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00:00Creamy, dreamy, irresistibly tasty.
00:03Whether it's the key ingredient or main event,
00:05Philadelphia is the one cooks reach for.
00:08You've got a friend in Philly.
00:10They say the dinner table is the heart of the home.
00:14But what they forget to mention is...
00:17the absolute chaos it takes to get there.
00:20Navigating the small daily hurdles, the inevitable chaos
00:23and the everyday victories are what make family life such an adventure.
00:27Thank you!
00:30Welcome to the bit between the fridge and the fork,
00:34where the chaos battles calm and pasta waits for no one.
00:38Mmm!
00:39I literally would eat that directly from the pan.
00:42This is not a cooking show about perfection.
00:45This is real-time cooking,
00:48where every minute matters and every dinner served is a small triumph.
00:53So let's get cooking.
01:00This week it's all about meals that go the distance.
01:04Big flavour pots, batchable beauties and dishes that taste even better the next day.
01:09You know the kind.
01:10Cook once, eat twice and maybe even freeze a portion for later.
01:13That is the kind of kitchen magic we all need some weeks.
01:17First up, a slow-cooked style gnocchi and lamb ragu that's rich, rustic and totally weekend worthy.
01:23But we're doing it fast enough for midweek.
01:26Look at that. A mountain of pure comfort.
01:29And then we're travelling to North Africa for a magic chicken tagine in a flash.
01:33All those warm spices and sweet notes ready in under an hour and the flavours only improve with time.
01:39Just like an Irish stew.
01:40It's always better the day after.
01:42And finally, the ultimate crowd pleaser.
01:44Sticky beef and broccoli forever.
01:46Sweet, salty, sticky and totally addictive.
01:50So let's stock the fridge, fill the freezer and batch it like a boss.
01:54There is nothing like coming home and knowing that dinner is already done.
02:04And this recipe batch cooks perfectly.
02:07You can have one that you eat straight away and one that you can stick in the freezer.
02:11And it starts off in a pan with some lamb mince.
02:14Little drop of oil into the pan as it comes up to temperature.
02:17Now minced meat is my go-to.
02:19I have it as a staple ingredient in my kitchen at all times.
02:23In this case, I have lamb mince.
02:25There's a lovely run of fat through here and it's going to cook really nicely until it becomes gnarly.
02:29The whole point of this recipe is to get the results of a ragu but in half the time.
02:34But it begins in the pan, nicely browned off.
02:38Now the trick to frying off mince is to ensure that you break it up as soon as it goes in.
02:43And then once it's nicely broken up, leave it to sit.
02:46It will sweat a little bit but you want to get rid of that moisture.
02:49And when you've gotten rid of that liquid, that's when you'll get browning.
02:52I'm going to season it with a little salt and pepper.
02:55And while that's frying off, onion finely chopped here.
02:58And typically, I would take the meat out after it's browned.
03:01But in this case, I'm going to slice the onion up very nice and finely.
03:04And it should cook off nicely in that meat fat.
03:07And a good way of knowing that your meat is ready to be moved is when that sizzle starts to increase,
03:13it means that there's less moisture in there.
03:15So even if you start moving it in the pan, you'll see those nice, gnarly brown bits.
03:20And if you've got them, you've got flavour.
03:22So keep it moving.
03:23And only because I now know I have those lovely brown bits, I'm going to pop my onions straight in.
03:29Give that a little mix through.
03:31I'm going to take my time at this point, turn down the heat ever so slightly.
03:37Now, while that's cooking, time to get the pasta water on.
03:40A quarter fill on the pot with some cold water.
03:43And then I'm just going to top this up with a freshly boiled kettle.
03:48Now, the real beauty of this recipe is that it uses store-bought gnocchi,
03:52one of my favourite little ingredients that cooks in no time at all.
03:55It also freezes really well.
03:57So it's ideal for batch cooking.
03:59There's great things going on in the pan right now.
04:01So I'm going to add to that by just picking in some fresh oregano.
04:06The fresh oregano has this almost citrusy fragrance.
04:10And then the dried one is this more kind of intense flavour you get from it.
04:14I have a little bit of butter we're going to add in here.
04:17I'm going to push the meat aside, melt that down and add to this some chilli flakes.
04:23A little pinch goes in.
04:24Let's grab up some garlic.
04:26Just a clove will do the job.
04:28And grate this straight into that melting butter.
04:30I'm doing this with the skin on because this microplane grater is so fine
04:34that it almost grates the clove itself, leaving the skin behind.
04:40Tap that in.
04:41The butter is foaming with chilli and garlic and the smell is phenomenal.
04:46Now, tomato puree.
04:47So in amongst that butter, it's just starting to turn kind of golden brown.
04:51We want to hit it with the tomato puree before it does.
04:53And just introduce it and start stirring in that lamb.
05:01So cook that out.
05:02It's now ready for some tomato passata, another great ingredient.
05:06Because it is a smooth tomato sauce essentially, all the work's been done for you.
05:11We don't have to reduce this down too much.
05:13And it's a great cheat ingredient to get simple results really quickly.
05:17So mix that through.
05:20Dried organo.
05:21A generous pinch.
05:23Go more than you think you need.
05:25Turn down the heat.
05:26Give that a mix through.
05:28And we're just going to let it flip away.
05:31Now, these are essential.
05:33They will make the difference.
05:34And you won't even notice they're in there.
05:36Some anchovies.
05:37An ingredient that might sound like a tiny fish, but in fact is an umami bomb that we're going to pop in here and get really great salty flavour in with that lamb.
05:48If you've ever seen roast lamb with anchovies, there's a good reason why.
05:52It's that wonderful rich flavour that the anchovies give without adding a fishy flavour at all.
05:59I know you probably are sitting there going, not adding anchovies in, but you won't even notice they literally melt into that sauce.
06:06And they just give it pure flavour.
06:09Just look at that.
06:10A really simple, flavourful sauce that is pretty much there.
06:15I mean, I would cook it down a little more if I have time, but it is full of flavour already.
06:19My water has come up to the boil.
06:21I'm going to generously season with plenty of sea salt in there.
06:24And then the gnocchi, the star of the show, goes straight in.
06:27And this will cook off literally in two to three minutes.
06:31The moment it starts rising to the top, you know it's good to go.
06:34And we're just going to transfer it from pot to pan and serve it up.
06:38Time for a clean down.
06:47The work is done and this will sit happily in the sauce.
06:50But I'm going to fold it through and get all that gnocchi beautifully coated in that rich ragout.
06:57If you have the time, grate in some carrots, fold in some spinach if you fancy.
07:02But the bowl of this, a little bit of cheese, dinner is served.
07:06It's such a handy store covered ingredient gnocchi.
07:10Little potato dumplings that can be coated in a whole host of different things.
07:17Look at that.
07:19A mountain of pure comfort.
07:21The last touch, a tiny bit of parmesan.
07:24And because I can't help it, a little drizzle of some extra virgin olive oil.
07:30Absolutely beautiful.
07:33The kind of bowl you just want to eat with a spoon.
07:37Let's give it a go.
07:39Tender gnocchi in that rich lamb meat sauce.
07:45And the best part of it all, the rest of this is going into the freezer for another day.
07:51And that's how you batch it like a boss.
08:05I absolutely love Moroccan food and I was lucky enough to visit recently.
08:09And honestly, I always just come back so inspired.
08:12And this chicken tagine, while it might not be totally traditional,
08:15is packed with all the flavours that I loved over there.
08:18And it comes together in no time at all.
08:27Now typically when I make this chicken tagine, I do it with chicken thighs with the bone in and the skin on.
08:32But in this case, I have diced chicken thighs that have the bone out and the skin off.
08:38Because I want them to cook really speedily in all these fabulous flavours.
08:42So chicken thighs in strips.
08:44I'm going to pop them straight into a bowl.
08:47And now it's time to spice these babies up.
08:50So a little bit of oil.
08:52And if you have the time, marinate for as long as possible in these spices.
08:57Now, coriander.
08:59I've got some cumin for that really deep earthy flavour.
09:03A little bit of turmeric for that fabulous colour it imparts.
09:07To this, I have some smoked paprika.
09:10I'm going to go fairly heavy on that.
09:12And then it's just a case of giving it a good mix up.
09:16Oh, last thing.
09:18Good generous bit of seasoning.
09:20Give that a little mix through.
09:22And now you have beautiful spiced chicken ready for the pan.
09:26Into a pan with plenty of oil.
09:28And let's get that fried off.
09:30The moment that spice hits the hot oil, you get this great sizzle.
09:35And those spices really come alive.
09:38It actually needs just a touch more oil.
09:41And as that cooks away, I'm going to make my couscous.
09:45Now, couscous is one of those ingredients that is so handy to have in the store cupboard.
09:50You literally take a jar of it.
09:52Top it up with some boiling water from a freshly boiled kettle.
09:59And give it a stir through with a little seasoning.
10:02The couscous is now going to absorb that water and soak it all up until it becomes nice and fluffy.
10:07And trap in the heat with a lid over the top.
10:10Got to check on my chicken.
10:13Got a nice bit of browning action on this.
10:16I'm not looking to cook the chicken through here.
10:18I'm just looking for a bit of colour on the outside.
10:20And then we can move things along with the onions.
10:23Now, let's get chopping.
10:29And the beauty of this recipe is that it batch cooks absolutely beautifully.
10:33In fact, it's one of those dishes that really improves with flavour.
10:37Just like an Irish stew.
10:38Always better the day after.
10:40Right, looking good.
10:41The onions go in.
10:42Let's give it a mix through.
10:44I have some serious flavour building in this pan now.
10:47And it immediately transports you to somewhere like Morocco where those spices are so prevalent in so many of the foods.
10:53Wrap it, mix it, or simply spread it.
11:05Philadelphia, the one cooks reach for.
11:08You've got a friend in Philly.
11:09Wrap it, mix it, or simply spread it.
11:12Philadelphia, the one cooks reach for.
11:14You've got a friend in Philly.
11:17While my chicken and onions cook off with the spices, it's time to start bringing that couscous to life.
11:23So I have some flaked almonds into a little frying pan like this.
11:26You don't need any oil here because the almonds have quite a lot of oil in them.
11:31And they're going to slowly ooze out as we fry these off.
11:35One of the worst crimes I commit in the kitchen is burning my nuts.
11:39A nightmare.
11:40You've got to keep your eye on the ball.
11:43My onions are really nicely cooking down now.
11:46If it starts to catch a little bit on the bottom, don't be scared of that.
11:49A tiny touch of water straight to the pan.
11:52Just to scrape up any of those bits before they start to blacken.
11:57So, we're in the moment.
11:59We've got to check on the nuts.
12:01My nuts are looking fantastic.
12:03But keep your eye on them.
12:05Now, while that chicken cooks out, it's time to start adding some flavour.
12:09First up, tomato puree.
12:11It's going to add sweetness.
12:12It's going to add vibrancy.
12:14And if you cook it out before you add any other ingredients,
12:17you give it a moment to shine and take on the flavours that are already there
12:21and add to them too.
12:23To this, a little bit of stock.
12:27And nearly did it.
12:29Ah, I burnt me nuts!
12:31This is what happens when you're in real-time recipes.
12:34Right, we're starting again.
12:35And unfortunately, there's no way of saving them.
12:37If you burn your nuts, you've got to keep going.
12:40This time, I'm really going to keep an eye on them.
12:42OK, our sauce is coming together.
12:45Time to add in more flavour.
12:47A little bit of lemon.
12:48I'm just going to take the whole peel and pop it straight in there.
12:51The lemon is going to add this nice fragrance.
12:54Got to check the nuts.
12:56Oh, I nearly did it again.
12:58No, OK.
12:59I don't trust it.
13:00I'm taking it off.
13:01I've got some olives going in.
13:03I have some dried fruit.
13:05And typically, when I make my other tagine, I soak this beforehand.
13:08But it doesn't need it.
13:09Stick them straight in if they're nice and soft.
13:12And let that liquid rehydrate them.
13:15Now we are cooking.
13:17We've got good stuff going on in here.
13:19Cinnamon stick.
13:20This is a good moment just to build on that flavour that's already there.
13:24I'm going to add a clove or two of garlic just grated straight into that mixture.
13:28Just that last hit, that hum of garlic in here, will be tickling the taste buds.
13:34Get that in and give it a mix.
13:37We're pretty much there.
13:39Let that bubble away for a moment while we finish the couscous.
13:43Use a fork to fluff it up.
13:45Then finely chop some flat leaf parsley and get it in there.
13:48Tear in some mint and coriander leaves.
13:50Go in with a few pomegranate seeds and then a really generous squeeze of lemon juice.
13:55And it's just going to cut through that rich tagine.
13:58I've already seasoned this so I'm not going to add any more salt here.
14:02But I do have my nuts which are going straight in.
14:04Lovely flaked almonds here.
14:06And really it is worth toasting them because the flavour just amplifies.
14:10I'm going to fold these through.
14:12Now this is good to go.
14:14Couscous is ready.
14:15Tagine needs one final addition and that is a tin of chickpeas.
14:19You don't have to add these but they're a great way to bulk out a dish like this.
14:23All I'm going to do is drain.
14:25The chickpeas are actually cooked so they only need to be added very much at the last moment.
14:29I don't want to overcook them.
14:31And I'm just draining and then rinsing a little bit with water to get rid of any of that starchy liquid.
14:37That then gets directly added into our tagine.
14:41Give it a little mix up.
14:43And like I said those chickpeas are already cooked so we're just warming them through.
14:47They're a fantastic store cupboard ingredient.
14:50Full of protein, great fibre and very inexpensive too.
14:55Right, let's give it a taste.
14:57Just to see that we're on the right track.
15:03Mmm.
15:05Lovely.
15:07Kind of interesting in the sense that it's not overly spicy.
15:10It's spiced but it's not that really sharp heat that we're getting.
15:14We don't have chilli in there.
15:15And for me that's pretty much good to go.
15:17But I do like the idea of adding sweetness in there.
15:19So a bit more pomegranate seeds go in.
15:23And now we have that soft fruit, the apricots in there as well as the pomegranates.
15:27These lovely little jewels.
15:29Which as you bite through that sauce you're going to get that hit of that sort of tart sweet pomegranate juice.
15:35The lovely velvety sweetness of the apricots.
15:39Right, time to serve.
15:41A little bit of that couscous.
15:43And again this is a fantastic one to batch cook.
15:47Because your couscous will keep in the fridge.
15:49And the chicken freezes really well.
15:51On top of that couscous, I have that beautiful tagine.
15:57I want to get just about everything in here.
15:59Let's tuck in.
16:01A little bit of chicken, a little bit of couscous.
16:05Mmm.
16:07You've got such lovely spice.
16:09You've got lovely sweetness.
16:11In our house, a chicken tagine is one of those celebration Sunday meals.
16:16But this version is a speedy take on the classic.
16:19It puts it smack bang on your midweek menu.
16:22And gives you something that you can batch cook and nail for your next dinner time.
16:27Some nights you just want something that's bold, sticky and seriously satisfying.
16:46And that's where this dish comes in.
16:48Crispy beef, tender broccoli and a glossy sauce.
16:51It's everything you want in a bowl and takes no time at all.
16:55Now, when it comes to stir fries, there is no better cut of meat than bavette steak.
17:06It has a little bit of fat and it has a little bit of sinew.
17:08But that cooks off really quickly.
17:10And if you cut it nice and thinly, it works beautifully in a stir fry like this.
17:14If you can't get your hands on this, something like a flank steak will do.
17:18But you're looking for something that's going to cook really fast.
17:21I'm just taking a nice, fine slice on this.
17:24And you can see as I cut through here, there's a lovely marbling of fat.
17:28And when it breaks down, it leaves you with tender pieces of meat.
17:31So to this bowl, I've got a splash of some soy sauce for some saltiness.
17:40A little bit of oyster sauce for that funky umami flavour.
17:44Not too much here, because I don't want it to sweat when it goes in the pan.
17:48And then to tenderise it and to ensure that we get a nice sort of coating on the exterior.
17:54A little bit of corn flour.
17:56Pop that in.
17:58Give it all a good mix up.
18:00And at this point, you can leave that to sit for as long as you fancy.
18:03If you could pop it into a lunch box and stick it in the fridge and it's ready to be used.
18:07Or do what I'm doing and cook straight through.
18:10That is nicely mixed through.
18:12Wok goes on.
18:13And the best tip to get success in this recipe is get that wok as hot as you possibly can.
18:19This amount of beef I'm going to cook in two batches so that I get nice contact with the wok.
18:23And ensure I get really good colour on it.
18:25So while that comes up to temperature, I'm going to grab up my board and we're going to prep some veggies.
18:30I have broccoli, I have garlic and some spring onions.
18:33I'm just going to break the broccoli into florets.
18:35Actually, I can see my wok is now smoking.
18:37So this is at a good point to add in a splash of oil.
18:42And half of that beef.
18:46Now, in a restaurant situation, you have big wok burners, lots of high heat.
18:52In a home situation, what happens is you add the meat, the temperature comes down.
18:57So don't move it around too much.
18:59Now, while that's cooking, back to the broccoli.
19:02Just looking for nice florets here.
19:04And with the stock, just give it a rough chop.
19:08No sense in wasting it.
19:10Full of nutrition.
19:11And it goes in really nicely with the florets here.
19:14Let's give the beef a quick turn.
19:16And this is what you're after.
19:18Really nice, deep char marks.
19:23Don't want to overcook it.
19:24So grab this up.
19:27All of that beef can go back into a bowl and rest.
19:30Another batch goes in.
19:32A little bit more oil.
19:33And the rest of that beef.
19:36Just spread it around the pan.
19:39And then let the heat do its work.
19:41Now, while that's happening, I have some spring onions and garlic that need a bit of prep.
19:46So I'm going to fry off the white part of the onion and then I'm going to save the rest just to garnish over the top.
19:52So a nice fine slice on these.
19:54Okay, that's the beef ready to rock.
19:56It goes straight out to rest.
19:58And now, back in with a touch more oil.
20:01Not too much now because we're going to do the veggies.
20:03So in with some spring onions to begin with.
20:05Let's get the action going.
20:07To this, we've got some garlic.
20:10And now, as soon as that becomes nice, fragrant and aromatic, we're going straight in with the broccoli.
20:17Give it a little toss.
20:21And to help this along, a little splash of water.
20:27And rest.
20:28The water will do the work to steam the broccoli, cook it all the way through.
20:32And meanwhile, we're going to make up a little sort of stir-fry sauce.
20:37Into a bowl with some oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and a touch of honey for balance.
20:44And then just give it a good mix through.
20:46And now you have saltiness, you've sweetness and you've got that rich, nutty flavour from the sesame oil.
20:52Let's have a look.
20:54Really, really nice.
20:55And when dinner time rolls around, you have all these stir-fried vegetables.
20:59I have my rice cooking in a rice cooker.
21:01It all comes together really quickly.
21:03Go back in with the beef and any of those juices.
21:06Sauce goes in.
21:08And just start mixing that together.
21:11Smells phenomenal right now.
21:15Just going to add a tiny touch of some corn flour in here.
21:19And that will help to thicken that sauce really quickly.
21:24And that is it.
21:26Heat off.
21:27Calm in the kitchen.
21:28We're going to finish this now with some toasted sesame seeds.
21:34Pop them in here and we're going to use them to garnish as well.
21:37I have some of those nice spring onions added in at this point as well.
21:40Just stir them through.
21:42All the hard work is done.
21:44And now it's just a case of folding those greens in with the beef.
21:49And essentially you have a beef and broccoli that is good to go.
21:52At this point you can cool it, pop it into a lunch box, stick it in the fridge, save it for later.
21:57Or serve it straight up with some rice, which I have in my rice cooker.
22:01And this is why I love these rice cookers.
22:04Really handy to have the rice cooked off and kept warm right on the countertop.
22:10And the perfect base for the deep luscious sauce that we've got from that beef and broccoli.
22:16It's a really quick stir fry, but just look at that.
22:22Proper pieces of beef.
22:24Really nice tender broccoli.
22:27This is my kind of dinner right here.
22:32Beautiful.
22:33Finishing touches.
22:35Little sprinkle of sesame seeds over the top.
22:39Some of those nice spring onion greens.
22:42Let's tuck in.
22:43Get a bit of that wreath.
22:47Lovely little bit of beef.
22:52Mmm.
22:54Sticky, spicy, totally satisfying.
22:56The rest can go in a lunch box for leftovers.
22:59But this right now is dinner.
23:01Mmm.
23:13Now that's how you batch it like a boss.
23:22Big flavour, smart prep.
23:23And dinner is your future self will thank you for.
23:26We kicked off with that rich lamb ragout tossed through soft pillowy gnocchi.
23:30Then came the speedy chicken tagine.
23:32Spiced sweet and full of warm Moroccan vibes.
23:35And finally that sticky beef and broccoli.
23:38Crispy, saucy and perfect over rice.
23:41Three big wins all ready for when you need them most.
23:44For all the recipes from this week's show, visit rte.ie forward slash food.
23:50See you next time.
23:51See you next time.
23:52Who are you?
23:55tiger tombs all ready for aachenDP day.
23:58digital demmee
24:04sands
24:05Edith
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