Bake Bake Bake

...why yes, I did watch the Great British Bake Off last night. How did you know?

This morning I made 4 shortcrust pastry tartlets using this recipe. Tonight I will make a caramelised red onion and goats cheese filling.

I've also baked a big white loaf. This was made using one of mum's cooking books. I've attempted the loaf quite a few times this summer and feel like I'm getting closer. I will detail more about the loaf when I feel I have mastered it.

xxx

Roast Chicken Stuffed with Mozzarella, Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

Mum has been a busy bee at work lately, so I thought I'd make her something tasty for dinner!

This is so so simply to make,
Simply pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees
Slice each chicken breast (same as number of guests) like a sandwich
Spread with pesto, then layer with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes
Bake until the chicken cooked through (white)
Take out of the oven, glaze the top with butter and cook for a further 5 minutes.

I've served this on a bed of salad, but would be lovely with homemade wedges for hungry hungry hippos.

xxx

Pesto & Cheddar Savoury Muffins

These Pesto and Cheddar Savory Muffins made a delicious alternative dinner. I actually made 6 of these for three people, but I think it would be nice next time to try and make them twice as big so each person can have one big old muffin to themselves. 

(The following recipe has been adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

50g Butter
175g Plain Flour
2 Tspn Baking Powder
1/2 Tspn Paprika

2 Eggs
125ml Milk

80g Cheddar Cheese
20g Pine Nuts
6 Tspns Pesto

Recipe:
1) Preheat the over at 180 degrees and prepare your baking tray with muffin cases (I use silicon cases) 

2) Gently melt the butter over a low heat. Once done, do not clean the pan. Pour the butter into a small bowl and beat with the milk.
3) Lightly toast the pine nuts in the pan you used for the butter.
4) In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, baking powder and paprika together.
5) Add the egg mix to the flour mix and fold in. The end result will be slightly lumpy.
7) Spoon this mixture into a muffin case until half full, then add a tspn of pesto on top and fill up the case with more mixture.
8) Sprinkle the lightly toasted pine nuts on top.
9) Bake for 25 minutes. 

Served with roasted vegetables, crisps, some of Mum's lovely handmade bread and a nice glass of chilled white wine.

They were delicious and satisfyingly filling. I will definitely be up for making them again! I'd also really like to try making a savory muffin that doesn't rely so much on cheese. I just found this recipe for a vegetable muffin and think I will be giving it a go soon. 

xxx

Summer Fete Bakeathon

From the loving request of my Nan, I have been busy baking away for the Hayling Island Summer Fete. I managed to rustle up four delicious batches of cupcakes. For these I used a mixture of online recipes + a few variations that I will describe below.

Chocolate Cupcakes

An essential dessert for any fete!

(6 cakes) The sponge recipe was taken from this link.
For the frosting I whisked together 100g butter, around 1 tbspn of coco powder and 100g of icing sugar. But this link as a pretty awesome chocolate frosting recipe.
The garnish was made from sifted icing sugar and a malteser.

Banana Muffins 

They came out beautifully, I would strongly recommend making these!

(8 cakes) The sponge was made using this recipe, and I am definitely keeping that somewhere safe!
The frosting was a simple butter cream. If you haven't made it before, this is a pretty good guide (though I would use Vanilla Extract instead of food colouring).
To garnish, I used British style cake toppings and more maltesers.

Strawberry & Cream Cupcakes

Very British, perfect for a Summer Fete.

(8 cakes) For these delicious summer treats, I used this recipe. Whilst the sponge was lovely, the icing was terribly runny. I would suggest using a fraction of the suggested strawberry puree (more like 50g).

For the garnish I simply used some delicious British strawberries. 

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Because I freakin love Lemon Curd!

(12 cakes) To make the sponge I used this recipe, although they tasted great, I was disappointed at the density of the sponge and highly recommend looking for an alternative recipe.
I also used a Delia Smith Lemon Curd recipe instead of the one specified in this recipe. It was from her book Winter Collection. Great book.
The frosting was a simple icing (icing sugar + water) which I mixed with the Lemon Curd.

Apparently they were all bought. I'm relieved.

xxx

Black Forest Gateau Cupcakes

Cupcakes are all the craze at the moment, so as a present to my family I decided to take the classic Black Forest Gateau as a cupcake.

To make them, I followed this recipe.

Also, although the recipe says it makes just 6.... I managed to make 16??? (Can't complain really!)

This recipe was loved by everyone, so I think it's going to become a regular. 

xxx

Arancini Di Riso (Yum)

I won't pretend that these didn't take a long time...(mostly because I took no shortcuts)... however, they were worth it!

There are several stages to making these.
Firstly you make a stock (I've previously blogged about how I did this)
Then you need to make the risotto (Mine was similar to this recipe, plus chicken!)
Finally you need to make the breadcrumbs, which I did using homemade bread.

(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
400g Risotto
6 chunks of Mozzarella
6 tspns Tomato Chutney
Flour
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Salt & Pepper

Recipe:
1) Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and sprinkle flour on a baking tray
2) Roll up the mozzarella & tomato chutney in 6 balls of risotto
3) Cover each ball with flour
4) Beat the eggs and then cover each ball in the egg
5) Add salt & pepper to the breadcrumbs, then cover the balls in this mixture.
6) Place the balls on the floury tray and cook for 25 minutes, until golden.

xxx

Humble Chicken & Mushroom Pie

This is a really simple pie, but really tasty!

Serves 4 Hungry Hippos or 6 Average Joes

Ingredients:

1 Ready Roll Puff Pastry

250g of Cooked Chicken 

2 Rashes of Bacon (optional)

1 Onions Diced

2 Leeks Sliced

400 ml Chicken Stock

3 Tbspns Creme Fraiche

1 Tbspn Granulated Sugar

1 Tspn Chilli Pepper

1 Tspn Mixed Herbs

Salt & Pepper to season

Butter for cooking

Milk to glaze

Recipe:
1) Preheat the oven at 180 degrees

2) Fry the onions & leek in the butter and sugar on a medium heat until golden (add in Bacon when the onions have softened).

3) Add in the chicken, chilli pepper, mixed herbs and season.

4) Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.

5) Take off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche.

6) Pour the cooked ingredients into a casserole dish. 

7) Layer the pastry over the cooked ingredients, roll up the edges and trim off excess. You can use the excess pastry to make leafs etc for a topping. Cut slices in the pastry to allow pie to fully cook.

8) Glaze pastry with milk so pastry browns.

9) Cook in oven for 45min - 1 hour, until pastry in golden. 

To serve I made a cheese and herb mash and roasted some carrots.

Enjoy xxx

Why You Should Buy The Chicken Whole

Well, it's been a little while since I've blogged. I ended up needing to spend all my time studying for finals... but I've still been making, baking and sewing!

This post is about why I buy full chickens instead of just chicken breast, and the simply answer is stock!

Firstly... it looks like this.... 

Ingredients:
1 Chicken
3 Tbsp of Honey

Salt & Pepper

Recipe:

1) Preheat oven at 180 degrees.
2) Season chicken and wrap in tin foil.

3) Place chicken upsidedown and cook in oven for 45 minutes
4) Turn chicken over, open the foil so the bird is exposed and pour honey ontop. 

5) Cook in oven until cooked through and golden on top (around 45minutes - 1 hour)

With the cooked chicken I made:

Chicken, Mayo and Sweetcorn Bloomers on Homemade Bread

Homemade Chicken & Vegetable Pizzas with Garlic Bread

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Secondly, with a full chicken you get to make stock

Ingredients:

Chicken Bones & Left Over Chicken

Roughly Chopped Root Vegetables (Onions, Carrots, Potatoes) 

Mixed Herbs

Salt & Pepper

Water

Recipe:

1) Simply put all the chicken bones, left overs and vegetables into a large pan and cover it all with water.

2) Season with herbs, salt and pepper.

3) Bring to boil and then leave to simmer for 2 hours
(The longer you leave it simmering, the more concentrated the stock. However, always make sure the bones are covered in water)

4) Sieve out bones, meat and vegetables and leave the liquid to cool.

With the stock I was able to make:

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Chicken Risotto, which afterwards I made into Chicken Arancini De Riso 

And I can promise you, every meal was delicious!

In time I hope to blog about the recipes for each of these, but for the time being I hope you are convinced to buy your chickens whole

xxx

Homemade Millionaire Shortbread

It's now the end of term, so it's time to eat up all my random food before I head home for Easter. This is what happens when I find a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk in my cupboard....

Homemade Millionaire Shortbread!!!

Ingredients:

 For The Base:

   12 Digestive Biscuits
   100g Butter

 For The Filling:

   120g Butter
   75g Brown Sugar

   2 Tablespoons Honey

   390g Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 can)

 For The Topping

   225g Milk Chocolate (I'd suggested buying a nice bar of chocolate)

Recipes:
1) Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, grease & line a cake tin with grease proof paper.
2) For the base, melt the butter and crush all the biscuits. Slowly add the melted butter to the biscuits as you mix them together.
3) Cook in the oven for about 12 minutes and then leave to cool.
4) For the filling, pour all the ingredients into a sauce pan. Mix together on a low heat until all the ingredients has joined together and become fairly thick. Pour over base mixture and leave to cool.
5) Melt the chocolate, pour over the filling mixture. Leave to cool for around 2 hours in the fridge.
6) Lift the Millionaire Shortbread out of the tin, peel off paper.
7) Cut using a hot knife.

xxx

Mama's Good Ol' Chicken Stew

So us girlies are taking turns on cooking this year. Last night, it was my turn!!!
I thought I'd make a Chicken Stew.. nom nom nom. So I got all my lovely ingredients, had a quick 'mum-help-me' style phone call & I was ready. Here is my finished strew:

And here is my mother's delicious and simple (but time consuming) recipe:

Ingredients (serves 4 very hungry people):
4 Chicken Legs
2 Onions
2 Potatoes
2 Carrots
1/2 Suede
4 of so leaves of Cabbage
1/2 Cup (I used 1/3 mug) of broth mix
1 pint of water
Mixed Herbs
Salt & Pepper
Flour
Olive Oil
1 Pint of Water
1/2 Chicken Stock Cube (optional)

Recipe:

Preheat the oven at 2140 degrees.

Pour some flour, salt & pepper into a mixing bowl. Put the chicken legs in & cover them with the flour mix. (This will help keep the yummy chicken juices in later)

Chop up your onions & fry until lightly brown. Whilst they are frying dice your carrots and suede into bite-able chunks. Add these into frying pan with the browning onions until all the veg is turning golden. Then remove from heat & pour into a casserole dish.

Using the same frying pan, fry your floured chicken legs until golden brown (make sure they are sealed all over). Then add into the casserole dish. Do not clean the frying pan yet! Let it cool a little & then add 1 pint of water into the pan to soak up all the chickeny juices. Add this water into the casserole dish.

Chop up the cabbage & potato into bite-able chunks, add to casserole dish. Season the strew with salt, pepper & mixed herbs. Put into the oven.

After 1 hour add the broth mix to the stew. Check the water level is still slightly higher than the veg, if not add more water. Also, taste the stew. If it is not chickeny enough, add 1/2 a chicken stock cube. Cook for another hour.

Serve hot.

xxx

Vegetable Tart for Two

This is the perfect quick fix dinner for a hungry boyfriend and a health conscience girl :)

Ingredients:

1 pack of ready to roll puff pastry
1 tin of mix beans in chilli sauce (Tesco calls it a Taco sauce)
1 Onion
1 Leek
About 8 Plum Tomatoes
1 Chicken Breast (Optional but keeps the boyfriend happy)
1 Yellow Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Butter (Optional)
Olive Oil
Grease proof paper
Baking beans (Dried Beans)
A baking tray


Recipe:

Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and let it rest until it is room temperature (otherwise it will crack when you roll it out). Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.

Cut the puff pastry into shape (I cut around a 12inch cake tin & made two tarts for this meal but you can make a big rectangle tart for ease). Score 1cm around the edge of the pastry (this area will become your crust). If you want to impress, butter the crust to make the pastry golden.


Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes (bake without the topping). To do this cut some grease proof paper into the shape of the inside of the tart. Put the paper on the tart and cover with baking beans (This weighs down the tart while allowing the crust to rise).


Whilst the pastry is cooking its time to chop up your vegetables (& chicken). Fry the onion for about 1 minutes then add the leek (and chicken). Fry for 3 minutes (until the chicken in white) and then add the other vegetables. Season the mix with salt & pepper. Fry until the vegetables are completely cooked.


The pastry should be ready during this time. Take it out the oven, remove the baking beans & paper and pour the beans in chilli sauce into the tart. Put back in the oven for another 2 minutes, until the beans are hot.


Take out the pastry, add the vegetables and serve hot. Yum :)