All-in-one rice & chicken:

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2 free-range chicken legs
• 2 free-range chicken thighs
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
• 50 g long-grain rice
• 150 g Medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon runny honey

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan and brown the chicken legs and thighs, then remove and set aside. 

Peel and dice the onion then in the same pan, sweat the onion until softened, before crushing in the garlic and adding the spices. 

Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the rice, dates, honey and browned chicken.

Cover with water and bring to the boil before allowing to simmer, covered, over a medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the rice and chicken are cooked through.

Aubergine daal:

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine
• 2 red onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger
• 4 tablespoons rogan josh curry paste
• groundnut oil
• 500 g yellow split peas
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 250 g wholemeal flour , plus extra for dusting
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 320 g basmati rice
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 1 handful of fresh curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method:

If you cook this daal well and season it with love, it’ll be delicious, incredibly economical, and sociable, fun eating. Our tasty friend Mr Daal does have the tendency to be quite ugly, but I think, rolled up in these handmade chapatis with fluffy rice, roasted aubergine, crispy curry leaves and chilli, then presented to one’s gob – it’s a beautiful experience. So I say, no more ugly daal, dress it up, baby, because it’s all about the confidence!

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cut the aubergine into 2cm chunks, peel and slice the onions and garlic, peel and finely grate the ginger. Put all this into a large high-sided roasting tray with the curry paste and a lug of groundnut oil. Toss together until well coated, then roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sticky and caramelized. Remove half the roasted veg to a large pan to start your daal and return the tray to the oven to keep warm – turn the oven off so that the veg don’t dry out. Place the pan on a low heat on the hob. Stir in the split peas, crumble in the stock cube and add 2 litres of boiling water. Simmer for around 1 hour 20 minutes with the lid on, or until the split peas are tender and the daal has thickened, stirring occasionally, and adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed.

Meanwhile, place the flour in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and make a well in the middle. Add the olive oil and 150ml of water to the well and mix together with a fork. When it comes together as dough, tip it on to a flour- dusted surface, knead until smooth, then divide into 12 balls. Roll each one into a circle, nice and thin, turning as you go and dusting with a little extra flour, if needed. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the chapatis for 1 minute on each side, or until cooked but not coloured. Stack them in tin foil as you go and keep them warm until needed.

Put 1 mug of rice and 2 mugs of boiling water into a pan with a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium heat with the lid on for 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, to make the flavoured oil (called a temper), finely slice the chilli and place it in a small frying pan on a medium heat with the curry leaves, mustard seeds and a good lug of groundnut oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until crispy. Load up your warm chapatis with rice, daal and a scattering of roasted veggies, drizzle over the temper, roll up and tuck in.

Tacu tacu

Tacu tacu Rice Recipie:

Ingredients:

• 300 g long-grain white rice
• 1 plantain, peeled
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic , chopped
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 red chilli , finely sliced
• hot chilli sauce
• 1 x 400 g tin of haricot beans , drained
• 4 large free-range eggs

Method:

Cook the rice according to packet instructions; drain and cool. 

Slice the plantain about 1.5cm thick. Add a couple of good glugs of oil to a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the plantain for a few minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Set aside and keep warm.

Return the pan to the heat, keeping any leftover oil; fry the garlic, onion and chilli over a medium-low heat for 5–10 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden. Stir in 1 tablespoon of hot chilli sauce; add the beans and cooled rice. 

Turn the heat up to high and fry the mixture until the rice is piping hot and beginning to crisp, stirring regularly. Stop stirring for the last couple of minutes to let it get golden and crisp on the bottom – this is your tacu tacu! Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

Add a little more oil to the same pan and place over a medium heat. Fry the eggs, adding the plantain for the last minute to warm through.

Divide the tacu tacu among your plates, making sure everyone gets some of that lovely crispy bottom, and top each portion with a fried egg, some crispy plantain and an extra dash of chilli sauce, if you like.

Baked rice with chicken & chorizo:

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 red or yellow pepper
• 3 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 50 g quality chorizo
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 250 g wholemeal basmati rice
• 8 skinless boneless higher-welfare chicken thighs
• 500 ml passata
• 300 ml organic chicken stock
• 2 lemons

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. 

Peel and finely chop the onion, peel and finely grate the garlic and deseed and roughly chop the pepper. Pick the parsley leaves and put aside, then finely chop the stalks. Roughly chop the chorizo.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, pepper, parsley stalks, chorizo and paprika for cook for around 5 minutes, or until starting to soften, stirring regularly.

Add the rice, then stir everything around until the rice is coated in all the lovely flavoured oil. Pour in the passata and stock, then add the zest and juice of 1 lemon.

Submerge the chicken in the sauce, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Scrunch up a wet piece of greaseproof paper, then open it out and place on top of the bubbling dish. Put a tight fitting lid on top, then place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Loosen with a splash of boiling water, if needed.

Finely chop the parsley leaves, then sprinkle over the top. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for squeezing over. Delicious served with a crisp green salad.

Tips:

If you’re making this for adults or teenagers, replace the stock with white wine for an added flavour boost.

Ashley's sticky rice mango:

Ingredients:

• 400 g sushi rice or Thai sticky rice
• 1 x 400 ml tin of coconut milk
• 100 g palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 large ripe mangos

Method:

Soak the rice in cold water and leave overnight.

The next day, rinse and drain the rice, repeating until the water runs clear. 

Place it in a pan, cover with cold water and pop on the lid. Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

In another pan, stir the coconut milk, sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt over a medium heat. Bring it to the boil, then take off the heat. 

Pour half over the rice and leave to absorb for about 2 minutes, or until the rice is soft. Pour the rest into a bowl. Chill both in the fridge. 

Fold the coconut milk through the rice, then peel, destone and cut the mango into wedges. Serve with the sticky rice.

Pea, mint & basil arancini cakes:

Ingredients:

• 5 spring onions
• 1 small clove of garlic
• olive oil
• 160 g arborio risotto rice
• 80 ml white wine
• 500 ml hot organic vegetable stock
• 40 g fresh or frozen peas
• 20 g butter
• 1 lemon
• 20 g Parmesan cheese
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• ½ a bunch of fresh basil
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 200 g fresh breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil

Method:

Trim and finely chop the spring onions, peel and finely chop the garlic. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add half the spring onions and cook gently until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. 

Turn up the heat, add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until translucent, then add the wine and keep stirring until all of it has been absorbed. 

Pour in the hot stock in small amounts, stirring continuously over a low heat until the rice is almost cooked; you may not need all of the stock. 

Add the peas and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, remaining spring onions and lemon zest. Finely grate in the Parmesan, pick, chop and add the herbs, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Leave to cool completely.

Take small handfuls and shape into cakes. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, then place the breadcrumbs on a plate alongside it. 

Dip the cakes in the egg, shaking off any excess, then coat in the breadcrumbs. 

Heat enough oil to fill a large frying pan to about half the depth of the cakes. Fry the arancini for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. 

Serve with a green salad and a squeeze of lemon.

Oozy courgette risotto:

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 knob of unsalted butter
• olive oil
• 2 small courgettes (300g)
• 800 ml organic vegetable stock
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 40 g Italian hard cheese
• 300 g arborio rice
• 200 ml white wine , optional
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 2 x 125 g balls of buffalo mozzarella

Method:

Peel the onion and garlic, trim the celery and finely chop all three. Place a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.

Place the butter in the hot pan with the onion, garlic and celery, a splash of oil, and a splash of water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for around 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Trim the courgettes, slice lengthways into quarters, then chop into small ½ cm chunks and put to one side.

Fill a medium saucepan with 800ml water. Add the stock cube and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring to dissolve, then turn the heat down to low.

Pick and reserve the basil leaves, then add the stalks to the pan of stock. Finely grate the Italian hard cheese.

Once the vegetables are very soft but not browned, add the rice to the pan.

Stir and fry the rice for 1 minute until translucent, then add the wine (if using) and keep stirring until it has been absorbed by the rice.

Turn the heat under the rice up to medium, then add a ladleful of hot stock, avoiding the basil stalks – these are there to add flavour but not to be eaten! 

Stir constantly and continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to soak it all up before adding the next ladleful. Continue until you’ve used two-thirds of the stock.

Finely chop the basil leaves and the chilli (deseed the chilli if you prefer a milder heat).

Stir the chopped courgette into the stock, and keep adding it (courgette and all) until the rice is cooked and the risotto has a nice oozy consistency – if you run out of stock, use boiling water.

Take the pan of risotto off the heat. Tear the mozzarella balls into pieces and stir into the pan with half the basil.

Stir through half the grated Italian hard cheese, then season to taste with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid and allow to sit for two minutes.

Divide the risotto between four plates, scatter over the remaining cheese, basil and the fresh chilli, then tuck in!

Croatian-style cuttlefish risotto:

Ingredients:

• 300 g risotto rice
• 500 g cuttlefish , cleaned, bones and trimmings reserved, from sustainable sources
• 1 litre organic chicken stock , optional
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 large ripe tomatoes
• ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• olive oil
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 3 anchovies, from sustainable sources
• 1 tablespoon cuttlefish ink, from sustainable sources
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Cook the risotto rice in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and spread out on a tray to cool (there’s no need to rinse it).

Carefully score the underside of the cuttlefish in a criss-cross pattern, then chop into 2cm pieces along with the tentacles.

To make the fish stock, place the reserved cuttlefish skin, bones and trimmings into a large pan. Cover with the chicken stock (if using) or 1 litre of boiling water and place over a high heat. Bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes, then strain into another pan and leave over a low heat to keep warm.

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Deseed and dice the tomatoes. Pick the parsley leaves and set aside, then finely chop the stalks.

Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a medium pan on a medium heat, then add the onion, garlic and whole anchovies. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened. 

Add the cuttlefish, parsley stalks, tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine, cuttlefish ink and 500ml of stock. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the cuttlefish is tender. 

Finely chop the parsley leaves, deseed and finely slice the chilli, then combine in a bowl with most of the lemon juice and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

Gently fold the cooled risotto rice into the pan and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with the chilli-spiked parsley oil drizzled on top.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 medium green peppers
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can chicken broth
• 3 c. water
• 2½ c. long-grain white rice
• 1 package frozen peas
• 1 c. salad olives or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

• Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and black pepper; cook, in 2 batches, about 6 minutes per batch, until lightly browned on both sides. With tongs, transfer chicken pieces to small roasting pan (13" by 9") or jelly-roll pan (1 1/2" by 10 1/2").
  2. Cover roasting pan with foil and bake chicken 25 to 30 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife.
  3. Meanwhile, in same Dutch oven, cook green peppers, garlic, and onion about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika and cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice, broth, water, and rice; heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and olives.
  4. Grease two 2- to 2 1/2-quart glass or ceramic baking dishes. Spoon half the rice mixture into each prepared baking dish. Carefully tuck thighs into hot rice mixture. Cover and bake one dish 25 minutes or until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice to serve. Meanwhile, prepare second baking dish for freezing .

Russian Chicken Rice Pilaf:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ x 1″ cubes
3 cups brown rice, rinsed
4 1/2 cups water
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
3-4 medium carrots, cut into “straws”
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 full head of garlic, unpeeled

Directions:

1. Rinse rice really well with cold water until water runs clear. Soak for 1 hour in hot water with a pinch of salt.

2. Rinse and cut chicken breasts into 1.5″ x 1″ cubes.

3. Peel onions, cut in halves and slice thinly.

4. Peel carrots and cut them into “straws”. It is a good idea to buy packaged shredded carrots. Saves a lot of time! Do not grate carrots.

5. Measure spices.

6. Preheat dutch oven and add olive oil to it. Add onions and cook on a high heat until barely golden brown.

7. Add chicken and cook 7-10 minutes. You should see juice coming out of meat and it will have some brown sides. Do not stir often. Keep the high heat.

8. Add carrots, mix, cover, reduce heat to medium high and cook for 20-30 minutes. There should be less juices now.

9. Remove lid and cook another 5-10 mins until the carrots brown a little bit. Add water, paprika, cumin, turmeric, head of garlic, salt. Stir and cook for 15 minutes.

Drain the rice, add to the dutch oven, stir, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 40 mins.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve immediately with squeezed out garlic from the cloves. Once garlic is cooked it will come out easily from the cloves.