Honey & Mustard Chicken Recipe

I put together a quick and simple Honey & Mustard Chicken dish the other day and was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

So naturally I snapped some pictures of its deliciousness before wolfing it down.


If anyone else wants to recreate this then the recipe is below.

 







Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, diced up
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can of new potatoes, cut up into quarters
1 carrot, diced/small cubes
1 courgette, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of mustard (I think wholegrain mustard is best for this recipe)
2 tablespoons of creme fraiche
3 tablespoons of runny honey
Handful of mushrooms sliced up
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Method

First of all, fry of onion and garlic in a pan, with the vegetable oil. Then add in the chicken, season to taste and cook... until the chicken goes from fleshy pink to white, you now, so you can eat it ;)
Then add in the carrot, mushrooms, potatoes, courgette, cook for about 5 minutes before adding the honey and mustard. Mix these in well, so everything gets an even coating of the mustard and honey.
I usually add about 2 tablespoons of water at this stage just to avoid things sticking to the pan and loosen any flavours from the pan.
Once the carrot is soft turn the heat down on the pan and add the creme fraiche. Mix everything together well for a couple of minutes and then serve.

We had this with rice and buttered baguette. It was YUMMMM...

Enjoy if you make it! :)

Goodbye Bake Off... Homage to Bake Off: White Chocolate Torte

The Great British Bake Off final is tonight, it is a bitter sweet moment. I can't wait to see who wins but it means the end until next year.

In a homage to Bake Off I have quickly whipped up some White Chocolate Tortes for me and my Husband tonight, to eat while watching it. This recipe was done in under 20 minutes and only uses 4 ingredients, so I felt like it was my moral obligation to share this simple and chocolatey recipe!

I dont really know if "torte" is the right word to describe this dessert, it is sort of like a creamy/chocolatey cheesecake, but doesnt have cheese in it... So I am just calling it a torte...

This recipe is one I have used over the years to make a variety of tortes. You can change the chocolate and the biscuit base to make a variety of styles (I once made a triple chocolate one, where I used the same method with the chocolate and cream but just used 3 different types: dark, milk and white chocolate. Then placed them in layers).

This recipe just makes 2 small ramekin dishes worth of dessert, but you can make a big one, or more smaller ones, by increasing the ingredient quantities.

I used Nice biscuits as I had some in cupboard that needed using and I thought the coconut in the biscuits would compliment the white chocolate.

Ingredients
50g of butter
120g of Nice biscuits
80g of white chocolate
200ml of double cream
You will also need 2 small ramekin dishes to put the dessert in. 


Method 
Firstly weigh out the butter and then melt it in the microwave.

Then mix up the biscuits in a food processor until you have a fine crumb mixture. Now mix the butter into the biscuit mix, making sure all the crumbs have a nice coating of the butter.

Now spoon the mixture into 2 ramekin dishes, half in each dish. Then push the mixture into the base with a spoon, and flatten it out, like so (see picture to right).

Now get the white chocolate and melt it in the microwave, put it on a low setting and be sure to watch it so the chocolate doesnt melt. Once the chocolate is melted place 2 tablespoons of the cream into the chocolate and mix it well (make sure the cream is room temperature otherwise it can make the chocolate harden again and difficult to work with).

Whip the rest of the cream until you have a slightly thicker consistency than before... It doesnt have to be stiff peaks, just enough to add a little air and thickness into the cream. Then add in the chocolate and cream mixture and mix together well.

Now pour the chocolate and cream mixture over the biscuit base. Your desserts should look like this:

Put the tortes in the fridge for at least 2 hours, to set, before eating.

Tip: if you have time and the inclination slicing up strawberries and placing them on top adds a nice touch. 

I hope you enjoy these if you make them. :)

Mama's Chicken Pie

With the nights getting longer and the days getting cooler I am starting to crave those warming, filling British foods that are best enjoyed during autumn & winter.

The salad days of summer are gone, with a lonely lettuce wilting in my fridge... And instead I feel a craving for a family favourite: my Mums chicken pie recipe! This recipe is sacred to me.

It is quick to make, easy to prepare and is also a great crowd pleaser. I also suspect that my Husband married me purely based on this pie/recipe. He loves it and it is his favourite meal... So ladies, I am giving you the recipe that may get your man to finally propose. Use this recipe wisely ;)

Anyway here it is, super yummy, super simple!

Sorry the recipe and quantities are vague. It isn't written down anywhere I just go off memory. The good thing is that it is a really flexible recipe...

Ingredients:
Puff pastry (yes, I use the pre-made, pre-rolled stuff)
3 chicken breasts
1.5 cups of double cream
1 cup of chicken stock
1 leek
Handful of mushrooms (add as many or as few as you want, load up the dish if you fancy it)
1 cup of cheddar cheese (grated)
Knob of butter

Method:
Firstly cut the chicken into cubes and fry off until thoroughly cooked. Add into the frying pan the leek and mushrooms, cut up, with knob of butter. Cook until leeks have wilted a bit.

Place the chicken, mushrooms and leek into a pie dish. Then pour over the cream and chicken stock. Add in the grated cheese and mix in the dish.

Place the puff pastry over the top and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 200C.

My Mum's Tiramisu Recipe (in honour of the Great British Bakeoff starting tonight!)

I am going to share with you one of my Mum's best recipes!

I know I am bias (we all love our Mum's cooking) but this is hands down the best tiramisu you will ever taste. It is super quick to make and just d.e.licious!!!

I have to limit how many times a year I make it otherwise I would be the size of a house. My husband and I even fight over the leftovers if we make it for a dinner party (to be honest we fight over who licks the whisk when I make it!).

I thought now was a good time to share it as the Great British Bakeoff starts tonight! I am trying to contain my excitement... Nope, I failed, I can't contain my excitement.

Anyway, back to the recipe!

Firstly here are the ingredients you need:
2 tubs of Mascarpone Cheese
1 can of Carnation Condensed Milk
1 pack of Ladyfinger Biscuits
Half a cup of brewed Coffee (I usually make it with a cafetiere).
Half a cup of liquor (Marsala, brandy, Cognac... whatever takes your fancy. But when I make it I use Baileys)
Tablespoon of Grated Dark Chocolate

Method:
Firstly whisk together the 2 tubs of Mascarpone and condensed milk together.

Then get a deep dish to put the tiramisu in. You then mix the coffee and liquor together.

Start dipping the ladyfingers into the coffee and liquor mixture one by one (until they are nicely soaked in the mixture), then start laying down a layer of the soaked biscuit onto the base of the dish.

Once you have covered the bash in 1 layer of the biscuits get the Mascarpone and condensed milk mixture and spoon on a layer of this, onto the biscuit (about an inch in thickness).

Then get the biscuit again, soak them and place a layer of biscuits on top of the layer of Mascarpone and condensed milk. Like you are making a lasagna. You repeat this to the top of the dish, the top layer needs to be the Mascarpone and condensed milk mixture.

Lastly sprinkle the grated dark chocolate on top.

Put in the fridge for a few hours before eating! Well, try and leave it for a few hours but I won't blame you if you eat it immediately!

Banoffee Pie Recipe: Simple Recipe for a Busy Mum!

I am really getting back into baking and cooking again. I have always been an avid baker but being heavily pregnant and then a new Mum has meant my poor vintage Kenwood mixer has been neglected.

However, I had a sneaky 20 minute slot while my son slept yesterday so decided to make a decadent treat for me and my husband. Oh boy are these individual Banoffee Pies yummy!

Plus they are really quick to make, prep time is only about 20 minutes and they don't need to be cooked in the oven. They are ideal for any busy people who want to make a dessert for friends coming over.

It is also a really cheap recipe, costing only about £3.00 for 4 individual Banoffee Pies.

Warning this recipe contains lots of calories! But those calories are so delicious. 

All you need is:

• 300ml of Double Cream
• 1 medium sized Banana
• 1 tin of 397g Carnation Caramel
• 80g of Butter
• 200g of Oat Biscuits (I used Tesco's Oaties, only 55p)
•  4 ramekin dishes

Method
Firstly measure out the biscuits and then break them into a breadcrumb type consistency by putting in a food processor (or putting into a food bag and bashing with a rolling pin, this is a great stress reliever!).

Place the biscuit crumbs to one side while you measure out the butter. You then need to melt the butter (I just used my microwave to do this).

You then need to mix the biscuit crumbs and butter together, until you have mixed enough to ensure all the biscuit crumbs have been coated in butter.

Now get the ramekin dishes and place 2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each dish.
Then push the mixture down with a teaspoon to form a biscuit base that is firm to the touch. Like the picture to the right.

After this get the Carnation Caramel and put 2 tablespoons into each ramekin dish, on top of the biscuit base and smooth out to an even layer.

My beloved vintage Kenwood Mixer!

Delicious Dessert Perfection!

Cut the banana into slices and place these on top of the caramel layer.
Lastly you need to whip the cream into stiff peaks and then place a healthy (well, unhealthy) dollop on top of the caramel layer. Place in the fridge for an hour or two before eating.

I hope you enjoy this, who am I kidding of course you will enjoy this! :)

Inspired by Bake Off: Fennel Seed Shortbread Recipe

Great British Bake Off is coming back to our screens soon!!! Yay...

I love this programme... It is such a great family friendly, fun and easy watching series. Sometimes you just need to watch something without too much drama. It is the perfect programme to watch while enjoying an indulgent biscuit and tea moment, while the baby is sleeping. I can almost feel the happy sigh I will release after a busy Mummy day when I sit down with a cuppa and Bake Off comes on!

With the adverts for the new series now being shown it has inspired me to get bakey in my kitchen. So many things have been put on the back burner since I bought home my baby, baking being one of these. But today I reclaimed my baking apron while my son was sleeping, whipping up a quick batch of Fennel Seed Shortbread biscuits.

You might now be thinking "fennel seed in shortbread... disgusting idea"... but trust me. It is really delicious. This isn't my idea though, I stole the idea from a hotel I stayed in last year. I visited Morley Hayes Hotel in Derbyshire and had dinner there as well (it was wonderful, both the hotel and restaurant) and I highly recommend it. But while we waited for dinner we were given some nibbles and one was a fennel and semolina biscuit (very similar to a shortbread biscuit in texture).

The textures and flavours went together so well so I decided to attempt to make a shortbread with fennel in and see if my attempts came out like the restaurant nibbles. Although the biscuits we were given were more savoury, the ones I have made are sweeter and more like a traditional shortbread.

The sweetness or the shortbread with the almost aniseed like flavour of the fennel goes really well together, so I thought I would share the recipe on here...

As well as being tasty, fennel is meant to have antioxidants and lots of vitamin C in it as well, which makes me feel slightly less guilty about eating so much shortbread.

I hope you like it.

Ingredients:
150g of plain flour
100g of butter
50g of caster sugar
3/4 tablespoon of fennel seeds

Method:
(I know this isn't a traditional way to make shortbread but bare with me, it makes it super crumbly and delicious)
Firstly I placed all the ingredients into a food processor and let them mix together well.
I then got the crumble-like mixture out and pressed it together to create more of a dough, before rolling it into a roll using tinfoil (which I then wrapped it up in - do this tightly). I then placed it into the fridge for 1 hour.

Then unroll the tinfoil (it should keep the roll shape but may crumble a bit still so be gentle) and then slice the roll into 1.5 cm slices, creating a circular biscuit.

Lay these onto a butter greased tray and place into the oven at 180C for 15 minutes until golden in colour.

Let them cool and then attempt not the eat them all at once (and if you are like me, fail terribly at that).

I hope you like the recipe and enjoy it if you make them... please let me know if you make them and if you like them!