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Party food: Mini apple pie stacks

November 18, 2015

We recently went through a huge house renovation project. Of all the rooms in the house, it’s turned out that our kitchen is where we spend all our time. We’ve barely used the living room so far, even when friends come over as everyone gravitates to the kitchen. As a result of practically living in the kitchen, we have been having friends over a lot more and that has encouraged me to try new recipes and experiment more so I’ve been sharing more recipes here too. Recently I made these mini apple pie stacks which were yummy so I thought I would share the recipe with you as they are perfect little party desserts. And who doesn’t love an apple pie?

Kids and grown-ups alike will love these mini apple pies so they’re great for any kind of gathering. And the best part is that nearly all the work can be done the day before. I’m loving these as a festive treat -they’re a nice alternative to mince pies especially as they look so snowy and Christmassy with all that icing sugar. Not only are these mini apple pies delicious and gorgeous to look at, but they’re also easy to make.

So here’s how to make mini apple pies:

MINI APPLE PIE STACKS
Makes: 10 mini pies

6-7 granny smith apples peeled and cored (mini ones)
½ a 370g pack of ready rolled unsweetened shortcrust pastry
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tsp soft brown sugar
3 tbsp icing sugar
creme fraiche

Start by cutting out discs of your shortcrust pastry. I used a 5cm diameter cookie cutter so that the apple pie stacks were small enough to pick up with fingers. Bake the discs on baking parchment for 10-15 minutes at 175ºC (or 350ºF) for fan assisted ovens. Otherwise just follow the guidelines on the pastry pack. To make sure that the pastry discs stay flat, place another sheet of baking parchment and a baking tray on top while baking. Take out of the oven and leave to cool – removing the baking tray on top.

Next slice the apples really thinly in to rings – ideally use a mandolin if you have one. The apple rings should be roughly the size of your pastry discs. Heat a large frying pan and melt a generous knob of butter. Lightly brown the apple rings a few at a time. They just need a minute or so on each side. Take them out just as they start to soften – you don’t want them too soft as they will be very tricky to handle later. Once all the apple rings are done, add another knob of butter to the pan. Once melted, put all the apple rings back in the pan and sprinkle with 3 tbsp of brown sugar. Very gently turn the apple rings in the butter and sugar to caramalise them. Once caramalised, leave the apple rings to cool.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and start building your apple pie stacks. Take around 3 apple rings and place on top of each other. Sprinkle the top ring with the cinnamon sugar and add 3 more apple rings on top. Continue doing this until you have 10 apple stacks. Place another sheet of baking parchment on top of the apple stacks and a heavyish baking try or similar on top to compress the stacks a bit. Put in the fridge and leave to cool. You can do up to this stage the day before – just remember to place your pastry discs in an airtight container.

When you’re ready to serve, heat up the apple stacks in the oven on a low-moderate heat for a few minutes. Then place the stacks on the pastry discs, sprinkle the tops with icing sugar and place under a hot grill to brown. This will take no more than a minute or two and they will come out looking all golden and slightly charred at the edges like in the pic above. Once out of the oven, dust with more icing sugar and serve as they are or with a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

I’m not a huge fan of desserts but even I can’t turn down these delicious mini apple pies. The last time I made these for friends they disappeared in seconds so I suggest making 2-3 per person!

I will definitely be making these as a festive party treat next month when I have a few Christmas do’s. And the best part is that with our kitchen being so welcoming and user friendly, our friends often help with the last minute serving up. With our renovations we went way over budget with our kitchen but now I know it was so worth! I’ve since learned that a good place to get affordable and quality kitchens is betta living so maybe next time we will check that out. Does your kitchen inspire you to cook and socialise more?

P.S. If you want some more party food inspiration, take a look at my mini fish and chips and honey, soy and ginger chicken skewers.

I got the idea for these mini apple pies from an old Gary Rhodes recipe which I have adapted.

{all photos by ebabee}

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s tasty tuesdays.

Ebabee eats party food: Fun madeleine cake boats

November 11, 2015

I don’t always have time to make party food from scratch especially when there are quite a few dishes to make. Sometimes I rely on shop bought things – I tend to do this more with sweet things and desserts as shop bought desserts can be really good and there is so much to choose from. But even when I buy readymade stuff, I always like to put my own spin on it. Just a simple twist that makes it personal and served with love.

When I have kids over for playdates, one my my go to treats is shop bought madeleines. Madeleines are small enough for little hands and are generally loved by all kids so they go down a treat. Recently I thought about serving these madeleines for a kids party too – but I wanted to dress them up and put my own fun touch on them as I think food should be fun, especially kids party food. Madeleines always remind me of boats – they are shaped like boats and so I decided to turn them in to actual boats.

These couldn’t be easier to put together. I simply attached a sail to each madeleine using a cocktail stick. The sails are cut out of some pretty wrapping paper I had and I’ve taped them on to the cocktail sticks. Next, I put little flags on with each child’s name so that these little madeleines could double-up as cute edible place holders for any kiddy gathering. And to finish, a little sprinkling of icing sugar.

If you’re looking for more kids party food ideas, take a look at my fun fish and chips.

Ebabee eats party food: My mini eggs benedict

November 3, 2015

Eggs benedict is probably one of my favourite breakfasts ever. But strangely I hardly ever eat it for breakfast, instead it’s a dinner thing for me; especially on those lazy Sunday evenings when you don’t want to cook a full meal but still want something delicious. The last time I made these eggs it occurred to me that I could make mini eggs benedict which would be fun for parties. So I made these delicious little morsels when I had a few friends over and they were a hit.

To make these bite-sized mini eggs benedict you have to use quails eggs of course. I had no intention of poaching these tiny eggs so they’re fried instead – a lot easier and just as tasty. Also I have used a dash of sour cream instead of hollandaise sauce as hollandaise is tricky to make and even worse when you have people over. I’ve adapted quite a few bits to make it work as party food but the result is delicious and very do-able.

MINI EGGS BENEDICT
Makes: 12

12 quails eggs
1 loaf brioche
6 rashers of pancetta
sour cream
chives
salt & pepper

Start by slicing your brioche and cutting out small discs using a cookie cutter or similar – around 4-5cm discs that are 1 cm high. Next cook your pancetta rashers according to the instructions on the packet and drain on kitchen towel. Cut each rasher in half. I prefer pancetta to bacon for these mini eggs benedict because pancetta is thinner and crispier but you can use bacon if you prefer.

While the pancetta’s cooking, heat two large frying pans – one to toast the brioche and the other to fry your quails eggs. For the brioche, the pan should be very hot and once it is just put your discs in and turn over in about a 40-50 seconds at most – they toast really quickly. For the quails eggs, you need little olive oil and then just fry the eggs a few at a time so that they don’t break.

Now it’s time to assemble. Place half a pancetta rasher on each brioche disc. Top with a fried quails egg, season with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of sour cream and sprinkle with chopped chives.

In case your mini eggs benedict become cold while you’re preparing everything, just assemble (without adding sour cream and chives) and put them in the oven for a minute or two.

These mini eggs benedict not only taste great but they look so good too. And each little morsel is just the right size to give you a mouthful of delicious runny egg yolk with crispy pancetta and sweet, buttery brioche.

If you’d like a few more party food ideas, take a look at my mini fish and chips and these soy, honey and ginger skewers.

*I’ve linked up to honest mum’s tasty Tuesdays.

Ebabee eats party food: Honey soy & ginger chicken

October 26, 2015

As we are getting closer and closer to the party season, I wanted to share some of my favourite party food recipes. Party food should always look as good as it tastes but for me shouldn’t involve too much last minute prep – you want to be able to spend time with your guests too. Easy, tasty and pretty is my motto! Last week I shared my mini fish & chips recipe and this week it’s these delicious honey soy and ginger chicken skewers. Small enough to be picked up by little or large hands, these chicken skewers are great for any kind of gathering – kids birthday parties, adult festive parties or mixed family gatherings. I usually serve them for mixed parties as it’s something everybody loves. Always make more than you think you’ll need because believe me when I say that these chicken skewers are so more-ish that they disappear in minutes!

HONEY SOY AND GINGER CHICKEN SKEWERS
Makes: 20 skewers

20 mini chicken breast fillets (you can also use regular breasts sliced lengthways in to strips)
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 cm piece fresh ginger grated
3 tbs soya sauce
2 tbs honey
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tbs sesame seeds toasted
2 spring onions finely chopped (optional)

Put the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Add the mini chicken breast fillets and stir well so that all the chicken pieces are well coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook. In the meantime toast the sesame seeds on a hot, dry frying pan till they turn light golden brown. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade and thread on to bamboo skewers – one strip per skewer. Put under a hot grill for around 7-9 minutes, turning halfway through. It’s really important not to overcook the chicken as it will get really hard so keep an eye on it at all times. You want it so that the chicken is just cooked through and the honey/sugar caramelises to a nice golden brown colour.

Arrange the skewers on a platter or I sometimes like to stand them up in a jam jar, scatter with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions (if using) and watch them disappear! I like to serve a bit of sweet chilli dipping sauce on the side but this isn’t essential.

Ebabee eats party food: Mini fish & chips

October 19, 2015

With the party season nearly here, over the coming weeks I’m going to share some of my favourite ‘go to’ easy party food recipes. Some of the recipes will be for kids while others will be more for adults but even the kids recipes will work just as well for adults and the other way around. Also all these recipes are great for any kind of party – festive parties, birthday parties, informal get togethers – anything at all.

To start my party food series, there is nothing yummier than mini fish and chips. This is something I’ve often served at Anya’s parties and every kids adores it. I always make extra as the adults can’t seem to resist picking either. I’m not a big fan of battered fish, preferring breadcrumbed fish, so that’s what I go for. Also, the advantage of breaded fish is that it can be fried in advance and gently heated in the oven just before serving so you’re not left slaving over a hot stove after your guests have arrived.

Party food needs to look as good as it tastes. Of course it’s fun to make cute food sometimes – like animal shapes – but there are lots of ways to make your food look really fun and I hope to share a few of those ideas too along with my party food recipes. The most important thing of all is that the food is fresh and wholesome and is something that people will genuinely enjoy eating, not just looking at.

MINI FISH & CHIPS
Serves: 10 kids (as part of a bigger menu)

400 gms firm white fish fillets (haddock or lemon sole are my preferred ones)
breadcrumbs
3 eggs
2 tbs plain flour
salt & pepper
oil for shallow frying
chips (oven chips or your own home made ones)

Cut your fish in to thin, long strips, like goujons but thinner – around 10cm/4in long pieces and 2cm/1in wide. This kind of size makes them really easy to pick up and eat with fingers. A great tip for cutting fish so that it doesn’t break is don’t cut it horizontally, but cut it lengthwise. Put your flour on a plate, beat the eggs and place in a very shallow bowl and place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to your taste and then start breading – coat fish strips with flour, then dip in egg making sure they’re completely coated, next dip in breadcrumbs, again making sure the fish is well covered. Repeat till you’ve coated all the fish strips.

Pour oil in to a large frying pan (the oil should come up to about 1.5cms) and heat. When it’s quite hot place your breaded fish strips in the oil and shallow fry till golden brown. Drain on some kitchen towel and your mini breaded fish is ready. As mentioned, these can be made a few hours in advance and heated in the oven just before serving. Make some fries or chips to serve with the fish.

I serve the fish & chips with ketchup and mayo for the kids and tartar sauce and lemon for the adults. One of the ways I love serving this fish and chips is as pictured here – individual portions in mini paper party bags. This is an easy party food recipe for kids and adults that goes down a treat for any kind of gathering.

Feel like checking out another party food idea? Here is my yummy honey, soy & ginger chicken recipe.

*I’ve linked up to Honest mum’s tasty Tuesdays.

Warming Vietnamese chicken and rice soup

September 30, 2015

It’s no secret that chicken soup is so good for you. So when the weather turns cooler I crave a dose of good, comforting, warming, homemade chicken soup. Nothing hits the spot quite like this simple dish. While I love a good old fashioned clear broth, my go to chicken soup is this Vietnamese one. Not only is it a full meal in a bowl but the subtle flavour of lemongrass adds such a delicious dimension to the soup. Add to that the coriander and dash of lime and you may have the best chicken soup ever. Once you try this Vietnamese chicken and rice soup recipe, you will be hooked. It’s easy enough to make for a mid-week meal which everybody will love, even the fussiest of kids (maybe minus the coriander!)

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE
Serves: 4

For the broth:
1 small chicken
I medium onion peeled and quartered
2-3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
2 inch piece of ginger sliced roughly
1 dried red chili (optional)
2 stalks lemon grass cut lengthwise and lightly bruised
2 tbs fish sauce

To finish the soup:
2 stalks lemongrass cut in to 3 pieces each and lightly bruised
110gms thai jasmine rice (or any rice you like)
1 tbs fish sauce
3-4 pak choi (optional)
small handful coriander roughly chopped
1 lime cut in to wedges

Start by putting all the broth ingredients in to a large pot – as large as you have! Add 2.5 litres of water and bring to the boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat down to a low simmer, cover and leave to cook for 2 hours.

When cooked, skim the fat off the broth, remove the chicken and shred it. Strain the broth and set aside. I usually do up to this stage in advance like in the morning so I find the fat much easier to remove once the broth is cooled.

When you’re ready to eat, heat the broth and bring it to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, stir in the remaining lemongrass, fish sauce and the rice. Let it cook uncovered on a low heat till the rice is cooked – around 20-25 (but it really depends on your ratio of rice to broth). Once the rice is done, add as much of the shredded chicken in as you want (I usually keep some back for chicken sandwiches the next day!). Add your pak choi or other veg if using and once the veg has wilted a bit and the chicken is heated, it’s ready.

Spoon generously in to big bowls, top with lots of chopped coriander (may be not for the kids) and a good squeeze of lime and enjoy!

The subtle flavours of this Vietnamese chicken and rice soup are not only so comforting but they are also so refreshing. If food could give you a great, big hug, this would be the dish that does it for me. Whenever I mention that this soup is tonight’s dinner, everybody in my house is jumping up and down. And not just them – I’ve made it for friends too and they’ve all become addicted and taken the recipe. If I sound a bit crazy getting over excited about a bowl of soup, all I can say is that once you try it you’ll know exactly why!

P.S. If you like your Vietnamese food, you might enjoy this delicious Vietnamese grilled chicken dish too.

*Recipe adapted from Ghillee Basan’s Vietnamese Food & Cooking

Easy and delicious no bake vanilla fruit tart

September 21, 2015

I love cooking but I’m not a fan of baking. When I have friends over I usually get so involved in the main savoury food that I end up buying a dessert or sometimes completely forget to get one at all. Recently I started thinking that I should try and up my dessert making skills but only easy-peasy stuff that still has the wow factor. And preferably no baking involved. So I decided to try a no-bake shortbread vanilla fruit tart and I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious it turned out. And the best part is that it’s so easy to make and you can just use the basic idea and get as creative as you want with toppings. Also it’s a great dessert to get kids involved in too – it’s that simple.

This fruity dessert is a beautiful cross between vanilla cheesecake and a fruit tart but instead of traditional digestive biscuits as a base or a normal fruit tart base, I decided to try shortbread biscuits and it worked so well. The shortbread biscuit base has just the right amount of crunch and sweetness without needing to add more sugar to it.

SHORTBREAD VANILLA FRUIT TART
Serves: 8-10

340 gms shortbread biscuits
100 gms butter melted
3 tubs philadelphia cream cheese (180gms x 3)
100 gms icing sugar
300ml double cream
½ vanilla pod seeds
2 tsp vanilla extract
7 kiwi fruits

Start by putting the shortbread biscuits in to a freezer bag or similar and crush them to a fine crumb with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and mix really well. Spoon this mixture in to your tart tin and flatten with a spoon making as even as possible.

Note: I used a rectangular tart tin (35 x 12 cms) for extra wow factor but Anya also made four individual ones in mini round tart tins (9cms diameter). So the quantities above are for making more than a rectangular tart but you can reduce slightly to make just one big tart.

Place the biscuit bases in the tins in the fridge so they can harden and set – leave for at least an hour. While they’re chilling, tip the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla pod seeds and extract in to a bowl and mix well. Next add the double cream and fold it in till it’s completely mixed in. Get the bases out of the fridge and spoon the cream cheese mixture on to them. Smooth it out with a palette knife if you have one otherwise just a regular ol’ knife is good enough – it’s what I used.

Let the tarts chill and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours. You can do all this even 5-6 hours in advance. When you are ready to serve, chop your fruit – you can choose any fruit you like or even a few different ones. Top your tarts, serve and enjoy!

This vanilla fruit tart with cream cheese and shortbread is so delicious. And it has such a wow factor too but yet it’s so easy to make. It is quite rich so a little goes a long way. For the fruit toppings, you can use any fruit you like or even a combination of 3-4 fruits. I love the slight sharpness that the kiwi fruits gave to this dessert but berries, mangoes, peaches, plums or any fruit you can think of will work just as well.

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s tasty tuedays.

Ebabee eats: Taiwanese minced pork and rice

September 9, 2015

Do you get stuck in a food rut? Making the same old tried and tested recipes week in and week out? As much as you may love those foods, it gets boring to eat the same food every week. I have recently found myself being caught in this trap and decided it was time to try one new recipe a week. Nothing too complicated as time is always short during weekdays and also any new recipe has to be family friendly too. So when I came across this Taiwanese minced pork recipe that sounded interesting, I decided to give it a go. It turned out to be yummy with bags of flavour and has already become a regular in our mid-week menu. And it also freezes really well so I usually make two meals worth which is what I’ve given you quantities for below.

TAIWANESE MINCED PORK AND RICE
Serves: 8

900 gms minced pork
1-1½ tbs sunflower or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves minced
2 star anise
2 bay leaves (dried is fine)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
4-5 tbs cooking wine
2 tbs dark soy sauce
4-5 tbs regular soy sauce
600ml chicken stock (shop bought is fine)
80gms fried shallots and a bit extra for garnishing*
3 spring onions finely sliced
One fried egg per person

*For the fried shallots, the easiest option is to get them ready fried from an Asian supermarket. If not then finely slice and deep fry the shallots till they are crispy.

Start by heating the oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and quickly stir for about a minute making sure it doesn’t burn. Add in the minced pork and turn the heat to high. Cook the pork, stirring and breaking up any large bits until all the meat is browned.

Now add the sugar, pepper, five spice, star anise and bay leaves to the minced pork and give it a very good mix. Next add the cooking wine and bring to a boil. Let the wine bubble for a couple of minutes and then add both the soy sauces and the chicken stock. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add in the shallots and stir everything really well. Then cover and leave to cook for another hour – stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened and the pork has become really soft, it’s done.

When you’re ready to eat, fry the eggs – one per person. Pile up a bowl with rice and top with the pork. The pork is very flavourful so a little goes a long way. Place the fried egg on top and I like to add some steamed green beans to the dish as this then makes a complete meal – but you can add any veg you have in the fridge. Serve the dish with the chopped spring onions and fried shallots for everyone to use as a garnish.

This Taiwanese minced pork dish doesn’t only freeze really well but you can also make the pork several hours in advance and just heat when you’re ready to eat so it makes a great prepare in advance dish for when you have friends over too. And once all piled up in a bowl it tastes delicious and looks so pretty too.

I got the idea for this dish while googling recipes with minced pork. There were two recipes that stood out for me and so I kind of created my own version using these two recipes as a guide: 1 and 2.

*I’ve linked up to honest mum’s tasty tuesdays.

Friday chat: Cooking with kids

August 7, 2015

Do you cook with your kids? There are so many benefits of cooking with kids and involving them in the kitchen. I am on a mission to involve Anya in the kitchen as much as I can. Everyday when I cook dinner I get her to join me and help. I give her tasks like making marinades, peeling garlic, getting all the ingredients together or anything else that doesn’t involve knives or heat. What I love most about this time is our chats. We have lots of fun conversations where she tells me stuff about school, about her friends and I’ve found she chats to me much more during our cooking time than if I sat down and asked her lots of questions. Similarly on weekends, Richard loves cooking and I can see what a great father/daughter bonding time this has become.

So, when Abel & Cole offered to send us their kids Summer boxes, I agreed. I tend to make more complex food on a regular basis so while I involve Anya, it is me who is very much in charge. But these boxes contain recipes that are super easy to follow, allowing kids to read the instructions and take the lead. Most of the recipes have 3-4 ingredients like this vanilla ice cream Anya made – just honey, vanilla pod seeds, cream and egg yolks. This box also contained ingredients to make a strawberry sauce and banana ice-cream which we will try over the weekend.

The recipes are very simple and so your kids aren’t likely to make you the most delicious meal you ever ate but what I love about them is that kids around 5 and older can totally be in charge and you are there just as a helper. We’ve had a few boxes now and Anya is so excited when a new box arrives as she thinks of it as hers and can’t wait to see what she’ll be cooking next. I also love the convenience of pulling out a box and knowing I have all the ingredients to get started. Abel & Cole are doing kids boxes throughout the Summer with different recipes each week so if you’re in need of ideas, check it out. Also it’s a fun way way to keep kids occupied over the Summer holidays.

Here are some simple tips to help get kids involved in the kitchen:

1. Start involving them by making foods they love – maybe baking some cookies or muffins. One of Anya’s favourite things to make is pizza which would be fun for any kid to be involved in making even for kids as young as 2 or 3.

2. Go food shopping together and once in a while let them choose what meal they would like to make or if you can, go to a pick your own fruit/veg place and they will be so keen to cook and eat what they’ve picked.

3. Make a very simple recipe where they can be in charge – this can bring such a sense of pride and achievement as I saw when Anya made this simple ice-cream. Kids love to help especially with adult tasks as this makes them feel good and appreciated.

4. Even if you’re making an involved meal, give them small tasks like stirring or measuring ingredients.

5. Involve the kids in the cooking when you have time. Everything takes longer with kids so as long as you’re relaxed they’ll enjoy it much more.

Above all make it fun. Play some music, be silly and if you’re anything like me don’t worry about the mess like I used to – it used to actually put me off cooking with Anya but I’ve learned to put my fear of mess asisde 😉 It takes a few extra minutes to clean up but it’s so worth it. Do you cook with your kids?

P.S. I moved all my kitchen clutter to one side when I took these pics – my kitchen doesn’t normally look this tidy even though I wish it did! 😀

{All photos by ebabee. Anya wears frankie fox print shirt from the ebabee shop}

Ebabee eats: Vietnamese grilled chicken & rice bowl

July 22, 2015

Eating fresh and healthy food as a family doesn’t have to mean boring. We love oriental style meals in this house as they always offers lots of flavour and often without too much effort. Home cooked oriental food is always better and so much healthier than a take-away. One of my favourites is this Vietnamese street food inspired dish of grilled chicken with rice and pickled veggies. The Vietnamese version almost always uses pork and noodles but I use chicken for a healthier option and I think rice works better than noodles in this dish so rice it is. I also use different herbs and spices than the traditional so you could say this is my take on a Vietnamese classic.

Once you try this dish, I promise you will never look back. How can ingredients like the ones pictured above be anything but flavourful? The grilled chicken in the dish is just delicious and all the other flavours come together to make for an absolutely beautiful bowl of food. What’s more this dish is versatile and can be adapted for different tastes within a family – if you want to go low carb, leave out the rice and have it on a bed of salad or if you’re eating really healthy use brown rice. Also the toppings are all optional so everybody can choose what they want on their dish. The dish takes a little effort to prep but you can strip it down for a quicker meal or go the whole hog when you have a bit more time. Like the pickled veg for instance – you can serve it with just freshly sliced veg instead of pickling when time is short.

VIETNAMESE GRILLED CHICKEN AND RICE RECIPE
Serves: 4

For the marinade:
700gms boneless & skinless chicken thighs
2-3 shallots very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced (add more or less depending on taste)
2 stalks fresh lemon grass lightly bruised and very finely chopped
50gms granulated sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1.5 tbs dark soy sauce (the dark soy is important as it’s a lot thicker than usual soy)
1.5 tbs sesame oil
generous amount of freshly ground pepper

Toppings:
2-3 tbs toasted sesame seeds
handful of chopped coriander
3-4 thinly sliced spring onions (topped with 2 tbs hot olive oil and a pinch of salt and sugar)
1-2 sliced red chilies (optional)

Pickled veg:
2 x 3 inch piece of cucumber cut in to matchsticks
2 x 3 inch piece of carrot cut in to matchsticks
250ml warm water
40ml white vinegar (add more if you like a sharper taste)
1 tbs sugar
½ tsp salt

200-250gms basmati rice cooked as per packet instructions

Start by marinating the chicken thighs. Just trim any big pieces excess fat but leave a little on as you don’t want the chicken to dry out when it’s cooked. Cut in to large-ish bite size pieces. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add the chicken to this. Give it a very good mix and leave to marinate for at least 1.5-2 hours or longer.

For the picked veg, take a jar and combine the warm water, vinegar, sugar and salt stirring till the sugar is dissolved. Add the matchstick veg and leave to pickle. Even an hour or two will do for light pickling. I don’t like a sharp taste (I prefer a bit more sweetness) so I put very little vinegar but you can adjust quantities to your own taste. The best way to find the perfect quantities for you is to taste the pickling liquid before you put the veg in so you know exactly how sharp/sweet/salty it is.

Chop and prepare all the toppings if you haven’t done so yet. For the sesame seeds toast them lightly in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat. Move them around with a wooden spoon to make sure they toast evenly. Keep an eye on the seeds as once they start browning they can burn very easily. Once they’re lightly browned, take them off the heat and out of the frying pan immediately otherwise they will continue to cook.

That’s all the prep done! When you’re ready to eat cook the rice and place the chicken under a hot grill. You can also skewer the chicken and cook over a barbecue. It’s even more delicious but a grill works well too. Turn the chicken once – around halfway through cooking. The chicken will take around 10-15 minutes to cook and will come out all dark and beautifully caramelised. Scoop some rice in to a bowl, top with the chicken and the pickled veg. Then generously scatter some sesame seeds, coriander, spring onions and chilies (if using) and eat!

This Vietnamese grilled chicken and rice recipe is one of my favourite mid-week family dinners and it’s also a very tasty one dish meal to serve when you have a few friends over as it appeals to adults and kids. What’s more, kids love being given all the bits of the dish and building their own. Try it and you won’t regret it!

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s Tasty Tuesdays.