Turkey chilli

Our easy Turkey Chilli recipe.

When we dropped red meat from our diet, one of the dishes we thought we would miss the most was Chilli con Carne, but through experimentation, we have created a great Turkey chilli and prefer this over a normal chilli, plus it's really easy to make. This is a great low-fat, heart-healthy meal.

Adding beans to the chilli extends the dish, we love black beans, kidney beans and also cannellini beans. It's a way of changing the dish. It also means you have leftovers for another day. Great on the top of a jacket potato or with some tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Sometimes I will add a chopped green or red pepper when I'm frying the onions. You could also add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 chopped fresh chilli instead.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white or red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper (this is medium spice)

1 teaspoon of mild smoked paprika

Turkey thigh mince
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 Knorr beef stock pot 

1 tsp Tamari soy sauce
optional tin of black beans/kidney beans

optional 1 green/red pepper chopped

salt and pepper

Method

Over medium heat, sweat the onion in the olive oil until soft, add a small amount of water to the pan before adding the spices, this stops them burning. Gently fry off the onion and spices until the water has evaporated, keep stirring. If you are going to add the green pepper, add it now and fry 1 minute.

Add the turkey mince and fry off until browned.
Add the tin of tomatoes and a beef stockpot, you can also add a tin of black or kidney beans (don't drain them). If you didn't add the beans, then add half a can of water (wash out the rest of the tinned tomatoes). Stir in the Tamari (this gives a deeper flavour).

Cook gently for about 25 minutes, check the seasoning.

If you are using this in taco shells or with tortillas, cook down a little more, so that it is firm.

Serve with rice.

We also like some salsa and guacamole with ours. A pot of chopped fresh chillies, so that you can sprinkle over as much heat as you want. 

If you aren't worried about the fat content, some grated cheddar and sour cream is a perfect topping.

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Paella

If you want a special dinner, then this makes a great dish. There are quite a few ingredients, but I've discovered some quick cheats when shopping to make this easier.

Ingredients

Sofritto:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 chorizo chopped (can buy ready chopped pack)
1 large pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pack of chicken pieces
1/2 packet of paella rice
1 chicken stock pot made up to 1 pint with boiling water
1 pack of frozen mixed shellfish (M&S contains, prawns, squid and scallops defrosted)
Frozen peas
1 tablespoon flat leaved parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon cut into wedges.

Method

In a non-stick frying pan, gently fry the sofritto together until the olive oil starts to separate from the mix, this can take 10 minutes.
Move the sofritto to the side of the pan and add the chorizo to the other side of the pan, let this fry off and release it's wonderful oils, add the paprika and chicken pieces, cook for 5 minutes stirring the chorizo side of the pan separately from the sofritto, cook until you have browned all the chicken. Mix everything in the pan together. Now sprinkle over the rice and stir in well to the mixture. Pour over the stock and add enough water to cover the chicken with liquid. Stir well and reduce to a simmer.
Stir gently occasionally, cook for 20 minutes. If the pan is drying out, you may need to add more boiling water.
Check the rice, you want it to be just soft and the chicken is cooked. Add the seafood and the frozen peas, stir well and continue to cook for another 5 minutes (add liquid if necessary), the prawns should be pink when fully cooked.
Sprinkle over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

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Spiced chilli pork

It's New Year's Eve, what can you make with cold roast pork, well I let my imagination go and produced this lovely dish. It was really easy and extremely yummy.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
Cold roast pork cut into .5 inch chunks
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 mushrooms sliced
5 tomatoes cut into chunks
1 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Water
1/2 Savoy cabbage finely sliced

Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic and fry gently until soft.
Add the pork and fry for 1 minute, add the paprika and chilli and fry coating all the pork and onions in the spices. This will release the flavours.
Add the mushrooms and fry for another minute. Add some water to help release the juices crusted on the bottom the pan.
Add the tomatoes and the oregano. Season well. Simmer for 10 mins, add more water if necessary.
Add the cabbage and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with boiled rice.

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Beef Goulash

It's great when I feel relaxed, that's when I get inspired to start cooking and love to refresh old recipes and try new ideas too.  The days are beginning to shorten, it's cooler in the morning and I start to get the preserving bug. I can't resist the roadside stalls with gluts of fresh vegetables and fruit which cry out to be pickled, made into chutneys or jams. I need elastic cupboards though, there is never enough room to store the pots and jars. Even my husband is raiding the reduced shelves at the supermarket bringing back ingredients that he knows I'll be using.

I've also decided that I'm going to make the Christmas Cakes over the next couple of weeks, they can then be matured and drizzled with brandy, I'm determined to have them ready before the start of term this year. Yesterday was a cold and damp day, so I decided that something warming was needed and I haven't made a Goulash for ages. I hope you enjoy the recipe.  

Ingredients
Goulash: olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1lb Braising steak, in 1 inch cubes
seasoned flour
1 red pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp paprika
1/2 pint beef stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf

Dumplings:
4oz SR flour
2oz suet
Salt and pepper
1 tsp Chopped fresh thyme
1 tblsp chopped parsley
cold water

Method
Preheat oven Gas 4. Fry off the onion in some olive oil until the onions are soft. Pop these in a casserole dish. Add more oil if necessary. Toss the beef in seasoned flour and fry in small batches until browned on all sides, transfer to the casserole dish. Add the peppers to the pan, fry for 1 minute, add the garlic and caraway seeds, fry for a few seconds and then add the paprika. Pour in the stock and bubble to release the juices on the bottom of the pan, add the tomatoes, heat through and pour into the casserole. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Stir together and cover with a lid. Cook in the oven for 2 hours until tender.

30 minutes before serving, in a medium bowl, mix the flour, suet, chopped herbs, salt and pepper with enough cold water to make a stiff dough. With wet hands, break off walnut sized pieces of the dough and roll into balls. Remove casserole from oven, stir and then pop the dumplings around the stew, leaving space between each, cover with the lid and pop back into the over for approximately 30 minutes for the dumplings to steam.

Serve with some fresh steamed beans, broccoli or peas and a dollop of sour cream.

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Chicken Paprikash with dumplings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Oil

Chicken thighs

1 large red onion sliced

1 green pepper sliced

1 tin tomatoes

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & Pepper

Dumplings

4 oz SR flour

2 oz suet

Salt & Pepper

Water

Method

Preheat oven Gas 5

Heat oil in frying pan and brown the chicken pieces. Place in casserole dish temporarily, sprinkle over half of the paprika onto the skin.

Soften onions, then add peppers and continue to fry for 1 minute. Add remaining paprika and fry for another minute. Put chicken pieces back into frying pan add tomatoes and oregano, season well. Transfer mixture back into casserole, put on lid and place in oven for 2 hours.

30 minutes before finished cooking. Mix flour and suet and seasoning. Add water to make a thick dough. Roll into small balls the size of walnuts.

Remove casserole from oven, stir well and then pop the dumplings on the surface. Cover and put back in oven for a further 30 minutes.

Serve with wilted spinach.

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