Wednesday 10 December 2014

Get the most from a ROAST CHICKEN - WRAPS & STOCK!

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ROAST CHICKEN DINNER!
Roast chicken was always my favourite dinner growing up.  Every where we went my parents would never have to ask me what i wanted when we were out.  And to this day, it is still one of my favourite foods.

There are so many things you can do with chicken.  White breast meat is great for quick easy recipes.  But for flavour, i find it best to bake thighs or legs first.  Shredded chicken from the bone is great for curries. 

A roast chicken can go so much further than you may think.  Obviously the less people you have the further it will go.
Yeserday roast chicken was on our menu. 

***ALDI are doing 1.6kg chickens for just 3Euro!***

1. ROAST
We roasted our chicken with some flora cuisine over the bird and seasoned with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme, with a little water in the base of the roasting dish, for about 1 hour, basting occasionaly to keep it moist.
I then use the juices from the chicken to make my gravy.
I got 6 dinners out of this bird!

2. WRAPS:
I turned the bird over and managed to shread all the leftover bits of chicken off the carcass.  Don't be fooled by the top of the chicken as all your dinner meat will leave the bird looking bare.  But flip it over and you'll be mazed how much you can get from it.
To this shreaded chicken i added mayonaise, chopped tomato, spring onion, lettuce , seasoning of salt, pepper, oregano and a little cajun spice.  Roll your yummy mix into a wrap, cut in half and enjoy for lunch with a cuppa the next day!

3.  STOCK
The carcass of the chicken can then be used to make chicken stock.  I add stock to alot of cooking.
Simply place the carcass in a saucepan and cover with water.  Season and add left over veggies if possible.
Boil and then simmer down to barely a simmer.  Simmer for a couple of hours.  Remove caracass and veggies, strain and pour into sealable containers to store or freeze.  If you want a thicker, more concentrated stock, simply simmer for longer.

Obviously there are so many more ways to make use of your chicken but this is what i used over the past few days.

Caramel biscuit bars

CARAMEL BISCUIT BARS:
So these 'no bake' bars are so so easy to make, they make perfect sweet snacks and will certainly make the perfect Xmas gift for any child (or adult alike)!

They are a quick and easy recipe wit only 3 ingredients! The best things are they take no baking; you can add whatever goodie toppings you fancy and most importantly, they are oh so yummy
You can make different types just by adding different biscuits or chocolate
e.g oreo biscuits with milk choc with a crumble of oreos on top
   or
    white chocolate with melted milk choc and broken fudge on top 
   or
   milk choc with melted dark choc and nuts & cranberries on top

They can be made well in advance.  A neat little package will make a great homemade gift for anyone, so you can make them and have them ready to hand out when visitors come over the festive period

So heres how to make them:
-In a saucepan melt 400g chocolate (milk, white, dark or a mix - i usd milk choc here) and a 400g tin conedensed milk over a low heating, stirring until chocolate has melted
-Blitz up 450g biscuits until fine crumbs (digestives or whatever you have in the cupboard - you could add oreos too to add that darkness or cookie style - i used a mix of digestives and shortbread).
-Off the heat, add your biscuit mix to your melted choc mix, mixing good and well and thouroughly until well combined.  Work fast as it will start to set fast. 
Topple it into a lined tin of choice and with a spoon push it out into edges. Smooth the top and place in the fridge.
-Next, melt a little chocolate (again, of your choice - i used dark choc here) and pour it over your biscuit base, smoothing it out to the edges.  Before it sets add your toppings and press down lighlty to make sure they set into the choc.
Here i am using a mixture of chopped fudge, crushed candy canes, chopped marsmallows and chocolate chips for different biscuits.  Again add any goodies you like.
-Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and then cut into shapes you like - squares, rectangles, cubes or just in rough chops! 

How simple could it be?

Tuesday 9 December 2014

Rustic loaf

RUSTIC BREAD:
Bread is great to bake.  2 simple ingredients can go a long way.....water and flour!  I mean come on!  Flour. And water! 
Once your cupboard has some good strong flour you can make some yummy crispy breads and doughs.

Making bread doesnt just have to mean one kind of bread.  It can be so versatile and most importantly fun to experiment.

When we go on holidays that yummy bakery smell gets me every time.  One of the first things I pick up in a shop abroad will be some crusty rustic bread (along with fresh juicy tomatoes, olive oil and wine!)

In countries like Spain, Italy and Greece, bread is usually just part of their meal like potatoes are to Irish tables!  In Spain they call this bread "pan rustica".
This crusty rustic is so simple to make and is exactly what im talking about.
Can be enjoyed many ways from dipping in soups, smothered in butter or as my favourite.... ripped up, drizzled in olive oil and ate as a tapa with olives, cheese, tomatoes and some wine.

A starter dough should be used for the proper recipe. It ferments over 24 hours and goes as follows:
- Pour 150ml warm water into a bowl and stir in 1tsp caster sugar (the sugar is what the yeast feeds on)
-Lightly stir in 3tsp fast-action dried yeast and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes or until a beige foam floats on the surface
- Stir in 125g strongwhite flour to make a thick paste, then cover and leave at room temperature for 24hrs.  It will then have slightly fermented.           

Today however i skipped this starter step and went straight to the next step.  It will not however rise as big as if you would use the starter dough.
Here's the next step:
-pour 200ml warm water into bowl and stir in 1tsp caster sugar.  Lightly stir in 1tsp dried yeast and leave for about 10 minutes until again a beige foam floats on the top.
-In a bowl stir 225g sieved strong white flour and 1tsp salt together.  Make a well and add the water yeast mix, the starter dough and 1tbsp good olive oil.  Mix with a wooden spoon and then using your hands bring the dough together.
-Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10minutes until smooth and elastic.....VERY IMPORTANT!  Do not add too much extra flour as it will only make the dough too dry.  Leave for about an hour in an oiled bowl covered in cling film to rise to double size.
- Next, line a baking tray with baking paper and dust with flour.  Topple the dough onto the tray, stretch it gently, fold each end in and stretch it again.  Do this 3 times.  This will achieve that holey inside texture.
-Shape the dough to shape you desire (bearing in mind it will double in size again and rise), make 3 slanted slits in the top and leave again to rise for another 45-60 minutes.
-Bake in a preheated 240 degree C oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and crusty.  You will know it's ready also when the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Tuesday 2 December 2014

HEARTY BEEF STEW


HEARTY BEEF STEW:
This is the perfect answer to a cold evening for dinner.
I added a few warm spices and herbs to this to give it a bit of zing!

1. Brown some stewing beef in some olive oil and a shake of salt and pepper in a skillet over medium to high heat.  Drain the meat of excess oil. 
2. Return to pot and off the heat add 2tbsp cornflour making sure to stir and combine until no white left.  Then crumble in 1 beef stock cube and combine until it colours to a deep brown.  add about 200ml boiling water bit by bit combining well. 
3. Next is your vegetables....diced carrots, chopped celery and chopped garlic.
4. Then your spices and herbs.....in a pestle and mortar i added some dried rosemary, thyme and a little cumin seeds, a grind of salt & pepper and combine them all well until they are nearing resembling powder.  I like the little add of cumin here to give it a little kick.  Add to your stew.  Then add a dash or 2 of Worcestershire sauce.
5. Add more water to cover if needed and simmer for about 50 minutes on a low to medium heat.
Taste test your stew for more seasoning or thickening.
Serve with fluffy boiled potatoes.
And enjoy.