Curry Chicken on Coconut Rice

With winter firmly on our doorstep, the mornings and evenings are quite chilly. But even though the days are nice and warm still, inside our house it is quite cold!! The fabulous thatch roof that provides us with an aircon-like coolness in summer, also provides all-day-cool during winter. With us, you take off a jacket when leaving the house!

Very few things can warm every part of your insides like a perfect, creamy curry. It is simply food for the soul that warms all the corners of your body and your heart. 

And this is what I wanted today. A warming of the soul, a comfort to the heart, and warm support for the spirit - it's been quite a week for me!

 This is also quite quick to prepare, as it is mostly done in the pressure cooker. You can make the meal early in the day and just let it stand until you're ready to eat, and the flavours will continue develop and mature.

Ingredients

8x pieces of chicken, frozen

1x chicken stock block

750ml warm water

2tbs whole coriander seeds

1tbs whole black pepper seeds

1tbs whole cumin seeds

1tbs medium curry powder

1t hot curry powder

2 cups rice

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

2tbs corn flour

250ml cold water

Method

1. Put the coriander, black pepper, cumin and curry powders in a small frying pan on low heat on the stove and heat. Mix regularly, and don't let it burn. Only a couple of minutes is necessary. Remove from the heat and mash it all up using a mortar and pestle.

2. Crumb the stock block in the 750ml warm water and dissolve completely.

3. Put the chicken pieces in the pressure cooker. Throw the spices over and then follow with the chicken stock water.

4. Switch the pressure cooker on for 20 minutes.

5. When done, remove from the pressure cooker and put into a large heavy bottomed pot on the stove and cook over low heat for a further 30 minutes or so.

6. In the meantime, put 2 cups of rice into the pressure cooker and fill with water until 2/5 level. Cook for just under 25 minutes. Let it rest for while, and then add the coconut and salt to taste.

7. Dissolve the corn flour in the 250ml cold water, mix well and pour over the chicken in the pot, mixing everything well. Cook until the sauce has thickened.

Serve warm with beetroot chutney.

And enjoy!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Creamy Curry Chicken

I have been looking forward to making this dish since I put it on my monthly menu planner!! I love the combination of curry and cream, that smooth warmness that covers your tongue and glides down your throat - warming you up from the inside.... This winter is quite colder than the previous 4 years, and in my thatch roof house it is freezing. I am still hoping for really cold weather, though - the ants still haven't left! But it is cold, and this is one heart-warming, tummy-smiling dish that appealed to even my curry-picky kids!

This recipe has two sauce options. I made it with 2 sauces, but you can only use one. I just loved the combination of flavours! If you only want to make it with 1 sauce, only use 500ml water. 1L water is still a lot of sauce, even for the double sauce option, so you may want to use only 750ml. Note that my suggestions is based on frozen chicken pieces which has a lot of extra water. If you use fresh pieces, your water requirement will be different. 

It is easiest to use an oven-proof pot, which then also makes this delectable dish, a one-bowl winner!

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

100g margarine 

1tbs mild curry

1t strong curry

1tbs cardamon seeds

1tbs whole black pepper

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

1tbs whole coriander

2t turmeric

1tbs parsley

1/4t all spice

1x chicken stock block

1L water (for a lot of sauce) OR 500ml water (for less sauce)

1/2 cup cream

2tbs cornflour

1x chicken soup powder packet

1x brown onion soup powder packet

7 - 9x pieces chicken (frozen)

Method

1. Melt the margarine and add the onions. Fry till soft.

2. Add the curries, seeds, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, coriander, turmeric, parsley and all spice and fry a little. Don't let it burn! Burnt curry is bitter.

3. Dissolve the chicken stock block in the warm water and add to the pot. Stir well.

4. Add the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and put in the oven at 150 degrees C for about 2 hours. The chicken must be well done.

5. After +- 2 hours, remove the pot from the oven. 

Option 1 - Single sauce

6. Scoop out 500ml - 1L sauce. Dissolve the soup powders in the sauce, add the cream and cornflour and pour back over the chicken pieces.

7. Put the pot back in the oven, uncovered, at 180degreesC, until the sauce thickens.

Option 2 - Double sauce

6. Scoop out 500ml - 1L sauce. Dissolve the soup powders in the sauce.

7. Scoop out another 500ml sauce into a saucepan. 

8. Pour the soup mix over the chicken. Put the pot back in the oven, uncovered, at 180degreesC, until the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally.

9. Add the cream, cornflour and zest to the sauce in the saucepan. Cook on the stove till it thickens.

Serve warm with rice.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Chicken & Sweet Pepper Casserole

There is about a 100m stretch of gravel road from the tar road to our entrance here on the plots where I live. And this stretch of gravel road turns into a sticky, watery gooey clay road hell bent on devouring all vehicles who dares to drive it without 4x4, diff-lock and road side assist on speed dial... So, tonight's meal was supposed to have mushrooms in, and was supposed to look a bit different, too. But since we had 30mm rain in 3 days, I could not dare to drive on our car-devouring stretch of gravel road to go the shop to buy mushrooms and cream. I improvised. And it turned out AMAZING! 
Best part: I didn't even make it. I just gave the instructions to my daughter and she made it. Which makes this recipe a very easy, very tasty dish. Disclaimer: I am not implying that my daughter cannot cook - she actually can do it very well - it's just that during these teen years, between her boyfriend and technology, she doesn't want to.... So, paying attention is not part of her expenses at the moment!! 

Ingredients

3/4 cup oil
3 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 cube chicken stock
500ml warm water
10 pieces chicken (we used frozen)
2 tbs chicken spice
2 onions, chopped
1 sweet pepper (any color), roughly chopped
100g margarine

Method

1. Put the chicken pieces in a large, cast iron pot on full heat on the stove.
2. Add the oil and worcestershire sauce.
3. Dissolve the chicken stock cube in the warm water. Add to the pot.
4. Add the chicken spice.
5. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Add the onions, pepper and margarine, cover and cook until done.

Serve warm on rice, samp, mash, bread... it goes with almost anything!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Chicken with Onion sauce

This is such a simple recipe, yet the taste tells a completely different story! It is creamy, full of round flavours and warming. Simply beautiful!!

Preparation time: 5min

Cooking time: >1 hour

Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Serves: 5

Ingredients

5 pieces of chicken (I cooked from frozen)

1 star anise

1 packet of white onion soup powder

1tbs Bisto

Water

Method

Place the 5 pieces of chicken and the star anise in a pot with a little water (just covering the bottom). 

Cover with the lid and cook for 30min on medium heat. 

 After 30 min. pour off the excess water into a measuring jug. Fill up with water to 500ml. Whisk in the soup powder and pour over the chicken. 

Cook a further 15 minutes

Mix the Bisto in 500ml water. Pour over the chicken. Mix well. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Depending on how thick you want your sauce, you can either serve or cook a little longer for a thicker sauce. Depending on taste, you could add some salt, but I didn't. 

Serve with slightly turmeric flavoured rice or buttery mash.

And enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Sticky Curry Chicken Drums

For a delightful and delicious chicken meal, combining curry and sweet and sticky... this is heavenly!!

Preparation Time: 15min
Cooking Time: +- 2hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves: 6

Ingredients

12 drumsticks (2 per person)
2tbs olive oil
2tbs soya sauce
4tbs chutney
pinch nutmeg
1/2t strong curry powder
1/2t mild curry powder
1/2t fennel seeds

Method

Put the drumsticks with the olive oil and soya sauce in a pot. A cast iron pot works beautifully.

Cook on medium heat for 30min.   

Add the chutney, nutmeg, curry powders and fennel, mix through. Cook over slow heat for 30min.
Turn off the heat.

If you can, let it rest for another 30minutes before heating and dishing up.

Serve with soft, buttery, creamy mash...
And enjoy!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Creamy Chicken Soup

I never thought I would be able to make my own soup - let alone experiment with various types of soup!! Yet, it is so easy and so much fun. The flavour combinations is limitless and you can tweak and change it to suit your craving. I also like to make my soup from scratch. For me, it just tastes better.

Preparation Time; 5 hours
Cooking time: 2 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves: 6 easy

Ingredients

7x pieces chicken (preferably with lots of bone)
1liter water
2 Bay Leaves
2 Star Anise
10 Whole Black Pepper Corns
2tbs fat/margarine
1 onion, chopped
250g mushrooms, sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
1cup cream
1cup water
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the chicken, water, bay leaves, star anise and pepper corns together. 

Slow cooker is best, for about 4 hours. 

Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred finely with 2 forks. Set aside. Melt the fat in a large pot and fry the onion, spring onion and mushrooms until just browning. 

Pour the chicken stock into a onion pot, through a sieve. Throw away the bay leaves and stuff. On low heat, cook the soup. 

Add the cream, nutmeg and black pepper. Depending on how fluid you like your soup, you can add another cup of water. Let it simmer for about an hour on low heat. You can serve immediately, you let it sit to warm up for later.

Serve with fresh home made bread and enjoy!!

  

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch 

White Wine & Honey Chicken

I bought beautiful chicken breasts for a bargain the other day, and wondered what I was going to make with it. I couldn't quite decide what flavours to use - honey & mustard... sticky... and decided to do something different... It worked beautifully!!

Serves: 5

Ingredients

5 chicken breasts
2tbs olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg
3tbs honey
1/2 cup white wine

Method

Place the chicken in a frying pan. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle over the salt, pepper and nutmeg, cover and let it simmer on medium heat. 

Turn over every now and then. Cook for about 30 - 40 minutes. The chicken should be almost done. 

Pour off the chicken stock. Pour over the wine and drizzle over the honey. Fry on high power, turning over often. Let the skin fry and caramalize, but be careful not to let it burn.

Dish up and enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Coconut-Honey Chicken

Sunday. Lunch. Need I say more?

Preparation time: 30min

Cooking time: 5 hours

Difficulty Level: Easy

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

2tbs olive oil

2tbs coconut oil

2tbs honey

Salt & Pepper

Method:

Place the chicken in the slow cooker, add the oils and honey, cover and let it cook. 

Turn over every hour ...

...until it is completely done and you are actually unable to turn it over, because it falls off the bone. You can season with salt & pepper to taste, if you like, but it is not necessary.

Pour off the sauce into a saucepan. Add a teaspoon of bisto, beat well, heat up. Be careful not to reduce it too much. It just needs to thicken.

Dish up and enjoy with some Spinach & Feta Baked potatoes.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Plain Chicken Foldovers

I really love making my own things. Which is why I have started to make my own mayonnaise, cheese spread and jams. I also make my own pasta now!! And, keeping in the spirit, with this recipe I also made my own wraps!!

This is delicious and suits lunch or dinner, for a picnic, for school, for work... and you can modify it any way you want to. You can add lettuce, and tomato, and cheese... or peppers and feta... 

Ingredients

8 chicken pieces
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
10 +- black pepper corns
water
Wraps
1/2 cup tangy Mayo
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2tbs tomato sauce
Basil Pesto

Method

Place the chicken pieces, cloves, bay leaves, star anise and peppercorns in a pot. Add some water. About 2 cups. Cover and cook. Check regularly that it doesn't burn, but be careful not to add too much water or you will dilute the beautiful flavours. 

Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and drain any excess water. Hopefully you didn't have any!! Remove skins and bones. Finely "thread" the chicken meat with 2 forks. 

Add the cayenne pepper, nutmeg, mayo and tomato sauce and mix well. 

Spread the wraps with Basil Pesto. Sprinkle over some cheese. Scoop the chicken mixture onto the wraps and fold it: first the bottom up, then left over and then right over. 

And serve!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Simple Chicken Potjie

Simple Chicken Potjie

We really love making potjie. It just tastes different to conventional oven cooking and braai. It’s kind of a combination between the two, I think. So, yesterday we made a whole chicken potjie, but apart from being super delicious, I have no clue what to call this. It uses very little ingredients, so that’s why I called it the Simple Chicken Potjie.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 punnet mushrooms, whole

50g butter

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup sweet chillie sauce

1tbs balsamic vinegar

2t coarse salt

Pepper to taste

250ml cream

4tbs marmalade/apricot jam (optional)

Method

Place the chicken in the pot. Add the olive oil, sweet chillie sauce, balsamic vinegar and butter. 

Place on coals and let it cook. You want it to caramalize a little, but you don’t want it to burn. Check every half hour or so and turn the chicken around. 

Once the chicken is a lovely brown, add the salt, cream, onion and mushrooms and let it cook to let the flavours develop. You can taste the sauce and depending on how you like it, you can add the jam to break some of the caramalization taste. You can see that our chicken may have been a little over-caramalized... Funny thing, though, the little extra browning added just enough of a zing to be delicious with the jam!!

When everything is cooked, remove from heat and serve on rice. 

And enjoy!! We sure did – it was simply gobbled up!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Chicken Fettuccine a la Creme

The name sounds exotic and delicious - and it is!! Although much easier than it sounds. It is a combination between Chicken a la King and Fettuccine Al Fredo, and it is soft and creamy and just perfect. Do try this at home!!

Preparation Time: 20min
Cooking time: 3 hours
Difficulty Level: Very easy
Serves: 6

Ingredients

4 pieces of chicken breast or thigh
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
1/2t freshly ground black pepper
1/2t salt
1/4cup red wine vinegar
water
2tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1 punnet mushrooms, sliced
250ml cream
25g grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup peas
500g Fettuccine

Method

Place the chicken pieces, star anise, bay leaves, pepper, salt and red wine vinegar in a pot. 

  
 Add some water, I would recommend starting off with half a cup. You need to check as the chicken cooks, if the water is still enough so that the chicken doesn't burn. Not only does this cooking cook the chicken and flavour it, it makes a little stock that will be added to the dish later (and it is super delicious as a chicken stock!!) This needs to cook for about 2 hours until the chicken is cooked through. You don't want a watery stock, so try not to add too much water without burning the chicken of course. If you did add too much water, you can just cook it down until you have about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of stock. 

Melt the butter and fry the onion and the mushrooms until lightly browned. 

Remove from heat and add the cream and parmesan. 

Mix. Place back on heat to thoroughly melt and combine the cream and parmesan, but don't let it cook down too much. Remove from heat. 

Now, my husband knows me so well!! He bought me a wonderful Pasta Maker for Christmas. Not just the machine the rolls it out, this one mixes the dough and then gives you what you want: spaghetti, macaroni, fettuccine... So I made my own pasta for this dish, and it was about 500g of uncooked, shop fettuccine. 

If you can, I would highly recommend getting your own pasta machine. Home made pasta is much more filling than shop bought pasta and just tastes better!! Cook the Fettuccine in salted water until al dente. Add the peas (I used from frozen) and cook till done.

Remove the skin from the chicken pieces and remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken meat into strips and add to the mushroom mixture. 

Reheat if necessary. Mix the mushroom mixture with the chicken and the fettuccine together.

And Serve!! 

Goes very well with a glass of light white wine...

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch