Stuff the pita with some rocket, coleslaw, cucumber slices and that chicken

Sweet Chilli & Sriracha Chicken – Simple Supper

Posted on July 24, 2018 by sheila kiely

Simple Supper – Everyday Food.

Let’s see how this goes down then. These days I’m capturing my everyday cooking on Instagram and as I simply don’t have time to pull out my proper camera to capture images, then edit them and upload them I’m going to transfer those images directly to my blog and see how that goes. I’m loving Instagram stories for behind the scenes and sharing a snapshot (still selective!) of real life behind the pictures.
Today’s supper needed to be quick and tasty and it’s captured in the images below.

Sweet Chilli & Sriracha

You will need:
Chicken Mini Fillets
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Sriracha Sauce
Rapeseed or any cooking oil
Wholemeal pitas
Mayonnaisse
Rocket or any leaves you fancy
Cucumber sliced
Coleslaw
Method : In pics & captions below :

Preheat the grill to high. Toss the chicken mini fillets in oil, sweet chilli sauce and a little sriracha (it's HOT!) — Preheat the grill to high. Toss the chicken mini fillets in oil, sweet chilli sauce and a little sriracha (it’s HOT!)

Get Grilling that chicken, turning every so often until beautifully coloured and cooked through

Toast your pita breads in the toaster and slit them open as in the pic.... — Toast your pita breads in the toaster and slit them open as in the pic….

spread a little mayo and sweet chilli sauce inside the pita

Enjoy! Sheila.
P.S. I usually put up some video clips other images etc. in my Insta Story every day – If you haven’t found me yet I’m at https://www.instagram.com/gimmetherecipe/ {& if you’re new to instagram if you want to see my story (changes every 24 hours) click on my profile picture at the top when you get there…!}

Dinner Party, Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Chicken Casserole

Posted on April 18, 2018 by sheila kiely

Chicken Casserole, but this is no ordinary chicken casserole. You might call it ‘Chicken Thighs Braised in Cider with Sweet Potatoes’ because that’s what it’s actually named by the chef Neven Maguire!

I ran with my friend Deirdre this morning and we were blown to bits by the wind and came home absolutely saturated from the rain. I am well and truly demented with this weather. – forgive me, I’m Irish and it’s an obsession. It’s mid April but it may as well be mid November and thus this type of comforting food is called for. My kids and their cousin Kate all devoured this dish and have demanded that I make this again. Neven is a chef and owner of a renowned restaurant however his recipes are always accessible. Granted I did not have redcurrant jelly (I could have easily bought some) but chose to use cranberry sauce instead as a half jar of it langours in the fridge waiting to be used up.
The recipe is one that Neven Maguire has contributed to ‘The Mixing Bowl – Second Helpings’ cookbook produced by ‘Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services.’ More than just a cookbook, each recipe gives a lovely snapshot or anecdote relating to the people who contributed recipes. All these people are connected in one way or another by the services of ‘Our Lady’s Hospice’ and it is a beautifully varied collection.

From Seafood Chowder, Buckwheat Galettes, Chinese Sweet Pork Chops to Kebabs Robana Bhorat, Fig Pudding and Granny’s Oat Cakes you can tell that this is not fixed into any one style or trend of cooking. I’ve just flicked onto a page with a recipe called ’21st Century Bread and Butter Pudding’, replacing the bread with hot cross buns, panettone or brioche, this is a clever recipe to have on standby after Christmas or Easter when those baked goods are about to go past their best.
Perhaps if we get to bask in a few of the rays that have been promised by the Met Eireann weather service over the weekend I might have a go at the Parsley Lemonade Liquor for when I’m parched with the thirst but for now I’ll be turning the heat up and looking forward to ‘second helpings’ of Neven’s ‘Chicken Thighs Braised in Cider with Sweet Potatoes‘ (click the link for the recipe) or if you can please think about buying the book. It would make a wonderful gift for someone and in a tremendously good cause. (again please click this link for details – The Mixing Bowl – Second Helpings Cookbook).
‘Til next time, Sheila.

Dinner Party, Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Quinoa with beetroot & feta

Posted on March 3, 2018 by sheila kiely

Quinoa with Beetroot & Feta.

Triple Quinoa is a mixture of white, red and black seeds that fluff up when cooked. This salad can be served hot or cold and would be perfect with some chicken or lamb for a substantial meal. I cook the quinoa with some halved garlic cloves for flavour and never one to throw things away these get added to the salad too as a lurking surprise for the lucky recipient.
Quinoa with Beetroot & Feta.
You will need:
150g quinoa
500ml chicken stock
2 fat cloves garlic
Fistful pinenuts
1 lemon (juice of)
Rocket leaves
Block of feta
Cooked beetroot (i usually buy this vacuum packed)
Method:
Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a sieve and then place in a saucepan with 500ml chicken stock and two fat garlic cloves peeled and cut in half. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 mins. Keep an eye on the liquid level and top up as needed.
Once cooked drain off excess liquid and set aside.
Dry fry the pinenuts until golden brown.
Cube or crumble the feta and cut beetroot into bitesize cubes.
Place the quinoa into a serving bowl and stir through the juice of a lemon then roughly chopped rocket leaves followed by the cubed beetroot and feta. Scatter the toasted pinenuts on top and serve.
Enjoy!
’til next time, Sheila.

Lemon Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti Platter

Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Chicken – Lemon & Parmesan Chicken

Posted on January 24, 2018January 25, 2018 by sheila kiely

Lemon & Parmesan Chicken

Here’s a really easy way to get some vegetables into you and perhaps coax them into a cranky child. I’ve taken to blitzing greens lately, in particular kale and broccoli and I just blanch them with hot water for speedy cooking.
You might notice that I’m using a glass baking dish in the pictures here and that’s a change that I’ve made lately too. I was fed up of going at my rusting baking trays with ‘steel wool’ in efforts to scrape the burned on bits off and they just never felt really clean after the first use, whereas the glass ones clean beautifully in the dishwasher.
I’ve also pulled out my spaghetti measure in an effort to not end up with a mountain of left-over pasta.
There’s a video that accompanies this recipe over on my instagram and facebook pages if you’d like to see as well as read.

Lemon & Parmesan Chicken
You will need:
4 chicken breasts
3 fat garlic cloves
Rapeseed oil
250g cherry tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
tub creme fraiche – 200ml or 250g approx
1 lemon (using zest & juice)
150g washed and roughly chopped/shredded kale
Small handful pinenuts
Small handful grated parmesan
Spaghetti
(Note: Boil the kettle and have the food processor out for blitzing kale. You also need a colander set over a large saucepan)
Method:
Heat the fan oven to 200
Peel and slice the fat garlic cloves in half
Slice the chicken breasts in half
Place the cut garlic, chicken and the whole cherry tomatoes into a baking dish / tray and drizzle with some oil, mix well to coat everything and place in oven to partially cook for 10 mins.
Meanwhile get on with some of the prep. : blitz the kale using a food processor and add in the zest of a lemon and set aside.
Juice the lemon and set aside.
Grate the parmesan and set aside.
Once the chicken has had 10 minutes of cooking time add in the chicken stock and return to cook in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Finish off the rest of the prep while the chicken finishes cooking :
Dry fry the pine-nuts until golden brown and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti.
Place the blitzed kale and zested lemon in a colander placed over a large saucepan and pour over a kettle full of boiling water pressing the water through the colander with a spatula so that the kale is blanched but not soggy.
Remove the chicken from the oven, take out the chicken pieces and set aside. Add the creme fraiche and lemon zest into the chicken stock and mix with a whisk to form a sauce. Add in the cooked spaghetti and the blanched kale and mix well.
Place the chicken back on top. Grate parmesan all over and top with toasted pine-nuts.
Enjoy!
‘Til next time, Sheila

Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Black Eye Meatballs with loaded Spaghetti

Posted on January 13, 2018 by sheila kiely

Black Eye Bean Meatballs & Loaded Spaghetti

We’ve gotten over the holidays but still have a bit to go to see the other side of Winter which is hard. Unless of course you live in Australia or other sunny climes. Comfort food is a natural requirement in the cold but when you’ve had wall to wall chocolate for 2 weeks most of us are contemplating getting our jaws wired.

This recipe is a healthier version of spaghetti meatballs that will still satisfy even without the grease or the heavy sauce. The sauce is ultra-lightweight and the meatballs leave much of their meat fat behind in the baking tray rendering them more healthy than usual. I’ve used black eye beans for added non-meat protein. The tins of beans I buy are pre-cooked and called black eye beans, on the tin it says they’re also known as black eye peas but I’m no expert!
The spaghetti gets ‘loaded’ up with extra nutrients in the form of blitzed and blanched kale and broccoli. I’m loving my food processor lately and using it to speed up the cooking process of whatever I can. Cooking the veggies in this way means minimal loss of nutrients as they are quickly blanched and ready to serve .

Black Eye Bean Meatballs & Loaded Spaghetti
Serves 6.
(leftovers reheat well in the microwave.)
You will need:
2 x 400g packs round steak beef mince (800g total)
2 x 400g tin black eye beans
2 egg
1 red chilli (or use some dried chilli flakes)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 red onion
Spaghetti
200ml creme fraiche
zest & juice 1 lemon
Handful Flaked Almond
Grated parmesan and lemon slices to serve
Method:
Pre-heat a fan oven to 200C
Use a food processor to blitz the red onion and red chilli then blitz in the eggs.
Place the minced meat and drained black eye beans in a large bowl.
Add the blitzed onion mix to the meat and beans along with the spices (cumin & coriander) and mix well, season with salt and pepper.
Shape into golf-ball sized meatballs placing them onto a baking tray (bit bigger than golfball!). You should get around 24.
Put these in the oven at 200C for 15 mins and then reduce heat to 180C for 10 mins.
Meanwhile roughly chop the broccoli and blitz in food processor. Place in large colander.
Blitz the kale and add into the broccoli and mix well, add in the zest of the lemon and mix through.
Boil a kettle of water and with the colander positioned over a large saucepan pour boiling water over the broccoli and kale to blanch it. Press it with a spatula to squeeze out excess water and set aside.
Toast / dry-fry the flaked almonds and set aside.
Whisk together the juice of the lemon and the tub of creme fraiche in a jug and set aside.
Keep an eye on the meatball cooking time and at around 20 mins go ahead and cook the spaghetti.
When everything is ready, strain the spaghetti and reserve a cupful of the cooking water.
Put the spaghetti into a large platter, mix through the blanched kale and broccoli and the creme fraiche sauce with enough cooking water to coat everything well.
Place the meatballs on top, scattering over the flaked almonds.
Serve with grated parmesan and sliced lemons.
Enjoy!
Til next time, Sheila

p.s. I’ll be posting a video on my instagram and facebook pages over the coming days so check that out if you like!