Department: North Star Recipes
Deanna’s Recipe(s) of the Week #9 - One Chicken = Three Meals.
I’m on the radio again this week and will be talking about budget food shopping and cooking tips.
It seems to me that this is the perfect subject for this time of year given that students are now starting or returning to university, and some folks will away from home for the first time. Eating properly is so important, especially if you need to keep your brain power at its optimum, and good eating does not have to entail lots of time or lots of money.
Here are a few useful tips that will help you to eat well on a budget.
Shopping
1) Seek out local ethnic shops. For Mancunians,here are some wonderful and amazing Indian shops in Chorlton, Cheetham Hill and Rusholme and they'll usually have a superb range of fresh vegetables and fruit at a fraction of supermarket prices. Fresh herbs are especially good value. Buy as much veg as you think you’ll need, but avoid the pre-packaged ones - you can’t test their quality anyway.
2) The Chinese supermarkets are great value too (we love the Wing Yip), and as well as a wide range of really fascinating snacks and sauces, they often sell bargain boxes of Chinese beer (but remember to drink responsibly). These stores are also the best places to buy great value frozen seafood.
3) Buy in bulk if you can afford it. You’re bound to go through a sack of rice in a term for example, and you could always split the cost with your house mates.
4) Everybody knows which are the cheaper supermarkets but whichever chain your local is, look for special offers like discounts on the meat and fish counter. The best time to go is in the evening when things are reduced, especially on a Sunday.
5) Buying from independent delis isn’t always more expensive - you can just buy the amount of meat, cheese and salads you want instead of having to buy a bigger tub. Some also have regular sampling and promotions, or reduce the price of things like fresh bread at the end of the day.
6) MOST IMPORTANTLY – decide on your weekly shopping budget and stick to it!
Cooking
There are loads of ways to eat delicious, healthy food on a budget, but here's how to make a chicken last a good few delicious meals.
Buy the biggest chicken you can afford - I’d love to wax lyrical about organic, hormone-free, farmer-friendly birds here, but let's save that for another blog entry.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about an hour and a half in a medium hot oven, basting with the juices every now and then. I like to pour a little bit of hot water into the bottom of the roasting tin to keep it moist and help with the gravy. Serve with delicious veg, roast potatoes and gravy.
The next day, assuming you have any left, strip the meat off the carcass. I’m not really sympathetic with people who are happy to eat food, but not handle it - pretend you're a caveman or Henry VIII and get into the spirit! Discard the skin, put the bones in a pan and the meat in a separate bowl.
It's easy to make some chicken stock with the bones. Add a chopped onion, carrot, stick of celery, parsley, bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Cover with water, bring to the boil and then turn it down to its lowest heat. Simmer for about an hour and a half, skimming off any scum with a metal spoon. We’re going to use this as a base for a soup. (If you want to make a Chinese style soup, add a knob of ginger and some spring onions instead of the veg listed above.)
Drain the liquid into a bowl and, after it has cooled, refrigerate if not using immediately.
To make a Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup, in a pan, gently fry some roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery, peppers – whatever veg you want really, add a can of chopped tomatoes, the chicken stock, some dried herbs like oregano or thyme and cook for about 25 mins. You can also add a can of drained beans if you like, or some chilli to make it spicy. Add salt and pepper (and a pinch of sugar if it needs it), some of the chopped up chicken (leaving half for the recipe below!) and serve with bread.
This last recipe is a delicious Chicken Stir Fried Rice. if you have left over chopped bacon or a few frozen prawns, you can turn it into Special Fried Rice.
For this, you’ll need about 400g of cold cooked rice (great for leftovers) – oddly, this doesn’t work so well with rice that has just been cooked. Cook about 100g of frozen peas in the microwave covered with water for about 3 minutes. Heat about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok until really hot. Stir fry the rice for about a minute, then add the drained peas and the chicken (plus the bacon &etc. if you're going for the full "special" version!).
Continue to stir fry over a high heat for about 5 mins. Add 2 beaten eggs and about 100g of fresh beansprouts and continue to stir fry for a couple of minutes or until the eggs have set. Sprinkle over some soy sauce and garnish with chopped spring onions. There’s no reason why you can’t throw in some other vegetables too.
So there you go - three fulsome, hearty meals from a single chicken - good eating, good value... and good luck!
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #7 Smoked Salmon Fishcakes
Oh you lucky people! Deanna's clearly gone bonkers, and is allowing one of our best recipes to be published online! The North Star Smoked Salmon Fish Cakes have been on our menu since the day we opened and remain both a top seller and perennial favourite with customers who can cause a stir if we've sold out. And these babies sell out faster than we can make them!
The key ingredient, by the way, is the flaky hot smoked salmon from the Salar Smokehouse up in the Orkney's - a producer with a string of accolades and famous admirers. We order whole sides of this delicious product to cook with, though we often have it available in retail packs too. Their web site has some truly mouth-watering recipes, but here's one of Deanna's very own!
Smoked Salmon Fishcakes
We make these in quite large quantities so I've tried to scale it down a bit. This should make about eight or nine. Incidentally, they freeze well, so it's worth making more than you need as the smell of frying fishcakes does pervade the home somewhat. Spot the understatement! You will need :-
1 pack of Salar Smoked Salmon
Approx 1.5kg potatoes (use a relatively dry one like Marphona)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
20g Butter
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
1 bunch spring onion, chopped finely
About 25g chopped flat leaf parsley
Plain flour to coat
2 beaten eggs
Breadcrumbs (make your own by toasting unwanted crusts of bread to dry them out and blitzing them in a food processor)
Vegetable oil for frying
Method : Peel the potatoes, cut into medium sized chunks and put them in a pan of cold water with some salt. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain immediately in a colander and put them back in the pan. Whilst they are still warm, mash them together thoroughly with the butter, lemon juice and rind and the horseradish.
Leave until they are cool enough to handle. Stir in the spring onions, chopped parsley and flaked smoked salmon. Mix thoroughly. Weigh out the mix into 150g balls, press them down slightly and place them on a baking tray.
Prepare 3 containers, one with flour, one with beaten egg, and one with breadcrumbs. Coat a fishcake with flour with one hand, use the other hand to dip it in the egg, and use the first hand to roll it in the breadcrumbs - this way, you don't end up with big breadcrummy fingers! We call this game "Wet Hand, Dry Hand". Carry on until all the fishcakes are coated.
Pour the oil into a wide pan so it reaches a level equal to half way up the fishcake. Turn on the heat. When you think it may be hot enough (about 180 degrees) pop in a breadcrumb. If it starts to bubble and comes to the surface, it's ready. Fry the fishcakes in batches on both sides - make sure there's enough room to turn them. They should be a nice golden brown. Drain them on a baking tray covered with kitchen roll to absorb any extra oil.
Note - you could vary this recipe by substituting half the potato for sweet potato, the salmon for cooked smoked haddock, the lemon for lime and the parsley for coriander. There you go - that's two recipes for the price of one!!!
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #6 Rustic Fish Soup
Rustic Fish Soup
People are always curious about what I cook at home for dinner. This is really popular in my house because it's tasty and low fat. I always make it when we go away on holiday too(self catering of course!) with what we've found at the local fish market. Chrolton locals are well advised to visit Out of the Blue on Wilbraham Road - how lucky we are to have such a fantastic fishmonger on our doorstep!
Once you've put the white fish in, you can use any seafood you like, even frozen packs of mussels, prawns and squid. Below is just what I used the other day but it varies.
This should serve 4
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, sliced
1 bulb fennel, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, squashed then chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
1 red pepper
tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 glass red wine
1pt fish stock
Handful fresh basil leaves
250g large prawns
500g any flaky white fish (I sometimes use those frozen blocks of cod and pop them in straight from the freezer)
1 jar/tin of mussels or clams
Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
Cut the red pepper into quarters, remove the seeds and place on a tray under a hot grill, skin side up until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film or a plate. leave to go cool and then remove the skin. Roughly chop the peppers.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pan and add the red onions.
Cook for 5 minutes then add the thyme, chilli, garlic and fennel.
Cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the roasted and skinned pepper, wine, the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree and fish stock. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Add the fresh basil and blend (you can leave it a little chunky if you prefer)
Add the fish (from fresh or frozen it doesn't matter) and cook until the white fish disintegrates, about 20 mins.
Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and finish with the chopped parsley.
Serve with bread. It's nice to have toasted baguette slices topped with freshly made basil pesto.
Deanna’s Recipe of The Week #5 Nana’s Ginger Cake
Ginger Cake
Sticking to the theme of Nanas recipes (see my second Recipe of the Week), I thought I'd share another one with you. It's her absolutely fantastic ginger cake, a family tradition and one that deserves a wider audience. I had to do a bit of conversion as I found the recipe scrawled on the back of an old bill and it was all in vague measurements (eg "a glass of oil" &etc.)
This is a true classic. It makes 3 cakes which will freeze beautifully. I also like it because you can just throw everything together - there's no equipment needed apart from bowls, jugs and mixing spoons.
You could eat these as they are or sandwich two together with lemon or stem ginger buttercream.
Ingredients
450g self raising flour
450g golden syrup
225g caster sugar
300ml Boiling water
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp each of mixed spice, cinnamon and Bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs
250ml vegetable or sunflower oil
Beat the eggs and the sugar. Add the dry ingredients (except bicarb). Add the oil and then the syrup and mix. Mix in the boiling water leaving a small amount. Mix this remaining water with the bicarbonate of soda and add to the mixture.
Pour into 3 x 8 inch cake tins which have been lined with baking paper or paper cases - NOTE - is essential that you line the tins. These cakes will be very soft and moist - they'll never come out of unlined tins!
Bake for 1 hour at 300f/150c/Gas 2
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #4 - Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce
Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce
Here’s a simple and delicious pasta sauce using some wonderful products available at North Star Delicatessen. This recipe has been written by Adam, who I must admit, makes a mean pasta sauce - and curries too, but we'll save that for a later recipe blog. I'm not sure what to call it but it's somewhere between an Amatriciana and a Puttanesca (if you substitute the chorizo for anchovies and capers)
You can adapt this for smaller or larger quantities but the following method will serve two
2 tbsp good olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Dried Chilli flakes to taste
1 jar or tin peeled plum tomatoes with basil
1 tbsp Tomato puree
a few pitted green olives
200g Chorizo Picante, sliced (or chopped anchovies and a few rinsed capers)
Freshly ground salt & black pepper to taste
a pinch of sugar
175g Penne pasta
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil & cook the pasta following the instructions on the packet.
Meanwhile, place a deep frying pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add the chopped garlic and ground chilli flakes, fry for a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes & stir well, then add the tomato puree.
Simmer the sauce on a low heat, for a few minutes, add the olives to the sauce, and then the chorizo (or anchovies/capers)
Finally, add salt, ground black pepper and sugar to taste.
When the pasta is ready, drain it, and then stir into the sauce.
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #3 - Eurovision Lasagne
Every year, my husband Patrick (not pictured here on the left!) likes to watch The Eurovision Song Contest and eat Lasagne (which we also only do once a year.) This year, I thought I'd base our lasagne on the one we make for the deli, but with a little (non-vegetarian) twist. Needless to say, once again, the lasagne was the highlight of the evening. Even the Italians would have given it 'Douze Points'.
Roast vegetable & Feta Lasagne with Smoked Chorizo -- serves 3/4
2 large courgettes
2 red onions
1 red and one yellow pepper
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh or dried thyme or oregano
200g feta cheese
about 50g smoked chorizo, sliced
fresh basil
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
lasagne sheets
50g butter
50g plain flour
500ml milk
freshly grated parmesan
grated nutmeg
Heat the oven to 180/gas 6.
Peel and chop the onion into chunks (about 9 each half), cut the pepper into similar sized pieces and slice the courgettes into rounds about the width of a pound coin - if you cut the veg too small, they can catch and taste bittter, too large and they can go soggy.
Place the veg in a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and use your hands to mix so all the veg is coated. Roast in the oven for about an hour.
Meanwhile make the white sauce by melting the butter, stirring in the flour and adding the milk bit by bit until thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
If using, chop the slices of chorizo into strips. Place in a small, hot frying pan and cook for a minute or so until crispy. When the veg are ready you can begin putting the lasagne together.
Spoon a little chopped tomato onto the bottom of your oven proof dish to stop the lasagne sticking. Place a single layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom so it is covered entirely - you may need to break a few sheets to patch it up.
Scatter half the veg evenly and crumble over half of the feta. Add a few torn basil leaves and cover with a tin of tomatoes. Scatter over half of the fried smoked chorizo and repeat the layer. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets and cover with the white sauce. Scatter over some grated parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until golden on top.
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #2 - Nana’s Lentil & Lovage Soup
Our herb garden has started to come to life again and one of the most enthusiastic perrenials is our lovage.
Lentil & Lovage Soup
This recipe is one from our nana's repertoire. I asked her once why her lentil soup tasted so much better than other peoples. She said it was because of the love she put into it. I subsequently found out that it was in fact lovage that she used - though I think the love helped too!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 leek, chopped
1 carrot, chopped, 1 stick celery, chopped
1 red chilli, chopped (leave seeds in if you like it spicy)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
splash of worcester sauce (leave out to keep vegetarian)
250g red lentils
1 1/2 litres vegetable stock
pinch of sugar
squeeze lemon
freshly ground black pepper
a good handful (20g) fresh lovage, shredded
Heat the oil in the pan.
Add the onions and cook on a low heat, stirring from time to time.
Add ginger, chilli and garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
Add celery, leek and carrot, cook for five more minutes.
Add tomatoes, stir and cook for a few minutes more until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the tomato puree and the red lentils.
Add the stock and the worcester sauce. Stir and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes. Season with pepper, sugar and lemon juice.
Add the lovage, cook for about 5 minutes more and blend.
This recipe serves 4.
As with all soup recipes, it's up to you whether you add more or less of particular ingredients, or be thicker or thinner. It should be to your taste.
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #1 - Chorlton Guacomole
Here's a little feature that we're hoping will become a regular posting here on the North Star site. Keep checking back (or simply subscribe to our blog feed) to keep up to date with all my recipes.
With the unseasonably warm weather, I'm sure some of you will have started barbequeing. Here is a recipe for Guacamole which originally came from Adam but which I took the liberty of improving a little.
Incidentally, we would love to sell this in the deli counter but avocadoes have a nasty habit of turning black when exposed to the air and serving up food choc-full of preservatives isn't really our mission. Mind you, this guacamole is so tasty and moorish, I bet it wouldn't last more than hour in the counter before it was sold out!
Serves 2 (easily doubled or tripled etc)
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
a small handful of coriander, chopped
the juice of half a lime
1 red chilli, chopped (seeds taken out)
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
If you don't have a blender, you could make this into a more chunky salsa by chopping everything more finely and mixing it all together. Serve with raw vegetables, tortilla chips or warm pitta bread.... and remember to share it with everyone else.
If you're hooked on Guacamole, you can find a bunch of other fabulous recipes over at www.avocado.org.
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