Appetizers, Salads, Sides – Marbie's Kitchen

Super Easy Roasted Veg Recipe

Michelle Davies — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:19:57 +0000

If you hadn’t sussed it out yet, I really love food that’s easy to prepare and doesn’t require babysitting from me. I don’t always have something else I’m trying to complete whilst preparing a dish but I typically like having the flexibility of being able to do it if I need to.

For some people this may be interpreted as not injecting all the love in the world into the dish, as to them, more time and effort spent means more love and care…

But as much as I understand the sentiment, I think there are so many reasons a dish becomes special to each of us, from who we learnt the recipe from, to the colours, and even how it makes us feel.

For me, this roasted root veg medley of sorts encapsulates all three of the factors above in terms of what makes it special for me. I learnt how to make this from my Aunt who is often able to combine the simplest ingredients with the right spices for the perfect result. Somehow I end up enjoying vegetables I typically wouldn’t when she presents it in a particular way – even Brussels Sprouts! (p.s. did anyone else realise it was Brussels with an ‘s’? Because I didn’t until today. Just me? Ok.)

It’s also a great winter dish for me because of the bright colours which help me feel less moody within a period that’s often grey and cloudy. I love ‘eating in colour’ as some would put it as it’s a great mood booster for me.

The spices used are one of the reasons why I love this dish so much – incredibly warm and earthy which is just what the doctor ordered for cold weather. Smoked Paprika and Ground Mixed Spice are essential for this – trust me, you’ll appreciate it!

Vibrant, easy and delicious – the perfect trio!

This dish doesn’t require much prep time and here are a few top tips to remember when trying it out:

You can save further time by buying the Butternut Squash pre-chopped. If you can find the Sweet Potatoes in this form too, then go ahead!
Pre-heat the oven before you start cooking as this helps speed up the cooking process.
Always remember, different vegetables have varying cooking times. To maintain the crunch in most of these, start with those which take the longest to cook like the butternut squash and the sweet potatoes. Then you can add the rest after some time.

Serve up a plate of goodness.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do and it serves as a staple for you too alongside some of your favourite meats or even on its own instead. (p.s. if you’d like, you can omit the broccoli and cauliflower and enjoy this medley blended up with some water added for the perfect dairy free soup.)

Love,
Marbie

Super Easy Roasted Veg

A perfect winter warmer full of nutritious goodness and bursting with flavour. Also incredibly easy to make!

1 Whole Butternut Squash (or a pack already chopped & peeled )
2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Red Onions
1 Head of Broccoli (chopped into large chunks)
1 Head of Cauliflower (chopped into large chunks)
2 Braeburn or Gala Apples (chopped into large chunks)
1/2 Orange
1/2 Lemon
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Handful Fresh Thyme
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Ground Mixed Spice
1 tbsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Cinnamon ((optional))

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Peel the whole butternut squash and then chop into equal sizes. Alternatively you can use a pack of pre-chopped and peeled squash.
Peel then chop two sweet potatoes into large chunks.
Combine in a bowl and add the mixed spice, smoked paprika, cinnamon and sea salt.
Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil and stir.
Place on a roasting tray and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
In the same bowl as before, add quartered onions, chopped apples, chunks of broccoli and cauliflower, fresh thyme and combine to coat with the spice rub in the bowl.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and orange and then stir.
Add to the vegetables in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until done.
Serve with Sage or fresh Parsley to garnish and enjoy!

Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad

Michelle Davies — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 04:41:40 +0000

Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad by Marbie’s Kitchen

I’ve never been a fan of cold and plain salad. For me to enjoy a salad, it needs to be served closer to room temperature and pack a punch when it comes to flavour. This usually comes from having some great quality ingredients and a few additional steps that might take more time but make a huge difference.

Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad by Marbie’s Kitchen

For example, within this salad, I roast the corn on the cob and then take the kernels off once they have achieved a colour that’s just past golden brown for a wonderful chargrilled flavour. This adds a depth of flavour and great texture to the whole dish.

A few other key things for me with this salad are:

Ensuring I use nitrite free bacon. I source this from Waitrose and feel a bit more comfortable using this.
I make my own salad dressing and it makes all the difference! I go for a spicy-citrusy flavour with mine but you can choose to do something different. They usually take less than 5 minutes to make but it’s always worth it when you have a homemade dressing.
For aesthetics as well as a beautiful flavour, I opt for Natoora cherry tomatoes from Waitrose (not pictured this time) because of the amazing colours! You can find something similar in a farmers market near you but it just provides something different to the traditional cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, you can just choose to use some yellow and red cherry tomatoes for a similar effect.
I ensure my chicken is seasoned well and cooked in a way that ensures it is tender. If I opt for chicken breast, I’d usually brine this in a simple solution for 15 minutes max – or it’ll become salty. Then rinse, pat dry and cook at a high temperature for a short time in the oven. Alternatively, I use chicken thigh fillets which need no help in being tender and beautifully moist!

Overall, whether you stick to the same techniques I choose to or not, you’ll end up with an amazing salad packed with flavour that won’t bore you or feel like punishment!

Enjoy and don’t forget to share with your loved ones whilst you’re enjoying the dish!

Love,

Marbie

Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad

A flavoursome take on the traditional cobb salad – the dressing adds all the difference! The best part? You can choose to add or take out what you like!

Chicken

1 pack Chicken thighs or Chicken breast
3 tbsp Suya Spice (or mixed spice alternatively)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Honey
Salt to taste

Bacon

6 rashers Bacon
Drizzle of Honey

Salad

2 Avocados (ripe)
1 pack Cherry tomatoes
6 Eggs (boiled)
1 Iceberg Lettuce or Kale de-stalked
2-3 Corn on the Cobs (Roasted)

Roast the Chicken

Season the chicken with the suya spice, olive oil and honey. Add salt to taste if needed.
Roast the chicken following cooking instructions on the pack until cooked but tender. Leave to rest.

Roast/Grill the Bacon

Drizzle some honey on the bacon and roast or grill until done.

Assemble the Salad

Shred the Iceberg lettuce or De-stalked kale. If using the kale option, make sure you chop it finely after you've taken it off the stalk. Once done, add to a bowl.
Take the corn kernels off the cob using a knife and add to the bowl.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.
Toss it all together at this point, because the rest of the ingredients are delicate and need minimal tossing to keep their shape.
Quarter or slice the boiled eggs, slice the avocados and add to the bowl.
Make the dressing listed here. I used passion-fruit coulis instead of the mango coulis listed this time but either works!
Mix all together to allow the dressing to coat the whole salad.
Serve and enjoy!

Tropical Mango & Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Michelle Davies — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 20:04:56 +0000

Spring has sprung!

Well partially over here in the UK because we often go through four seasons in one week. I think the Four Seasons got their name from us – ha!

Ok, enough of the dry jokes, this recipe is just what you need to transition from the warmer, heavier foods that Autumn & Winter bring, to the fresh and vibrant foods from Spring & Summer!

It’s the simplest dish to make and I love to have it with some Roasted Chicken, or a great Salmon Steak sometimes.

Although the salad itself is great, the true star is actually the dressing! Anyone I serve it to falls in love with it straight away and I don’t blame them. It’s fresh, light and can actually be used on any salad you please. I find that making my own dressing allows me to have more control over the taste and the actual ingredients that go in.

The inspiration behind the salad and the dressing came as a result of having one of my favourite options at Chop’d (a UK salad bar chain) and also my aunt showing me her special dressing recipe. So I’ve tweaked those two things a bit and the recipe below is the magic that’s come from that. I hope you enjoy!

The Perfect Spring Salad

Looking for the perfect salad to help you transition into spring? Well, look no further! With mangoes, tender salad leaves and a dressing that’s a showstopper, this is all you need to feel the sun inside!

Salad

1 bag Baby Leaf Salad
1 can Sweetcorn (preferrably Green Giant )
1 Mango (chopped)
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers (drained & sliced)
1 can Black Beans (rinsed & drained)
1 Cucumber (sliced/julienned)
3 Sprigs of Mint (Optional )
1 handful Coriander/Cilantro

Mango & Chilli Dressing

4 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virign)
2 tbsp Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
2 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
2 tbsp Mango Coulis
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

After rinsing and draining with a colander, combine all the salad ingredients into a bowl and stir.
In a smaller bowl (perhaps a cereal bowl), whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Toss the salad and the dressing together until the salad is fully coated in the dressing. Add in the chopped mint and coriander/cilantro if you would like to and stir.
Serve and enjoy!

Fuss Free Veggie Stir-Fry

Michelle Davies — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 21:05:59 +0000

Growing up, I wasn’t the biggest fan of vegetables. I’m not sure if it’s a mandatory phase for children and teens to go through but even up until recent years I was picky with my choice of veg. Mushrooms were a no-go for me and Kale was just too bitter a pill to swallow.

However after tasting a number of stir-fries with kale done just right, my mind was changed. I’ve had it both ways; kale on its own lightly seasoned and kale with other veggies.

I opt for the latter because it’s a great way for me to get my veggie intake up quickly. Almost every week, I make this stir-fry with some variation or the other depending on what I feel like having. However the basics stay the same most times. I choose to always include the Kale as it’s a good way to have my greens. Because of my sweet tooth, I usually include bell peppers and some red onions. If I want a treat…then I go for craisins/dried cranberries. These are so under-utilised in food but dried fruit cooked is a great way to add a sweet edge to a number of dishes.

By now I’m sure you get the gist…you can pretty much add anything you want to this stir-fry and it’s incredibly easy to whip up a batch of it that will last you the whole week. If there’s a particular vegetable you would prefer to add or remove, then feel free to do so!

The real secret is to add each vegetable into the pan based on how long it needs to cook. For example, I add the onions and bell peppers first and usually the kale last so it doesn’t shrink into nothingness.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and it becomes as much of a favourite for you as it is for me!

Fuss Free Veggie Stir-Fry

This veggie stir-fry couldn’t be any easier to make if I wanted it to. It’s perfectly adaptable to what you would prefer to have as you can add or remove whichever vegetables you want to. Enjoy this great way to get your veggie intake up!

3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Red Onions
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Tin Sweetcorn (washed and drained)
1 Pack Mushrooms
1 Tin Red Kidney Beans (washed and drained)
1 Tin Black Beans (washed and drained)
1 Tin Butter Beans (washed and drained)
1 Cup Craisins
Ground Black Pepper
Ground Sea Salt

Heat olive oil in a wide saucepan
Sautee red onions and bell peppers
Add mushrooms, stir and sautee until softened
Then add beans and sweetcorn, stir and cook for two minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and finally add the kale whilst stirring for two minutes.

Craisin Couscous

Michelle Davies — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 19:13:05 +0000

Craisin Couscous

Super simple couscous dish kicked up a notch by yummy craisins.

3 Cups Couscous
1 Cup Craisins
3 Cups Boiling Hot Water
Chopped Coriander

Place the couscous and craisins in a bowl.
Pour hot water over the mix and cover the bowl with a plate to allow the steam to cook the couscous.
After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains.
Serve and garnish with the chopped coriander and enjoy!

This craisin couscous is so much simpler than it looks! It’s the perfect compliment to many stews and sauces but especially for my lamb tagine.

The good thing is, it’s almost impossible for you to mess up but even better than that, it’ll make you look like a pro in front of your guests! Best part is, it’s better for you than rice so if you need a healthier alternative then you can try this.

The craisins in there add a sweet kick which works a treat for me. It has a nicer flavour than raisins and you can find it in most supermarkets.