Home at 7, Dinner at 8

By Sophie Wright
Published by Kyle Cathie (distributed in New Zealand by New Holland)
RELEASE DATE: April 2011

RRP $39.99 PB with flaps

• We all have less time to cook but want satisfying food on the table as quickly as possible when we get home – Sophie shows us how.

• Packed with ideas for meals that are as quick as a takeaway but cheaper, healthier and more rewarding.

I found with the two I have made so far that the recipes are simple and easy to prepare and range from those suitable after a tough day at work such as Rare Seared Tuna with Grapefruit Salsa to Mexican Beef Burritos with Chunky Guacamole designed for fun, informal entertaining and Courgette, Basil and Chilli Linguine that maximise taste and flavour whilst keeping to a budget.

The publishers have kindly agreed to let me reproduce the two recipes I made last week. I can warmly recommend both:

Caramelised Chicken

25 minutes total
Preparation 5
Cooking 20

Serves 2

This is the perfect midweek supper. It’s tasty, cheap and quick to prepare. Everyone will love it and once you’ve made it once you can become as experimental with it as you like. This is a recipe that will be in your repertoire for years to come.

For the marinade
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dark soft brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon chilli flakes or chilli paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chicken
4 chicken legs
4 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
10 cherry tomatoes on the vine
4 large baking potatoes, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C /400°F/Gas 6. Put all the marinade ingredients in a big sandwich bag, add the chicken and the onion wedges. Shake around so all the ingredients get well coated in the marinade.

2 When you are ready to cook, put the chicken legs into a roasting dish with the marinade, onions and the tomatoes. Cook in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. The tomatoes should burst and the onions will go crispy around the edges.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in the microwave at 800W for 8 minutes – you can pop them in the oven with the chicken when they are done to crisp up the skins.

3 To serve, put the potatoes on plates and add the chicken, roast tomatoes and onion together with the marinade.

This homely dish has to be followed by the Banana Pudding with Toffee Sauce (see page 155).

Note-I found it took 30 minutes to cook rather than  the 20 minutes suggested. And we do not have a micowave so I roasted the potatoes in the oven which of course took much longer than using a microwave.
And it always takes me longer to prepare than professional chefs claim!

TUNA, RED ONION AND BEAN SALAD WITH A SOFT-BOILED EGG

15 minutes total
Preparation 10
Cooking 5

Serves 2

A super-simple throw together meal that costs just pennies, this is a perfect weeknight dinner. We should all have these ingredients in our cupboard or lurking in the bottom the fridge so it requires little shopping and is a brilliant standby recipe.

2 large eggs
300g green beans, trimmed
1 x 200g tin of tuna in water, drained
1 x 225g tin borlotti beans, drained
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 bag mixed salad leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Carefully put the eggs into the water, reduce the temperature and simmer for exactly 4 minutes 30 seconds. Add the green beans for the last minute of cooking. Remove the pan from the stove, drain into a colander and run cold water over to cool.

2 Mix the tuna and the borlotti beans in a serving bowl and then add the green beans and the red onion.

3 Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and pour three-quarters over the tuna mixture.

4 Carefully peel the eggs – they will be very soft so watch you don’t break them.

5 Mix the salad leaves through the tuna salad and dress with the rest of the dressing. To finish, cut open the eggs and place two halves on each plate, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Extracted with kind permission from ‘Home at 7, Dinner at 8’, by Sophie Wright, published by Kyle Cathie and distributed in New Zealand by New Holland, RRP $39.99

Footnote:
I have an advance copy of this book, not in shops until April.