Hainan Chicken - Really really easy dinner

This asian dish is from Charmaine Solomon. I haven't tinkered with it as it is just perfect the way it is. I serve it with steamed green and orange vegetables. This has to be one of the easiest meals to make.

Ingredients:
One 1.5kg roasting chicken
salt
water
2 spring onions
2 sprigs celery leaves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
fresh coriander
500g long grain rice
sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 slices ginger
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 white chinese cabbage (wombok), shredded
extra chopped coriander

Dipping sauces:
1. 2-3 red chillies, sliced, mixed with 1/3 cup dark soy sauce
2. 2 Tbsp sambal oelek or finely minced red chilli with 2 Tbsp finely grated ginger, and the reserved oil from frying the onion, garlic and ginger

Method:
Remove fat from cavity of chook, cut off and discard tail and wing tips. Rinse chicken, wipe dry with paper towel and rub all over with salt, inside cavity and outside.

In saucepan just large enough to hold the chicken, put at least 2L water, spring onions, celery leaves, peppercorns, coriander and 2 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Lower the chicken carefully into the water, breast downwards, so that the chicken is covered with water. Return to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover, allowing to cook for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the chicken in its stock in the covered pan for a further 40 minutes to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, wash and drain the rice. Heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil and the vegetable or peanut oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Fry garlic, ginger and onion stirring until golden. Remove 2 Tbsp of the oil and reserve for the dipping sauce. Add rice to the pan and fry for a minute or two, to coat the grains with oil, then add 1 litre of the chicken cooking water and bring to a boil. Add 2 tsp salt, stir well, then turn heat to very low, cover the pan tightly and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove pan from heat and allow to stand, covered, for another 10 minutes.

Lift the chicken from its pan, saving the stock for the soup. Rub the chicken all over with 2 tsp sesame oil, then chop it in half down its length. Chop across into bite-sized pieces, reassemble on a plate and cover and keep warm. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.

Bring the remaining stock to the boil and add a little salt or light soy sauce to taste. Add shredded cabbage and boil for 30 seconds. Sprinkle soup with fresh coriander and serve at once with the rice, chicken, and dipping sauces on the side.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Yum Mushroom Soup - hearty and filling. This is really the easiest mushroom soup you will ever make and the tastiest. What really makes it is good quality chicken stock. If you can make your own chicken stock it is worth the effort.

Ingredients:

30g Butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Onion roughly chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
750g mushrooms roughly chopped
2 cups hot chicken stock
300ml cream
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large pot melt butter and oil over a medium heat
2. Add onions and saute' until soft and opaque
3. Add mushrooms and chicken stock
4. Cook until mushrooms are very soft - about 10 - 20 minutes
5. Using a blender or a stick blender puree' until smooth
6. Return to a low heat and add cream and salt & pepper to taste
7. Heat gently
8. Serve with hot crusty bread and sprinkled with parsley or chives
   

Love Cakes

These are just adorable. I have taken the recipe from Nigella Lawsons book Feast but made a couple of very tiny changes. They are just wonderful for a special occasion.

PS: Nigella calls them buns but I reckon they are really a cake.

Before making please take all the ingredients and have them come to room temperature. Turn oven on to gas mark 6 or 200 degrees c.

Ingredients:
125g of butter softened
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp real vanilla extract (don't use imitation - it has a yukky after taste and it will not taste as good)
2-3 tbspn milk

Topping Option 1 (the easiest):
Whipping Cream
Strawberry Jam


Topping Option 2 (slowest but really yummy):
2 egg whites
4 tbsp golden syrup
100g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp real vanilla extract


Method:
Using a food processor put all the incredients excepting the milk into the bowl and wizz until smooth. Then pour milk down the funnel and blitz until smooth.

If you don't have a food processor do the following using a conventional mixer:
- Blend butter and sugar until butter changes colour.
- Add eggs one at a time mixing between additions
- Add all other ingredients including milk and mix until smooth

Using a muffin tin line each hole with a paper muffin paper.

Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin holes. (Use a 12 hole muffin pan)

Cook for for 15 - 20 minutes - they should rise and be golden with a little peak.

Cool them a little before taking out of the pan.

Let them cool then put on your favourite topping...

Topping Option 1 (the easiest):
Spread strawberry jam over the top of each cake
Whip the cream until quite stiff - swirl and mound high onto each cake

Topping Option 2:
Over a double boiler put all ingredients into the pot except the vanilla. Continually wisk over the boiling water until firm peaks form. Use a hand or electric whisk. Then take off heat add the vanilla and keep wisking until it cools a little.

Swirl over the cakes - piling the topping high on each cake.

Pasta with Bacon, Beans and Mushrooms

This has come from The New Pasta Cookbook but as always I have varied it to suit my tastes and produce availability. This is a wonderful Winter pasta and very easy to make. Don't be afraid to experiment. For example use pancetta instead of bacon or peas instead of beans. You can also use dried pasta instead of fresh and adjust the quantity accordingly. Also experiment with other types of pasta.

This recipe is for 4 people or 2 hungry people

Ingredients:

200g fresh fettuccine
200g fresh spinach fettuccine
200g beans sliced
200g bacon, rind removed and cut into strips
6g dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
200g button mushrooms sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tspn fresh ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
2 1/4 cups cream
Grated Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Cook beans until barely cooked - use the microwave oven for speed
2. Fry bacon until crisp
3. Drain porcini mushrooms and filter liquid through cloth or a paper coffee filter to remove grit.
   
4. Chop finely and add to the pot with the soaking liquid, bacon, and fresh mushrooms.
   
5. Stir in garlic and pepper and cook briefly.
   
6. Toss in parsley and cook for 30 seconds.
7. Add cream and cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to the boil.
   
8. Boil until thickened and reduced, 5 to 8 minutes.
9. Begin cooking fettuccine in the water used for the peas. When al dente, drain and transfer to a warm serving dish. Toss with the sauce, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

The Easiest Tomato Soup

After making this you will NEVER buy tomato soup again. This is amazingly simple and amazingly cheap, not to mention healthy. Now if you don't have tomatoes growing in your garden or it is now Winter and you have none preserved from your Summer crops I would recommend you go to your fruit market and have a look to see if they have any on big discount - you know the area where they put the fruit and vegetables that are a bit too soft to sell for full price? These soft tomatoes are perfect for this soup and will not only make a quality soup but a lovely inexpensive dinner or entree.

Now I cannot take the credit for this soup. This is from Stephanie Alexanders, Cooks Companion. My changes to the recipe are very minimal.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
60 g Butter
1 Onion Sliced
1.5kg Very Ripe Red Tomatoes seeded
1 Ltr of very good quality chicken stock
2 tbsp Potato Flour

1. Melt butter and saute' onion in a large pot until softened
2. Add tomato and simmer gently on low for about 20 minutes or until cooked - they need to be falling apart.
3. Add stock to pot
   
4. Using a stick hand blender (the quickest method) puree' in the pot
5. OR if you don't have a stick blender put stock and a food processor to puree'
6. OR if you don't have 4 or 5 above puree' tomato in a food mill add to pot and add stock
   
7. In a small tea cup mix the potato flour with a little water and mix to a thick paste
8. Add a ladle full of soup to the cup and mix then add all to the pot of soup
9. Season with salt and ppper to taste
   
10. Simmer gently until hot
11. Spoon into bowls and serve with hot crusty bread

Optional: Sprinkle served bowls of soup with roughly chopped basil.
If you like your soup a little thinner add a little more chicken stock.

Freezing: This can be frozen.