Chicken Mushroom Pie

3-4 chicken breasts, diced

500g button mushrooms (I only had frozen porchini mushrooms)

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed
Oil for cooking

Handful of fresh thyme

50g butter

2tbsp flour

200ml milk

200-400ml stock

Salt

Pepper

2rolls ready made puff pastry (frozen, defrosted)
1egg, beaten

Set oven to 180°C

Chop up the onions, mushrooms and crush the garlic. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces or shread it, as you like. 

Heat the oil and cook the onions until transparent, then add the chicken pieces and brown them, then add the garlic and mushrooms. 

In a seperate saucepan make the white sauce, melt the butter then slowly add the flour then the milk, mix well and bring to the boil. Add the smooth sauce to the chicken. Then add half of the broth, see how much you need. I only used 200ml because i used frozen mushrooms which left lots of liquid, it should be creamy not liquid, add the rest of the broth if needed. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add the thyme. Let it simmer until the chicken is cooked thoroughly 25-30 min

While the chicken is simmering away, roll out the ready made pastry on a floured surface, and flour the pastry, things might get sticky. Line a pie dish with one portion of pastry. Roll out the second portion and leave it for later. When the chicken has finished cooking let it cool.

Fill the pastry lined pie dish with the cooled creamy chicken and mushroom mixture.

Cover it with the second portion of pastry and fold in and genty press the edges. Cut 2-3 slits in the pie, to let steam out, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Place in the oven at 180°C for 30min or until the pastry is golden brown.

Let it cool for 10min before serving

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Nutrition 140g chicken breast skinless

• Riboflavin 10%
• Niacin 59%
• Vitamin B6 23%
• Phosphorus 23%
• Selenium 45%

%Daily Value*   (these are approximate amounts)

Chocolate Brownies

Howzit

This is my all time favourite dessert, easy to make and oh so decadent.  I love chocolate and these brownies satisfies my cravings completely. 

250g Butter

200g Dark chocolate 70 - 85%, broken up

80g walnuts, toasted

70g cocoa powder, sifted

75g plain flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

250g Sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

Set the oven to 180°C
Baking time 20-25min

Melt the butter and chocolate. I placed a steel bowl over a pot of boiling water. Once melted let it cool.

                              

Toast the nuts in the oven for about 10min

Sift the dry ingredients, mix well. Flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder.

Add the nuts, melted chocolate mixture and beaten eggs to the dry ingredient, mix well until it is smooth.

Line a baking tin with oven paper

    

 Pour the mixture into the tin and spread it evenly. Bake for 20-25min.

                                 

Brownies, unlike cake, should be a bit sticky and moist, the toothpick shouldn't come out clean. Let it cool then cut into squares and sprinkle with some iceing sugar.

                                 

Mmmmmn Buon Appetito!

I enjoyed mine with some cream ice-cream and extra nuts.

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Nutrition: 100g Dark chocolate 70 - 85%

Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and is packed with antioxidants.

• Fiber 44%
• Potassium 21%
• Copper 89%
• Magnesium 58%
• Iron 67%

% Daily Intake Value* (these are approximate amounts)

Chilli con carne

Howzit

I Love Mexican food. Here's my first attempt at cooking chilli con carne. It turned out great. Quite easy to make, just remember to soak the beans overnight. Add more chilli if you like a bit more kick.

Ingredients
500g lean minced meat
250g dried black beans, soaked and cooked
1tbls oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1tsp chilli powder
1tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tbls tomato concentrate
Salt
Pepper
125-180 ml water
Serve with rice, guac, nachos, tortillas etc

Serves 4

*Soak dried black beans overnight in tepid water for 8hrs, then rinse and cook for 40min with a 

few bay leaves or sea weed

Heat oil and cook the onions for 5-10minutes until it is slightly translucent then add meat, breakup the meat with the spoon, brown for 10min on medium heat.

Then add the crushed garlic, chopped green pepper, chilli powder, paprika powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar, mix the water and tomato paste and add to the pot
Bring the mixture to the boil then turn down the heat
Gently simmer for 20-30min
Occasionally stir and add water if it dries out

Then add the pre-cooked,  pre-soaked beans and simmer for 15min.
Turn off heat and let flavours combine and develop for 10 min

Served on a bed of basmati rice


             OR/And


Nachos, Guacamole and a Corona

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Nutrition  100g Black Beans               

• Fiber 61%
• Iron 28%
• Thiamin 60%
• Folate 111%
• Potassium 42%
• Magnesium 43%

%Daily Value*   (these are approximate amounts)

Pickled Fish for Good Friday

Howzit

It is my family tradition, and a few other South Africans, to have pickled fish on Good Friday. It is an onion curried pickle with fried white fish, which we prepare the day before because it needs 24hrs for the flavours to develop. Pretty simple to make. Here's my take on pickled fish. Adjust to your liking.


Ingredients

• 1kg Hake fillets or any firm white fish                          
• 2 large onions
• 400ml brown cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 150-200ml water
• 3tsps curry powder
• 1tsp tumeric
• 1tsp chili powder
• 8-12tsps sugar
• 5 bayleaves
• 5 pepper corns
• Flour
• Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Serve cool with rice or bread

Prepare the fish to be fried. Salt the fish and cover with flour.

Fry the fish in oil until golden brown. 

Place the fish in a deep pyrex or glass dish with a lid, there should be enough space for the fish and sauce. Let the fish cool while preparing the sauce. 

Chop onions into thin rings and add it to a deep pot (saucepan) together with all the rest of the ingredients, vinegar, sugar and spices

Bring the sauce to the boil for 5-10minutes until flavours are well combined. Adjust amount of sugar and water to your taste. It should be a well balanced sweet sour sauce enough to cover the fish. 

A tablespoon of flour or cornflour can be added to thicken the sauce.  

Cover the fish with the pickled sauce and set aside to cool before refridgerating for 24hrs

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Nutrition

The beautiful bright yellow spice turmeric, which comes from the root of a curcuma longa plant, is known to have great anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It can be used to to heal wounds and skin deceases, it also has good effects on cancer, arthritis and diabetes.

Carnival in Italia

Howzit

Carnival, or in Italian 'Il Carnevale', is a traditional Italian festival celebrated before the beginning of Lent. It is celebrated in many regions across Italy each with their own significance, the most popular being the Carnival of Venice (Carnevale di Venezia). A celebration with parades, masks, wine, fried pastries, all ending on Shrove Tuesday (Martedì grasso)  preceding Ash Wednesday (Mercoledì delle Ceneri) the beginning of Lent (Quaresima), a period of forgiveness, penance, fasting, prayer and new beginnings.

In short 'Il Carnevale' generally signifies revelries, entertainment and feasts which are given up during the Lenten period.

It's a tradition that dates back to medieval times, times when pagans wearing masks danced around fires, praying for rain and warding off evil spirits and curses. All that remains today are the masks and amusements.

Frittelle

I'm not getting into all that celebrations only enjoying some crostoli and frittelle, typical carnival pastries, and I will enjoy a pancake or two on Shrove Tuesday, (Pancake Day) which is celebrated in the UK, then for 40days I will give up some luxuries, like chocolates and reality tv :p

Happy Pancake Day to all! 

12Feb13

Banana Walnut Muffins

Howzit

So its my mother-in-laws birthday and I baked her one of her favourites Banana Walnut muffins
Happy Birthday Mamma
Enjoy xoxox

Ingredients

100g walnuts, toasted, chopped and cooled
230g cake flour
130g sugar
1tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
120g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
450g ripe bananas, mashed
1tsp vanilla extract

                                    

Preheat oven at 180°C

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with butter or non stick cooking spray (or insert paper liners)

Bake for 20-25min

Makes 12 muffins

                                     

Toast the nuts on a baking sheet in the oven for about 10min, let them cool

Combine all the dry ingredients together

flour

sugar

baking powder

salt

bicarbonate of soda

cinnamon

cooled nuts

In a seperate bowl combine all the wet ingredients

eggs

vanilla extract

melted butter

mashed bananas

                                  

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and lightly combine together with a wooden spoon, just until the dry mixture is covered. The batter should be chunky NOT smooth.

                                  

Spoon the batter into the greased muffin pan. 

                                   

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.

Check with a toothpick if the muffins are ready, toothpick should come out dry and clean.

                                     

Let the muffins cool

                                    

*When I mix together muffin batter I count 10-15 folds, this way the muffins do not end up dry.
*Grease the pan with some butter using wax paper
*Use eggs that are room temperature

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Nutrition: 100g Banana 

Bananas are good for the heart, bones, digestion, and high blood pressure. Bananas are also a good energy booster.

• Vitamin C 14%
• Vitamin B6 19%
• Folate 5%
• Potassium 10%
• Manganese 14%
• Fiber 10%

% Daily Intake Value* (these are approximate amounts)

Avo Pit Growth update

Howzit

Holy moly the stem is growing taller and taller and still no leaves, perhaps I should place it somewhere with more sunlight. It is still freezing temperatures outside so I have to keep it indoors till spring perhaps. 

                                      

At 9weeks

If you have any previous experience growing an avo tree from its seed, please don't hesitate to leave a suggestion or advice in the comments below, it would be much appreciated.

         Happy Days

Romany Creams

Awe Awe

Romany Creams are popular in South Africa and are coconut chocolate based biscuits. It is sold there in all supermarkets and used in many dessert recipes. So as it is one of my favourites, I have decided to make my own since I cannot find it  anywhere here in Italy, "for the love of lemons!" Here is my take on it. Found this recipe in a cook book and tweaked it to my liking. Made 84 biscuits and 42 romany creams. Wow! Mind you, this was my first attempt at baking Romany Creams!

Ingredients

200g sugar

200g butter or margerine

65ml corn oil 

2 eggs

500g cake flour

65ml cocoa powder

5ml baking powder

pinch of salt

200g desiccated coconut

200g dark chocolate

Set oven to 180°C

Cream together sugar, butter and oil then mix in eggs, combine well.

In a seperate bowl sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt then add coconut

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar mixture and mix until you have a stiff dough

Roll out on a floured surface to about 5mm thick and cut out rounds about 5cm in diameter. I used a tot glass. Scrape the top with a fork for a rough texture. 

Place on a baking sheet with baking paper and into the heated oven for 12-15minutes

Cool the baked biscuits on a rack

Melt the chocolate on a pot of boiling water

Between a pair of cooled biscuits add about a teaspoon of melted chocolate.

Set aside and let the centres to cool or place in the fridge for 10minute. And then nom nom!

CHE BON!

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Nutrition: 100g dried coconut. It is very high in saturated fat 285%

• Fibre 65%
• Total fat 99%
• Iron 18%  

% Daily Values* (these are approximate amounts)