Chicken Burger

This is just the easiest meal in the world to prepare and serve.  The boys love it and there is often a fight for the last piece of chicken around our table.  This is also a great party food with children's friends coming round to tea.

This may not be the healthiest of meals for them but as an occasional treat is quick, easy and you can add nutritional sides.

Ingredients

Breadcrumb coated Chicken pieces
Baps /  burger buns

Optional ingredients

salad leaves
cucumber / tomato
relishes
mayonaise



Cook the chicken in the oven till it is cooked through and ready.

Slice the buns in half and add for a moment to the oven

Serve to hungry and very appreciative family.

I served with a fennel and spinach gratin and buttery broccoli.  I also used up some home made Beetroot chutney.

Baked beans and sweetcorn would add vibrancy or coleslaw for crunch.

French fries would go well, and as a party food serve some carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes.

Tomato ketchup is a must.

With the last piece (only 5 in our family), I cut the cold cooked chicken up into thin slices and added Mayonaise, spinach and chutney and put in my husband's sandwiches the next day.   Who said you can get to a man through his stomach.!



don't forget to read my other blog at http://tiggyhayes.wordpress.com/

happy eating

Tiggy

Wigmore Chicken

This was given to me many years ago by the wonderful Diana Wigmore. It has maybe adapted from the original recipe she gave me but it remains a firm family favourite.   

A great dish to use up left over roast chicken and of course turkey could easily be interchanged here.  A fun topping  makes the boys think they are eating something naughty.

Ingredients

Left over roasted chicken

Broccoli  broken up into florets 

Butter

Flour

Milk

Curry powder – for a spicier meal add more

Cheddar Cheese cut into tiny diced pieces

Large packet of Ready Salted Crisps  (You can use any flavour but plain ready salted doesn't overpower the other flavours)

Make the roux with the butter, flour and milk (everyone has their own way – but I throw the ingredients in together and with my pampered chef spiral whisk mix them)

Add curry powder -  even a good spoonful still leaves the meal mild

Place the broccoli across the bottom of an ovenproof dish

Cover with the chicken

Cover with the roux making sure all the chicken is covered.

Cook in hot oven for 20 minutes or so  -  roux must be bubbling

Take out and sprinkle the slightly broken crisps over – cover with cheese cubes and return to the oven.

10 minutes for the cheese to melt and the top to become an enticing melted brown and just bubbling.

Remove and serve with sides of your choice  - tiny crispy floured roasties go well, as does mashed potatoes.   Fresh peas or carrots bring a vibrancy to the table.  These can be added before the chicken stage - frozen peas or diced boiled carrots so keep the timings altogether.  Or served as a side dish.

This flies off the table so make sure you get enough first time round as there are never seconds left.

enjoy 

Tiggy 

Follow my struggles to get my novel published by following ;  Tiggy Hayes

Tuna Pasta Bake

One evening during the holiday we came back from an adventure out and around the local National Trust gardens.  I find these places reassuringly safe places to let the children run and run and run.   There are all kinds of adventures to be had along with plenty of fresh air and of course even mum gets to walk around and watch the changing beauty of the seasons.   Best of all are the tea, hot chocolates and cakes that have to follow such extreme adventure.

Having got to the tea shop just before they stopped serving at 5pm no-one in the family wanted a large dinner at 6.30 so I relegated the planned meal to the fridge for the following day and waited.  Later in the evening as the little knawing pangs of hunger began making themselves known,  I heard little voices calling “I’m hungry Mum”.   

This is a great throw together meal that doesn’t take too long,  is easy to prepare and serve and relatively little washing up.

Ingredients

Pasta  -  any kind really, fairly small to cook quickly.

Tuna  -  I used 1 tin per two people.

Frozen peas

Mayonnaise – lots so it doesn’t dry out  (a touch of milk can be added if required)

Cheese grated  loads 

 

Boil the water and add the pasta, halfway through cooking add the peas.

    

Meanwhile mix the tuna with the mayonnaise so that it is really well coated.  

Drain the pasta and peas and add to the mayonnaise mixture.

Make sure there is enough mayo to coat (this is the time to add milk if required – not a lot as the pasta is pre-cooked – enough to keep the pasta moist)  

Sprinkle the cheese liberally over the top and add to a hot oven

Cook for about 10 minutes until it comes out bubbling and the cheese is golden.

This would do just as well with sweetcorn,  instead or as well as peas.  

Try it and let me know what you think.   

My middle son hates fish but is happy to eat tuna and meaty fish if it is disguised like this.  Read more about Middle Son's latest escapades in my other blog Dawn Chorus.  

Enjoy

Tiggy

Baileys and Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse

This week we are going to try something a little more indulgent. But still so easy to dress up or just to enjoy as it comes. 

Chocolate mousse is universally acceptable as a pudding either for a family meal or dressed up with extras for entertaining.  I made this mousse thanks to my close friend Becky who had tried it before.  Both her family and mine were equally rapturous about it.    The basic mousse is straight forward and I will give you that recipe, what you add in is entirely up to you and who you are serving it to. 

Ingredients

Chocolate – I used a 70%  but above is even better  if I can get hold of it.  A whole bar!

Butter  only about 2oz  (55g)

Eggs  4  separated into yolks and whites.  The whites should be in the largest bowl as that will be the final destination of all ingredients

Icing sugar about 2oz  (55g)

Cream - double I used a full 300ml carton

These are the basic ingredients-  you can choose all different extras to add in depending on your guests.

Baileys  -  couple of really good slugs

Chopped roasted hazelnuts

Icing Sugar and grated chocolate (for decoration)

Chocolate drops in contrasting milk or white chocolate

You could use a brandy or mint baileys or orange liqueur, swap the alcohol for mint flavouring 

Try replacing the hazelnuts with almonds or walnuts again chopped and roasted, Glacè cherries or small peices of dried fruit or ginger.  This is your mousse add what you want.

Break your chocolate in to small cubes and put in a bowl with a pan of boiling water underneath it.  Do not let the water bubble over the sides but keep on a medium heat while the chocolate melts.

Add the butter when the chocolate starts to melt.  Also this is the time to add your baileys, liqueur or flavouring.

Stir occasionally and when all melted remove from the heat and allow to cool for a while – no more than 10 minutes

Meanwhile you can be whisking the egg whites till they stand with their peaks up and then whip the cream to the same consistency.

Stir in the egg yolks and icing sugar into the chocolate mixture.

Carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.  A wooden spoon is good and if you fold slowly and deliberately in wide turns you will mix all the mixture.

This is when I added nuts; you could add chocolate drops, cherries or fruit now.

Then add this mixture again folding slowly into the egg whites.   This is where the lightness will come from, so don’t allow yourself to beat them.   (It is not the end of the world if they are beaten the mousse will still taste delicious)

Gently transfer to serving bowl and decorate with icing sugar and the grated chocolate. If you have mint baileys a mint leave or sprig would be good. You can leave the decorating till you are about to serve but if you are grating the final chocolate square - hide it well or it will disappear!

Leave in the fridge to set for several hours; if you can prepare the night before even better.  Make sure you cover with a tight fitting cling film or you will be serving it with finger sized holes!

Serve alone or with shortbread or ameretti buiscuits .  This pudding does not require extra cream but I leave that to you.

This is not a diet aid, replacement or anything other than pure indulgence and should be treated with the reverence this commands.

Enjoy and make sure you tell me how you get on and what you added to make it your own.  To leave a comment you will need to join my site but please do I want to hear your comments.

Tiggy