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

Savory Mince Bake

Basically a one-bowl dish, this is a winner. Mince is a very versatile kind of meat, but it can also turn boring quickly - just how many varients on Mince & Macaroni is there? But this dish is something quite different, packed with flavour to tickle your tastebuds and very filling.

Ingredients:
500g mince
1tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup rice, raw
1x packet mushroom soup
450ml warm water
1/2 cup cream
1tbs dried parsley
1t salt
1t origanum
1 cup breadcrumbs
2tbs butter, melted

Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the mince till done. Be sure to break the mince well.
2. Add the onion and fry till lightly browned.
3. Mix the soup powder with the warm water and cream, dissolve well.
4. Add the rice, soup mixture, parsley, salt and origanum to the the mince.
5. Scoop into an oven proof dish with a lid and bake at 180 degrees C for 50minutes with the lid on.
6. Mix the breadcrumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the dish.
7.Bake uncovered for another 20min or so, until browned

Serve warm, with a salad for a side and red wine. (The kids can have milk, though!)

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Cheesy Rice Bake with pumpkin

Ok, today actually has a recipe!! Yeyyy! Wednesday, as you know by now, is meat free day. I wanted to make something low carb, but just couldn't think of anything. Didn't have bacon, couldn't make an Al Fredo.... Couldn't find my yeast, so I couldn't make a cheese bread. (I eventually found my yeast, not in the baking cupboard, in the tins and soups cupboard!!! - I plead the 5th....) So, this is what I came up with:

Prep Time: 20min
Cooking/Baking time: +-30min
Difficulty level:  Easy
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients
2cups rice
1 1/2 litre water
1 chickenstock cube
50g margarine
2 onions
1/2 punnet mushrooms
50g butter
1t mixed berbs
1t parsley
1tbs german mustard
3 eggs
125ml cream
salt & pepper to taste

Method

Dissolve the chicken stock in the water. Cook the rice in the water. Do not cook until dry, remove from heat when there is still some water left. Let it stand and loosen with a fork. Add the 50g margarine and mix through.

Melt the butter and fry the onion and mushrooms. Add it to the rice.

Beat the eggs, add the cheese, mustard, herbs, salt & pepper. Mix through.

Add to the rice, and mix quickly, so the egg don't set. Scoop into a margarine smeared oven proof dish. Level, and pour over the cream.

Bake in an oven at 160degrees C until it starts to brown.

Dish up, serve, and enjoy!!! We had pumpkin as a side dish... and of course the two goes very well together.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Pumpkin & Spinach Surprise

This is the first recipe for this blog, and unfortunately I do not have a picture. Sorry, guys!! However, this meal is super-delicious and worth every minute of cooking! But don't just take my word for it, start cooking and taste for yourself!!

Ingredients:

1kg Pumpkin
500g Spinach
1 onion
300g bacon 
1/2 cup cream*
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cheddar cheese grated
100g margarien
4tb brown sugar
1 or 2 cups rice

Method:
Pumpkin
Cook the pumpkin in very little water until soft. Add a little salt and mix through. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Once soft, add 70g margarien and the brown sugar and cook through. Remove from heat.

Spinach
Cook the spinach in very little water until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cream and stir through until it thickens a little. Remove from heat.

Rice
Cook the rice as per packet instructions.

Chop the onion and bacon and fry in the rest of the margarien until the bacon is done. Mix the onion mix, pumpkin, spinach and rice together and scoop into an ovenproof dish. Throw grated cheese over and dip the cheese into the dish with a spoon. Cover with some breadcrumbs and bake in the oven @ 180 degrees for about 20 min. 

Let it cool and then dish up!

Makes about 6 full servings.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

* Tip: Cream substitute:   Mix 1 cup of milk and 2tbl mayonnaise very well.