Author: Simplebutsplendid

fish pie

Fish pie

Fish pies to me just scream comfort food! Perfect for icy winter evenings, it comes together very quickly and with minimal effort.

Another huge plus is the ability to easily get fish into people who generally don’t love it because the flavour is largely disguised by the sauce.

Let’s get cooking…

Start by getting your mashed potatoes on the boil. These should be cooked until fork tender 20-25 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, move on to the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and add in the leeks, celery, carrots and a pinch of salt. Allow the veg to sweat until they are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

When the veg begins to soften, add in Dijon, thyme corn starch and milk. The sauce should begin to thicken, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the fish up into bite sized pieces and place into an oven proof dish and pour over the sauce.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain, season with salt, pepper, butter and pour in the milk. Mash until creamy.

Top the fish and sauce with the mash and bake for 30 minutes at 180C until bubbling and golden.

Fish pie
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Fish pie

Servings

4-6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 4 mixed fish fillets, I used haddock and cod

  • 2 leek stems, thinly sliced

  • 2 celery stalks, diced

  • 2 carrots, diced

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • 2 tblsp corn starch

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • Olive oil

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Mashed potatoes

  • 4 large potatoes, diced and boiled

  • ¼ cup milk

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 tblsp butter

Directions

  • Start by getting your mashed potatoes on the boil. These should be cooked until fork tender 20-25 minutes.
  • While the potatoes cook, move on to the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and add in the leeks, celery, carrots and a pinch of salt. Allow the veg to sweat until they are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
  • When the veg begins to soften, add in Dijon, thyme corn starch and milk. The sauce should begin to thicken, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Chop the fish up into bite sized pieces and place into an oven proof dish and pour over the sauce.
  • When the potatoes are cooked, drain, season with salt, pepper, butter and pour in the milk. Mash until creamy.
  • Top the fish and sauce with the mash and bake for 30 minutes at 180C until bubbling and golden.

Simplebutsplendid
stuffed acorn squash boats

Stuffed Acorn squash boats

Sometimes when I’m trying to be low carb but still want something hearty I reach for anything with squash. There is a satisfaction that squash gives which is similar to that of potatoes or sweet potatoes but it is not as high carb, making it good for when you’re trying to count macros.

These stuffed squash boats are roasted whole to intensify the flavour and then filled to the brim with a delicious meat sauce that makes the entire dish so luscious!

Let’s get cooking…

Stuffed Acorn squash boats
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Stuffed Acorn squash boats

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

Directions

  • Start by seasoning the squash halves with salt, pepper and olive oil and roasting for 30 minutes at 180C until fork tender.
  • Once the squash is cooked, split the portion of meat sauce between the 2 halves, top with the cheddar cheese and bake again for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the sauce is heated through.
  • Serve with a fresh salad and enjoy!

Simplebutsplendid
braised duck with peas

Braised duck with peas

A simple curry made of duck braised with just a few peas and simmered until tender has to be one of my favourite Indian dishes. Even though it sounds terribly similar to a chicken curry, the flavours are unmistakably unique and cannot quite compare to anything else.

this is definitely a dish that takes slightly longer to prepare to ensure tender, juicy meat but it is well worth the effort.

Let’s get cooking…

Fry onion and whole spices in oil until soft. Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until fragrant. Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it bubbling to the top.

Add in the duck, salt and ground spices and stir thoroughly. Allow to saute for 5-10 minutes then reduce the heat to low and let the duck simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring regularly so that it does not burn. the duck will realease quite a bit of water and as far as possible you want to use this to cook the meat and not add in any other liquids.

Simmer until tender. About 5 minutes before it is done, throw over a handful of peas. When cooked, turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with coriander and serve with soft, buttery roti’s

Braised duck with peas
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Braised duck with peas

Servings

4-6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 750g duck, cut into bite sized pieces

  • ½ onion, finely sliced

  • 1 small tomato, pureed

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic past, or you can crush ginger and garlic separately

  • 3 cinnamon sticks

  • ½ tsp fennel seeds

  • 2 cardamom pods

  • 1 black cardamom pod

  • 1 star anise

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 cloves

  • ½ tsp ground cumin

  • ½ tsp ground coriander seed

  • ½ tsp garam masala

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

  • 3 tsp curry powder, depends on heat preference

  • 1/2 cup peas

  • 2 tbsp oil, coconut or vegetable oil

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 tsp coriander, chopped

Directions

  • Fry onion and whole spices in oil until soft
  • Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until fragrant
  • Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it bubbling to the top
  • Add in the duck, salt and ground spices and stir thoroughly
  • Allow to saute for 5-10 minutes then reduce the heat to low and cook for 45-60 minutes.
  • Simmer until tender. About 5 minutes before it is done, throw over a handful of peas. When cooked, turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with coriander and serve with soft, buttery roti’s

Simplebutsplendid
prego chicken rolls

Prego chicken rolls

Portuguese prego rolls are hugely popular in South Africa and actually originate from Mozambique where there is a very strong Portuguese influence.

This marinade is so versatile and can be used with steak, chicken or seafood. It really packs a flavour punch so it is a must have in my opinion.

Let’s get cooking…

Blitz together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Butterfly 2 chicken breast fillets, place into a bowl and top with half the prego sauce. Allow to marinate for minimum 1 hour or overnight.

Grill the chicken in a grill pan for 5 minutes per side, until lovely and charred. Baste the chicken after turning. Heat the remaining sauce and use to dress the rolls. Grill thick slices of red onion alongside the chicken.

To assemble, spread the brioche rolls with the prego sauce, lay down some of the charred onions and then the chicken fillet.

Prego chicken rolls
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Prego chicken rolls

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • Prego sauce

  • 4 tblsp peri-peri sauce

  • ½ cup tomato puree

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 tsp harissa

  • 3 tblsp lemon juice

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 4 tblsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp parsley

  • Rolls

  • 2 Chicken fillets

  • 6 brioche rolls

Directions

  • Blitz together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
  • Butterfly 2 chicken breast fillets, place into a bowl and top with half the prego sauce
  • Allow to marinate for minimum 1 hour or overnight
  • Grill the chicken in a grill pan for 5 minutes per side, until lovely and charred
  • Baste the chicken after turning
  • Heat the remaining sauce and use to dress the rolls
  • Grill thick slices of red onion alongside the chicken
  • To assemble, spread the brioche rolls with the prego sauce, lay down some of the charred onions and then the chicken fillet

Simplebutsplendid
Turkey bulgogi

Turkey Bulgogi

I love trying different cuisines. My recent favourite has been anything Korean. The first recipe that I have decided to recreate is bulgogi. Although it is traditionally made with thin strips of beef, I have made it with ground turkey and the flavour was fantastic!

Let’s get cooking…

Marinade the meat in the above ingredients then allow to rest for 4-8 hours

When ready to cook, heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the marinated meat. Allow to sear and brown on medium-high heat, stirring frequently to allow the meat to colour but not burn.

Then add vegetables depending on how you want to serve it.

I served the bulgogi in wraps so I add julienned peppers and sliced onions. Accompaniments have to be fresh and crunchy, I used julienned carrots, cucumber and fresh tomatoes.

Bulgogi
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Bulgogi

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g minced turkey

  • ½ small apple, grated

  • 4 tblsp soy sauce

  • 1 tblsp sugar

  • 2 tblsp sesame oil

  • 1 tblsp ginger and garlic

  • 1 tblsp gochujang paste

Directions

  • Marinade the meat in the above ingredients then allow to rest for 4-8 hours
  • When ready to cook, heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the marinated meat. Allow to cook and brown on medium-high heat, about 10 minutes.
  • Then add vegetables depending on how you want to serve it
  • I served the bulgogi in wraps so I add julienned peppers and sliced onions

Simplebutsplendid
sizzling turkey bolognese lasagna

Sizzling turkey bolognese lasagna

My absolute favourite Italian food has got to be lasagna! A tour through Italy was my first ever independent holiday (no parents) and my greatest memories are the 2 weeks I spent sampling lasagna from every region of Italy. Don’t get me wrong, the sights and scenery were breathtaking but I had loved lasagna even before I went to Italy and so getting the opportunity to taste the different types that I got try whilst there blew my mind!

My favourite has got to be then sizzling little bowl of goodness that I devoured on the rainiest day in Venice. Our tour guide had taken us into the tiniest family trattoria on a little side street after we were all nearly submerged during our gondola ride, the mismatched tables and aromas wafting from the kitchen were nothing short of inviting but the food that arrived left me speechless.

I will never be able to recreate the flavour that the nonna’s achieve in those lasagnas but I do still try to create my own every once in while.

You will remember that I’m fond of having batches of meat sauce in my freezer. Defrosting one of those bad boys makes preparing and cooking this lasagna possible in under 60 minutes!

Let’s get cooking…

Start by preparing your béchamel sauce and placing 2 tablespoons of béchamel into the baking dish then a layer of lasagna sheets (only 2 ½ sheets needed per layer).

Spoon on half of the meat sauce, cover with a third of the béchamel. Repeat the layer then add a final layer of lasagna sheets, top with the last third of béchamel and parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes at 180C. You need to hear the sizzle!

Sizzling turkey bolognese lasagna
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Sizzling turkey bolognese lasagna

Servings

4-6

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

Directions

  • Put 2 tablespoons of béchamel into the baking dish then a layer of lasagna sheets (only 2 ½ sheets needed per layer)
  • Spoon on half of the meat sauce, cover with a third of the béchamel
  • Repeat the layer then add a final layer of lasagna sheets, top with the last third of béchamel and parmesan and mozzarella cheese
  • Bake for 40 minutes at 180C. You need to hear the sizzle!

Simplebutsplendid
vietnamese summer crunch rolls

Vietnamese crunch rolls

When I am craving something light but delicious for lunch my go to is these Vietnamese crunch rolls. Rice paper rolls filled with fresh, crunchy veg and served with the most delicious spicy sauce. There is nothing not to love in this recipe.

These rolls are so versatile and can be served as a light lunch or appetizers and can be made totally vegetarian or filled with either chicken or prawns for the non-veg option!

Let’s get cooking…

Prepare your vegetables by cutting them into very fine strips. Have all the ingredients for the rolls laid out because once you start you need to move quite quickly.

Once your assembly line is ready, start by soaking your first sheet of rice paper in cool water. This will soften very quickly, about 20-30 seconds. Remove and lay flat, put a little bit of all your veg and chicken into the centre, leaving enough space around the edges to easily fold the rice paper.

Then fold the bottom piece over the vegetables first, tuck in the side and continue to roll into a cigar.

Lay on your serving platter and repeat.

When you’re done rolling, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.

Begin dipping and enjoying!

Vietnamese crunch rolls
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Vietnamese crunch rolls

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking timeminutes

Ingredients

  • Sauce

  • Water

  • Sugar

  • Fish sauce

  • Garlic

  • Chilli

  • Vinegar

  • Rice paper rolls

  • Rice vermicelli noodles

  • Carrots, julienned

  • Cucumber, julienned

  • Red bell pepper, julienned

  • Chicken, precooked and shredded

Directions

  • Prepare your vegetables by cutting them into very fine strips. Have all the ingredients for the rolls laid out because once you start you need to move quite quickly.
  • Once your assembly line is ready, start by soaking your first sheet of rice paper in cool water. This will soften very quickly, about 20-30 seconds. Remove and lay flat, put a little bit of all your veg and chicken into the centre, leaving enough space around the edges to easily fold the rice paper.
  • Then fold the bottom piece over the vegetables first, tuck in the side and continue to roll into a cigar.
  • Lay on your serving platter and repeat.
  • When you’re done rolling, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.

Simplebutsplendid
light coconut butter chicken

Lighter coconut butter chicken

Butter chicken is perhaps one of the most commonly known and widely enjoyed Indian dish of all times. And there’s a very good reason why, it is amazingly delicious!

I would be totally failing you if I didn’t include a recipe for this world famous dish on my Indian inspired food blog, hahaha.

I have taken a traditional recipe and tweaked it a little so that it is a bit more waist friendly, but I must highlight that there is basically no difference in taste from the heavier version. The sauce is still thick and lush without being overly rich.

Let’s get cooking…

Marinate your chicken and set aside, this can be done up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Start by making the makahani sauce. This is great for batch prepping and freezes really well.

Begin by frying the onions in oil until translucent. Add spices and ginger and garlic and allow it to roast in the oil until fragrant. Add tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Next pour in the pureed tomatoes and salt, simmer until the liquid has evaporated. Lastly add honey and coconut milk

Allow to simmer until it thickens about 15-20 minutes.

If you are cooking the sauce and on the same day then prepare your chicken while the sauce is cooking.

In a non-stick frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sear the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side. When the sauce has about 5 minutes to go pour the chicken and any pan juices into the sauce and stir. Allow to cook together for the last 5 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with Indian flatbreads, naan or roti’s would do.

Swaps, this is a very versatile sauce and paneer or haloumi can easily be swapped for chicken to make this vegetarian.

You can also use the sauce with frozen meatballs for a quick reheated freezer meal.

Lighter coconut butter chicken
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Lighter coconut butter chicken

Servings

4-6

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g tomatoes (3-4 medium sized), pureed

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 1 tblsp tomato paste

  • ½ tsp cumin

  • ½ tsp coriander

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

  • 1 tsp honey

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2 tsp curry powder

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri masala

  • 1/ can coconut milk

  • Oil

  • Chicken

  • 500g chicken thigh fillets, cubed

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp garam masala

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp lemon juice

  • 1 tblsp butter

  • 1 tblsp vegetable oil

Directions

  • Marinate your chicken and set aside, this can be done up to 24 hours ahead of time.
  • Begin by frying the onions in oil until translucent. Add spices and ginger and garlic and allow it to roast in the oil until fragrant. Add tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Next pour in the pureed tomatoes and salt, simmer until the liquid has evaporated. Lastly add honey and coconut milk
  • Allow to simmer until it thickens about 15-20 minutes.
  • If you are cooking the sauce and on the same day then prepare your chicken while the sauce is cooking.
  • In a non-stick frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sear the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side.
  • When the sauce has about 5 minutes to go pour the chicken and any pan juices into the sauce and stir. Allow to cook together for the last 5 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with Indian flatbreads, naan or roti’s would do.

Simplebutsplendid
guinness chocolate cake

Guinness chocolate cake

My husband is a huge fan of Guinness so for his birthday I baked him this deliciously moist gluten free Guinness chocolate cake with Bailey’s frosting.

Heading into the holidays this is the perfect weekend bake, it takes no time at all to put together and is a little boozy to warm up those cold winter nights.

If you prefer to not have uncooked alcohol in the frosting then fell free to leave it out.

Let’s get baking…

Start by mixing together all of your dry ingredients, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Then whisk together the wet ingredients, yoghurt, oil, eggs, vanilla and beer. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just to create a smooth batter, do not over mix.

Divide the batter between 2 round, buttered cake tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes until a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy then slowly add in the Bailey’s.

When the cakes are completely cool, spread ½ the frosting on the bottom cake and place the second cake on top then ice the top of second cake. I generally like the naked look because the frosting is super sweet and can become too much if fully iced.

Guinness chocolate cake
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Guinness chocolate cake

Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour (222 g), I used gluten free

  • 2 cups sugar (400g)

  • ¾ cups cocoa powder (64g) or cacao powder

  • 2 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ¾ cup plain yoghurt (170g)

  • ½ flavourless vegetable oil

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 cup Guinness beer

  • Frosting

  • 150g softened butter

  • 1 ½ cups icing sugar

  • 1-2 tblsp Bailey’s

Directions

  • Start by mixing together all of your dry ingredients, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
  • Then whisk together the wet ingredients, yoghurt, oil, eggs, vanilla and beer.
  • Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just to create a smooth batter, do not over mix.
  • Divide the batter between 2 round, buttered cake tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack
  • While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy then slowly add in the Bailey’s.
  • When the cakes are completely cool, spread ½ the frosting on the bottom cake and place the second cake on top then ice the top of second cake. I generally like the naked look because the frosting is super sweet and can become too much if fully iced.

Simplebutsplendid
Fusilli with meat sauce

Deliciously rich and saucy meat sauce

A great meat sauce (I won’t use the name Bolognese because this recipe deviates a little from the traditional version) is one that has different levels of flavour and is so moreish that you just can’t help but love it!

For me it is one of those essential recipes that I think every person should know how to cook. It’s great for batch cooking and freezing to always having on hand when you need to put something together in a pinch, also great to feed crowds of people and is sure to impress.

I have mixed it into pasta’s, layered into lasagna’s, spooned into squash boats or over jacket potatoes. The possibilities are endless!

Let’s get cooking…

Start by frying the mince in olive oil until it starts to brown, break it up with a spoon as it cooks, you want the mince to be quite crumbly.

Once minced has browned nicely, add in the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes until veggies begin to soften, stir often to avoid burning.

After 10 minutes add ginger and garlic, tomato paste fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the herbs, chili flakes and wine and allow the wine to bubble up for 5 minutes.

Finally add in the tomatoes, Worcestershire, water, salt and pepper to taste and reduce the heat to low.

Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes (even up to 90 minutes if you have the time) until sauce is a glossy dark red colour and all the flavours are well incorporated.

This recipe makes quite a large batch so it can be used 3-4 times.

Swaps…

For a vegan version, swap the turkey mince for steamed lentils, crumbled tofu or crumbled tempeh!

Deliciously rich and saucy meat sauce
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Deliciously rich and saucy meat sauce

Servings

12-16

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • • 500g minced meat, I used turkey thigh meat

  • • 1 onion, diced

  • • 3 ribs of celery, diced

  • • 3 small carrots, diced

  • • 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

  • • 1 tblsp tomato paste

  • • 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce

  • • 1 tsp dried basil

  • • 1 tsp dried parsley

  • • 1 tsp chilli flakes

  • • 2 tins of whole peeled plum tomatoes

  • • 1 tin of water, just use the tomato tin as a measuring cup

  • • 1 cup red wine

  • • Salt

  • • Pepper

  • • Olive oil

Directions

  • Fry mince in olive oil until it starts to brown, break it up with a spoon as it cooks, you want the mince to be quite crumbly
  • Once minced has browned nicely, add in the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes until veggies begin to soften, stir often to avoid burning.
  • After 10 minutes add ginger and garlic, tomato paste fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the herbs, chili flakes and wine and allow the wine to bubble up for 5 minutes.
  • Finally add in the tomatoes, Worcestershire, water, salt and pepper to taste and reduce the heat to low.
  • Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes (even up to 90 minutes if you have the time) until sauce is a glossy dark red colour and all the flavours are well incorporated

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