Perfect Roast Potatoes

These perfect roast potatoes are a necessity for the Christmas dinner. So many people struggle when trying to make their roasties lovely and crispy, when its so simple to do, and something everyone should know how to make.

Ingredients:

- 2.5Kg Potatoes

- 300ml Goose fat

- 100g Semolina

- Pre-heat the oven to its highest setting (ideally around 250-260C)

- Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks, as big or small as you like them.

- Boil the potatoes for four minutes then drain the saucepan.

- Add the goose fat to a baking tray and put in the oven to heat up.

- Add the semolina to the potatoes in the saucepan and give them a good shake to blur and roughen up the edges (these fluffy edges are what are going to give the crunch).

- Once the goose fat is hot, put the potatoes into the baking tray and put straight back into the oven.

- Cook for 25 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 25 minutes.

You should have the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner. Perfect crispy roast potatoes.

Willie's Chocolate Revolution

Some of you may have seen this programme on TV a little while ago. But for those that haven't, its a programme about Willie Harcourt-Cooze - chocolate fanatic and chef - tying to show us (the British) what chocolate really is. Not the typically sweet milky 'rubbish' you will find in supermarkets, but real cacao, not refined beyond recognition. The programme shows Willie's journey to find the perfect cacao for his new chocolate bars. Once he finds the Venezuelan and Peruvian cacao beans, he goes about turning them into the perfect chocolate bars. You can watch the three episodes here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tJRhSw7L3c.

Have a look at his site dedicated to the chocolate he has made. Why not treat yourself to a bar? I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate but Willies chocolate is delicious. You can buy his chocolate on his site, http://www.williescacao.com/.

Here is Willie with his Christmas turkey recipe, a quirky take on the traditional turkey dinner.

Prawn Stir Fry

This is a great healthy recipe from Jo Pratt. So tasty and quick to make. I end up making stir fry a lot because being a student means i don't always have time to spend two hours in the kitchen slaving away. If your a stir fry lover then you will love this recipe.

Chicken Korma

I cannot even remember how many times i have made this dish. It gets better every time. I have been making tweaks to the recipe ever since i started making it when i came to university two years ago. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as i do.

Ingredients:
- 1 sachet of Patak's creamed-coconut
- 300ml Chicken stock
- 250g Creme Fraiche
- 100g flaked almonds
- 1tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1/2 - 1tsp Chili powder (You can leave this out if you prefer your korma not spicy at all)
- 1tsp Mustard seeds
- 4 Cardamon pods
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 2 Chicken breasts (diced into 2cm chunks)
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil

- Dry-fry the flaked almonds in a frying pan over a high heat until golden brown, and leave to one side.

- Add the olive oil, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick and mustard seeds to a saucepan over a medium-high heat. When the mustard seeds begin to sizzle add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft. Then add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.

- Add the turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander and chili powder to the onions (it should form a thick paste - if it is too dry add a little more oil). Cook for 30 seconds and add the diced chicken. Cook for five minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through.

- Add the chicken stock, coconut cream, creme fraiche and flaked almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Then cover and turn to a medium-low heat. Leave for one hour, stirring occasionally.


Let me know what you think. Any improvements or comments are welcome.

Sticky Lemon Chicken

Gordon Ramsay bring us another yummy recipe. Turning chicken from the standard, boring household meat into something a bit different, and so delicious. I have used this recipe so many times and friends and family all love it. Watch the video and have a go yourself.



Enjoy guys!

Top Ten Favourite Healthy Recipes

After writing the top ten favourite foods, i thought i would follow up with a top ten healthy recipes with some of the best yummy but low fat dishes.

10. Pasta with a tomato and basil sauce.
Unbelievably tasty for something so low fat. With whole wheat pasta to make you feel full for longer. You will be making this again and again once you have tried it.

9. Lime and coriander chicken kebabs.
Kebab is not something you very often associate with weight loss. Rather, fat students after a very drunk night out. Very simple to make, and another gem for healthy eating. Served over brown rice it will shed the pounds quicker than you can say 'kebab'.

8. Spicy salmon salad.
Again, really simple, but a lovely combination of flavors. Potato with rocket, cucumber and salmon, drizzled with a lovely spicy dressing.

7. Healthy Chili Con Carne.
A favourite in many households. But when using lean mince meat it turns this classic into a quick, healthy meal.

6. Leek and potato soup.
Really easy to make and so yummy. Full of healthy veg that is ideal for a lunch time meal. Hearty, filling and full of nutrients.

5. Chicken and mango salad.
Doesn't get much better than this. Check the recipe to check how to make this delicious dish.

4. Raspberry and redcurrent sorbet.
There are no words to describe it. healthy and delicious, what more can you ask for.

3. Prawn stir-fly.
Something most people will have tried and loved. With plenty of veg and whole wheat noodles its a winner for wight loss.

2. Raspberry and hazelnut tart.
Something that is so hard to believe that it might be low fat, and you might be able to eat it without the scales haunting you.

1. Thai style couscous.
Thai and Japanese seem to have the answer to staying healthy and slim. Its always so delicious and you can rest assured that your meal will contain vast amounts of vital nutrients to keep you going.

I hope everyone likes the top ten. Let me know what you think, any suggestions would be appreciated. The recipes will be up on the blog soon.

Whole Wheat is the Answer

Many people find it hard to stop snacking between meals, that's usually because your not getting enough fibre, and that's where wholewheat comes in. Whole wheat pasta, bread and rice all contain 10 times the amount of fibre of their white counterpart.

Fibre has an amazing property of making you feel fuller for longer. So sticking to whole wheat products will help you stop those hourly fridge raids. The hinges on your fridge will be thanking you, and you will be on your way to your weight loss goals.