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

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

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 😊

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 

Mrs Beeton's Festive Christmas Cake

You will need:

200g cake flour 

1.25ml salt

10ml mixed spice

200g butter

290g caster sugar

6 eggs beaten

60ml Brandy

100g glacé' cherries - chopped 

50g preserved ginger - chopped 

50g walnuts - chopped 

200g currents

200g saltanas 

150g seedless raisins

75g cut mixed peel

Line and grease a 20cm round tin - as per picture. Use double layer of greaseproof paper and tie a strip of brown paper around the outside. 

Set oven at 160 deg

Sift flour, salt and spice into a bowl

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Gradually best in the eggs and brandy adding a little flour if it starts to curdle. 

Add the cherries, ginger and walnuts. 

Stir in the fruit, peel and flour mixture. 

Spoon into prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. 

Bake for 45 min then turn oven down to 150deg and bake for another hour. 

Turn oven down to 140deg for another hour and 120deg for last hour. 

It must be firm to the touch. 

Cool in the tin. Wrap in foil after completely cool and seal ready to add your marzipan and royal icing when ready. 

Drizzle a drop of brandy through on a weekly basis if you wish to ensure moistness. 

Merry Christmas 

African Amarula Fudge ......mmmm

You will need:

125ml Amarula

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules 

120g butter

125ml evaporated milk

375ml sugar

170g white marshmallows cut up

420g white chocolate pieces 

Line an 18 x 28cm rectangle dish with foil and spray some cook n bake or spray and cook. 

In the microwave heat up the Amarula and coffee until melted, about 30sec, then set aside

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter, evaporated milk, sugar and marshmallows stirring all the time until melted. 

Add the Amarula mixture and cook on high stirring all the time until it starts to thicken / caramalise. 

Remove from heat and add chocolate and keep stirring until all melted and smooth. It sets quickly so keep an eye on it. 

Pour into dish and let it cool befor you place in fridge. Takes 1 - 3 hours

Cut into small squares once set. I use a pizza cutter to cut. 

Enjoy 😊😊

Banting Squash

Steam squash, fry bacon and onion in bacon fat. Place bacon and onion into squash with a couple of blocks of your favorite cheese and a little butter. Bake at 180 until cheese is golden. Enjoy....

Banting Mediterranean Veg....

Onions, tomato and marrow fried in bacon fat with basil pesto added at the end :-)

Cape Velvet Cream a la Kath......

This one is for my friend Dawn Howells who came across this recipe in my dear old faithful hand written recipe book. Enjoy

You will Need:

1 Egg whipped
1 450g tin Nestle Cream
1 450g tin of Condensed Milk
1 1/2 cups of Brandy
1 Dessert Spoon of Instant Coffee
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
1 dark glass bottle

Method:

Mix Egg, Nestle Cream and Condensed Milk together. Mix well.
Mix Brandy, coffee and vanilla together. Mix well.
Add both mixtures together and place in a dark bottle.
Keep Refrigerated.

Angie's Spicy Tomato Soup

Now this is a real winner when the weather is cold. Angela made this to take to a camping trip at Silvermine in the dead of winter. It was absolutely delicious :-)

You Will Need:

Half a packet of Lean Bacon chopped up
A Good Shake of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic ( grated )
1kg of Tomatoes (skinned and chopped)
A pinch of dried Thyme
2 Pinches of dried Mixed Herbs
1 1/2 Knorr chicken stock cubes
1 pinch of dried chillies
600ml water
Glug of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Fry Onion, Bacon and Garlic until soft in a glug of olive oil.
Add stock cubes, herbs and chillies and fry for a minute.
Add Tomato and water
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Simmer for a couple of hours to reduce as required
Cool and blend

Enjoy

Olivia's Chicken Curry

We were invited out to friends Steve and Angela Hall for dinner last week where Angela made us this really delicious chicken curry. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me how her granddaughter Olivia had made it for them and given her the recipe. So here is a chicken curry that is child's play to make and very very tasty :-) This recipe feeds 2 people so just double up for more

You will need:

2 Onions
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
1 Tbs Tomato Puree
1 Tbs Med Curry Powder
1 Tbs Mild and Spicy Curry Powder
1 Green Pepper
Small amount of Baby Potatoes
2 Chicken Breasts
3 Cloves of Garlic
Any left over Veg
Half a tub of Greek Yogurt
Half a tub of Cream

Method:

Chop and fry the onion and green pepper in a little veg oil.
Add Cubed Chicken breasts, stock cubes, curry powder, garlic and tomato paste
Stir and add a dash of water, potato and veg.
Cook until tender
Reduce liquid to a thick consistency
Add the yogurt and cream and heat through gently ( do not boil )

Serve with basmati rice, poppadums', chutney, tomato and onion sambles.

Magic Macaroni with Chicken ....

We were away this weekend and I needed to cook for quite a few people and I felt like experimenting. Well it worked out fantastically so I thought I would add it to the blog.

You will need:

Macaroni pasta, cooked
2 large onions
8 chicken breast fillets
A large green or red pepper chopped
A large table spoon of ginger
A large table spoon of garlic
A large teaspoon of chilli
A large hand full of fresh coriander
A tin of pineapple pieces
2 punnets of mushrooms
Cheese Grated to sprinkle over the top
About a litre or so of cheese sauces
Salt and Pepper to taste
Table spoon of onion marmalade is optional

Method:

When you cook your pasta, add a little chicken stock to the water that you boiling the pasta in as it adds to the flavour.

Fry your onion (I use coconut oil for frying now)
Fry your mushrooms a few at a time then remove from pan
Add your peppers and your diced chicken
Add your ginger, garlic, chilli, pineapple and coriander
Add your cooked mushrooms
Add salt and pepper to taste

Add your cheese sauce and mix well on a low heat then add it to the pasta
Cover in grated cheddar cheese and bake at 180 deg Celsius until golden.

Serve with a delicious salad :-)

Mince a la me ;-)

Mince A La Me .....


I can't believe I haven't put this up as its one of my favourites :-)

You will need:

Mince Meat - as much as you need
Packet of Cherry tomatoes
One or two onions chopped, depends on the amount of mince you need
Basil Pesto
Tomato Paste
Garlic
Onion Marmalade
Salt & Pepper to taste

If you want you can add veg too like baby marrow, celery, carrots etc


Method:

Fry your onions until golden brown
Add your mince and stir in so there are no lumps and fry a bit
Add some garlic to taste
Salt and Pepper
Add your tomatoes
Add a nice few table spoons of basil pesto
Add a tin of tomato paste
Add a good large table spoon for onion marmalade

Allow to simmer on a low heat for about 20 to 30 min

There you have it :-)

Its great with spaghetti, rice or even on its own

Potato Bake ........

Potato Bake .........
Yip the one I always have to make at a braai ;-)

You will need:

Potatoes ( about one per person )
Mushrooms
Bacon if you like
Onions
Butter
Fresh Corriander
Onion Marmalade
Mature Cheddar Cheese
Cheese sauce as per previous recipe ( doubled )

Method:

Peel and boil the potatoes in water with a pinch of salt. They must still be firm.
Fry bacon until crispy and allow to cool. Break into smaller pieces and put aside.
Fry onions in a bit of butter until golden then add mushroom a few at a time to fry.
Add a table spoon of onion marmalade and a large hand full of chopped fresh corriander.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add bacon and make your cheese sauce as per the recipe below. ( or buy woolies sauce also nice)

Slice your potato and add to an oven dish.
Add your fried ingredients and your cheese sauce.
Cover with grated cheese and bake at 180 deg until golden

Serve warm

Cheese Sauce

Cheese Sauce
(If there isn't a Woolies around ;-)  )

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup of milk (warmed up on stove with an onion, bay leave and pepper corns)
¼ tsp salt

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
2. Add the flour and salt and stir until it is bubbly.
3. Add one-third of the milk and stir all the time until the sauce boils and thickens
4. Repeat this twice until all the milk is added.
5. If you keep stirring the sauce constantly until it boils, you should get a smooth creamy sauce

Variations:

To make a cheese sauce, add ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese after you have taken the saucepan off the heat. This is important because if you keep cooking the sauce after you add the cheese, the sauce will become tough and stringy.
If you want a particularly tangy sauce use tasty or well matured cheese.
Add a little english mustard to bring out the taste of the cheese ;-)

Cheese Muffins, child's play

I got this recipe from my friend Dawn and it never fails :-)

You will need:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Cheese
2 cups Milk
4 tspns Baking powder
a pinch of salt

Method:

Mix all together and bake at 180deg until golden

easy easy easy

Really Simple Roast Chicken

Sometimes Less is More and that's what happens here.

You will need:

A large whole chicken without the giblets
2 large onions
1 large lemon
course salt and black pepper
2 sprigs of Rosemary
A splash of olive oil

Method:

Coat the Chicken in a little olive oil
Sprinkle with course salt and pepper
Cut Lemon in half and squeeze one half over the chicken and place both halves into the chicken cavity.
Dice onions in big chunks and place in the bottom of the roasting tin
Place chicken on top
Lay rosemary over the top of chicken
Cover with foil and place in the oven at 160deg (a cooler oven prevents the legs from shrinking and keeps the chicken moist)
Cook for about an hour and a half then remove the foil and leave it until golden. You can increase the heat to 180 at this point if time is a factor.

If you have some whole garlic you can roast it in the same pan, very nice.

Serve with veg or salad and a starch like rice or roast potatoes.
Enjoy