Requested Recipe's

I have a friend in America who used to live in the good 'ol UK and sampled lots of our food but misses a good curry so this Tikka Masala Recipe is for her!

Chicken Tikka Masala (this is a variation of a Jamie Oliver recipe/BBC recipe I have used and its definitely my fave!)
For the paste:
4 Garlic Cloves
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
1 red chilli deseeded
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
and 4 cardamon pods
- Put all these ingredients in a food processor with a little oil and blend until its a smooth paste.
- Then you'll need 3 Chicken Breasts, Diced into 3cm cubes. In a glass bowl mix the chicken cubes and 1-2tbsp of paste until chicken is completely covered. Then cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Preferably overnight. Keep the remaining paste in a bowl and refrigerate too.

Other ingredients:
1tbsp butter
1tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions diced finely
1 red pepper cut into chunks or strips....whatever your preference!
2tbsp of tomato puree
2xtinned tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
150ml double cream
150ml Natural or Greek Yogurt (I use greek but if you can't get it natural is fine too)
Method:
- Heat oil and butter in a pan and add onions and cook on a low heat for 15 mins until they are soft and translucent.
- Add the rest of the paste and the peppers and cook for 5 mins so the spices lose their bitter (raw) taste.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the tinned tomatoes and puree, add some water if it looks too thick.
- Cook this for around 15-20minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- If you have mango chutney then add 1tbsp and stir through. If not then add 1tsp of sugar.
- Stir in cream and yogurt and heat to warm through. Dont boil as the yogurt may split. And voila! Its done!
This also freezes well and will keep for 3months in the freezer.

Sarah's Simple Stew and Dumplings

Stewing Beef (500g approx.....more if you have more mouths to feed! But I find with the veg 500g easily feeds four)
One onion roughly chopped
One garlic clove crushed
1tbsp mixed herbs
1 bayleaf
3 carrots chopped
1/2 swede chopped
2-4 potatoes chopped
1 pint of beef stock made with two cubes
1 dessertspoon tom puree
2 tsps worcestershire sauce
For the dumplings (original Atora recipe) :
100g Self Raising Flour
50g Atora original suet
pinch of salt
1dessertspoon of dried parsley
cold water (around 5 tbsp's .... or until the dough is firm but pliable)
Method:
- Put everything in the slow cooker except the dumplings and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Make up the dumpling mixture and divide into 8 dumplings
- add them to the stew and cook for a further hour