Takeaway Replacements

Spicy Kofta Kebabs Ingredients KEBABS 400 g quality lean lamb mince 1 bunch of fresh thyme 1 lemon SPICES (OPTIONAL) 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground chilli 1 tablespoon ground cumin TO SERVE 4 tortilla wraps 1 round lettuce olive oil , optional lemon juice , optional 4 heaped tablespoons natural yoghurt 1 fresh red chilli Method Place 4 wooden skewers in a tray of water to soak. Place the lamb and spices (if using) into a big bowl, pick in the thyme leaves and finely grate in the lemon zest, then scrunch and mix together well. Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces. With damp hands, shape the meat around and along each skewer, pressing little indents into the meat as you go, for a nice texture. Grill the kebabs on a barbecue for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, then push to the cool side and warm your tortillas next to them for 30 seconds (you can cook everything on a griddle pan or under the grill, if you prefer). Transfer the tortillas to plates and top each with a little lettuce. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like. Slip the meat off the skewers and break it up, add a dollop of yoghurt and drizzle over any resting juices. Finely chop and sprinkle with chilli (deseed if you like) for an extra kick, then tuck in. Delicious!

The Quickest Tomato Sauce Ingredients olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and torn 3 x 400 g good-quality tinned plum tomatoes sea salt freshly ground black pepper Method 1 Place a large non-stick frying pan on the heat and pour in 4 generous lugs of olive oil. Add the garlic, shake the pan around a bit and, once the garlic begins to colour lightly, add the basil and the tomatoes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mush and squash the tomatoes as much as you can. 2 Season the sauce with salt and pepper. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat. Strain the sauce through a coarse sieve into a bowl, using your wooden spoon to push any larger bits of tomato through. Discard the basil and garlic that will be left in the sieve, but make sure you scrape any of the tomatoey goodness off the back of the sieve into the bowl. 3 Pour the sauce back into the pan, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes to concentrate the flavours. It will be ready when it’s the perfect consistency for spreading on your pizza.  Store the sauce in a clean jar in the fridge – it’ll keep for a week or so. Also great to freeze in batches or even in an ice cube tray, so you can defrost exactly the amount you need. But to be honest, it’s so quick to make, you might as well make it on the day you need it.

South Asian Chicken Curry Ingredients 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 6cm piece ginger a few sprigs fresh coriander 2 peppers, mixed-colour 100g cherry tomatoes 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, higher-welfare vegetable oil 2 heaped teaspoons curry powder half teaspoon turmeric 100ml light coconut milk 100ml organic chicken stock 160g basmati rice 1 lime 1 tablespoon mango chutney, (optional) Method 1 Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks. Deseed and roughly chop the peppers, then halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the chicken thighs into 3cm chunks. 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and pepper, then fry for around 10 minutes, or until softened. 3 Add the garlic, ginger and coriander stalks, then fry for a further 3 minutes, or until softened. Next, add the curry powder and turmeric and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. 4 Throw in the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to coat. 5 Pour in the coconut milk and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until thickened, turning the heat up if you need to. Add the cherry tomatoes for the last 5 minutes. 6 While the curry is ticking away, place the rice in a pan, add twice as much boiling water and a pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook on medium for 7 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to steam with the lid on for 7 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. 7 Squeeze half the lime juice into the curry, add the mango chutney (if you have some) and a pinch of black pepper. Taste and add a little more lime juice, mango chutney or seasoning if needed. 8 Scatter over the reserved coriander leaves then serve with the fluffy rice and lime wedges for squeezing over.