Natural Tips to Glow your Skin

Looking beautiful is what every woman desires. A glowing skin is a sign of good health. To get glowing skin below are some tips for you to get started.

1- Drink plenty of water. You need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day if you want to have a beautiful skin complexion.

2- Use a good moisturizer to keep your skin soft.

3- Use facial scrubs about once or twice a week. These scrubs help exfoliate dull looking dead cells to reveal the new layer of glowing skin just below it.

4- Wash your face with facial cleanser regularly and get yourself some anti-aging cream to help prevent pre-mature aging of your skin.

5- Remove make-up before going to sleep. It is important to do or else the skin will dry up and develop wrinkles fast.

6- Avoid being in sun as you may suffer from skin burn. Too much exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can affect the skin.

7- Sleep is another important key to healthy skin. Go to bed early and make sure you get enough sleep every night. At least 8 hours each night is needed to maintain a healthy skin.

Home Remedies for Glowing Skin:

Mash a banana with milk and apply on face and leave it for 20 minutes. Wash it with cold water to get a skin that will glow.

Rub a piece of papaya on your face and neck for 15 minutes.

Mix egg white with honey and apply on the face for 20 minutes. Wash it with cold water.

Make a paste by mixing 2 tablespoon turmeric powder in orange juice. Scrub it on your face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes. Wash it with cold water.

Boil cabbage in water. Wash your face with this water.

BONUS TIP:

Mix 3 teaspoons of baby oil and 2 teaspoons of sugar together. Rub your hands, feet or any body part and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water.

Recipe: Strawberry, Pistachio and Custard Tart/Tartletts

Hey guys. I made this recipe to enter it in an online magazine strawberry recipe competition, and figured i would bring it to the neighbourhood barbeque too. Turns out that when you make it as one large tart (rather than lots of little tarts), it's a little messy to eat, so not really suitable for a fork + paper plate kind of event. As my mum said, it's more of a "spoon dessert" (as in you need a proper bowl and spoon in order to eat i- due to the texture of the creme patisserie). So yeah, i reccomend using little sweet pastry tart cases if you can find them. Anyway, i think that this dish is pretty enough to impress at a dinner party, and the flavour combination of pistachios and strawberres is divine!

Strawberry and Pistachio Custard Tart/ Tartlets (serves 8-12)

Crème Patisserie
300ml whole milk
1tsp vanilla bean extract
4 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
25g flour
25g cornstarch

Tart
1 large pre-made sweet pastry case, or 12 smaller ones.
About 12 Strawberries, sliced thinly
Handful of chopped pistachios

1. For the custard, In a bowl mix the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract together. Sieve the flour and cornstarch together into the egg mixture, and mix well.
2. In a saucepan heat the milk until just before the boiling point. Pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until everything is well mixed. Transfer this mixture into a bowl placed upon a pan of boiling water. Stir until the mixture has thickened as much as to “coat the back of the spoon” (takes about 5 minutes).
3. If needed, pass custard through a sieve to get red of lumps. Allow to cool.
4. Spoon the thick custard into the tart case/ cases, arrange the sliced strawberries on top, sprinkle with chopped pistachios, and serve!

Competition: "Haute Cuisine Love Marmite" Recipe Competition

Yes, another one of these competitions! I do think that these competitions where you have to vote for your favourite dishes are slightly flawed. Because when the competition is based purely on numbers, it isn't about how good the dish or the picture or the recipe is, it's just about how many people you know that can be bothered to vote for you. Anyway, so this is a new competition Marmite have started (i think you might have seen the adverts of TV perhaps, with the cartoon Frog and Snail chatting about food?) in order to display interesting ways of using marmite in recipes- not just spreading it on toast!

I think i agree with them really, Marmite is actually quite a versatile food stuff. It's very good to make something "more savoury"- like with onions and sausages and things (The sites "featured recipe" is sausage, onion and marmite butties. People can make this, take a nice picture, and enter into the competition. You like, have a choice between making your own recipe or their featured one). It's also good at making vegetarian dishes somehow taste a bit "meaty", or to enrich stews and casseroles.

I have entered a Venison, Red Wine, and Marmite casserole recipe, and at the moment it has only got a few votes, and it would be fabulous if a few of you could up the stakes a bit! If you could go onto this link, (you have to "Like" marmite on facebook in order to vote) and vote for my recipe, that would be brilliant, thanks very much.

Wish me luck!!

Recipe: Pea and Broad Bean Dip

I brought this dip to the annual neighbourhood barbeque and it got snapped right up- it had all gone in the first half an hour! Got lots of compliments too- and i'm not surprised really, it uses such simple fresh ingredients and classic flavour combinations, it was bound to be a hit. I also like how vibrant this is- the bright green colour really makes it stand out against other dishes. You can of course use fresh peas instead of frozen- you just have to add a couple more minutes to the cooking time.

Pea and Broad Bean Dip

200g Frozen peas
180g Fresh Broad Beans
1 tbsp olive oil
½ white onion, diced finely
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 tsp lemon juice
Handful fresh mint, finely chopped (plus a few extra leaves for garnish)
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
40g feta, crumbled

1. Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain, refresh under cold water, remove the outer skins (“pod” them), and set aside.
2. Cook the peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, refresh under cold water, and set aside. Sautee the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes on a medium heat until softened.
3. In a food processor, blend the peas, broad beans and cooked onions with all the other ingredients (except the feta cheese) until smooth. Season to taste.
4. Spoon into a bowl, top with feta cheese, a few extra mint leaves, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and serve!

Recipe: Pork Goulash

Many attempts have been made over this dish but i think i've finally perfected it! Goulash is a wonderfully warming European treat- originally Hungarian but very popular in the colder countries of Eastern Europe. Me and Nick had some fantastic goulashes when we went to Prague last year and i've been trying to pinpoint a good recipe of it ever since. It's warming, it's meaty, but its also got a strong tomato flavour, as well as the most important element- the sweet fragrant taste you get from carraway seeds. I would say that without carraway seeds you can't make a traditional goulash, it's what sets it apart from different stews and casseroles. This dish is also very nice made with beef, but pork is the more traditionally used meat.

Pork Goulash (serves 3-4)

2 tbsp olive oil
450g diced pork leg, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
400g diced fresh tomatoes
1 red pepper, diced
2 large carrots, diced
500ml beef stock
1 tsp marmite
10g caraway seeds
3g cumin seeds
¼ tsp hot smoked paprika
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp sugar
1 rounded tsp cornflour, mixed with a little water.
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley and soured cream for garnish

1. Toast the cumin and caraway seeds in a hot pan until smoking and browned (not burnt!), and blend in a spice or coffee grinder until fairly fine. Set aside.
2. Fry the diced pork in the olive oil in a large saucepan until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic and fry for a further five minutes.
3. Preheat the (fan) oven to 180C. Add all the other ingredients (including the reserved ground spices) to the pork and cook on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish, cover, and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove, add cornflour, stir in, and cook for a further hour.
4. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley, and serve with some soured cream and some chunks of crusty bread or a big pile of creamy mashed potato!

OILY SKIN CARE

OILY SKIN CARE

Face is one of the most sensitive parts of human being, and face is the center of attraction of every one. Thus, people have to pay special attention to their face and skin. When it comes to skin, oily skin is one of the major issue in most youth.

Oily skin is more likely to bring blackheads, skin shine, pimples, zits, rough pores, and other embarrassing blemishes.

On the other hand, If you have oily skin, you’re really lucky. The signs of aging will not show on your face as soon as they will on dry and normal skin. This is because the oil works to keep precious moisture locked in the outermost layer of skin regions. However, the care of oily skin can be a frustrating problem.

Remember, there is no way to completely prevent oily skin from occurring, but hopefully these tips will help keep the oil and acne under control:


Tips for Oily Skin:

Wash your face as many times as you can in a day.

Wash your face with hot water. It dissolves oil more effectively than cool or lukewarm water.

Choose the right cleanser: Whether you prefer bar soap or liquid cleansers, avoid products that have added moisturizers. Instead, you can use cleansers formulated specifically for oily skin.
 

Avoid eating fried and cheesy food.

Rub your face with ice-cubes and you can also try ice water mixed with lime juice and wash the face with this mixture.

Watch your diet. Eat less chocolate or sweets and reduce the use of fish and iodized salt.

Use clay masks or mud masks, it reduces greasiness and help tone your skin and draw out impurities.





Apply a mixture of rosewater, lemon juice and multani mitti on your face and after it gets dry remove or wash it off.

Grape seed oil is an excellent base oil, which is great for oily skin.

Apply on your face a mixture of cucumber juice and lemon juice mixed in the same proportion.

Take a piece of tomato and rub it on your face for removing blackheads.





Egg-white masks are said to firm the skin and soak up oil. Mix one teaspoon of honey with an egg white and stir well. Then add just enough flour to make a paste. Apply the mask to your face, avoiding the eye area. Let it dry for about ten minutes, then wash it off with warm water.

Use water-based, non-comedogenic cosmetics.

Use more glycerin-based soaps.

Use Deep Cleanser or Almond Cleansing Milk.

Throughout the day, powder your face with loose face powder, which will blot up excess oil. Don’t use pressed powder, it contains oil and it may foster blemishes or make existing acne worse.

Always remove your makeup before going to bed, but avoid cold creams and lotions, which may leave a greasy film on your skin.

Leg Care

Every year billions of dollars are spent on expensive creams, lotions, ointments and gels in an attempt to get perfect skin and beautiful legs. BUT, this all can be done easily at home by using home products and following few simple tips.

MAKE LEGS SMOOTH and SOFT:

Take hot water in a tub. Put one big spoon baking soda & one small spoon bath oil in it. Dip your legs for 15 minutes in this water, so that hard skin & corns become soft. Take your legs out of water and throw the water away.
 

Now take out the dead skin with the help of skin filer. Mostly the dead skin is on the heel & on the spherical bone. Pumic stone can also be used to remove the dead skin.
 

Now apply moisturiser in legs & massage them properly. After so much cleansing, legs will soke the moisturising lotion easily & the skin of that area will not become hard easily. This moistness will make the skin of legs soft & smooth.

ALMOND OIL:

Massage almond oil into your legs everyday after a shower as a natural moisturizer. Almond oil not only deeply moisturizes your skin, but can work to relieve pain and reduce the swelling of tired legs and feet.

Recipe: Broad Bean and Courgette Bulghur Salad

Keep getting loads of broad beans from Riverford! You'll be expecting another broad bean creation as my next entry actually. Its a veg that I do really like, but I dont tend to actually go out and buy. This is a nice, tasty, healthy and fresh tasting dish- not made with my own courgettes yet, they arent doing so well this year. Only got two plants (3rd one got devoured by slugs!) this time and it's being a bit slower producing nice big juicy fruits! You can boil the broad beans seperately if you want to peel their skins off- but i don't mind the skins. If you get nice fresh broad beans and you dont overcook them their skins never get tough really.

Broad Bean and Courgette Bulghur Salad (serves 4)

110g bulghur wheat
200ml hot vegetable stock (or chicken, depending on whether you want it vegetarian)
250g fresh broad beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 courgette, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Big handful mint, finely chopped (plus extra leaves for garnish)
100g Feta Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the bulghur wheat in the vegetable stock for 15 minutes, or until the wheat has soaked up all the liquid and is cooked. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking add the broad beans. Pour broad bean and bulghur mixture into a bowl and set aside.
2. In another pan, fry the red onions for about 5 minutes in the olive oil, until softened, then add to the bulghur mixture. To the same pan add the courgettes and fry for a further 5 minutes, until beginning to brown, then add to the bulghur mixture.
3. Mix in the extra virgin olive oil and fresh mint into the bulghur salad. Season to taste, crumble feta over the top, garnish with a few extra torn mint leaves, and serve!

Recipe: Aloo Sag Pie

This makes rather a lot but it is darn tasty! Our family started getting those Riverford seasonal vegetable boxes again, and I had a load of spinach, spring onions, and some tomatoes left- so I came up with this! Thats one of the things I like about these weekly veg boxes- they make me be a bit more creative with the vegetables that I have. The pie filling is rather nice by itself just as a curry really- but you know me, I like sticking things into pastry! I have served this with a cucumber raita- just some natural yoghurt mixed with grated cucumber, fresh coriander, and a little cumin. It works as a sauce essentially, and stops the dish from being too dry.

Aloo Saag Pies (makes two large pies, serves 8)

1250g potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3cm cubes)
2 tbsp olive oil
8 spring onions, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp crushed ginger
3 tbsp Pataks Korma Curry Paste
100g diced ripe tomato
300g roughly chopped true spinach (or baby spinach)
2 large sheets ready rolled puff pastry
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg (for egg wash)- optional

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add a bit of salt and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. In a large frying pan sauté the spring onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and chilli flakes, and cook for a further two minutes.
3. Add the crushed ginger, curry paste, and diced tomato, and cook for two minutes. Begin to gradually add the spinach, adding more as it continues to wilt. Cooking all the spinach until it wilts and is well combined with the rest of the ingredients usually takes about 10 minutes.
4. Take the spinach mixture off the heat and mix in the potatoes. You want to mash the potatoes a little, but you still want a few chunks of potato here and there. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Lay out the two sheets of puff pastry onto separate baking trays that have been lined with greaseproof paper. Pour half of the mixture onto each pastry sheet, fold the pastry over the topping, and crimp at the edges to seal.
6. Brush with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve with a cooling cucumber raita!

Recipe: Mel's Chicken Caeser Salad

This is Caeser salad done the way i like it! I use full fat greek yoghurt instead of mayonnaise- not for any health reasons really, just because I don't like mayo atall and i think you get a better flavour from yoghurt. Sometimes I use chicken breasts with the skin on too- if so, I sear the skin side of the breast in a frying pan before chucking in the oven. Oh, and I know traditionally Caeser salad has anchovies in it, but I can't stand the horrible little things! Used up some home-grown lettuce in this too, a variety called "Buttercrisp". It's kinda like kos or romaine though. Got loads of salad/ lambs lettuce to use- theyve all bolted suddenly all at the same time!

Mel’s Chicken Caeser Salad (serves 2)

The Chicken
2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper

The Croutons
1 thick slice white bread, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
Cracked black pepper.

Salad
100g full fat Greek yoghurt
20g finely grated parmesan
15g wholegrain mustard
5 ml Worchester sauce
15ml white wine vinegar
1 crushed garlic clove
15ml extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sugar, and cracked black pepper
250g torn Kos/Romaine style lettuce
Optional extras: sliced tomato, crispy bacon, anchovies, olives etc.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. In a baking dish roast the chicken in the oven with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
2. On a baking tray toss together the diced bread, olive oil, oregano and black pepper (you don’t need any salt in the croutons or the dressing, because the parmesan is salty enough for the entire dish). Bake in the same oven for about 5 minutes, until golden and crispy.
3. Mix together all of the salad ingredients well (except the lettuce), and season to taste. Mix the lettuce into the dressing ingredients. Evenly put the salad mixture onto two plates, top with croutons and the cooked chicken breasts, sliced. Add any extras you wish, and serve!

Herbal Foot Care

HERBAL FOOT CARE

A beautiful and healthy feet is true reflection of your personality. Feet are the part of the body that speaks volumes on a person’s personality.

In the complete human body feet are the mist strained and worked out part, but inspite of this are the most neglected one also. Lack of proper care for feet result in many problems like corns and bunions, cracks, infections and ingrown nails.

You have to regularly take care of your feet. Massaging the feet each night with oil is relaxing and keeps them soft and supple.


Herbal Tips:

Walking barefoot on rough surfaces or excessive exposure of bare feet to the sun, wind or water causes cracks on the heels and soles, which cause dryness and roughness of the feet.

For smelly feet, an alternate day soak in warm water mixed with lavender oil and a pinch of salt, works wonders. It is a nerve relaxant as well.

A few drops of vinegar, mixed with 50 grams of curd, when rubbed thoroughly on heels, between toes and all over the feet, then left to stay for 10 minutes; will cleanse the feet well, removing all dead cells, when washed off.

Use cornstarch as a foot powder to help absorb moisture and reduce friction. Add some ground lavender flowers or orris root powder for scent, if you like.
 

Use a pumice stone on your heels after a footbath to remove dry, dead skin. Wet and rub in a circular motion.
 

Give yourself an occasional foot and hand massage, using herbal massage oils, very relaxing and softening at the same time.
 

Make sure your nails are perfectly dry before applying polish, or you'll promote fungus.

To soften rough feet, try this regimen every night before going to bed, for two weeks. Dip the feet in warm water containing a teaspoon of (preferably herbal) shampoo and one teaspoon of baking powder. Let them soak for 10- 15 minutes, before drying them. Apply a foot cream and then go to sleep.

A mixture of glycerine and rose water applied every night before bedtime helps keep feet soft and glowing, especially the heels.
 

Almond oil massaged onto feet before bedtime keeps cracks and dry skin at bay, especially during winters.
 

Application of Aloe Vera gel on your feet daily will keep them well moisturised and free of diseases like athlete’s foot.

Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon of mango tree sap and 1 tablespoon water to the cracked skin.

Wash and dry feet daily. Remove dead skin cells by gently scrubbing corns, calluses and heels with a pumice stone.

 

A easy pedicure which is fast and effective can be done easily at home. It is herbal and natural and fast acting. Add a few (four to five) drops of vinegar to four or five table spoons (40-50 grams) of curd and mix well in a dish. Rub this mixture well on the feet, ankles, heels and the soles of the feet especially between the toes.

Recipe: Lamb and Courgette kebabs, with Red onion and Walnut Couscous

Well I told you i'd be writing up less recipes up on here- and I was dead right! I told the guys at Cosy Club that I was happy to do anything from 15-40 hours (see- nice and flexible!), and this week i've done over 45, and i'm pretty sure i might be doing the same next week. I mean, i am very much thinking about all the money at this point, which is why i am battling with myself whether i should moan about it really. On one hand the more money= the better, and even on 30 hours a week i'll have more than enough, but on the other hand....its LOTS OF MONEYYYYY. But yeah this is killing me man, full-time chef-ing again. I don't know when my next full day off is- last one was last friday and there aint a free in sight yet.....

Anyway only a few months more Mel, stick with it! Last time I had an evening free to myself, I cooked this dish for me and my boyfriend and we both loved it- very tasty and barely takes any time to prepare. The marinade for the lamb can also be used with bigger cuts of lamb to be slowcooked too- the flavours work particularly well with this type of meat. It isnt in the recipe, but I served this with a herby yoghurt- nom!

Lamb, courgette and red onion kebabs, with zesty cous cous

For the Kebabs
250g lamb leg steaks, cut into bitesize chunks
1 lemon (zest set aside for the couscous, ½ juiced for the marinade)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp dried mint
1.5 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp paprika
Seasoning
1 medium sized courgette, sliced

For the Cous cous

2 tbsp olive oil
½ red onion, sliced
2 clove garlic
1 tsp sugar
40g walnuts, chopped
130g couscous
200ml hot vegetable stock
Handful coriander stems and leaves chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra coriander for garnish

1. Place the lamb in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, mint, rosemary, paprika and seasoning. Mix together, and leave in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Heat up a fan oven to 220C. Thread the marinated lamb and courgette onto the four skewers. Put onto Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, put the couscous, lemon zest, walnuts, and coriander into a bowl. Add the vegetable stock and cover for about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a saucepan fry the onion, garlic and sugar in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Mix into the couscous, fluff up with a fork and season to taste.
5. Remove the skewers from the oven, pour over any juices leftover in the tray and serve with the cous cous and some more fresh chopped coriander.

Tips for Hands Care

HANDS CARE

Hands tells everything about yourself, how you take care of your body.

Hands are the first part of the body to show your age and need quiet a lot of pampering and care to keep off wrinkles and keep them looking young, soft and beautiful.

TIPS:

The skin on your hand is thin and delicate, therefore take special care of them.

Do not let the skin on hands dry and moisturize them often to keep off the wrinkles.

Wear gloves every time you wash dishes or handwash clothing. Use it while you do gardening as well.

Put lotion on your hands after you wash them every time to keep mosturized.

Sun exposure damage skin so use sunscreen lotion on hands before heading out.

 

Use a mild pH soap like Dove when washing your hand.

Use hand cream often, it protects your hands.

Get manicure done often that practice good sanitation.  

Warm hands are key to better skin and good health. Cold hands often lead to colds and flu infections.

Mix glycerin, lemon juice and a few drops of rose water and use it to massage your hands every other day.

FOR DRY HANDS:

For dry hands after washing your hands with soap, wet them again. Pour salt on your hands and then scrub them under water. Dry hands and apply moisturizer on them.

Lip Care

LIP CARE

Everyone wants to look good, and to look good you need to take care of yourself from Tip to Toe.

Lip Care is one of those and being the most sensitive part of the body, Lips need more attention.

TIPS:

Drink plenty of water to keep your lips moisturized.

Always apply a natural lip balm to protect your lips.

Apply a thin coat of natural balm on your lips before applying lipsticks.

Try not to lick your lips or remove the skin with your fingers. It irritates the skin, and slows down any efforts we invest in lip care.

Remove your lipstick before going to bed using a herbal cleanser.

Make sure you take vitamin supplements. Often, cracks in the corner of the mouth indicate a deficiency of Vitamin B2.

Grind rose petals to a smooth paste and mix it with fresh cream and apply. It cures dry or chapped lips.

Massage with chilled milk cream and wash it off after 1 hour.

Massage your lips with a little glycerin mixed with a little rose water for soft lips.

Apply honey and wash it off after 15 minutes to cure chapped lips.

Honey mixed with a little lemon juice helps to lighten dark lips. 

Soak 2-3 almonds overnight. In the morning, peel its skin and grind it to smooth paste. Add a little fresh cream and 2-3 drops of lemon juice to it and apply it regularly to cure dark lips. 

Mix Olive Oil, Sugar, and Honey. Take your finger and spread on lips. This mixture makes them super soft.

    

Recipe: Chicken and Red Wine Casserole

Ugh. Feel a bit down in the dumps since Glastonbury. Yeah, it was fun and everything, i had a lovely time- but I didn't have as much fun as other years i've done. I think it's because it was all so rushed- I didn't get down there to the Babylon Bandstand by 6pm on the friday! Cause I had my last exam on the friday morning. It was literally 3 hour exam, train, bus, GLASTO! I just felt like I hadn't been down there long enough- in 2013 i'm literally not bothering to go unless i can get down there earlier. So, like usual, i drink, smoke and eat far too much on my "festival holiday", and I am always in need of a bit of a detox afterwards. This is a really really healthy dish, really nutritious- full of lean protein and vitamin rich vegetables. I just eat it by itself to be honest, it's tasty and filling enough to not need much else!

Chicken and Red Wine Casserole (serves 4)

500g chicken breasts (3-4 depending on size), diced and seasoned
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and roughly diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
200ml red wine
200ml vegetable stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper, roasted and diced
80g nice green olives, halved
1 tsp dried rosemary
Salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar
Handful of chopped parsley (for garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. In a saucepan cook the seasoned diced chicken on a high heat for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Set aside.
2. Into the same saucepan, add the extra virgin olive oil, onion, celery and carrots, and cook covered on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook uncovered for 10 minutes (to allow the alcohol to evaporate). Add all the other ingredients (except the fresh parsley) and the reserved chicken, and stir to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, cover, and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, garnish with the freshly chopped parsley, and serve!