Wednesday 22 December 2010

Korean King Prawn Broth recipe.

I recently bought some Taeyang Cho Gold paste (Gochujang or Hot Pepper Paste), from my local Chinese Supermarket (Janson Hong), I had seen it used on TV a few times, but had no idea what I was going to do with it? Nigella has used it in a few recipes in her 'Kitchen' cookbook, but I wanted to try something new, from scratch. 
So I grabbed some quality king prawns, and decided to make a broth/soup. And this delightful dish is what I came up with. So easy too!
It has a Thai vibe to it, but the paste makes it fiery, sweet and kinda smokey.
Serves two or 4 as a starter.
Ingredients

  • tablespoon of peanut oil, or vegetable oil.
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 200ml chicken stock, or fish stock
  • 1 small onion, quartered.
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2cm sq piece of ginger, crushed
  • 2 fat lemongrass stalks, bashed with a rolling pin to split them.
  • 3 Kaffir lime leafs
  • Half a pepper chopped, red, green or yellow, your choice.
  • 2-3 tablespoons Taeyang Cho paste. (hot pepper paste).
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar, can substitute it for normal sugar.
  • 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce, to taste.
  • 200g cooked king prawns.
  • rind of 1 lime
  • juice of half a lime.
  • tablespoon of fresh chopped coriander.

1. In a food processor blend the onion, garlic and ginger with a little water, until it forms a thin paste.
2. Heat the peanut oil over a medium heat, in a saucepan that is large enough to take all the ingredients. Add the onion/garlic/ginger paste, and cook until soft but not browned.
3. Add the Taeyang Cho Gold paste, stir and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leafs and bring to the boil.
5. Add the pepper, and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
6. Pour in the fish sauce, palm sugar and lemon rind. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until sugar is absorbed.
7. Throw in the prawns, cook for 3 minutes or until warmed through, add the lime juice and coriander, taste and alter seasoning to taste. Serve immediately in large bowls.

Tuesday 21 December 2010

My latest Sushi



Tuna and Onion Maki and Gunkan Maki, with Vinegar Prawn Temari.
Recipe and detailed instructions to follow.

Sunday 19 December 2010

Heavenly Hummus



This is the recipe everyone asks me for, although I do tend to do different versions, depending on what ingredients I have in my store cupboard.
  Hummus (also spelled hamos, hommos, hommus, homos, houmous, hummos, hummous, or humus) is a Arabic dip or spread traditionally made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. 
  It can be served as an appetizer and dip, hummus is scooped with flatbread (such as pita). It is also served as part of a meze or as an accompaniment to falafel, grilled chicken, fish or eggplant. Garnishes include choppedtomato, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, whole chickpeas, olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, sumac, ful, olives and pickles. Outside the Middle East, it is sometimes served with tortilla chips or crackers.
Ingredients
  • 400g tin of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic.
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
  • Juice of 1 lemon.
  • A pinch of cumin powder.
  • Good quality olive oil.
  • salt preferably sea salt.
Optional ingredients (add one of these to add some variety to your hummus)
  • 1 birdseye chilli with seeds removed and chopped
  • 1/2 a burnt red pepper, roughly chopped (hold it over the hob till it blackens in a few places and becomes softer)
  • 1 tablespoon tahini paste
  • 2 tablespoons Sundried tomato oil.

1. Drain the chickpeas from a can into a sieve, rinse under cold water and remove any dark peas.
2. Place the chickpeas into a food processor, and pulse until all the chickpeas are smashed.
3. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon, add the garlic, cumin and a good pinch of salt (beware if using chickpeas in salted water, as you will not need anywhere as much salt.) Add any of your chosen optional ingredients now also.

4. Turn on the processor and slowly add a good few lugs of olive oil through the funnel, until the consistency is how you like it (you may have to scrape the sides a couple of times so as to mix all the ingredients). Taste and alter seasoning/lemon if required.

This hummus will keep covered in the fridge for almost a week, Its great with toasted pitta, cut into bite size triangles, with tortillas or chopped carrot sticks. I also like to add a lug of olive oil to the top of the bowl before serving, as this stops it from drying out.

Saturday 18 December 2010

Requests? and whats coming soon....

Anyone got any requests for any of my recipes? I'll try and post them.
Also coming up soon are a few top tips, and 10 gadgets every kitchen should have!
Click the link to the right to follow me, or please add comments! Lets spread the word.
Tat Ta!


Craig x

Killer Keema, with Garlic and Coriander Bread.

This is a superb, quick tasty recipe for Indian style Keema.
  Keema is a traditional meat dish of Pakistan and India. Originally this word meant 'minced meat'. It is typically a minced-lamb curry with peas or potatoes. Keema can be made from almost any meat. It is also sometimes used as a filling for samosas and naans, or added to rice.
  I prefer to use minced lamb for this dish, but have also tried it successfully with minced beef, you just need to cook it a little while longer and on a lower heat.
  This recipe is not a traditional one, as normally the meat would be fried first, then set aside to add to the fried spices and tomatoes later.
This can be frozen with no problems or kept covered in a fridge for upto 2 days, its also great on a jacket potato or with a small portion of boiled rice.


Serves 4 as a starter or 2 BIG portions as a main with bread.
Ingredients.
  • 2 tablespoons of Ghee (indian clarified butter), or Vegetable oil.
  • 1 largish onion, finely chopped or blitzed in a processor.
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped.
  • 400g carton or tin of chopped tomatoes.
  • 3cm root ginger, grated or finely chopped.
  • 1-2 birds eye red chilles with seeds, chopped (one for less heat).
  • Salt - to taste, around 1 1/2 teaspoons.
  • 1 teaspoon of garam masala.
  • 2 handfuls fresh coriander, chopped. or one level tablespoon of dried.
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin powder.
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
  • 500-750g minced lamb, or minced beef.
  • 250g frozen peas.
  • 250ml boiling water
  • Juice of 1/2 lime, use the other half as wedges to serve.


1. Heat the ghee or oil, in a large saucepan or frying pan, add the onion and fry on a highish heat until coloured, then add the garlic and fry for roughly 5 minutes or until golden.
2. Turn the heat down, add the chopped tomatoes, ginger, chilli, salt, cumin, turmeric, most of the coriander and finally the garam masala. Stir until the mixture becomes shinyish, or until all spices are mixed in well.
3. Add the mince, and break it up with a big fork, until its mashed  and stirred well.
4. Chuck in the peas, stir for a few minutes, then pour in the boiling water, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a very gentle simmer for 25-30 minutes. (5-10 minutes longer, if using beef). MAKE THE BREAD NOW (see below), if you have not pre-bought naan or flatbread.
5. Most of the water should now be reduced, squeeze the juice of half the lime, divide into portions then sprinkle each dish with the remaining coriander. Serve with the remaining lime wedges and with warm Coriander and Garlic bread. Enjoy!


Super Quick Garlic and Coriander flat bread.

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee
  • 1 mug of self raising flour.
  • 1/2 mug of warm/tepid water (use same mug as flour).
  • 1 large glug of olive oil.
  • 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • 2 tablespoons of Ghee (or butter).
  • 1 garlic clove, minced or finely chopped.
  • 1 tablespoon dried coriander.

This is super easy, anyone can do this.
Preheat your grill to its maximum setting.
1. In a food processor, add the flour, water, salt, glug of olive oil, and half of the coriander. Mix until a sticky dough is formed, add more water or flour if needed, but the dough needs to be sticky not dry.
2. Flour a work surface, and your rolling pin, roll dough thinly, around 3mm maximum, meanwhile warm a frying pan on high and melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee or olive oil.
3. Add the rolled dough to the pan, and keep checking the base until its browned a little.
4. Mix 2 tablespoons of ghee with the remaining coriander and garlic in a small bowl.
5. Transfer the part cooked dough to a pizza tray or leave it in the pan if ovenproof, place under the grill and watch it until the top browns, remove and brush the mixed ghee/butter, coriander and garlic over the warm bread. Mmmmmmmmmmm delish!.


© Craig Lyons, all images and text.

Friday 17 December 2010

Welcome to Lyons Made, a food blog

Thanks for stopping by, this is where all my food thoughts, tips, recipes, photographs and reviews are gonna be.
  
  Hopefully some will find them interesting, and informative, and hell, who knows some of you may even try to cook a few of my recipes.

  This is my first attempt at a blog, so there may be a few blips and dips, so please let me know if there are.

All recipes and photographs on this blog are created by myself, unless stated otherwise.

Enjoy.

Craig x