Homemade Fish and Chips

Tonight I decided against take-aways and decided to make homemade fish and chips! You will be surprised at how easy this is.

Ingredients :

Fish (normally hake)
Potatoes
Salt and pepper
Flour
Garlic flakes

Put some four in a plate, and add some salt, pepper and garlic flakes. Using a fork, mix the spices in with the flour.

Take each piece of fish and coat in the flour mixture.

Heat some oil in a pan. Once oil is hot, put each piece of fish into the pan, skin-side up (this is very important, because if you put it skin-side down, the oil will pull the fish into itself and you will not get much meat from the piece of fish).

Once it is brown on one side, turn over. Once both sides are brown, its ready to eat!!!!

For the chips, cut a few potatoes into slices. Heat some oil in a pan and allow chips to cook until golden brown.

Hope you guys try this recipe and let me know just how easy it is to make fish and chips at home.

N

Green Bean Stew

Stews are perfect for cold nights, and super easy to make.

Ingredients :

Stewing steak (or any meat you prefer), cut into bite-sized pieces
Stock Block (I use Imana super stock, Garden Vegetable cube)
1 Onion
Green Beans (either fresh or tinned)
Crushed garlic
2 potatoes cut into small chunks

Chop onion finely and put into pot. Then add some crushed garlic and the stock cube.

Add a little water, cooking until onion becomes soft.

Then add your meat and cover the meat with water. Close with lid.

Keep watching your meat, and if the meat is not cooked yet, keep adding water. Keep doing this until your meat is nice and soft and cooked through.

Meanwhile, if you are using fresh green beans, I like to par-boil them in the microwave for about 5 mins.

Once this is done, add to the pot. If its tinned, add to the pot straight from the tin after draining the water in the tin.

Mix everything in the pot. Then add your potatoes to the pot and close lid, cooking until potatoes are soft.

Once the potatoes are soft, you can then add salt or pepper. Taste first as the stock cube gives loads of flavour. Then let the pot simmer for about a half hour at least on 1 and then serve with white rice.

Chicken Pie and Layered veg

So I had some friends and family over for lunch, and decided to make a chicken pie, a layered veg dish, garlic baby potatoes and sweetcorn.

The chicken pie is extremely easy to make but very rewarding!

Chicken Pie

Ingredients :

Chicken fillets cut into bite-sized chunks
Mushrooms
1 tub Fresh cream
1 Chicken stock block

Put chicken into pot and add some garlic and the chicken stock block.

Add some water to pot to allow chicken to soften and cook through.

Once chicken is almost done, add the mushrooms to the pot.

Once chicken is done and mushrooms are soft, add the fresh cream plus dried chillies.

Leave to cook for a few minutes. Then add a tablespoon of flour or maizena to thicken mixture.

Roll out your dough (I use Today's puff pastry) and put a layer at the bottom of your dish. Pour your chicken mixture into dish, then add another layer of pastry on top.

Beat one egg and using a brush, lightly brush egg over entire pie and then cut a cross in the middle of the dough to allow the heat to escape when in the oven.

Then bake in oven of 180 degrees until lightly brown - and serve!

Next easy dish is the layered veg

You can use any veg you like, but I use butternut, baby marrows and mushrooms.

Slice all veg through. Then in an oven-proof dish, layer your butternut, baby marrows and mushrooms.

Throw one packet of brown onion soup over all the veg and then throw 1 tub fresh cream over everything.

Cover dish with foil and cook in an oven of 180 degrees until all veg is soft and enjoy!

Chicken Stirfry

Tonight its Chicken Stirfy ... a very easy dish to make but very satisfying to eat! Mmmmm....

Ingredients :

Chicken breasts (or beef if you prefer) , cut into strips
Fresh vegetable stirfy mix
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Stirfry sauce
Noodles

Heat some oil in your wok / pan.

Add chicken strips, garlic, salt and pepper to wok and allow to cook through.

Then add your vegetable stiryfry mix. I bought mine at Pick 'n Pay and it has carrots, green pepper, baby marrows, red cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and assorted sprouts in the bag.

In another pot, cook your chinese noodles until soft. I use the Shogun white noodles (you can also use the green spinach noodles if you like).

Once veggies have cooked soft in your wok, add the noodles and then the stirfry sauce. I suggest getting a bottle at your local Chinese supermarket - I got the sweet chilli one which has a nice bite!

Finally, mix everything through and allow to simmer for another ten minutes, and then serve hot! YUMMY!

-Its also great the next day, so if you use all the veggies, it makes enough for the next day's lunch -

Chicken Curry

So tonight I'm making chicken curry ... mmmmm!!!!

Ingredients :

4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 onions diced
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
15ml medium curry powder
5 ml tumeric
15ml sugar
salt and pepper

Chop the onions, and add to warm pot. Add garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 all spice and stick cinammon.

Add some water and allow onions to cook until soft.

Add chicken pieces, plus salt and pepper and allow to cook through until soft.

Once chicken is soft, add the curry powder, tumeric and sugar and allow to cook through.

Now add potatoes and put lid on pot, adding water as needed and leaving until potatoes are soft.

Leave to cook through on a low heat for another half hour.

Serve with basmati rice - Paddy makes a great cheaper option!

Enjoy!

Hello blog world! 1st post of "For the love of cooking"

Hey all!

I'm a 31 year old woman who got married 17 months ago and have tried many recipes since then. Having not cooked much before I got married, its been great to try new things and see how many people enjoy them, and not enjoy them haha.

I love cooking, I love trying new recipes ... so I've decided to create a blog to share my triumphs, flops and yummy recipes. I will be posting pics along the way with the recipes, and I would love to hear what you think if you try them. And please do send your yummy recipes my way too.

Here's to the love of cooking! :)

Natalie xxx