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

Mac'n Cheese

Comfort food. We all love it and at times, we all need it. The drop in serotonin levels are quickest risen by pure pasta or potato – the best carriers of the happy hormone!! And what better comfort food than Mac’n Cheese? You can really play with what you put into it. You can dress it up or play it down, you can bake it or prepare it as is… In the end, you want pasta and cheese – the food of kings!!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time:  1 ½ hours

Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Serves:  6

Ingredients

500g pasta – I used homemade

1tbs + 3tbs butter

2tbs flour

Milk / buttermilk

1t mustard

1t mixed herbs

Ground black pepper

Salt

1 onion, chopped

200g bacon, chopped

250g mushrooms, sliced

200g processed cheese

50g cheddar cheese

Pinch ground nutmeg

Method

Cook the pasta to al dente.  

 Fry the onion, mushrooms and bacon in 1tbs butter until lightly browned. Set aside. 

Melt the 3tbs butter. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk or buttermilk while whisking continuously to form a smooth sauce. Add the cheddar cheese and blend until it has all melted in. 

Mix the macaroni, mushroom mixture and sauce together. 

Scoop into a prepared baking dish. Cover with cheddar cheese 

and bake in a preheated oven at 160degrees C for about an hour, until the cheese is starting to crisp on top.

Enjoy with a salad and a fabulous decadent glass of red wine…

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 

Apple Pie

I love Applie Pie. I had a friend once who made the most delicious and simple apple crumble pie you have ever tasted! However, I never wrote it down and being 20 odd years ago, I simply cannot remember. In the meantime, I have been working on a recipe and this one is delicious! A little heavy, perhaps, but perfect for a snuggly warm treat. 

Preparation time: 30min
Cooking time: +- 1hour
Serves: 6-9
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

For the pastry:
4cups flour
2t baking powder
1tbs salt
1/2cup castor sugar
500g very cold margarine, grated
+- 1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2tbs margarine
1cup brown sugar
1/4cup raisins
8-10 granny smith apples
5 whole cloves
pinch of nutmeg
2t cinnamon
1/2cup warm water

Extra castor sugar

Method

Soak the raisins in the warm water for about 10minutes. Peel, core and slice the apples. Melt the butter and add the raisins, the apples, sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. 

Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apple is soft. Remove from heat, keep covered. Let it cool completely.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and castor sugar together. Crumb in the grated margarine. 

Divide the mixture into 2. 

Cut the ice water into one of the halves with a knife, until it starts to come together. Press together until it forms a stiff ball. you might need more water. Add the water little by little. Cover with Gladwrap. Let it rest in the fridge for no less than 30min. 

Once rested, roll out the dough and line a baking dish. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into strips, about 2cm in width.

Once the apples are completely cooled, mix the other half of the crumbed mixture into the apple mixture. 

Scoop into the baking dish and level out. Plait the dough strips over the top. 

Bake in the oven at 160degrees C for 20minutes. Take out and lightly sprinkle with some castor sugar. Put back in the oven and bake until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Enjoy as is, or with some ice cream or whipped cream.

Yours in oil and veggies.... and pie!!

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

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

Cheese & Onion Crumbles

This is quite something different, very tasty and perfect for guests or a braai or just a snack!

Ingredients

1 cup soft butter
1/4t salt
1 cup cream
2 1/2 cups flour
2t baking powder
180g grated cheddar cheese
1/4t cayenne pepper
2tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1tbs sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 160degrees C. Beat butter well. 

 Add salt. Add cream slowly and beat well. 

Sift flour, pepper and baking powder together. Add spoonfulls to the butter and mix well. 

Add the cheese and mix. 

Melt the 2tbs butter and fry the onion, black pepper and nutmeg until lightly browned. 

Add the sugar and melt it. Be careful not to burn it!! Add to the dough and mix well. 

Spray a muffin pan well with Spray & Cook. Scoop spoonfulls into the muffin pan.

Bake in the oven until starting to brown, about 20 min. 

And enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch