Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I only made this for the first time last weekend, and I never normally post recipes until I've tried them a few times, but this was an absolute triumph with all of the family.

It is an ideal Indian fake-away meal; it's mild enough to appeal to the younger family members but so delicious; I would usually go for something much spicier such as a Dhansak, madras or jalfrezi, but this was so nice, I genuinely didn't miss the chilli heat. 

Making it in the slow cooker is a double bonus - one is that the slow cooker does all the hard work for you (thank you Crockpot) two is that the house will smell incredible all day as this cooks.

The below serves four and we had with these quick and easy BBC Good Food Naan Breads  which were brushed with a drop of melted butter with minced garlic and coriander and some rice. 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Here's how:

• 4-5 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3cm piece of ginger
• 1/2 jar of Korma paste (I just used one from Lidl)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tin of coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fat free or low fat natural yoghurt (you can use full fat this is just quite a calorie-laden dish)
• 2 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 lime

Firstly make the base. Peel the onion and slice it, or if you have fussy little ones, dice it and add to the slow cooker. Peel and mince the garlic and do the same. Peel and slice the ginger and add to the slow cooker.

Now chop the chicken thighs into large chunks - don't go too small as you don't want the meat to dry out; and add to the slow cooker.

Now add the fats; the butter or ghee, the natural yoghurt and the coconut milk.

Finally it's time to layer the flavours. Spoon in half a jar or 3 heaped tablespoons of Korma paste.  Add the tomato puree and then the garam masala, paprika, cinnamon stick, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric and cardamom pods. 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Now give the mix a good stir, place the lid on and cook for a solid 4 hours on the lower setting. Try not to open the lid for the first hour to allow the heat to build up. After that, you can give it a stir every 30-60 minutes of cooking time if you like, but it will be fine if left to it's own devices too. 

When the butter chicken is cooked and you have dished it up, squeeze over the juice of the lime for a final flavour hit. Enjoy!

If you want some other Indian fake-away inspiration here a few other ideas:
Chicken Biryani
Sag Paneer
Chicken Dhansak
Beef and Lentil Curry
Chicken Tikka with Lentil Dal

Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu

Whilst an ordinary ragu with beef, pork, lamb or even in my case turkey mince is a beautiful thing in its' own right, if you have the time, this Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu, really does bring this up a notch; it's rich, unctuous, glossy and the meat shout fall apart. 

As with most cheap cuts of meat, beef shin benefits from low and slow cooking and cooked in this sauce, in the slow cooker, the meat will just break away at the slightest touch of the spoon and melt in your mouth. You can easily source beef shin at any butchers, and Morrisons often stocks this; but if you do struggle this would work with other cuts of stewing beef.

If you haven't got a slow cooker, then you could cook exactly as below, just in a casserole pot either low on the hob for 3-4 hours or in the oven at about 150 degrees, and covered with a lid. 

I am a recent slow cooker adopter (Crockpot) and have to say they are a handy purchase, particularly mid-week. While we've been working from home, I've found it really useful to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker first thing; and then can spend some time with the kids when logging off from work before having to tend to dinner. 

This dish does take a small amount of prep in frying off the meat in some seasoned flour, which you could omit from doing if you're time poor, but it does help to thicken your sauce and make it thicker and glossier. 

Often a ragu uses red wine, but I prefer white wine, and I would say use any open bottle; if it's good enough to drink, it's good enough to use.

The below serves 4-5 and can be frozen once cooked so is great for batch cooking too.

Slow Cooker Beef Shin Ragu

Here's how:

• 450g beef shin
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• Drizzle olive oil
• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 jar passata (or use 1 tin of chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 glass of white wine (you can use red wine if you prefer)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3-4 tbsp boiled water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Salt and black pepper

Firstly place a frying pan on a medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil.

In a small bowl, place the plain flour and season generously with salt and black pepper. Mix a little and then take the beef shin and coat it in the flour so all of it is covered. Now sear it in the pan, just allow it to gently brown on each side. Repeat until each piece of beef shin is seared and then place into the slow cooker.

Peel and finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the slow cooker. 

Finely slice the celery and peel and dice the carrot and add to the slow cooker. 

Pour in the passata, white or red wine and balsamic vinegar. Make the chicken stock cube up in the 3-4 tbsp of boiled water and pour in. 

Add the sugar, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and then season generously with salt and black pepper. Give a stir and pop the lid on and cook. I use the lower setting and try to cook for 4-6 hours if time allows, but if you are pushed for time cook in 2-3 hours on the higher setting. 

Do not touch the slow cooker for the first hour of cooking to allow it to build up enough heat, and then every 30 minutes or so, carefully open the lid and give a gentle stir. 

To test the meat is cooked through, just use a metal fork or spoon to gently pull at it, it should break up really easily and you know this will be cooked through and delicious.

Serve with your choice of pasta; we prefer the usual spaghetti or tagliatelle but my kids love it with penne or farfalle. Before you drain your pasta, be sure to take 1-2 tbsp of the pasta water and add it to the ragu and mix it through with the pasta before serving - it helps the sauce to stick to the pasta and give it a good coating. Serve with some Parmesan, Pecorino or even Cheddar grated over.

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

If you are looking for some lower calorie meals, this delicious and spicy Chicken Arrabiata Bake is a great way to go. 

Each portion is about 200 calories, I serve with a green salad for me, and if you want to add some carbohydrates for the rest of the family you could either have the bake over some just-cooked pasta or some fresh crusty bread; both work well.

This has all the heat and flavour of a Pasta Arrabiata but without the calories. The melted mozzarella feels like a real treat too when you're following a lower calorie diet. 

The picture doesn't do this justice as it really tastes a whole lot better than it looks!

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

The below serves four.

Here's how:

• 400g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 white onion
• 2 red chillies
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Handful basil leaves and stalks
• 1 courgette
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Salt and black pepper
• Pinch sugar
• Drizzle of olive oil, or a few sprays of Fry Light

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. 

Now peel and finely dice the onion and mince the garlic, and slice the red chillies and place on a low heat with the olive oil or Fry Light in a frying pan or wok.

Now take the stalks from the basil leaves and finely chop, set both the leaves and the stalks aside for the minute. 

Tear the mozzarella into thin slithers, and set aside.

Chop the courgette into bite sized pieces and also set aside.

Now take the chicken thighs, and chop into large pieces. 

By now, the onion and garlic should have softened in the pan; at this point add the chicken to the pan to gently sear. 

Now add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Season well at this point and add the pinch of sugar and the basil stalks to add flavour to the sauce. 

Cook out for about five minutes, then add the courgettes and stir through.

Now transfer the contents of the pan to an oven proof dish and ensure to spread out as evenly as you can. 

Place over the mozzarella all over the dish, again trying to evenly distribute as best you can.

Chicken Arrabiata Bake

Place the dish into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the mozzarella is nicely melted and the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a minute; serve with your choice of accompaniments and garnish with a couple of basil leaves if you like. Enjoy!

If you are looking for some lower calorie meal ideas here are a few you may enjoy:

Sticky Asian Salmon

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Tuna Fishcakes

Vegetarian Chilli

Roasted Celeriac Soup

Beef Kofte Kebabs

Reduced Calorie Bolognese

Thai Beef Salad

Pesto Topped Haddock with Herby Couscous

Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs

Italian Chicken Skewers

This is essentially a marinade utilising some fabulous Italian flavours; and it's absolutely mouth-watering delicious.

This recipe is to make the Italian Chicken Skewers, but just so you know, this marinade also works for roasting a whole chicken or chicken pieces, as well as stirred through just-cooked pasta and as a dip (a la tapenade) or even as a tasty salad dressing.  

The below serves four.

Italian Chicken Skewers

Here's how:

• 3-4 skinleks, boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp capers
• x3 sundried tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 50ml olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 40g Parmesan or Pecorino

Into a blender, place the capers, sun dried tomatoes, peeled garlic clove, basil leaves, dried rosemary, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add the salt and pepper.

Grate in the Parmesan, or if you are lazy, or cannot be bothered, chop it into small pieces and add to the blender or Nutribullet. Blitz well for a minute. When you remove the lid, prepare yourself as the smell is a little intoxicating!

For the chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces, that will later be threaded onto skewers. Pop into a container that is big enough for all of the chicken and the marinade and has a lid. 

Pour over most of the marinade, but retain 2 tbsp to pour over or brush the meat with post-cooking. Use a spoon to mix the chicken in all of the marinade and ensure every piece is coated. Pop the lid on and put into the fridge for at least two hours. 

If you are using wooden skewers to cook the Italian Chicken Skewers, then place them into water at the same time that you marinate the meat. Make sure they are completely immersed in a roasting tin, or in a pint glass (you may need to rotate if using a glass). This is to prevent them catching alight on the BBQ or under the grill. I strongly recommend investing in some metal skewers though, you can pick some up for less than a fiver and we use ours all the time (plus they are more environmentally friendly too!)

Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook to allow to come back to room temperature. Now thread the chicken onto the skewers; you want to pack the chicken pieces on tightly if possible. 

Whether cooking on a BBQ or under a grill, make sure whichever one is very hot before you begin cooking and then cook for 4-5 minutes on one side without touching at all. 

Now turn onto the other side and cook for a further 4-5 minutes which should cook them all the way through. To check the meat is cooked through, remove one of the skewers and cut into the biggest sized piece of meat to ensure there is no blood or pink. If there is, then of course return to the BBQ or under to grill for a further few minutes, and check again. If they are cooked through, then remove from the heat, and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. 

At this point, brush each Italian Chicken Skewer over with the remaining marinade and serve. I serve with a Tricolore Salad and over just cooked pasta with a spoonful of the marinade stirred through just like a pesto.

Italian Chicken Skewers

If you love Italian flavours you may like these recipes:

Chicken Cacciatore
King Prawn Linguine with Chilli and Saffron
Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
Mediterranean Pork Belly Strips
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Three Cheese Topped Pork Lasagne
Tricolore Salad
Crab. Chilli and Asparagus Pappardelle
Walnut and Basil Pesto
Bruschetta Two Ways
Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce
Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron
Pork Fillet in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Turkey Meatball Bake
Mediterranean Soup
Reduced Calorie Bolognese
Chicken a La Milanese with Spaghetti

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik Dips

If you love Turkish food, you'd be surprised to know just how simple it is to create some of your favourite dishes at home.

I've already shared the Lamb Shish Kebab, Beef Kofte Kebabs and Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs but what about the delicious dips to go alongside? So here are two of our favourite dips that would be fantastic with some fresh bread and any of those dishes; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik.

Cacik is very similar to Tzatziki (although this of course originates in Greece) except rather than using mint (although in some cases mint is used), in my experience this is often flavoured with fronds of dill.

As I am on a never-ending quest to shift some weight, I often use low fat or fat free yoghurt for Cacik, but you will get a creamier version if you use full fat natural yoghurt, and if you are lucky enough to live close to any shops that stock Turkish produce, I strongly recommend finding a Turkish Yoghurt which is super thick and creamy and makes for a really authentic Cacik.

Cacik and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Cacik

Here's how:

• 3 tbsp yoghurt (fat free if you want a lower calorie version, Turkish or Greek full fat if you want the authentic version and to tell with the calories)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt
• Handful of dill fronds, finely chopped

In a small bowl add the yoghurt and salt. 

Grate the cucumber down and add to the yoghurt. 

Peel and mince the garlic and add to the yoghurt. 

Finely chop the dill fronds and add to the yoghurt then give it all a good mix and spoon into your serving dish; or cover and place into the fridge until you need. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

There are tons of varieties of hummus out there, but this is our favourite, taking flavour from those delightful jarred roasted red peppers. If you don't have any and/or can't get hold of them, you can simply place a whole red pepper into the oven at a very high heat and roast until charred all over. Then remove from the oven, allow to cool, and peel off the charred skin and remove the lid, and the seeds inside. 

Here's how:

• 1 large roasted red pepper
• 1 tin of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp tahini 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Olive oil

For this you will need a food processor or if you have one, a Nutribullet. 

Firstly drain off the tin of chickpeas and add 90% of the tin to the Nutribullet or blender (save a few for garnish). Add the tahini and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.

Now peel and mince the garlic and add with the salt and pepper and the roasted red pepper. 

Pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Now put the blender lid on and blitz. You will most likely need more like 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil to get a smoother, runnier consistency, but if you add a little at a time, and just blend until you are happy with the consistency.

Once ready, place into the fridge for later with a lid on or dish up into you serving dish and scatter over the remaining chickpeas. If you are making ahead of time, and you find the hummus has gone a little dry in the fridge, just add a few drops more olive oil and mix again with a fork or spoon or give another quick blitz.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

If like us, you’re absolutely embracing the chance to bake at home and enjoy the spoils of your labour; then these gorgeous Chocolate Chunk Cookies are an absolute winner.

I made these with the girls a couple of weeks back, using up some of the leftover Easter chocolate and they devoured them. They are a little thicker in texture than say the Mini Egg Cookies, but this makes them a great choice for desserts too; ice cream sandwich, or just served with some ice cream, or crumbled into a sundae dish, topped with ice cream and some chocolate sauce.

The below makes about 18-20 cookies so they should last a few days if kept in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Here’s how:

• 220g butter
• 300g brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 320g self-raising flour
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100g white chocolate
• 100g dark or plain chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line 2-3 baking trays or oven dishes and set aside.

In a mixing bowl first add the butter, if this isn’t already at room temperature, blast in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften down.

Add the sugar and cream together with a spoon until all combined. Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and mix well.

Now sift in the cocoa powder, baking powder and self-raising flour, a little at a time. It might help to first measure out into a separate bowl.

Keep mixing until you have added all of the dry ingredients and you should have a fairly thick cake batter. At this point, add the milk to loosen and thin out a little and mix well.

If using chocolate chips, add these to the cake batter. I prefer to use bars of block chocolate to get the real chunks, that are so delicious in these types of cookies. Break up all the pieces and chop into 3-4 pieces per square then add to the cake batter.

Once combined and the chocolate is well spread out amongst the batter, use a tablespoon to spoon out a mound of batter and pop straight onto the baking sheet. You should leave plenty of space around each mound of batter, as this will flatten a little and spread during baking. Repeat until you have no more than x5-6 on each baking sheet.

Now place into the oven and bake for 13 minutes exactly. Then remove from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking trays. They will, at this point be quite soft still, but they will harden up a little.

Now use a fish slice to carefully remove the cookies and place onto a wooden board, or a wire rack to cool down. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Then repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough.

These cookies can also be frozen, they will take a couple of hours to defrost and are great for taking on picnics or family outings once we are out of lockdown. Enjoy!

If you love biscuits with your families here are four other biscuit recipes you may enjoy:

Monte Carlo Biscuits

Easter Cookies with Mini Eggs

Chocolate Hobnobs

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Chicken Biryani

If like us, you’re craving an Indian takeaway, but aren’t keen to order in at the moment until Covid-19 is a little more under control, then why not try this stunning Chicken Biryani fake-away at home?

It’s an Indian-takeaway favourite and has become a staple meal at our house since I started cooking it last year.

It’s not a difficult dish at all and if you want some tasty dishes to run alongside it to make it like a real takeaway, try this Chicken Dhansak, Sag Paneer or Chicken Tikka with Lentil Daal, but rest assured the below serves 4-5 comfortably as a main dish. 

Chicken Biryani

Here’s how:

• 350g basmati rice
• 300-400g chicken thighs  
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• Handful cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 heaped tbsp Korma Paste (I use Patak’s)
• 1.5 pints chicken stock
• 2 tbsp frozen peas
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1-2 heaped tbsp crème fraiche
• Handful fresh coriander leaves
• Drizzle olive or vegetable oil

Firstly rinse the basmati rice in cold water in a sieve until the water runs completely clear – this will avoid it becoming starchy and gloopy and is really important.

Now in a sturdy bottomed pan (preferably one which has a lid) add the knob of butter.

Cut the onion in half, and then dice one half and slice the other half. Set the sliced onions aside for now. Add the diced onion to the pan.

Mince the garlic and either finely chop or grate the ginger and add both to the pan to gently soften with the onion.

Now add in the spicing by adding the turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods to the pan. Mix gently and allow the spices to cook out for a minute or two.

Now chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan to sear. Move the chicken around to ensure all pieces get seared on each side.

At this point add the Korma paste to the pan, stir and then the rice. Allow the rice to cook in the pan for a minute or two, stirring to get a good coating in all the flavours in the pan. Add the frozen peas and raisins and then cover with the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper and pop the lid on.

Bring this up to the boil and then cook for about 9 minutes, until almost all the water has been absorbed by the rice. Stir gently and then remove from the heat and leave to stand for ten minutes with the lid on, where the rice will continue to cook and absorb any remaining water.

In the meantime, heat the oil in another sauce pan on a really high heat and fry the onions until really dark and charred; these will work as a garnish for your Chicken Biryani. Once darkened, place onto a plate on top of some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Now remove the lid from the Chicken Biryani and scatter over the fried onions, add the crème fraiche, either in little flourishes or one mound in the middle, and scatter over the coriander leaves and you’re ready to serve at the table. Enjoy!

Beef Teriyaki Skewers

This is a bit of a cheat recipe as it uses shop-bought Teriyaki Sauce, although pimped up to make a delicious marinade, glaze and all-round tasty dish. 

These Beef Teriyaki Skewers can be grilled on the barbecue or under an indoor oven grill, and you do want a nice char on the outside, with at least a little red on the inside, but of course cook to your own preference.

I use the cheaper cut of rump steak here, which works well as the marinade tenderizes, but you could use a sirloin, rib eye or even fillet if you prefer.

You could serve these over an Asian salad, with rice, stir fried vegetables or as part of a barbecue platter. 

The below serves four portions.

Beef Teriyaki Skewers

Here's how:

• x2 300g rump steaks
• 2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (I used a simple Blue Dragon version)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cm long piece of ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 green chilli
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

To dress:

• 1 tbsp of the above marinade
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds 

To make up your marinade; firstly pour into a bowl or plastic tub, the Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the salt and pepper.

Now peel and finely chop or grate the ginger and add to the container, peel and mince the garlic and slice the green chilli (seeds and all) and pop into the marinade and stir. Finally zest the lime straight into the marinade, and squeeze in all of the juice. Stir again.

Now take 1 tbsp of the marinade and pop into a small dish or bowl until later. 

Cut the steak into 2-3cm thick strips and add to the marinade bowl, and use a spoon or fork to ensure all pieces of the steak get a good coating. Now pop a lid on, or cover tightly with clingfilm and pop into the fridge for at least 2 hours. 

If you will be using wooden skewers, at this point, to prevent them catching alight during cooking, place into a roasting tin, and cover in water until cooking.

When ready to cook, remove the marinating steak from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. 

Now carefully thread the steak onto the skewers, concertina style, so for each of the cut strips, you want to almost fold it in half and pierce it twice or even three times, depending how big it is. 

If you are cooking on a barbecue, this should be fully cranked up when you are ready to cook; and you should cook for four minutes exactly on one side, then turn and cook for a further four minutes. 

Remove from the barbecue or grill and use a pastry brush to paint on the retained marinade from earlier, which now serves as a glaze, and finally scatter over the sesame seeds as a final flourish. Enjoy!

If you love Asian flavours, here are a few recipes you may enjoy too:

• Sticky Asian Salmon
• Chicken Satay Noodle Salad
• Vegetarian Peanut Noodles
• Chinese Style Roast Chicken
• Slimming Friendly Fakeaway Char Sui Pork
• Thai Beef Salad
• Prawn Summer Rolls
• Asian Style Pork Burgers with a Ribbon Salad
• Quick Thai Salmon Noodle Soup
• Pork Potsticker Dumplings
• Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms
• Honey, Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun Noodles
• Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil
• Honey, Ginger and Chilli Prawn Stir Fry

Chocolate Hobnobs

If like me, this lock down has got you baking a whole lot more, especially with the kids, then give these gorgeous homemade Chocolate Hobnobs a try. They are without a doubt my favourite biscuit for tea-dunking and the children really enjoyed making them, especially dipping them in chocolate. 

You could use milk or dark chocolate, we used milk as we had a ton of Easter eggs leftover, but use what you prefer or have at home. We also used Golden Syrup, but if you don't have any in stock, you could try using maple syrup or honey instead. 

The below makes 15 delicious biscuits - be warned, they won't last long.

Chocolate Hobnobs

Here's how:

• 120g porridge oats
• 120g plain flour
• 120g caster sugar
• 120g butter
• 1.5 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp baking powder mixed in with 1 tbsp boiled water
• 130g milk chocolate (or dark if you prefer)

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with grease-proof paper.

Pop the flour, porridge oats and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and roughly combine with a wooden spoon. Make a bit of a hole in the middle, or a well, as you would when making dough.

In a small saucepan, place the 120g butter with the golden syrup on a low heat to gently melt and then remove from the heat and stir in the boiled water and baking powder mixture.

Now pour the butter and syrup mixture into the dry ingredients into the hole, a little at a time, and gently combine, repeating the process until you have a sticky batter-like substance. At this point, it should have a really tempting aroma too.

Once all combined, place 1 tbsp of the mixture onto the baking sheet, with room to spread out. And repeat until you have x5 on each baking sheet. They should be like a little ball, as they will spread out as with cookies when you bake them.

Place into the hot oven for 9 minutes exactly, and then remove, allow to cool on the tray for five minutes, during which time they will harden a little and become less delicate. Then use a fish slice to carefully remove them and place onto a wire rack or board to cool further.

Repeat the process until all biscuits have been baked, and are cooling on a wire rack or wooden board.

Now to melt the chocolate, break up into small pieces and heat over a small pan of boiling water, or in microwave if you prefer for 2-3 minutes, but opening and stirring every 30 seconds so the chocolate doesn't become one big sticky mess.

Once melted, remove the bowl and place onto the kitchen side. Now take each biscuit and gently dip into the chocolate, until half (or if you prefer all) of the biscuit is coated in chocolate and then once again, place onto a board or wire rack to allow the chocolate to set. Repeat the process until all of the biscuits have a delicious chocolate coating.

Be warned, these are ridiculously moreish! Enjoy!

If you are looking for some easy baking recipes with the children during lockdown here are some of our favourites:

Chocolate Cornflake and Marshmallow Cakes

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Muffins

Banana & Berry Breakfast Muffins

Mini Egg Brownies

Lemon, Honey and Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries 

Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread

Paella Mixta

Like most during these strange, lockdown times, we make a bigger thing of mealtimes, and especially at the weekends, which for me begin on a Thursday. 

Usually I'd love a wider variety of seafood in a Spanish paella, and some pork belly strips (the fatty meat really helps the flavour) but this is my lockdown version, which includes just 2 chicken thighs, some cooking chorizo and a pack of frozen prawns. I like thighs as they are super juicy and flavourful, but of course use chicken breast if that's what you have or prefer. 

If you don't have a paella pan, use a non-stick frying pan. 

I served with a quickly thrown together aioli - mayonnaise a crushed garlic clove, and a sprinkling of paprika.

The below serves four. 

Paella

Here's how:

• 350g paela rice (or use Arborio/Risotto rice)
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 130g cooking chorizo
• 2 skinless chicken thighs
• 220g (ish) frozen prawns
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 2g saffron
• Chicken stock (I make up about 2 pints) 
• 3 tbsp frozen peas
• 1 lemon
• Handful fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly pour the olive oil into the paella or frying pan and place on a low heat to warm.

Now peel and finely dice the onion and add to the pan. Mince the garlic clove and add this to the pan. 

Finely chop the red and yellow pepper and add to the pan. 

Make up the chicken stock while the vegetables are softening. Also roughly chop the parsley, and quarter the lemon and set aside until serving. 

Now if you can cut the cooking chorizo into small discs, about the size of a £1 coin and add to the pan to fry with the vegetables. They will exude their own oils and so much flavour into the pan.

Next cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan to fry off too.

Now add the rice to the pan, and mix well, so it gets a little fry and is well coated in the now flavour-packed juices and oil from the pan. Season with salt and pepper at this point. Use a wooden spoon to move around and once all of the rice looks wet with the oils, pour over some of the chicken stock, so it completely covers the dish and turn the heat up to medium.

Use a little boiled water or stock in a small cup, and put the 2g of saffron in to stew, (this is about half of one of the pots you can buy in the supermarket). Once the water has turned a golden yellow, add it to the paella. 

In a traditional paella, I understand that you are not supposed to stir the dish, but unless you have a really good paella dish, I'm afraid this will leave you with a huge cleaning job post-cooking as it will likely stick to the pan. Mine was bought for less than £20 on a Spanish holiday a few years back, so I always stir. 

Once the rice has almost absorbed all the stock, add some more; about the same amount again to completely cover and continue to stir every few minutes until the stock is almost absorbed. It's impossible to give an exact measurement of stock, as it does vary with each time I cook a paella or indeed a risotto. So  once the second covering of stock has been almost completely absorbed by the rice, taste the rice to gauge how much cooking in the stock it might need. If it still tastes raw and crunchy, then cover again with the same amount of stock again. If it just has a little bite to it, and feels 'almost' cooked, then pour over less stock. 

When you're happy that it is almost cooked, add the frozen prawns, and the frozen peas and stir through. The prawns will turn pink once cooked, and you don't want to over-do these as they will become rubbery. 

Once the stock is almost completely absorbed, and the prawns are cooked, scatter over the chopped parsley, and add the lemon quarters around the dish, add the aoili if you wish, and then bring to the table to serve. Enjoy!

If you like dishes inspired by Spanish cooking then you may like the below too:

• Spanish Prawns with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Peppers
• Patatas Bravas
• Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce
• Chicken, Chorizo, Peppers and Lentil One Pot
• Pork Cheeks with Mushrooms in Rioja
• Chicken and Chorizo One Pot
• Mediterranean Pork Belly Strips
• Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
• Haddock Baked on a Tomato, Chorizo and Bean Stew

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Last night's dinner was a bit of a fridge forage, and a quick Google gave me some inspiration from this Satay Chicken Noodle Salad on Olive magazine for which this is absolutely the basis. I adapted it to fit what I had available but I also really pimped up the satay dressing, as I found the recipe made for a thick and stodgy sauce, and I wanted something thinner to dress the salad and to also coat the chicken with a delicious satay flavour.

As the original includes but I sadly didn't have, red cabbage is a great ingredient here, as would be shredded white cabbage, cucumber, any other colour peppers, bean shoots and indeed some crunchy salad leaves. You really can just use what you have in stock. The original recipe calls for just mint leaves, but I advise adding coriander here too, basil or Thai basil would be great.

This was a grown-up only dinner and the below really serves three portions (Glen's lunch today is sorted). 

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Here's how:

• x2 large chicken thighs
• Drizzle sesame oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

For the salad:

• x2 large carrots
• 4 large radish
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red onion
• 2 spring onions
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• Handful fresh coriander leaves and stalks
• 2 nests of vermicelli noodles (I use Mama Instant Rice Noodles)
• Handful roasted peanuts (use other nuts if you don't have peanuts, or even sesame seeds)
• 1 lime
• 1 red chilli

For the satay dressing

• 2 tbsp peanut butter (I used crunchy but use what you have)
• 1 red chilli
• 2 cm piece of ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 drop of white wine or rice wine vinegar

First whack the oven up to 180 degrees and place the two chicken thighs onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with the sesame oil and season generously. Place into the oven for 40 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crisp.

In the meantime you can begin to assemble the salad and make up the dressing.

Cook x2 nests of the vermicelli rice noodles, then drain and put back into the pot with cold water from the tap, leave to stand for a few minutes, then drain again and set aside. You want these noodles to be cold for the salad.

Peel the carrot and chop into small matchstick sized pieces and place into a mixing bowl or a salad bowl.

Take the tops off of the radish, and again cut into matchstick sized pieces and add to the carrot.

Repeat the process with the yellow pepper. 

Finely slice the red onion and spring onions (if you don't have both, just use one and a white onion would suffice here too). 

Now roughly chop the mint leaves (remove any hard stalks) and then the coriander and add to the bowl with the noodles. Combine all as best you can so the noodles should have a combination of the different crunchy vegetables running through them.

Move the noodle salad into your serving bowl and set aside.

At this point, half the lime, and roughly chop the peanuts and just leave to one side for a minute. Finely slice the red chilli and leave with the peanuts and lime. 

To make the satay dressing, in a small bowl, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil and fish sauce. Half the lime and squeeze in the juice. Add the white wine or rice vinegar, just a small drop. You can use a different vinegar if you don't have white wine or rice vinegar too.

Now peel the ginger and either grate in, or very finely chop and add to the dressing. Finely slice the other red chilli and add to the marinade and mix well. Season with black pepper and set aside for the minute.

One the chicken is out of the oven, allow it to rest for five minutes and then move the thighs onto the chopping board you've been using for the vegetables.

Use a fork and a sharp knife to chop or shred away at the meat, make sure to keep the delicious and crispy chicken skin too. 

Now you're ready to assemble the dish. So take about half of the dressing and pour over the noodle salad. You will need to use salad tongs, or a spoon and fork to move the noodle salad around to ensure it all gets a good dressing.

Now pile up the chicken on top of the noodle salad, in one area, and drizzle over the remaining satay dressing over the chicken. Make sure some of the crispy chicken skin remains uncovered - it's a lovely additional texture in this salad.

Now scatter over the chopped peanuts over the salad, add the two halves of lime, and scatter over the fresh red chilli and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

If you like Asian flavours here are a few other dishes that might appeal:

Sticky Asian Salmon

Chinese Style Roast Chicken

Prawn Summer Rolls

Slimming Friendly Char Sui Pork

Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil

Honey Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun Noodles

Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms

Quick Pork Noodle Soup

Pork Potsticker Dumplings

Thai Beef Salad

Quick Spicy Beef Fried Rice