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

What A Tart

Just spent a healthy 3 hours in the kitchen with my housemate (and another one who pleasantly sat and patiently waited for his tarts).

Raspberry Bakewells & Walnut Tarts

These tarts use exactly the same pastry & filling, but the raspberry ones have more toppings :D

Ingredients (to make 12)
 Pastry
   200g unsalted butter
   450g plain flour
   pinch of salt
(okay, we had some left over & made Jam Tarts!)
 Filling
   110g unsalted butter
   110g golden syrup
   1 tsp vanilla extract
   225g brown sugar
   3 eggs (beaten)

Walnut Tart Topping
   1 walnut halve for each tart
   50g icing sugar

Raspberry Bakewell Topping
   50g Raspberry Jame
   50g icing sugar
   1 raspberry for each tart

To make the pastry
1) Preheat the oven at 200 degrees
2) Sift the flour, add the butter diced and make into breadcrumbs.
3) Stir in salt, add 2-3 tsp of cold water
4) Knead mix into hard dough
5) Cling film and leave in fridge for 20 minutes
6) Meanwhile, butter and greaseproof paper a cupcake tray.
7) Roll out dough, cut into large circles (we used a mug) & then press into cupcake tray.
8) Blind bake the pastry in the oven for 20 minutes (Put more greaseproof paper on top of the pastry & pour dried beans into the middle of the pastries to hold to shape)
...whilst that bad boy's baking...

To make the filling
1) Put the butter, golden syrup, vanilla extract and sugar into a saucepan over a low heat until all the butter has melted.
2) Take off the heat. Add the eggs and mix well.
3) Once the pastry cases are done, remove the beans & greaseproof paper from their tops. Pour the filling into the pastry cases and bake for another 30 minutes. (Reduce the oven heat to 180 degrees)
4) Once cooked, leave on the side to cool.

For the Walnut Tarts
1) Make a fairly thick icing (icing sugar + water). Then, using a knife, dribble the icing over the tarts.
2) Place 1 walnut half on top.

For the Raspberry Bakewells
1) Spread a spoonful of raspberry jam over the top of each tart.
2) Make a fairly thick icing (icing sugar + water). Then, using a knife, dribble the icing over the tarts.
3) Place 1 raspberry on top.

So good!!

xxx

 

The Pretty Way to Organise the Stairs

I saw someone do this on the internet, and thought it was a brilliant solution to stair mess.

To make these all you need is some baskets, card, ribbon & a pen.

Make pretty name tags with the card (I made a template with the notepad).

Then attach to the basket with the ribbon.

Guaranteed to tickle your cat's curiosity. 

xxx

Pancakes with Blueberries, Bacon & Golden Syrup

Who likes brunch? :)

Ingredients (makes 8 pancakes):
 For the Pancakes:
  200g Plain Flour
  50g Self Raising Flour
  Pinch of Salt
  2 Eggs
  1 Pint of Milk
  Butter for the pan
For the Topping:
  Lots of Bacon
  2 Handfuls of Blueberries
  A Generous Spoonful of Golden Syrup

Recipe:
1) Sift all the flour & salt into a bowl. Mix together.
2) Make a hole in the middle of the flour mix & pour in cracked eggs. Whisk together.
3) Slowly add in the milk as you continue to whisk. Once done,your batter is ready (though, if possible, leave overnight).
4) Fry the bacon.
5) Melt a lump of butter over the surface of the pan.
6) Pour in pancake batter. Allow to cook and then FLIP (my favourite part)!!! Allow to cook on both sides.
7) Plate up your pancake, bacon & blueberries. Then add a tasty spoonful of golden syrup.
8) Look at how happy your boyfriend now is...

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

Berry Muffins - The Birthday Brunch

So, it's been a long and work heavy month. However, my dissertation is nearly complete and I have the perfect excuse to do some baking...

It's my friend's birthday tomorrow. Although he doesn't know it yet, I've made him some Birthday Brunch Berry Muffins... and I'll tell you now, they are delicious (of course I've already tried one!). So, here are the delicious goods from my evenings bake....

Ingredients:
50g Fresh Blueberries
100g Mix Dried Berries (Strawberries, Cranberries, Raisins etc.)
100g Unsalted Butter
300g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
150ml Milk
25g Porridge Oats

Recipe:
1) Preheat the oven at 160 degrees. Place muffin paper cases in a muffin baking tray.
2) Cream the butter & sugar together until fluffy.
3) Slowly whisk in the eggs (one at a time).
4) Add in the milk & vanilla extract and whisk away!
5) Sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold into the mixture.
6) Add in the blueberries, dried fruit & oats. Mix well. (It should be quite a firm dough)
7) Separate dough into the muffin cases.
8) Cook for 30 minutes, until golden
9) Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then gobble them all!

I he likes the BIRTHDAY MUFFINS (and I hope you do too) !!!

xxx