Tuesday 21 January 2014

Recipe: Pastry Savoury Treats


I love the holidays when you just get to bake all the time...and then eat it!  Admittedly I probably put on about 8 pounds over the holidays, but surely that's what January is for...losing it all!

I love pastry based baking and when we headed back to my parents for the holidays I could resist baking some tasty treats for the family.

I made sausage and cheese rolls and cheese straws, both using my basic shortcrust pastry recipe that I used for my mince pies.

For the Cheese straws, just before adding the liquid, add:

1tsp english mustard powder
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
Ground pepper
150g cheddar cheese

Stir together and add the liquid, bringing everything together as a dough.




Monday 20 January 2014

Recipe: Chicken and Chickpea Curry




This chicken and chickpea curry as a definite winner in our house.  It came about due to the fact that I had very little in the house, so I had to use up the ingredients I did have.

Curry Ingredients:
1 Can Chickpeas
2 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Onion
1 Small Courgette
1 Clove Garlic
1tsp Medium Curry Powder
300ml Vegetable Stock
Fresh Chopped 
1tbsp Cream Cheese (I chosen lactofree cream cheese)

I followed this Jamie Oliver recipe for the bread

Curry Method:

  1. Cover the chicken in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.
  2. Fry the chicken until brown and add the onions, garlic, courgette and curry powder.
  3. Pour in the vegetable stock and the chickpeas and simmer until the stock reduces and the chicken is tender.
  4. Take the curry off the heat and stir in the cream cheese.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Place on the plate and sprinkle with fresh coriander.  Serve with rice and bread.