spicy chicken pasta recipe

There are certain recipes that are dearer to my heart than others & this is one of them. I have always loved noodles, particularly rice noodles in soup. I find eating noodles feels like a warm hug; there is something so comforting about it. This dish is heavily influenced by my childhood in south east Asia & my love for Thai food in particular. It can be easily converted into a vegan recipe by simply leaving out the chicken & swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Ma

Anyone who has lived in the UK would know just how much the Brits love Indian food. There are Indian restaurants & take-away businesses all over the place! I myself am partial to a lovey Bhuna curry with warm garlic naan bread on the side... heaven! But the UK is also famous for its Sunday roasts, which is why I want to combine the two by cooking a roast chicken 'Indian style' with a lightly flavoured curry gravy. I served it with Lebanese flatbreads (because, sadly, naan bre

This in an incredible combination of flavours; one that explodes your taste buds & leaves you feeling like you've really had an amazing culinary experience. The bitterness of the chicory pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the pear, whereas the crunch of the walnuts clashes marvellously with the creamy texture of the Roquefort cheese. All of this, finished off with the tang of a red wine vinaigrette. It is heaven & the perfect starter to impress your dinner guests. 2 Serv

This British classic epitomises the words 'comfort food'. There is no meal more perfect for a cold winter Sunday. Its fills the house with the most divine scents as it slow cooks on low heat for 3 hours. You will see in the image that I have added dumplings to mine at the end. This is optional. This meal goes beautifully with mash or any type of potato side dish. You can also put puff pastry over the top for the last 15-20 minutes, turning it into a beef & ale pie. Enjoy! 4 S

This French classic recipe is very easy to make with few ingredients involved. Chicken breasts, crispy fried, with a creamy mustard sauce. It pairs beautifully with mashed or roasted potatoes, but also rice or even pasta. 4 Servings Ingredients: 750gr of chicken breasts, each sliced in half horizontally 100gr flour 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 chicken stock cube diluted in 25cl of boiling water 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tb

Raclette is an amazing, strong smelling cheese we have here in France. It is famous for the being the cheese used for 'a Raclette', which is a meal named after the cheese. It is a very social dinner, immensely popular for gatherings between family or friends. Having 'a Raclette requires a Raclette machine which is a plug in cooking device that the diners use to melt their cheese using little triangle or square trays. You place boiled potatoes, charcuterie & cornichons on yo

Brazilian food is very interesting to me. It is like a blend between Creole & Asian food but with its own twist. I love that they often use various nuts in their cooking. It really does add a unique flavour to their food. 4 Servings Ingredients: 750gr chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces Juice of 1 lime 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 40gr ginger, finely grated 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp cayenne pepper 50gr peanu

Before the people of Marseille begin rioting, I am not claiming this is the ultimate, classic version of bouillabaisse. The famous dish was traditionally a simply stew created by Marseillaise fisherman, in the south of France, to use up fish they could not sell. It has since become the a star dish in many top restaurants where they make it using a fish stock created by simmering various fish, shellfish & fish bones in a large pot. The contents of the pot are then blended & pa

Ah! My favourite soup on planet earth. I cannot get enough of it! This Thai coconut chicken soup is bursting with flavour & incorporates the sour, sweet, salty & spicy notes that are so typical of Thai food. At times, I cannot find fresh lemongrass but my local Asian store sells finely shredded frozen lemongrass which works just as well. Simply add 2 tbsp, which of course, is perfectly edible when shredded so finely. However, it is important to note that if using fresh lemong

This classic British starter remains one of the country's favorite starters. Cold prawns slathered with tangy Marie Rose sauce... it is simply delicious & a perfect, easy starter to impress your family & friends. 2 Servings Ingredients: 250gr cold, cooked prawns, shells removed 200gr mayonnaise 1 tbsp ketchup 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp tabasco Juice of 1/2 a lemon S&P 2 handfuls of iceberg lettuce, finely sliced Instructions: Simply whisk together the mayonnaise, ketc

This incredible vegan recipe came about this week as I was rummaging through my freezer, taking an inventory of what remained in vegetables I had froze from our vegetable garden this summer. I had quite a bit of blanched, frozen chard to use up so I decided to create a quick lunch today, using lentils and the remainder of a bottle of chipotle sauce I had found in the fridge. I created a simply aioli at the end by combining mayonnaise & chipotle sauce, which really added a spa

This beautiful dish is from the Basque region, on the south west coast of France, near the Spanish border. Because of its location, the Basque region was for centuries part of a well known spice route which is how the famous Piment d'Espelette arrived there. Since they have continued to produce this amazingly smoky chilli powder that has become a favorite with chefs worldwide. The name of this recipe means 'from the pot' & it is a rustic fisherman's stew, made to keep them go

This Christmas was the first time I have cooked any type of duck. For this recipe I used a young duck, which we call 'Canette' here in France. It doesn't yield very much meat but it is a real delicacy. Tender & delicious slow cooked with cider, apples & winter spices. This dish pairs wonderfully with roasted potatoes; even better if they cooked with a little duck fat. 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 whole duck (roughly 1.2kg) 2 onions, finely chopped 4 sweet apples, cored & quarter

This classic dish is quick & easy to make for a weeknight dinner. The gravy can truly be described as comfort food & this dish is perfect paired with freshly mashed potatoes & green beans. 4 Servings Ingredients: Olive oil 24 meatballs (roughly 600 grams) 4 tbsp butter 4 tbsp flour 60cl hot beef stock 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Dijon mustard 15cl cream Pepper Chopped parsley, to serve instructions: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs t

This recipe is from Aveyron in the South of France, situated between Montpellier & Toulouse. It is a simply, easy dish to make that has the perfect balance for a healthy lunch with lots of chard greens, eggs & sausage meat. It pairs well with a side salad. 2 Servings (6 farçous) Ingredients: The dark green leaves of 3 white chard stalks, roughly chopped 1/2 onion, roughly chopped 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 100gr sausage meat 2 eggs 40gr f

This is a great way to add a twist to a pasta dish by incorporating fish. If you are not a fan of tuna, you can replace it with mackerel, sardines or even prawns. This dish is from the south west of France, specifically the Basque region, where the famous 'piment d'espelette' chilli powder is from. Its unique, smoky flavour is unrivalled by any other chilli though, if you really cannot find it near you, you can replace it with hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper. Although jam

This unique, tangy dish is from Alsace, in the north east of France. Being a region that borders Germany & Switzerland, its cuisine is heavily influenced by these two countries. Because of this, we are so lucky for their amazing culinary contributions to French cuisine. From Choucroute Garnie (a winter favourite here in France: sauerkraut with sausages, salted meats, charcuterie & boiled potatoes) to Flammekueche (similar to a pizza but with cream, lardon & onion toppings) &

This recipe is incredibly easy to make & it is a 1 tray recipe, making it a quick solution for a week night dinner. 4 Servings 800gr new potatoes 2 red onions, cut into quarters 2 courgettes, cut into chunky cubes 2 tbsp olive oil 4 chicken breasts 2 tbsp honey 1 heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard Juice of 1 lemon 250gr cherry tomatoes S&P Instructions: Heat oven to 180c for fan assisted ovens & 200c for traditional ovens. Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes & then allow to drain wel

This beautiful pesto dish combines so many flavours & ingredients that I absolutely love. Is there anything better than a comforting bowl of pasta on a rainy autumn day? For this pesto I will be using almonds instead of pine nuts. It is a great alternative & can be bought whole & blended, or already blended to a fine powder. The latter will yield a smoother texture though I personally prefer the first option, as I like the extra crunch that freshly blended almonds give the di