watch them sizzle. Cook for a few minutes without moving so when you flip them they should have griddle marks on them. Flip and cook on the other side. Turn right down to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the gerkhin slices to the tops of the burgers, then top with a slice of cheese. Place a large saucepan lid on top. This will circulate the steam around the burger to help them remain moist and melt the cheese.

Toast the burger buns. To the heel of the bun spread sauce of your choice, then top with lettuce and tomato. Add the burger with the gerkhins and gorgeous melted cheese, then top with more sauce and the top of the bun. Eat with gusto and some napkins.

Spicy teriyaki chicken with noodles and stir fried vegetables

I love this recipe because not only is it delicious but it's pretty healthy and affordable.

Ingredients (serves 2):
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
 1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
A good glug of soy sauce plus a bit more (use reduced salt variety if you prefer)
A splash of white wine
1 heaped teaspoon of brown sugar
150g straight to wok noodles (or if using dried noodles, boil first)
1 packet ready to use vegetables for stir frying
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
6 spring onions, 3 finely chopped, and 3 cut into thin strips

In a bowl combine the chicken, half the diced red chilli, garlic and ginger. Pour over soy sauce until the chicken is well coated. Add a splash of white wine (around two tablespoons or so) and the brown sugar. Stir to combine and set aside for about ten minutes.

Heat a shallow frying pan on a high heat and add a small amount of oil just to lightly coat the pan. Take the pieces of chicken out of the marinade (draining any excess liquid from the chicken) and add to the pan. You want to give the chicken a chance to cook off a little before adding the marinade, otherwise the chicken will poach. Once the chicken has brown off, add the marinating liquid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. The teriyaki sauce will begin to thicken as the chicken cooks through.

Heat a wok on a high heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add remaining red chilli and finely chopped spring onions to the oil and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir fry for two minutes. Add the noodles to the wok and add a splash of soy sauce. Stir fry for another minute and put on two plates.

Once the teriyaki sauce has thickened add a little dark soy sauce to the pan, stir and then serve on top of the vegetables. Add the shredded spring onion to garnish.