Nata's Peruvian Galinha Chicken

I love this chicken it is to die for LOL. Great for parties and Sunday dinners or anytime you want to treat yourself to something especially nice mmmmmh. I tasted galinha chicken on a trip to Miami and ever since I came back home I have tried so many recipes and reinvented them to suit everyone. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

What you will need

1 whole chicken cut in half (along the breast not the back bone) to form a butterfly

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 bunch of Fresh mint with coriander and about 6-8 leave fresh basil.

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2  teaspoon Paprika

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon red or orange chilli paste (for paste blend 3-4 red or orange chillies with 1 teaspoon vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt). I keep a stash in a container great for other recipes.

2 heaped tablespoons fresh garlic paste

1/4 cup beer (any ale will do)

Splash vinegar

Oil to sprinkle over chicken to get it going not too much as chicken has its own fat

Method

Place all ingredients other than chicken into a blender ;) blend till you have a nice smooth marinade.

Wash butterflied chicken well drain score skin with deep enough slits for marinade to penetrate  

Place chicken and marinade in large zip lock bag or a sealable bowel big enough to fit chicken and begin to rub in the marinade into all the crooks and crannies of the chicken

Marinade for 6-8hours or for a better result overnight.

You can either place chicken on a bbq grill and cook till juices run clear or place in an oven and bake at 180degrees for 45mins – 1hour or until juices run clear.

Serve with chips (see recipes for chips) or salads and rolls

Chicken and Mushroom Pies

I love pies, they easy to make and don’t cost a whole lot.

This recipe makes at least 16 pies. You can make up all and freeze others for another day, I prefer to do this while I have energy and have the luxury of popping a pie in the oven when I want. Alternatively half the recipe. Sorry but some of us are used to cooking for an army LOL..

Ingredients 

1 whole chicken (washed salted and roasted at 230 degrees for 40mins in a fan oven)

75g real butter

1 onion sliced in half moon slices

3 cloves garlic ground in a pestle and mortar to a smooth paste (or gigad)

2 punnets mushrooms (you can use button or oyster)

1 teaspoon salt (or season to your taste but be careful as pie does not need too much salt)

2 tablespoons plain flour

400ml fresh milk.

4 rolls of rolled puff pastry.

1 egg beaten for a eggwash or alternatively use milk 

Preheat oven to 200degrees once your pie filling is cooling down

Method

Once Chicken has roasted allow to cool completely before handling. Rip chicken apart and remove all the meat from the carcase shredding the chicken meat into bite size pieces. Ensure all the bones are removed.

In a large pot melt butter add onions and fry slightly to soften the onions.

Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms change in colour and are softened.

Add chicken and give it all a good mix.

Add flour to chicken and mushrooms at this stage the mixture will become stiff.

Finally add milk and stir well.

Season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 10 mins ensuring to stir from time to time.

Set filling aside and allow to cool completely.

Unpack pasty onto a large board and lay flat.

Fold pastry into 4 partitions so as to make 4 oblong pieces.

Fold each oblong into half so as to form a division.

Spoon about 2 large tablespoons onto each strip in the bottom part of the division of each oblong strip.

Egg wash sides and carefully fold the top half onto the bottom being careful to seal the pie around the edges.

Finally take a fork and press flat around the edges to create a ribbed edging 

Sage Onion and Sausage Stuffing with a twist

I love stuffing it is one of my all-time favourites. It reminds me of Christmas… the beauty is you don’t have to wait until Christmas to have a good stuffing in a roast.. This stuffing is great with roast chicken, or pork….

What you will need

1 cup fresh bread crumbs – you can make this yourself in a blender of with a grater

1 onion finely diced

1 clove of garlic (crushed)

4 large pork sausages, (I like to use Tesco’s finest herb pork sausages)

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl spoon fresh sage (removed from stems and lightly bruised with knife)

½ Apple peeled and diced

¼ cup sultanas

(there is no need to add salt to this recipe as there is enough salt in the sausages and your meat will also be well seasoned).

In a pot heat oil and add onions. Lightly sauté onions until soft add garlic, bread crumbs mix well and remove from heat. Remove sausage meat from casings and add to bread and onion mixture followed by remaining ingredients. Use your hands to work in all the ingredients until the mixture begins to bind together. Set stuffing aside until you are ready to use it.

Chilli, coriander (cilantro) and garlic burger patties

Makes 4-6 large patties

1kg mince beef (try and use lean mince)

1 large onion chopped finely

1 big handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) finely chopped (I love coriander and always add extra)

½ teaspoon dried crushed birds eye chilli

1 egg to bind the mixture (for egg allergy suffers use about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil this will help bind the mixture)

1 level tablespoon salt

1 level teaspoon pepper

2-3 tablespoons cooking oil (for fat free option use spray oil)

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients well.

Ensure to get your hands in there and work the mixture well, ensuring all the spices are evenly distributed through your mince.

Take handfuls of the mixture work into balls press down to the size you would like.

Fry in a little oil on a medium heat until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve on a nice fresh burger bun with loads of salad, relish of choice or mayo, and a few chips on the side.

Perfect TV dinner.

Baked Sea bass with lemon garlic and herbs

Serves 4

• 4 medium fresh sea bass
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 100g  butter
• 4 tablespoons mixed dry herbs (or fresh if you have)
• Juice of one large lemon
• 1 level tablespoon salt

Pre-heat oven 200 degrees celsius

• Wash and clean fish well
• Cut about 3 slits on each side of the fish
• In a bowl mix garlic, butter, herbs and lemon until the mixture comes together.
• Spread mixture into fish cavities and slits, wrap in tin foil and bake in preheated oven for 25mins.
• Serve with salads and baked potatoes

Easy beany salad

1 tin kidney beans

1 tin chick peas

1 tin mixed beans

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ finely chopped medium onion

1 fresh firm tomato diced

Handful coriander (cilantro) finely chopped

1 green chilli finely diced (optional)

• Drain and rinse beans and chickpeas in a colander
• Wash and dice seed tomato
• Finely dice onion, chilli and cilantro
• Mix all above ingredients together season with salt and pepper to taste and pour over balsamic vinegar.
• This salad taste extra good the longer it sits. Great for proteins and low in fat… enjoy with fish, chicken breast or on its own.

Pepper Steak and Mushroom Pie

Feeds 6-8 people (for smaller quantities half the ingredients)

1kg stewing beef chopped into small cubes

650g button mushrooms

3 medium to large onions sliced (450g)

1 red pepper sliced

2 green peppers sliced (altogether with the red pepper 370g)

4 tbsp cooking oil

1 roll puff pastry

4 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp black crushed pepper

1 level tbsp. of allspice

2 beef stock cubes

3 medium potatoes cubed

Preheat your oven to 200°C

Boil beef until very soft and tender.

Once the meat is very tender and the water is completely finished in the pot, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and braze the meat until nice and brown.

Once the meat is brown add the onions and garlic.

Add the paprika, pepper, allspice and mix thoroughly.

If you find that your pot is a bit dry add a bit of oil (approx. 1 tbsp).

Continue to fry until the onions are nice and soft.

Keep stirring. If your ingredients start to stick add about 2 tbsp of water. This will activate your spices and speed up the softening process of your onions.

Once your onions are soft, add the mushrooms. Fold them in carefully, ensuring the mixture is thoroughly mixed.

Reduce your heat to medium heat. Close your pot and leave to simmer for 2 mins and stir. Close the lid and leave to simmer for further 5 mins.

If need be, stir your pot from time to time (this depends on whether you are using a non-stick pot or not)

You will notice the mushroom would have released their natural juices (this is good for the gravy)

Add your peppers and the stock cubes. Season with salt to taste. Be careful when adding salt as stock cubes are normally quite salty.

Add 2 tbsp of gravy bisto gravy granules to 200ml of water

Mix the granules well until dissolved. Add to your pot and mix well. Cook for further 20 mins.

Add the potatoes and mix them in the pot.

Cook till the potatoes are soft. 

Pour into a pyrex dish. Allow to cool for 10-15 mins.

Place pastry over the meat mixture. Seal the sides with egg and milk. Baste the top with egg and milk wash. Pierce centre to release the steam. Decorate if desired.

Put in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins or until pastry is nice and golden brown.

Enjoy with a fresh salad