Steamed Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Chestnuts & Pancetta

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This dish is so yummy with a little kick. Perfect for Christmas dining as you can make as much as you need. I do love 1 pot meals.

Makes about 4 large portions or 8 smaller side portions.

1 x Butternut Squash – cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

100g cooked chestnuts, quartered

½ small pack sage leaves, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

8 slices of pancetta – chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

150g basmati & wild rice mix

300ml veg stock

Parmesan to serve

  1. Heat oven to 200 deg.
  2. Toss the squash with 1⁄2 tbsp of oil, chilli flakes and some seasoning on a large roasting tray. Roast for 15 mins, then add the shallots, garlic, chestnuts and nestle the sage and pancetta around the squash so that they touch the baking sheet.
  3. Return to the oven for 10-15 mins until the pancetta and sage are crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  4. In the Steam pot place the Rice with the 300ml stock and steam for 20 mins on rice setting.  Or you can use a pan on the hob, bring to boil the stock , add rice, cover, reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
  5. Remove steam pot and add the ingredients to rice and mix through to warm through.
  6. Serve with grated parmesan.

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Smokey Tomato Salsa

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This is so yummy and goes with just about anything I think.

Makes 4 servings

Chopped pancetta

Handful of cherry tomatoes – halved

1 onion – chopped finely

1 clove Garlic

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt & pepper

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan – high heat, add the onion and the pancetta, cook until onion is softened down
  2. Add in the cherry tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, salt & pepper and sugar, mix through, cook for about  5-7 mins. Any liquid should thicken.

 

Pesto Chicken Spaghetti

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Always wanted to make my own pesto sauce, so today was that day! Decided to pair with some chicken and pasta for dinner, very tasty if I do say so myself! lol!

Makes for 2

For the chicken pan:-

1 1/2 large chicken breast – cut into small chunks

80g Spinach spaghetti pasta

Handful pancetta

10 cherry tomatoes

1 red & 1 yellow pepper – sliced finely

1 onion – chopped finely

Salt & pepper

Italian seasoning

1 tsp chilli flakes

For the pest sauce:- 

Large handfuls of basil

80-100g toasted pine nuts

1 garlic clove

Salt & pepper

Lemon Juice (1 lemon)

50g Parmesean cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Olive oil (very important to use a very good quality oil)

 

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the chicken, season with salt & pepper & Italian seasoning, brown all over.
  2. Meanwhile bring a large pan of salted water to boil for your pasta, add pasta and reduce to simmer for 10 mins.
  3. Add onion, pancetta and peppers to pan with chicken and cook until soft and slightly browned.  20161008_174620
  4. Add cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes cook for a few mins, stir through
  5. To make the sauce, put everything into a food processor and blend until smooth, gently add the oil a little at a time until desired smoothness.                                                                                                        20161008_174630 20161008_180034
  6. Drain pasta and add to the chicken pan, mixing through with the other ingredients. Tip in the sauce, mix and heat through for about 1 min.                                                                          20161008_180027

Serve – Yummy!

 

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Creamed Corn Pancakes with Salsa

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I believe Creamed corn pancakes originally came from Australia, a popular brunch food on the menu, however, I think they call them fritters! I decided to give them a go, the weather is getting colder and I crave warmer filling food, so this is ideal either as a breakfast, brunch or lunch.

This recipe made 6 large pancakes:-

For the pancakes:-

100g flour

1 tsp baking powder

100ml full fat milk (or you could use buttermilk)

1 egg

1 can creamed corn

1 handful of fresh sweetcorn

handful of parsley

Salt & pepper

  1. Whisk together milk, egg, creamed corn, sweetcorn, salt & pepper
  2. Mix flour and baking powder together and add to the above mixture, throw in the parsley stirring through
  3. Heat a large pan with 1 tbsp oil and then spoon into pan making a pancake shape (I love this bit, you always know when it’s homemade when it’s a weird shape and 2 are never the same….lol!)
  4. Cook through for about 5-7 mins each side or until browned and cooked through (medium heat)

Meanwhile for the Salsa:-

Chopped pancetta

Handful of cherry tomatoes – halved

1 onion – chopped finely

1 clove Garlic

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt & pepper

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan – high heat, add the onion and the pancetta, cook until onion is softened down
  2. Add in the cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt & pepper and sugar, mix through, cook for about  5-7 mins. Any liquid should thicken.

I served mine with some mashed avocado also. Yummy!

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