20100830 Mushroom, Chicken, and Rice One-pot

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

It was a side dish recipe. But as I was too lazy to cook a main dish, I simply added shredded chicken to make this a main course instead.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 red peppers, sliced
1 chilli, chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
250g mushrooms, quartered
400g can chopped tomatoes
150ml chicken stock
two 250g packs microwaveable instant basmati rice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
handful of parsley, chopped

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the peppers, chilli, rosemary and mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes more.
2. Add the tomatoes and stock, season, then cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and gently heat through. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

20100829 Spanish Chicken Pie

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
1kg potatoes, chopped
3 tsp paprika
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
two 400g can chopped tomatoes
300g cooked chicken, shredded
140g roasted peppers from a jar, sliced

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C. Boil the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, return to the pan, then mash with some seasoning and 2 tsp of paprika.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Stir in the remaining paprika and cook for 1 minute more, then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Tip into a large, ovenproof dish then stir in the chicken, peppers, and some seasoning.
3. Spoon over the mash and baked for 15 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

20100828 Ratatouille with Poached Eggs

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

The sauce is so fragrant that even my husband who doesn't like courgette and aubergine (yes, he is a picky eater) cleaned his plate.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 aubergine, diced
2 courgettes, diced
400g can tomatoes
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 eggs
handful of basil leaves

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, and rosemary, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Add the aubergine and courgettes, then cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Add the tomatoes, then fill the can with water, swirl it round and tip into the pan. Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 40 minutes, uncovering after 20 minutes, until reduced and pulpy.
3. Stir the balsamic vinegar into the ratatouille, then make 4 spaces for the eggs. Crack an egg into each hole and season with black pepper. Cover, then cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until set as softly or firmly as you like. Scatter over the basil.

20100822 Thai Red Beef Curry

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten)

I mixed some chopped parsley into the white rice and let it stand for a few minutes to allow the rice to absorb the fragrant.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter
2kg stew beef, cut into large chunks
salt and pepper
6 onions, finely chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp red curry paste
handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

METHOD
1. Heat the butter in a heavy based pan and brown the meat on high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add onions, garlic, tomato puree, and curry paste. Stir well. Add 175ml water and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve with rice.

20100810 Pasta with Meatballs

The meatballs were good but the pasta tasted a little bland, so I added LOTS of parmesan to my dish! Next time I may add some chopped basil leaves to the chopped tomatoes to give the sauce more flavor.

INGREDIENTS
200g spicy sausage, skin removed and made into 16 meatballs
150g pasta, cooked and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp oil
400g can chopped tomatoes
grated parmesan
salt and pepper.

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add meatball and brown them for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter with grated parmesan (lots of it!!) and serve.

20100809 Basil and Garlic Ciabatta

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

If you are adventurous, you may want to add some grated parmesan on the bread before putting them under the grill.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp (25g) soft butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch of basil, chopped
1 small ciabatta, sliced lengthways

METHOD
1. Heat the grill to high. Beat the mayonnaise, softened butter and garlic until smooth. Stir through the basil and season with salt and pepper. Put the halves of the ciabatta on a baking tray and spread with the butter. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes.

20100801 Chicken and Veggie Stir-fry

INGREDIENTS
200g Japanese stir-fry vegetable mix (red onions, brown button mushrooms, spring onions, parsley)
300g skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a wok, and brown the chicken. Add the vegetable and cook for about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve with rice.