The Recipe Room

Chicken is so tasty! Really, flavour is my number one priority, but chicken has two other advantages as well: it is a lean meat, and it is a reasonably cheap. In other words, it´s an ideal ingredient for students!

I also like chicken because you can add virtually any spice or herb, and it usually works great. In this recipe I have added cinnamon for a slightly surprising taste.

The other day one of my friends came over, and I found out last-minute that she was a vegetarian. So, I found this hearty seitan stew recipe, played around and combined the two for her. You can do the same to create your own unique recipe!

The chilli adds the spiciness and gives this dish a bit of a sting. Did you know that Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to discover the chilli upon his arrival in the Americas?

This veggie is surprisingly good for you. They say it speeds up your metabolism and has more vitamin C than oranges. Adding it to dishes which are a little bland in taste will spice it up perfectly AND it may help you lose those extra pounds before summer that many of us still have left from the Christmas season.

This is a really simple and delicious dish that is put together in a jiffy! Enjoy!

Pistachios are one of my favourite nuts, and if someone doesn’t stop me, I could just eat them forever. They are so moreish! However, they contain quite a lot of calories, so I have to watch out.

On a good note though, almost 90% of the fat found in pistachios are unsaturated fats – the good kind! They are also a great source of fibre and vitamin E – great for skin health!

Pistachios are used in everything from ice cream to sauces, and in this dish of Chicken with rice and pistachios in a yoghurt sauce, I have tried to use enough pistachios to let the taste of this yummy nut shine through.

Pistachios are thought to have been enjoyed since as far back 6750 BC, and they were often used as travelling food due to their high nutritional value and long storage life. They were particularly popular among explorers and traders, and rumour has it that they were the snack of choice for travellers across the ancient Silk Road that connected China with the West.

Although pistachios are often used in desserts such as ice cream or other sweets (like this Indian lass with cardamom and pistachios), they can be used in a variety of other recipes. Try this rice dish and see for yourself!

What we need:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 200g of rice

• 200g of chicken

• 3 tablespoons of pistachos

• 1 onion

• 1 carrot

• 1 small tin of green peas

• 1/2 courgette

• 150g of  natural yoghurt

• 1 clove of garlic

How to make it:

1. Wash and boil the rice according to instructions on the package.

2. Wash and peel the onion, carrot and courgette. Cut them all into small squares.

3. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a frying pan in the oil.

4. When the chicken has been frying for a while, add the vegetables and the peas.

5. Chop the pistachios and garlic into small pieces and mix with the yoghurt in a bowl.

6. When the rice is ready, add it to the frying pan and mix it carefully with the chicken and veggies.

7. Place the rice mixture on a plate and dollop the yoghurt sauce on top.

Enjoy!

Serves: 2

Time needed: 20 minutes

Level: easy

One food item that I always try to have in the fridge is mango chutney. It is really versatile; it can be an accompaniment, a side dish sauce, an actual sauce in a stir-fry or  a topping just to add an extra flavour to something. I usually use it to sweeten something that might be too spicy on its own. It is good with strong cheeses too; try it for yourself – only your imagination sets the limit! (Also sample this pear and mango chutney.)

Chutney is a South Asian condiment, and there are many different kinds. They can be made from virtually any vegetable or fruit, herbs, spices or a combination of them. Often it is fruit, vinegar, and sugar cooked down to a reduction, such as in the case of mango chutney. Chutneys are usually sweet or hot; and both usually contain various spices, including chilli, but are set apart by their main flavour, such as mango or tomato.

If you have a little more time and energy than me, it is reasonably easy to make mango chutney at home, but I just bought a ready-made one. Here is a really simple stir-fry dish which is put together within minutes. I hope you enjoy it!

I never tire of roulades, and neither do my taste buds. My personal favourites are chicken and bacon roulades with cream cheese and rosemary. For me, there is something about mixing two distinct flavours into one that has a strange appeal. Besides being easy to prepare, roulades combine two or more different foods, and by doing so, often create a surprising culinary sensation.

Often roulades are considered a fantastic dessert option. This Chocolate Roulade is absolutely scrumptious.

I myself am a “meat and potatoes girl”. Veggies are delicious, but nothing beats the idea of mixing two kinds of meat into one dish and having potatoes as the carbohydrate base. And I know I’m not alone. My girlfriends are known to throw pot luck dinners, granting me the opportunity to show off my culinary skills as well as the possibility of tasting others’ dishes. I take lots of ideas away from those meals, but my friends always demand that I bring these roulades! And that is just fine with me.

For your next dinner function, I recommend this dish. Not only is it quick and easy, but your friends will vote you “Top Chef” of the night.

What we need:

• 3 big potatoes
• 4 thin chicken fillets
• 250g bacon
• 3 tablespoons of cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon of rosemary
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

How to make it:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees celsius.
2. Put some oil in an oven-safe form.
3. Peel and slice the potatoes.
4. Place the potatoes in the form, pour the olive oil and sprinkle the rosemary and salt over them.
5. Take the chicken fillets and pat them as flat as possible.
6. Spread the cream cheese onto the chicken and sprinkle the pepper over them.
7. Roll the chicken fillets into tubes and wrap the bacon around them.
8. Place the chicken and bacon rolls on top of the potatoes.
9. Place in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
10. Serve with an iceberg and tomato salad.

Serves: 8

Time needed: 20 minutes

Level: easy

I love Mexican food for its spiciness and simplicity of the dishes. The typical foods such as spicy tortillas, nachos, quesadillas, and fajitas all are really filling and use combinations of flavours that I can´t get enough of! Plus, in my opinion, they are quite easy to throw together for a hearty meal.

Chicken fajitas with red onion and guacamole is a dish that I make at least twice a week because it is so yummy and simple to make. Fajitas make perfect student food because they are easy like a sandwich but with proper meal ingredients.

I usually cosy up with these fajitas and my favourite TV series after a full day at Uni. Although, since I stuff them so full, I have to be careful not to let all the ingredients spill out onto the couch. Regardless, I love this dish. All I can say is: Viva Mexico!

What we need:

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 large red onion
• 6 Mexican tortillas
• 100g of grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons of spicy red Mexican sauce
• 200ml of guacamole
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Herbs: garlic, ginger, pepper and cayenne pepper (a pinch of each)

How to make it:

1. Chop the chicken breast into long slices.
2. Place them in the oil in a frying pan and fry until cooked and sprinkle the herbs over it.  Place in a bowl for later.
3. Chop the peppers and onion and fry them in the frying pan.
4. Now, put the chicken back in the pan together with the peppers and onion. Add the Mexican sauce to taste, depending on how spicy you want it.
5. Preheat the tortillas in the oven or microwave.
6. Spread a tablespoon of guacamole on a tortilla and add some of the chicken and pepper mixture.
7. Sprinkle some of the grated cheese on top according to taste.
8. Roll the tortilla into a roll and eat with your fingers or a knife and fork.

Enjoy!!

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Level: easy

You can either buy ready-made guacamole or make it yourself. Try this spicy guacamole recipe.