My Virgin Kitchen: Delicious recipes you can make every day

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

I often use ready-made pastry when I’m pressed for time but making your own is actually pretty easy. The trick is to keep your hands nice and cool and to use really cold water to bind the pastry together.

225g plain flour

pinch of salt

112g chilled butter, cut into cubes

cold water

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, giving a gentle stir to combine. Add the butter and use your fingers and thumbs to rub the butter into the flour – keep going until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Gradually add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together nicely. Don’t add too much water – you just need enough to bring the pastry together in the bowl (use a fork to stir it in).

3. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before rolling out on a floured surface.

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This chapter is a gentle introduction to the book, easing you in with recipes that make you, well … feel good. Of course, there are slightly healthier ones too, such as the Sweet Potato & Kale Hash or the Salmon Rosti Islands, but for me the phrase ‘feel-good’ can be something else: a dish that makes you proud of your achievement in some way. For me this could be something like the Steak & Roast New Potato Salad or slightly naughty Squidgy Beetroot Brownies. It’s all about balance. Each of the recipes in this chapter uses some really interesting combinations, making use of ingredients and food trends that have cropped up in recent years and, of course, everything I’ve learned to date.

Some of my personal favourites in this chapter are the Caprese Chicken Salad, thanks to its gorgeous taste, eye-catching colour and simplicity and the Coconut Crumbed Chicken, which just works an absolute charm – I’m superproud of that one. And for a real feel-good, cosy dish it has to be the Chicken, Porcini & Barley Soup – a super-chunky, hearty dish that is perfect for a winter night.

Give the recipes a go and don’t forget to reach out on social media to let me know the recipes that make you feel good too!

CHICKEN, PORCINI & BARLEY SOUP (#ulink_2f78cd1c-2582-5e7b-9c13-8f7dfbd14a97)

Hearty, warming and filling sums up this soup brilliantly – it’s fab on a cold night to warm the cockles. It’s very chunky – almost like a stew – with a slight woody vibe from the porcini, although you can reserve a little chicken stock to thin it out just before serving, if you prefer. The barley adds a fantastic texture along with the poached chicken, plus you can make and serve up this gorgeous, hassle-free soup in just one pan.

READY IN 50 MINUTES

SERVES 4

25g porcini

1 tsp butter

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into small chunks

2 celery sticks, sliced into small chunks

120g pearl barley

400g chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

500ml chicken stock

1 bay leaf

handful of spinach, torn

handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for sprinkling

salt and pepper

1. Start by putting the porcini into a bowl and pouring over 250ml boiling water. Leave to one side for 25 minutes to soften, then remove the porcini, drain on kitchen paper and slice roughly. Strain the porcini soaking liquid through a sieve a couple of times (to remove any grit). Reserve to use later in the soup.

2. When the porcini have about 15 minutes left to soak, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and season well with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, stirring well, until the onions just start to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.

3. Next tip in the barley and chicken chunks, stirring to coat in the butter, and let them cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and the porcini and their liquid, then top with 350ml water. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

4. Put a lid on the saucepan and simmer for 25 minutes until the liquid has reduced down and the barley is nice and puffed up. Add the spinach and parsley for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaf and taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve in bowls with a fresh sprinkle of parsley – it’s great with some buttered baguette slices.

VIRGIN TIP

During the simmering remove the lid a couple of times and stir the bottom of the pan; sometimes some of the barley can settle there so keep it moving. You can also top up with more water if you like a thinner soup – I’m just a fan of it being chunky.

COCONUT CRUMBED CHICKEN WITH WARM MIXED BEAN SALAD (#ulink_6acbf957-94e1-56f0-838e-067099e6a9ed)

I absolutely love this recipe. It’s a perfect combo of customisable warmed bean salad and gorgeous mango and coconut coated chicken breasts. The chicken strips also work well on their own, served with some extra mango chutney as a dip.

READY IN 30 MINUTES

SERVES 4

olive oil, for drizzling

600g chicken breasts, cut into finger-width slices

2 tbsp mango chutney

6 tbsp breadcrumbs

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

salt and pepper

FOR THE SALAD

500g mixed beans of your choice – try sliced runner beans, tinned cannellini beans, frozen soya beans or tinned butter beans

large handful of tinned or frozen sweetcorn, drained or defrosted

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 celery sticks, thinly sliced