Clare’s Tasty Tapas

I am still in a summer sun kind of mood, so today I bring to you my Tasty Tapas

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These are super as a main meal any evening, ideal for lunchtime leftovers and you will impress many a dinner guest if you were to sever mini ones of these as canapés.

Today we will give you the Black pudding, Potato & Prawn Bruschetta Tapas recipes, come back next week for the Tomato Bruschetta, Mushroom Bruschetta and Mango Salad.

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Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:  55 minutes

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Ingredients

Black Pudding:

• 280g Black Pudding
• 2tbs of tomato relish
• 8 slices of Dry cure Streaky rashers

Potato & Chorizo 

• 200g Baby sliced potato
• 1 med onion
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 1tbs olive oil
• 100g Chorizo sausage

Prawn Bruschetta

• 8 ,1cm thick slices of French stick
• 2tbs olive oil
• 150g of Prawns
• Large handful of fresh chopped coriander
• 1 finely chopped red chilli
• 1 grated clove of garlic
• 1/2tsp cracked black pepper

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PREPARATION

Potato: 1/ Place the potatoes into a pan of water, bring to the boil and cook until tender, drain and set to one side, While these cook place the sliced onions in a large frying pan with the olive oil, cook for 2-3 minutes, add the wine and reduce until this has almost disappeared, you really just want 1-2 tbs of wine left in the pan, add the sliced Chorizo, cook for 1-2 minutes, add the cooked potato and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Then serve.

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Black Pudding: 2/ Slice the black pudding, butter the relish onto the flat sides of the pudding, cut each rasher into 3 and wrap around the pudding and relish, place on a lined baking sheet and place in a moderate oven for 10-12 minutes. turning once.

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Prawn: 3/ Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden and crunchy. Place the prawns, chilli, garlic and coriander in a pan, (if using fresh prawns cook until they turn pink, if using already cooked prawns, then you are just warming them through) try not to over cook. Place the Prawn’s onto the bread, finish with cracked black pepper and serve.

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 ❤ Clare with the Hair ❤ 

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens

So we have had our starter of breads and dips and now we move onto the main’s, this is great as in this can all be done in advance with just a little warming once you are ready to eat.

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens

I love chicken , who doesn’t but sometimes it can be boring and a little bland, well not these, they have smoked bacon, white wine, shallots , herbs, mushrooms and cream, they are a super treat for you and your Valentine this weekend.

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens

Chicken Ballotines seem really fancy and taste so good that your valentine will be super impressed with your cooking skills, but actually there are not too hard and if you follow my steps you will master this and really wow your dinner guest.

Serves 2

Preparation : 60 minutes

Total time: 90 minutes

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens 

Ingredients

• 2 large Chicken Breasts
• 4 good quality streaky dry cur smoked rashers
• 200g potatoes
• 100g of mushrooms, 1/2 diced 1/2 sliced
• 2 medium shallots dices
• 2 cloves of grated garlic
• 150mls of white wine
• 1 low soduim chicken stock cube or 50mls of fresh chicken stock
• 50mls of cream
• 2tbs cracked black pepper
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1tbs Fresh chopped Thyme
• 2tbs of Grain mustard
• 50g of Strong Cheddar cheese
• 200g selection of greens
• 30g of Butter
• 1tbs of fresh chopped mint

Directions

1/ Begin with the stuffing for your chicken, place the shallots , 1/2 the mushrooms’s (the diced half) in a saucepan, top with the white wine, mustard, garlic, stock,pinch of pepper, lemon zest and thyme, cook this until nearly all the liquid has evaporated , take out half the mixture and place in a bowel to cool down (do not add hot stuffing to the meat allow this time to cool), in the pan add the sliced mushrooms and saute these off, leave to one side.

2/ Get two sheets of Grease proof paper and bash your chicken breast out, make them quiet thin, maybe the thickness of a euro coin, flatten out the bacon also, once both are flattened out, place two rashers on two sheets of cling flim, top with the chicken and place half the stuffing inside and roll, use the cling to assist you and leave this in tightly in place as this stays on while you poach the chicken. Place the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

3/ Bake the potatoes, place in a hot oven, no need to wrap, no need to add anything, place straight onto the racks and back for 35-45 minutes

4/ Steam your chosen greens until a tad under cooked, place in bowel until later

5/ remove the potato centres, and lightly crush, add the cheese and pepper and mix well, leave to one side

6/ Place your chicken in a pan of hot water and poach for 10-12 minutes, remove from the pan, remove cling and place in a non stick frying pan (no oil as the rashers will create there own) and brown on all sides

7/ Add the cream to your mushroom stuffing mixture you set aside earlier and warm through, taste and season as you feel needed

7/ Warm your potatoes, warm your greens with the chopped mint and plate up your meat as per the pictures.

Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens

Enjoy!!

Top Tip: All this can be ready hours in advance, have the chicken cooked up until the point of frying, have the sauce to the point of adding the cream and the vegetable just need a warm through in your microwave.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Simply Scrumptious Salmon Salad

Mid-week meals can prove to be the hardest to think about sometime but this, Simply Scrumptious Salmon Salad makes for an easy, low cal, no fuss yet exceptionally tasty home cooked mid-week meal. This is one of my families favourites.

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1lb of green beans
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 4  salmon fillets
• 1 large bag mixed salad greens
• 1 large red onion
• 2 large hard boiled eggs

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your grill to medium.

2. Place beans in large pan of boiling water; cook 2 minutes. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.

3. Combine vinegar, mustard, oil, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon pepper in small bowl, stirring well with whisk, set aside.

4. ,If you want to, you can spray both sides of each fillet with olive oil via a mister or use one of the low cal oil sprays, I think there is no need for any oil but I know with older grills or ones not so non stick this is a necessary step,  1/8 tea-spoon pepper. Place fish, skin side up, on grill rack; cook 5-6 minutes on this side then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.

5. Arrange 1/4 of the greens leaves in each of the 4 bowls top with your finely sliced red onion, the egg slices, and beans. Top with salmon and  drizzle with your delicious dressing.

Tip: Add some fresh chill to the dressing for a fiery hit, also I like to warm the dressing a little at this time of the year and you may even leave the beans warm, all ways this dish works!!

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Scrumptious Grilled Steak & Sweet Potatoes

Dinner does not get much simpler than this!! Claire’s Scrumptious Grilled Steak & Sweet Potato: Here we grill some spice-rubbed striploin steaks and serve them along side some sweet potatoes with onions baked in a foil packet . Serve with steamed greens, green beans, spinach or whatever leafy green you like. 🙂 I made a little crème fresh with sun-dried tomato sauce to go along side, but if you are being super healthy, then leave the sauce out.

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20-30 minutes

Total Time:  1hr

Ingredients 

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, I leave this out.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 x 8 ounces striploin steak, trimmed and cut into 2 portions
• 2-3 medium sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 large red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Combine allspice, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and salt (if using) in a bowl. Sprinkle steaks with the spice mixture and leave to rest while you get the sweet potato ready, mix the sliced sweet potato and red onion along with oil and zest in a bowl and coat all the pieces with the oil and zest.
3. Place two sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the ingredients from burning). . Spread the sweet potato mixture in the center of the foil in a thin layer. Bring the short ends of foil together, fold over and pinch to seal. Pinch the seams together along the sides to seal the packet.
4. Place the packet on the hottest part of the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, if the slices are thicker this will take longer. Cook the steaks on your hot grill, turning only once, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare and longer if required Transfer to plates and let rest while the potato packets finish cooking. Open the packets (being really careful of steam) and serve alongside the steaks and greens.

Tip: For the Creme fresh sauce, all you need is half a tub of creme fresh, whizz up 5-6 sundried tomatoes, add some lemon zest, fresh black pepper and  combine for a super simple, tasty sauce to have along side many foods, works great with chicken and really good as a dip for chips.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Coconut Brown Rice Pudding Cooked in a Slow-Cooker

So while trying to be super good with food choices I have discovered some fabulous, simple, tasty yet healthier alternatives to some of my traditional favorites. Today I am sharing a fabulous Rice Pudding that is possibly tastier than the traditional Rice Pudding I made but is it miles better for you also. It is a real win, win situation 🙂 Try it!!

Makes: 6 large servings or 4 with a chance for seconds 🙂

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 6+ hours (we are after all using a slow-cooker)

Ingredients

• I use a very small amount of coconut oil but feel free to use nonstick / lie cooking spray
• 3 cups coconut water
• One regular can lite coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sugar, you can use any sugar alternative here
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or even feeling really generous, add a pod with the seeds scrapped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, this is one time I use salt, I am not sure what it does exactly but it adds ‘something’
• 1 1/4 cups short grain brown rice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

Toppings you may add: diced fresh or dried mango and pineapple, fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries, toasted shaved coconut chips, chopped toasted nuts, chopped crystallized ginger, a spoon of your favorite jam, chopped banana or anything you like, the choices are endless……

Preparation

Wipe melted coconut oil or mist the slow cooker with lite nonstick cooking spray. Mix the coconut water, coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of the slow cooker until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the rice and cook on high 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.

Uncover, stir well and let stand 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the butter. Continue to cool, stirring, until warm. Stir in the lime zest. Serve warm and  Top with any of your choices of toppings and enjoy!

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Oven-baked Fish & Chips (with half the calories of your traditional Fish & Chips)

A classic combination given a  healthy makeover by oven cooking the ingredients instead of frying. All the flavour with a lot less fat!

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 880g of floury potato, scrubbed and cut into chips, (leave the skins on) for a healthier option use Sweet Potato
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for me it is Coconut Oil but you can use one of the lite oil sprays
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs, I use wholemeal but feel free to use breadcrumbs of your choice
• zest the peel of 1 lemon
• 2 – 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 x 140g/5oz thick  white fish fillets (up or down the numbers depending on your requirements) this is based on 1 per person,
• 200g cherry tomato, I like to sprinkle a little black pepper onto these

I also like to add a green veg on the side of this but you can opt for your favourite and steam this.

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pat chips dry on kitchen paper, then lay in a single layer on a large baking tray. Drizzle with half the olive oil , coconut oil or spray and season with salt. Cook for 40 mins, turning after 20 mins, so they cook evenly.
2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest and parsley, then season well. Top the cod evenly with the breadcrumb mixture, then drizzle, with the remaining oil again using your option. Put in a roasting tin with the cherry tomatoes, then bake in the oven for the final 10 mins of the chips’ cooking time.

As far as easy goes this is way up there. it tastes delicious and needs very little attention while in the oven, this is one of my families favourites

NUTRITION

Per serving: 366 calories

• Tip , Healthy benefits

  We have halved the fat and calories of this traditional favourite by cooking it in the oven instead of frying, and even better again with coconut oil of your lite oil sprays. Although potatoes don’t count towards your 5-a-day, they’re a useful source of vitamin C as well as B6, potassium and manganese and if you opt for a sweet potato you have seriously increased the health benefits, Remember to add a nice green vegetable with this to make it a truly great family meal.

Let me know how you get on with this and as always if there is something you would like me to make, then let me know in the comments section below or via the contact me page.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Claire with the hair McCarthy ❤

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce (help’s with any sweet cravings)

I was asked for a simple dish that is tasty, quick and super simple to recreate so I choose this:

Fresh apricots, white wine, apricot jam and tarragon combine in a quick sauce that’s delicious with chicken. I pound the chicken thin so that it cooks in just a couple of minutes.(I use parchment paper and a rolling pin) Let this easy recipe inspire you to create your own variations. Try different combinations of wine (or even fruit juice with a touch of vinegar) and other fruits and preserves. Serve with: Quinoa or brown rice and steamed Spinach or steamed Broccoli .

Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 120g each), trimmed or all fat and tenders removed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided ( I leave this out, maybe try adding 1/2 this quantity until you no longer need it at all)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (I use Coconut)
• 3/4 glass white wine (Use a dry white wine if possible)
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried

PREPARATION

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of cling film / parchment paper & Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy pan until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle ( if taste requires) with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the centre, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches with an additional 1 tablespoon oil.)
3. Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the same pan you have cooked the chicken in, Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, should take about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, again no more than 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in jam, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce, some rice, vegetables and Enjoy!

NUTRITION

Per serving: 252 calories (Chicken and Sauce Only) ; 5 g fat

Steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon (½ cup)
22 calories

Steamed spinach with a squeeze of lemon (½ cup)
21 calories

Quinoa tossed with chopped fresh herbs (½ cup)
111 calories

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤