Oven Baked Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

 I used chicken fillets instead of breasts and they were really tender. I also used my frozen tomatoes.

– 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  

– 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
– ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
– 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
– 1 cup heavy cream
– ½ cup finely grated Parmesan — a little more doesn’t hurt
– 2 teaspoons dried basil
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes — I usually add more at the table
– 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
– 1 teaspoon sugar, optional but I usually add it
– Extra Parmesan and dried basil for the top, if you like

 

Start with your oven at 375°F. Get out the glass Casserole dish—9×13—and just leave it on the counter so it’s ready.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This is one of those steps I used to skip because honestly it seemed like busywork, but it does matter. A wet chicken breast in a wet sauce takes longer to cook and the surface texture stays strange. So. Pat it dry.

Season both sides with about half the salt and half the pepper, then lay the pieces in the dish with a little space between them. Don’t crowd them. The sauce needs room to get around them.

In a bowl—I use a medium one, whatever that means, the one that’s bigger than a cereal bowl but smaller than what I’d use for salad—combine the crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, Parmesan, dried basil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, the oil or butter, the rest of your salt and pepper, and the sugar if you’re using it. Stir it until it looks like one cohesive thing. You’ll see the cream and tomato come together into that rose-pink color and it’ll smell good even before it hits the oven.

Pour it over the chicken Slowly, making sure every piece gets covered. Use a spoon to nudge sauce into the corners if it pools in the middle. You want the whole dish coated—this isn’t a recipe where the sauce stays on top. It bakes around and under everything.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, take the foil off—carefully,and put the dish back in uncovered. Another 15 to 20 minutes. You’re looking for bubbling around the edges.

Let it rest in the dish for 5 to 10 minutes before you serve it. 

Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread

Rhubarb and strawberry coulis

 A nice dessert for a hot day

250g fresh rhubarb, sliced

250g fresh strawberries, hulled

2 tbsp water

100g Greek yogurt

200ml double cream or whipping cream (lightly whipped)

 

Cook fruit: Place rhubarb, strawberries and water in a small pan.

Simmer: Heat gently for 10 minutes until soft and tender.

Blend: Purée the fruit mixture until smooth, then let it cool.

Make cream base: Whip the cream softly and fold it into the Greek yogurt.

Assemble: Layer the creamy yogurt mix and fruit coulis in glasses

Chicken and sausagemeat pie

 Would use puff pastry next time as my pies looked a little flat

Bought Pastry

For the filling:

• 1-2 chicken breasts dependent on size
• 1 onion, chopped
• 400g pack skin free sausages (no point in using fancy ones, but reduced-fat are good for this)
• about 45g sage and onion stuffing mix
• optional cranberry sauce
• salt
• beaten egg for glazing

Put the chicken breasts and onion in a pan with water and a pinch of salt, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 20 mins. Take out the chicken and put it on a plate to cool. Drain the liquid into a measuring jug and reserve 100ml . Put the onion into a bowl to cool.

Bring the reserved liquid back up to the boil in the pan, then switch off the heat and add the stuffing mix. Let it stand for a minute, then add to the onion. Let it cool down for a bit while you slice the chicken breasts into pieces. Once the stuffing mix has cooled a bit, chop the sausages and mix them in thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas Mark 6, and line an 8″ sandwich tin with foil or baking paper. (Or use a springform cake tin if you have one – it shouldn’t need lining or greasing.) Place a flat baking tray in the oven to pre-heat, big enough to take your sandwich tin.

Roll out a bit more than half of the pastry to a circle and use it to line the tin. Put half of the sausage mix in the bottom, then top with a layer of chicken strips, then the rest of the sausage mix. Top with cranberry if using.

Roll out the rest of the pastry and top the pie, sealing the edges with a little water. Trim, make a couple of holes to let out steam, and glaze with the beaten egg.

 Bake the pie for 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C, Gas Mark 4 for a further 30 mins. Cool in the tin on a cooling rack, then chill if you’re going to serve it cold.

Paradise Slice

Nice fruity cake I made for a Coffee & Cake afternoon. 

I did add a little milk as my mix was quite stiff.

Bought Shortcrust Pastry, enough to fill a swiss roll tin 9x13

• 100g raspberry jam (5 tbsp)

Top Layer

• 200g butter (1 cup)
• 200g caster sugar (1 cup)
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 120g currants (just under 1 cup) or sultanas
• 100g glace cherries (1/2 cup)
• Extra caster sugar for dusting the top after baking

Instructions

Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
2. Grease tin with butter or line it with baking paper to make it easier to lift the slice out after baking.
3. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it fits your tin.
4. Prick the pastry with a fork, place baking paper over it and blind baking beans or uncooked rice if you don’t have any.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
6. Set aside and allow to cool. 

Top Layers

1. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together. 
2. Add the eggs and mix in thoroughly.
3. Add the fruit and almond flour and mix in. 
4. Spread jam over the top of the pastry.
5. Spoon the top layer mixture over the jam and smooth down with a large spoon.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over a few tablespoons of caster sugar.
8. Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!

Rhubarb and Pear Loaf

 I didn't sprinkle with the almonds. Seems a very soft cake but it is going in deep freeze so will see how it is when it comes out.

• 80 g butter
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 2 pears mashed ripe
• 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tbs milk
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 stalks rhubarb chopped into pieces
• 1 tsp sugar

Step 1 Beat together butter, caster sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Step 2 Add eggs one at a time, beating fully in between. 

Step 3 Add mashed pear, milk, flour cinnamon and mix until combined. 

Step 4 Line bottom of a high sided cake tin with GLAD Bake and then pour in the cake mixture. 

Step 5 Combine rhubarb with sugar in a GLAD bag, give it a shake, then press lightly into the top of the cake mix 

Step 6 Optional – Add flaked almonds. Bake 40 minutes at 180C (170C fan forced). Enjoy.

Salmon Patties

 Tasty with just vegetables

1 (14.75 oz) can salmon, drained and flaked
2 crusts as breadcrumbs
6 finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon parsley
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 stick celery finely chopped
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked salmon, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, parsley, celery, mayonaise, egg, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
Shape the mixture into patties of your desired size and thickness; place in fridge for a couple of hours to harden.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Carefully place the salmon patties in the skillet and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and heated through.
Remove the patties from the skillet and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serve the salmon patties hot with your favorite side dishes or on a bun as a sandwich.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Kcal: 280 kcal

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

 This was quite tasty - even though I don't like Stilton - made 1/2 for 2 of us

• 800 g (1.7 lb) Broccoli , Fresh or frozen
• 1 potato
• 1 stick celery
• 1 Onion, Peeled and chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
• 750 ml (3.25 cups) Stock
• 160 g (6 oz) Stilton cheese, Grated or crumbled
• Optional Milk to make more creamy

1.                 Wash and chop the broccoli into large chunks. Chop potato and celery, finely slice your onion and crush the garlic. (If you’re using frozen, simply put everything in the pan.)

2.                 Put the broccoli, potato, onions, garlic, stock and plenty of salt and pepper into a large saucepan.

3.                 Bring to the boil with the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked through.

4.                 Remove from the heat. Add the milk and Stilton and blend until smooth.

5.                 Heat through again before serving