February 3rd, 2009

Okay more comfort food here lately. This was a yummy chicken dish I made. Fry some chopped onions and sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil. Then mix in some pine nuts and bread crumbs, herbs of choice, I used some oregano and parsley and some garlic. Mix well. Take part of the mix and add some crumbled blue cheese, I used Stilton and then cut a pocket inside your chicken breasts and stuff. The remaining crumb mix add some grated Parmesan. Place chicken breasts into a baking dish with some olive oil. And then top with the crumb mixture. Bake at 180 for 45 minutes. I made a gravy of onions, mushrooms and double cream with some chicken gravy granules. Served with mashed potatoes and some carrots and cabbage and green beans.

I still haven't been very experimental in my cooking of late as I have been busy doing other things. Taking care of Hedgehogs and card making along with chatting on computer forums. I did fix a nice pork roast the other day, sorry no photos. The crackling came out really nice. I followed some advice I had seen on the telly and read in books. Take and pour over boiling water on the sliced skin. I did two kettles worth, and in between I poured over a bit of white vinegar. The second kettle helped to rinse that off. Then dry with kitchen towel and rub with salt. I also drizzled over some maple syrup. Then into a very hot oven for 30 minutes and then roast as usual. I put cider in the pan along with rosemary sprigs and a sliced up apple. Then covered with foil and roasted at 180 for 30 minutes per 500g plus 35 minutes. When you take the roast out to rest cut off the cracklin and place on a baking sheet and back into a hot oven. This had a lovely mapley taste to the cracklin and the maple flavour permeated the meat too. And the strained juices made an excellent gravy. Brian said I have these British roasts down to a T now.