Another word about Garlic

I posted instructions on how to use garlic Here but I just wanted to pass on some information I have been given.

Whilst garlic adds a lot of flavour to many dishes, it does tend to have anti social side effects.  I am led to  believe by a knowledgeable source however, that if you cut the clove in half lengthwise and remove the centre fibre, which is sometimes green it will remove most of the pungent garlic odour  which hangs around for ages after eating it.
I have tried this but I can't vouch for the veracity of the statement as one cannot smell it on oneself, and as a general rule it tends not to be noticeable on another person if you also have consumed .

Chicken Veronique

This is so easy but sounds very luxurious.  It will impress your friends without breaking the bank and you won't break a sweat over it.

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 oz butter
• 1 tsp oil
• 3 medium mushrooms sliced
• 2 or 3 shallots or one small onion, chopped
• 50 mls dry white wine if you have it or 50 mls chicken stock
• Medium carton of cream
• ½ teaspoon tarragon
• Approx 12 seedless green grapes
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper

• Heat the butter and oil together in a frying pan. (If you are using something like flora you will not need the oil.  Butter burns very quickly so the oil is needed to prevent it burning.)
• Add the mushrooms and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan and reserve.
• Add the chicken breasts, cook them over a medium heat for around 15 minutes, turning two to three times.
• After the chicken has been in the pan for around 5 minutes add the onions,  tarragon and wine or chicken stock (made with a stock cube and water if you don't have ready made stock,  but don't use the whole stock cube for 50mls of stock.  It is best to make the stock according to the packet instructions and just take out the 50mls which you need.)  The liquid in the pan will reduce which is desirable but ensure that it doesn't all disappear thereby allowing the chicken to burn, add a little more liquid if you need to.
• After 15 - 20 minutes return the mushrooms to the pan and add the cream.  Bring to the boil for a few minutes until the cream thickens.
• Add the grapes to the pan and stir in salt and pepper to your taste but do be careful, if you have used a stock cube taste the sauce before adding salt to check how salty it already tastes.  Leave over a low light for about a minute 30 t0 60 seconds just to heat the grapes through, they do not need to be cooked.

I usually serve this with rice.

Curries

I have said elsewhere on here that curries don't need to be hot to be good, and I mentioned that on another site earlier today which made me think about a couple of things to do with curries.  Curry is about the combination of spices to provide flavour.  Different spices give a dish unique flavours and it is possible to pick out the spices by taste.  Some spices you will like and there will be others that perhaps you don't care for so much, personally I can live without turmeric.


In previous recipes I have offered a way of cooking dried spices to prepare your curry but you can also use fresh ones or a mixture of fresh and dried.  


I like to purée fresh chillis with garlic cloves, ginger and some dried or powdered spices like cumin or coriander with a little oil to make a paste.  The chillies and the ginger are going to be the ingredients which provide the most kick so the amount of those which you use will determine how hot your finished curry will be.   You can make quite a large batch and then pop enough for a single use into a used, clean yoghurt pot, wrap in cling film and keep in the freezer until you are ready for it.  


Slice your onions and cook in a little oil with the curry paste and diced meat until the onions are soft and all are coated with the paste then continue with your chosen recipe.   I have two preferences but there are many other variations.  I either make a tomato based sauce using either fresh, skinned tomatoes, or tinned tomatoes with the stalk end removed, or a creamy sauce using either coconut milk or yoghurt.  Yoghurt is much less expensive than coconut milk but doesn't have the same rich creamy flavour.  If cooking with yoghurt always mix a little of the yoghurt in a cup with a spoonful of cornflour to stabilise the mixture and stop it from curdling when it heats up.

• Curry paste
• Onion
• Other vegetables to your taste
• Your choice of meat
• Approx 1 tablespoon of oil
• Either 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of coconut milk or 1 pot of plain yoghurt
• Flour or cornflour to thicken

• Slice the onion and any other vegetables
• Cut the meat into cubes or strips
• Heat the oil in a large pan or wok
• Add meat and brown on all sides 
• Add onion/vegetables and curry paste
• Stir until onion is softened and all ingredients are coated with curry paste
• Stir in 1 spoon of flour (cornflour if you are using yoghurt) and coat the ingredients in the pan with it, cook for around a minute
• Remove from the heat and add either tomatoes, coconut milk or yoghurt (if using yoghurt mix a little of it in a cup with a teaspoon of cornflour - I know you may well have already added cornflour to the pan but I like to be sure)
• Return the pan to the heat and bring back to a boil then turn the heat right down and simmer.  The sauce may be too thick but you can let it down with some boiling water from the kettle until it is the desired consistency.
• Put a lid on the pan and cook gently until the meat is tender.

If you used yoghurt you may like to add about a teaspoon of tomato ketchup to the mixture and stir well before putting the lid on and leaving to cook.

Chicken in Tomato Sauce

I cannot believe that I haven't put this recipe on here before now.  It is a family favourite and  I was so convinced that I had posted it, that I came looking for it when I had a brain freeze moment whilst cooking dinner this evening.


This recipe really couldn't be simpler - I promise it is foolproof, you could almost do it with your eyes closed (unless you get a sudden brain freeze like I did).  Please don't try to do it with your eyes closed though - just saying.

• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• Chicken thigh or breast fillets cut into bite sized pieces (2 breast fillets for 1 or 2 people or  3 - 4 breast fillets or a pack of thigh fillets for about 4 people)
• 2 or 3 mushrooms
• 1 carrot sliced thinly
• 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
• I can of Cambells Condensed tomato soup
• (1 tablespoon of flour)

If you are making this with just a couple of chicken breasts for 1 or 2 people you don't need the flour.

1. Peel and slice your carrot
2. Slice the mushrooms
3. Put the oil into a pan and heat it then add the chicken and brown it
4. When the chicken is well browned, add the flour (if you are making the larger quantity).  Stir it in to the meat until it is well absorbed, then cook for a few minutes. Omit this step if just using a couple of fillets.
5. Add the contents of the can of soup.  If you have added flour, then you need to use the can and add 3/4 of a can of water. Stir well.
6. Add the carrots, mushrooms and mixed herbs, stirring them in well.
7. Bring to a good simmer but don't boil.  Put the lid on and cook for around 30 minutes stirring from time to time.

I usually serve this with pasta but you can use whatever you prefer.

Freezing for later use

Most of the recipes I have posted here are for more than one person which is fine if you are in a house with other people and you share the cooking.  If however, you are on your own you have the option of either dividing the measurements of the ingredients to make smaller amounts or you could cook the recipes as they are and freeze some for use at a later time.  This would provide for quick meals on those occasions when lectures go on till late or you have some other reason for being late home.  If you can take the food out of the freezer before you go out and leave it to defrost then you can cook it relatively quickly when you get in.   If you don't remember to get it out then most things can be thawed by microwaving it on the defrost setting.  
You do not have to buy expensive containers to store food in the freezer, thoroughly wash and dry your empty spread/butter containers & their lids and save until you need them, they are a good size for individual portions of food.  You could also save any empty plastic takeaway containers.   If you are making something like lasagne or cottage pie then you can buy foil trays with lids for a few pennies in Wilkinsons or in the supermarket.  If using the foil trays put the foiled side of the lid down onto the food and write on the cardboard side what is in the container and the date you froze it.  Do remember though that you cannot put the foil containers in the microwave.  Small self adhesive labels will stick to your plastic tubs to note what they contain and when it was frozen.

Hasselback Potatoes

I love these potatoes and they are very handy if you want roast potatoes in a shorter time, they are also a little healthier than ordinary roast potatoes as you leave the skins on use less fat.
Preheat oven to 200°c or gas 7
Take each potato and scrub clean under running water.  Place the potato on either a wooden or metal spoon and then slice through the potato sideways (the shorter way) to the lip of the spoon so that you don't cut right through the potato.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle each one with sunflower oil and then season with ground salt and pepper according to your preference.   I usually leave  them alone at this point but you can add grated cheese of your choice over the top or cut slices of cheese to stick in between each fan of the potato.


Bake for 35 to 40 minutes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

For this recipe a slow cooker is recommended but if you don't have a slow cooker  you can cook it in a low oven around gas 2 or 150°  for several hours.


This recipe is so easy to prepare and the result is rich, thick, hearty and so 
delicious it melts your heart.

• 6 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless is best)  I strongly recommend thighs as chicken breast meat tends to become dry and a little tasteless
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots peeled and sliced thinly
• 50g dried cranberries (sold as Craisins)
• 50 - 60g chopped dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves - crushed
• *1 - 2 teaspoons of Harissa Paste  (optional)
• 400 mls chicken stock (if you don't have any you can make it from a stock cube and water)
• 1 -2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 -2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• If your chicken thighs have skin and bone then remove and discard the skin then layer them in the bottom of the slow cooker
• Layer the fruit and vegetables over the top of the meat
• In a separate jug or basin mix the flour, stock, tomato puree, lemon juice, and spices together then pour over the meat etc in the slow cooker.  I suggest putting the flour into the basin first and adding a little liquid stirring it to make a paste, then gradually adding a more liquid stirring all the time to prevent lumps forming.
• Cook on high setting for a minimum of 6 hours but the longer you leave it the better it will be.

Serve with rice or cous cous and enjoy the lovely sweet richness of it all.


*Harissa Paste can be found near the spices in most good supermarkets.