Kung POW chicken!

Ok it's actually Kung Pao chicken, but Pow is more fun, especially if you do a fist pump at the same time. Whatever way you spell it, this is a delicious, easy dinner.
I don't normally cook a lot of stir fry's, I seem to have trouble getting everything cooked at the same time so if the protein is cooked the vegetables are either heading towards mushy or still rock hard. I also don't own a wok (actually my sister gave me one years ago, it was big enough to bath a small elephant, apparently she thought I was opening a Chinese restaurant and needed to cook for hundreds ...needless to say its in the garage somewhere...)

It does not matter with this recipe, the chicken is cooked separately, and is easily done in a standard fry pan. It is based on a recipe from Nici Wickes on World Kitchen, where she visits the Szechuan province of China. One of the ingredients of the dish is Szechuan peppercorns, confusingly these are not peppercorns at all but the dried berry of the Mountain Ash Tree.

They have a unique fragrant aroma and a distinctive, almost floral flavour. You could use plain peppercorns & still have a delicious dinner, but if you can get your hands on the real thing (I got mine at Farro Fresh , along with some Chinese Rice Wine, or try an Asian supermarket), they do make a difference.

So what are you waiting for?

Kung Pow Chicken
Serves 4 with rice and steamed vegetables

4 large chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

Marinade

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp soya sauce , I use dark Kikkoman soya
1 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine (or use sherry, or Marsala)
1 tsp oil, I use peanut oil

Sauce

2.5 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sugar, I use brown but any sugar will be fine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or use rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tbsp peanut or other oil
1 thumb size piece ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 dried chillis, or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (to taste, if you like it fiery go for it)
3 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns (or black/pink peppercorns)
3 tbsp roasted peanuts

Firstly, mix together your marinade ingredients, and add to your chicken, which has been chopped into small chunks. Leave to one side while you get everything else ready. It wont look terribly promising but stick with me

Now mix together all your sauce ingredients and also put to one side. Next chop the rest of your ingredients ready for cooking.

A thumb sized piece of ginger..rather depends how big your thumb is.....!

Yes, I do actually chop things up and put them into small bowls before I cook, it isn't just for the photo! It makes me feel much more organised, and I don't discover I haven't got an important ingredient half way through cooking dinner........

Put a med-large frying pan onto to heat with the 2 tbsp of oil. You want it reasonably hot to fry your chicken. Add as much chicken as will fit in one layer to your pan, and cook for about 6-8 minutes until golden and cooked through

Remove from the heat and put the chicken on a plate while you cook the rest of the ingredients. If there isn't any oil left in the pan, add a splash more

Add the ginger and garlic to the pan with the chillis (or flakes) and stir around until you can start to smell the spice, about 1 minute. add the spring onions and peppercorns, and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken back to the pan.

Finally, add the sauce, and stir while it thickens. You will be left with a deeply savoury coating on your chicken and vegetables, rather than lots of gloopy sauce.

That's it! I like to serve this with steamed rice and greens. If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend you get one, makes for a VERY easy life. For today's version (can you tell I make this recipe often...?) I cooked broccoli in a steamer bag in the microwave, to which I added lemon juice, chilli flakes and a tiny dash of sesame oil.

Super easy, and takes just minutes. Enjoy (fist pump optional)

Cook My Books Challenge Two- new voices in food

For Cook My Books challenge two I have selected a really delicious book by young English chef Alice Hart. Alice is a chef, and was the youngest food editor at Waitrose Food Illustrated, as well as running a successful pop up "The Hart & Fuggle"............and she is still in her 20's! 

Her book, Alice's Cookbook is full of tempting recipes, sorted into categories such as simple wintry dinner, autumn film night, springtime camper van buy the sea.....the recipes are influenced by Alice's travels, and represent a variety of cuisines, all fairly simple with intriguing flavours. 

This book is one of a small series from Quadrille called New Voices in Food,  I am keen to get the other books in the series once the Cookbook Buying Ban expires! The layout is clear, and I love the matt finish to the cover and photos. Bear in mind there are not pictures for every recipe. This does not bother me at all, the pictures that are included are beautifully styled, with a real feel of the young hip author Alice is. This book would be particularly good for a younger person getting into cooking, the recipe are clear and easy for follow, with results that will encourage more cooking .

The first recipe I have chosen is a simple Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry. Actually where I come from this would be Chicken and Kumara Curry, but I wont confuse the issue.....Quick to prepare, this is the perfect midweek supper, full of flavour and goodness.

Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry (adapted from Alice's Cookbook)

Serves 4 

6-8 chicken thighs, skinned and boned

1 ½ tbsp medium curry powder

2 tsp palm sugar/light brown sugar

1 tbsp plain oil, I use canola

2 shallots, chopped (or 1/2 small onion)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, 

½ tsp chilli flakes (to taste, add more if you like more zip)

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

400 ml can coconut milk

coriander leaves, to serve

Mix half the curry powder, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Coat the chicken in the mixture and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok, and add the onion, garlic and lemongrass.I don't chop up my lemongrass,  but cut it into a couple of large chunks & bash with a rolling pin to release the flavour. I cant abide tiny bits of lemongrass in my teeth!  Cook for a couple of minutes, without burning the garlic, then add the curry powder, chilli flakes and chicken and cook for five more minutes. 

Add the sweet potato, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, coconut milk and 1/3 of the coconut can of water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken and sweet potato are cooked through. Taste and add more fish sauce if required. I also added a big squeeze of lime, but that's up to you

Serve with steamed rice and a sprinkling of coriander. Or as it would be in Vietnam, with baguette .

This is really tasty, savoury, sweet and salty, and I like the use of curry powder, which apparently is what they use in Saigon. I have never been so I defer to Alice on this one.


Alice's Cookbook
Quadrille Publishing 2010
New Voices in Food series

Fridge raid supper........

Or how to make one small chicken breast feed two hungry people. There were TWO pieces of chicken originally, but a lightening raid by one small, extremely naughty cat resulted, after a blast of the water pistol (the "Tommy" gun) and a few cross words , in a slight change of plan. To the rescue came the most unlikely of ingredients, pumpkin.
I had a small piece sitting in the fridge , which roasted with the addition of chilli & salt, I figured would work well with the chicken in a tortilla. Some red pepper, a simple salsa of red onion, tomato & lime, and dinner is on the way.

Chilli pumpkin & chicken quesadilla (NOT enchilada)
1 chicken breast
1 Tbsp Tio Pablo Spice Mix or make your own (see below)
1 small piece of pumpkin or squash (creates about a 1-1/2 cups cubed)
Salt & pepper
2 x Splash olive oil
Pinch chilli flakes
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
Handful grated cheese
Fresh chilli (optional)
4 flour tortillas

Spice Mix
1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Don't stress if you don't have every spice, what I was going for was a mixture of hot but sweet spicy, hence the inclusion of cinnamon, and you can adjust the amount of chili to suit, if you are cooking for kids or the heat intolerant. And if you really cant be bothered just toss the chicken with some spalt, pepper, chilli flakes & a squeeze of lime, it will be delish......

Now, for dinner.........

Preheat your oven to 190C
On a baking tray mix your cubes of pumpkin with salt, pepper, a splash of oil & a sprinkle of chilli flakes, then bake for approx 20 mins until soft & slightly charred

Chop your chicken breast into chunks, and mix together with another small splash of olive oil, and your spice mix. At this point your can put the chicken in the fridge until you are ready to cook, or fry immediately.

Heat a non stick fry pan to medium, and add your chicken , frying for approx 8-10 minutes until almost cooked through. Add the peppers & spring onions, and fry again for another couple of minutes until the peppers are cooked and starting to brown on the edges. Add your pumpkin chunks to this mixture & set aside onto a plate. Wipe out your fry pan with kitchen towel, and place back on the heat.

Lay your tortilla directly onto the pan, then put half the chicken mix on top. Sprinkle with cheese, and chilli if you want more spice, then pop the other tortilla on top, pressing down firmly.

After about 4-5 mins, carefully slide a fish slice or similar wide tool under the tortilla, and using your hand for guidance, flip over. You will think it is going to fall apart, but the cheese acts as a sort of glue, holding everything together, so don't stress. Give it another couple of minutes on the other side, then slide onto a board, and chop into quarters.

Great served with sour cream and the following salsa

Fresh tomato salsa

Simply mix together the following, tasting until you are happy with the zip factor

4-6 tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes, but whatever you have
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ -1 red onion, skinned and finely chopped (I don’t like huge chunks of onion) If you don’t have red onions, use spring onions
Big squeeze of lime juice
Salt & pepper

Perfect for eating while watching a game of rugby don't you think? Especially if you can get someone else to make them, very easy!

Pumpkin naturally should work with Mexican flavours. Pumpkin seeds have been found in Mexico dating back to between 7000-5500 BC, they have been cooking it for quite some time. I love the sweetness when it is combined with chilli and salt. In fact I use pumpkin roasted this way as a base for soup, and tossed through salads for colour and substance.

To finish, a shot of Spring colour, I love the combination of yellow & aqua blue, so pretty. Hope you are having a great week.

If you liked this, why not try Light Speedy Nacho's? Or maybe a Burrito for dinner? Or my favorite, Oaxacan Pizza, perfect for eating outside.......

Herby chicken salad........and more pearls of wisdom

It's been a busy wee day, and after an early start (more on that later!) I was feeling a bit jaded at dinner time. Chicken thighs in the fridge, and lettuce in the garden said chicken salad, but how to zush it up? Herbs, mustard and lemon creates a tangy chicken and dressing all in one, easy. This started life as a Donna Hay recipe, Mr PK made it for supper a few months back with mash, but for these warm days a salad seemed much more tempting........yes I know it looks a bit flat in the pic, but I didn't want to kill my lettuce plants by stripping them bare!

Herby mustard chicken salad (inspired by Donna Hay)

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tsp mustard (I use one of wholegrain and one of Dijon)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp chopped herbs, I like rosemary, thyme & a little tarragon, but whatever you have is fine
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
plenty of salt & black pepper
4 chicken thighs, skinned and boned
Big squeeze of lemon juice

Combine everything in a bowl and leave to marinate for 1/2 an hour or so.

 Heat a non stick pan over med heat, and cook the chicken for about 5 minutes per side.
Assemble your salad ingredients, and when the chicken is ready, drain off any of the fat that may have come out of the chicken. There will be lots of lovely gummy brown bits on the bottom of the pan, add a big squeeze of lemon juice and let it sizzle for a couple of seconds,  this is the dressing for the salad.

Pop your chicken onto your greens, and pour over your dressing. A good grind of pepper, and maybe a little more lemon if you think it needs it and it is good to go....

This is so simple, but really zippy with flavour. I didn't bother with cheese, but a little sprinkle of feta would not go amiss. In cooler weather the chicken is divine over buttery mash with some steamed spinach on the side.

 I used my own baby cos lettuce, these grow like the wind, even with my slightly erratic watering....

Basil growing well, I smell pesto and homemade pasta, heaven.......!

I was a little tired today, but after an eventful start to the day can I offer a couple of pearls of wisdom?

If something crawls across your foot in bed at 5.45am, and your husband is away, assume it is the cat, and under no circumstances turn on the light to investigate. Ignorance really is bliss.
If you choose to ignore the above, don't look too hard.
If you do happen to see the huge Weta (for my overseas readers, think of the most terrifying scaly "grasshopper on steroids" type insect you can imagine and you are halfway there....) scurrying under the bed, try to avoid kicking the cat as you leap across the room. Also try not to grab the can of furniture polish living next to the can of insect spray in the kitchen cupboard....
If again you ignore the above, try not to spray the WHOLE room before you realise it is Pledge and not Raid....
Make sure you come back with the Raid, and spray so much under the bed the air in the room becomes toxic and you have to go and rest in the spare room to recover from the shock......
Make sure you have a brave sister who does not mind insects to check under the bed for you...

My Uncle Terry told me years ago not to be afraid of insects (I was being viciously attacked by a small ladybird at the time I think....) , that they are much more afraid of you than you are of them.
Utter crap.

Charitable thoughts of leftover roast chicken

I popped into New World at the weekend for something boring but useful like loo rolls, and came out with a lovely organic chicken, on special no less. A whole chook is quite a lot for two people, but I knew after roasting I would have left overs for lunch, and bones for stock. At this purse emptying time of year these kind of economies , especially after an ear numbing lecture from the Minister of Finance about a recession, expensive Xmas pressies and the hole in the ground, can make me feel quite virtuous. But after hot chicken roasted with herbs and lemon, then cold chicken with salad for lunch, I still seemed to have quite a bit of meat left. I also needed to use a zucchini who wanted to be a marrow and tried to hide from me under a leaf. Nabbed him just in time.

The answer presented itself when I came across some flatbreads in the freezer. Leftover Chicken Enchiladas (or my version of anyway), super tasty, quick and satisfying. And if you don't have leftover chicken, they would work equally well with those cooked birds you can get at the supermarket or food store.
These were on the table in about 15 minutes, so great when you just want food.Now.Please.

Chicken and Corn Enchilada type flatbread things

Splash of oil
1 zucchini
1 cob of corn (or use 1/2 cup of canned of frozen corn kernels)
2 spring onion, chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes (or use chopped fresh chilli if you have some)
Lime juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 flatbreads/flour tortillas
Leftover chicken
Coriander
Grated cheese (I use good old Tasty Cheddar, but whatever you like)

Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Lime juice

Firstly take your corn off the cob by running a knife down the edge of the cob, under the kernels. The corn will shoot around a bit but persevere. Chop your zucchini in half down the middle then into half again. Slice each quarter so you are left with small chunks. Put a splash of oil into a non stick frying pan and place over medium heat.

Add the corn, zucchini, spring onions, chilli flakes and salt & pepper, and fry for a couple of minutes, to cook the vegetables, and give them a little colour. When they are done add a big squeeze of lime juice, and tip into a bowl.
Wipe the pan out with a paper towel, then put one of your flatbread on the bottom. Cover with half your corn mix, then as much shredded chicken as you want/have. Sprinkle a good handful of cheese over the top, and a bit of coriander if you like it, parsley if you don't.

Cover with the second flatbread, and put a small plate of top, with a couple of cans to weigh it down. This will encourage your filling to meld together, with the cheese acting as a sort of "glue".

After a couple of minutes, flip it onto a plate (you will think it is going to fall apart, but it wont, trust me) then slide back into the pan to cook the other side. When golden and crispy, tip onto a board or plate, slice into wedges and top with the sour cream, avocado and lime.

You can really play around with these, some chopped capsicum, chopped tomato and salsa would be great, just steer clear of anything to wet, you want that lovely crispy crunch, not soggy bottoms...........

Now I don't want for a second to compare me saving  few bucks on a posh chicken (could I sound anymore wanky middle class? Um, no not really........) with people who are really struggling with putting any meal on the table , especially at this time of year. I was thinking about this on my spin through the aisles , as the Remuera Rotary club had joined forces with the Auckland City Mission to get more food for the foodbank by handing out flyer's as you went into the supermarket. You were encouraged to buy an extra item or two with your shop (they provided examples such as cereal, coffee, tinned food etc), to deposit in their trolley by the doors as your left after checkout.
I thought this was a really clever idea, people could do something useful, but not actually have to DO a great deal, I mean you are shopping anyway, whats the hassle in throwing an extra can or jar in the trolley? Sometimes the best intentions get lost in the business of the season, so after my super chicken deal I figured I should add a few more items to my Mission basket, so along with Special K cereal I picked up a big jar of coffee and some Squiggle Tops, my personal fav choccie biscuit.
A friend commented she would get cheaper brands (and not biscuits), to get better value, but I suspect she didnt grow up with jumbo boxes of Weetbix (blah!) and bags of farmbake biscuits.

If you would like to donate to the Mission they really appreciate any assistance at this time of year (or anytime!) , check out http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/

Great Hole of Calcutta Ellerslie update..................we have a wall , kinda.........

Creamy mustard chicken supper.

It isn't curdled. Really, it isn't. OK, it is a tiny bit, but it didn't affect the flavour at all. This is a super tasty chicken dinner, it just wont win any prizes for beauty. Since I myself am not likely to grace the catwalk any time soon, I am prepared to cut my dinner some slack.
This is an easy supper, the sauce is whipped up in minutes, then poured over chicken breasts and the whole lot bunged in the oven while you relax with a glass of vine and Antiques Roadshow...........nice.

Basically this is an adaptation of a Nigel Slater recipe I read on the Guardian website at work, printed, then forgot to take home. The following is based on what i could remember from the original. Turns out it was meant to have bacon in, and no lemon, but I think my adaptation is just fine, cheers Nigel.

Creamy mustard chicken (adapted from Nigel Slater)

Serves 4

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
200 gram tub of cream fraiche
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard (if you only have one or other mustard, just use that)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or use parsley or tarragon if that's what you have)
Big squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Pre heat the oven to 200C. Place the chicken thighs in an oven proof casserole dish. Mix together all the other ingredients and pour over the chicken. Put in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken is cooked

That's it. I served the chicken with steamed potato's tossed in some butter and dill, and asparagus  boiled in salted water for a couple of minutes, and drained. Both vege, though plain,  were lovely with the mustardy creamy sauce. The dish isn't as rich as you imagine due to the sharpness of the cream fraice and lemon. The chicken stays moist and tender, but with a crust, which I love.

I went on a brilliant writing course this weekend, with Joan Rosier-Jones through the University of Auckland's Continuing Education department. I am working on a novel (about food, how surprising.....) and it was so cool to get inspiration with a great group of like minded people. Although when we did mock promo interviews it was noted my arms waving about every time I opened my mouth to talk would be annoying for viewers. I thought it would be a cunning distraction from the 5 kg the camera adds that I can ill afford. I suspect I may be made for radio........
Reading a fab book at the moment, by New Zealand author Vanda Symon called Overkill. I started reading it last week after a trip to the Library during my lunch hour, and struggled to get back to work. Cant wait to find out who did it........

Chicken breasts, the black pants of food?

Excuse the slightly odd analogy, but as I cleared out my wardrobe to make way for Spring , I counted four pairs of black trousers, enough for every day of the working week (and jeans for casual Friday) .........yawn! I know they are not very imaginative, but that dependable go with most things, make me look slimmer (has science ever actually proved this, or is it an urban myth?), wont show the odd mark reputation, make black pants boring but omnipresent. A bit like chicken breasts.

I stood by the poultry counter at my local supermarket the other night and watched (I pretended to be checking my shopping list, lest I look like a total weirdo....). Chicken is the first meat you come to after produce, and my is it popular. How many shoppers had visions of excitement further along with beef or lamb I could not tell , they capitulated at the first sign of a skinless boneless breast. It is curious because lets be honest, no one thinks yippee, pale, prone to dryness piece of very mild tasting flesh for dinner, rock on! This isn't steak or oysters, or lobster, it wont offend, but it does not really scream yum, does it?
So how to introduce the wow factor, this is the Black Pant challenge........

I think a big part of food is texture, so for me, adding crunch in the form of a crispy coating is a no brainer. For this may I suggest Panko? The link takes you to a neat little You Tube clip showing how panko breadcrumbs are made. Panko originated in Japan during WWII, when bread dough was cooked using electrical current rather than heat, then ground, to produce a light, flaky crumb, that cooks like a dream, and produces a lighter crisper coating than traditional breadcrumbs. A bag lasts for yonks, is not very expensive, and is available at my local supermarket. Otherwise try an Asian store.

I have mentioned in a prior post about bashing out your chicken breast, to get an even texture and thickness. At the risk of repeating myself, it really is worth doing. Just shove the meat in a small plastic bag, and bash with your rolling pin, or something similar like a wine bottle . This gives you a nice even thickness to cook, and saves dry indigestible ends while you wait for the thicker part of your meat to cook through....

Take your flattened meat, and coat with the following crumb mixture. This is enough for 3-4 chicken breasts

Herb and cheese crumb

2 cups Panko crumbs
2 tbsp chopped herbs, I used thyme, rosemary and parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To crumb I set up 3 plates. One with about a cup of seasoned plain flour, one with a beaten egg and one with your crumb mixture. Dip your chicken in the flour to coat, then into the egg, and finally into your crumb mixture, making sure all the meat is covered.
It sounds much more complicated and messier than it is, the whole process for three chicken pieces took me about three minutes, and the meat can be coated in advance and left to sit in the fridge before you fry it off.
To cook heat a frying pan big enough to hold your meat in a single layer, and add enough oil (I use Canola, but whatever oil you like would be fine) to just coat the bottom of the pan. Heat on med until the oil is hot, and cook your meat for about 5 minutes per side, until the crust is brown and crispy and the meat is cooked through.

The crumb provides a textural elementt that is so lacking in a skinless piece of meat. As a kid who didn't eat the golden crispy skin , before it became the kind of socially unacceptable behaviour practiced alone in the privacy of your own home?? It also provides protection to stop the meat drying out, which can happen over the heat of frying.

I served my chicken with some simply steamed asparagus, a green salad, and a quick mayo, thinned with water, and plenty of lemon juice. Simple, but delicious, and not at all boring!

It's Spring, I don't care what the weather says....

There is a storm bearing down on Auckland as we speak. Not just any storm mind, according to weather reports this is the "largest storm in the world". Maybe it's because I come from a small country, but that kinda title impresses me. We could entirely do without it, especially those poor souls in Christchurch painfully trying to maintain normality in their broken (though not bowed) city. But as usual Mother Nature dishes it out, and in this case it's a super-size serving. So it would seem no gardening for me this weekend......again!

As you can see my little greenhouse isn't exactly filled with an abundance of seedlings. If I'm honest the ones that are there came courtesy of my sister Liz..........I know, pitiful. Linda Hallinan would be ashamed .I have a big girl crush on Linda, I even took my mum to see her garden when she opened it to the public, Mum was most impressed, although perplexed as to why I can be so interested in vege gardening, yet so ordinary at it. It is a mystery. Every time I put my garden gear on it rains, and I am a soft fair weather gardener.......I did brave a bit of rain to pick my freesias you can see at the top of the page. I love freesias, the smell in the house makes me happy, and they look so pretty in a wee jar.

I do have one edible crop I am harvesting at the moment, and that's broad beans.  They send a shiver down my sister Annie's spine, but I think that is memories of farty fat beans, boiled with the gray horrible skin left on, grim indeed. Fresh beans, picked while still about fingernail size, don't need peeling, and can be cooked or eaten raw in salads, or smashed up with peas, mint and feta cheese , oh yummy!

You must excuse the container, when Mr Lawn Mowing And The Odd bit of Flower Gardening But The Veges Are Your Area and I moved in before Xmas, the garden was mainly a rockery at the front, and not much else. Containers are my solution until I can organise my raised beds, and these obsolete Auckland City Council recycling bins fit the bill nicely, even if they don't look terribly attractive....

 

Last nights supper was supposed to be Grilled Chicken with pesto and coleslaw. I even made my tangy creamy buttermilk dressing, then discovered the fridge had partially frozen my cabbage, not happy! Even worse, it had also dealt to my basil, leaving just a few sorry leaves unblackened......clearly plans had to change. Instead I came up with grilled buttermilk chicken, potatoes baked in duck fat (not nearly as decadent as it sounds) and a fab green salad with pine nuts and fresh broad beans. It was divine, and I feel I really achieved the almost impossible, making a skinless boneless chicken breast tender and tasty. After that there is clearly very little I cant do, and I shall be offering my services to the UN forthwith......

I still have dressing for a weekend coleslaw, so don't worry, I will share that recipe next post, it is a goodie.

Buttermilk chicken

Firstly, take your chicken breast, and pop it in a plastic bag, or between two pieces of baking paper. Bash with a rolling pin, to flatten the breast. It will then cook much more evenly. One of the reasons breast can be so tough is by the time you have cooked the inside of the thickest part, the edges are dry and chewy. I had four chicken pieces, so I flattened all four, and left the other two in their bags in the freezer. Being thinner they will also defrost much faster.

For the marinade, mix together:

1/2 cup buttermilk (despite the name, this is actually a low fat product, you could also use plain yogurt)

Grated zest of a lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Half a chopped chili

1 tsp rosemary finely chopped

Pour this all over the chicken and leave to marinate as long as you like, even an hour will make a difference.

For dressing the chicken after cooking, I made a Basil oil. I  took my sad little pile of rescued basil leaves, tore them roughly into pieces, and covered with a little EV olive oil. Let that sit for a while and the oil takes on a delicate basil flavour and fragrance.

While the chicken is marinating, I sliced a couple of Agria potatoes into rounds about 1/2 cm wide, and tossed them in a tablespoon of melted duck fat. I know this sounds decedent, but duck fat is amazing with spuds. I buy it in tins, and decant it into a glass jar, which lasts in the fridge for months and months. Use it for roasting potatoes and you will see what I mean....if you don't have any, or don't want to use animal fats of course olive or plain oil would be fine. Place the potatoes in a layer on a baking sheet and put into an oven heated to 180C for about 45 mins, until they are crispy. I like to serve them sprinkled with parsley

For the salad, I used glorious fresh greens from my vege box delivery and added in some peeled carrot strips, toasted pine nuts and fresh broad beans straight from the pod, then dressed the whole thing with olive oil and a splash of this amazing Chardonnay vinegar. I know, the price is horrific, but it is so wonderful I ekk it out, nothing could taste bad with this splashed all over it........

To cook your chicken, wipe off all the marinade and brush sparingly with oil. I know this seems a little wasteful, but a wet piece of meat will never brown up nicely, and that brown char is where you get a lot of flavour. The marinade has done it's job now anyway.

Season your meat, then either grill, or as I do, use a griddle pan, heated until nearly smoking. Grill each side until it is really well browned, which will also mean the meat will not stick. When it feels firm to the touch it is cooked, so don't keep cooking it just in case! Removed to a warm plate, and let the meat rest for a couple of minutes. Serve it splashed with your basil oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The acid in the buttermilk/yogurt tenderizes the meat, ensuring it remains juicy while cooking, try it for yourself, very yum.

I was very excited this week to have a mention on Ele Ludemann's great blog Home Paddock and in her discussion of Food Blogs on the Critical Mass show with Noelle McCarthy on Radio New Zealand.  If you would like to have a listen here is the link, the food blog portion starts at about 3.05 minutes. I would do this regardless as I love writing about food and 'stuff',  but it is rather nice to hear people appreciate what you do:)