Honey and Oregano Chicken Breasts with Fennel and Cannellini Beans

Janu'worry' is upon us and along with the woes of 'back to work' and empty bank accounts are woes of weight gain and the need to get back to gym. So here's another recipe using some of my favourites that's simple and quick as well as easy on both the waste and the wallet (save for the parmesan I guess, but a little cream will suffice if needs be.)

One Dish Dinner: Chicken, Fennel and Cannellini Beans

Who doesn't love a one-dish wonder?

Whole Trout stuffed with Pancetta and Fennel

My recent trip to Italy meant the most decadent food markets, the best tomatoes, the most unbelievable cheese and the most outrageous, fresh pasta. I came back a little heavier than expected... But, my favourite meal of the trip had to be the whole stuffed Trout I made for lunch one day. I got up early in the morning and set off to the fish shop and to my glee I found the freshest, plumpest trout I'd set my eyes on in eons. I had to have it. And, since I was in Italy, I thought to pair it with some magical Italian ingredients: pancetta and fennel. Simple, but out of this world good.

I served mine with a simple rocket salad and a loaf of ciabatta. Heaven!

Lemon and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

'Simple and delicious': my favourite description for food. Chicken breasts tend to be on the dry side so stuffing them with cheese, especially ricotta or feta, will keep them succulent and tender. Lemon and chicken are also best friends so you're always going to win when you pair the two of them together.

Chicken casserole

I have been eating a lot of chicken lately - I am not exactly sure why...but I'm on chicken dish number 3 for the week and I'm not actually bored. I am pushing myself to find the versatility in this little bird and so far I'm succeeding (thankfully), BUT it's not exactly difficult...Chicken is the epitome of...well...versatility. It's a blank canvas, you can't really go wrong, just pick a style (Italian, Asian, French etc) or flavour combinations that you know work well and just roll with it...

Lemon, thyme and green olive chicken casserole

Ingrdients: (serves 4)

• 8 chicken pieces (skin on, bone in)
• olive oil for frying
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (you can dissolve 1/2 a stock cube in hot water if you like)
• 2 lemons
• 1 packet green olives (drained, about 20)
• a few sprigs thyme (about 5)
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbs sour cream/creme fraiche 
• couscous/polenta to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 180*C
Pour a little olive oil into a non-stick frying pan and place it on med-high heat. Season the chicken with a little salt before browning in the pan on all sides (about 8 min).
Remove from the pan and place into a medium-sized casserole dish, pour over stock, scatter over the olives, squeeze over juice from 2 lemons and drop the lemons into the dish, sprinkle over thyme and add a dash of pepper.
Cover with foil/lid and bake for 45 min, remove foil/lid and bake for a further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir through the creme fraiche/sour cream.
Serve with couscous/polenta.

Salmon Fish Cakes

This is a great recipe if you had potatoes last night and have some left over, it's also a great recipe if you didn't. It's a great little dish.

Fish cakes, fish cakes, fish cakes. Say no more

Salmon Fish Cakes

Ingredients: (Makes 10)

• Handful coriander
• Handful dill
• 1 small red onion
• 400g cooked new potatoes
• 420g canned salmon/ 350g cooked, fresh salmon (if using the canned variety, remove excess bones and skin)
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• juice of 1/2 large/1 small lemon
• 1 tbs soya sauce
• 1 large, mild red chilli (chopped and deseeded)
• 1 egg

• oil for frying
• Lemon wedges/sweet chilli sauce and salad for serving 

Method:

• Pop the coriander, dill and red onion into a food processor and blitz, add the potatoes and blitz a few more times to give you a chunky mash (If you don't have a processor simply chop everything finely and mix together)
• Transfer to a mixing bowl, flake in salmon and add the remaining ingredients, mix well, cover and pop in the fridge for 1/2 an hour.
• Shape into 10 medium-sized fish cakes.
• Pour a good glug of oil into a non-stick frying pan and place on med-high heat. Fry the fish cakes in batches, turning 2-3 times until browned and crisp on the outside, about 10 mins.
• Serve with salad.

Slow roasted deboned shoulder of lamb stuffed with lemon, rosemary and capers

The main event at this months' supper club was my slow roasted shoulders of lamb stuffed with lemon, rosemary and capers and let me tell you if you want to cook something magically rich and gorgeously indulgent then this is the one for you!

Without further ado here's my recipe:

Slow roasted deboned shoulder of lamb

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

1 shoulder of lamb
zest of 3 lemons
good handful of rosemary (chopped)
good handful of parsley (chopped)
1/2 jar of capers (chopped)
1/2 cup of couscous (put in a bowl and with just enough luke-warm water to cover it, and left to stand for 15 min)
Salt and pepper
2 onions (quartered)

Serve with Potato and mint parcels

and green beans

For the gravy:

1/2 bottle red wine
lamb stock or stock cube
11/2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water to form a paste

Method:

Slide the string off the lamb and set aside, Roll the lamb out on a board.
Preheat oven to 150*C

Put the lemon zest, rosemary, parsley and capers on a board and give a final chop together to get their flavours mixing well.

Pop the herb mix into a bowl and mix in the couscous

Spread mixture evenly oven the inside of the shoulder, then carefully roll it up again.
Now either tie it up with string or (as I did) Get a large tube of sorts (I use a large jug or a vase) and roll the butchers' string you set aside earlier over that. Squeeze the top of the shoulder into the vase which will aid you in pulling the elasticated string back down over the shoulder once again - I know it sounds odd, but it does work.

Now pop it into a roasting dish, add the quartered onions, pour in 3 cups of water, season with a little salt and pepper and cover with foil.
Put it in the oven for 4 hours to roast before removing the foil, pouring the liquid and onions into a separate pan and turning the heat up to 200*C for a further hour, this will ensure you get that beautiful caramelisation around the edges - YUM. (5 hours in total)
Put the meat on a board, cover and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Make a gravy by using the juices and onions from the roasting dish, 1/2 bottle of red wine, a lamb or vegetable stock cube/concentrate; simmer and reduce on high heat for 10 minutes before adding the corn flour mix and stirring until thickened.
Cut off the string and serve in think slices (It will fall apart as you cut it) with the mint and potato parcels and simple green beans.
Yes please!