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Sage & Onion Chicken Loaf

17 January 2013 in Budget Beater, Cheap and cheerful, Easy to prepare

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It’s that time of year where we all bemoan our diminished bank balances, yes January is the ultimate Salticrax month.

This easy-to-make, economical Chicken Loaf is very versatile it can be served cold with salads or warm with roast potatoes, veggies and gravy. It’s great in sandwiches too, once refrigerated it can be sliced quite thinly.

350g skinless chicken breasts

4 pork sausages skin removed

1 small onion chopped

a handful of raisins or chopped dried fruit (optional)

1 pkt of Paxo sage & onion stuffing * or you can make your own from scratch here.

Heat your oven to 180 c and grease a loaf tin.

Chop the chicken into cubes and using a food processor blitz the chicken into very small pieces (but not mush) and place in a bowl.

Following the instructions on the packet mix the stuffing with boiling water, do not add the oil.

Add the onions, sausage meat, stuffing, fruit and the chicken and mix together.

Press into your greased loaf tin, cover with foil/lid and bake  for 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes to brown the top a little.

Serves 6+

* Paxo stuffing is sold at most supermarkets, Ina Parman also does a version but I find Checkers Heritage brand to be the most economical.

 

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Leftover Gammon & Caramelised Onion Quiche

30 December 2012 in Easy to prepare

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We did our best I promise, the two of us manfully ate gammon ad infinitum but there was still some lurking in the fridge. Luckily  friends from Johannesburg were passing through on their way to Durban and I invited them for a light lunch, I promise there was absolutely no ulterior motive! :)

Pastry

250g cake flour

125g butter cubed

iced water

1 egg mixed with a little milk for egg wash

Filling

1 medium onion sliced

a knob of butter or a little oil for frying

175g gammon cubed

275g cheddar cheese (I used 200g cheddar and 75g Parmesan)

3 eggs + what’s leftover from the egg wash above

250ml fresh cream (you could use half milk, half cream)

Seasoning

Grease your pie dish and heat your oven to 180c

I make my pastry using the K-beater on my Kenwood mixer, you could also use a food processor. All that rubbing butter into the flour by hand ….life’s too short!

Put your flour into the bowl together with the cubed butter and on a slow speed mix until it resembles breadcrumbs, with the motor still running add the water a little at a time until the pastry forms. Wrap in clingwrap and leave in the fridge for 20/30 minutes.

Roll out on a floured surface and line your pie dish, I used my new oblong dish but a regular round 22cm jobby will be fine. I prefer to use a metal pie dish, I think the pastry is crispier.  Put the whole thing back in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake the casing blind I also like to prick the bottom of the casing with a fork, bake for 10 minutes, allow to cool a little, brush with the egg wash and pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Egg washing helps the base stay crisp

Cool before adding the filling.

Fry onion in butter until soft and golden.

Sprinkle half of the cheese onto the cooled base, add the cubed gammon and the onion.

Whisk the eggs, cream and seasoning until combined and pour over, sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until risen and golden.

Straight out of the oven

 

PS Cooked gammon freezes well, I have frozen a 200g bag of cubes to be used in another quiche,  on top of a pizza or even in a macaroni cheese.

Update: 01/01/13, my Mum decided to use up her gammon as well, looks good Mum!

 

 

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In My Kitchen – December 2012

10 December 2012 in In My Kitchen

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Celia over at Fig Jam & Lime Cordial started this monthly round-up of what’s in peoples kitchens, I think it satisfies the nosiness in us all. If you want to see what other bloggers around the world have in their kitchen then click on this link.

In my kitchen….

….is a gift from my friend Nikki, lovely fresh veg from her Dad’s garden in Howick.

In my kitchen….

…is another win! I know, I know, I can hear you all saying “not again!” but in my defence I do enter a lot of competitions. I haven’t had time to have a good look at the book yet, but Himself has used the snazzy tongs with built-in LED light! Thank you Food and Home magazine. The Ultimate Braai (barbecue) Master is a tv program that has just aired in South Africa, the teams had to cook in some very difficult situations all over the country.

In my kitchen….

….is this cute little scoop I got in England, I bought a whole load of old cutlery for buttons and this was one of my finds. If you look closely you will see it measures 1/4 cup.

In my kitchen….

….is this slightly indulgent present to myself, Yuppiechef are having a 12 days of Christmas sale and this was offered for virtually half price……..my box of happy!

In my kitchen…..

….is this gorgeous gift of delicious salt from my friend Rachel, I love the little glass container.

In my kitchen…

….are these little bowls, I use them for individual servings of pate, etc. I bought them at the Grahamestown festival years ago. It was a girly road trip, we saw some wonderful theatre, stayed in a very strange B & B that was stuck in a 70′s time-warp, ate out everyday at some fascinating places, some of which only operate during the festival. One night we would be eating in a church hall, the next in someone’s dining room, at one place Pieter Dirk Uys was on the next table.  I remember I drove us all the way home, over 12 hours and because we’d been partying for the entire week, everyone else slept the whole damn way!

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Dinner Diva recipes

1 December 2012 in Dinner Divas, Economical

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Quite a few people have asked me to put up the recipes that featured in the latest episode of Dinner Divas, my congratulations to my opponent Anel of Lifeisazoobiscuit, click on the link to check out her winning curried goat.

Here are my step-by-step instructions for making a rolled pavlova, I have no idea why the judges felt it wasn’t sweet enough as there are 8 TBSP’s sugar in there?! You can use any fruit you fancy, as you can see in the pic, this one uses tinned passion fruit.

(Click on the photographs to be taken to the recipes)

Now on the other hand, the judges thought my balsamic chicken was too sweet? but as it has been one of my most popular recipes and I’ve had so much favourable feedback, I will take that with a pinch of salt.

Talking of salt, one judge thought I was too heavy handed with the salt and another complained that I didn’t season my food enough? *bangs head on desk* :)

 

The cheese damper got the thumbs up from Food24 editor Caro.

 

Chilled Vichyssoise Soup

2 fat leeks cleaned and chopped

1/2 medium onion chopped

1/2 cup (125ml) celery chopped

1 TBSP (15ml) butter

600ml fish stock

3 medium potatoes peeled and sliced

3 TBSP (45ml) fresh cream

Seasoning to taste

Melt the butter in a pan and add the leeds, onion and celery, fry gently until soft, you don’t want them to brown.

Add the stock and the potatoes and cook until they are cooked through.

Cool and using a blender, blend until smooth.

Add the cream and seasoning.

If the soup is too thick, add some milk to thin it a little.

Chill in the fridge.

****

Salmon & Cucumber Jellies

Approx. 1/2 and English cucumber finely chopped

2 spring onions finely chopped

65g salmon chopped (I buy the off-cuts as they are much cheaper)

5ml gelatine

1/4 cup hot chicken stock

1 tsp lemon juice

black pepper to taste

In a small bowl place the gelatine, add the hot chicken stock, mix thoroughly and add to the cucumber/salmon mix, stir well.

Add the lemon juice and the black pepper to taste.

Place in 4 greased moulds and put in the fridge to set.

(I use plastic moulds available from any packaging shop, they are cheap, can be used many times and it’s much easier to unmould. All you do is slide a sharp knife between the set jelly and the side of the mould to cause an air bubble and they will release easily. As they are transparent you can also see what you are doing.)

Place the jelly in the centre of a soup plate and then gently surround it with the chilled soup.

Serves 4

 

 

 

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Need to whip up a cheap plate of eats?…..

28 November 2012 in Cheap and cheerful, Easy to prepare

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One of the sponsors of Dinner Divas is Rhodes Food and each contestant received R750 of Rhodes vouchers……in R10 denominations!

 

So off I went to Checkers, grabbed a selection of their products and marched to the till clutching my wad of barter. The lady looked at the vouchers, looked at me with great suspicion and told me I could use only one voucher at a time!

*Cue camera to me in Spar*  Now Spar seem to stock different Rhodes items, so I loaded up, as-ya-do when it’s for free. Lady at the till looks grimly at vouchers, peers at vouchers some more and declares that I must only buy tomato products…..cos that’s the picture on the voucher!

Pick n Pay were the only supermarket to take the vouchers without a hassle, they even gave me change!

Anyway, here I am trying out some products I have never used, and presented with a tin of curried butter beans I came up with the following…..

Curried butter bean spread

1 tin Rhodes butter beans in curry sauce

Red onion

Fresh tomatoes

Cucumber

Grated carrot

Fresh coriander

Fresh chilies to taste

Seasoning

Empty your tin of butter beans (juice as well) into a blender and buzz until you get it as smooth as you can. Place in a container and put in the fridge to chill, this does not have the consistency of a dip, nor is it a pate, it’s more of a spread.

Chop the ingredients for the sambal and mix, I haven’t given exact amounts here, you be the judge of how much you want.

Rotis

1.5 cups flour

½ tsp salt

1.5 TBSP oil

Hot water to form a dough

Butter for spreading

Oil for frying

Mix the flour and salt and add oil, using a mixer or your hands mix until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add the hot water gradually with the motor still running until you get a soft dough.

Roll out on a floured surface until it’s about 25 x 25 cm.

Spread butter over the dough and then roll it up.

Cover with a tea towel or cling and leave for 30 minutes.

Cut off pieces of dough and form into small balls.

Roll out each ball into a thin disc.

Heat a thick bottom pan, smear with a little oil and fry the discs until they look like this.. 

 

The combination of the spread topped with the sambal in the roti was really good, this is a tasty, economical dish to serve with drinks or to take along when you get asked to bring a plate. The tin of butter beans cost R9.99, rotis are very cheap to make and the sambal/salsa can be a combination of anything you happen to have in your fridge.

Rhodes also gave us these huge chopping boards, it amazed me that I was allowed to take mine onto the flight home as hand luggage, no sharp objects mind….but let the old duck on with a lethal weapon! :)

 

Disclaimer: I wrote this post of my own volition, I was not remunerated.

 

 

 

 

 

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Easy to make, cherry yogurt pie

20 November 2012 in Baking, Easy to prepare, Economical

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Before you turn-tail thinking this dessert looks too difficult, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you open a tin, a packet of biscuits, and a tub of yogurt? I’m not kidding, this pud is a piece of the proverbial urine!

I was given this recipe by my friend Chantelle, who sadly doesn’t blog anymore. Normally I make it in my round pyrex glass pie dish, but regular readers will know that I recently bought myself a posh rectangular loose bottomed tin.  Also I had a jar of pitted cherries lurking in my cupboard crying out to be used. You could use any fruit, fresh, canned, bottled, or nothing at all, it’s delicious all by itself.

Don’t ask me how this recipe sets, I have no explanation, but the 10 minutes in the oven is all it takes, trust me.

1 pkt tennis biscuits, crushed

125g melted butter

500ml yoghurt – flavour of your choice

1 tin condensed milk

Fresh fruit, tinned fruit or bottled fruit for topping (optional)

1/2 pack jelly – flavour of your choice

1/2 cup (125 ml) boiling water or juice from tinned or bottled fruit heated.

***

Heat your oven to 180c

Grease/spray your tart container

Mix the melted butter and the crushed biscuits, form a base in your container and place in the fridge for 15/20 minutes to firm up.

Mix yogurt and condensed milk together in a bowl and pour over chilled biscuit base.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes only.

Take out of the oven and cool in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Mix half the jelly with your 125 ml boiling liquid, allow to cool, but not too much. It mustn’t be set, just gloopy.

Place your fruit on your tart and using a spoon carefully drizzle the jelly over the fruit, put back in the fridge until set, and that’s it. Told you it was easy!

 

 

 

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Salmon & Horseradish Fish Cakes

13 November 2012 in Easy to prepare, Seafood

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This is my second entry into the Sea Harvest Cooking Challenge. In my previous entry of Quick and Easy Salmon with a Crispy Parmesan Crust I only used two of the portions in the box, which left 3. These fish cakes were a hit with Himself, great for a meal or a starter.

The packet of Sea Harvest salmon cost R79.99 but considering what I was able to do with the 5 steaks it contained I think it went quite far, I fed the two of us 3 meals from one box.

5 medium potatoes peeled and diced (they made just over 400g of mashed potato)

1 medium onion peeled and diced

3 portions Sea Harvest Salmon Steaks

5 tsp (25 ml) horseradish sauce (see my guide below)

1 TBSP (15 ml) parsley chopped

1 TBSP (15 ml) cream cheese

1 TBSP (15 ml) cake flour

Seasoning to taste

2 eggs beaten

Breadcrumbs

Oil

***

Cook the potatoes until soft and mash, do not add any butter or milk.

Gently fry the onion until soft.

Cook the salmon steaks as per the instructions on the box that suit you. I placed the steaks in a dish, brushed them lightly with olive oil and baked for 18 minutes @ 200c.

Cool the fish, peel off the skin and flake.

Into a large bowl put the mashed potato, cooked onions, flaked fish, parsley, cream cheese and a couple of teaspoons of horseradish (best to start off with a little and add more according to your taste)

Mash everything together, add seasoning and taste (remember everything is cooked)

When you are happy with the taste then add a little beaten egg (about 1/3 of 1 egg) you don’t want the mixture too mushy,  the remainder of the beaten eggs is used for the coating.

Place in the fridge for 15/20 minutes, then using floured hands form the mix into fish cakes.

In a bowl place the remaining beaten egg, in another put the breadcrumbs.

Dip the fish cakes into the egg mixture first and then into the breadcrumbs.

Put back into the fridge to firm before cooking.

I like to fry my fish cakes in a little oil, quickly browning both sides then I transfer them to the oven where I cook them on 180c for about 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown all over.

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Green Fingers?

8 November 2012 in Vegetarian

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Whenever I am in England I buy cress, it’s lovely in sarmies & salads and has a distinct peppery taste.  I’ve never understood why it’s not available here and we will completely gloss-over how the seeds found their way to our shores!

Back in 2011 I sowed some of the seeds with very poor results, my surname might be Green but clearly the fingers aren’t! I put the remaining seeds in a drawer and forgot about them until last week. This time I used a seedling-mix soil, made sure it was very damp and scattered the seeds on top. I used small spay bottle to water them and left them on the kitchen windowsill.

The next morning you could see little growths which was encouraging and I made sure I keep them well watered.

Day 3.

Day 4 was even more exciting! Obviously having deep and meaningful conversations with the cress worked.

Day 5

Day 6

Yes, I did bring a tin of Spam back for Himself, and he enjoyed it too. I thought it would be fun to grow my cress in the tin. Pity we chowed it all, I’m sure the addition of some cress would have lifted the Spam to new culinary heights! :)

In the meantime here is a classic British sandwich, egg & cress, watch out Alan Titchmarsh…..

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Quick & Easy Salmon with a Crispy Parmesan Crust

4 November 2012 in Easy to prepare, Seafood

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I’m the first to admit that I am not very good with fish, which, when you consider my maiden name was Gill makes me want to hang my head in abject shame! I blame my school days personally, years of being known as Fish Face has to leave it’s mark! :)

I go into panic mode, convinced I am going to over or under cook it. This recipe that I got from my Mum is very easy to prepare and cook, it hasn’t let me down once.

This is my entry into the Sea Harvest competition, click the link to read more about it.

2 Sea Harvest Salmon Steaks

A grind of pepper

2 TBSP Cheese

Lemon rind from 1/4 of a lemon grated

1 TBSP thinly sliced spring onion (the green part)

1/2 clove of garlic grated

60 ml fresh breadcrumbs

30 ml Parmesan grated

1 TBSP parsley chopped

1 TBSP coriander chopped

Paprika to dust

***

Preheat oven to 200c.

Grease/spray an ovenproof dish, I prefer to use a metal dish as it conducts the heat better.

Defrost two portions of salmon.

When defrosted remove from plastic wrapping, pat dry with kitchen towel and season with pepper.

Mix the cheese, garlic, grated lemon rind and sliced spring onions in a small bowl.

Then mix the fresh breadcrumbs* grated Parmesan, parsley and coriander in a second bowl.

Spread the cheese mixture onto the salmon steaks and then sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix, dust with a little paprika.

Place in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes tops.

Serves 2

 

* To make fresh breadcrumbs all you need to do is tear a slice of bread up, pop it into your blender or processor and blitz until you have crumbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In My Kitchen – November 2012

1 November 2012 in In My Kitchen

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Celia of the blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial started this monthly initiative, to see more of what food bloggers from around the world have in their kitchens click here.

In my kitchen….

…is this jar of pickled onions that I made at the end of September, I think we shall give them a try this weekend with some nice mature cheddar and crusty bread, sometimes the simple things in life are just the best!

In my Kitchen…

…is an abundance of HP, I bought Himself the big bottle of sauce back from England and whilst I was there my Godfather gave me the recipe book as a gift, expect to see a recipe from it soon.

In my kitchen….

…are these cute poaching bags that I just had to try, they work, but you need asbestos hands to get the egg out and the triangular shape is a bit odd.

In my kitchen…

…is this bag of macadamia nuts that I thought were a bargain, I have made something rather yummy with some of them, stay tuned.

In my kitchen…

…is this rectangular tart tin, I’ve wanted one for ages but they are rather pricey here in South Africa and I couldn’t justify buying one as I have a perfectly good round one. This one was reasonable in England so I treated myself.

In my kitchen…

…is this rather cool silicone mat which I used to make this lovely old fashioned Cream Swiss Roll. I also want to use it to make a neater  Pavlova Roll.

 Click here to be taken to the Swiss Roll recipe.

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