Easy Roast Chicken

This recipe taught by my friends Gloria and Adam, this roasted chicken recipe is a testament to simplicity and flavour. With minimal ingredients and fuss, it’s perfect for a quick and delicious meal. The preparation is straightforward: generously season the chicken with salt and rosemary, then place it on a bed of baking salt. This technique ensures that the chicken cooks evenly, with the salt absorbing any excess moisture, resulting in crispy skin and succulent meat. After roasting for 50 minutes, you’ll have a beautifully golden, aromatic chicken that’s both impressive and effortless. Perfect for weeknight dinners or when you want to impress guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

Tips for Changing the Recipe by Instinct

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable, allowing you to tweak it based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Here are some ideas to inspire your creativity:

  1. Herb Variations:
    • Thyme: Substitute or add to the rosemary for an earthy, subtle flavour.
    • Oregano: Adds a Mediterranean touch to the chicken.
    • Sage: Pairs beautifully with chicken, giving it a slightly peppery, savoury taste.
  2. Citrus Zest: Grate some lemon or orange zest over the chicken before roasting to add a bright, fresh flavour.
  3. Garlic: Add crushed garlic cloves under the skin or around the chicken for a deeper, richer flavour.
  4. Spices: Sprinkle a bit of paprika, black pepper, or even a touch of cumin for a hint of warmth and complexity.
  5. Marinade: Marinate the chicken in a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and your favourite herbs and spices for a few hours before roasting to infuse it with even more flavour.
  6. Vegetables: Place vegetables like carrots, potatoes, or onions around the chicken on the baking salt. They will roast beautifully and soak up the chicken’s juices.

Feel free to mix and match these suggestions to suit your taste. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and versatility, making it a perfect canvas for your culinary instincts.

FOOD PAIRING: NORI SEAWEED

References: ºThe Art and Science of Foodpairing: 10,000 Flavour Matches That Will Transform the Way You Eat – Peter Coucquyt, Bernard Lahousse, Johan Langenbick
ºThe Flavour Thesaurus – Niki Segnit

Simple supper ideas for peas

Peas should be the star ingredient. Sweet and mellow jewels.

 

Peas are spring’s favourite bouncy balls. There are many dishes to create during the season using peas as the star ingredient.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Shrimp, radishes and peas in a parsley-infused olive oil
  • Simple peas with shallots, olive oil  and mint
  • Pea soup with crispy bacon on top – Blend together Chicken stock, peas, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Pasta with peas and parmesan
  • Pasta with peas and a coriander spinach sauce made with lemon juice, cashews, garlic powder and salt.
  • Crab or white fish cakes with peas and tomatoes.
  • Peas with jamón serrano and thinly sliced onions

How are you cooking your peas?

Many ways to radishes

Pretty raw red radishes are crunchy and hot but cooked or pickled become very versatile.

Radishes are in season! Spring has sprung and radishes are here to give our dishes crunch and freshness.

They can be used in many different ways:

  • Lentil, avocado, radish, and watermelon salad? Add some red onion and some feta cheese and drizzle a Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice dressing.
  • Avocado toast with sliced radishes, raw spinach and freshly cracked pepper.
  • Roasted potatoes and radishes with lamb chops. Add some pepper and rosemary
  • Pico de Gallo with Radishes. Chop tomato, onion, and fresh coriander. Slice very thinly the radishes and mix all together with lime juice and salt.
  • Add radishes to your stock – chicken. beef or veggie stock.
  • White bean,  radish and pesto salad. Add a lemony dressing on top.

 

JALAPEÑO PAIRINGS

Natives from Mexico. They have a medium-high spiciness.

They can be used fresh, raw, broiled or pickled.

JALAPEÑO PAIRINGS:

VEGETABLES:

  • Ancho Chiles
  • Arugula
  • Butternut Squash
  • Cabbage
  • Corn
  • Green onion
  • Green Bell Peppers
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Poblano Peppers
  • Radishes
  • Red onion
  • Red Bell Peppers
  • Tomatillos
  • Scallions
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Zucchinis

FRUITS:

  • Avocado
  • Lime
  • Mangoes
  • Peach
  • Pineapple
  • Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Watermelon

HERBS & SPICES:

  • Allspice
  • Cardamom
  • Chili Powder
  • Coriander/cilantro
  • Cumin
  • Curry Powder
  • Garlic
  • Oregano
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Turmeric

NUTS & SEEDS: 

  • Cashews
  • Peanuts
  • Pumpkin Seeds

MEAT & DAIRY:

  • Brisket
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Chicken
  • Chorizo
  • Ground Meat
  • Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Pork
  • Sour Cream
  • Turkey

FISH & SHELLFISH:

  • Anchovies
  • Clams
  • Crab
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp
  • White fish

OTHER:

  • Brown Rice
  • Black Bean
  • Corn Tortillas
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Fish Sauce
  • Flour tortillas
  • Olive Oil
  • Peanut Butter
  • Pinto Beans
  • Quinoa
  • Sesame Oil
  • Tofu

 

Sushi

How to Make Sushi Rolls and Perfect Sushi Rice .

 

First, start with SHORT GRAIN SUSHI RICE, but if we pay attention to the shape of the grain, we can also choose other varieties, perhaps risotto rice such as “Roma”.

Wash the rice with COLD WATER to remove any residual starch. Keep going until the water is clear.

Soak rice for 15 minutes.

Follow the rice to water ratio, which is always 1:2.

Traditional sushi has Sharizu (or vinegar seasoning) which is made with 9 parts Rice vinegar, 4 parts cane sugar, and 1 part sea salt. Cook it for 2-3 minutes in medium heat. And is added when the rice is cooked.  First mix the rice so it cools down, then add the seasoning (1 oz per every cup of rice).

Cover the rice with a damp towel. It will keep it moist and ready.

A GREAT TIP: discard the bottom layer of rice, as it is almost always dry.

HOW TO MAKE SUSHI ROLLS:

First, the nori has two sides: Smooth and Rough. The rough side will always go facing up.

Then, the rolls have three parts:

  1. Nori on the outside
  2. Rice  on the inside
  3. Fillings in the center

There are traditional rolls made with fresh fish and world-adapted options prepared with ingredients from each country to make fusions that are very interesting. How do you prepare your sushi?

  • Mexican: The use of chipotle, spicy mayonnaise, cream cheese, different chilis, jícama…
  • Italian: Prosciutto, basil, tomato, mozzarella…
  • Thai: ginger, mango, coriander, peanuts
  • Moroccan: couscous, aubergine, tahini, hummus, harissa…
  • Bahamian: Decadent Conch Sauce atop a crab stack + cream cheese roll
  • Brazilian: Salmon, cream cheese and passionfruit

Super delicious hot dogs

A refreshing delicious take on the fast-food favourite.

 

Heat up a pan with a drizzle of oil. Fry the sausages until golden brown and crisp.

Finely chop the onion and tomato.

Grab 2  hot dog buns and add the cheese. Heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds. This will heat up the buns and melt the cheese.

Spread some mustard, chipotle, and mayonnaise on the bread. Add the sausages, and top with ketchup and the cilantro-less “pico de gallo.”

Enjoy

  • Other toppings might include cornichons and red onion.

Enchiladas Rojas

On chilly days, indulge yourself with carbs and creamy sauces.

 

Steam the tomatoes, onion, chile and garlic. Once cooked blend all together with the vegetable broth (you can add water as well) and cilantro. Season with salt.
Strain the sauce and set aside.

In a hot pan add avocado oil and start fast frying the tortillas. This means one side, the other side and take out. Pat dry any excess oil.

Divide the sauce into two parts. In the first half add the shredded cooked chicken and fill the tortillas with it. Roll all the tortillas to form tacos and add them to a deep , oven-safe, dish. Pour the remaining salsa on top and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake the dish in the oven for 15 minutes at 200ºC,  or until the salsa is bubbly and the cheese is melted and crispy.

Pork Loin with Caramelised Onions

Make a larger piece of meat than you need to give you something for sandwiches later.

 

Warm up your pressure cooker. Add a drizzle of oil and let heat up. In the meantime cut the onions in stripes. Add them to the pot at medium heat until caramelised. Take the onions out and put the seasoned pork in. Sear it from all sides, it will add an interesting depth of flavour.
Once seared add the onions back in and add water to cover the pork.
Close the pressure cooker and let cook for 30 minutes.  Once done it should be soft and fall apart.

Crispy Breaded Chicken

Get away from your desk to enjoy crispy breaded chicken.

 

This is a very easy recipe. You just have to blend all the ingredients together, except for the chicken fillets of course.

Put the flour mix in a dish and coat the chicken on both sides.

Cook the chicken in a previously hot  and oiled skillet until crispy on both sides.

Kefta Bel Senyye, which means Kefta in the Dish

Preheat the oven to 200.

Use the 30cm dish from Ikea, enough for 6ppl

The potatoes are peeled and cut into thick slices, left to soak in water for a while.

Mix the chicken, parsley, onions, 7 spices and salt until well combined. The measurements for parsley anf onion are approximate, I go by eye, same for 7 spices and salt. Approx 2 tsp of spices but more is ok.

At the bottom of the pan, put a bit of olive oil and spread it well to the sides. Spread the meat mix evenly in the pan and put a drizzle of olive oil on top

Once thats done, WASH YO HANDS! SALMONELLA IS A REAL THING! then pop it in the oven for 10min, the chicken shouldnt be baked, just “waxed.”

While it’s in there, mix 1 tbsp of tomato paste, 1 tbsp of pomegrenate molasses and water in a bowl.

Slice your tomatoes sideways, not too thick not too thin.

Woops! that wasn’t enough potato! Don´t tell anyone, but I didn’t soak that last potato! ???? Put the sliced potatoes on top of the chicken.

Tomatoes are next! and then the  sauce!

Make a little aluminum blanket (as tight as you can!)

Back to the oven for 45min!

In the meantime, clean your station and your sink (SALMONELLAAA!!)

Prepare a side salad, and I always love to serve this with Hummus and Mutabbal (aubergines with tehina)