Author: Simplebutsplendid

Orange spatchcock chicken

Orange spatchcock chicken
Orange spatchcock chicken

One of the most pleasing dinners to tuck into is a roast chicken. There’s just something that makes it the most comforting meal and it just brightens up any day. It does however take some time to cook but a quick little spatchcock turns this into the perfect week night meal. And who would say no to a flavour packed roast chicken on a cold winter’s day like today?

Let’s get cooking…

Spatchcock the chicken by taking a pair of scissors and cutting straight down the back bone, lay the chicken out flat and press down on the breast bone to break it. You can remove the back bone completely but it does not harm being left on and roasted and can be used late to make a very flavourful stock.

Place the onions in a foil lined tray then generously season the chicken on both side with salt and pepper. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and massage into the chicken, allow it to sit for at least an hour before cooking.

Pour the wine into the tray just before you pop it into the oven. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180 for 35-40 minutes until cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with tenderstem broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.

Orange spatchcock chicken

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

1

hour 

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tblsp olive oil

  • 2 tblsp honey

  • 2 tblsp pomegranate molasses

  • 2 tblsp orange juice

  • 1 tblsp paprika

  • 1 tblsp cumin

  • 1 tblsp chilli flakes

  • 1 tblsp dried oregano/thyme

  • 1 tblsp dried parsley

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 full chicken/ 8 chicken pieces

  • 2 onions, quartered

  • ½ cup white wine, optional

Directions

  • Spatchcock the chicken by taking a pair of scissors and cutting straight down the back bone, lay the chicken out flat and press down on the breast bone to break it.
  • Place the onions in a foil lined tray then generously season the chicken on both side with salt and pepper
  • Mix all the marinade ingredients together and massage into the chicken, allow t to sit for at least an hour before cooking
  • Pour the wine into the tray just before you pop it into the oven.
  • Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180 for 35-40 minutes until cooked through

Simplebutsplendid

Fluffy pancakes

Light fluffy pancakes
Light fluffy pancakes

Weekends are made for easy delicious brunches, pancakes provide a great sweet alternative to eggs and sausages, which as delicious as it is, can become a little boring.

The best pancakes should be easy to throw together with minimal ingredients and should not have you running out to get groceries on a lazy morning in.

Enter these light, fluffy and super easy pancakes that will have serving brunch in minutes!

Let’s get cooking…

Mix together the dry ingredients, then add in the liquids starting with the milk and yoghurt. Stir everything together until just combined.

Ladles about 1/3 a cup of batter into a hot pan that’s been well greased. You can adjust the size according to your preference, I got 8 out of this batter

You can dot with blueberries or chocolate chips at this point. Once bubbles start forming on top it is ready to flip, cook for a further 1 minute then remove from the pan.

Serve warm with maple syrup and berries!

Fluffy pancakes

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of flour, I used gluten free

  • ½ cup of plain yoghurt

  • ¼ cup milk, plant based or dairy

  • 2 tblsp sugar

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1 egg

  • 2 tblsp unflavoured oil or melted butter

  • Oil or butter for the pan

Directions

  • Mix together the dry ingredients, then add in the liquids starting with the milk and yoghurt
  • Pour into a hot pan that’s been well greased. You can adjust the size according to your preference, I got 8 out of this batter
  • You can dot with blueberries or chocolate chips at this point.
  • Once bubbles start forming on top it is ready to flip, cook for a further 1 minute then remove from the pan
  • Serve with maple syrup and berries

Simplebutsplendid

Lamb chops in Spicy tomato chutney

Spicy lamb chops in a tomato chutney
Spicy lamb chops in a tomato chutney

Growing up lamb formed a staple part of our diet and one of my favourite ways to enjoy it was in a spicy tomato chutney. This is definitely a great brunch meal or even casual dinner. I love it served with rice for dinner or crusty rolls at brunch to mop the gorgeous tomato chutney.

There are two main parts to this; grilling the chops and making the tomato chutney, my preference is to do it in the same pan which means slightly longer cooking time but loads more flavours as the tomato chutney contains all of the delicious flavours of the slow cooked lamb.

They key here to simply but generously spice the lamb chops to really enhance the flavour of the meat and to cook it low and slow so that it becomes mouth wateringly tender.

Let’s get cooking…

Season the chops with all the spices and marinate for 30 minutes. Roast in an oven for 160 for 45 minutes – 1 hr until meat is tender. The key here is to use the pan that you will also use to cook the tomato chutney in order to not lose any of the flavour.

Alternatively you can pan fry the chops until tender, I generally roast to avoid overcooking.

While the chops are cooking place tomatoes in a bowl and pour over boiling water. After 10 minutes the skins should split, remove the skins and slice the tomatoes into rings.

Once the chops are cooked use the fat from the chops to braise the onion and chilies on a medium heat in enough oil to coat the bottom of your pan, 3-4 tablespoons. When the onions are beginning to soften, add the garlic and fry until fragrant, then add in the spices and roast for a minute. Add in the tomatoes and salt to taste. Mix well to combine, cover and allow to simmer, stirring regularly.

The tomatoes should start releasing some liquid, allow this to cook but the sauce should not be completely dry. Once the oil starts to separate and bubble through the chutney is done. The chops can now be added, toss in the sauce to coat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Lamb chops in Spicy tomato chutney

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g lamb chops

  • 1 tsp curry powder

  • ½ tsp garam masala

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ tsp pepper

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • 1 tblsp olive oil

  • Tomato chutney

  • 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced into rings

  • 1 onion, thinly sliced into rings

  • 2 green chillies, slit in half

  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

  • ½ tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp curry powder

  • Oil

  • Salt

Directions

  • Season the chops with all the spices and marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Roast in an oven for 160 for 45 minutes – 1 hr until meat is tender
  • Alternatively pan fry until tender, I generally roast to avoid overcooking.
  • Place tomatoes in a bowl and pour over boiling water. After 10 minutes the skins should split and remove the skins. Slice into rings
  • Braise the onion and chilies on a medium heat in enough oil to coat the bottom of your pan, 3-4 tablespoons.
  • Once the onions are beginning to soften, add the garlic and fry until fragrant, then add in the spices and roast for a minute.
  • Add in the tomatoes and salt to taste. Mix well to combine, cover and allow to simmer, stirring regularly.
  • The tomatoes should start releasing some liquid, allow this to cook but the sauce should not be completely dry. Once the oil starts to separate and bubble through the chutney is done.
  • The chops can now be added, toss in the sauce to coat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Simplebutsplendid

Meatball subs

Italian meatball subs
Italian meatball subs

If you are a fan of the Friends tv series then you know how iconic a meatball sub sandwich is. When it comes to food bucket list items meatball subs are definitely on my list and quite high up at that.

I took a little leap and made this extra special by using homemade rolls but store bought subs, French baguette or brioche rolls would work just as well. I also used turkey mince which makes this a little lighter but took a store bought shortcut by using a very good quality jarred marinara sauce.

Let’s get cooking…

Mix the mince, pesto, chilli flakes, salt and pepper until well combined. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and roll into meatballs. They should be quite large.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and place in the meatballs, allow to colour for about 5 minutes then flip and top each meatball with some of the jarred marinara sauce, you could make your own but I find this a quick substitute.

Slice the mozzarella into 6 slices and top each meatball with a slice. Turn the heat down to a low setting and allow the meatballs to cook and sauce to thicken. This should take 10-15 minutes

In the meantime, slit the rolls down the middle and toast in an oven. Once toasted rub each piece with a clove of garlic.

Once the meatballs are cooked, smear a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of each roll then top with 3 meatballs per roll and top with parmesan.

Serve with a few napkins on the side as this gets deliciously messy!

Meatball subs

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g minced turkey or beef

  • 1 tsp basil pesto

  • ½ tsp chilli flakes

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ½ tsp pepper

  • Olive oil

  • 1 ball mozzarella

  • 2 tblsp parmesan

  • ½ jar of good quality marinara sauce

  • 2 Panini to serve

  • 1 garlic clove

Directions

  • Mix the mince, pesto, chilli flakes, salt and pepper until well combined
  • Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and roll into meatballs. They should be quite large
  • Heat 1 tblsp olive oil in a pan and place in the meatballs, allow to colour for about 5 mintues then flip and top each meatball with some of the jarred marinara sauce, you could make your own but I find this a quick substitute
  • Slice the mozzarella into 6 slices and top each meatball with a slice. Turn the heat down to a low setting and allow the meatballs to cook and sauce to thicken. This should take 10-15 minutes
  • In the meantime, slit the rolls down the middle and toast in an oven. Once toasted rub each piece with a clove of garlic
  • Once the meatballs are cooked, smear a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of each roll then top with 3 meatballs per roll and top with parmesan
  • Serve with a few napkins on the side

Simplebutsplendid

Irish style chicken stew

Irish style chicken stew
Irish style chicken stew

As the weather starts to get cooler I instinctively find myself wanting to cook heartier meals while still maintaining a balanced diet. Stews are my go to because they can easily be thrown together and forgotten about until dinner time which make them perfect for busy days.

Growing up in South Africa meant having many different cultural influences in all parts of our lives. The British colonial era introduced a few wonderful gems to our food culture, one family favourite is a hearty Irish style stew.

This stew is traditionally made with lamb and flavoured very simply with thyme, salt and pepper but I have reinvented it slightly to use chicken which also makes it super speedy. Loading it with veggies means that it also becomes a fully rounded one pot meal.

Let’s get cooking…

Heat up enough oil to coat the bottom of a large pot. Place in chicken and allow to brown on both sides, once nicely browned, throw in the onion, ginger and garlic, thyme and salt.

Allow to saute for 5 minutes then add in all the veg besides peas and courgette. Pour in 500ml of water to start and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in the stock cube and allow to simmer on medium heat until potatoes are cooked. Add a little extra water if it reduces too quickly.

Remove 4 tablespoons of cooking liquid to a small bowl and mix in the cornflour to form a slurry. Mix this into the stew along with the peas and courgettes.

Once the gravy thickens and all the vegetables are cooked turn off the heat and allow it sit for 10 minutes then serve and enjoy.

Irish style chicken stew

Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken thigh with bones, cut into large dice

  • 1 tsp giner and garlic paste

  • ½ onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 large courgette, cut into chunks

  • 2 carrots, cut into chunks

  • 500g baby potatoes

  • Handful of greenbeans, cut into thirds

  • ½ cup peas

  • 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Oil

  • 1 stock cube

  • 1 litre of water

  • 2 tblsp cornflour

Directions

  • Heat up enough oil to coat the bottom of a large pot
  • Place in chicken and allow to brown on both sides, once nicely browned, throw in the onion, ginger and garlic, thyme and salt.
  • Allow to saute for 5 minutes then add in all the veg besides peas and courgette
  • Pour in 500ml of water to start and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in the stock cube and allow to simmer on medium heat until potatoes are cooked. Add water if it reduces too much
  • Remove 4 tablespoons of cooking liquid to a small bowl and mix in the cornflour to form a slurry. Mix this into the stew along with the peas and courgettes
  • Once the gravy thickens and all the vegetables are cooked turn off the heat and allow it sit for 10 minutes
  • Serve and enjoy

Simplebutsplendid

Spicy fish tacos

Spicy fish tacos
Spicy fish tacos

if there is one thing that can transport you to an amazing holiday destination it would be food. I love the spicy, punchy flavours of Mexican food and while my dishes may not always be authentic but rather inspired by, I definitely like to believe that the flavour profiles still take you back to sun kissed beaches and warm breezes.

These fish tacos are so easy to make and are perfect for a quick weeknight supper that comes together in minutes.

Let’s get cooking…

Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper and peri-peri spice and set aside. Season the yoghurt with salt and pepper and dip in the fish then coat the fish in the breadcrumbs and place on a wire rack. Bake at 180 for 20 minutes until the fish is just cooked.

While the fish cooks mix the mayo and chipotle paste. Warm the tortillas in a pan or over a gas flame and spread with the chipotle mayo. Then top with a lettuce leaf.

Once the fish is cooked break each fillet into 3 equal pieces and place in the centre of each tortilla. Top with pickled onions and enjoy.

Spicy fish tacos

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large cod fillets

  • ½ cup plain yoghurt or 1 egg beaten

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 tsp peri-peri spice

  • 1 tsp chipotle paste

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise

  • Lettuce

  • Pickled onions

  • 6 tortillas

Directions

  • Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper and peri-peri spice and set aside.
  • Season the yoghurt with salt and pepper and dip in the fish then coat the fish in the breadcrumbs and place on a wire rack
  • Bake at 180 for 20 minutes until the fish is just cooked.
  • While the fish cooks mix the mayo and chipotle paste
  • Warm the tortillas in a pan or over a gas flame and spread with the chipotle mayo. Then top with a lettuce leaf
  • Once the fish is cooked break each fillet into 3 equal pieces and place in the centre of each tortilla. Top with pickled onions and enjoy

Simplebutsplendid

Cheesy garlic bread

Cheesy garlic bread
Cheesy garlic bread

Garlic bread is a household favourite that can be paired with so many dishes and it rounds of the meal perfectly.

I love serving it with crumbed mushrooms as for a perfectly light meat free lunch or dunked into the creamy sauce from a big bowl of prawns or mussels. And it goes without saying that any and all Italian dishes are instantly elevated with a slice of garlic bread to mop up all the tomatoey juices.

Let’s get cooking…

Combine the butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl and mash together. Slice the baguette diagonally but not all the way through.

Using a teaspoon, spoon the butter mixture between each slice. Try to spread it out so that there are no dry spots of bread after baking. Sprinkle a little cheese between each slice and some over the top of the baguette.

Bake at 180 for 10-15 until the butter and cheese have melted and the bread is crisp

Use dairy free butter and cheese to make this vegan.

Cheesy garlic bread

Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 baguette

  • 2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced

  • 100g butter, softened

  • 2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

  • Combine the butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl and mash together
  • Slice the baguette diagonally but not all the way through
  • Using a teaspoon, spoon the butter mixture between each slice. Try to spread it out so that there are no dry spots of bread after baking
  • Sprinkle a little cheese between each slice and some over the top of the baguette
  • Bake at 180 for 10-15 until the butter and cheese have melted and the bread is crisp

Simplebutsplendid

Luxury granola

Luxury granola
Luxury granola

One of my favourite breakfasts is granola with yoghurt and fruit. It’s super easy to put together on a busy morning and is the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy and delicious.

There are many store bought brands that I love, however, as my journey into healing my insulin resistance has progressed I have quickly learned that even healthy granolas have a much higher sugar content that I should be consuming for my particular health goals. Following this I started researching quick, easy and flavourful options to create this breakfast staple at home.

After many attempts I have come up with a combination of ingredients that are super satisfying, high in protein and deliciously sweet without any artificial sweeteners.

Let’s get mixing…

Start off by preheating your oven to 180 degrees. Melt coconut oil and honey if it isn’t liquid already and allow to cool slightly. Chop up the large nuts and seeds if you prefer. Add all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, give everything a quick toss then add in the oil and honey.

Mix everything together, the mixture will be quite sticky but this is good! Bake for 20 mins at 180. Once the granola is done, allow to cool completely for clumps to form. If you are short on time you can pop the entire tray into the freezer to speed up the process. Transfer to an airtight container and enjoy as a snack or healthy breakfast.

Luxury granola

Servings

10

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups gluten free oats

  • ½ cup almonds

  • ¼ cup hemp seeds

  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds

  • ¼ cup chia seeds

  • ½ cup coconut

  • Pinch salt

  • ¼ cup coconut oil

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  • Melt coconut oil and honey if it isn’t liquid already
  • Chop the larger nuts and seeds
  • Mix everything together and bake for 20 mins at 180
  • Allow to cool completely for clumps to form

Simplebutsplendid

Chocolate lamingtons

Lamingtons
Lamingtons

Buttery delicious vanilla sponge covered in a chocolaty syrup and rolled into coconut sounds like perfection to me. Lamingtons always bring back great memories for me as it is something my mom baked regularly and it brings with it the comfort of a great childhood.

There are many variations that I have tried over the years, strawberry, white chocolate and apricot dipped all just as delicious as the original but today I have made the traditional but delicious chocolate lamington.

Let’s get cooking…

Start off with a simple vanilla sponge batter. Mix together all of the wet ingredients for the cake until the sugar melts. Then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix to combine then pour into a greased baking tin. Bake at 180 for 30 minutes.

Once the cake cools, cut into squares and dip each square into the hot syrup then toss in coconut to coat. I find it easier to dip individual squares of the sponge into the syrup using a pair of tongs.

Best served with a cup of tea.

Chocolate lamingtons

Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • Cake

  • 3 eggs

  • ½ cup oil

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup yoghurt

  • Pinch of salt

  • 2 cups cake flour

  • 3 tsp baking powder

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • Syrup

  • ½ cup icing sugar

  • ¼ cup cocoa

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • 100g desiccated Coconut

Directions

  • Mix together all of the wet ingredients until the sugar melts
  • Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix to combine then pour into a greased baking tin
  • Bake at 180 for 30 minutes
  • Once cake cools, cut into squares and dip each square into the hot syrup then toss in coconut to coat

Simplebutsplendid

Heirloom tomato salad

Heirloom tomato salad
Heirloom tomato salad

I, along with many of you I’m sure, am still trying to hold onto the last few days of summer. A quick trip to the market on Saturday helped me to do just that. I found some amazing heirloom tomatoes and just had to have them.

As always I leave the tomatoes out for a day or 2 to ripen further just to develop the maximum flavour and then I gave it some love with the simplest ingredients just to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Simply sliced and served with torn fresh mozzarella and dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed basil, salt and pepper this makes the perfect side and brings back all the memories of a great summer. Definitely one to try if you can get your hands on some late summer tomatoes.

Simplebutsplendid