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Friday 16 January 2015

Best BBQ chicken

Dear reader,

A huge welcome to Sue from our new life in the country. Lovely lady. X

In reply to one dear reader about salmon and scrambled eggs. We have smoked salmon (when on special and I freeze half of it for another day) I suppose poached salmon, flaked into the eggs would be just as good. I usually just tear ours up a little and put on the side with a squirt of lemon.

Uses for spinach? I like it throught veggie curry or steamed with chicken and flavoured with a drizzle of sesame oil or just fresh in a hot winter salad with bacon and chicken livers.

Tonight's dinner.


3 chicken breast, butterflied and fried in a little oil with a sliced onion

AF BBQ sauce over them-left to sizzle a bit

Breadcrumbed the top and topped with extra hot Mexicana cheese

Browned under the grill

Served with Italian veg and savoury rice-both microwave packets, lazy I know.

Have been out of the house for 11 hours and wanted fast and tasty winter grub.

It was delicious.

What's your signature dish?

Thursday 15 January 2015

Spicy chicken, butternut and sweet potato lasagne

Dear reader,

As we are both full time workers we like to make the most of our evenings at home, reading, blogging, watching television and eating.

I was intrigued by claims to make several meals in one go, freeze them raw, defrost the night before and into the slow cooker or crock pot the following morning.
Here's the link slow cooker recipes

One day of shopping, chopping and labelling seems a good idea if I can have several evenings of little food prep.

Tonight after having our shopping delivered last night I had chicken breasts and a bag of sweet potato and butternut squash. Hmmm....what to make?

We both love lasagne so I boiled the veg in water with a teaspoon of chicken Bovril for flavour. I diced the chicken and browned it with an onion and a garlic clove. Once the veg was cooked I drained it, reserving the water and mashed it. I added the chicken and onions and loosened with a little water. It tasted a bit bland so in went, a squirt of tomato ketchup, a squirt of HP sauce, a couple dashes Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of hot chilli sauce along with a good grind of pepper and a pinch of salt.

I made the White sauce by melting a knob of butter and adding flour. I like to let that cook a bit first. Then I added a dash of milk but used the rest of the water to make my sauce.

Big man had been given some hot, chilli cheeses for Christmas so I grated half of one into the sauce. Chef had to taste of course and it was gorgeous, creamy and tangy.

Then I layered up with lasagne sheets and it is now bubbling in the oven.

The remainder of the chilli cheese will go on top towards the end.

X

Wednesday 14 January 2015

finding food

Dear reader,

We have ripped out the larder this morning so we can put our fridge freezer in there and perhaps add a small table and chairs to the kitchen. I found a whole lot of lost and forgotten goodies.

BBQ sauces- about 20 of them from an old approved food order.
Pasta-spaghettie, lasagne sheets and some penne.
Tins of soup-x4
Tins of tuna
X4 tins of anchovy fillets-we like them in a salad or stuffed into a leg of lamb with garlic.
Some old salad seeds-went out for the birds
White rice-we are trying to eat brown so I will mix it.
Sultans, cherries and flour-a fruit cake of some description.

The freezer is pretty bare. A shepherds pie, a frozen chicken curry and one of vegetable. Smoked salmon and some mixed veg.

Today we will have the smoked salmon with eggs. We will have the veggie curry with the rice and h/m flatbreads and I will make a tuna pasta bake for tomorrow. Big man can have this with a jacket potato for his lunch.

I also found my old pasty making kit so will get some made tomorrow. We like cheese, onion and mashed potato in ours with a good grind of pepper.

A lasagne is also overdue and may jazz up a soup with some rice to make more of a meal.

The BBQ sauce will have to wait for some chicken breasts and we like melted cheese and olives on them.

What's on your dinner table this week?

X


Tuesday 13 January 2015

stress free slow cooking

Dear reader,

I have been trying to get organised and get a meal in the slow cooker most mornings so it's ready when we get home. With this wet and windy weather it's nice to have a hot meal waiting for us.

Yesterday was a simple chilli but made with quorn mince which I just put in frozen. A diced onion, clove or garlic, splash of chilli sauce and a tin of chopped tomatoes. ( I buy them whole and chop myself-cheaper) a squirt of tomatoe ketchup and left on low for 8 hours. Perfect on a jacket potato with grated cheese.

This morning I chopped two onions and a garlic clove. Most of my meals start like that!  I fried some chopped bacon that was lurking with a few mushrooms also chopped and diced two small potatoes. I had some pulses for stews, the ones with split peas, lentils and pearl barley that I had soaked and boiled. It all went in with an instant gravy. Thickened with a little cornflour and water when we got home. Just the sort of thick stew to have with bread.
We had no bread! Aaaggghhh.

I mixed warm water with flour and a drizzle of sesame oil as that was the only oil I had ( I use fry light) and made hot flatbreads. Perfect for wrapping round a large chunk of chicken and potato.

It was so quick and as I seem to be waking up really early most mornings I find it easier to prepare our meal then.

Has anyone seen the recipes from the woman who makes loads of meals for her slow cooker in one go and freezes them. Think I'm going to give it a go for working days anyway.

Happy stress free cooking. X

Saturday 10 January 2015

Don't forget the oldies

Dear reader,

How lovely, I've had over 200 "views" of my blog today which is fantastic for me as I've been quiet for a while now. One dear, wonderful reader has donated to adopt an oldie which is an animal rescue.
Here is the link in case you can spare £1http://www.oldies.org.uk/?cat=1

I will be matching any donations you lovely bloggers make. (Upto £100 just in case of any millionaires)

It's windy here, it's raining and miserable, please spare a thought for discarded animals or those who have been tied up outside and just left.

Thank you. X

Friday 9 January 2015

Get £93 for just £1

Dear reader,

Just to say if there's anyone out there who is looking to adopt a dog please google "adopt an oldie" there are some heart breaking stories on there but my goodness I salute these people who rescue discarded animals.

Maybe you could send one pound? In fact, if all my 93 followers on blogger send £1 each, I will send another £93. Go on, spare a quid.

Thank you