Creamy Country Chicken & Veg (Slow cooker, GF, DF, WF)

This recipe is so simple and yet truly hits the mark when wanting a satisfying and wholesome dinner.

Creamy Country Chicken & Veg (Slow cooker, GF, DF, WF)

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts
1kg Chopped fresh Seasonal Veg (I bought a prepared bag at my grocer containing Baby marrows, patty pans, carrots and cauliflower)
2 Stock cube
3C Water
1 Clove crushed garlic
10ml Mixed Herbs
15ml Maizena (cornflour)
1C cold water
6 tsp Cremora (or other dairy substitute)

Method:
1. Season the breasts with Salt and pepper, place in the Slow cooker (from now on SC)
2. Pour the veggies in top
3. In a cup of hot water, dissolve the stock cube and stir in the garlic and herbs. Pour this over everything
4. Switch the SC on to HIGH for 3 hours.

LATER...
5. Remove the chicken pieces and shred the meat. Discard the bones and skin.
6. Dissolve the Maizena in 1C cold water.
7. Remove 2C broth and pour into a small saucepan on the stove.
8. Add the Cremora and stir well.
9. Add the Maizena mixture and stir while it thickens. Taste test and season again if necessary.
10. Now put everything back into the SC and stir it all in gently.
11. Serve generous portions on a bed of rice.

Serves: 6-8

Day 19 - Yummy Macaroni & Cheese

This is a yummy version of the traditional Mac n Cheese. It just has that extra bit of flavour and the sauce is deliciously creamy!

Photo Credit: ehgazette.blogs.brynmawr.edu

Yummy Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:
1 Packet Macaroni
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Packet White Onion Soup powder
1 Liter Milk
100g Sliced and chopped ham
3 C Grated Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions. Drain.
2. In a deep saucepan, fry the onion until golden and translucent.
3. Add the milk, stir. Add the Soup powder and whisk until all powder is dissolved.
4. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Add a cup of cheese.
5. Add the ham and macaroni, stir well to coat. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Pour the saucy macaroni into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2C of Cheese on top.
7. Bake under a hot grill until the cheese is meted and the sauce is bubbling beautifully.

Serves 6-8

Day 13 - Quick Ham and Asparagus Bake

This recipe was shared with me by my Mum-in-Law, Maureen who is always so flexible and makes having guests over for a meal look so easy! During our dating days, we would arrive for a Sunday lunch, often unannounced, and she would whip up a wholesome and delicious meal for us in no time!

Quick Ham and Asparagus Bake (Gluten and Wheat free)

Ingredients:
250g Chopped Ham (I buy the rolls - look like polony)
1 Can Green Asparagus, drain
3C Cooked Rice
1/2C Chopped onion
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2C Milk
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup (GF: Be sure to buy a can that doesn't contain gluten or wheat products)
1/2C Mayonaise
1tsp Salt
3ml Pepper
1 C Grated Cheese

Method:
1. Combine ham, asparagus, rice and onion in a mixing bowl.
2. Blend the eggs, milk, soup, mayo and salt and pepper in a jug. Add this to he bowl and mix well.
3. Pour this into a shallow 2 Litre Casserole dish and sprinkle with grated cheese.
4. Bake in a preheated oven of 180* for 30 minutes.
5. Serve this hot (or cold) as a lunch with fresh green salads.

Serves 6-8

Day 9 - Beef Bourguignon

This recipe for Beef Bourguignon (also known as Beef Burgundy) is my adapted version, the original is from the Pick n Pay web site. It makes a mouth watering, tender and tasty Beef Stew. It get's the name Burgundy from the red wine. The original recipe uses a whole bottle or Red, but I've tweaked the recipe a bit. I love making this in my slow cooker, the amazing aroma teases us all day!

Photo Credit: Pick n Pay

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:
350 ml Shiraz (red wine)
750kg Stewing beef, cubed
60ml Olive oil
4 Fat garlic cloves, crushed
8 Bacon rashers, diced (optional)
4 Celery sticks, sliced
10 Peeled pickling onions
7 Carrots, peeled and sliced
410g can tomatoes
1C Beef stock
3 Thyme sprigs
1 Rosemary sprig
2 Bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
250g Baby mushrooms

Method:
1. Pour wine into a bowl, add stewing beef, cover and marinate overnight.
2. Drain and set liquid aside.
3. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan, Sauté garlic, bacon, celery, onions and carrots for 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer this to the slow cooker, switch it on.
5. Using the remaining oil, fry meat in batches until browned and also put into the Slow cooker.
6. Pour wine, tomatoes, herbs and stock into the Slow cooker. Add salt and pepper t taste.
7. Cook on High for 5 hours
8. Add mushrooms and cook for another hour.
9. Serve with mashed potatoes or on a bed or rice.

Serves 6

Day 8 - Roasted Chicken with Safari Fruit Stuffing

This is my absolute favorite Roasted Chicken with Stuffing Recipe ever! I first made it 2 Christmases ago, and since then we haven't tried any other. The juices make the most amazing gravy!

Photo credit bbcgoodfood.com

Roasted Chicken with Safari Fruit Stuffing

Stuffing Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken of about 1.4kg
2 Tbs butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Celery sticks, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, grated
125g Pitted prunes, chopped
80g Peacan nuts, chopped
1 C Fresh breadcrumbs (GF: Use Gluten free breadcrumbs)
1 tsp Dried mixed herbs
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Grated lemon rind
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Rinse the chicken in cold water and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy based frying pan and saute onion and celery for a few minutes until soft. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Fill the cavity of the chicken and close up with string or tooth picks.

Basting Ingredients:
1/4C Cooking oil
3 Tbs Fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs Port or Red wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp Dried mixed herbs
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Mix all the basting ingredients.
2. Place the chicken on an oven roasting pan in a preheated oven of 180*C for about 1 1/2 hours. Brush during baking and serve immediately.

Delicious served with soft fluffy rice, Roast vegetables and gravy!

Day 7 - Delicious Pesto Chicken Casserole

This recipe for Pesto Chicken Casserole is another of Malcolm's finds that he spoilt me with, on one of our date nights. He asked me to buy the ingredients, and when I saw the list I couldn't imagine what he could possibly be going to make of this combination, so needless to say I had my doubts. Well! It was to die for!!! The ingredients compliment each other beautifully to provide a real taste sensation! I recently entered this recipe into a Chicken Recipe competition, and it WON! Like I said, it's definitely worth a try!

This recipe can easily be doubled to pack half away in the freezer for another night.
(Note: This recipe makes a lot of delicious creamy sauce, more than is shown in this picture)

Photo Credit: snacktherapy.com

Pesto Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
8 Chicken thighs (or 4 breasts)
125ml (1/2 cup) Chicken stock
125ml (1/2 cup) Sour cream
1 Tbs Cornflour
60ml (1/4 cup) Basil pesto
Toasted pine nuts (We used peanuts)

Method:
1. Place chicken in a saucepan.  Pour over the chicken stock, cover, bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
2. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream, cornflour and pesto together.
3. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the stock and shred with two forks, then return to the stock.
4. Add the sour cream mixture, and cook for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. Season to taste.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with pine nuts.
6. Serve with mash, rice or polenta.

Serves 4-6

Day 6 - Moroccan Beef and Lentil Stew

This is a delicious recipe for Moroccan Beef and Lentil stew that I found on the Pick n Pay Website. On the night that I first made it I had left things to late, my family was hungry and there was no time to let this dish simmer for hours. So I altered it to be cooked in a pressure cooker and it was delicious!

Moroccan Beef and Lentil stew

Ingredients:
500g Stewing beef, cut into small chunks
1 Medium onion, sliced
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Ground cumin
1 Cinnamon stick
400g Tin Tomatoes
500 ml Beef stock
1 dash salt and ground pepper, or to taste
250g Dried lentils
15 ml Chopped coriander

Method:
1. Heat oil in a Pressure cooker (or a large pot).
2. Fry beef until well browned on all sides. Add onion and fry until golden.
3. Add garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and stock. Close the Pressure cooker and cook for 15 minutes or until the beef is tender. (if in a pot let it simmer over a low heat for an hour or until beef is tender.)
5. Season and stir through lentils.
6. Close the lid again and cook for another 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. (In a pot: Cook for another 30 minutes or until lentils are cooked through.)
7. Serve Moroccan Beef and Lentil stew on a bed of rice, scattered with coriander.

Serves 4-6

Day 4 - Malcolm's Chicken Biryani (Wf, GF, DF)

Every Thursday my husband and I have a date night, at home, with the kids tucked into bed early! We take turns cooking something special for each other and recently my hubby was brave enough to try a Chicken Biryani. It was AMAZING!!! Every bite was deliciously spicy but not too hot, and the crispy fried potato chunks were just the cherry on top! This makes enough to feed 8.

Malcolm's Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:
3C Jasmine/ Basmati rice
1 kg Chicken breasts, skin removed and deboned
2 Onions, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cm Fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbs Curry powder
2 tsp each Ground coriander, Ground turmeric and Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
½ tsp each Ground nutmeg and Ground cloves
1 Tbs Garam masala (Use less if you want to)
2 Bay leaves
1 tin Chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Sugar
2 cup Chicken stock
Salt to taste
4 large Potatoes, peeled and cubed, parboiled
Oil for frying
1C Chicken stock
Fresh Coriander leaves
Poppadoms
Greek Yogurt


Method:
1. Cook the Rice according to packet instructions.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
3. Heat 3 tbs oil in a large pot. Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks and fry in the oil until they start to brown. Remove and set aside.
4. Fry the onions, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes before adding the curry paste and spices. Allow to fry for another minute and add the chicken back into the pot.
5. Stir to coat the chicken in all the spices and add the tomatoes, sugar and chicken stock.
6. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a large frying pan and fry the potatoes until golden and crisp. Season with salt and set aside.
8. To assemble the dish, layer a 1/3 of the rice at the bottom of  a greased oven-proof dish. Next, cover the rice with the chicken curry but reserve some of the sauce. Follow with the rest of the rice and spoon over the remaining sauce. Finally, cover the rice with the fried potatoes. Pour over the chicken stock and cover with foil (or a lid if your oven-dish has one).
9. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
10. Serve the Chicken Biryani with Greek Yogurt, poppadoms and fresh coriander leaves.

Serves: 8

Dreamy Creamy Butternut Bake

My friend Olga made this Delicious Dreamy Creamy Butternut Bake for us at a Braai she was hosting. It is the perfect accompaniment to a juicy cut of steak and a freshly Braai baked bread.



Dreamy Creamy Butternut Bake

Ingredients:
500g Butternut, sliced into rings
1 C Cream
1 C Milk
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Packet Thick White Onion Soup powder

Method:
1) Layer the Butternut in a 2l casserole dish and preheat the oven to 180*.
2) Blend all the remaining sauce ingredients and pour over the butternut.
3) Cover the casserole with tinfoil.
4) Bake this for 30-40 minutes.
5) Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes (1hr in total)
6) Garnish with fresh chopped chives.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Tuna Kedgeree

Tuna Kedgeree

Ingredients:
1 tin of Tuna (170g)
1 Onion Chopped,
1 tsp Curry powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Salt & ground Pepper
2 C Rice
4 C Chicken stock
2 Hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered

Method:
1. Prepare the eggs.
2. Fry the onion in butter until golden.
3. Add the curry powder and turmeric and salt and pepper and stir for 15 seconds to sizzle the spices.
4. Stir in the rice and then the stock. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Gently mix the tuna and heat the kedgeree through.
5. Serve as is, or on slices of buttered toast.
6. Garnish with quartered hard boiled eggs.

Note: this dish is delicious with a cup of frozen Peas or Corn heated through.

Serves 6

Sumptuous Meat Loaf (W & Dairy Free)

This is my Wheat and Dairy free version of a great classic.



Sumptuous Meat Loaf (Wheat & Dairy Free)

Ingredients:
1 C Oats
1/2 C Rice Milk
2 tsp Salt (or more)
Pepper to taste
1 tsp Curry powder
1 tsp Ground Paprika
1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
1 pkt Tomato paste (50g)
2 Eggs
1 large Onion, finely chopped
500g Beef mince
500g Pork mince

Sauce Ingredients:
½ cup Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)
3 Tbsp Dark brown sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180*.
2. Put the oats and rice milk in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the seasonings, garlic, tomato paste, eggs and chopped onions and mix well.
4. Add both minces and continue mixing.
5. Divide the mixture into 2 loaf pans.
6. Mix the sauce ingredients and pour over the two loaves.
7. Bake the 2 loaves for 1 hour.
6. Serve one 1 loaf hot, with rice or potatoes and yummy steamed veggies, and pop the other in the freezer for a day when you don't have time to cook :)

Makes 2 loaves (each loaf serves 6)

Oriental Chicken with Noodles

Now this recipe for Orienal Chicken with noodles is a real blast from my past. I used to love cooking this for the family as a school girl living at home. I had since forgotten about it, but was recently reminded by my Aunt Mieke and so together we put the pieces that we could remember, back together again. It's going to be so special to share this with my own little family, 15 years later.



Oriental Chicken with Noodles

Ingredients:
1 Onion, sliced
2 Celery Stalks, sliced
3-4 Carrots, peeled and cut julienne style
1 C Peas (optional)
500g Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips
Soy Sauce
500ml Orange, Mango or Apricot juice
2 Packets Chicken flavoured 2-Minute Noodles

Method:
1. Prepare all the veggies before hand. Marinade the Chicken strips in Soy Sauce.
2. Prepare the 2 Minute Noodles according to packet instructions (only use half the amount of hot water). Set aside.
3. Stir Fry the Onion, Celery and Carrots for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
4. Stir Fry the Chicken.
5. Add the cooked veggies, and the 2 minute noodles WITH 1/2 cup of the stock.
6. Add the juice and Peas and cook until the peas are heated through. Add salt and pepper if needed.
7. Enjoy!

Serves 5

Asparagus, Celery, Pea and Bacon Risotto

This recipe for Asparagus, Celery, Pea and Bacon Risotto is another gem of a recipe from Claire! I've never been a huge fan of Asparagus, but this recipe has got me hooked! Try it! You might just be converted :) The pea and bacon combo is the bomb!



Asparagus, Celery, Pea and Bacon Risotto

Ingredients:
1L Chicken Stock
200g Celery, sliced (or an onion will do
150g Streaky Bacon, sliced
Olive Oil
400g Rice
75ml Dry white wine
350g Asparagus (I like the fresh baby green ones) cut into 2 cm pieces, reserving the heads
150g Frozen Peas
100g Parmesan Cheese (DF: Omit the cheese)

Method:
1. Saute celery and bacon in oil. (optional: reserve the bacon to sprinkle on top when serving)
2. Add rice and cook for 2 min.
3. Add rice and 1 ladle of stock at a time, giving it time to absorb each ladle, (Half way, add the asparagus and peas.)...until all the stock is used up.
4. Heat a griddle pan until smoking and sear asparagus heads until a bit charred.
5. Serve the risotto with Asparagus heads Bacon and Parmesan sprinkled on top.

DELISH!!!

Serves 4-6

Beetroot Risotto with Summer Greens

I've inherited this recipe for Beetroot Risotto from my good friend Claire who is a whiz in the kitchen as well as in the garden. I had a lot of fresh Beetroot growing and she had the perfect dinner for me to make with it. My family absolutely loves this dish, which I really appreciate as Claire's Hubby isn't a fan, so she has to wait for him to be out of town to make it. Don't be tempted to go without the lemon, it's a MUST!

Beetroot Risotto with Summer Greens

Ingredients:  Serves 4                                    Serves 6
1 1/2 L Chicken or Vegetable Stock                (2l) (4 tsp stock powder in boiling water)
3T Butter or Olive Oil                                    (4T)
1 Medium Onion Diced                                  (2)
350g (2C) Arborio Rice (can also be regular)    (3C)
125ml White wine                                          (180ml)
2 T Fresh chopped Parsely (or 1 dried)
2 T Fresh chopped Basil (or 1 dried)
3 Medium Beets, peeled and grated                  (5)
3 Handfulls spinach, finely sliced                      (4)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon                       (1 1/2)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve (DF: Omit the cheese)

Method:
1. Bring the stock to a simmer. (or mix stock powder with boiling water.)
2. Heat the butter in a separate wide pan over medium heat; add the onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. 
3. Add the rice, stir to coat well, cook for 1 minute. 
4. Add the wine and simmer until it’s absorbed, then stir in the parsley, basil, and the beets. 
5. Add 500ml stock, cover, and simmer until the stock is absorbed. 
6. Begin adding the remaining stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is tender. 
7. Before the last ladle, add the beet greens or spinach. 
8. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the lemon peel and juice. Top with parmesan.

oh and expect PINK!

Yellow Rice

I used to think that Yellow Rice was just normal rice coloured with Turmeric, until I stumbled upon this recipe from "The Saffron Pear Tree" by Zuretha Roos. It makes the best tasting Yellow rice ever!!! Go ahead and try it! It's a must with South African Bobotie.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients:
1 C Long Grain Rice
5ml Salt
5ml Turmeric
30ml Yellow sugar
2.5ml Ground Cinnamon
2.5 C water (625ml)
1/2 C Raisins (125ml)

Method:
1. Bring everything to a boil in a large pot.
2. Reduce heat to lowest possible and allow to simmer until the liquid is absorbed. (Usually 30min)

Makes: about 4-6 portions

How to Make Biryani Masala from Scratch

My good friend Melodie had mentioned that she'd recently made a delicious Biryani dish. Oooh la la! and I wanted some, but I got too impatient to wait for her to email me the recipe, so I googled it and found some recipes. Can you believe it, I had all the spices I needed in my cupboard! (I couldn't!) Making this Masala was quite an adventure. I've never dry roasted spices before, and I've definitely never used so many different flavors and aroma's in one dish. It was trial and error...I couldn't tell which way it would go. Anyway, it was AMAZING!!! I've been thinking of it all night, and even snuck to the kitchen for just another bite. Mmmmmmmm! What follows is my own interpretation and method of what I think makes is an AWESOME Biryani Masala.


Biryani Masala

Ingredients:
10 Cloves
1 Cardamom
1 Cinnamon stick, broken into crumbs
1/2 Star Anise
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
4 Bay Leaves, crushed

1/2 tsp Dried Chilli flakes
6 Black Pepper corns

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1 Chopped Onion
Oil


Add later:

2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg

Method:
1. Dry-roast these ingredients from larger ones to smaller ones in a frying pan, don't add ground spices yet. (Dry-roasting helps to enhance the flavors).
2. Add some oil and the chopped onion and gently simmer, until the onion browns. Now add the ground spices.
3. Add 2 tsp Vinegar and a bit of water.
4. Pour the contents of the pan into a blender and pulse puree until smooth. Mine made about 200ml.
5. Now you have Biryani Masala ready to be added to the Biryani of your choice.
6. I recommend using about 70ml Biryani to 4 Cups of uncooked rice.

Makes +_ 200ml Biryani Paste

Southern Style Baked Beans

I wanted to make my own Baked Beans from scratch, but have really struggled to find a recipe. Most recipes I find call for a can of Baked beans, instead of cooking them from scratch :(
Anyway, I found this recipe, and although it doesn't use dried beans, it looks amazing! Definitely going to try this at the next Braai we have.



Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans
recipe by Pam Anderson www.thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans (I'll use baked beans)
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).
5. Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan.
6. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Serves up to 18.