In Loving Memory of my Mom

In Loving Memory of my Mom
Cooking from the Heart

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Tip: Moist Shredded Chicken Breast


When making a dish like chicken a la king, chicken pie or even a quick curry
where you need to pre cook your chicken and you need to keep it moist.
Here’s what you do.....
In a pot, place an onion, quartered with some peppercorns and bay leaves. Add
your chicken breasts whole and cover with boiling water. Simmer for about
30 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate to pull apart. It stays nice and moist
ready to be added to your dish that you’re preparing.

Easy Peasy...... enjoy

Monday, December 11, 2017

Short Pastry for Mince Pies




You will need:

2 Cups of Flour
Pinch of Salt
2 Tablespoons of sugar
120g cold butter
zest of a lemon
Juice of an orange

Method:

Mix flour and salt
Cut cubes of butter into flour mixture and rub together to resemble bread crumbs
Add sugar and lemon zest and orange juice
make a dough and knead into a ball, place in fridge for 30 min
roll out, cut into shapes and place in your baking tin - add filling and top
bake at 180 deg for about 30 minutes
let cool and dust with icing sugar


Mom's Christmas Pudding.....


Gems from my mom...... Christmas Cake








Friday, October 7, 2016

Dawn's Easy Fridge Tart

You'll need:
1 tin caramel
250ml cream
1 packet of tennis biscuits 
A couple of peppermint crisp chocolates

Method:
Break biscuits up and place on the base of your dish
Gently combine cream and caramel
Break some chocolate into mixture and pour over biscuit 
Sprinkle with chocolate

Place in fridge for a few hours 😊

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Comfy Curry Sauce......

I make a big pot of sauce as I take my time making it and it freezes well too. Just defrost and add your chicken or lamb, fresh corriander and some Greek yogurt. Sorted 👍


Spices for roasting: 

4 Tablespoons Fennel seeds
4 Tablespoons Cumin seeds
4 Tablespoons Corriander seeds
1 Tablespoon Fenugreek seeds
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper corns 
1 Cinnamon quill
4 Cardamom pods
Sprinkle of salt

Toast the spices gently over a low heat in a pot or pan. Roasting in oven also works
Allow to cool and remove quill before grinding into a powder to be used in sauce. The cinnamon will get added to your sauce to cook, then removed. 

Paste Ingredients:
Approximately 6cm fresh ginger
4 large red onions
2 bulbs of fresh garlic
3 chillies
Big bunch of fresh corriander 

Chop paste ingredients ( I use food processor)
Add your spices to the paste. 

Ingredients for sauce:

Big dollop of butter
4 tins of chopped tomatoes 
Approximately 500ml chicken stock
Couple large onions roughly diced

Method:
Heat butter in pot, add onions and fry to golden colour. 
Add paste and allow to heat through gently so not to burn but to allow the spices to release their flavors. 
Add tomatoes and the stock, cover and place in oven, cook on 160 deg for a couple of hours. Switching switch oven off and allow to cool in the oven. 
Remove and stir. Allow to rest over night and divide into freezer bags the next day keeping enough out for your first curry. 
Enjoy 😊






Basic Banana Bread......

I always make a double batch as they freeze very well 😊

Ingredients:

125g Butter
180g Sugar
2 Eggs (beaten well)
5 ml Vanilla essence
250g Flour
5ml Bicarbonate of soda 
3ml Salt
45ml Soured Milk 
3 Large Bananas

Method:
Cream butter, add sugar gradually 
Add the eggs and vanilla
Sieve flour, bicarbonate, salt together then add to mixture alternately with your blended banana milk mixture. ( I use my blender for the banana and milk)
Pour mixture into loaf pans and bake at 180 for an hour
Add nuts or raisins if you like
Test with skewer to see when done. 
Enjoy