My Own

You want a quick, easy and simple recipe for chicken meat? Here is one that I make when I feel like and it is so tasty. It doesn’t need much labour and sweat in the kitchen, just a nice aroma floating in the house and outside. I recommend you close the doors and windows. 😉 So here it is:

Fried chicken breasts

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5-10 cm pieces
• salt
• pepper
• white wine (optional)
• butter (80-82% fat, unsalted preferably)
• oregano (or any other spice you like, optional too)

Method:

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and spices.
• Heat in a medium pan about 2 tbsp of butter and a little splash of wine. When it is sizzling, add the chicken, cook stirring until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Repeat the action until you finish all the pieces and don’t forget to add more butter and wine when it is finished in the pan, in the process.
• Serve warm with boiled  or mashed potatoes with mint or any spice you prefer and a nice glass of white wine. I admit I don’t know much about wine so you can recommend me a special one that you think goes very well with this dish.

Bon appetite!

Something Warm For The Cold Days Of Autumn

I am in the mood of writing today and have the spare time too, so I take advantage to put something here, something about food, as I haven’t done this for quite a while. I know that you don’t mind. 🙂 I just hope you haven’t lost faith of ever seeing a recipe here, after so much poetry and songs. Just you wait, mister! 😉

The recipe that follows is new to me, I have just found it in Marks & Spencer ‘Chicken. Simple and delicious easy-to-make recipes’ from 2005. In case you have the book, try the recipes, they seem nice and easy, if not, take a look in here. I have chosen this one because it has tarragon, which is a favourite spice of mine, so fragrant and in a way, cooling. If you try this out, let me know how you like it, I know I like it from the title. Also, I found this soup perfect for a cold day of autumn, when I would like to warm up, apart from that special one. 🙂

Chicken & Tarragon Soup

Serves 4  

Ingredients:

• 55 g (2 oz) unsalted butter (again, at least 80-82 % fat, please)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 300 g (10 1/2 oz) cooked skinless chicken, shredded finely
• 600 ml (1 pint) chicken stock
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (dried one goes well, if you don’t have fresh, but remember, dry spices are stronger in flavour so use 1 tsp of dried tarragon here)
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream (don’t worry about the fat, you need it for the cold that comes, it won’t stay on your hips or elsewhere but it will be used to keep you warm)
• fresh tarragon leaves, to garnish (or a pinch of dried tarragon)
• deep-fried croutons, to serve

Method:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the pan with 300 ml (1/2 pt) of the chicken stock.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the remainder of the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the chopped tarragon, then transfer the soup to a warm tureen and stir in the cream.
• Serve in bowls garnished with fresh tarragon and croutons.

Bon appetite!

Chicken Veronique

I remember that I have made this recipe for the first and only time in London, when we were waiting for a guest. This chicken Veronique seemed tasty, exquisite and elegant for a party. And it proved it was. I found it in “Good Housekeeping All Colour Party Cookbook” 1992. I really love this recipe. It is fit for a king and I would eat it often. If you really want to make an impression on somebody, try this out for a romantic dinner or not. And prepare your nose and your tongue for an indulgence. Because you’re worth it!

Chicken Veronique

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 50 g (2 oz) butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or 2 tsp dried tarragon)
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, skinned and crushed
• 1,5 kg (3 lb) chicken
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) chicken stock (or water, but it won’t taste the same)
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream
• 175 g (6 oz) green grapes, halved and seeded
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Soften the butter in a bowl with the tarragon, lemon rind, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Put half the mixture in the cavity of the bird.
• Truss the chicken with the thread or fine string. Spread the remainder of the mixture over the outside of the bird (especially the legs), then stand on a rack in a roasting tin. Pour the chicken stock under the rack.
• Roast the chicken in the oven at 200°C/ 400°F, Gas Mark 6 for about 1 1/4 hours or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Turn the bird and baste every 15 minutes or so during roasting.
• Carve the chicken into neat portions, then arrange on a warmed serving platter, cover and keep warm.
• Make the sauce. Blot off any excess fat from the roasting tin with absorbent  kitchen paper, then place the tin on top of the cooker. Pour the wine, then boil to reduce to about half the original volume, stirring and scraping the tin to dislodge sediment.
• Stir in the cream and continue simmering and stirring until thick, smooth and glossy. Add the grapes and heat through, then taste and adjust seasoning.
• Pour a little of the sauce over the chicken, arranging the grapes as attractively as possible on each portion. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce and grapes handed separately in a sauceboat, accompanied by crisply cooked mange-touts or French beans and a simple dish of plain boiled rice. Don’t forget about a chilled dry white wine. 🙂

Bon appetite!

Chicken Badam Pasanda

Have you eaten this food? If not, you either don’t like Indian food, and you lose nothing or you do and lose one of the tastiest chicken recipes you have ever eaten in your life. I know you may not agree with me here, this is only my humble opinion. 🙂

I started writing about Indian recipes for the moment and I thought of some that are worth knowing about. Chicken Badam Pasanda is one of them. I have it from the cookbook “Golden India – Indian Recipes” 1996. I was told that this book has the recipes closer to the original in their native land. I guess that most of the time, the international recipes in cookbooks are adapted to reach more people. And probably, the tastes differ. Not much, but there is a difference.

But no food is worth anything unless you share it with someone. I saw yesterday “Woman on top” and I thought that she was right: “the last and most important ingredient is to share it with someone you love.” All this talk about food and recipes, tastes and flavours, they are just bed-times stories. 🙂 I let you try this wonderfully tasty dish and share it. Share it with all your heart. Sharing is the magic ingredient.

Chicken Badam Pasanda

Chicken Steaks In An Almond Flavoured Sauce

Serves 4-5

Preparation time: 2 1/2 hours

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 pcs chicken breasts (medium size), cleaned, flattened
• 50 g (1/2 cup) almonds, blanched and sliced
• 340 ml (1 3/4 cups) chicken stock
• 8 – 10 cloves
• 4 tsp coriander, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp corn flour (or plain flour if you don’t have corn flour)
• 3 tbsp garlic paste
• 3 tbsp ginger paste
• 5-6 green cardamoms
• 210 ml (1 1/4 cup) oil
• 2 onions (medium-sized), finely chopped
• 1 g saffron, dissolved in 1 tsp milk
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 cup yoghurt

Method:

• Keep aside 6-7 blanched almonds. Grind the rest into a paste and keep aside.
• Rub ginger and garlic paste into the steaks. Whisk yoghurt and salt together in a bowl and coat the chicken pieces evenly with it. Keep aside for 2 hours. It smells so cover the bowl with plastic foil. I would try to do this in the evening and keep everything for the next day or early in the morning. That way, the chicken breasts marinade better. But you do as you like.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the steaks till almost done. Remove and keep aside. At this time they smell like heaven. Try not to eat them yet. The best is yet to come.
• In the same oil, sauté onions, cardamoms and cloves. Stir in the almond paste, fry a while, then add white pepper powder, chicken stock and flour. Cook till the gravy is rich, smooth and thick.
• Remove from fire, strain the sauce to remove whole spices and reheat.
• Add the steaks to the gravy and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Add dissolved saffron.
• To serve, garnish with sliced almonds and chopped coriander (optional). Serve hot, accompanied by Naan or Parantha bread. I have it eaten Naan bread, it is soo delicious, but if you don’t have it go with basmati rice. You can never be wrong with this one. Just mix it after boiling, with butter or not.

Bon appetite!

Chicken Curry

I know. You know. Curry is one of the tastier dishes I have ever eaten. I hadn’t heard about Indian food until I went to London. There I discovered the international cuisine. And the tastes behind it. I can’t believe how lucky I am.

I have many favorite recipes and one among them is curry. Any curry. I have cooked and eaten fish, chicken, lamb curry and other Indian recipes that are absolutely delicious. I am only sorry that in Romania I can’t cook them all. For some dishes there are absolutely no spices here and there is no way I can replace them. If I do that it will be no longer an Indian recipe. Too bad. My wish is to make accessible the recipes for those who love cooking in Romania. I know that sometimes is impossible or let’s say it is impossible for the moment. I hope for the best. 🙂

For today I have mixed two curry recipes I have, to try to make an easy one. The taste of India remains. 🙂 So

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 350 g skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-5 cm (1 in) pieces (or you can try with 2 chicken breasts)
• 30 g butter (or more for more chicken)
• 2 packets of curry powder (this is how you find it here and I have to say I am not at all satisfied about its quality, or about 2 tbsp of really good curry powder)
• 1 large (about 200 g) onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon grass
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (for a spicier recipe, yummy ;)) )
• 2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tsp lime juice (or lemon juice)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp sugar
• a pinch of pepper
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 1 can coconut milk (you can make it by putting 75-100 g coconut in a bowl, pour over the 300 boiling water and leave to stand for 30 minutes. I have done this and I don’t like it. There is nothing as good as the coconut in the can or if you are reaaaaaaly lucky, the milk from a fresh coconut)

Method:

• Heat butter in a pan, add chicken, cook, stirring, until browned and tender; drain on absorbent paper. You can buy the chicken meat ready cooked but you will never beat the taste and smell of a freshly buttered cooked meat.
• Reheat the pan, add onion, garlic, lemon grass, chili, coriander, juice, seeds, turmeric and sauce, curry powder, pepper, cook , stirring, until the onion is soft. Stir in chicken, sugar and flour, then the stock and milk, stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens.
• Serve with the best Indian rice: basmati rice.

Bon appetite!

Caesar Salad

My blog is not just about food, but it is mostly about it. This is what interests me mainly. Among other things. But one at a time. Today I come with a very easy and famous salad. I have eaten this salad most of the times with chicken but this recipe is with anchovies. If you don’t eat meat, than eat this. Fish is very good for you. But you already know this.

In case you know Romanian, check the recipe here. If you don’t, than stick with English. The original is in English, taken from the “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” -1985. That old it is. The book, not the recipe. The recipe is even older. :)) Check here.

Here is the salad, a very tasty, quick, easy to make and a good choice after the Easter meal.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large garlic clove, skinned and crushed
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) olive oil
• 75 g (3 oz) croutons
• 1 Cos lettuce (replace it with any other salad, make sure it is a crispy one)
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (or cheddar or any other cheese that you like, but remember, there is nothing like Parmesan cheese)
• 8 anchovies, finely crushed (well, you can try it out with one chicken breast, skinned, cut in small cubes and fried in butter – please, please – the 80-82% fat butter, it is the best, unsalted)

Method:

• Add the garlic to the oil and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a salad bowl. Pour over the garlic oil and toss until the leaves are completely coated. Season well.
• Boil the egg for 1 minute only, break it into the salad and toss well. Add the lemon juice, cheese, anchovies and croutons and give a final toss. Serve immediately.

Bon appetite!

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

For those who live in Romania and speak English as their native tongue or for those who love cooking and want the recipe in original, I will add here recipes that are all taken from the Internet or magazines and cookbooks in English, all tried and eaten very quickly. Why? Because I found them either easy or interesting to make and very tasty. You will excuse my grammar mistakes and other English error and I will be grateful if you take notice of them and tell me about it.

My first recipe that has introduced me in this miracle world of cooking is a Chinese recipe, cooked in January 2005 in London, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All you need is love! I know, a little patience and hunger. You don’t want to cook all that food without eating it. Though I have to say that by the time I cook anything, my hunger is over, the smell of it feeds me already. 😉

Let’s get to work now. Enough talking. If you live in Romania you may find some ingredients missing but if you live abroad you are lucky. For those who still want to cook, I have made some changes, so you can have replacement and your recipe will taste with a twist: Romanian.

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

Serves 4

Takes 20 mins

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or sherry (or sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (or sunflower oil)
• 1  1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (just plain soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp cornflower (flour)
• 4 tbsp water

The rest:

• 250 (9 oz) pack medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil (or sunflower oil)
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-5 cm (1 in) pieces
• salt
• 50 g (2 oz) cashew nuts
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into large pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spring onion, halved

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug ready to use.
• Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for the length of time recommended on the packet. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, until smoking hot. Season chicken with salt and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Remove form pan and set aside.
• Add the cashews and red peppers to pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then, add the garlic and spring onions and cook, stirring, for another minute. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked and red pepper tender.

Plate up the noodles and serve topped with the cashew chicken.

COOK’S TIP

Try experimenting with this recipe by adding bean sprouts, mange tout, asparagus tips, cubed tofu (fry with garlic and onions) or shiitake mushrooms.

Bon appetite!