Saturday 31 July 2010

Linguine with Snails, Sorrel, Tomato and Courgette

Another courgette recipe! I hope you're not getting bored of them yet, there's plenty more to come. I have so many of them! I bought a couple of tins of snails when I went to France last year as I really love them in the shells with parsley and garlic butter, but you get about 5 or 6 dozen in each tin so I have to find some alternative things to do with them. I also have a pot of sorrel which keeps reseeding itself. I haven't planted any since last year and it's still going strong, it adds a lovely flavour to this dish.

This was really easy to make, and very tasty as well. I am entering this into this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Check out her blog on Friday for the round up.



Linguine with Snails, Sorrel, Tomato and Courgette
(Serves 4)

24 snails (6 per person)
3 small zucchini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of sorrel
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
pinch of saffron
Zest of one lemon

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Put the saffron in a small bowl with a couple of tablespoons of boiling water.

Cut strips of courgette with a vegetable peeler. Sauté the strips of courgette in oil with a punnet of cherry tomatoes and crushed garlic. Put the saffron, snails and sorrel in cook for a couple of minutes. Season to taste, adding lemon zest.

Drain the pasta and toss though the snails and sorrel sauce. Serve.

Friday 30 July 2010

Courgette Stuffed with Cheese and Ham

In a bid to eat a good proportion of my courgettes, I thought I'd try a stuffed courgette recipe. I don't like mince, which poses a bit of a problem trying to find stuffed courgette recipes, after much searching I did find some cheese and ham recipes that used eggs, but I didn't have any, so I kind of made it up as I went along. I would recommend putting the top back on before putting it in the oven. I didn't and mine got a bit burnt on top and putting the top back on would solve this.



It was delicious. The courgette that I left round the sides had gone lovely and soft and the cheese had melted in the middle. Fantastic. I served it with a green side salad.

Courgette Stuffed with Ham and Cheese
(Serves 1)

1 round courgette
two slices of ham, chopped
grated cheddar cheese
50g cream cheese
25g breadcrumbs
1tbsp tarragon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200C

Chop the top of a round courgette and scoop the middle out of the courgette, but leave a bit of the flesh around the sides. Mix it in a bowl with the cream cheese, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, ham and tarragon.

Put the cheese, ham and courgette mixture back into the middle of the courgette. and put the top back on.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 mins until the courgette feels soft. Serve.

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Tex-Mex Fish Fillets

This is possibly one of the easiest recipes ever, you can use pretty much any white fish, I used Rock Fish which I got from a fish stall on a local market. I have never even heard of it before let alone tried it and wikipedia doesn't seem to give any clues, but it had a really soft texture and worked really well in this dish. Its basically fish, fajita seasoning, which I ways have lying around, pan frying and a squirt of guacamole. That's all there is to it.



I served it with cilantro and lime rice and tomato salsa. I also added coriander seeds to the rice as well as the fresh leaves and that increased the coriander taste.

Tex-Mex Fish Fillets (adapted from Good Food Magazine March 2007)
(Serves 4)

4 boneless white fish fillets (I used Rock Fish)
2 tbsp fajita seasoning or Tex-Mex seasoning
2 tbsp sunflower oil
200g pot guacamole

Put the fish in a zip-loc bag and add the seasoning, shake about and leave to marinate a bit.

Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan, then fry for 3-4 mins on each side until crisp.

Serve each piece of fish with a spoonful of guacamole on top and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Saturday 24 July 2010

Smudge the Cat and Rice, Black Bean and Avocado Salad

I finally got to bring Smudge home from Wood Green Animal Shelter. She has been totally entertaining since I got her home, exploring every inch of my flat including the bath,


chasing after flies and watching me eating dinner, which apparently was much more exciting than hers! She also has a couple of catnip mice which she seems to love and been really affectionate climbing on my knee and butting her head against my hand for strokes. After such a busy day she's now having a nap on one of the chairs in the living room.


I am so happy to have her home :)

A few weeks ago I got 5 avocados for £1 from the local market and I tried out this rice, black beans and avocado salad. It was incredibly easy to make and really delicious.



Rice, Black Bean and Avocado Salad (adapted from Good Food Magazine July 2009)
(Serves 4)

100g watercress
200g cooked basmati rice
1 x 400g tin black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, peeled, stoned and quartered
1 tsp ground cumin
olive oil
2 limes, juiced and zested
1 tsp tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

Put the rice, avocado, watercress and beans in a bowl and combine.

Mix the cumin, 1 tbsp oil, lime juice and zest and hot sauce and season. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

Thursday 22 July 2010

Bacon, Pea and Basil Macaroni

The cat is arriving on Saturday! Hurrah! She was spayed on Tuesday and was fine after the operation, so I spent yesterday cleaning up the house and setting all the cat stuff out. I am so excited!

I made this Bacon, Pea and Basil Macaroni at the weekend. My sister gave me a load of basil that she couldn't use and I needed to use up the bacon in my freezer so this seemed like the perfect meal. It was really tasty, but I think I like traditional macaroni cheese better, so if I made it again I'd use a bechamel sauce with cheese in like normal.

I am adding this to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Janet of The Taste Space. Check out her blog on Friday for the round up.



Bacon, Pea and Basil Macaroni (Good Food Magazine July 2009)
(Serves 4)

6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
2 leeks, finely sliced into rings
1 tbsp vegetable oil
140g frozen peas
400g macaroni
200g pack soft cheese
85g mature cheddar, grated
1 tbsp English mustard
small bunch basil, shredded

Fry the bacon and leeks in the oil for 10 mins until the bacon is golden and the leeks soft. Tip in the peas and heat through. Meanwhile, boil the pasta and heat the grill to high.

Reserve 150ml of the cooking water before you drain the pasta, then add it, the soft cheese, half the grated cheese and the mustard to the pan with the veg. Stir until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Stir in most of the basil and the pasta, then scatter with the rest of the cheese.

Grill for 2-3 mins until the cheese melts. Scatter with basil to serve.

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Spring Roll Bento

Just a quick entry today and a bento that I wanted to share with you.

I had this for lunch one day last week, and I actually like the mix of colours and flavours that went into it. Better than my normal attempts!

It contains: Prawn and Coriander Spring Rolls, Egg Fried Rice, Grated Courgette with Soy Sauce and Rice Wine Vinegar, Pickled Ginger and a Cat full of Sweet Chilli Sauce.

Monday 19 July 2010

Menu Plan Monday

I picked my first potatoes last week! It was so exciting! I've grown the potatoes in big tarpaulin bags so that I can pick them one or two at a time and I had such a fun time rooting around to find them.


I also have a load of courgettes and lettuces and the green beans are starting to come through. I'm still menu planning I just seem to keep forgetting to post them I really don't know where I'd be without them though. It makes sure that I use the ingredients in the fridge and don't spend lots of money on ingredients that never get used. My Menu Plan this week features lots of new recipes. I am really looking forward to the tuna burgers, its a Weight Watchers recipe and uses a tin of tuna. I bought 4 tins and am slowly using them up. I'm also trying stuffed courgettes for the first time to use up some of the bigger courgettes I've picked.

Sunday
Lunch: Sausage Sandwich
Dinner: Bacon, Pea and Basil Macaroni

Monday
Lunch: Crab Noodle Stir Fry
Dinner: Hummus, Carrot and Cucumber, Chorizo, Olives etc

Tuesday
Lunch: Chorizo and Cheese Salad
Dinner: Tuna Burgers, Baked Chips

Wednesday
Lunch: Minestrone Soup
Dinner:Cheese and Ham Stuffed Courgette

Thursday
Lunch: Broad Bean, Asparagus and Sorrel Risotto
Dinner: Stir Fried Spaghetti Bento with Carrots, Courgettes, Sausage and Pickled Ginger

Friday
Lunch: Quiche and Salad
Dinner: Sea Bass with Herby Butter, Potatoes and Veg

Saturday
Lunch: Courgette, Feta and Rice Salad
Dinner: Tex Mex Style Fish with Lime and Coriander Rice

Saturday 17 July 2010

Courgette Soup with Pasta and Herbs

I have a huge amount of courgettes, I've started giving them to friends and colleagues again but I still have loads which is why last Saturday, on one of the hottest days of the year, I made courgette soup! Not nice cold soup but courgette soup with pasta for the freezer. Needless to say it was very hot work! But delicious at the same time. This soup has a delicious herby flavour to it and the pasta adds an extra dimension texture wise making it filling too.

In other news still no cat or date for spaying the cat. I'm going to ring tomorrow to see if I can get some more information, otherwise I just have to wait.




Courgette Soup with Pasta and Herbs (adapted from Leiths Vegetarian Bible)
(Serves 4)

450g courgettes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 clove garlic, chopped
720ml vegetable stock
150ml white wine
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
55g small pasta shapes
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, shredded

Cut the courgettes into 1cm cubes. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry over a low heat until soft and transparent. Add the courgettes, cover and leave to sweat for 5 mins.

Pour in the stock and wine. Season with salt and pepper and add the chilli flakes and oregano. Simmer for 20-25 mins until the courgettes are tender. Blend until smooth and return the soup to the pan.

Cook the pasta in a separate saucepan according to packet instructions and when done add it to the courgette pan. Add the chives and basil to the soup and check the seasoning. Serve topped with a few parmesan shavings.

Thursday 15 July 2010

Prawns, Avocado and Mayo on Toast/Toastie

I came across a recipe for prawn and avocado toasties ages ago in one of Gordon Ramsey's cookbooks and photocopied the recipe. I can't remember exactly which book it came from but I have a feeling it was one of the F-word books. It seemed like an interesting way to try out these ingredients. I made way too much filling, so instead of a toastie I ended up with two pieces of toast with the filling on top. I have scaled down the recipe below, so hopefully it should be the right amount to make one toastie!



I have to say it actually worked quite well. I was a bit dubious but it was tasty. I served it with a tomato and onion salad, watercress, coleslaw and potato salad. The coleslaw and the potato salad and mayo in the sandwich made it a bit mayo heavy, so maybe it's better served with just a green and/or tomato salad.

Prawns, Avocado and Mayo on Toast/Toastie
(Serves 1)

1/2 avocado, chopped
5 or 6 cooked prawns, peeled
2 tbsp mayonnaise
squeeze of lemon juice
couple of dashes of hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
salt and pepper
1-2 pieces of sliced bread

Put the first 6 ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Add as much or as little hot sauce and lemon as you like.

Toast the bread and spread the prawn and avocado mixture on the toast. Either sandwich together or like an open sandwich.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Daring Cooks July 2010: Nut Butters

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

We had four recipes to choose from for this month's Daring Cooks all of which featured different nut butters. I actually did two of the recipes, one making the nut butter from scratch; the Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms and the other using a jar of ready made peanut butter; the Asian Noodle Salad. I was a bit disappointed with the Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms , I made it for my parents and we all agreed that it actually wasn't that tasty. I think if I make it again I would try rosemary instead of thyme to see if that gave it more flavour. The Noodle Salad however was delicious. I used ready made peanut butter because I don't like cashew nuts, but the flavour combinations were fantastic.



Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms
(Serves 4)

Recipe notes: Substitute your favorite pasta or rice in place of the egg noodles. Use fresh rosemary or parsley in place of thyme if you prefer.

Pecan Cream:
3/4 cup (180 ml) coarsely chopped pecans*, toasted
1 cup (240 ml) water
¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt, more as needed
½ pound (225 g) egg noodles or pasta
4 (6-ounce / 170 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) deglazing liquid (water, broth, wine; optional)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped shallots
½ pound (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
Chopped pecans, (optional garnish)

Prepare pecan cream. Grind pecans in a food processor for about a minute or so until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Add water and 3/4 teaspoon (3 ml) salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Set aside pecan cream. (*If starting with prepared pecan butter, blend ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (90 ml) pecan butter with the water and salt until smooth.)



Cook noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain, rinse, and keep warm.

If desired, pound chicken to ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness to promote even cooking. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken; sauté 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, adding more oil if needed for second batch. Set aside cooked chicken on a clean plate, cover to keep warm.

Add deglazing liquid to pan if using and stir up any browned bits. If needed, add another teaspoon (5 ml) of oil (or more) to pan for sautéing the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and starting to brown. Add fresh thyme to the pan. Stir in pecan cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 minutes till reduced slightly.



Slice chicken into thin strips. Divide the noodles among serving plates. Add a scoop of the mushroom pecan sauce on top of noodles. Lay sliced chicken on top. Garnish with fresh thyme and/or a pinch of chopped pecans if desired.



Asian Noodle Salad with Cashew (or Peanut) Dressing
Yield: 4 servings

Recipe notes: Customize the salad by adding or substituting your favorite vegetables. Shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and slivered carrots would make nice additions. Obviously, you can omit the shrimp, or substitute chicken or tofu or the protein of your choice. The dressing is equally as good with peanut butter rather than cashew butter. We tested the dressing with nut butters made from salted cashews & peanuts with good results.

Cashew Butter:
1 cup (240 ml) cashews*

Cashew Dressing:
½ inch (1 cm) slice of fresh ginger, chopped
8 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, chopped
½ cup (120 ml) cashew butter
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) sugar
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) vinegar
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) toasted sesame oil
¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (75 ml) water
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Noodle Salad:
1/2 pound (225 g) linguine or thin rice noodles
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 pound (225 g) small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into thin strips
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) sliced green onions
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped cashews (optional garnish)
Lime wedges (optional)

Make cashew butter: Grind cashews in food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth. (*Or start with ½ cup (120 ml) prepared cashew butter.)

Prepare cashew dressing: Combine ginger, garlic, cashew butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and water in food processor or blender. Process/blend until smooth. Be sure to process long enough to puree the ginger and garlic. The dressing should be pourable, about the same thickness as cream. Adjust consistency – thinner or thicker -- to your liking by adding more water or cashew butter. Taste and add your favorite hot sauce if desired. (If the cashew butter was unsalted, you may want to add salt to taste.) Makes about 1 ½ cups (360 ml) dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

Prepare noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Rinse and drain noodles. Set aside.

Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add shrimp to the pan and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque throughout. Alternately, cook shrimp in boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes or until done.

Slice basil into thin ribbons. Combine noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, onions, and basil in a large bowl. Add about ½ cup (120 ml) cashew dressing; toss gently to coat. Add more cashew dressing as desired, using as much or as little as you’d like. Scatter shrimp on top. Squeeze fresh lime juice over salad or serve with lime wedges. Sprinkle with chopped cashews if desired.

Saturday 10 July 2010

Broad Bean, Asparagus and Sorrel Risotto

Things are starting to ripen in the garden. I suddenly have more courgettes than I can handle, the broad beans are ready as is the sorrel and strawberries. I had strawberries and ice cream for lunch today and it was so good. Veg and fruit grown in the garden always tastes much better than shop bought. I used the broad beans and sorrel to make risotto earlier on this week. The inspiration for this came from a recipe for sorrel and asparagus risotto in a cook book I looked through in Fortnum and Masons but didn't buy, so I made the recipe up as I went along.



I served it with lamb cutlets and a tomato, onion and tarragon salad.

Broad Bean, Sorrel and Asparagus Risotto
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch fresh sorrel leaves
400g podded broad beans
250g bunch asparagus
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350g risotto rice
750ml hot vegetable stock
100ml white wine
handful grated Parmesan plus shavings, to serve

Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and fry the onion for 2 mins until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another min.

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Add the broad beans and rice to the pan, then stir well. Pour in the stock and wine and bring to the boil.

Season to taste, cover and bake for 20 mins, then add in the sorrel and asparagus and bake for 5 mins longer or until the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the grated Parmesan, check the seasoning and sprinkle with extra Parmesan shavings to serve.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Seafood Noodle Soup

I love noodle soup! I think I've said this before, I love it on a cold day and on a hot day! It is such a versatile dish and works with most veg and any meat or fish. This year I've grown some stir fry mix salad leaves in my garden which according to the packet contain: Mizuna, Canton Pak Choy, Red Mustard, Texel Greens & Cavolo Nero. I wanted to try them out and what better way than in soup, and they were delicious and added some lovely extra flavours to the soup. I also added them to a noodle salad a couple of days later and they were really good in that too.



Seafood Noodle Soup
(Serves 1)

handful frozen cooked seafood mix, defrosted
handful sugar snap peas
handful stir fry mix salad leaves
handful spinach
1 tsp grated ginger
enough noodles for 1 person
2 tsp dashi no moto
500ml boiling water
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce


Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and run under cold water.

Mix the dashi no moto with the water in a pan and bring to the boil. Add in the ginger and sugar snap peas and cook for a minute or so, then add in the stir fry mix and spinach and cook for another minute.

Add in the seafood mix and cook until its warmed through. Then add in the fish sauce and soy sauce.

Place the noodles in a bowl and tip the broth mixture over the noodles. Serve sprinkled with chopped spring onions or sesame seeds.

Monday 5 July 2010

Menu Plan Monday and Cheese and Black Bean Quesedillas

Last week I made quesedillas, I have only made them once before and they were a total disaster and all the filling fell out when I tried to flip them! This time I only filled half the tortilla and folded it over and then fried it and this worked much better.



I put cheese, Mexican black beans and spring onions in the middle and then fried until brown on each side. Served with guacamole.


I didn't menu plan last week because I was away for half the week, but I really struggled towards the end of the week for ideas for meals! I have so much veg in my fridge this week. Both from my Mum's veg patch and from my garden. I have courgettes ready as well as lots of loganberries, broad beans and different sorts of lettuce! So my Menu Plan Monday this week is trying to use up some of this veg!

Sunday
Lunch: Salami and Hummus Sandwich
Dinner: Out for my Mum's birthday

Monday
Lunch: Cheese and Ham Orzo Casserole, Salad
Dinner: Tomato and Cheese Tart, Salad

Tuesday
Lunch: Potato Salad, Frankfurters, Spinach with Vinaigrette
Dinner: Lamb Cutlets with Asparagus, Sorrel and Broad Bean Risotto

Wednesday
Lunch: Prawn, Avocado and Mayo Toastie
Dinner: Special Fried Rice

Thursday
Lunch: Asiago Pasta, Salad
Dinner: Smoked Haddock Fishcakes, Salad

Friday
Lunch: Ham, Spring Onion and Wendsleydale Pasty, Salad
Dinner: Chicken with Hummus, Olives and Thyme with Lemon and Sorrel Rice and Veg

Saturday
Lunch: Poached Egg with Ham and Toast
Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Courgette and Pesto Pasta

Sunday 4 July 2010

American Carrot Cake

Last weekend I also made a carrot cake. I had been craving carrot cake for a couple of weeks and I had a piece of Starbucks carrot cake but that just wasn't very good! This was much moister and tastier. I substituted pecan nuts for walnuts and that worked just as well. I couldn't find walnuts anywhere last weekend! I also halved the recipe and the icing and just made a one layer cake.



American Carrot Cake (adapted from Leiths Baking Bible)
Makes a 2 layer 20cm/8in cake

250ml vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
225g soft light brown sugar
140g carrots, peeled and finely grated
225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
140g chopped walnuts for the icing
45g unsalted butter, softened
170g cream cheese
200g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
lemon juice to taste

Heat the oven to 180C. Line two sandwich tins with baking parchment.

In a bowl stir together the oil, eggs, sugar and carrots. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into the bowl. Fold the two mixtures together and then fold in the walnuts.

Divide between 2 tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 mins or until the cakes spring back when pressed lightly in the centre. Cool on a wire rack for 10 mins in the tin, then turn out and cool completely.

To make the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Sift the icing sugar over the top and stir in. Flavour with vanilla and lemon juice. Use the icing to fill the cake and ice the top.

Saturday 3 July 2010

Victoria Sponge Cake

When I go home to my parents for the weekend I often do lots of baking! There's someone to share the cakes with! Last weekend was no exception. My Mum was also doing Village Hall teas on Sunday so I made her a Victoria Sponge cake to take. I've been making these for village hall teas for years and they always go down well. In fact this time it was the first cake to go! Sadly I didn't get to try any.



Victoria Sponge Cake (adapted from 365 Cakes and Puddings)

175g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
3-4 tbsp jam

for the butter cream
75g butter, softened
175g icing sugar
few drops of vanilla essence

Heat the oven to 190C. Grease and line two 7 inch sandwich tins.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs. a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in half the flour, using a metal spoon, then fold in the rest.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level with a knife. Bake in the oven for about 20 mins until they are well risen, firm to the touch and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tins. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Whilst the cakes are cooling make the butter cream. Put the butter in a bowl and cream until soft. Sift and gradually beat in the icing sugar, then add the vanilla. Beat until smooth.

When the cakes are cool, sandwich them together with jam and butter cream and sprinkle the top with icing sugar.

Thursday 1 July 2010

Crispy Garlic Chicken

I've been off work for a couple of days and the weather has been glorious. I have been out in the garden planting pretty plants and also picking some of the fruit and veg that is now ripe. I have had loads of loganberries, two small courgettes and some broad beans. I cannot wait to try them.
I also have some exciting news! I went to Wood Green Animal Shelter on Saturday and chose a cat. She is a 1 year old grey brown tortoiseshell cat, and I'm waiting for her to be spayed before I can take her home. She was so friendly and affectionate when we went to look round and really inquisitive. I'm so excited and can't wait for her to come home.
I made this recipe just before I went to my parents for the weekend, the crispy garlic chicken was delicious. I served it with ratatouille made with last years courgettes and white bean mash with mint.


Crispy Garlic Chicken
(Serves 4)

2 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
75g low-fat soft cheese
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 medium egg
75g fresh breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp pepper, black, freshly ground

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

In a bowl, mix together the garlic and parsley with the soft cheese and black pepper. Cut a deep pocket in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut right through, then stuff the soft cheese mixture inside, closing the flesh around the stuffing as far as possible.

Beat the egg with the milk in a shallow dish, and spread the breadcrumbs out on a plate.

Dip each chicken breast first in the egg mixture and then in crumbs to coat all over. Place on a non stick baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until crisp and cooked through.