Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni

A recipe from Save with Jamie, who has helped us with a few tricks to lower food bills, includes the calories in the recipes AND has made me fall in love with frozen spinach.

Yep, frozen spinach, and this is coming from the girl who hates spinach.

Save with Jamie

We roasted a chicken a couple of nights ago and were deciding what to do with it - the standard roast is pretty unhealthy - and opted for one night of chicken salad and then we decided on this recipe to last us for a couple of nights.

Now as always my pictures are a little thin on the ground...but I did remember to take one of the leftovers (yeah, sounds nice right?)

This is what Jamie made it look like...you'll see mine later

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 onion

olive oil

500g frozen spinach

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp english mustard

200ml semi-skimmed milk

150g left over chicken

1/2 bunch fresh basil *

60g cheddar cheese

16 dried cannelloni tubes

1-2 pinch dried chilli

2 cans chopped tomatoes

* I ommited this, as it meant extra money spent and BF doesn't like herbs much

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°F.
• Peel and finely chop the onion and put it into a large saucepan on a medium heat with a small amount of olive oil - I sliced the onions rather than finely chopping, but it made the stuffing more difficult

• Cook for 8 minutes, or until soft, stirring regularly and adding a splash of water, if needed, then stir in the spinach.

• Cook with a lid on for another 8 minutes to defrost, then stir in the flour and mustard.
• Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes, or until you have a nice creamy green sauce.
• Remove from the heat and season to perfection.
• Finely chop and add the chicken and basil leaves (reserving the stalks), then grate in half the Cheddar and mix well.
• A nice trick to get the filling into the cannelloni tubes easily is to transfer the mixture to a sandwich bag, snip off the corner and pipe the mixture into the tubes, or you can use a teaspoon, if you prefer - I tried using a tea spoon, but it was too big, I ended up using the smallest measuring spoon I had and my finger, burning them slightly!
• Once filled, place the tubes in one layer in a baking dish (roughly 10 x 12 inches). Wipe the saucepan out and return it to a medium heat.
• Peel and finely chop the garlic and tender basil stalks, and put into the pan with a a bit of olive oil to get lightly golden.
• Add the chili flakes, tip in the tomatoes and half a can’s worth of water, bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then season to perfection and pour over the pasta.
• Shake the dish to distribute the sauce evenly, grate over the remaining Cheddar, and bake at the bottom of the oven for around 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Left overs - one whole dish and 2 spare tubes

I had to split mine into 2 dishes (one with 10 tubes and one with 6) as I didn't have a dish big enough fot all 16 tubes.

Overall I really enjoyed the dish and I would definitely have it again (but maybe as a lasagne to avoid the cannelloni stuffing).

Photo Friday #3

My team at work is coming to at end, with everyone leaving in the next week or so.

Someone made us some cakes this week to say thank you.

Here are 2 pictures of some of the amazing cakes, which when read out said:

Transformation, Good Luck and Thank You

I couldn't believe how amazing the cakes were and how much details there was on them!

Mince & Potato Pie

This is one of the first recipes I'm sharing with you from the healthy diet.

It's from the previously mentioned Hairy Bikers Diet Book (except in their words it's Mince and Vegetable Pie with Tumbled Spuds - but we have changed it a little)

This is a really tasty meal, especially if you just feel like something hearty and warming. Serious, if you eat this, you'll never believe it's a diet recipe!

Now we all knwo I'm not very good at taking photos. I took a few during the cooking process (which I will include), but totally failed when it came to the end of took no photo of the finished dish. I will endeavour to change this and add photos next time I make it!

Serves 4

Ingredients

500 g Extra Lean Beef Mince (5% fat), raw *
1 medium Onion, Chopped
2 medium Leek, trimmed and sliced
2 medium Carrots, raw, Peeled and Diced
2 tablespoons (level) Plain White Flour
2 tablespoons (level) Tomato Purèe
1 cube(s) Beef Stock Cube, Make up 500ml of stock **
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Mixed Herbs
1 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce ***
2 teaspoons Black Pepper, Freshly ground
2 teaspoons Salt, Flaked Sea Salt
600 g Potato, Boiled ***
1 tablespoons Butter

*If you can't get mince this lean then brown the meat on it's own first and tip away the fat after
** I use the stock pots/melts rather than the cubes
*** I don't have this, so I usually pop in some Dijon Mustard instead
**** I sometimes use a combination of sweet and regular potatoes, or just sweet on their own

Method

• Place a large non stick saucepan or flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat and cook the mince with the onion, leeks and carrots for 5 minutes until lightly coloured. I usually swap the leeks for some extra onions if I don't have them
• Break up the meat with a couple of wooden spoons as it cooks

• Stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds, stirring.
• Add the tomato puree, beef stock, herbs and worcestershire sauce (or mustard), then season with a good pinch of slat and plenty of freshly ground pepper.

I added some cabbage that we'd bought at our local market to the sauce.

• Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook without covering for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220/Fan 200/Gas 7.
• Half fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough 2cm chunks.

• Add the potatoes to the boiling water and bring it back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan form the heat and drain the potatoes in a colander.Tip them back into the saucepan, add the butter and lots of seasoning,then bash or slightly mash the potatoes.
• Pour the beef mixture into a 1.8 litre,shallow ovenproof dish.
• Tumble the potatoes on top and season with lots of ground black pepper.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.

Sometimes to save having the oven on for a long time I'll just make the sauce and cook the potatoes for a little longer, serving them together.

I seriously recommend the recipe and the cookbook, both really great!

Some changes...

It's been rather some time since I last updated this.

I've decided that I want to change the direction of this blog from just a cooking blog to one that covers many more aspects, including organisation and health too. And by covering these topics, I mean my own battle to be more healthy and to live a healthier life!

Please bare with me whilst I get some posts going!
But getting a few followers and comments would be amazing :)

Enjoy,
Jenny

Ginger Chicken

Ginger Chicken

This is a recipe I heavily adapted originally based on one from 'Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey' for 'Fried Fish in Ginger Sauce' (see picture).

I make the sauce in a similar way, although I tend to make it in vast amounts so that the dish is more like a soup. It's a very comforting dish and my parents request it whenever I go home.The chicken thighs work perfectly in this, the longer they cook the softer the chicken gets until it just melts in your mouth.

You could also adapt this dish into a noodle soup instead of usually serving it with rice as I do. You could also add cabbage in for some greens.

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs

2 inch piece of ginger

Medium onion

6 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 pint of chicken stock

300ml water

Splash of ginger wine

Rapeseed oil

Toasted sesame oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Chili to taste

Method

Peel and chop ginger into matchsticks

Add to the pan with some rapeseed oil and toasted seasame oil

Put on low heat,  keep stiring to make sure that the ginger doesn't burn or stick to the pan

Finely chop the onion and add to the pan

Slice 6 cloves of garlic (and some chili if desired) and add to the pan

Chop up chicken thighs into small pieces

When the onion, ginger and garlic has softened add the chicken to the pan

Fry in the pan on a high heat until all the meat is coloured

Add a splash of ginger wine and the 2 table spoons of fish sauce

Add some freshly ground black pepper

Add the chicken stock, water and sugar

Leave to simmer for 30 mins 

Serve with rice

Braised Cabbage with Garlic and Thyme

Braised Cabbage with Garlic and Thyme

So this is going to be my first proper recipe that I'm posting. You'll have to bear with me while I get used to transferring my cooking to proper recipes and amounts, I usually tend to dash, splash and sprinkle my way through recipes.

This is the previously mentioned cabbage from my Roast Leg of Lamb post.

Once when I was searching for a recipe to make cabbage more exciting I came across something very similar to this recipe, and this is based on that. I can't remember where the original idea came from, but if I ever find it, I'll add it in.

Cabbage fresh and muddy from the Yalding Farmer's Market

Serves 4-6 (depending on greed)

Ingredients

1 savoy cabbage

Several sprigs of fresh thyme

2 cloves of garlic

A good glug of olive oil

Medium knob of butter

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup of water

Method

Chop the garlic into matchstick shaped pieces

Put the oil, butter, garlic, thyme leaves, salt and pepper into a large, wide bottomed pan.

Keep on a low heat until the butter has melted, the pan starts to sizzle and you can smell the thyme

Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool while you chop the cabbage

Break off and wash the outer leaves of the cabbage (these ones were particularly muddy!)

Cut the stalks out and chop the leaves into shreds

Cut the centre of the cabbage in half and then cut out the core

Cut into quarters and then shred the leaves

Put all of the cabbage into the slightly cooled pan and put back onto a medium heat.

Keep the cabbage moving around the pan so that it gets coated in the garlic and thyme mixture

Keep the cabbage on a medium to high heat until it seems like it is sticking to the pan slightly and it might burn

Sprinkle some of the water over the cabbage,  and either keep it moving or put the lid on so that it can steam slightly

Keep adding a sprinkling of water when needed this until the cabbage is just cooked.
You can always add an extra knob of butter to keep the moisture up and for some extra indulgence.

Well that's that, the recipe that converted me to cabbage.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

As previously mentioned my first conundrum when starting this blog was being trapped somewhere that isn't The Kentish Town Kitchen. I have now made it back through the snow to Kentish Town, but thought I'd share my thoughts on the Kent leg of lamb that we had for dinner on Sunday night.

Part of the reason I felt inspired to start the blog was that the meal we had was entirely comprised of ingredients that were bought at the Yalding Farmer's Market. I loved the fact that everything on the plate came from local growers that we'd met and got to know at the local market. The Veg Man and the Lamb Man are the most classic farmers that you can imagine, ruddy cheeks and flat caps, and a tie and jacket for the event.

Veg from the Yalding Farmer's Market

Anyway, on with the meal!
When it comes to roasts, I'm not fussed with doing anything too special or pulling any fancy tricks with the food. Especially in this situation, let the food speak for itself.

On the menu: roast leg of lamb, roast potatoes and parsnips, carrots and braised...and not forgetting the home made gravy! All of this was followed up with baked apples (also from the Veg Man) which my Dad made, so if you're interested in that, let me know, I'll get the recipe up here.

Unfortunately my parents have an Aga and so the oven temperature is already set, with no variation. I've had a quick look online and the suggested temperature for the Aga's hot oven is 240C, but when I use my own oven 200C is my usual oven temperature.

Lamb

With roasting meats I usually go with a cooking time of around 40 mins per kilo plus an extra 20 mins. 
In this case the lamb was 2.2kg, as we like our lamb pink I disregarded the extra 20 minutes, this made the cooking time 1 hour 28 mins (88mins).

To prep the meat;
Peel and cut up some garlic into slivers, stick a small knife into the lamb and use the hole made to stuff in the garlic with some rosemary, repeat this over the whole joint.
Drizzle olive oil over the meat and rub it evenly over the whole surface of the joint.
Season with salt and pepper.
Rest on a wrack on a baking tray and place in the over, start with it higher in the over to colour the meat while you prep the other veg.

Potatoes and Parsnips

Some people fuss around with par-boiling potatoes, and I guess it all comes down to preference, but I've never been bothered with that. For the amount of potatoes I usually count them as I cut them up until I get at least 5 per person; and for parsnips I usually do about 4 per person.

To prep the potatoes;
Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into roughly 1 inch pieces.
Toss the potatoes in olive oil.
Place in a baking tray (if using the same one as the meat, make sure the potatoes are not underneath the meat or they will not colour) and cook for 1 hour or until browned.

Cut potatoes being turned in olive oil.

To prep the parsnips;
Peel, wash and cut the parsnips into batons.
Toss the potatoes in olive oil.
Place in a baking tray and cook for 30 mins or until browned.

Potatoes and parsnips fresh from the oven.

Carrots

There's some dispute, and again it's personal preference, about the boiling vs. roasting of carrots. For me, it's got to be boiling them every time, plus that way I get ready made beg stock for the gravy!

To prep the carrots;

Peel, wash and cut the carrots into batons

Submerge the carrots in water with a pinch of salt and a splash of oil

Cook until soft

Cooking the cabbage, carrots and gravy.

Cabbage was one of those things that I hated when I was little, and until recently it still didn't seem like a very appetising option. This was until I discovered a recipe, which I have since modified, for braised cabbage. Since then, there's been no turning back.

As I don't want to over crowd this post I'm going to put up the recipes for my Home Made Gravy and Braised Cabbage with Garlic and Thyme at a later date.


In retrospect I'm not sure whether this was the most sensible thing to put up first, as it's not much of a recipe. However, I feel it's something I wanted to share...so here's the finished article:

'Must improve on presentation'

Hello from a Town in Kent!

Hello and welcome to the first post in The Kent Town Kitchen.

I'm actually breaking the first rule of my blog name, this first post is not actually coming from Kentish Town, but in fact from a village in Kent.

As I write this, I am snowed into my parents house in Yalding in Kent. The plus side is that it's amazingly pretty, the down side is that as I've just had the burst of motivation to start this blog, I find myself in the wrong part of the country!

View from Yalding Bridge

A side note: My name is Jenny, I'm 23 and living in Kentish Town, London. I work in Admin in a job that I really enjoy, but when I'm at home my way to escape is through cooking. I love food, and love cooking even more.

This blog is going to be a catalogue of recipes I've come up with myself, those that I've tweeked and those that I've followed to the letter.
I'm not a chef, I'm no expert, but I love to cook and I want to share that.

Following this post will be my first proper cooking post....

Enjoy,
Jenny x