Crunchy Cheesy Chicken

Chicken breasts can be boring. There I've said it. I KNOW they are low fat and a good food when trying to control calories but purlease! It the sauces them make it tolerable in my book - sorry. So I am aways on the lookout for ways to tart up a chicken breast that are, preferably, not loaded with cream and butter - although there is nothing wrong with a nice cream, mushroom and brandy sauce (with maybe a little parmesan in there...).

Anyhow, here is a coating that gives the breast a tasty, crispy coat whilst keeping the meat moist - and best of all this is a baked recipe so no frying involved.

I have only used this on whole breasts but I certainly intend to use this on chicken pieces - maybe thigh meat - the best of both worlds for me!

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breast (I normally aim for free range chicken as, darnit, it just tastes better.)
Flour
1 egg
1/4 cup of milk
1 finely chopped clove of garlic (or 2 if you're a garlic fan)
1 tspn ground chilli (fresh or dried is fine)
2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably either fresh or Japanese Panko breadcrumbs - not golden though)
1 cup finely grated cheddar
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Ensure chicken breast are clean of any skin etc and dry with kitchen towel
2. Take three bowls.
3. In bowl 1 place enough flour to dredge the breasts
4. In bowl 2 beat the egg and milk together then add garlic, chilli and seasoning
5. In bowl 3 mix cheese and breadcrumbs.
6. Dredge chicken through flour, then egg mix and then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
7. Put on a lightly oiled baking sheet
8. Place in middle of oven, preheated to gas mark 6
9. Cook for 35 mins
10. Serve with buttered noodles and green salad.

Very easy for a summer lunch. I imagine that the chicken pieces version would work well on a buffet - I shall wheel it out at the next opportunity.

Cheviot Pie

Don't know why this is called Cheviot Pie - maybe the original version came from there but that's all I can tell you. If anybody knows more I would love to hear from you.

This is the sort of pie that you need on a cold, damp evening. Yes dear reader, I know it's June but if you have looked outside you will realise that you'll need to take that up with the weather gods.

All the ingredients are items that you will have in the fridge and store cupboard so doesn't require much in the way of shopping - a bonus on a busy work day evening. The pie also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive; an advantage in these economically trying times. Yet it tastes luxurious. Win, win.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

200gm minced beef
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk
1 medium carrot
12 button mushrooms
2oz suet (vegetarian or beef)
4oz self raising flour
2oz strong cheddar, grated
1 Knorr beef stock cube
1 tbspn instant beef gravy granules (Bisto)
salt
pepper
Milk
Cold water


METHOD

1. Place suet, flour, cheese, pinch of salt and pepper in mixing bowl.
2. Add water
3. Mix thoroughly until a ball of pastry is formed
4. Put in fridge until needed (wrap in cling film)
5. Preheat oven to gas mark 5
6. Chop onions, celery, carrots and mushroom
7. Pour a small amount of oil into a medium saucepan and place on medium gas
8. Place onions into pan, season and cook until beginning to become translucent
9. Add carrots and celery and cook for 3 mins
10. Add mushrooms and stir in
11. Add mince and brown
12. Make up stock cube and instant granules with half pint of boiling water and add to pan
13. Cook for two minutes and place mix into medium sized deep pie dish
14. Remove pastry from fridge and roll out - it will be approx 1/4" thick
15. Place onto pie and pat down
16. Trim excess pastry and make small balls
17. Make airhole in centre of pie
18. Arrange balls around airhole and edge of pie
19. Wash pie with milk
20. Bake for 35 mins in middle of oven
21. Serve with selection of green vegetables.
    

As you can tell, the pastry is fundamentally a dumpling mix with cheese added. This means that the finished pastry is fluffy and soft underneath with a brown crispy top. It really doesn't need any further carbohydrates so I don't tend to serve potatoes with it but there is nothing to stop you so doing.

This is real comfort food that doesn't break the bank. And we all have to applaud that.

CSSM Fish Pie

Many, many years ago when the world was young (OK, a bit younger) I used to spend a couple of weeks every summer in Walton on the Naze acting as cook on a CSSM (Children's Special Service Mission - now known as Scripture Union beach missions). The trick was to feed a team of around 20, three times a day, on a rather tight budget. There was a cookbook full of useful recipes passed down to every new cook and you could add your own to be passed on in time. This is one recipe that I found in that book that I scaled down and still use from time to time. Easy, quick and surprisingly good.

CSSM Fish Pie
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
400 grams white fish - whatever is cheapest at the time
1 tin Batchellors Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 295 grams
1 tin peeled tomatoes 400 grams
Instand mashed potatoes 176 gram pack
80 grams cheddar cheese, grated
2 packs of cheese and onions crisps
Butter
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Grease ovenproof dish with butter
2. Cut fish into bite size chunks and lay on bottom of dish
3. Season
4. Open tin of tomatoes and pour over fish
5. Add soup (DO NOT ADD WATER OR MILK)
6. Add cheese
7. Make up instant potato and add knob of butter
8. Spread potato over dish
9. Smash up crisps into small pieces and sprinkle over top
10. bake on gas mark 6 for 35 mins or until crisps are dark golden brown
11. Serve

As it cooks the soup, tomato and cheese will combine into a rich sauce and the crisps add a great savoury crunch. If you are feeling luxurious you can add a few prawns but this is so tasty it really doesn't need them so you can give the prawns to your favourite feline. OK, my cat MADE me add that!

Sausage Plait

The origins of this recipe are from a 1980's Hamlyn Colour Cookbook that my husband was given when he was a carefree batchelor. It has been tweeked over the years but it remains one of his most popular recipes and hauled out at every festive occasion, normally to great acclaim. It's a simple recipe and you can either make one large plait, or several two-person sized ones. Luckily for me I particularly like the end slices which are normally cut off before serving (cut off and filed straight into my tum!) Great for a buffet and loved by kids and adults alike and it's wonderful hot from the oven, (though I personally prefer it cold).


Sausage Plait
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
Approx half kilo of sausage meat
1 large onion (finely chopped)
Heaped desert spoon mango chutney
125 grms strong cheddar in small cubes (optional)
Salt & pepper
Approx half kilo puff pastry (frozen or fresh but ALWAYS pre-made, life is too short for puff pastry)
1 egg (beaten for glaze)

METHOD

1. Mix all the filling items thoroughly in a large bowl (I have used a processor at times in the past but think its better mixed by hand as you finish up with larger bits of onion, cheese etc).
2. Roll out the pastry to approximately 25x35cm.
3. Spread filling down centre of pastry
4. Cut short slots down either side running away from the filling.
5. Fold up the sides and overlap on top.
6. Glaze with the egg.
7. Place on a mesh.
8. Cook on gas mk7 for approximately 40 minutes.
9. Cool on a rack until ready to eat

This brings back so many memories of birthdays, christenings, Christmasses and just about every other kind of bash were people bring their 'trademark' contribution for the meal. A memory in every bite.