Working Woman/Domestic Goddess

Jamie Oliver's Chicken Tikka Masala

2007-10-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

This was actually yummy.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

6 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 inches fresh ginger, peeled
2 or 3 fresh red chilis, seeded (if you can't find red chilis, use serranos, or whatever small, hot chilis are available)
Olive oil
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
3 Tbsp garam masala, divided
200g natural yoghurt
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions, sliced very thin
2 Tbsp tomato purée
a small handful ground almonds or cashews
Salt
115ml double cream
Fresh coriander, chopped
Limes

If you're using a mini-chopper, use it to finely mince the garlic, ginger, and chilis. Alternately, you can grate them on the smallest teeth of a grater, or chop with a knife.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, remove from the heat immediately and add them to the garlic mixture (once mustard seeds start popping, they will pop all over the place, so watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as the first one goes "pop."). Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, and 2 Tbsp of the garam masala. Put half of this mix in a large bowl, add the yogurt, and stir in the chicken, making sure to coat all sides with the marinade. Let it sit for about a half-hour.

Melt the butter in the large saucepan and add the sliced onions and remaining half of the garlic-spice mixture. Cook gently for at least 15 minutes. Do not brown the onions; you're trying to soften them up and mellow the spices. Add the tomato puree, ground nuts, half a pint of water, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Let the sauce reduce and thicken slightly (about 5 minutes), then reduce heat to low.

Cook the marinated chicken under the grill, in a griddle pan or on a BBQ, until just cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, add the cream and remaining 1 Tbsp of garam masala to the sauce and bring it up to a boil, then add the chicken. Check the seasoning, adding salt or cayenne pepper if desired. Top the chicken with coriander and squeeze lime juice over the top. Serve with basmati rice and naan.

Nigella's chocolate cookies

2007-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

As Nigella suggested I made up the whole mix below, formed it into twelve balls, baked half of them and stuck the other half in the freezer (on a tray until they're frozen solid and then in a freezer bag for storage).

Ingredients
125g/4oz dark chocolate
150g/5¼oz plain flour
30g/1oz cocoa, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
125g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
75g/2½oz light brown sugar
50g/2oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, cold from the fridge
350g/12¼oz dark chocolate chips

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. Break the 125g/4oz dark chocolate into pieces and place into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.
3. Place the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl and mix well.
4. In another bowl, cream the butter and two sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and stir well.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract and crack in the egg, then mix in the dry ingredients. Finally stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Scoop out 12 equal portions of the mixture -I used a measuring cup thing to make up golf ball sized balls - and place onto a lined baking sheet about 2½in apart. Do not flatten them.
7. Transfer to the oven and bake for 18 minutes, then test with a skewer (or a chopstick) - it should come out semi-clean and not wet with batter. If you pierce a chocolate chip, try again.
8. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to harden as they cool.

Chocolate Cake

2007-08-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Just like mother used to make (it is you know, I had to phone her for the recipe cos I forgot it)

3oz butter
5oz sugar
4oz self raising flour
2oz cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp milk
3 eggs

Mix ingredients together in a bowl for 4 minutes. Bake in preheated oven at 170c for 22-25 min.

Icing
4oz butter
4oz icing sugar
4oz chocolate
4 tbsp milk

heat butter, chocolate and milk. Then add icing sugar and mix well. Leave to set (preferably in the fridge)

Cajun Syrup Cake

2007-08-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

20 oz flour
1 tsp baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
2.75 oz sugar
2 eggs
6.25 fluid oz milk
4 oz shortening (Cookeen)
8 oz cane syrup (I used treacle)

Combine dry ingredients, then in a mixing bowl add milk, eggs one at a time, shortening and cane syrup. Beat gently only until all ingredients are mixed together (do NOT overbeat!), then pour batter into a bundt pan, tube pan or deep cake pan and bake at 180c for 30 to 35 minutes.

Firstly, this was an American recipe and although I did my best to convert measurements from American to UK, I'm sure I made some wee mistakes. In the end I had to bake the cake for nearer an hour, but that could have been due to my oven. The cake itself turned out better than I expected. It had a nice flavour, although consistency wise, it did kind of fall apart. I filled and covered it with a simple butter icing which complemented the flavours nicely.

Butter Icing
2 oz butter
4 oz icing sugar
splash of vanilla essence

Paella

2007-08-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

Serves 4
Adapted from the recipe in Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch

200g chicken (boneless and skinless), cut into bitesize pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
sea salt and ground black pepper
100g chorizo, sliced
1 tsp paprika
200g paella rice
1/2 tsp saffron strands
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
200g raw king prawns
200g peas, thawed if frozen

Heat a splash of oil in pan. Add onion, red pepper, garlic and chillies. Saute over a high heat for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the pan with the chorizo and paprika.
Fry, stirring frequently, over a high heat to lightly seal the meat.
Tip in the rice and stir for 2 or 3 minutes, then pour over enough boiling water to cover the rice by 1cm.
Bring to a simmer then sprinkle in the saffron, stirring well.
Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10-12 minutes.
Add the prawns and stir through. Cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes, until prawns are opaque.
Stir in the peas and cook for a further minute.
Take off the heat, cover with foil and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Although the dish looked beautiful, it was a little tasteless. I didn't add clams or squid due to personal preference, or a splash of sherry because I didn't have any. I also under seasoned a bit because I'm constantly scared of using too much salt. However, it was totally edible just a little bland.

Marinated Chicken Stir Fry

2007-08-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

From The Wagamama Cookbook

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 lemongrass stalks, very thinly sliced
2-3 red chillies, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tbsp veg oil
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into strips
12 mangetout
2 handfuls beansprouts
1/2 green pepper. deseeded and cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tablespoons salted peanuts, chopped
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
300ml water
2 tablespoons cornflour
300g steamed rice
few springs corriander, chopped

Put chicken, lemongrass, garlic, 1 tbsp oil and fish sauce in a large bowl. Mix, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat wok over a medium heat until hot. Add remaining oil and onion. Stir fry for 1 minute until slightly caramelised.
Add the chicken and its marinade and continue stir frying for 1 minute to seal the meat.
Add the mangetout, beansprouts and green pepper. Stir fry for a further 2 minutes.
Add salt, sugar and half the peanuts. Stir fry for a further minute.
Add the soy sauce and the water.
Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp of water and 2 tbsp of the sauce from the wok. Combine until it forms a paste.
Add cornflour paste to the wok and toss well.
Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
Serve with rice, garnish with remaining peanuts and coriander.

Gratin Dauphinoise

2007-08-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

From Gordon Ramsay's F Word Cookbook

4-6 Servings

a little olive oil
200ml whole milk
200ml double cream
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1kg waxy potatoes (I used Desiree)
200g medium Cheddar, grated
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius/gas mark 6.
Put milk, cream, bay leaf and garlic in a pan. Heat until simmering and leave aside to cool.
Peel and finely slice potatoes.
Scatter one third of the cheese the bottom of a baking dish and cover with a layer of potato slices, overlapping them slightly. Season generously with salt and pepper. Continue layering until you've used all the cheese and potatoes, seasoning the layers and finishing with cheese,
Strain the milk mixture, discarding the bay leaf and garlic. Pour over potatoes until it comes to 2/3 of the way up the side of the dish.
Gently press down the potatoes to help them absorb the liquid.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookie

2007-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

250g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
275g brown sugar
250g white sugar
225g butter, softened.
3 eggs
260g smooth peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 150 degrees c.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
In another bowl blend sugar together. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste.
Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix until light and fluffy.
Add the flour and mix well.
Drop ping pong ball sized lumps unto a baking tray. With a wet fork gently press in a criss crossed pattern. (at this point I sprinkled some chocolate chips over mine)
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges.

Quorn Chili

2007-07-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

serves 4

1 packet Quorn mince
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
4 tbsp tomato puree
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
water
oil

Fry onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.
Add mince, spices, pepper, tomato and tomato puree (add any water needed to make chili desired consistency).
Cook for 10 minutes.
Add kidney beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serve with rice, in a wrap or with a baked potato.

This has been the biggest hit so far with Devin. He polished his off, and was practically licking the plate.

Chicken Saag and Naan

2007-07-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

This serves 4. The chicken can be substituted for fish or vegetables.

4 chicken breasts
3 large bunches spinach
3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/sunflower cooking oil
5 peppercorns
4 cloves
4 pods cardamom
2 large onions chopped very fine
2 tbsps garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
2 medium tomatoes chopped fine
Salt to taste
A dollop of butter

Wash the spinach well and chop. Put into a pot with half a cup of water and salt to taste and boil till cooked.
Grind the spinach into a paste in a food processor. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame and fry the chicken pieces till well browned.
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Remove and keep aside.
Again heat the same oil, then add the whole spices.
As the spices turn slightly darker, add the onion, ginger and garlic pastes and fry till the onions are pale golden in colour.
Add all the other spices - coriander, cumin and garam masala - and fry for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
Add the chicken to this masala, mix well and add half a cup of water. Cook till the chicken is almost done.
Add the spinach now and mix well. Cook till most of the water dries up. Remove from the fire and garnish with a dollop of fresh butter.

For the Naan

2/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ghee (or melted butter)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seed)

Whisk the warm water with the yeast and sugar until the yeast is dissolved. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Sift flour and salt three times into a large bowl add the yeast mixture, half of the ghee and all the yogurt. Mix into a soft dough then knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size .
Punch down dough then knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece out into 8 inch round naans.
Cover an oven tray with foil and grease the foil. Brush the naan with a little of the remaining ghee and sprinkle with some of the kalonji. Cook naan one at a time under a very hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until puffed and just browned.

You have no idea how chuffed I am that Devin just ate this.

Tuna boats

2007-07-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

serves 2

2 baking potatoes
1 tin tuna
1 onion, diced
cheese, grated
dollop mayo
butter

Cook baked potatoes.
Scoop out potatoes and put flesh into a bowl.
Mix cooked potato, tuna, onion, some of the cheese, may and butter together in a bowl.
Fill the hollowed out potato skins with the mixture.
Sprinkle on the remaining grated cheese.
Cook in oven (preheat to about 180 degrees) for 10/15 minutes.

Ratatouille

2007-07-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
couple of handfuls of mushrooms
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can mixed beans/pulses
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp basil

Chop veg and put all ingredients except beans in a pot.
Cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serve with pasta (or wholemeal pancakes), top with cheese (optional).

(for children blend the sauce)

Fajita Goodness

2007-07-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

This evening we had fajitas and for the first time I made the marinade for the chicken (rather than buying from the shops). Apologies for the rubbish picture quality, but you get the idea.

Fajitas
2/3 chicken breasts
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 red onion
8(ish) chestnut mushrooms

tortillas
grated cheese
sour cream
salsa

Marinade
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli powder
1 clove garlic
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Make up marinade.
Marinade chicken (in fridge) for a couple of hours
Cook chicken, onion, peppers and mushrooms together in wok/frying pan.
Remove from heat (sprinkle with lemon juice if you wish).
Make up your fajitas and enjoy.

Again, this was an meal for the whole family. Devin enjoyed watching me make up the fajitas, even if he did pick out all the mushrooms.

Water Babies

2007-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Being a teacher means having fantastic holidays, but despite popular belief it's not all rest and relaxation. I have an awful lot to do for work and for uni next year and really need the time over the summer to do this. I've kept the kids in nursery 3 times a week, partly for this reason but also because it helps keep them in their routine. However, I want to make the most of the 'extra' days I have with the kids while I'm on holiday. I'm also very aware that I don't get to meet up with other mums while I'm working. With this in mind, and because I'm trying a whole healthy way of life just now, I attempted to start up a buggy fit group through a forum I use regularly. To me it doesn't matter that on the 2 occasions we've met we haven't done a walk so to speak. Last week, I meet 2 mums who I don't see very often and we had lunch and a natter in a rather posh cafe type place in Glasgow Centre. Today, I went swimming with 2 close friends and their kids before heading off for a very unhealthy lunch.

So, why does my inability to arrange a buggy fit meet which includes walking anywhere not matter? Because the main point of any meeting of mums is socialising; swapping stories, venting spleens, sharing hints and tips. That's what we did today. We nattered about this and that while the kids splashed around in the water, stuffed their faces over lunch, and ran around. Devin is now sleeping on the sofa, Brodie is screaming her head off as she prepares to drop off for a wee nap and me...well I now have time to do that wee bit of housework that needs doing.

Incidentally I believe that swimming is one of the best activities I can do with my children. Today was Brodie's first time at the swimming pool (it's actually the first opportunity I've had to take her) and I was genuinely surprised and pleased with how well she took to it. Devin loves going swimming, and frequently goes when he's at his dad's. However, there is only one pool in the area that will allow me to take both the children on my own. After today I understand this completely. Had my friends not been with me it would have been a nightmare to keep my eye on the 2 of them, ensuring that they were both safe and had a good time. Also, there are never enough baby change facilities in these places and I was left standing with a naked baby and a toddler who was desperate for the toilet while I waited for a baby change facility to become available. Nevertheless a good time was had by all and I look forward to whatever we manage to concoct for next week.

Vegetarian Chilli

2007-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the quest to eat healthily, and convert Devin to the wonders of vegetables I made this...

Vegetarian Chilli (serves 2/3)

6 chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans
1 onion, chopped
I large tomato, roughly chopped
50g frozen soya beans
50g frozen sweetcorn
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp basil
3 pods cardamon
1 tbsp garlic puree
1 tsp chilli puree
1 tbsp tamari

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Transfer to large casserole dish and cook in oven for 40 minutes
Serve with brown rice

Devin seemed to really like it. Although it didn't really taste like chilli it did have a nice flavour and was extremely filling.

Introduction

2007-07-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Why would you want to read this blog?

If you want to hear about:

The experiences of a mum and how she copes with juggling a demanding full time job, studying for a postgraduate degree and bringing up two children (3, if you count the hubby).
The eternal quest to change the eating habits of a life time and lose some weight.
Anything else that seems a little interesting or relevant.