Chicken and vege and the yummiest puff pastry

Hi everyone

I do love leeks especially in winter in soups etc and in chicken pies. Ive included leeks in my beans recipes and today Im giving a recipe for a chicken and leek pie. Ok its summer now here in NZ so you may not want to do it but boy you will enjoy it when you do.

Ingredients for this are:

Filling
50 gms butter
6 or 7 rashes of bacon or pancetta
1 kg of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into strips or cubes up to you
4 leeks chopped
200 gms mushrooms sliced
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
3 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of cheese grated
1 can of chicken and corn concentrate soup
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard - if you like mustard then wholegrain could be used.
1/2 cup of parsley chopped roughly

Heat the butter and cook the bacon. Once crisp take out of the pan and put to the side in a big bowl. Now brown the chicken in batches in the same pan. Setting aside batches in the bowl as you go.  Again in the same pan lower the heat and add the mushrooms, leeks and thyme and cook until soft. Put this aside too in the bowl with the chicken and bacon.

Now make a roux add the flour to the butter and juices in the pan. Cook for two minutes stirring so that it doesn't burn. Then add the chicken stock slowly and stir while doing so. You should have a thick sauce at the end. Id then add the chicken soup concentrate. I do this to ensure thickness of sauce and flavor.

Add the cooked ingredients in the bowl to the sauce. Cook on a medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck on the bottom or burn. Make sure the chicken pieces are cooked.

Now add the mustard to the sauce and the parsley. Check taste and season. You can use this mix on its own with mashed potatoes and steamed greens and it would be yummy.  If you are using as a pie filling I always err on the side of more salt as it gets cooked out as the pie cooks and there is nothing more boring in a pie then a tasteless pie filling.

Now to the pastry for the pie.  I got this from a magazine and its the easiest puff pastry Ive found. Its the best too so buttery.  You can use store bought puff pastry instead but if your like me and have forgotten to get some having a recipe you can use if need is really handy. Note too if yur looking for good strong muscles in your arms this is a great work out recipe.

Pastry ingredients:

3 cups flour
pinch of salt
450gm cold unsalted butter
180 mls ice cold water

Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Grate 180 gms of the butter into the flour and using your fingers work it in. Dice the rest of the butter and add to the bowl. gently mix so the flour coats the diced butter. Add the water and mix together with your hands until a dough starts to form. Its ok for the dough to be studded with the butter and to be quite dry. Don't be tempted to add more water.

Tip dough onto a floured surface and work together to form a ball. Roll out to form a rectangle (30cm x 20 cm approx). Turning the rectangle so the long end faces you fold both short sides to meet in the middle and then fold in half again. Wrap in glad wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or ideally overnight.  Note timing is preference only. I have run out of time before (as Im prone to and pulled the pastry out after an hour) it is best to give it the 2 hours but needs must!

When you pull it out roll out to the 20cm x 30 cm approx rectangle again and fold as before - ends to centre and then fold in half. Once done do it again and then put back in the glad wrap and put back in the fridge for another half hour. Pastry has no preservatives so only last 24 hours. If you have any left over you might want to freeze or think of something else to make with it the next day ..Sausie rolls any one?

To put the pie all together start by preheating an oven to 200 dg celcius. Put a metal oven tray which will fit the pie dish or dishes on easily in to preheat as well.

You can line a deep dish with rolled out pastry and then fill with the chicken mixture. Alternatively use smaller individual pie dishes. Top with grated cheese and then use an egg wash to gently brush on the edges of the pastry.  Then either cover with pastry or if you prefer cut pastry into strips and make a lattice on top. Trim the edges to make tidy and or fold over and crimp edges to secure.  Brush the top with egg wash and if using a full cover pastry top make a few holes on top to ensure the steam in the pie (or pies) can escape.


Now this is where the metal tray comes into its own as no one likes soggy pastry. The preheated metal tray gives instant direct heat to the bottom of the pie dish helping to cook it. Cook the pie for 25 minutes or longer if the top of the pie is not risen and golden brown. Pull out and let rest for a few minutes and then enjoy.

Note this pastry can be used for so many things. Ive used for sausage rolls, beef wellington and other types of pies.

Another easy salad

My salads are basically pulled together from whats in the garden, pantry and fridge.  This one is an avocado, smoked chicken and peach salad. The peaches are canned in fruit juice and Ive used some of that juice in the dressing.

Ingredients are:

Salad:

Mixed lettuce leaves - I used peppery rocket or arugula and mustard leaves but any will do

A can of peaches in real fruit juice or 3 fresh peaches the pip taken out and quartered

Half a sliced red onion

Half an avocado sliced

Half a breast of smoked chicken sliced

Optional 100 gm pine nuts toasted

Dressing:

2 tablespoons of the fruit juice from the canned peaches. If you are using fresh peaches Id use some lemon juice and add half a teaspoon of caster sugar.

1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

To pull together start by combining dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl bar the avocado and pine nuts in a bowl and add most of the dressing and toss together. Finally add the avocado slices on top and sprinkle over the pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the rest of the dressing.

Jack and the beanstalk go to Spain

Hi everyone

Ive enjoyed learning about the different nuances of food and culture. The emphasis on spices in the middle east versus herbs in France for example. In New Zealand we eat our beans in the morning as a breakfast for with tomato sauce. Else where in the world beans are the quintessential replacement for potatoes in dinner meals. I have two bean recipes for you today. One is spanish in origin the other french. Both are yummy.

For the spanish one the ingredients are:

100gms bacon diced
2 chorizo sausages sliced (if you can't find chorizo just replace with more bacon)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 leek thinly sliced
1 red capsicum deseeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 cans of beans 400gm approx each - I use red kidney and cannellini. Rinse the beans well and let drain
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin
500 mls Beef stock
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan fry dry fry the bacon and chorizo for 5 mins on medium heat until bacon is crisp. Add the olive oil and the garlic,onions, leek and capsicum. Fry gently till tender -3 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaves and half the cumin to the saucepan. Add the beef stock and some water to cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until the beans are tender. Watch the liquid if its getting dry and the beans still aren't cooked add a bit more water. Hopefully you don't have to though as using canned beans rather then dry beans means they are already fairly soft.  Once cooked take off the heat take the bay leaves out and add the second tablespoon of ground cumin. Taste and season to taste. Note you may not need much salt as the bacon and the beef stock add salt to the cooking. Enjoy this dish can be eaten cool or as I like it warm with a nice bbq steak or some roasted lamb. Yum!!

Speaking of lamb my french inspired bean dish this is made with a a leg of lamb roast. So when finished you have a complete meal. Its not as easy as the spanish version as the french love their herbs and not everyone is as lucky as me to have a great big herb garden.

Ingredients

Lamb:
1 leg of lamb
5 whole cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper

Beans:
3 cans of beans 400gm approx each - I use red kidney, cannellini and chick pea. Rinsed and drained
2 onions sliced
2 leeks sliced
12 whole garlic cloves
1 and 1/2 litres chicken stock - if prefer you can have half stock and half water.
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
bouquet garni - a mix of fresh herbs tied together with string. I use thyme, parsley, bay leaves and rosemary as a base and then whatever other herbs are around.
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200 degrees

Pull out the lamb and pierce holes in the skin top side up and stuff a garlic clove and some rosemary in each hole. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place to the side.

Get out a roasting dish that will fit the lamb and put it over an element on the oven. Put the olive oil in and heat on medium. Put the rosemary in and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Put the garlic cloves onions and leeks in the pan and stir around for 5 minutes until tender.  Watch them so they don't burn.

Add the beans and cook for 1 minute then add the stock and place the bouquet garni on top. Bring to the boil.

If you have a rack that fits across the pan use it to place the lamb on top so there is a bit of space between the bean mixture and lamb.  Its not the end of the world though if you don't as the lamb can sit on the mixture itself. The good thing with the rack as the juices from the lamb then fall into the bean mixture and the lamb isn't so wet underneath.

Once you have the lamb on board put the pan in the oven and turn the oven down to 160 degrees. If you like a slow cooked lamb cook for 3 hours watching the beans and topping up with more stock or water if getting dry.  If you like the lamb pink in the middle then cook for just 1 1/2 hours.

Once the lamb is cooked to liking take it out and put to the side to rest under foil.

With the bean mixture take the bouquet garni out. It should have a little bit of liquid but not too much. If its still really wet put it on the oven and turn the heat to medium. Simmer until the liquid reduces stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick or burn.

Once the liquid is right use a masher to squish the beans and garlic cloves slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Slice the lamb and use the beans as a side. I usually have a bottle of dijon mustard out or make a quick gravy as well.

I hope you try and enjoy

Me xx

Silly me..

Hi everyone

In one of my posts I provided my banana cake recipe and said at the end you might like to make lemon cream cheese icing to go with it. Did I put up the recipe for said icing?? NO and not unreasonably Ive been asked what it is? I can hear husband saying "Do it once. Do it right" in my ear.

So its a simple recipe from the good old edmonds cook book with a few extra options.

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar sifted
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Optional 
- a drop or two of lemon flavored food coloring 
- a further teaspoon of lemon rind for decoration or
- 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans lightly broken up

Basic process is beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy and you can't see any chunks of butter in the mixture. Mix in the icing sugar and the lemon rind beating until well combined. 

Now for the options - if using food coloring id suggest one drop at a time. Too much and your icing will look the color of the sun which may not be the effect you want. Once iced I usually put either the extra lemon rind on for effect or the walnuts or pecans. Note I don't crush the nuts as I think just breaking them up in your hands is better if you can and your not left with lots of crumbs on your beautiful clean icing.

Note this icing is great on carrot cake too. 

Enjoy

Me xx

The next big thing..

Hi everyone

We all have the old dried spaghetti in the cupboard.  It was part of the revolution when I was growing up..if you could make spag bol you were somehow more sophisticated..hmm that may have more to do with my upbringing. 

Well quietly there has been a new revolution happening and it has nothing to do with stodgy green pasta (with fillings that taste like cardboard to me) and are in the "fresh" aisle of the supermarket. You only have to watch cooking shows in italy - the Greedy Italians or Jamie Oliver and Rick Stein wandering the hills of Tuscany to know that aint real pasta. 

The revolution is the arrival of pasta albeit dried or frozen from the motherland itself, Italy. Stocked in our supermarkets now the options abound and once you have tried it I doubt you will go back. Now I could extol the virtues of a pasta machine and making it yourself - and I will in another post. But we don't all have time for that so like a good olive oil for dressings if you can find italian made in your dried section or frozen in your specialty stores have a go.

Ive called this post the next big thing..its not just italian pasta, the next big thing in our home kitchens in my humble opinion is a little known couple of pasta - orzo and risoni. I say that because both are similar rice shaped pasta and they are soooo versatile and tasty. Nor do you have to have a culinary degree to use them to make delicious meals for your family - bye bye dried spaghetti.

You can find orzo in the international section of most supermarkets now. You can find Risoni in little dark blue cartons with the brand Barilla. I interchange them n these recipes.

So heres a really easy one for the quick side - Chorizo and spinach risoni salad. I usually have some chorizo in the fridge for cheese platters but if you don't have it use any other salty meat to hand - ham, bacon, pancetta, proscuitto, chopped up salami all will do. 

Ingredients

1 cup of risoni or orzo
2 or 3 chorizo sausages cut up into slices
a cup of baby spinach leaves - or rocket or basil if you prefer
200gm basil pesto - make it yourself if you like or use a brought one from the chilled section. I wouldn't recommend the ones you can get in the non chilled aisles they always just seem a bit too oily (which I assume is to help preserve them).
Good quality olive oil
Shavings of parmesan or if you don't like parmesan then some chopped feta is nice
optional toasted nuts - pinenuts or walnuts whatever you like for sprinkling on top at the end. 
Salt and pepper

In a pot cook the risoni or orzo according to directions. Usually takes about 10 mins of boiling in salted water. Drain the pasta once cooked making sure to keep a tablespoon or two of the water that the pasta has been cooked in aside.

Depending on your preference you can cook the chorizo with a little olive oil in a frying pan. If using bacon or pancetta cook lightly and then once cool chop. Depending on your taste and the strength of taste of the chorizo I sometimes just leave as it as it has been dried and won't kill you eaten this way. Same with the ham of course or the salami if using, just chop up.

Combine the pesto and a splash of olive oil just to loosen it up as a dressing.

Once the pasta is cooked, cool for about 5 minutes and then combine with the sausage and spinach. Add the dressing and the pasta water and toss. Taste and season as you like. Finally sprinkle over the cheese and the nuts and serve. How easy is that? Serve on its own for two or with bbq meat as a side. 

For something a bit more substantial you can serve risoni or orzo with a tomato base and roasted veges.  I used capsicum, red onion eggplant and zucchini in the recipe below but you can add or take away as you choose.  Ive made this dish with pumpkin or kumara or artichoke from the jar, olives and capers. 

Also with the sauce some porcini which has been rehydrated in some boiling water can give it a great flavor.

Ingredients are:

1 cup of risoni or orzo

Veges:
1 capsicum deseeded and sliced
1 red onion quartered
1 zucchini sliced lengthwise  and then halved
1/2 a large eggplant sliced lengthwise and then halved
1/2 a garlic bulb wrapped in foil
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:
1 x can of tomatoes chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
a few slices of pancetta or bacon chopped
1 teaspoon of thyme - I prefer fresh
1/2 teaspoon of chill flakes - leave out if you dont like spice
1 tsp sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Garnish
Basil leaves chopped or whole or if you don't have basil use italian parsley chopped roughly
freshly grated parmesan

Cook the pasta according to directions and retain 2 tablespoons of the pasta water after cooked. Drain the pasta and set aside. 

To roast the veges start by preheating the oven to 200 degrees.  Put all the veges bar the garlic in a large roasting dish and toss with the two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic in foil to the side of the pan and roast for 20 minutes in the oven. Watch the veges as the zucchini tends to cook the quickest and may need to be pulled out earlier.

Meanwhile if using porcini mushrooms put them in a bowl with a few tablespoons of boiling water to rehydrate. 

For the sauce heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion until tender. Add the pancetta, garlic and chill if using and salt. Fry for 1 minute.  

Add the tomato, thyme, strained porcini (water reserved) and stir. Bring the sauce pan to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. If its a bit dry or you want to wetter add the porcini liquid to the pot at the end. 

Place the cooked pasta in a bowl. Add the sauce and the veges and a good handful of the parmesan. Add the basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Final note you can replace macaroni with risoni or orzo for anew play on mac n cheese. Use it instead of arborio rice in risotto like dishes. Ill provide some more recipes soon.

Enjoy

Me xx