Pollo in Potacchio

I did 14 chicken thighs for 7 of us and doubled all the sauce ingredients apart from the tomatoes so we would have plenty to go with fresh bread. I thickened the sauce with a tbsp of bisto granules. Cooked in the slow cooker for 8 hours.
Added  a few new potatoes (cut in chunks) but you could toss in any green veg as well.

12 skinless chicken thighs

6 mushrooms quartered

salt and fresh black pepper

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

2 cups Imported crushed tomatoes (Tuttoroso)

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)

2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

Chopped Parsley or Coriander to serve.

Lightly season the chicken with salt and fresh pepper. Place a Dutch Oven or large heavy pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, when hot add the chicken and sear until browned on all sides, about 6-7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a dish and set aside.

Sauté garlic and onions (and red pepper flakes if using) in remaining oil; sauté until golden, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and saute on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the wine and chicken broth, scraping any caramelized bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. 

Add tomatoes, mushrooms, marjoram, reduce heat to low, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chicken to the sauce, partially cover and cook slowly on low heat for another 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding water if needed.

For the Crock pot: 

Start with the same directions as the first two paragraphs up to adding the wine and chicken broth. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours taking the lid off the last 30 minutes.

Espresso cake with fudge frosting

I used 2/3 of a Betty Crocker Sponge mix and omitted the sugar from the syrup as the icing is so sweet. As I did not frost all over the cake I just made half the frosting and used inside and on top with some chocolate dribbled over.

Packet Cake mix made up using 2 eggs

1/3 cup hot, freshly brewed espresso
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark rum

In a bowl, stir together the espresso and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the rum and let cool to room temperature. Spread over the sliced cake.

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (no need to sift)
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons half-and-half or whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients until the frosting is smooth and decorate the cake.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This came from a YouTube video by Tasty - I have adjusted the amounts here to get 6 slices

1 package pre-made cookie dough 300g
1 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

Press 3/4 of the package of pre-made cookie dough into a loaf pan.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.

Add the egg mixing thoroughly.

Pour into pan. *optional* drop half teaspoonfuls of remaining cookie dough on top of the cheesecake batter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. 

Decorate with swirls of cream and chocolate sauce

Fresh Tomato Tart

I bought 1 store made pie crust so halved all of the ingredients; there was no way 8oz of mozzarella would go in and leave room so I had to halve it to just 4oz. Also could only get fresh coriander so used instead of basil.

      1 tbsp Butter
2 small onions sliced thin.
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Storebought Pie Crusts OR 1 Good Sized Homemade Crust
 16 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated pecorino or parmesan reggiano cheese
3 cups cherry tomatoes
2 eggs
 1/4 cup milk
 8 basil leaves

1.      Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter, onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Set aside.

2.      Preheat the oven to 450˚.

3.      Roll dough into a rectangle.  If you’ve never worked with pie dough before, this is so much easier than you think. Ina’s secret to rolling out dough is to start with a floured counter and roller, begin rolling out from the middle and then turn the dough piece slightly to ensure it’s not sticking to the counter.  Dough can also be pieced into place in the pan.  Lay onto a shallow small 13×9 sheet pan, a tart pan, or cut in half and use 2 standard pie pans.

4.      Sprinkle on the cheeses in a single layer, then lay on the caramelized onions, then sprinkle the tomatoes over the cheese.

5.      Mix together the eggs and milk in a small bowl and pour on top.

6.      Bake the tart for 15 to 18 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the crust doesn’t burn.  If the crust is getting brown too fast, reduce the heat to 425 F.

Chicken and Bacon Alfredo Pasta

Did half of this for 2 of us with penne pasta  - yummy

200 g fettuccine
2 chicken breasts cooked and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup cream
3-4 cups chicken broth
8 rashers crumbled cooked bacon
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place pasta, garlic, parmesan cheese, cream and broth in a saute pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chicken and bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley. 
2. To thin sauce add a little milk.