Author Archives: The Cooking spoon

Pollo al Ajillo, Chicken in Garlic Sauce .

Pollo al Ajillo is one of my favorite Spanish dishes, besides Fideuá and Paella. This particular dish has tons of Garlic, White wine, Rosemary, Thyme and good Olive oil. You can serve it with potatoes cooked along with the Chicken or leave them out and just serve with some crusty Baguette.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 2 1⁄2 lb. or 1 whole Chicken cut in to 12 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper or use Poultry seasoning if you like
12 garlic cloves separated, unpeeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 tbsp. flour
1 glass dry white wine
3/4 – 1 cup chicken broth
6 medium peeled potatoes, about 3⁄4 lb. (375 g) total, cut in slices or quarters
4 fresh thyme sprigs, 4 fresh sprigs Rosemary
2 bay leafs
1 tbsp. finely chopped Rosemary
Some parsley to scatter over for serving.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed to avoid crowding, add the chicken to the hot pan, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer each batch, skin side up, to a large baking dish or a round one (like mine). Scatter over the chopped rosemary and put the remaining thyme and rosemary twigs tucked between the chicken pieces. Set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375° F.

Do not wipe the pan clean and keep it over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan.

Add the garlic cloves to the saucepan and the chopped onion cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and beginning to soften, add the sliced garlic and 1 tbsp. flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, stock and bay leafs and let bubble for a few minutes.Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Wash the potatoes, leave the skin on and cut them length wise in four. Tuck between the chicken pieces. . They’ll absorb the chicken flavour and will taste amazing.

Bake in the oven uncovered for about 40-50 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the chicken opaque throughout and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately scattered with some freshly chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Great served with Green Beans with Chorizo & Thyme

Summer Cupcakes

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These little Summer Cupcakes were so much fun to make. Don’t they look cute? They are tender and soft, scented with vanilla, just so irresistible.

The most work were the slippers, but even that I did watching tv, so you can imagine it couldn’t have been that difficult, it just takes a little time.

My daughter came home from school one day and told me she had signed me up for baking for the Schools annual BBQ, Yeeaaaay…. No, seriously I don’t mind. I have always been assigned to baking for school because they know how much I love it. Especially baking for kids, they are always so super enthusiastic.

Ingredients;

1 C. All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
3-4 tbsp. Milk
½ C. unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature
3/4 C. Caster Sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions:

Adjust rack to lower third of oven; preheat the oven to 350° F.

Place paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Stir the vanilla into the milk. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar beating until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the batter is light and creamy, and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl after each addition. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the liquid ingredients in 3 additions.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the top of the muffins springs back when lightly touched, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out dry.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.

The decorations are made out of fondant, strips of candy mats for the towels and a bit of colored icing sugar for the sea.

Enjoy!

Myra Xo

Looking for more great recipes to try? Be sure to check out these French Crêpes.

Thai Fish Parcels

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These little parcels are a real feast. Each person gets their own package to be opened at the table to reveal an incredible aroma when opened.

This will get you plenty of “oohs and aahs” at your next dinner party.

You can make the parcels a few hours in advance so you can relax when your guests arrive. All you have to do is pop them in the oven and steam some veg. They are super simple to make and quite inexpensive too.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Ingredients;

Cooking spray (olive oil based)
2 C. steamed Jasmin rice or grain of choice
4 Fish Fillets such as Plaice, Sole, Flounder or Tilapia
Thai Roast Chili paste
Lemon Grass paste
1 Lime
a small piece of Ginger, you will need 8 thin slices
A handful of Coriander
1/4 C. Coconut cream
Fish Sauce

Method;

Cut 4 x 12″ pieces of parchment baking paper. Spray each square of paper with a little oil.

Place 1/2 cup of steamed rice or grains of choice onto each square of paper

Place a fish fillet onto the rice tucking the thin tail underneath.

Spread a little Thai roast chili paste over fish, about 1/4 tsp. Then a very thin layer of Lemon grass paste also about a 1/4 tsp. Then sprinkle two thin slices of peeled ginger cut into julienne (matchsticks) over the fillets. Season with a little fish sauce. Grind over some black pepper. Then sprinkle over the Coriander, about 1/2 – 1 tbsp. Top with two slices of lime. Pour over two tbsp. of coconut cream and fold up the parcel to seal.

Place onto a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer parcels to serving plates. Open carefully. Serve with steamed vegetables of choice.

Looking for more great recipes to try? Be sure to check out this Crab stuffed Flounder

Super quick pan roast Jacket Potatoes.

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This is so quick and easy I almost feel embarrassed to post it. Let’s just say it’s more of a “note to self”, for future reference. I was in a big hurry to get things on the table that evening and these turned out so good that I just had to write it down. Try them, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Ingredients;

1 lb. medium side new Potatoes

Himalayan Salt

2 tbsp. Olive oil

Method;

Scrub the potatoes really well and dry them with kitchen paper.

Pierce them two to three times on each side and place them on kitchen paper in the microwave.

Microwave on high for three to four minutes. Turn them over and microwave for another three minutes or so. It really depends on the size of the potatoes so you will have to test them as you go. They should still be a bit firm, but you should be able to pierce them with a wooden skewer without a problem.

As soon as you can handle the heat, cut them in half lengthwise. Season with salt all over.

Heat a frying pan, add the oil and when hot add the potatoes cut side down. Fry for about 8 to 10 minutes until they are beautifully golden and crusty.

However the best flavour is obtained when you fry them in the same pan as the meat your are cooking so the potatoes get all the juicy flavor from the meat.

Serve straight away with a burger or anything else. Maybe a Black Bean Burger ?

Note: You can even serve these on their own as a snack with a dip or Aïoli.