One-pot Chicken Pilaf

here's another great one-pot recipe in Ralph's mission to bring you easy, no-hassle, tasty and quick to make food.   
This one-pot Chicken Pilaf only takes 20 minutes to cook and is the ideal quick supper dish for one and you can even eat it out the cooking dish so less washing up...result!  Needless to say you can just double up for two.....


Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 1 large or 2 small boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp curry paste (choose your favourite)
• a third of a mug basmati rice
• two-thirds of a mug chicken stock
• 1 mug frozen mixed vegetables
• half a mug frozen leaf spinach

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the onion for 5-6 mins until softened. Add the chicken pieces, fry for a further couple of mins just to colour the outside, then stir in curry paste and rice. Cook for another min.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and throw in any larger bits of frozen veg. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 10 mins, then stir in the remaining veg. Scatter over the spinach, cover, then cook for 10 mins more until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender. Give everything a good stir, season to taste, then tuck in.

Nutrition per Serving:

663 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 92g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 0g, sugar 13g, salt 1.94 g

Vicars Cafe Bistro.....Social Enterprise at it's best.....

Having looked at the Saltaire Festival last year one of the local eateries took my eye.  Vicars Cafe Bistro is a busy cafe in the very heart of the famous Saltaire World Heritage site which is run with a Christian outlook and a vision to serve the community, aiming to encourage people to look at Christianity in a different light and recently it achieved Social Enterprise status (businesses whose prime purpose is social, who operate ethically and are democratically owned and governed).





Alongside the busy Café they run an evening Bistro on Fridays and Saturdays. A selection of seasoned dishes (including meat, fish, and vegetarian options) are available, with a menu which changes on a monthly basis. From a table for one to a group of 24, they can cater to your needs so if you’re planning a celebratory meal out, why not choose Vicars?

If you're looking for a recommendation for any eatery then what more could you ask for than a visit from a Michelin Star chef.....Alan Murchison visited the cafe back in May and cooked up a storm.

He's executive chef of L'Ortolan, a restaurant in Shinfield near Reading with a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and 8/10 in The Good Food Guide.

As Managing Director of 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group, he's set himself a goal to open 10 Michelin star restaurants by 2018.  






They host several group events in the Red Room Lounge, such as the popular weekday Mum and Baby Groups, ‘Knitterati’ knitting sessions, and weekend Storytelling group 'Tell Me Another' . The Red Room is also available for local artists to exhibit their work, and the space is available to hire for events. They proudly continue to support the efforts of local events and groups such as the Arts Trail and Saltaire Festival.



They support the Red Fund a charity working to aid HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe.  As much as possible their goods are sourced locally or Fair Trade with cakes baked on site and food prepared fresh for each customer.  They are always keen to hear new ideas of how to create community within the area.

As a Cafe they are open Monday, Wednesday - Saturday between 10-5pm. And as a 5 course meal Bistro on Friday and Saturday nights from 7:30pm ..... (booking is essential for the evenings).  

So if you're local or just visiting, nip in for a cuppa and a chat, find out what they're about or even join in, they'll be more than pleased to see you.

Prawn and Apple Curry.....

I love a well-made apple pie with quality ice-cream but you can only eat so many apple pies before the shine wears off (yup even me) and you look at the lovingly-made pie your best friend presents you with despair, not because it isn't going to be great, but because you are truly sick of it.

Of course, it might just be that you don't like apple pie, but you love apples but if so, never fear - this recipe helps to use up those apples, and not a single pie, crumble or tart in sight!

This is a mild, sweet curry, perfect for Autumn and the softer apples it brings.

Ingredients:

1 Onion, chopped

2 Celery stalks, chopped

50 g of Butter or Olive Oil spread

2 Apples peeled and diced

80 g sultanas

3/4 teaspoons medium Curry Powder

2 teaspoons Cornflour

175 ml Chicken Stock (or fish, if you've been feeling adventurous and made your own)

350 g Prawns, cleaned and veined

Method:

Gently fry onion and celery in butter until they become transparent and get some color. 

Add apple slices and sauté another minute, or until they soften. 

Stir in curry and flour, add stock and sultanas then mix everything together thoroughly. 

Add the prawns, cover and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked.

Serve with a nice long-grain rice, basmati or rice noodles.

Serves 4

Zaara's Indian Restaurant, Shipley.....Listed in the Michelin Guide

Now it's no secret that one of Ralph's favourite places is Saltaire in West Yorkshire, so it's no surprise that Zaara's restaurant in Shipley has come to my attention.  

Zaara's is an independent family run restaurant and are proud to announce that they're the only Indian restaurant from Yorkshire in the Michelin Guide 2010,  2011 and 2012.

Anjali Pathak

At Zaara's they believe in sourcing the very best ingredients to ensure they cook the finest Punjabi food. They produce their own 
paneer, cook saag to a traditional recipe and create their own sauces and chutneys.

They're inventive and inspired so for something different don't miss out on either their salads or sweet samosas, the cherry and marscapone is to die for.....just ask the lovely Anjali Pathak (yes THAT Patak) if you don't believe me!




Zaara's is the fulfillment of Harry Khinda's dream of owning a restaurant that brought the real taste of Indian food to the Bradford area.  The stylish restaurant serves "authentic Indian food", including the traditional spinach and cheese dish saag paneer, chicken seek kebab, prawn and garlic masala samosa, various fish dishes and Harry's favourite tandoori paneer tikka - "It's paneer (Indian cheese) marinated in yoghurt and spices, and cooked in a clay oven. It's soft and succulent with pure white cheese inside."

Zaara's offers a menu to suit the most discerning of palates so why not make your selection from the wide range of reasonably priced mains on offer.....and enjoy them in stylish surroundings.....or alternatively, take advantage of the fantastic offers available.....