Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients :

1. Chicken - meat from 1 chicken breast and 2 chicken thighs (blitz in the food processor or mixie to make a rough mince)
2. minced garlic or garlic powder- 1 tsp
3. black pepper powder - 1 tsp
4. soy sauce - 1 tbsp
5. salt - to taste
6. herbs of your choice , oregano or parsley -2 pinches 
7. chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
8. vinegar - 1 tsp
9. Bread - 2 slices
10. milk - 1/4 cup
11. egg - 3
12. fresh bread crumbs - 2 cups 
13. all purpose flour - 1 cup
14.  Oil - 2 cups fry

Method:
soak the bread slices in milk and crush with your fingertips and set aside
into the minced chicken , add the garlic ,pepper,soy sauce,salt,herbs,chilly powder,vinegar , 1 egg and soaked bread and mix well with your hands .
to check for salt and spice I usually saute a small pea sized meat mixture on a pan (it will only take a minute to cook such a small portion).
Adjust seasonings and cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes .
After 30 minutes remove from fridge and shape the mixture into nuggets .
apply oil on your fingers and palm and shape it as the mince will stick to your hands if not oiled.
place the formed nuggets in a single layer on a plate and freeze for 15-30 minutes (you can skip this step - but it is easier to handle the nuggets when they are hardened in the freezer ,else it is very delicate and takes a lot of time and effort to coat the nuggets)
beat 2 eggs
place bread crumbs on a sheet of news paper
all purpose flour on a flat plate - season with 2 pinches of salt .
Remove the nuggets from freezer and roll in the all purpose flour
then dip in the beaten egg
then coat with bread crumbs and keep aside .
At this stage they can be frozen by placing flat in a single layer on a plate and once hard transfer to ziplock bags to fry whenever needed.
heat oil until medium hot and fry the nuggets on medium low flame until cooked (if frozen it will take about 7 minutes )
once the nuggets are cooked they float to the surface of  the hot oil.
fry until golden brown. drain on paper towels and serve with ketchup


NOTE : you can make your own breadcrumb . Save the sides and ends of the loves of bread when you make sandwiches in a ziplock bag in the freezer . remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes , break into small pieces and process in a food processor or mixie for 30 seconds  to make fresh bread crumbs

Watermelon Granita

Ingredients :

1. Watermelon - 1/2 of a medium sized melon
2. Lime - 1
3. sugar - to taste
4. salt - 1 pinch

Method:

Chop the watermelon into chunks , remove most of the seeds if possible and add to a
blender jar.
Add in sugar to taste depending on the sweetness of the fruit
Add juice of 1/2 a lime and blend for 30 seconds.
taste the juice and add more sugar or lime as required .
Blend for 10 more seconds .
Pour into a steel tray and freeze for 3 hours.
Scrape the mix with a fork and refreeze .
when ready to serve ,scrape required portion with the tip of a fork and serve immediately.

Chicken & Pasta Soup

 
Ingredients :

1. home made chicken stock - 6 cups 
2. carrots - 1 large chopped
3. celery - 2 stalks chopped
4. onion -1 chopped
5. chicken - 1 breast 
6. fettuccine pasta - handfull 
7. salt - to taste
8. pepper - to taste
9. oil - 1 tbsp

 Method:
Heat oil in a saucepan and add the  carrots , celery and onion.
saute until it starts to soften.
Add in the chicken stock and the chicken breast and bring to a simmer.
Add salt to taste.
reduce the flame and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken breast is cooked through.
Remove the chicken breast from the broth and keep aside covered.
Add in the pasta to the broth and cook for another 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked through but still retains a bite.
Turn the flame off , add salt and peppper to taste.
cut or shred the poached chicken breast and return to the soup.
Serve hot .


For homemade chicken stock : 
wash and rinse chicken neck,back and wing tips well.
chop into small pieces .
add to a stock pot and pour water to cover plus a few cups.
add in 1 chopped carrot,stalk of celery,few cloves of garlic , few whole peppercorns and bring to a boil.
remove the scum from the broth using a slotted spoon.
cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain the solids out and use the stock for soups and gravies.

Chocolate Chip cookies

Ingredients :

1. Salted butter at room temperature- 150 gms
2. light brown sugar - 80 gms
3. granulated sugar - 80 gms
4. vanilla extract - 1 tsp
5. Egg - 1 large
6. maida / all purpose flour - 225 gms
7. cooking soda - 1/2 tsp
8. salt - 1/4 tsp
9. chocolate chips or chunks - 200 gms

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius
line 2 baking trays with wax paper
seive the flour , cooking soda and salt and keep aside
Add the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat until creamy.
add the vanila and egg and beat again.
add the flour mixture and fold in with a wooden spoon.
Add in the chocolate chips and stir well.
using a teaspoon scoop up cookie dough and place on baking tray with space between each cookie dough.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until sides are a light brown and the middle is still slightly soft.
Leave on the tray for 10 minutes to crisp up and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
store in airtight containers.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1. unsalted Chicken Stock - 6 cups
2. Broccoli florets including stems - 2 cups
3. Carrots - 2  tbsp cut into matchstick size
4. Onion - 1 chopped
5. Fresh cream - 6 tbsp
6. Butter - 6 tbsp
7. maida - 3 tbsp
8. black pepper - 1 tsp crushed
9. salt - to taste

 Method:

Add 3 tbsp butter into a saucepan and heat it.
Add the chopped onion and saute until soft.
Add in the broccoli florets and carrots and stirfry for 3 minutes ,until the broccoli florets are just cooked to a bright green .
remove the cooked veggies to a dish and return the saucepan to heat.
Blend 1/2 of the cooked veggies to a paste and reserve .
Add in remaining 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp maida
stir and cook until raw smell is gone (about 3-4 minutes)
Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil ,stirring continuously .
Add in the blended  broccoli paste to the stock and stir well.
Cook for 10 minutes until it has combined well.
Add in the remaining stirfried vegetable (brocoli/carrot/onion)
stir to combine .
Add in fresh cream and mix well.Turn flame off.
Season with salt and pepper .
Serve hot with Egg toast.

Chicken in black pepper sauce with steamed & Sauteed baby vegetable

Ingredients :

1. chicken leg quarters (thighs and leg attached) - 2 pieces 
2. chicken stock - 1 cup unsalted (** see notes for substitution)
3. soy sauce - 1 tbsp
4. black pepper - 1.5  tsp crushed freshly
5. butter - 2 tbsp
6. corn flour - 1/2 tsp
7. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
8. salt - to taste
9. garlic - 5 cloves with skin crushed
10. onion - 2 medium thinly sliced
11. Vegetable - carrots , beets, beans,broccoli,cabbage,peas,corn,potatoes - anything you like 

Method:

Marinate the chicken in soysauce , vinegar , 1/2 tsp crushed pepper and crushed garlic. (you can do this overnight or 30 minutes prior to cooking)
When you are ready to cook the chicken , take it our of marinade and squeeze out the marinade and save it for the sauce , then dust the chicken pieces lightly with cornflour and keep aside.
heat a large pan (nonstick)  that can hold the chicken pieces without crowding .
Add 1 tbsp butter to the nonstick pan and add the chicken pieces and fry uncovered for 5 minutes on each side. You should get a good sear/brown color on the outside.
Remove the chicken pieces and keep on a plate .
Add the chopped onions and 1 tsp crushed black pepper to the same butter /pan and stirfry until limp and golden.
add in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan .
Bring it to a simmer .
add the chicken pieces back into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through)
Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm in a plate.
bring the sauce back to a simmer - if it has reduced too much ,add 1/2 cup water and cook until the onions are soft.
turn the flame off.
Strain the onion sauce through a wire mesh strainer pushing all the liquid through. The sauce will be thick with the onion puree passing through.
Discard the solids left in the strainer.
return the sauce to the same pan and heat it - taste and season with salt or vinegar as needed.
once the sauce has thickened to your preferred consistency ,turn the flame off and stir in 1 tbsp of butter and mix well.
Serve the chicken with the sauce drizzled over it and a side of sauteed /steamed vegetable .

**NOTE: Instead of using chicken stock , you can add a few bone pieces ,backs and necks of chicken to the pan when you are cooking the chicken thighs and legs and allow it to simmer with the sauce and remove when you strain the sauce . In this case ,in the step where you add chicken stock ,you can add water - the bones will cook down with the water to form a stock.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients :

1. Potatoes - 1/2 kg  ( around 5 medium sized )
2. Milk - 1.5 cups
3. cream - 1/2 cup
4. butter - 1 tbsp
5. garlic - 3 cloves
6. crushed pepper - to taste
7. salt - to taste
8. cheese - 3 tbsp (optional)

 
Method:
peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds.
add milk in the pan and add in the sliced potatoes and garlic cloves and salt to taste and bring to a simmer , cook for 3-5 minutes until the potatoes are cooked but still firm .
drain and reserve the milk .
add cream to the milk and mix well.
butter a casserole and arrange  potato slices over it.
pour the milk /cream mixture over it and dot with remaining butter on top.
Sprinkle  crushed pepper on top.
sprinkle  some cheese on top if you wish .
Bake at 180 degrees for about 15 - 20   minutes.
remove and serve when the top is slightly golden and the sauce is bubbling .

NOTE : baking time will depend on how well your potatoes are cooked during the boiling process.

Glazed Donut

Ingredients:

For Donuts

1. All purpose flour / Maida - 2.5 cups
2. yeast - 2.5 tsp
3. Milk - 3/4 cup
4. sugar - 1/4 cup
5. salt - 1/2 tsp
6. egg - 1
7. Oil - 2.5 tbsp
8. Vegetable oil - enough to fry donuts

For Glaze

1. sprinkles of choice - to decorate
2. cooking chocolate - 75 gms
3. cooking chocolate (white) 75 gms
4. butter - 2 tbsp
5. milk - 2 tbsp

Method:

 Warm the milk , add sugar and stir . Sprinkle yeast and allow to bloom .
In a large bowl add the all purpose flour, salt and mix .
Add in the milk mix , egg, 2.5 tbsp oil and mix well.
Knead to form a dough that is just short of being sticky , you may have to add /sprinkle more flour .
Do not add excess flour , use just enough to get the dough workable.

knead for 5 minutes.and place in a greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap and allow to double . It will be ready in about an hour.
Turn the dough on to a floured surface and gently roll to 1/2 inch thickness.
Cut into donut shapes with a floured donut cutter .
Allow the donuts to raise again until it has doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
meanwhile , make the chocolate glaze.
Place the 2 different chocolates in 2 microwave safe bowls and add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp milk into each dish and microwave for 1 minute each.
stir until the mixture is melted and loose enough to coat donuts. Sprinkle some more milk if it is too thick.
Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the donuts until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain on a wire rack.
dip each donut into the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with decoration of your choice.

Homemade Chicken Sausage

Use  a mix of equal quantities of  chicken breast and thigh meat plus the bits of fat  from the bird. Using white meat alone gives a dry sausage .

Ingredients :

1. Ground Chicken  -  Breast and thigh meat from 1 large sized chicken (about 500 gms)
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Garlic - 4 cloves
4. Fresh red chilly - 4
5. Parsley - handfull
6. whole corriander seeds - 1 tsp
7. whole fennel seeds - 1 tsp
8. whole pepper corns - 1 tsp
9. vinegar - to taste 
10. salt - to taste
11. soy sauce - 1 tbsp
12. oregano -  1 tsp
13. oil - 1 tsp

Method:
add the onion, chilly and garlic to the blender and blend coarsely. add chopped parsley to this and keep aside.
In a small frying pan add a tsp of oil and saute the ground mix for 2 minutes.

Dry roast the whole spices (corriander,fennel,peppercorn ) in a microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and crush coarsely.

Add the ground chicken to a bowl and add the sauteed mix , and ground spice mix.
Add in soy sauce and salt to taste. Mix well.

Keep this mix in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare some aluminum foil . cut into square shapes and set aside.
Remove the meat mixture from the fridge . form into logs about the thickness of 3/4 inch .
Place it on the edge of an aluminum sheet and roll into a tight sausage.squeeze and seal one end first .
applying a bit of pressure with your hands push the meat mixture into a tight log and squeeze the other end forming a sausage roll.

Steam these rolls for 10 minutes in a covered pan , placing the sausage on a perforated tray so that it does not touch the water.

Allow the rolls to cool .

The rolls can be refrigerated or frozen in the aluminum foil as such .
These can be used in soups, pastas, sausage rolls , sandwiches etc.
Saute in a tsp of oil and use in a hotdog roll .

Butter Croissants

 

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour – 4 cups plus more for rolling
2. Cold water/icewater – ½ cup (plus 2 tbsp if required)
3. Cold milk – ½ cup (plus 2 tbsp if required)
4. Softened Butter - 3 tbsp
5. Sugar – ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp
6. Yeast – 1 tbsp + ½ tsp
7. Salt – 2 tsp 
8. Cold unsalted Butter – 1 ¼ cup
9. Egg - 1

To make the dough

Combine the all purpose flour , sugar, yeast , softened butter and salt  in the bowl .

add the milk and water and mix well to form a dough add the 2 tbsp water and milk only if needed. 

Transfer it to a lightly floured pan and wrap well with plastic , lightly flour the plastic wrap too so that not does not stick . Refrigerate overnight or at least for 6 hours.

To Make the butter layer

Cut the cold butter lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Arrange the pieces on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to form a 5- to 6-inch square, cutting the butter crosswise as necessary to fit. Cover with another piece of parchment or waxed paper. 

 

Gently form it into a smooth square ,using the warmth of your palms to soften in slightly and  pounding gently with the rolling pin with light, even strokes. 

 

Form to a roughly 7 inch square and refrigerate until it has hardened.

 

Laminating the dough

Unwrap and lay the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10 inch square. Brush excess flour off the dough.

 

Remove the butter from the refrigerator—it should be pliable but cold. Unwrap and place the butter on the dough so that the points of the butter square are centered along the sides of the dough. 

Do an envelope fold -  Fold one flap of dough over the butter toward you, stretching it slightly so that the point just reaches the center of the butter.

 

Repeat with the other flaps . Then press the edges together to completely seal the butter inside the dough. Make sure that it is completely sealed , else the butter will escape while rolling the dough.

 

Lightly flour the top and bottom of the dough. With the rolling pin, firmly press the dough to elongate it slightly and then begin rolling instead of pressing.

  

Focus on lengthening rather than widening the dough and keeping the edges straight.

Roll the dough until it’s about 3 times in length ,approximately 24 inches in length. You can gently reshape the rectangle using your hands to get a perfect edge .

Pick up one short end of the dough and fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of dough exposed.

Fold the left over one third over to form a blanket fold.

  

Cover and freeze for 20 minutes.

Repeat the rolling and folding - rolling in the direction of the two open ends until the dough is about 24 inches in length again Fold the dough in thirds again . Freeze for 20 minutes .

Repeat the rolling and folding for a minimum of 3 times ( or up to 6 times) and  Refrigerate overnight after the last rolling and folding.

When you are ready to make the Croissants roll the dough out -  you don’t want to widen the dough but simply begin to lengthen it. Roll the dough into a long and narrow strip, 8 inches by about 44 inches.

If the dough sticks as you roll, sprinkle with flour. Work quickly and make sure the dough does not warm up or it will start sticking . If this happens put it back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. then unfold the dough and finish rolling.

 Cut into triangles .

Make a small cut on the base of the triangle and slightly move the sides away from each other to form a Y shape.

With a gently touch roll the dough starting from the cut and stretched base side .Work quickly , the warmth of your palm will met the butter in the dough and make it stick .

Apply slight pressure so that the edge sticks to the formed dough . Lay the formed dough with the narrow  tip tucked under .

Bring the tips/edges together and pinch slightly to form a crescent shape

Shape the remaining croissants in the same manner, arranging them on a large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet .( you might need several sheets to keep all the croissants) Keep as much space as possible between them, as they will rise during the final proofing and again when baked.

 
Make the egg wash by whisking the egg with 1 tsp. water in a small bowl until very smooth. Lightly brush it on each croissant.

They will take 1-1/2 to 2 hours to fully proof. You’ll know they’re ready if you can see the layers of dough when the croissants are viewed from the side, and if you shake the sheets, the croissants will wiggle. 

The croissants will be distinctly larger (though not doubled) than they were when first shaped.

Bake the croissants

Shortly before the croissants are fully proofed, position racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven and heat it to 400°F . Brush the croissants with egg wash a second time. Put the sheets in the oven. After 10 minutes, rotate the sheets and swap their positions. 

 

Continue baking until the bottoms are an even brown, the tops richly browned, and the edges show signs of coloring, another 8 to 10 minutes. If they appear to be darkening too quickly during baking, lower the oven temperature by 10°F. Let cool on baking sheets on racks. 

Croissants   can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated and reheated in a microwave as needed.