Ginger Jar Food

Grilled mackerel, charred broccoli & aubergine chutney

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:54:44 +0000

Grilling slim, oily fish fillets such as mackerel is the perfect way to cook them. Skin side up, a little salt and pepper, 3 to 4 minutes, and you’re left with crisp skin, juicy flesh on the underside, and bags of flavour. To accompany our lovely fish, we created a charred broccoli dish and a roasted aubergine chutney. Again, add them to your toolkit for mix & match suppers.

Serves 2 for lunch

INGREDIENTS

2 very fresh mackerel, filleted and boned – get your fishmonger to do this if you can!
200g tenderstem broccoli
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
A dash of rape seed oil

For the chutney (makes enough to keep extra in your fridge for another time)
A large, washed aubergine
A green chilli, seeds removed and finely diced (you can add more spice if you like)
A small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
An inch of fresh ginger, finely chopped
A handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon of tamarind paste, or the juice of half a lemon
A teaspoon of honey
Sea salt & black pepper

METHOD

First make the chutney: Roast the aubergine whole until blackened and very soft when prodded. Allow to cool then split in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork.
Sweat the onion over a low heat in a teeny bit of rape seed oil until translucent, then add the chilli, garlic and ginger and fry for a couple more minutes. Finally, add your tomato and tamarind paste or lemon juice and allow to cook out for a few more minutes.
Transfer the bowl with the aubergine and mash together then season to taste with salt, pepper & honey.
The rest of the dish takes minutes to make, so have your guests or loved ones primed that food is coming soon.
Blanche your broccoli in boiling water for a minute. Drain and cool under a very cold tap.
Heat the grill to a high heat. Place your mackerel fillets skin side up on a baking sheet and season the skin. Place under the grill for around 3 to 4 minutes until to skin is crispy and golden. Your mackerel should be cooked through in this time, but if the fish is slightly bigger, flip the fillets over and grill for one minute on the underside.
With the fish under the grill, heat a frying pan over a high heat with a drop of rape seed oil. Add your drained broccoli and allow it to catch and char on the bottom of the pan before adding the soy sauce and chilli flakes.
Plate up with your aubergine chutney and grilled mackerel and you’re away.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

Monkfish tikka, brown basmati pilaf

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:54:06 +0000

I love a curry, but there can be a lot of oil, or ghee or white rice or bread involved, all the things I’m supposed to be avoiding for January. So, rather than admit defeat and let Rivita take over, we came up with this low fat tikka and brown basmati pilaf recipe to bring protein and good grains into our diet. It’s quick and simple so can form part of a tool box of ideas to keep you well fed, in a healthy way!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

300g monkfish fillet, chopped into large chunks (about 1.5 inch square)
1 green pepper, chopped into 1.5 inch pieces
1 red onion, quartered then petals separated

For the tikka marinade:
4 tablespoons 0% fat natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garam masala
Chilli flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste
1 clove of garlic, grated (or garlic paste)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated (or ginger paste)
The juice of half a lemon
Salt & pepper

4 Bamboo skewers soaked in hot water for an hour or so

For the brown basmati pilaf
200g rice
450ml veg stock (not too salty), hot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
The juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
A small bunch or coriander, roughly chopped

METHOD

To make the pilaf: Heat the oven to 180C. In a casserole dish with a lid, sweat the onion in a tiny bit of oil and splash of water till soft, then increase the heat and fast fry in the garlic and cumin seeds for 1 minuite, stirring constantly. Now add the rice, stir to coat, then the hot stock and lemon juice. Stir again, put the lid on and pop in the oven for 30 mins.
Once the time is up, take out of the oven and leave to stand with the lid on for at least 10 – 15 mins. Remove the lid and fork through the grains to separate, then fold through the coriander
To make the monkfish tikka skewers: Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl then add your pieces of fish, pepper and red onion. Skewer onto the bamboo sticks, alternating ingredients as you go. Grill under a high heat for 3 minutes on both sides.
Serve with your brown basmati pilaf and some low fat raita.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

Spicy grilled chicken with chucumber

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:53:32 +0000

I did notice a little theme when writing this newsletter, spice was cropping up A LOT. In my mind if I can’t have cream, butter, carbs or too much sugar, then I’ll turn to my spice box to bring the healthy stuff to life. Here we quickly grill some chicken, which has been marinated in a spicy rub and serve it with chucumber, an Indian salsa made from cucumber, tomato and chilli. It’s excellent.

Serves 2 to 3 for lunch

INGREDIENTS

Spice mix
2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
The seeds from 3 to 4 cardamon pods (crack open and remove the seeds)
Toast the seeds in a pan, grind in a pestle & mortar or spice grinder and reserve half for the chucumber and half for the chicken marinade

Spicy grilled chicken
4 to 6 chicken thigh fillets, skinned and trimmed of as much fat as possible
A clove of garlic, grated
An inch of ginger, grated
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
Sea salt & black pepper
Half of your spice mix (see above)

Chucumber
1 red onion, finely diced
1 large cucumber, seeds removed then finely diced
100g ripe tomatoes, finely diced
A handful of chopped, fresh coriander
A pinch of dried chilli flakes, to taste
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper
The other half of your spice mix (see above)

METHOD

This recipe really is as simple as this: Rub the spice mix onto the chicken (it does help to bash the chicken out a little flatter in places for even cooking) and grill under a medium grill until cooked through and charged in places.
Mix all the chucumber ingredients together and leave in the fridge until ready to use.
Slice the chicken into strips and serve in a pile on top of the chucumber.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

No bread, gluten free veggie burger

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:52:40 +0000

GJ Callan had to sell me on this one, but after making it for me one lunch time she had me sold. You make a ‘burger’ from chick peas, mixed sprouts such as alfalfa, heaps of fresh herbs and some lemon zest and juice, griddle then bake it, and finally, stuff it full of more vegetables or salad. We used avocado, cress and our slow roast tomatoes, but think that roasted peppers or pumpkin & rocket would be amazing too.

Makes around 4 to 6 burgers, depending on what size you like

INGREDIENTS

250g cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
A large handful of chopped fresh coriander
½ red onion, finely diced
1 hot pepper – depending on taste and hotness, finely diced
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
125g alfalfa or mixed sprouts, chopped (optional but do make a difference, we get ours from Ocado)
75g toasted, whole-grain, bread crumbs , made from Gluten free bread
2 heaped tablespoons of gram flour (use gram flour to keep it gluten free, or add plain if not bothered)
A little rape seed oil

Your filling, such as rocket, avocado, spring onion, tomato

METHOD

Combine the chick peas, eggs, salt and pepper in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus.
Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in thecoriander, onion, lemon juice & zest, spicy pepper, breadcrumbs, gram flour and sprouts.
Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into four 4cm-thick patties. If you find your mixture to be too dry, add an extra egg. If its too wet, add in a little extra toasted breadcrumbs.
Brush the patties with a teeny bit of rape seed oil and heat the oven to 180C. Cook in the oven for 12 minutes, place under the grill to crisp and brown the tops of your burgers (about 4-5 minutes). Remove and cool slightly. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favourite fillings, and guzzle immediately.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

Salad of rare roast beef, tomato, spelt, artichoke, rocket & tapenade

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:51:39 +0000

I wandered around Covent Garden for 15 minutes or so the other day, trying to think of somewhere I could go to eat healthy stuff, on the move. There wasn’t a lot of choice. Why not underpin the healthy eating with the January saving regime and take a lunchbox to help control what you’re eating? This salad was made from left overs and fridge favourites. We used our staple slow roast tomatoes to bring a hit of sweetness and grilled our own artichoke hearts (use frozen or canned in water) to keep a lid on the oil quantities.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

300g cooked roast beef, sliced into thin ribbons
120g pearled spelt (or easy cook like The Food Doctor)
6 artichoke hearts, canned in water or frozen (we then grill them ourselves to control the oil)
150g cherry tomatoes, halved, as they are or slow roasted in the oven to bring out their sweetness
50g wild rocket
2 tablespoons of tapenade, either pre-bought or use our recipe below

For the black olive tapenade
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemon, juice only
2 tablespoons of capers
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
250g pitted black olives
A small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

To make the tapenade, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor or chop finely by hand.
To grill the artichoke hearts, brush with a little rape seed oil, season well and char under the grill.
Cook the spelt according to the packet instructions.
To slow roast the cherry tomatoes (a staple GJ ingredient), cut in half vertically, place cut side up on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper & sugar, and roast at 150/160C until they are withered and a little dried out (around an hour or so).
To make the salad, simple mix everything together and add as much tapenade as you like.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

The season of the canapé

Ginger-Jar-Food — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:05:27 +0000

Our chefs are busy all year round making bite-size morsels of loveliness for private & corporate events across London, but around this time of year everything starts to step up a gear! Check out our new festive canapé menu and updated canapé gallery to see what wonders we may be able to bring to your party.

Ginger Jar canapés range from a fully bespoke service where we design a canapé menu for you, to choosing from our ‘build on site‘ or ‘drop off‘ lists. We can also offer waiting staff, can help with hire equipment such as glassware, platters and service tables, and can provide highly trained cocktail bar staff.

Get in touch to ask for a bespoke quotation.

Smoked salmon & soft boiled quail's egg tarlet

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Smoked salmon & soft boiled quail's egg tarlet

Booking

Should you choose to book with us as deposit of 25% will be due to secure the date, with the full balance being due before the event. We can accept payment via online bank transfer, cheque or credit card (via an online PayPal eInvoice).

Sticky pumpkin pudding

Alex — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:48:16 +0000

Here at Ginger Jar we love a good old hearty British pudding and, as it is nearing Halloween why not try this traditional classic with a seasonal twist after a cold night trick or treating. Grab a bowl , put your slippers on and wrap up in front of a warm log fire … enjoy!

COMPETITION: If you have any delicious Halloween related recipes that you want to share with us and want to be in with a chance to win a ‘Halloween Hamper’ courtesy of Ginger Jar Food, then like us on Facebook and post us your idea before the witching hour on 31st October 2011…

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

For the cake
250 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 grams light brown sugar
130 grams granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
425 grams pureed pumpkin (seeds removed, roasted, scooped and pureed until smooth).

For the sticky toffee sauce
225 grams light brown sugar
110 grams unsalted butter
360 ml double cream
80 ml golden syrup

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly butter a 13 x 9 inch baking tin.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat the butter and brown and granulated sugars in until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add the pumpkin. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles, it’ll come back once the flour is in. Little by little add the flour, beating until smooth and pour into in the baking tin. (Adding some roughly chopped pecans at this stage is delicious).
Bake for around 30 to 35 minutes.
To make the toffee sauce melt the brown sugar and butter in a heavy-bottomed large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve the sugar. Whisk in the cream and syrup and bring to a boil. Stir often to make a the sauce glossy.
Once the cake is done, pierce the cake all over with a fork, pour about a third of the toffee sauce over the cake and stand for 10 minutes. Keep the remaining sauce warm.
Spoon the warm cake into individual bowls and top with the remaining warm sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

ENJOY, and remember…

Win a Halloween Hamper…

Ginger-Jar-Food — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:08:29 +0000

COMPETITION: If you have any delicious Halloween related recipes that you want to share with us to be in with a chance of winning a ‘Halloween Hamper’ courtesy of Ginger Jar Food, then like us on Facebook and post us your idea before the witching hour on 31st October 2011…To get you started, check out our Halloween & Bonfire Night menus…

Like us on Facebook now >

Rose veal chop with Madeira cream sauce & winter greens

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:25:24 +0000

My fairly classic training and time in France has given me a real love of sauces. Pan sauces are fantastically tasty and easy to create and a quick alternative to spending hours making a teaspoon of jus. Here we use the remnants of veal that have caramelised and stuck to our pan when searing as the base of our Madeira cream sauce. Deglaze, reduce, thicken with cream, eat. Mmmm…

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 rose veal chops

For the sauce
3 shallots, very finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
200ml veal or chicken stock
100ml Madeira
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
30ml double cream
Salt & pepper
A little oil & butter

To serve
Some winter greens such as kale or chard, de-stalked and shredded

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
Heat a little oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Season your veal chops and sear in the pan until nice and caramelised all over. Transfer to the oven and finish cooking for around 10 minutes until cooked through but still a teeny bit pink.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Deglaze the sauté pan with the stock, scraping the pieces off the bottom with a spatula. Pour the deglazing liquor into a bowl and reserve. Add a knob of butter to the pan and sauté the shallot over a low heat until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or so. Now add the Madeira and deglazing liquor back to the pan, increase the heat and reduce by half.
To finish the sauce, whisk in the double cream and Dijon mustard and reduce a little more, then check the seasoning. Pour out of the pan through a sieve and keep warm.
To cook the greens, put a splash of water in the sauté pan and throw in the shredded leaves, stir frying until wilted down. Season well then transfer to some warmed plates.
Place your well-rested veal chops on the cooked greens and pour over the sauce. Serve straight away with ultra-smooth mashed potatoes or perhaps boulangeres potatoes.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s catering services, contact us:

Drop pancakes with maple syrup, crispy bacon & strawberries

Ginger-Jar-Food — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:59:50 +0000

The ultimate proof that salty and sweet go together like Ying and Yang, this American brunch classic is an easy one to replicate well at home. Crisp your bacon in advance and have maple syrup and sweet, chopped strawberries at the ready; all you need to do is cook up stacks of pancakes (the quantity depends on how many mouths you’re feeding, and how hungry/greedy the rabble is).

Cook’s tip. Learn how to make your batter for drop pancakes by eye as quantities can change when using differing flour brands. You’re looking for a batter the consistency of thick double cream.

Serves 4 (ish)

INGREDIENTS

For the pancake batter
150g plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Up to 150ml of whole milk
2 free-range eggs
50g caster sugar
A pinch of salt
A little sunflower oil

The rest…
12 slices of good streaky bacon, I prefer smoked
200g strawberries, sliced in half or into quarters
A bottle of maple syrup

METHOD

For the drop pancake batter, place the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk and pour into the flour, beating quickly with a whisk or wooden spoon so that any lumps are removed. Only add enough liquid to give you the thick double cream consistency. If you go over, simply sift and beat in a little more flour. Leave to one side until ready to cook.
To crisp your bacon, simply grill or, if you’re into the details and would like flat shards of bacon, place the rashers between sheets of grease proof paper then sandwich between baking sheets and bake in a hot oven until crisp.
To cook the pancakes, use a good non-stick pan, greased with sunflower oil over a medium heat. Ladle or pour in circles of your pancake batter about the diameter of a breakfast mug. Allow the pancakes to seal on the underside until small bubbles appear on the top/uncooked side. Quickly flip the pancakes over using a palette knife of spatula and finish cooking for a minute or so. Pile your cooked pancakes onto a warmed plate and cover with a cloth between batches until you have enough to take to the table.
Serve ‘help yourself’ style with piles of crispy bacon, a bowl of strawberries and your bottle of maple syrup.

ENJOY!

Find out more about Ginger Jar’s breakfast catering services, contact us: