Cookery Demo Recipes Sunday 8th of June

Give your smoked salmon starter an Asian-inspired twist with this bold and zesty flavour combination. Chilli, lime, sesame, and soy come together to transform this classic into a vibrant, mouth-tingling sensation — perfect for waking up the palate and setting the tone for a memorable meal.

​Serves 4

Prep time 15 minutes 

Ingredients

For the salmon

200g smoked salmon sliced

½ cucumber deseeded and diced

15g coriander or dill, picked and chopped

For the dressing

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 lime zest and 2 tbsp juice

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp fish sauce

Method

1. Mix the ingredients for the dressing. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week but the flavours will get hotter as the chilli sits in the liquid. So if you don’t want it to spicy add the chili just before serving.

2. When ready to serve arrange the salmon on a large platter or individual plates – it works out at about 3 slices per person.

3. Mix the cucumber, spring onion and herbs with 2 tbsp of the dressing.

4. Then pile the cucumber mixture on top of the salmon. Spoon over a little more of the dressing and serve.

This salad has all the wow factor as you will enjoy the layers of flavour and contrast of textures in each bite.  Although this is a plant-based salad you will not miss your usual protein choices in this dish. The crisp, fried chickpeas, crunchy raw broccoli, and a smoked Asian dressing ticks every box.

A superfood for a healthy diet, chickpeas are versatile, delicious and packed with a wealth of nutrients that offer numerous health benefits. Including them in your diet can support weight management, heart health, digestive health, blood sugar regulation, bone health, immune function, and skin health. Their versatility in cooking makes it easy to enjoy these benefits in a variety of delicious ways. So, whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or simply looking to enhance your nutrition, chickpeas are a fantastic choice for a healthy and balanced diet.

Serves 4

Prep: 10 minutes 

Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the chickpeas

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

For the dressing

2 tsp smoked paprika.

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp sesame oil

60ml water

1 clove garlic, crushed.

For the salad

200g carrots, peeled into ribbons using a swivel peeler or grated.

200g baby spinach

300g broccoli, roughly chopped.

25g mint leaves, picked.

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Tip in the chickpeas and fry gently for 5 minutes until sizzling and slightly crispy.

2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl, then pour over the chickpeas in the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, season well and set aside.

3. In a large bowl toss the carrots, spinach, raw broccoli and mint together.

4. Pile the vegetables on to a large platter and scatter over the chickpeas. Spoon the pan juices to dress.

This warming chicken tagine is packed full of sweet, tangy and fragrant ingredients. I can still remember tasting my first ever tagine in the early 1990’s and it was a revelation – the perfect marriage of mellow spices and the heady, aromatic flavours from the preserved lemon transporting me to the souks in Casablanca. That day I began my love affair with Moroccan food.

Serves 4

Prep time 20 minutes

Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken tagine

500g chicken thigh, skinless, diced

2 tbsp Moroccan spice mix or ras el hanout

1 cinnamon stick

1 large red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tbsp harissa

2 preserved lemons or zest of two lemons

2 x 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tin chickpeas

80g dried apricots

vegetable oil

salt & pepper

Couscous

200g couscous

270ml chicken stock

25g coriander or mint, picked and chopped

50g dried cranberries

To serve

Coriander or mint, chopped

40g flaked almonds

Method

1. Heat a splash of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or tagine and add the onion, garlic and Moroccan spices.

2. Once the onions are soft but not coloured, stir in the harissa paste and cook for one minute.

3. Add the diced chicken thighs and cook until browned on all sides.

4. Quarter the preserved lemons and scrape out the flesh. Discard half of the flesh, then finely slice the peel.

5. Once the chicken is sealed on all sides, add the preserved lemon peel and flesh, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and apricots. Simmer for 30–40 minutes. Add a little vegetable stock or water if it starts to dry out.

6. Meanwhile, make the couscous. Heat your chicken stock until hot but not boiling and place the couscous in a separate bowl. Pour over the hot stock, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.

7. Chop the coriander and mint and fold it through the couscous along with the dried cranberries. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous

8. Toast the flaked almonds in a hot dry pan until lightly golden.

9. Serve the tagine with the herby couscous and garnish with fresh coriander, parsley, olives if using and toasted almonds