Mr mak’Bread has had some dental work done this week. He's been very brave in a manlike way but is clearly feeling a little sorry for himself. In an effort you cheer him up I've resorted to some comfort food with minimum chewing requirement. Inspired by the just ended British Pie Week, this chicken and ham pie just fitted the bill. Chicken and Ham Pie Ingredients 1 onion sliced 2 cloves garlic crushed (optional) 100g mushrooms, sliced 150ml water 1 chicken stock cube 4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bitesized pieces 100g cooked ham, sliced (smoked Bavarian I find is very tasty) 2 tbs plain flour 1 tub crème fraîche (about 300g) 3 sheets filo pastry. Olive/rapeseed oil for brushing. Method Soften onion in some oil. Add garlic and mushrooms. Pour over 100ml of the water and stir in stock cube. Bring to boil and reduce liquid by half. Meanwhile toss chicken and ham in plain flour. Add to sauce mixture with rest of water and crème fraîche. Season. Mix lightly and put into pie dish. Divide each piece of filo into three pieces and brush lightly with oil before scrunching up and using to top pie. Bake at 200C for half an hour when the pastry will be golden brown and the sauce bubbling. Serve with veg or salad; chips if you need serious comfort! Any leftover sheets of filo pastry can be divided into rectangles, brushed with oil or melted butter, scrunched into cupcake trays and baked along with the pie. Once cooled they'll keep well in a tin to top another pie. it's my birthday today. Not a hugely significant one, that honour falls to my friend Linda who hits 70 today, 'though I probably shouldn't mention that, but it's a birthday all the same so I'm taking the day off. Mr mak'Bread, bless him, wanted to take me to Gleneagles for afternoon tea but I've convinced him I'd be just as happy with a sandwich at St Andrews so off we go.
Have a great day, especially if you share the best birthday date ever! I'm a bit late posting this week, am in shock at the cost of my latest bake. Tasty little buns filled with olives and cheese and other things. A glorious cheesy aroma filled the kitchen as they baked and mr mak'Bread waited as patiently as he could until I declared them cool enough to be eaten. He made a coffee, slapped on his trademark butter and slab of cheese and retired with the spoils. At first I though the groan from the conservatory was a heartfelt expression of appreciation but the Victor Meldrew 'I don't believe it!' soon dispelled that illusion. Rushing to his side I found mr mak'Bread staring in disbelief at the lump of tooth sitting in his hand. I hasten to assure you that these buns were as soft as you could imagine and not a single bit of hardness featured in the ingredients. I feel that mr mak';Bread would be safer sticking to drinking coffee and beer such is his gnashers' propensity for falling to bits! Off he went clutching the bit of tooth to see the emergency dentist who announced the need for some serious remedial treatment to the tune of £400; that works out about £50 a roll! Nice one dear! Libyan Cheese Rolls (made over two days. No kneading or proving required) Ingredients: 250g strong white or a mix of white and wholemeal 3g instant yeast 25g olive oil 250 water any combination of chopped olives, spring onions, crumbled cheese, fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, marjoram,coriander) , pinch of paprika. Method: Mix all the ingreginets in a bowl, cover and leave overnight in fridge or cool place to rise. Next day heat oven to 200C, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces on a flouered board and shape into balls. Put onto a baking parchment lined tray and pop straight into preheated oven. for 20 minutes. Remove and cool (and watch your teeth)! |
Author
Hello, I'm Marianne. I live in Central Scotland with my husband, Jim, and an occasional rabbit. Glad you could join me :) Archives
November 2017
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