Perfectly Roasted Chicken

Finding it difficult to come up with an alternative to the usual Turkey dinner this festive season? Look no further. I have the perfectly roasted chicken recipe for you that will put a smile on your guests faces. I served this a couple of Christmases ago and the kids loved it; it has been my go to roast for weekends or whenever we have friends or family over for a big feast. And the best part, it's a no oil, fuss free kind of recipe! Feel free to substitute the lemon for oranges to capture that more familiar festive feeling.

For a small-medium whole bird, you will need:

• 1 Whole chicken with skin and bones, halved lengthwise
• 3 Cloves of garlic, freshly minced
• 2 Whole lemons, one juiced for drizzling and one sliced for serving
• 1 Teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of fine salt
• A pinch of sea salt flakes for serving

Final Touches: Reserve one lemon for slicing and wedging into the chicken before sprinkling with sea salt and serving.

How To:

1. Prepare a roasting tray large enough for your bird to lay flat in the oven.

2. Clean any excess fat and feathering from your bird and cut it down the middle, lengthways. Lay flat, skin side up, into your roasting tray.

3. Pierce the entire chicken to the bone with a knife.

4. Sprinkle the fine salt and black pepper all over the chicken - try to do this evenly - and then rub in the minced garlic by massaging all of the seasoning into the cuts you have made.

5. Cover gently with some foil and bake in the middle of the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Check your progress at this point, uncover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.

6. Once cooked, removed from the oven and pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice over the chicken. Wedge your lemon slices into the creases of the chicken and lightly sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.

Serve with boiled baby new potatoes, steamed veggies and a green leafy salad. A quick and simple, wholesome family meal. Enjoy!

Wishing all a bright and joyous Yule.

- The Storms

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Marinated in Yoghurt

I honestly don't have a name for this recipe; I can only credit this amazing dish to my long-standing friend and fellow 'mum of three' club member, who made this for me when I was pregnant with my first daughter, Eden. That was seven years ago! I loved this lightly spiced chicken so much that it was practically all I ate during my first pregnancy. Thank you, Farida!

Obviously, for best results, I'd recommend marinating the chicken in the yoghurt and spices overnight in the fridge. But it is not a necessity, in fact, I haven't done it this time and it turned out just fine. This was our dinner last Friday night.

This is a great recipe for the whole family, which is why it is lightly spiced. I am known to be a little heavy handed with the chilli but I've only used a single fresh one here (with a pinch of black pepper) and my three year old son eats it with no hassle. So, if you are heat sensitive, you can easily forgo the red chilli.

For 6-7 servings, you will need:

• 7 good quality, fresh chicken thighs, skins and bones removed
• 250g of plain/natural yoghurt (I've used low fat)
• 1 chicken stock cube by Knorr, chopped small enough to crumble
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed to a mince in a garlic press
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala* mix
• A handful of freshly chopped coriander, stalks included

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius.

2. Once you have trimmed any excess fat, place your chicken aside.

Look for good quality chicken. Most butchers will happily de-bone and skin your meat for you on site.

3. Prepare your marinade by mixing all of the ingredients (except for the fresh coriander) together in a bowl. Next, thoroughly coat each chicken thigh in the mixture.

4. Place your chicken in a flat, single layer into an oven proof dish. If you have any of the yoghurt mixture left over, you can simply spoon it evenly on top of the thigh pieces. Gently sprinkle the freshly chopped coriander on top and place it in the middle of the oven. Adjust the oven's temperature to 220 degrees Celsius. 

5. Depending on how brown you would like the end result, I'd recommend 35-45 minutes in the oven. Remember to turn at least twice to avoid actual burning. The liquids will likely cook away, so if you want a little more sauce, cook for less time, I'd say around 30 minutes should do the trick.

Serve with boiled baby potatoes and some gently steamed broccoli florets for a wholesome and healthy family dinner.

*I use a locally bought store brand of Garam Masala (92g mixture), which is simply a blend of the following: Coriander Seeds 69% | Cumin Seeds 9.9% | Ginger 5.9% | Fennel Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon 1.5% | Cloves 1.5% | Cardamom, Celery Seeds and Nutmeg

Flavourful Basmati Rice

As promised in my last post, here is the recipe for my perfectly aromatic basmati rice. The perfect complement  to my 'Minty Minced Lamb' dish.

For the rice, you will need:

• 2 cups of white basmati rice
• 5 cardamom pods, cracked to release flavour
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 a teaspoon of cracked black peppercorns
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
• Hot water, boiled

Instructions:

1.  Fill you kettle and put it on to boil.

2.  While your kettle is boiling, wash your rice (in the pot you are going to cook it in) underneath a running tap (for best results I use the hot tap, much faster) until the water runs clear. Apparently, this removes some of the excess starch in the rice. I have personally found that by rinsing rice before cooking, it gives the grains that fluffy, loose and less clumped together texture. It can also be better for digestion (or at least it does in my case).

3.  Place your pot on the hob and add your cardamom pods, whole cloves, cracked black peppercorns and salt into the pot with your rice. Stir.

4.  Turn on the hob and pour in enough hot water from the kettle to cover the rice (about an inch above rice level). Stir again and once the water comes to a boil, cover your pot with a lid and turn the heat down low and simmer until the water has been absorbed and the rice has cooked. This should take around 10 minutes.

If you missed my last post, you can find the link to the perfect accompaniment to this rice dish, here.

Minty Minced Lamb

I first cooked this dish over a decade ago and despite it being so well received by family and friends, I haven't really served this up as often as some would like me to... So sorry. But here it is for you all to try at home yourselves, whether you are entertaining or simply feeding the masses, this dish is filling and full of aromatic flavour. This recipe will generally serve a family of 4-5 and depending on portion sizes, you might be able to stretch that number to 6 people.

For the lamb, you will need:

• 500g of fresh lean minced lamb
• 2 medium sized white onions, skins peeled and diced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced in a garlic crusher for best results
• 5 cardamom pods, remove shells and keep the seeds
• 1 heaped teaspoon of dijon mustard
• 1 heaped teaspoon of pureed lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon of madras powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of fenugreek, a very important ingredient for your store cupboard (essential for curries).
• 1 red chilli, seeded and diced
• 1 green chilli, seeded and diced
• 2 cups of fresh carrots, cubed small
• 2 cups of frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon of mint sauce
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt and black pepper to taste

NB There is no need for any oil with this recipe. As you will see, plenty of naturals oils will be released from the lamb.

1.  In a non-stick pan, gently begin cooking your minced lamb. You will notice the colour of the meat turning pale brown. You should add in you onions, garlic, cardamom, mustard and lemongrass, now. Allow it to cook for five minutes on a medium heat.

2.  A decent amount of natural oils and juices will be released from the meat. This is fine. At this point you should add in your madras powder, ground cumin, fenugreek, mint sauce and the red and green chillies.

3.  Stir thoroughly and ones the mince has been evenly seasoned, you can add the carrots and peas. Turn the heat down low and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

4.  Drizzle over your lemon and lime juice and season with salt and black pepper.

Serve your minty minced lamb with some flavourful boiled basmati rice. I will be sharing the recipe to my perfectly complimentary style of aromatic rice in my next post, so keep an eye out (by following my page on Instagram) and check-in soon.

M.A.C Viva Glam I Lipstick and Brick Lip Pencil

I love lipsticks by MAC Cosmetics, if not solely, for their vanilla scent. They smell seriously delicious. I recently picked up MAC's 'Viva Glam I' lipstick and on their websites recommendation, a lip pencil in the shade 'Brick'.

Viva Glam is a rich, medium-dark, old Hollywood kind of red with some subtle hues of brown, which gives it a muted cool feel. I love this shade so much that I've worn it on multiple occasions already (including the school run with the kids).

Classic Black: Sleek MAC packaging at its finest.

Little Bullet

I've wore this lipstick practically the entire day. Between running errands, coffee breaks, lunch, work and a school run, I only had to reapply once! The light matte feel was reassuring in the sense that I wasn't constantly topping up. Only negative is that, despite its staying power, it can smudge a little if you're not careful. Give me a dark lipstick that doesn't smudge and I'd be eternally happy. Currently on the market for a burgundy lip.

I liked the liner, although I don't know if I'd use it with every application as I think the lipstick lasts well enough on its own. But Brick does compliment Viva Glam I perfectly and they blend well together, so if you were conflicted over what lip liner to choose then, I'd say, Brick is definitely the one.

Viva Glam I is the right shade of 'sultry vamp' meets 'red carpet glamour'. I like the fact that this lipstick gives my look a darker edge than, say, a strikingly bright red. I can wear it during the day with neutral eyes or at night with a more smoky look. It's flexible and allows for you to dress it up or down. Viva Glam I gets a definite recommendation.

My complexion is fair with a slight undertone of yellow and this lipstick suits me just fine. Combined with my long dark hair and some minimal eye make-up, you really can't go wrong.

Old Hollywood Glamour

M.A.C's Viva Glam I Lipstick

The Storm Chronicles Verdict:

Glamorous | Old Hollywood | Vamp | Statement Lips | Day-to-Night Look