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Oriental Canteen
September 27 | Comments (0)
Oriental Canteen
2a Exhibition Road, South Kensington , London, SW7 2HF
Google Map
Telephone: 0871 0757907
My wife and I have been going past this place almost every weekend for the last 6 years. In the spirit of trying new places, we decided to give it a try this past Saturday on our way to the Da Vinci exhibit at the V&A. It's always busy and now we know its because of the food rather than its location. The food is simple, piping hot and tasty. There is lots to choose from but not so much that you can't decide. We both had the pork/duck with rice and weren't disapointed. The best bit is that we're both full for £10.
The service was quick and friendly. I'll definately be going back.
Goats cheese and salsa
September 21 | Comments (0)
The sun is still out, and the weather is still warm...so it's not time to pull out the autumn dishes quite yet.
French bread (sliced)
2 rounds of goats cheese
For the salsa:
2 tomato (diced)
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1/2 white onion (chopped)
Basil (add a fist full)
Dash of pepper
Dash of salt
Sprinkle of lemon juice
Mix up all the ingredients for the salsa and let it sit while you prepare the other bits. Heat your oven to gas mark 6, or about 200C. Put the goats cheese rounds on a roasting tray and place in the oven...keep a close eye on them and cook them until the inside is gooey and the outside is still holding firm. While the goats cheese is cooking, slice some of the french bread and toast it. (I do mine under the grill, it somehow tastes better.)
As in the picture, place two pieces of toast on a plate, place the goats cheese on top and cut it open. Add the salsa and serve.
Peaches, Plums and Chicken
September 18 | Comments (0)
Another hotpot favourite, get a nice french loaf to serve it with. A great way to use the fruits of summer, if you don't have peaches and plums available...pears and apples taste just as good. I wanted to try removing the fruits and chicken and reducing the sauce to a syrup...but I didn't have time unfortunately. Next time.
4 chicken legs
1 cup white wine
4 peaches (halved stones removed)
4 plums (halved stones removed)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 cup water
Olive oil
4 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon tumeric
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon pepper
1 pinch chili powder
Pre-Heat your oven to 200C (Gas 7or 8).Heat a little olive oil in an oven proof frying pan or pot, and place your chicken skin side down in the pan once the oil is hot. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken, add the onions and garlic and sweat them down. Add in the chicken and put in the white wine to burn off the alcohol. Add in the rest of the ingredients and a 1/2 cup of water. Place in the oven, uncovered for 25 mins (or until the chicken is cooked through), remove from heat and serve.
Lime & Garlic Prawns
September 11 | Comments (0)
1 lime (zest)
2 cloves of garlic
1 pack of prawns (pre-cooked)
1 Chilly
Olive oil
Heat a frying pan and drizzle in some olive oil. Blitz the lime zest, garlic and chilly. When the oil is hot add the lime, garlic and chilly mixture to the pan fry for a few minutes and then add the prawns....fry until they are heated through. Simple and quick. Makes a great starter.
Spaghetti squash
September 4 | Comments (0)
In North America spaghetti squash is really easy to find, here in the UK it's nearly impossible. Imagine my delight when our local waitrose began stocking this amazingly tasty but difficult to find squash. It's really easy to make and is a great substitute for spaghetti if you're on a diet and not allowed to have carbs. Personally I like it plain, with a little butter!
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise...and remove the seeds (like you would a pumpkin). Place on a roasting tray, middle up and bake it in the oven for 30-40mins at 400C or gas mark 6. When it's ready the squash will be soft (but not mushy). Use a fork to scrape out the inside of the squash, the strands will come out easily if you've cooked it properly. Add a little butter and serve. You can also add a tomato sauce.
Balsamic Lamb
September 4 | Comments (0)
Another great summer dish. Not one of my better photos though...it's becoming more difficult with the light fading fast in the evenings.
6 lamb chops
3 cloves of garlic
3 stalks of rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients (except the chops) into a blender and blend until very smooth. Then put the liquid and the chops inside a zip-lock baggy to marinade for a few hours. Grill or pan fry to desired pinkness.