As many of us can’t get away at the moment, food writer Liz Ashworth has found two kid-friendly recipes from abroad to help us holiday in our kitchens.
Each Wednesday I join Donna Breen of Elgin Youth Cafe on Zoom to create a meal with the enthusiastic young folk who join us online. Donna demonstrates and I do my best to talk the young cooks through the methods, helped by youth workers Nathan and Daniel.
A few months ago my friend Alison gave me a pile of recipe leaflets, hand-written notes and recipe bits and pieces collected by her mother, Pat. What a treasure trove!
In it was a simple recipe for Jambalaya an exotic dish of Creole origin to which we gave a local twist and this inspired the idea of “staycation” cooking!
Here are two recipes from abroad you can try at home.
Sausage Jumble – aye – ya!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 450g (1lb) sausages – Cumberland or Lincoln pork
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 225g long grain or basmati rice
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 450ml stock
- Salt and ground black pepper
Method
- Cut each sausage into 4 pieces. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the sausages and stir to brown , add the onion, pepper, carrot, garlic and spices with the rice and stir fry lightly until the rice turns transparent, stir in the tomatoes and stock and add a little salt.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and add more stock or water if needed.
- Season to taste, stir well and cook uncovered for five minutes. Serve hot.
Jollof rice with chicken
Named after the west African Wolof or Jolof empire. Youth worker Daniel suggested this dish, cooked by his father, a professional chef, when he worked in Nigeria.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 600g diced chicken breast
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
To make the chilli mix:
- 500ml passata
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ to ½ tsp chilli flakes – depending on how hot you would like the dish
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 400ml hot water
- 350g basmati rice
- 2 peppers, cored and chopped
- Fresh coriander to serve
Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a deep pan and add the chicken. Stir fry for five minutes until coloured and starting to brown.
- While the chicken is cooking mix the ginger and chilli mix ingredients in a bowl. Lift the chicken onto a clean plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan with the onion and garlic.
- Stir fry for two minutes, add the tomato puree and chilli mix and stir fry a minute. Crumble in the stock cube, add the hot water and chicken and stir together.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add the rice and peppers to the pan.
- Stir together, reduce the heat, cover with a lid or foil to let the rice steam slowly and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop the mixture sticking adding more liquid as needed.
- Season to taste and serve scattered with fresh coriander.