Recipe : Mexican Pork Chilli, Bulgur Wheat & Apple Salsa

This meal from Gousto came with Bulghur Wheat, but you can also substitute it with a nutty rice like brown rice or serve it with corn bread.

Ingredients :

1 medium red onion - peeled and finely diced
30ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground allspice
250g pork (or beef) mince
130g bulgur wheat
1 beef stock cube
1 chipotle paste sachet (40g)
1 tomato paste sachet (32g)
1 apple diced - skin on
40g cheddar cheese grated
Olive oil
Pepper
Salt
Vegetable oil

Method:

In a medium-sized bowl take 1/4 of the diced onion, add a pinch of salt and the red wine vinegar and set aside to pickle.

Add the bulgur wheat to a pot with plenty of boiled water (the same as you would for pasta) and a pinch of salt and cook over a high heat for 7-9 min or until tender with a slight bite, then drain and return to the pot

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-low heat

Once hot, add 3/4 of the diced onion and a big pinch of salt

Cook for 5 min or until softened and starting to caramelise

Stir the ground allspice into the softened onion and cook for 1 min

Add the pork mince and cook for 3-4 min or until beginning to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go

Stir the tomato paste and chipotle paste into the browned mince and cook for 1 min

Dissolve the beef stock cube in 350ml boiled water

Add the beef stock to the mince and reduce the heat to medium-low

Cook for 10-15 min or until thick and reduced to a chilli-like consistency – this is your Mexican pork chilli

Add the diced apple to the pickled onion with 2 tbsp olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper – this is your apple salsa

Fluff the cooked bulgur with a fork and season with a pinch of salt and pepper

Serve the Mexican pork chilli over the cooked bulgur with the apple salsa to the side

Top with the grated cheese

I also served it with grilled corn on the cob to add more veggies to this meal.

Recipe : Chicken Lazone with Chestnut Mushrooms and Creamy Vermicelli

Chicken Lazone with Chestnut Mushrooms and Creamy Vermicelli is another recipe from Gousto Cooking, that we have loved so much, that I have made it on multiple occassions.

It looks and tastes quite decadent, but it easy to put together. Seasoned, pan-fried chicken and mushrooms served over creamy vermicelli noodles.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (or 1/2 kg boneless chicken)
1-3 garlic cloves - peel and finely chop (or grate)
1/2 - 2 tsp spicy cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Italian dried oregano
1 chicken stock cube
150g chestnut mushrooms finely sliced
120g rice vermicelli or rice noodles
1 pot (227ml) of organic double cream
Butter
Pepper
Salt
Vegetable oil

Kettle on the boil

Method:

Marinate the chicken with garlic, cayenne, oregano, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and crumbled chicken stock cube
Season with a big pinch of pepper
Mix thoroughly
Set  aside for 15 minutes or marinate in the fridge overnight if you want to prep ahead, but bring back to room temperature before cooking.

Heat a wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a matching lid over a high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Once hot, add the chicken spreading each piece flat

Cook, covered, for 5 min

Remove the lid from the pan and flip each piece of chicken

Add the sliced mushrooms around the chicken

Cook, covered, for a further 5 min or until the chicken is cooked through

Stir the mushrooms occasionally

Meanwhile, place the vermicelli / noodles in a dish and cover completely with boiling water

Set aside for 3 min, then drain

Add a big knob of butter to the chicken pan

Once cooked, transfer the chicken with half the mushrooms to a plate and set aside to rest until serving

Return the pan to a low heat

Add the drained noodles and cream to the pan and cook for 1 min or until warmed through, then remove from the heat

Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed,

Divide the noodles between serving plates and top with the chicken and mushrooms


Kim's Tip: cut the noodles up while in the pan for easy eating!

Recipe : Lime Rice, Grilled Broccoli, Minute Steak and Peanut Sauce

This recipe also came to me via one of Gousto's Boxes. We loved it and I'll definitely cook it again.

If you drop rice as an accompaniment, this recipe is keto friendly. Peanuts in small quantities are allowed on the keto diet.

This recipe is for 2 people.

Ingredients:

1 lime
1 sachet coconut cream (50g - 2.5 tbsp) or 5 tbsp coconut milk
2/3 cup  basmati rice (150g)
1 medium sized broccoli
2 minute steaks
6-7 tsp creamy peanut butter (52g - 2 pots)
1 tbsp soy sauce (2 sachets - 16ml) 
1.5 tsp brown sugar (or regular if you don't have brown sugar)
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil
1 spring onion

Method :

Prep :
Zest the lime taking care not to include any white pith (which is very bitter)

Preheat the grill to high

Boil a kettle

If using coconut cream, place the sachet in a mug of hot water (this softens the naturally hard cream). If using coconut milk, skip this step.
 
Lime Rice :
Choose a pot with a lid - add the rice, lime zest, 350ml hot water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-15 min or until all the water has absorbed

Once done, remove from the heat and keep covered until later
 

Grilled Broccoli :
Cut the broccoli into quarters, lengthways

Cut each quarter again, so you end up with broccoli wedges

Add the wedges to a baking tray (use foil to avoid mess)

Drizzle with vegetable oil and season generously with salt and pepper

Put the tray directly under the grill and cook for 12-15 min or until nicely charred


Seared Steak :
Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with kitchen towel

Rub them with a little vegetable oil and season generously with salt on both sides

Heat a dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a medium-high heat until very hot

Add the steaks to the hot pan and cook for 1 min on each side (for medium-rare)

Transfer the cooked steaks to a plate and leave to rest while you prepare the Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce :
Take the pan you used to cook the steaks.

Add the peanut butter, warmed coconut cream / coconut milk, soy sauce and brown sugar with 200ml hot water

Whisk together (off the heat) until smooth

Once smooth, return the pan to a low heat and whisk until a sauce forms (approx. 3-4 min) then remove from the heat and set aside (it will thicken a little as it cools)

Assembly :
Halve the zested lime

Slice the spring onion finely, discarding the root end

Slice the steak as finely as you can (against the grain)

Gousto Tip: Cutting against the grain means identifying the natural lines in the steak and cutting in the opposite direction!

Fluff the cooked rice, add the juice of half the lime and season with salt and pepper

Spoon a pool of peanut sauce on to your plates and top with the sliced steak, serving the lime rice and charred broccoli to the side

Garnish with spring onion and the remaining 1/2 lime cut into wedges