Chicken Chasseur

Really fancied winter comfort food tonight while the wind and rain lashed around outside . I served the casserole with creamy mash and green beans. Cosy :)

Ingredients
2-3 Chicken breasts chopped
2 onions sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
I tbsp oil
100g mushrooms sliced
1 carrot sliced
2 tbsp flour
100ml white wine
300ml chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Bay leaf
I tsp dried tarragon

Method
Fry the onions in the oil over a medium heat until they colour them add the chopped chicken and fry until browned.

Next add the crushed garlic and stir in. Add the flour so it coats the onions and the chicken then add the wine (if using) and stock stir until a smooth sauce is formed.

Add the carrots, mushrooms, bay leaf and tarragon. Bring the casserole to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer on a low heat for about 15mins. Add seasoning to taste and serve.

Quick Sausage Meatball Goulash

Goulash is a slightly spicy paprika and tomato sauce with peppers originating from Hungary. It is 'softened' with the addition of yogurt which also gives it a nice tang.

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 onion -chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped or crushed
6 good quality sausages
3 peppers -any colour or colours you like, sliced
100g mushrooms- sliced
1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 -1/2 tsp chilli powder
2tbsp tomato puree
1/2 chicken stock cube
200ml water
salt to taste
2-3tbsp natural yogurt or soured cream

Method

In a large pan or wok, fry the onions and garlic until soft over a medium heat.
Remove the skin the sausages and break into meatball pieces add these to the pan and cook until browned. Add the peppers, mushrooms, paprika and chilli and mix well. Next add the tomato puree, stock cube and water. Let this simmer for a few minutes before tasting- the salt content of stock cubes vary enormously so taste before adding any salt if needed.
Continue to let this simmer on the a lowish heat for about 5-10 minutes or however long it takes to cook some rice to go with it.

Just before serving, stir in a couple of tbsp of natural yogurt.

Apple Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Summer went into Autumn too quickly for my liking this year. Autumn too is fading fast into Winter with all the Christmas festivities approaching. This is definitely an Autumn recipe- Enjoy.

Ingredients
Cake Batter:
3oz Softened unsalted butter
10oz Golden caster sugar
8 1/2 oz Plain flour
1 level tsp Mixed spice
2 Large eggs
8 1/2 fl.oz Full fat milk milk
1/4tsp Vanilla extract or paste

Apple Filling:
2 Eating apples- peeled and chopped
knob of butter
2 tbsps caster sugar
juice of 1/4 Lemon

Maple Frosting
3oz Full fat cream cheese-at room temp
3oz Unsalted butter- at room temp
9oz Icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Maple syrup

chopped up fudge to sprinkle on top (optional)

Method

Preheat the ovent to 190 degC (170 degC fan, Gas Mark 5)

Place all the ingredients for the apple filling in a small saucepan, cover and cook over a medium heat until softened stirring occasionally. Leave to cool

Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and mixed spice in a free standing mixer or use a bowl with a electric hand whisk. Mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Measure the milk into a large jug then add the eggs and the vanilla extract. Beat lightly and add 2/3 of this egg mix to the dry  ingredients. Mix until a thick batter is formed then add the rest of the egg mix. Whisk on high/medium speed for a couple of minutes until everything is incorporated.

Pour the cake batter into cupcake/muffin cases in a muffin tray. Bake for 18-20minutes.Check the cakes after this time with a skewer. If a skewer inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean then the cakes a re ready, otherwise give them a couple of minutes more.

Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile make the icing. Mix the butter with icing sugar first in a mixer or with a hand held electric whisk. Then add the cream cheese and the maple syrup and mix on a high speed for a couple of minutes until a smooth paste is formed. Transfer to an icing bag with a star nozzle.

When the cakes and filling are cool, cut out the centre of the cakes about 2/3down and 2cm diameter- save these 'plugs'. Add a teaspoon of apple to each cake then replace the tops. (You may have to trim the bottoms of the plugs to make them fit)

Ice the cakes with the cream cheese frosting in swirls. Alternatively the frosting can be spread onto the cakes then swirled about with a flat knife. Sprinkle with fudge pieces.

Ta dah!