Mystery in the Kitchen ...

Today's picture is cute and cheery, something I feel I need today.

Now what are the mysteries of the kitchen, here are a few -

- Why is it when you use the microwave, it doesn't matter we're you place the item in the microwave or how long you microwave it, it always ends up at the back of the turntable .

- How come when you know you ave a certain food item in your pantry/fridge and you construct your meal around it, only to find that it a/ is missing or b/ most of it has been eaten.

When you question the other members of the house no one knows anything about it being eaten.

Mr Nobody strikes again !

- Mr Nobody seems to find a lot of dirty dishes AFTER you have asked for them so that you can a/ set of the dishwasher or b/ wash the dishes.

A bit of a side line he seems to do the same with the clothes washing, when asked for all the dirties to be put in the laundry basket ( now this is for only one member of my house, 2 of us put out dirties in as soon as we take them off. No hints for guessing who the take them off and get them in the basket later is.)

They all appear after the basket has been emptied !

- Why is it that Nigella can have interesting leftovers in her fridge that can be revamped into another meal, yet when I look in my fridge my leftovers usually consist of a cold sausage yuk or bit of pasta.

I never see anything exciting that I can have as a midnight snack or turn into another interesting meal. Lol

- This isn't really a mystery of the kitchen, but it relates to cooking. When asked for meal suggestions you get the reply "anything will do", so you cook anything you get pulled faces and comments like " I really didn't fancy this " it's times like this that I need interesting leftovers .

There are a few mysteries in my kitchen, do you have any others in yours ?

Oh What a Long Weekend

Well we're did the time go since since last Friday. Mr CLI and on the spur of the moment went away overnight to Geelong, on Saturday. We were sitting in our dressing gowns and having a morning cuppa, Miss Fish was in respite, Mr CLI lamented that's it's such nice weather he would love to go for a motorcycle ride.

I suggested if we could find some cheap accommodation in Geelong we could go there and visit friends, then come home the next day.

Well after much searching we finally found a Motel that had a vacancy so we booked it. The Aristocrat in Waurn Ponds.

http://www.aristocratmotel.com.au/

Now you would think that hopping on a motorcycle and leaving would be a quick thing, oh no. Mr CLI had to get the bikes ready, I had to pack, then you have to get all your bike gear on. Think the Michelan Man, but in black.

Then Mr CLI remembered he had left his wallet at work an the bikes needed petrol. Ok I thought simple we will go get petrol at the servo across the road from his work he will then get his wallet and of we would. Simple !

It would have been if he had his credit card in is wallet, so back home we went to get that. So as a consequence of all these comings and goings we didn't get n the road till nearly midday.

After a stop for lunch we finally got to the accommodation at 3.45 pm. Time to unpack have a cuppa then leave again.

On the Sunday Mr CLI decided it would be nice to ride thought the Brisbane ranges then on too Ballarat, where we had lunch at our favorite Chinese Restaurant , the Golden Mountain.

I even thought ahead and got extra for tea that night, clever thinking 99.

After finally getting home late in the afternoon on Sunday, the great bike wash began.

Mr CLI doesn't believe in putting the bikes away without washing the bugs off. So I sat and talked to him while he did that with special washing liquid. To say Mr CLI is fastidious with the bikes is an understatement.

So when I got to Monday I completely forgot that it was a day for a blog, then yesterday I was so busy catching up with the washing that yesterdays blog slipped by as well.

So I hope everyone had a safe and fun long weekend.

Chicken and Ham Pie

I am sorry about the photo I got all excited when the pie was cooked and dished it up before I remembered that I needed a photo.

Now as the mornings are getting much cooler and the nights are getting darker, it is time to turn our thoughts to warming comfort foods again.

This an easy recipe it only requires a bit of chopping, whisking and stirring. You don't even have to make pastry, as it only has a sheet of puff pastry as a lid.

I don't make big pies like this with a pastry base for one reason to much pastry gives Mr CLI heartburn and 2 it is a lot of palaver to get the pastry to be crisp and not soggy. I would rather have no pastry if it is going to have a soggy bottom.

As with many of my recipes you could add vegetables if you wish. If you do I would blanch them first so that they finish cooking by the time the chicken has cooked through.

Also you don't need to add the cream, but as it is such a little amount it doesn't really hurt, but does give the pie filling a creamy texture.

Also the ham doesn't have to be anything special I used leftover ham from making the pizzas the other night some of it was shredded and some was finely sliced honey ham. I wouldn't use a very smoky flavoured ham as the flavour will take over the rest of the filling.

Chicken and Ham Pie
2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1cm pieces, 250 gm ham cut into small pieces, 4 -5 medium button mushrooms, cut in half then thinly sliced, 3 cups chicken stock, 2 tsps dijon mustard, salt and pepper, 2 tbsps finely chopped parsley, 2 tbsps butter, 2 tbsps plain flour, 1 tbsps sherry/brandy/port, 2 tbsps cream

1 -2 sheets puff pastry

To Serve -  Mashed potato.

Filling
Melt the butter in a large frypan whisk in the flour, whisk for 1 minute. Add the alcohol, let most of it evaporate, then add 2 cups of the chicken stock, whisk to form a smooth paste, if very thick add more stock you want the sauce to be thick but not too thick as you will be cooking the chicken in it. Add the mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chicken , parsley and mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium, simmer stirring every couple of minutes till the chicken is cooked. This will take 5 - 8 minutes.

Add the cream and ham, simmer 1-2 minutes.

Taste it may need more salt or pepper, if the sauce gets to thick add a little more stock or boiling water.

Place into you pie dish. Mine was 25 cm wide. Leave to cool before putting on the pastry.



































Pie

Preheat the oven 200,c.

Cover the pie with pastry, cut 3 vent holes in the centre. You can brush with either milk or a little beaten egg. I didn't brush mine with anything and got a very browned and crisp top. Grind over some salt and pepper.

Cook 30 - 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top is crisp and brown.

Serve with mash potato.

Fried Rice

Now this recipe was originally a Kylie Kwong recipe that I have fiddled with and altered over the years.

This is a very versatile recipe you can add anything you like, char siu pork, cooked chicken, steamed vegetables, whatever happens to be handy.

In this one I used 1/2 a red capsicum finely chopped, 1 small carrot grated & 3/4 cup peas.

I always put egg in. This can be added two ways if you wish large pieces of egg, before cooking the fried rice

Egg 1- Heat 2 tbsps of oil in the bottom of the work or frypan add the egg and cook like an omelette, drain on paper towel.

If you wish small pieces all through the rice
Egg 2- After you have added the rice and sauces and the rice has separated and started to heat through, push it to the edges and pour the eggs into the centre, let the eggs to start to cook on the bottom then move them about allowing the remainder of the egg to cook then stir into the rice. This will give you little flecks of egg all through the fried rice.

Also included in this recipe is a tablespoon of finely chopped pickled vegetables. Now these are from another Kylie Kwong recipe Goong Goong's pickles. I made a batch of these pickles many years ago, even though the vegetables colors have faded in the vinegar they stir are sweet and vinegary. I always add these to my fried rice.

http://www.abc.net.au/kyliekwong/recipes/s952107.htm

Fried rice is always best made with cold steamed rice, if you use freshly cooked rice all you will get is a gluggy mess.

Fried Rice
4 cups cooked rice, 3 - 4 eggs beaten together with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 - 2 cups chopped vegetables, 1/2 red onion finely chopped, cooked meat of your choice, 1 tbsp chopped pickled vegetables, 3 tbsps light soy sauce, 2 tbsps oyster sauce, 2 tbsps shao hsing wine

Cook Egg 1 recipe now.

Heat 2 tbsps peanut oil in a wok or large frypan. Add the onion, stir 1 minute, add the remaining vegetables and meat if using. Stirfry fry for 1 - 2 minutes. Then pour the wine around the edges, let sizzle until partially evaporated, add  the rice. Carefully stir the rice, as it heats it will separate, ensure that you keep stirring otherwise the rice will burn.

Cook Egg 2 recipe now.

Once the rice has separated add the soy and oyster sauces and egg if cooked earlier. Stir fry till hot and the egg  has been broken into smaller pieces.

Serve up and enjoy.