Chicken wrapped in bacon with cream cheese and ratatouille pasta

Ingredients:
1 courgette thinly sliced
1 aubergine roughly diced
1 red pepper chopped and diced
1 yellow pepper chopped and diced
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced
Mixed herbs to season
2 chicken breasts
4 rashers of bacon
100g cream cheese
100g pasta
300g passata
1 chicken stock cube crumbled

Method:

1.  Place your chopped onion and garlic in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until soft and transluscent.

2. Add the remaining vegetables add a little water if needs be. Leave to cook over a low heat until vegetables are soft. Crumble in the stock cube and stir well. Leave for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the passata and mixed herbs.

3. Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet instructions.

4. Preheat the oven to 160 fan oven. Bash your chicken breasts with a mallet or rolling pin if you dont have one. Make a pocket and place cream cheese in it. Wrap the bacon round it and then cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

5. Drain your pasta then pour over your tomato  sauce and slice chicken breasts over pasta. Serve immediately with a little parmesan if desired enjoy!

Chicken, bacon and mushroom filo pie

Chicken, bacon and mushroom filo pie

Ingredients:
1 onion finely chopped
Frylight spray/oil

3 chicken breasts diced
6 rashers of bacons chopped roughly
250g chestnut mushrooms
Sprinkling of ina parmaan chicken spice
Sprinkling of garlic and herbs seasoning (alternatively just use 2 cloves of garlic chopped)
2 tsp of dried tarragon
1 tsp of dried thyme
5 sheets of filo pastry
3 tbsp of plain flour
500g chicken stock made from one stock cube or a stock melt
Salt and pepper to taste

Melted butter to brush on the pastry


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan oven. In a large frying pan over a medium heat spray fry light. Add the onion and a little water and cook until transluscent. Add the herbs and spices. Next add the mushrooms for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bacon next until it has cooked. Toss the flour into the chicken cubes and add to the pan.

2.  Next add the chicken stock, and you should get a nice lovely sauce. If it is too thick or thin for your liking either add more stock or a little more flour. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Place the filling in a medium pie dish. Brush filo with butter and place on top of the pie dish. Repeat until all sheets are used. Overlap layers slightly and roll and scrunch pastry round the sides. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with fresh vegetables and new potatoes.

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Ingredients:

800 stewing beef
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped
2 large green chillis deseeded and finely chopped
4 tsp of ground cumin
4 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground tumeric
5 tsp garam masala (or tandoori masala)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
Freshly chopped coriander
400ml coconut milk
Enough cornflour to make a thick curry consistency
200g  greek yoghurt mixed with chopped cucumber and finely chopped coriander to make the raita

Method:

1.Combine all the ingredients into the slow cooker except the coconut milk and garam masala and coriander. Fill one of the empty cans of tomatoes with water and add to the mixture ensuring everything is covered evenly.

2. Cook on low for 5 hours, or on high if you are short of time.  Taste throughout, adding salt and pepper if needed or more chilli. If the sauce is thin add some cornflour and cold water, enough until you achieve the right consistency. 30 minutes before you are about to serve add the coconut milk,chopped coriander and the garam masala stirring occasionally. Serve immediately

Variations: Spinach 15 minutes before the end would also work perfectly. Alternatively cubed uncooked potato could be added at step one.

Tarragon chicken with peas and rice

Tarragon chicken with peas and rice

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs skins removed
300ml good quality chicken stock
250ml white wine
1 onion chopped and finely diced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tsp of fresh tarragon/dried tarragon
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to season
1 packet of chestnut mushrooms roughly chopped
Enough rice for four people cooked according to packet instructions
1 cup of peas
 2 tbsp of plain flour
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Philadelphia cream cheese


Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 160 (fan). Place the chicken thighs into a casserole dish and sprinkle over the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile heat a frying pan with a little oil, over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until transluscent. Turn down the heat,  and add the flour until it makes a sticky paste coating all the mixture. Add the wine and stock and stir frequently until the sauce thickens. Add the tarragon. Turn off the heat and place to one side.

3.  Add the sauce mixture to the chicken and mix thoroughly. Place lid on the casserole dish and cook for 1.5 hours.

4.  Cook the rice according to packet instructions and stir in the peas, salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Mix well.

5. Serve immediately with a dollop of creme fraiche or philly cheese if desired.

Chicken tagine with lemon

Chicken tagine with lemon

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs skin removed
2 tsp of ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 tbsp of olive oil
300ml of chicken stock
Sprinkling of ina parmaan lemon and pepper seasoning ( alternatively use one lemon wedged into four)
2 red onions peeled and quartered

2 tbsp of  flaked almonds
8 apricots roughly chopped
Packet of lemon and coriander cous cous ( rice could be used alternatively) ( if you do not have lemon and coriander cous cous plain cous cous could be used and coriander chopped finely into the cous cous with sprinkling of lemon)


Method:

1.  Add the spices together and the finely chopped garlic. Add the olive oil to make a paste.  Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and rub the spice mix all over the chicken. Clingfilm and put into the fridge to marinade for at least 4-5 hours.

2. Meanwhile heat a frying pan over a medium heat with a little sunflower oil. Fry the onion wedges and separate the layers. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally set to one side.

3.  In a large casserole dish with a well fitted lid, place the layered red onion followed by the chicken thighs and apricot pieces. Pour the chicken stock over. (Add the lemon wedges at this point if using)

4.  Place into a preheated oven at 160C for 1.5 hours.

5. To make the cous cous follow the packet instructions and add the flaked almonds. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Homemade crunchy Muesli

Homemade crunchy Muesli

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup of sesame seeds
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of flaked almonds
Dried fruit such as raisins, or currants ( I used apricots cut into pieces as little or as much as you want)
1/2 cup of wheatgerm ( found in wholesale food stores)

 1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup soft brown sugar


Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 150C (fan oven) In a large deep roasting tray combine all the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Make sure that the oat mixture is a thin even layer over the tray.
2.  Over a medium heat, add the honey sunflower oil and soft brown sugar. Stirring until dissolved and well combined.

3. Pour the liquid over the dry oat mixture and stir to ensure all the oats are covered.

4. Place in the oven for an hour checking every 15 minutes to stir and ensure that the honey mixture is not burning. The mixture will be done when the oats are nice and brown. Leave to cool completely and transfer to a air tight container.

Note: Other nuts could also be used, such as hazelnuts.

Spanakopita Pie

Spanakopita Pie

Ingredients:
1 packet of feta cheese crumbled (200g)
1 bag of baby spinach (washed and drained)
1 packet of filo pastry (6 sheets)
1 large onion finely chopped
2 tsp of dried dill ( or the same equivalent of fresh)
Handful of parsley chopped finely
Bunch of spring onions chopped roughly
2 large eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to season to taste
50g butter melted for the filo pastry
50g butter to cook the onion
Sprinkling of sesame seeds


Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 (fan oven).  Meanwhile place the drained spinach into a dry saucepan over a medium heat until well wilted. Removing any excess water. Add the spring onions parsley and dill. Stir occasionally and take off the heat.

2. Heat another frying pan over a medium heat and melt 50g butter ensuring that the whole pan is covered. Add the onion until transluscent and golden and the salt and pepper. Add the spinach mixture to the onion stirring occasionally to combine.

3. Crumble the feta into the beaten egg and add to the spinach and onion mixture stirring to combine.

4. Grease a deep rectangular pyrex dish (about 4cm) and place the first layer of filo pastry on. Brush with the melted butter, and repeat twice. ( This ensures the pastry doesn't dry out) Ensure a slight overlap over the sides to ensure all areas are covered. Tuck edges in slightly to neaten up. Place the spinach mix into the base of the dish. Layer with the remaining filo, ensuring to do a layer of filo, then brush with butter and repeat. Again tuck in any edges which are overlapping too much. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!