Chicken & Sundried Tomato Fettuchini

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend , we early managed to get thru it without any rain. We are so sick of rain, this has been the longest Winter.

 

Miss Fish was trying to think of something for tea on Sunday and pulled out my Women's Weekly cookbook that dates back the ahmm 1970's. Flicking thru the pasta recipes gave me the idea for this meal.

In the back of the pantry I found a packet of organic black pepper Fettuchini that I bought on one of our trips to Adelaide. Now why I keep these delicacies I don't know but I thought it would be a good time to use it.

 

This recipe is quite simple while the pasta is cooking , you make the sauce. Mine took nearly 15 minutes because it was quite thick handmade pasta, if your pasta takes less time to cook start the sauce first, then drain the pasta add it to the cooking sauce, toss together then dish up with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

This is enough for 4 generous serves.

Chicken & Sundried Tomato Fettuchini

2 large skinless chicken fillets, cut into 2 cm cubes, 3 heaped tbsps tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, about 20 semi sun dried tomatoes chopped into 1 cm pieces, 1/2 red onion very finely diced, 1 cup water, 2 tbsps fresh or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 2 large handfuls baby spinach and/or roquette, 3 tbsps cream, 3 tbsps olive oil, 375 grams dried pasta

In a large saucepan bring sufficient water to the boil to cook the pasta. If your pasta takes 10 - 15 minutes, start cooking then start the sauce.

In a large frypan heat the oil then add the onion & chicken, cook stirring occasionally till the chicken starts to get golden. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute.

Push the chicken to the edges add the tomato paste to the centre, cook for 1 minute then stir into the chicken mixture. Add the water, sugar, pepper & dried basil. Stir let simmer 5 - 7 minutes or until the chicken has cooked. If the sauce has got too thick add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to thin it down.

When the pasta is cooked, drain. Add the cream, spinach and fresh basil, if you are using it, stir it into the sauce. Add the pasta and using tongs toss together, once the pasta is well coated in the sauce remove from the heat and serve with freshly grated Parmesan, I also served ours with buttered French stick.

 

 

Hainanese Chicken with Chicken Rice

Now this is a recipe that I have wanted to cook for a while. On Wednesday while she was reclining on the lounge Miss Fish, still home from work with a cold , and I were watching the Singapore Edition of Food Safari, after watching this dish being made Miss Fish turned to me and said "yum, can you make this " .

As we were going to have to do food shopping the next day and it was fairly easy to make the chicken cooks itself, I thought why not.

I also teamed mine with some some stir fried vegetables in oyster sauce.

I served mine on long platters with the sauce in little dipping bowls that I had bought from several Asian shops over the years. I didn't make the chilli sauce I just used my " hot" sweet chilli sauce.

Mr CLI took one look at the platter of food and wanted to know why I had cooked such a special tea, I think he thought that I had a alterior motive to making him this meal. When I assured him that Miss Fish had been watching Food Safari and requested it and it was something fairly easy to cook till the end, when I had to co-ordinate cooking the vegetables and dishing up he was appeased.

After the first mouthful, well actually while eating it he commented that it was absolutely beautiful and if I wanted to I could make it again !

The paste that goes inside the chicken.

I used the recipe off the Food Safari site, the only things I changed was I used less ginger & garlic in the rice, but I did save the fat from the chicken and cooked it in that, also by mistake I put 2 tsps of lime juice in the rice. You couldnt taste it so I don't think that boo boo made any difference.

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/foodsafarirecipe/index/id/127/n/Hainanese_chicken_rice

Also an added bonus was that I have half a large pot of beautiful chicken stock.

The chicken at the start.

The chicken when it is cooked.

 

Basil and Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Well an update on the mammoth quilt, all the quilting is finished - happy dance. The 11 meters - yes I said 11 meters of binding has been sewn onto the edges, I just have to hand sew it down, a job for the weekend. Then it can wing its way to its new owner.

Now this recipe is super easy you just have to process 5 ingredients together, then massage them into you chicken fillets and cook in the oven, what couldn't be easier.

 

Mr CLI after his first mouthful commented that I cook these again, anther thing to add to the list.

 

I served these with a simple green salad and scallop potatoes , a pretty easy meal all the cooking is done in the oven and you only have to turn the chicken a couple of times.

Basil & Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

This is enough dressing for 2 chicken fillets which have been cut into 3 strips each.

10 sun dried tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic peeled 2 - 3 tbsps olive oil, 2 tsps lemon juice, about 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves.

Process all ingredients until it forms a paste.

Preheat the oven 180. C

Remove any skin and fat off the chicken fillets cut into 3 lengthwise, place onto a baking paper covered tray. Pour over marinade and rub into the chicken. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken & Spicy Wedges

Now these chicken and wedges are quite simple to make but the results are quite scrumptious.

The topping for the chicken is only 2 ingredients panko crumbs and grated fresh Parmesan cheese and the coating for the wedges is oil with spices added.

They both cook in the oven for the same amount of time, so can be popped in the oven and only touched half way through cooking to turn the wedges.

I served this with my honey and mustard dressing.

Parmesan Chicken
3 chicken breasts cut into strips a bit bigger than tenderloin size, 2 eggs , 2 cups panko crumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan


Preheat oven to 200.c. Line  a baking tray with tin foil or baking paper, put a cake rack on top this will allow the heat to flow around the chicken to crisp both sides.

In a small bowl using a fork beat together the eggs, on a plate mix together the crumbs and cheese.

Dip the chicken pieces in the egg, making sure you wipe off excess egg, roll in the crumbs and place onto the rack.

Place into the oven on the top rack. Cook 45 mins.

Spicy Wedges
4 - 5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges, 3 tbsps olive oil, 2 tsps paprika sweet. hot or smoked, 2 tsps ground cumin, 2 tsps celery salt, 1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder

Line a tray with baking paper. Spread out wedges. In a small bowl mix together oil and spices, pour over wedges, using your hands mix them together making sure that all wedges are covered spread out in 1 layer.

Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour, turning once halfway through cooking.

Sun Dried Tomato & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Caper & Lemon Sauce

Well what a busy weekend, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

Here it was nice enough for us to have BBQ lunches on both days and sit outside under our pergola.

Miss Fish loves it when we can do that as we have a sink and fridge and all the necessary cutlery/crockery outside. She enjoys setting the table and doing the dishes afterwards.

As well as sitting outside Mr CLI & I managed to get a lot of little and some big jobs done outside that had been sidelined in previous weeks.

So even though we were both tired at the end of each day we were very satisfied with our achievements.


Now during all this busyness I managed to invent and cook this meal. Mr CLI after only one mouthful commented that it was beautiful and he would happily eat it again. I must admit I was pretty impressed with the flavour of the chicken.

It was quite a simple filling with only 3 ingredients, but as the were quite flavourful this chicken was not only tender but full of flavour.

Now you don't really need the sauce but as it takes only about 1 minute to make and adds extra flavour it isn't a big hardship.

Also the ingredients for the filling and sauce can be kept in your pantry and fridge so that at anytime you can make this meal.

I served mine with mashed potato which I think goes the best as you can mop up the sauce with it I also did my sauteed brussel sprouts and steamed carrots, also for Mr CLI & Miss Fish I made mashed pumpkin.

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Lemon & Caper Sauce
1 small chicken breast per person or 2 large was enough for 3 people, the quantities for filling is for 3 serves - sun dried tomato pesto, 2 tbsps semi sun dried tomato, chopped into 1 cm pieces, 2 tbsps crumbled feta (I used a marinated one in a jar)

1/4 plain flour for dusting the chicken

Sauce - 2 tbsps lemon juice ( I used my bottle lemon juice) 1 dessertspoon of capers rinsed and chopped finely, 1 tbsps chopped fresh herb (I used oregano, you could use parsley or basil) 1 tbsp butter

In a small bowl mix together the sun dried tomatoes and feta.

On a chopping board slice the chicken breast down the length and half way in DON'T cut all the way. We want to open it out flat to be able to spread the stuffing. Using a meat mallet flatten till even thickness and 1/2 cm thick. If using a large breast you should be able to cut of the tenderloin with a bit of the breast to make 1 large and 1 small parcel.



















Using about 1 tsp of pesto spread it over the surface of the chicken the add a third of the filling down the length of 1 half. Fold the other half over to form a parcel. Repeat with the other chicken fillets.

Heat 4 tbsps olive oil & 1 tbsp of butter in a frypan. Dust both sides of the chicken parcels with plain flour. When the butter starts to sizzle place the chicken in reduce heat to medium. Cook the first side till brown and crispy approx 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook till brown and crispy and the chicken is cooked approx 3 - 4 minutes.

When the chicken is nearly cooked dish up you accompanying vegetables. Place the cooked chicken on the plate. Add the sauce ingredients to the frypan. Stir until bubbling 30 secs - 1 minute. Remove from the heat immediately and pour over the chicken.

I hope you try this recipe it is not only yummy but very easy to make.

Moroccan Chicken with Potato and Beans

Now I love Moroccan food, the melding of flavours using herbs and spices. One of my "Bucket List" holiday destinations is Morocco, I would probably need to win Tattslotto to get there but we can always dream.

I take great enjoyment out of pounding garlic and herbs in my mortar and pestle then gently mixing them with juice and olive oil to create a flavourful chemoula.

This recipe is quite easy and you can also substitute fish for the chicken and you could add 1cm slices of capsicum instead or as well as the beans.

I served this with my cardamom rice pilaf. I will post that recipe another day.



Moroccan Chicken
Chemoula
2 tbsps olive oil, 2 tbsps lemon juice, 2 tsps each ground cumin and coriander, 2 garlic cloves grated

In a small bowl mix all ingredients together.

Sauce
1/2 cup water, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 1 tsp sweet paprika, plain  or smoked , 2 tsps sugar

In another small bowl or jug whisk all the ingredients together

3 chickens fillets skin removed and sliced into 3 or 4 pieces the length of the fillet, 250 grams potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 cm slices, 250 gms green beans topped and tailed and cut into half width wise

Preheat oven 200.c

In a 5 cm deep baking dish large enough for you to place the chicken in one layer. Place the chicken flat then pour over the chemoula. Top with potato slices then the beans and capsicum if you are using. Pour over the sauce, cover and bake 40 - 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

Serve with rice and pour over some of the sauce.

Asian Chicken Burgers

Now I am still trying, without much success I might add, in uploading photos from my iPad into this blog, so no photos for this post.

Now these patties can be altered to suit your tastes, you don't like hot food leave out the chillies or you like really hot food add more chillies.

The recipe is enough for 4 burgers. You can use several things for your buns, normal rolls, Turkish bread, ciabatta or French stick to name a few ideas. Also you can toast it under the griller or leave it plain, the choice is yours.

Asian Chicken Burgers
500 grams chicken mince, 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1/2 chilli finely diced with the seeds removed or 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander powder, 1 stalk lemon grass with outer leaves removed and the white part very finely diced

To Serve - lettuce, slices of tomato and sweet or hot chilli sauce

In a large bowl using your hands mix together all the burger ingredients. Form into 4 patties.

Heat 2 - 3 tbsps of oil in a frypan over high heat. Place in patties, cook 2 - 3 minutes or until the pattie has browned. Reduce heat to medium turn over the pattie and continue to cook till the pattie has browned and cooked through, 3 - 5 minutes.

If your patties are very thick you might need to flatten them after you have turned them.

Place your roll/ bread base of choice on your plate top with lettuce and tomato place cooked pattie on top then drizzle with chilli sauce, top with bun lid.

Eat and enjoy.

Supreme Chicken

Well this a recipe that dates back to the early 1990's. when my girls were little. It featured often at our table because not only was it easy to make, but it was also very filling.

I would make extra rice and as a treat I would use this rice and pour over some warmed milk and sprinkle it with brown sugar, this is what we would have as a dessert.

Now this recipe can be altered any way you wish, you can add what ever vegetables that you like. I will list what I use and you can add and alter it to suit your tastes, also you could leave the meat out totally if you wanted a vegetarian option, you would also need to change the stock to vegetable.




Supreme Chicken
2 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2cm cubes, 1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into 1cm dice, 1 stalk celery, diced finely, 1 large carrot, diced finely, 6 small button mushrooms, stalk removed and finely sliced, 1/2 cup peas, onion, finely chopped any quantity you wish to use - I only used 3 slices, 3 cups chicken stock, 4 tbsps butter, 1/3 cup plain flour, 2 tsps prepared mustard - I used dijon, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve - steamed rice

Melt the butter in a large frypan add chicken, carrots, capsicum, celery and onion. Saute 5 minutes until the chicken is white all over and the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 - 5 minutes.

Push the chicken and vegetables to the edges of the frypan, the butter should pool in the centre, and the flour and using a whisk, whisk it into the butter. Then add 1 cup of stock whisk until a smooth paste forms.

Stir in vegetables and chicken, then add remaining stock, turmeric, mustard, salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken and vegetables have cooked through, 5 - 8 minutes. Add the peas let simmer 1-2 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice.

Transylvanian Dinner

Well what can I say about yesterday, I had downloaded the photo for this blog and was nicely settled to start writing.

I knew I had a limited time to get the blog written because I had an osteo appointment, but before that I needed to take a coat to Miss Fishes work , because it had started raining and she didn't have one.

So there I was starting to type when I get a phone call from Mr CLI, with a question " is his laptop that he needs at work so he can work at home". I lean forward and what is propped up against the lounge room wall. I ask you !

"Well when would you like it dropped off" I enquire, "any time you can" was the reply, with an added statement "but I can't work till I get it".

Ok I will be there shortly, as I am looking at the clock there now was no time to blog, then be a delivery girl twice over then get to the osteo. Ok I thought I would blog when I got home.

Home I came at about lunch time. I had some lunch settled to watch a DVD while blogging only to fall asleep and not wake up till late afternoon !

This is the common thing at the moment as I am not sleeping properly still pain in my shoulder. I am finding that I am having Nana naps in the afternoon.

So now finally onto my Transylvannian dinner.

I have recently started to receice e-mails from Saveur magazine and one of them was entitled - A Transylvanian Dinner.

http://www.saveur.com/

Curious I selected the link to the recipes and was quite surprised there was no goblets of blood or large teeth only recipes with very long names that I wasn't even going to try to pronounce.

Now the dish that I made was the chicken one it was served with polents, ah ha I thought I have polenta in the cupboard what a perfect recipe to use it.

So into the depths of the pantry I went, only to not find the polenta ! Strange as I said the other day there are many mysteries in the kitchen and the whereabouts of my polenta being one of them.

What I used instead was buttered noodles as I would have with Beef Stroganoff.

Csirkepaprikas (Chicken with Paprika)
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or 4 chicken breasts, 3 tbsps olive oil, 1/2 cup plain flour, salt & pepper, 4 cloves garlic peeled and grated, 2 red capsicums deseeded and finely chopped, 2 celery sticks finely chopped, 1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 red chili finely chopped OR 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 2 tsps sweet paprika, 1 tsps ground cumin, 3 cups chicken stock, 3 tbsps finely chopped fresh parsley

In a large frypan or deep saucepan, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dust with the flour. Cook turning once till browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add garlic, capsicum, onion, carrot, celery and chili, saute stirring until beginning to soften. You made need more oil.

Shift the vegetables to the edges put the tomato paste in the centre cook stirring for about 1 minute, then stir into the vegetables.












Add the paprika & cumin and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock stir, then return the chicken and any juices on the plate. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce to a simmer. Simmer till the chicken is cooked through 20 minutes for breasts or 40 minutes for pieces.

When cooked remove the chicken to the serving plates. Now the recipe says to strain the sauce, but you could just use it as it is. What I did was to squash the pieces with a potato masher then pushed this through a sieve over the chicken to give you a thin smooth sauce.

Serve with polenta, buttered noodles or mashed potato.

I sliced the chicken then placed it onto the noodles, so we could eat it with a splade.

Polenta Recipe - Mamaliga Cu Smantana (Polenta with Sour Cream)

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Mamaliga-Cu-Smantana-Romanian-Polenta-with-Sour-Cream 

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.

Stirfry Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

First of all I must say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MISS FISH

She will be 23 years young today, and is very excited about it.

So yesterday and today I am in Birthday mode, she busily went to our friends last night and invited them for tea tonight.

Luckily I am making pizzas so I should be able to stretch to 2 extra people.

This slightly blurry photo, I don't know what I did, is of the stir fried noodles with chicken and vegetables.

Now I used fine dried egg noodles, but you could use any noodle you like, and you can add anything, prawns, no meat more vegetables the choice is yours.

Stir Fried Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

1 chicken breast cut into thin bite size pieces, 2 cup of chopped vegetables, make sure they are small enough to cook quickly, noodles I used 5 bundles of dried egg noodles, 2 tbsps oyster sauce, 2 tbsps light soy sauce, 2 tbsps shao hsing wine

Marinade
2 tbsps light soy sauce, 2 tbsps hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp shao hsing wine

Mix together in a bowl and add meat. Leave to marinate while you chop the vegetables.

Preparing the noodles - if all ready cooked, place into a large bowl and cover with boiling water, leave for 2 minutes, the drain and rinse under cold water. If the noodles are dry cook in boiling water for 3 minutes for fine egg noodles or 4 minutes for hokkien noodles. Then  drain and rinse under cold water.

In a hot wok or frypan heat 2 tbsps peanut oil, Add the vegetables and strifry for 2 -3 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the edge then add the chicken draining off the marinade BUT keep it to add as part of the sauce. Stir fry chicken till it changes color the stir together with the vegetables.

Add the noodles marinade , soy sauce, shao shing wine and oyster sauce, stirfry till the noodles are heated through and coated with the sauce. Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Shepherds Pie

Anyone would think it was Winter time with all my wintry recipes. It's not but the weather isn't really summery and Mr CLI has been under the weather this week. so I thought this would be great comfort food for him last night, and I was right.

Not only did he have one large serving he then asked for and ate another huge portion.

As I have never made this before it was very gratifying that he liked it so much. So this recipe will be another one add to the mental collection of recipes we all liked.

Now you can make this earlier in the day, or even the day before,  then pop it in the oven closer to tea time. The only thing is you will need to cook it longer to heat it through.

I made mine a hour or so before I put it in the oven, it took 20 minutes till the filling was bubbling then another 15 minutes till the top was lovely and brown and crispy, which is a must for a Shepherds Pie a crispy potato top.

Chicken Shepherds Pie
2 skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1cm cubes or 500 gms chicken mince, 2 medium carrots finely diced, 1 stalk celery finely diced, 2 large tbsps chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 red capsicum diced. 1/2 red onion finely diced, 2 large garlic cloves finely diced, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 3 tbsps Worcestershire sauce, 1 can crushed tomatoes or 500 ml tomato passatta, 1 cup water, salt and pepper

Topping - Mashed potato, but make it with less milk, if it is too soft it won't crisp up in the oven

Preheat to 200c. I used a 20 - 25 cm pyrex dish.

In a large fypan heat 2 tbsps olive oil add carrots, celery, onion and capsicum, cook 2 -3 minutes. Add chicken and garlic cook till the chicken has turned white, if using mince make sure you break up the lumps.

Push the chicken and vegetables to the edge of the frypan put the tomato paste in the centre let cook for 1 minute, then stir into the chicken and vegetables. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to medium and let simmer till the sauce has thicken 15 - 30 minutes.

Once cooked and the sauce has thickened put into your baking dish.

The filling awaiting is cloud of creamy mashed potato. After topping the filling with the mash score it with a fork, the ridges you create will crisp in the oven.

Spray the the top with olive oil spray this will help in the crisping. Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top is brown and crispy. Serves 4

Chicken Casserole with Herb and Cheese Dumplings

Well this is the end product of yesterdays tidy up in my sewing room.

All my fabrics are sorted into colors and corralled in their new baskets.

Once I started this job yesterday I found stashes of fabric everywhere that I had left because of lack of interest in trying to fit them into this cupboard.

So not only have I cleared my desk for ease of sewing and cutting but I have also cleared another table on which I can now store all my completed quilt tops awaiting completion.

The desk I use is not a spindly flat pack desk, but a very large robust desk that would have been made decades ago. It requires 4 men to lift it, if you are going to carry it any distance. It measures 1 metre deep and 1.7 metres wide. so it is quite a substantial desk for sewing.

Now to the chicken casserole, I gave Mr CLI an option to think what he would like for tea last night, he pondered this and suggested something I could just put in the oven and leave. What about a chicken casserole I counter suggested, yes that would be good was his reply, but can you add dumplings. Yes I could. So this is how this recipe come about.

Chicken Casserole with Herb and Cheese Dumplings

2 large chicken fillets, cut into 3 cm cubes, 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into rounds, 1 stick of celery cut into slices, 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 2 tsps dijon mustard, 4 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce. salt and pepper

Thickening if required = 2 tbsps soft butter  & 2 tbsps plain flour. Mixed together with a fork.

Preheat oven to 200.c.

In a large casserole dish mix together chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes and parsley. In a jug or a bowl mix together tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and mustard. Pour over ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

After on hour check to see if potatoes are nearly cooked, if so add the peas and stir together. Cover and return to the oven while you make the dumplings

Dumplings

2 cups S.R. flour, 1 tbsp butter melted, 1/2 tsp  English Mustard powder, 1/4 tsps each freshly ground salt & pepper 1/2 - 3/4 cup milk. 1 tbsps chopped fresh parsley. 2 tbsps grated tasty cheese

In a large bowl using a butter knife mix together the flour, mustard salt, pepper and parsley. Add the butter and 1/4 cup milk. Mix just enough to see if it is going to come together, if not add a little bit more milk. It should form a slightly sticky dough that can be rolled into balls. Don't overwork the mixture or you will get tough dumplings.

Remove the casserole from the oven. If the liquid is quite runny stir in the thickening. Then roll the dough into golf ball size balls and place on top of the casserole.

Top each one with a little cheese. Cover and return to the oven

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, by this time the dumplings should have plumped up and the cheese should have melted. Remove lid and bake for a further 8 - 10 minutes till the cheese has browned.

Remove eat and enjoy.

Happy Valentines Day

Well I hope everybody was woken up with a red rose and a heartfelt poem written by their loved one today.

Or was it more like my morning after organising Miss Fishes lunch and cooking her breakfast, I finally sit down and realise what today is.

I have long ago stopped giving Mr CLI cards as he always gets a bit distressed because he has forgotten,

Anyway I wished Mr CLI a Happy Valentines Day and made the comment that would I ever get a red rose, upon hearing this Mr CLI looked at me a bit crest fallen and stated that he had "given me a red rose once". Yes I replied that was over 25 years ago, so how long would I have to wait for another one.

He had no answer, so we will see when I will ever receive another red rose.

Now on a cooking note I have found my camera, where was you ask well it was hiding in my handbag, yes the same handbag that I had delved into several times over the weekend.

So I will update yesterdays blog.

So to everyone a Happy Valentines Day.

Jump in the Pan Chicken

Well they say things are sent to try us and today I am being tried to my limit.

I didn't post on Friday because my camera's batteries had died, so I got new ones over the weekend  BUT do you think I can find my camera.

I usually keep it in my bedside table, I went to get it this morning , no not there.

I rang up both Mr CLI and Miss Le Coiffure, no they haven't seen it.

So I am stumped as to were it is I thought I had left it on the kitchen bench ready to replace the batteries.

So unfortunately I don't have photos for you today, when I find the camera I will post the photos.

Now to the recipe, why is it called jump in the pan because you are meant to flip the frypan so that the chicken pieces jump about. Now my frypans are to heavy to try to do that also I want my chicken to stay in the pan not jump out. I just stirred with a wooden spoon.

This is a recipe from one of my recipe folders, I had cut it out of a magazine many years ago. It is a very easy without to many ingredients, but when you taste it you will be wanting more.

Mr CLI ate it all up with the verdict that I could cook that again.

Jump in the Pan Chicken
2 large chicken breasts, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp capers, rinsed, 2 tbsps chopped parsley, 1/2 cup white wine or verjuice, 2 tbsps plain flour, 2 tbsps + extra 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsps olive oil, cracked black pepper

To serve - Creamy mashed potato and lemon wedges

To prepare the chicken remove the skin and any fat, then slice into thin slices lengthwise. On your chopping board place either a large freezer bag or a piece of cling wrap, lay some of the slices then cover with freezer bag/clingwrap. Using the flat size of a meat mallet belt the heck out of the chicken till it is as thick as a $2 coin, don't worry if the chicken falls apart.

I have found my camera this is how thin the chicken needs to be.

You then need to tear the chicken into bite size pieces.

Once all the chicken is thin and torn toss in the flour either by putting it in a bag and adding the chicken or as I did spreading the chicken over the chopping board and sprinkling the flour over.

Heat the oil and 2 tbsps butter, when it starts to sizzle add the chicken leave until it starts to sizzle and brown then either toss or stir. Once the chicken has all turned white some parts will have started to brown, add the capers and  wine/verjuice. Stir until liquid bubbles then add parsley the juice of half a lemon and the remaining butter. Stir and let bubble for 30 seconds a sauce will form. Season with cracked black pepper.

Serve on a mound of mashed potato with a lemon wedge too squeeze over.

Pasta with Chicken and Basil

Now I was going to cook Spaghetti Genovese, but I needed green beans and Parmesan. When I finally sat down yesterday it was 4.15 and I couldn't be bothered driving to the shops, so I created this recipe instead, as I wanted to use the fresh basil I had in the fridge.


This is quite a simple dish that doesn't take long to cook, once you get the pasta started you then start the sauce by the time the pasta is cooked so is the sauce. 




Then you drain the pasta adding it to the sauce toss it about for a minute add the basil, then serve.


Now you really do need fresh basil for this so that you can get the sweet flavour of the basil.


Pasta with Chicken and Basil
enough spaghetti or pasta to serve 4 people I cooked 300 gms dried spaghetti
3 small or 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 2cm cubes, 1/4 - 1/2 onion finely diced, 2 large or 3 small cloves of garlic finely chopped, 500 gm passata, 1/2 tsp dried marjoram or oregano OR 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn


Pasta
Bring enough water to the boil to cover your pasta, add salt and pasta. Cook until al dente.


Drain and add to sauce


Sauce
In a large frypan heat 2 tbsps oil, add chicken, onion and garlic. Stir until the chicken is white, be careful and don't let anything burn.

Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT balsamic & fresh basil, bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer 7 - 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Once chicken and pasta are cooked, add balsamic vinegar stir, then add the pasta. Toss till covered in sauce, then toss in basil. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on top.

All ready to eat. Yum !!!