See a grey sky as silver...

16^th October 2017

You may not be able to control every situation and its outcome, but you can control your attitude and how you deal with it.

Lazy day yesterday, spent most of it in my kitchen pottering and cooking a roast chicken dinner, it was lush and I’m thinking bubble and squeak for breakfast.  The weather’s not looking great out there this morning, doesn’t make you want to rush out of the house, let alone out of bed.  I did have me a lie in, after Alfie woke me up about 5ish, I decided to try and go back to sleep and I managed it too. 

Right let’s think food, bubble and squeak for breakfast and I need to think of something to do with the leftover chicken, maybe fried rice, mmm yeah like that idea.   I’ve got a pack of pitta bread, I could use them with some of it.  I’m going to get playing in my kitchen again I think.

This is a recipe I’d forgot I had that I come across the other day, haven’t made this for so long and it’s delicious;

Chicken Fricassee

Serves 2, 8sp per portion

100g brown rice (10sp)
low fat cooking spray
2 x 165g skinless boneless chicken breasts (3sp)
300ml chicken stock (use 1½ chicken oxo cubes) (1sp)
110g carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks.
150g button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g low fat soft cheese (2sp)

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain well and leave to cool. Meanwhile, lightly coat a deep, lidded, non stick frying pan with low fat cooking spray and heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Add the stock and carrots. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, lightly coat another small non-stick frying pan with low fat cooking spray. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the juices have been released and evaporated. Add the garlic and rice and cook for a further minute, until hot. Divide between two plates. Remove the chicken and carrots with a slotted spoon, reserving the stock. Place the chicken and carrots on top of the rice. Keep warm. Return the pan with the stock to the hob. Boil quickly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soft cheese. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

And another of my favs especially at this time of year when I’m craving comfort food is this one;

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Serves 4

13sp per serving using thighs,
5sp per serving using breasts,
9sp per serving using legs

2 tbsp regular olive oil (9sp)
Either
Use 8 chicken thighs (skin on, bone in) (42sp) or
use 8 skinless breasts for 8sp or
use 4 skinless legs for 27sp or

1 bunch (about 6) spring onions
small bunch fresh thyme
40 garlic cloves (approx 3-4 bulbs), unpeeled
2 tbsp dry white wine (1sp)
1½ tsp sea salt flakes or ¾ tsp pouring salt
Ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Heat the oil on the hob over a high heat in a wide, shallow, ovenproof and flameproof casserole (that will ultimately fit all the chicken in one layer, and that has a lid). Sear the chicken, skin-side down. This may take two batches, so transfer the browned pieces to a bowl as you go. Once the chicken pieces are seared, transfer them all to the bowl.

Finely slice the spring onions, put them into the casserole and quickly stir-fry them with the leaves torn from a few sprigs of thyme. Put 20 of the unpeeled cloves of garlic (papery excess removed) into the casserole, top with the chicken pieces, skin-side up, then cover with the remaining 20 cloves of garlic.

Add the vermouth (or white wine) to any oily chicken juices left in the bowl. Swill it around and pour this into the casserole. Sprinkle with the salt, grind over the pepper, and add a few more sprigs of thyme. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.

I’m tempted to try that in the slow cooker actually, it’d be an easy throw it in and see what happens, yeah defo.

Not got much to say today as I’ve had a very lovely, quiet weekend and I’ve got up late and have stuff to do, so catch ya tomo, have a happy day BeYOUtiful, ignore the weather!