Lara's Creamy Basil Pasta

 This has fast become her speciality. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 packet of pasta 
• 1 jar pesto 
• 2 pack chicken thighs 
• spring onions 
• parmesan (a fair bit) 
• fresh tomatoes (2 or 3) 
• fresh basil 

For six people: 

• Grill a couple of packs of chicken thighs, well seasoned. Cut into bit-sized pieces when done.
• Prep chop: fresh tomatoes, spring onions. 
• Cook pasta (Lara prefers spirals) 
• Mix all ingredients, plus a jar of pesto, a good shlurp of cream, some fresh basil, a good amount of grated parmesan. 

Serve. 

Cajun chicken with pearl couscous

 

This doesn't need a recipe, it's a reminder about another nice, quick and bloody tasty dinner from the Bunster. Cajun spices for the chicken thighs, grilled. Fry your small-chopped veg, mix with your pearl couscous and add plenty of herbs and lemon. The nasturtiums added a nice little pepper kick. And yoghurt is always good. Enjoy. 

Chicken tikka pittas

A variant on the chicken and falaffel wraps meal that's not unwelcome. Marinate the chicken in tikka paste before grilling and cutting up to serve, with salad, pittas and a yogurt, mint and lemon sauce.

Chef John's Deluxe Nachos

Great approval-ratings from the kids for Chef John's nachos. Also infinitely doable BY kids, more importantly. Get them cooking. The original recipe is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YvWUnzZ2fo&list=PLrWrrXG9jG4VX8PgGIWo2MrL5TV-lg5s7&index=2

• Nacho chips
• Skirt steak (tinned, drained and seasoned tuna for the pesci option)
• cheese (cheddar etc)
• beans (pinot/black) and onions, stock
• Avocado (cubed and lemoned)
• tomato
• cucumber
• corriander
• fetta
• lime
• greek yoghurt

Cook (shallow fry) through a large portion of skirt or flat (we did rump) steak and allow to cool COMPLETELY. Remember to deglaze and pour the juices on top of the meat that's resting.

Chop and fry the onions until translucent. Add drained beans. Cook. Mash with potato masher. season vigorously.

Chop cooled meat into small cubes.

Tip chips into serving bowls. Spoon over the bean mix. Scatter over the meat/tuna. Scatter over the cheese. Toast or bake until crispy.
Garnish with avocado, cucumbers, corriander, fetta, greek yoghurt and lime, all as desired.

Marzipan Pouffies

There’s no marzipan and they’re not hugely poufy, but still, that’s what they are. Good emergency I-Need-Something-Sweet-Now item from store cupboard. You need:



Two frozen sheets of puff pastry

1 cup almond meal

0.5 cup icing sugar

A few slurps of Amaretto or almond essence (optional)

1 egg

A few dried apricots (optional)

Lay one of the sheets flat on a greased baking tray. Combine the almond meal, sugar, and the white of the egg (keep the yolk) with just enough Amaretto or almond essence and water to make it into a thick paste. If you’re using the apricots, chop them up and add too. Spread on the bottom sheets, cover with the other, seal round the edges. Combine the yolk with either more amaretto and a bit of sugar or just water and brush over the top, bake on high until it’s done (golden and… poufy).

 You can serve this warm with ice cream over the top in squares, but it’s a little hard to cut the bottom layer in a bowl. I think the sick-cut method when they’re a bit cooler (making them delectable finger food) is preferable.

Chocoholic's First Aid

If you've a chocoholic who needs urgent resuscitation, this could be the recipe to grab. You’ll require (per one patient):

 

A large mug or oversize ramekin

4 tablespoons of flour (add baking powder if plain)

2 melted tablespoons of butter

2.5 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 egg

A few chocolate drops

 

Mix all the dry ingredients in the ramekin, add the butter and egg, mix, add choc drops. Microwave until it stops rising. Administer to your chocoholic with action-pump squirty cream accompaniment. They will soon lose that mad look and relax, and you can get on with your evening.