Chicken and Cheese - Perfect Pairing- I call it Chicken Deluxe

Once again devising a menu from the fridge and pantry
I had read about Chicken coated in a Mayo and cheese mix.
It really worked ...so tender and juicy and plenty of flavour
You couldn’t get anything easier
I thought I would call this Chicken Deluxe
It was pretty delicious, well deserving of the flash name

On the side, Roast Potato Cubes and Greens a la Gilli Style, always popular with the kids
This amount will feed 6 people out in our case 5 with leftovers

You will need
A mix of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs
For this amount of sauce, I had 3 breasts and 4 thighs
1 cup mayonnaise (for a healthier option, use plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayo)
1/2 cup Parmesan  or Pecorino cheese
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs toasted in a little butter

A potato per person peeled and and cut into cubes
Olive oil and salt and pepper

Handful of Green beans, a head Broccoli and 1 courgette turned into noodles
Olive oil,
Zest of lemon
2 cloves garlic chopped with sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
For the Chicken
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise (or yogurt if substituting), cheese, garlic, lemon zest and the seasonings.
Oil a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, lay it out in the baking dish
Spread the mixture on top of each of the chicken breasts.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the chicken

Place chicken into a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven,
200C for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
Rest for about 12 minutes
Serve warm or room temperature

The Potatoes
Bring the cubes to the boil from cold salted water
simmer about 5 minutes
Drain well
Toss in some olive oil
Roast at 200C for about 4 minutes
then add the chicken to oven and complete the cooking for another 30 minutes

Turn potatoes out in a colander lined with paper towels season with sea salt

For the Greens
Blanch the green beans in boiling water about 2 minutes. drain and set aside
In the same water add the broccoli, blanch for about 4 minutes
Drain and set aside

In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauté the garlic lightly…don’t brown
Grate in the zest of the lemon

Add the Zucchini Noodles toss well
Season with a little salt and pepper
Add Green beans and Broccoli
Toss around and sauté for about 3-4 minutes
To serve
Slice the Chicken, spoon over juice from the pan
and decorate with potatoes and green vege
Food fit for a King

Coconut Chicken Curry

When I first made this curry, I used Curry Powder, but this week I used a Curry Paste
I think it was a more exciting flavour
Also I rubbed the chicken thighs with the paste and roasted them
Then pulled the meat apart. Great flavour on the chicken
But if you follow the recipe below It becomes a very quick curry
A Curry in a Hurry in fact.
Very popular with the kids and the Adults
I found this recipe on the Epicurious Site
This feeds six

1 medium onion roughly chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 kilo chicken boneless, skinless  thighs chopped
2 Sachets of Asian Gourmet Curry Paste… the Vietnamese Flavour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons virgin coconut or vegetable oil (plus 2 teaspoons; optional)

2 x 400 ml cans coconut milk (preferably full-fat)
1 (2 1/2") piece ginger, peeled and rough chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow and/or black mustard seeds (optional)
1 packet baby spinach
Cilantro leaves with tender stems and cooked rice or naan (Indian flatbread; for serving)



Toss chicken with curry paste, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet (at least 12" in diameter) over medium-high.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
add 1 sachet of curry paste, stir

and cook for another couple of minutes remove and set aside
Add more oil and saute chicken till brown
You may need to do it in batches

Meanwhile Purée coconut milk, ginger, and garlic in a blender until very smooth.

Add coconut milk mixture and cooked onion to the chicken in the pan

and cook, tossing occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened, 7-10 minutes.
Add spinach to pan sprinkle with salt and pepper

and blend in till spinach is wilted. about a minute or two

Meanwhile, if using, heat 2 tsp. oil in a small skillet over medium.
Add cashews and mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2–3 minutes.

 Immediately transfer nut mixture including the oil to a small bowl.

Serve the Curry over rice
Garnish with Cashews, Coriander and Red Pepper

 Delicious, Pretty and So so simple

Easy Butter Chicken

I have never made Butter Chicken. 

Last week my Granddaughter requested it for dinner

so I Surfed the Net and found quite a few recipes, naturally

I decided to use the BBC Good Food idea, 

with a couple of changes, to suit what I had in the cupboard

It was very popular, with the kids…Second and third helpings in fact

I didn’t add chilli as I was cooking for kids, but if you feel the need…

Finely chop and saute a red chilli with the garlic and ginger

If you want greens I suggest some wilted spinach on the side

Cooks hint

Don’t forget when you wilt the spinach, sauté  in a little butter with garlic, seasoned 

with S & P

Spinach really needs that extra touch

So back to the Butter Chicken 

You will need

25 gms Butter

1 red onion chopped

Sea Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper

3 tablespoons Butter Chicken Curry Paste

3 large chicken Breasts cut into pieces

1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon Rice Bran oil

3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

2 whole tomatoes chopped

Sea salt and freshly Grated Black pepper

500g Passata or 1 400 gms can chopped tomatoes blitzed

100 mls double cream

Handful coriander chopped, stems and leaves 

Cooked Rice to serve

Marinate the chicken piece in the curry paste, for at least an hour

Then when ready 

Heat butter in a large pan, 

Over medium heat, add onion, season with salt and pepper and sauté till softened

Meanwhile in another pan over high heat

Add More butter and a tablespoon of Rice Bran oil

Brown chicken pieces

Don’t crowd the pan so you will need to cook in batches

You will also need to add more cooking fat as you go

Add to onion mix

Add another tablespoon of butter

Add garlic, ginger and chopped fresh tomatoes

Season with S & P

Saute till soft

Add to chicken and onion

 Add the Passata/Canned Tomatoes

Stir and bring to a simmer

Simmer gently, uncovered for about 20 minutes, till chicken is tender

Taste and adjust season if needed 

Just before serving add cream and chopped coriander

Serve over cooked rice 

With a leaf or two of coriander for presentation

It was suggested that you add 2 tablespoons Cashew Butter with the cream

I didn't have any but it sounds like a tasty idea

And as usual the youngest Members of the Family don't give a damn

Beef and Noodle Salad - Vietnamese Style

We have a new BBQ and already it has been well used
A beautiful piece of Scotch Filet was cooked up in the weekend and of course
there were leftovers
Also we have the garden
In fact to prove how fresh our cabbage is
It still has little slugs living in it

In amongst that Wilderness, there are loads of Cabbages and Kale

To be honest, I’m not that wrapped in Kale but it amazing what butter and garlic will do
I digress
So back to the Beef. 
We had mint, coriander  and chilies in the Fridge
A Vietnamese Beef Salad came to mind
What I love about this style of salads is the flavour, the freshness the crispness
All the food groups almost

If you wish to start from Fresh
This will feed 4-5

600 gms scotch Filet
A little oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper

Dressing
3 spring onions chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
6 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons soft brown sugar. I used coconut sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grated ginger

Rice or wheat noodle 50 gms per person

Cook  noodles according to manufacturers instruction
Drain, run under cold water and set aside
At this stage with kitchen scissors, cut the noodle into pieces easy to pick up

Salad
2 carrots grated
1/2 small cabbage
1/2 telegraph cucumber de-seeded and finely sliced
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 red pepper sliced
Handful of coriander leaves roughly chopped
Handful mint Leaves roughly chopped

Rub beef with a little oil and season well with salt and pepper
Cook to desired doneness
Preferably rare (not blue )
Slice across the grain and set aside
To make dressing
Place all ingredients in a jar with a screw top lid
Shake well


To Assemble
Place all vege into a large bowl
Place cooked and drained noodles on top
Then the beef
Drizzle the dressing over

Then get your hands in and toss it all well
That's the fun bit

Done
Serve
Just what the Doctor ordered...Fresh, Crisp, Delicious

Miss Cleo's Favourite Waffles

This weekend the Family bought a Waffle Iron. 
One member of the Family is mad on them
Our Miss Cleo of Course

Cleo’s Best Waffle Mixture

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 Cup (76 gms) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar
Warm milk with butter to just melt it

Pre heat waffle iron

In another bowl beat the eggs, stir in milk and butter
Add vanilla
Pour this milk mixture into dry ingredients

Stir well till combined

Ladle the batter into preheated waffle iron
Cook waffles until golden and crisp

Personally I just like butter on them
But Miss Cleo loves that cream and maple syrup
Maybe its a kid thing?
Finished product excellent

 We found this recipe of the allrecipes website

Savoury Muffins

 A morning tea Treat 
Savoury Muffins

 We are having a Garage Sale today

I’m not really good on the selling bit, so I am in the kitchen
Now…I’m good at that
The family needs to be fed.
Some Savoury Muffins seemed to fit the bill
Because of few food issues in the house… these are dairy free
BUT I just had to have a dob of butter on them to consume
Nothing really replaces it, I'm afraid, Dairy Issues or not

So you need
For the Batter
1 ½ cups  Self Raising Flour
4 eggs
½ cup (125ml) water
¼ cup (60ml) oil of your choice, I used Rice Bran
I tbs chopped basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Plus
I tablespoon oil
I red onion peeled and chopped
3 rashers bacon chopped
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced)
Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tray

Chop Bacon and Onion and
Season with a little Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Sauté till soft in oil

Place in a sieve to drain off any excess oil

 In a large bowl combine flour, water, oil and eggs,
Mix well until all ingredients are well combined

Fold in Savoury filling into the batter.
Spoon the mixture into muffin tray

and set to bake for 20-25 minutes.
Check after 20 minutes
Mine took 25
Then
Rest for 5 minutes in tray and cool on a wire rack,
Serve warm

Went down a real treat

Lamb and Beer Curry

I found this excellent curry recipe in the goodtoknow.co.uk website
This recipe called for potatoes but one member of the family, is not eating food from the nightshade family for a month or so, therefore I used sweet potato (kumara) instead
It worked well
Pretty too
Perfect for a winter night

2 tablespoons rice bran oil
1 red onion, sliced
2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh turmeric
1 red chili, finely sliced
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tbs finely chopped lemon grass, outer Leaves removed
2 tbsp red curry paste
700g  lamb leg, no bone, cut into 4 cm chunks
125g  plain yoghurt
330ml bottle of 8% ale
3 potatoes, or sweet potatoes peeled and each cut into six pieces
1 large handful fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
16 sugar snap peas, topped and tailed
16 green beans, topped and tailed

Heat the oven to 170°C
Blanch the prepared peas and beans, in boiling salted water, for just a minute
Drain and set aside
Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly caramelized. 

Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and chili and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Stir in the cardamom seeds and lemongrass powder and cook for a few minutes more.
Stir in the curry paste and cook until fragrant,
then add the lamb pieces and stir well to thoroughly coat all the lamb with the paste.

Stir in the yoghurt, bring to a simmer,
then add the beer, stirring well to combine.
Bring back to a simmer.
Put the lid on the dish, place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.




Meanwhile, toss sweet potato with 1 tbs red curry paste and 1 tbs rice bran oil
And roast for 20 minutes
Toss with 2 tbs coriander

and add to casserole
Then back into oven for another 30- 40 minutes lid on

the meat should be quite tender by now.
Add the sugar snap peas and beans and bake, still covered, for a final 5 minutes. 

Stir the remaining coriander through just before serving.