Friday, April 29, 2011

Cheesy Macaroni with Chicken and Tomato



''Made this dish today for dinner after reading some recipes online and making it my own version with ingredients I found at home :)''

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 fillet of a chicken breast (skin less) cubed in to1inch pieces 
1 onion sliced thin
1 large tomato cubed
1 cup macaroni
400ml not fat milk
1 tbsp olive oil
Dash of snipped parsley
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

For marination of chicken:
1/4tsp ground pepper, salt to taste,1/4 paprika, 1/4 oregano

Method:
1.Marinate the chicken and cook in microwave oven on full power for about 7-8minutes until its done. (if the chicken is dry add little water to the marination stop it from burning)
Keep it aside.
2.Heat olive oil in a pan and when its heated add in the sliced onions and stir fry until its translucent and becoming brown. Add in the cooked chicken and fry for a minute or two. Then add in the juices escaped from chicken when cooked along with the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Keep aside.
3.Add not fat milk in a pan and add the half packet of soup and mix well. Heat the pan in low heat, consistently stirring until it becomes thick. Take off fire. Keep aside.
4.Cook the macaroni as instructed in the packet. ( Boil 1.5 L water in large vessel, add macaroni and about 1tsp salt and 2 tsp butter. Cook until just cooked. Drain water.) Keep aside.
5. Add the chicken and macaroni to the soup mixture. Add in the grated cheese. Mix well. Adjust seasoning for salt and pepper if needed.
6. Put the prepared macaroni mixture in to a lightly greased casserole dish and Bake in a pre heated oven of 250C for 10-15minutes. Bake till top browned and its bubbly.
( But i didn't bake till its browned as my mother doesn't like it browned)
7. Sprinkled with parsley and serve hot.




Monday, April 25, 2011

Date and Nut Tofee



Ingredients:
Milkmaid tin (small) 397g 
Water 1 tin
Sugar 700g
Dates 400g (seedless and chopped)
Cashew nuts 200g (chopped)
Butter 100g
Vanilla 1tsp

Method:
Place sugar and water in a heavy bottom pan. Bring to boil and skim.
Add milkmaid and butter. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until mixture turns in to a soft ball.
Remove from heat and add the dates and nuts gradually and mixing well. 
Pour the mixture on to a buttered board or a greased flat baking tray and level with a buttered spatula or with help of banana leaf. 
Leave to set and cut into desired pieces while still warm. Allow the piece to cool completely before removing from the board or tray.
Enjoy!!!


Mushroom with Potato Curry



''A curry I made for lunch today. Its my own creation and tasted good.''

Ingredients:
Mushroom 200g
1 medium potato
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion sliced
3 green chillies halved
1 tsp Maldive fish
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 ground black pepper
1 tsp chillie powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1'' cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 cloves
2 cardamon
1 medium tomato quartered
1-2 tsp soya sauce
salt to taste 
1 cup thick coconut milk
2tbsp olive oil

Method:
Wash, drain water and cut the mushroom in the thin strips. Wash, remove skin and cut the tomato in to small pieces. 
Marinate the mushroom with chillie powder, curry powder, turmeric, black pepper, fenugreek seeds, Maldive fish and salt. Keep aside.
Heat a wok with olive oil, add in the cinnamon stick, 2 cardamons, 2 cloves. Stir for a minute and add in the potatoes. Fry till they are half done. Add in the garlic, green chillies and onion slices. 
Fry until onions are translucent.
Add in the mushrooms. Mix well. Add the tomatoes and some water (1/2 cup)and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add in coconut milk and soya sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste. Bring to boil and simmer another 10 minutes until gravy thickens. Serve hot.





Baked Chicken with Honey and Mustard




''I got this idea from some recipes I read by made it my own by throwing in different marination ingredients. It was very delicious''

Ingredients:
1 kg of large chicken pieces (skinless or with skin)
1 full tbsp of real honey
1 tsp mustard paste
3/4 black pepper powder
12 cloves of garlic with the skin on
1-2 large onions sliced
1 1/2 tsp vinegor
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp of oregano
salt to taste.
1-2tsp soya sauce
1/2 knorr chicken bullion cube
olive oil 1-2 tbsp

Method:
Wash and drain water from the chicken.
Pre heat the oven to 220C.
Grease the baking tray with olive oil. Then spread the sliced onions and garlic on the tray.
In a bowl, add in the chicken and marination ingredients. Mix well with the hands, ensuring that chicken get well coated with the marination.
Keep aside for 20 minutes.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces around and bake for another 15 minutes. 
(Make that the juices came from the chicken does not dry out in the tray, otherwise the chicken will get burnt.
I removed the onions and garlic after about 30 minutes but if u prefer it can be left to get browned and caramelized)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Wholemeal Sponge Cake



Ingredients:
Sponge Cake:
175g butter
175g light brown sugar
3 eggs
125g wholemeal flour
50g plain white flour
2 1/4tsp baking powder
1/4 cup full cream milk

Filling/ Icing:
175g icing sugar
75g butter
1 orange


Method:
Set oven at 180C.
Grease and base line a two 7'' tins.( I used a square tin to make a one layered cake)
Place margarine and sugar in a bowl and cream together until light and smooth.
Beat the eggs and add to the mixture gradually. beating well between each addition.
Fold in the flour until mixed evenly. Dissolve the baking powder in the milk and fold in to the cake mixture evenly. 
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake in the oven for 30min or until firm to touch. Remove and cool on wire rack.

To make icing:
sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter. Beat until smooth. Grate the rind of the orange and squeeze the juice. Add to the butter icing and mix well. Spread over the cake and put the remaining cake on top.
( I added the icing on top of my square shaped cake)




Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spiced Coconut Cookies



These cookies are so easy to make and ideal for tea time.
This recipe is adapted from a Cookbook from Christine Frame.

Ingredients: To make 28
100g butter
100g sugar
1egg
100g self raising flour
(or 100g plain flour and 3/4tsp baking powder)
Pinch of salt
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp ground mixed spice
75g desiccated coconut

Method:
Set the oven at 180C.
Cream the butter and sugar together, and add the egg. Mix well.
Sift the flour, salt, spices together. Fold into the creamed mixture with the coconut.
Put teaspoons of the mixture well apart on greased baking trays and bake for 15-20minutes until golden. Cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Brownies



There are chewy chocolate squares and absolutely irresistible. Can eat cold or warmed and topped with ice cream.

This recipe is adapted from a Cookbook from Christine Frame.

Ingredients: Make 12
100g butter
40g cocoa powder
2 eggs
225g sugar
50g self raising flour
( or 50g plain flour and 1/4tsp baking powder)
50g cashew nut pieces
5ml vanilla essence

Method:
Set the oven at 180C.
Grease and base line an 8inch shallow square cake tin.
Melt butter over a low heat and stir in the cocoa.
Using an electric mixture, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Sieve the flour and roughly chop the nuts.
Mix the cocoa mixture with vanilla essence and mix into the egg mixture. Fold in the flour and nuts.
Spoon in to the tin and bake for 30-35minutes or until risen and slightly cracked on top and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for few minutes and then cut into equal sized squares. Cool on wire rack.
Store in an air tight container.