Cajun Chicken

Lunch was a little heavy so we felt like something lighter for dinner.  Chicken isn't fatty and rice is lighter than potatoes so that part was easy.  The peas were fresh from the garden and the carrot was store bought. The parmesan roasted tomato, from the garden, should have had a little more colour but I had to cook them in the toaster oven which doesn't do such a good job. I put soy sauce on my rice because Fern likes plain white rice and I like more flavour.

The peas were a bit starchy, picked a bit too late I think. The tomato had salt and black pepper under the parmesan and it was sweet and delicious. I used Cajun spice on the chicken, brushed with olive oil and cooked on the BBQ for twenty minutes. 

It took 30 minutes to prepare this meal, start to finish. 

Indian Butter Chicken - my version

The chicken I seasoned with salt and Cajun spice mix then brushed with oil and put on the BBQ for 20 minutes. Turning several times to get even cooking.

I didn't have pineapple so I couldn't make pineapple coconut curry but we have loads of sweet fresh tomatoes! I diced an onion and sweated it. Sliced a carrot and added to pan then diced a potato and added it also.  I added half a cup of chicken stock and a little salt and pepper. I diced up 6 roma tomatoes and added to the pan.  Half a teaspoon of curry powder.  Half a teaspoon of celery seeds. (I was out of celery, gasp!)

I simmered the curry down to about half it's volume then added less than a quarter cup butter. Once the butter was melted and incorporated, add one tablespoon of fresh basil then turn the heat off. Serve over rice and the chicken breast.

This was the best curry I've tasted in a long time. I think it was the quality of the tomatoes and the fresh uncooked basil, but it could have been my incredible skill as a chef! Could have, probably wasn't.

Honey Mustard Glazed Pork Chop

I salted, peppered and oiled the chops before putting on the BBQ. I got a good sear on them first then turned the heat down a bit to cook them evenly.  I mixed up a teaspoon of Dijon mustard with a tablespoon of honey and basted both sides of the chops every few minutes. Mustard powder mixed into honey might work better, I'll try that next time.

Mashed potatoes and over cooked broccoli complete the plate. Over cooking broccoli is my most common mistake. It usually springs from not completing prep before starting cooking.

The salad was fresh tomatoes and cucumber from the garden, celery, black olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese. Salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the salad with a little canola oil to reduce the raw bitter taste of olive oil. Then a few drops of white wine vinegar or lemon juice and toss and serve.

Fern said the artichoke hearts didn't belong in the salad. I didn't mind them but they didn't improve the over all flavour so shouldn't have been added.

Serving Two with One Piece of Cake

There was one piece of cake left and no caramel sauce. I cleverly asked Fern if he'd like a piece of cake and he quickly said, "Yes." Now I had to serve both of us with one piece of cake. So I cut it on the diagonal to make each piece seem as big as possible. Then in a small bowl I mixed up icing sugar with a few drops of milk into a thick sauce. A bit of chocolate sauce over a too small piece of cake isn't going to do it. I looked in the fridge. An apple! I cut it into eight wedges, placed around cake and one on top with more chocolate sauce over it.  It's a bit sloppy but it worked as a dessert.

Chicken Stir Fry

Put rice on to cook with a pinch of salt and a few drops lemon juice or rice vinegar. Cut up chicken breasts into bite size pieces.  lightly salt, then flour the chicken pieces.

Dice half an onion and brown in oil in the pan. Add the chicken and more oil to give it a sear all around. Remove chicken from pan.  Add mushrooms to pan start searing. Add to pan the half chopped onion, stick of celery, carrot and large diced peppers. Add the chicken back in and toss all till the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables have started to soften.  Add a few drops sesame oil and chinese fish sauce. It smells like dirty socks but leaves a wonderful flavour if it's not overcooked. 

Fern had the rest for lunch and said it was terrific even reheated.

Easy White Cake with Caramel Sauce

White Cake

Preheat oven to 350º 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

Line a 9x9 pan with parchment. Cream butter. Cream sugar into butter. Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Add flour. Finally add milk and baking powder. Pour into pan and bake 30-40 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt sugar over medium low head. It's said that swirling the pan is better than stirring it. As soon as the last sugar crystal melts, add the butter and stir in vigorously.  Add the cream and keep stirring. Boil hard for 5 minutes. Cool and serve.

Don't count on serving caramel sauce to guests until you've tried it a few times and are sure you can execute it properly every time. This batch had a hint of over cooked, still tasted good, barely.

Liver with Bacon and Onions

I like liver, I always have. I like it with tomato ketchup and plenty of caramelized onions.  Bacon works too.  For this meal I fried four strips of thick cut bacon, then removed them from the pan.  In went three onions sliced. The onions came out and the liver went in, dredged in flour.  I kept adding oil to the pan to keep it from drying out and scorching.

The beans were boiled and finished in olive oil.  I tried steaming beans and they didn't come out too well. Boiling them seems to work best. The carrots were boiled and finished with butter and a few drops of molasses. Plain white rice with salt, olive oil and a few drops of apple cider vinegar. 

This was a really nice meal.