10 Minute Butter Chicken

Copied from the Simple Savings Website

I make it up in a large jar now, to save time. This Christmas I am going to make up gift boxes with a babyfood sized jar of the spices, a pottle of tomato paste and a carton of longlife cream.

25g butter

1 onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 3 tsp of crushed garlic)

1/2 tsp each of; ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, turmeric

1/4 tsp garam masala

Pinch - 1/2 tsp of chilli, depending on taste (1/2 tsp is hot)

400g cubed chicken meat

100g tomato paste (approx 2/3 of a yoghurt pot)

3/4 cup of cream

Mix the spices together and add chicken meat and set aside. Melt butter and saute onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add chicken and saute for about 5 mins. Add tomato paste and cream and simmer gently for 5 mins.
This recipe is very flexible - you can use more cream or less cream and top up with water. You can cut down on the tomato paste or boost it to your taste. I keep a longlife cream 250ml and use this plus 1/2 cup of water because we like a lot of sauce.

You can use evap milk mixed with a couple of tsp of cornflour in place of cream, but it has to be absolutely last minute or it will 'curdle' and to extend it is to use less meat and cube pumpkin or potato very small, plus frozen peas and simmer until they are soft.'

Kill Anything Chicken Soup

8-9 chicken lovely legs, skinless

8-10 chopped cloves of garlic

1 chopped onion

2-3 small red chillies (Remove the seeds if you don't like it too hot as they're the hottest part, or just use one chilli. But you must use small chillis because they loosen mucus.)

2 teaspoons grated ginger

Oil

2 litres Continental chicken stock

2 finely chopped carrots

1-2 handfuls corn

1 cup macaroni pasta

2-3 handfuls baby spinich



Heat the oil in a stock pot and brown the chicken, garlic, onion, chilli and ginger.

Add the chicken stock, carrots and corn.

Bring to the boil, and if needed add water. Simmer for 15-30 minutes. Take out the chicken, pull the meat off the bone, break meat into small pieces and put back in the pot. Add macaroni and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Add baby spinach, taste, add salt and pepper if needed, then serve.

From the Simple Savings website

My Wrap Around Ruffle Skirt

Last weekend I went to Port Fairy with some girl friends for the night. In the morning we did a bit of shopping and I came across a skirt I fell in love with at a little boutique. It was a long, purple, lined wrap around ruffle skirt. I loved it and was going to buy it but thought I could probably have a go at making one myself. When I was next at Spotlight I bought some pink material that looks a bit like cheese cloth. I chose it because it was really light whereas the one at the store had been quite heavy and I think it would have been too hot in summer.

Over the past week I have been running in and out of the sewing room making the skirt. If I had sat down and done it all in one go it would have taken about two hours but I just couldnt seem to string that much time together. Little Elyssa has turned from a placid baby into a full on toddler who is on the go so I dont have as much free time as I used to.

I love this skirt, it was easy enough to make, which is pretty good considering I was making it up as I went. It was just a bit boring doing all of the gathering. Im definitly going to make a few more though. Im also going to add a bit of trim or something to this skirt, I just have to find something I like in the exact same colour.

Im thinking of having a go at putting together a tutorial for this skirt. I have never done one before. Maybe Ill take some pics when I make the next one and go from there...

5 Minute a Day Bread

Im posting this because everyone needs to give this a go. We just finished eating the last of our first batch of bread and it is to die for! The yummiest bread I have had in years. EVEN better than bread in the breadmaker. I have just whipped up a second batch of dough and I am waiting for it to rise before I put it in the fridge. It has taken about ten minutes to make the dough. Thats it! It lasts in the fridge for two weeks. You just pull off a chunk, let it rise for 40 minutes (I put it on a baking tray in a big lump, then fill a sink with boiling water, then put the tray over the sink) then stick it in the oven for 40 minutes. SOOOO GOOOD!!

Tonight I am going to pull off a chunk, spread it out thin, and make a Tandoori Chicken Pizza. Yum!! Ill add a pic later.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1616

ETA: OK after some issues with the above link I am copying the info here. It is a direct copy from the original website though so I can't take any credit for it! If you want to see pics of the process go to the above site.

Master Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day:


3 cups lukewarm water (you can use cold water, but it will take the dough longer to rise. Just don’t use hot water or you may kill the yeast)

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast ( you can use any kind of yeast including: instant, rapid rise, bread machine, active dry or cake yeast*. I buy the 2-pound bulk package of Red Star Yeast to drive down the cost. You can also decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by following the directions here. Or you can bake with a sour dough starter, see instructions here.)

1 1/2 tablespoons  Salt (use less salt to suit your taste or eliminate it all together. Find more information here.)

6 1/2 cups (2-pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour (we tested the recipes with Gold Medal and Pillsbury flour. If you use King Arthur or other high protein flour check here.)

Mixing the dough:


In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded Food Storage Container, dump in the water and add the yeast and salt. Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn’t matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.


Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon or a Danish Dough Whisk, which is one of the tools that makes the job so much easier!


Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.


Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape. (I had my husband put a little hole in the top of the lids so that I could close the lids and still allow the gases to get out.
Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise. When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.

But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will pretty much fill it.

The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping. (If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.) The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is much easier to handle when it is chilled.


The next day when you pull the dough out of the refrigerator you will notice that it has collapsed and this is totally normal for our dough. It will never rise up again in the container.

Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.

You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested. (If your dough breaks off instead of stretching like this your dough is probably too dry and you can just add a few tablespoons of water and let it sit again until the dough absorbs the additional water.)


Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using kitchen shears* and form it into a ball. For instructions on how to form the ball watch one of our videos. Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper… (or rest it on a generous layer of corn meal on top of a pizza peel.)

*I actually use a pair of Sewing Shears because I like the long blade. I just dedicated a pair to the kitchen.

Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes, (although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structure in the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom. ) You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for our dough.

preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a Baking Stone* (or a tray)on the center rack, with a broiler tray (I used a cake tin filled with water) on the bottom, which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)

Cut the loaf with 1/4-inch slashes using a serrated knife. (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.)

Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone (the one I’m using is the cast iron) and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. As the bread bakes you should notice a nice oven spring in the dough. This is where the dough rises. To insure that you get the best results it is crucial to have an Oven Thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate.

If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.

Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a nice sharp Bread Knife that will not crush the bread as you cut. Or you can tear it apart as they do in most of Europe.


If you have any leftover bread just let it sit, uncovered on the cutting board or counter with the cut side down. If you cover a bread that has a crust it will get soggy.

Enjoy and have fun baking. Bread that is made with love and joy tastes better!

Ely's first Reversible Pop Over Pinafore

Yep. Its my fav Grain and Gusset Pattern again! I bought some material on a shopping spree the other day and wanted to make something quick and easy with it so I pulled out the pattern. I wish I had made it one size bigger though, I don't know how long it will fit for. Ill get an action shot and add it later. Next I am going to make some ruffle pants to go with it. Too cute!!

I have no idea why this pic keeps coming up sideways lol

Lemons!

We have a big bag of lemons from mum and dads garden. I dont know who is more excited about it, Chloe, Ben or me. So far we have made Lemon butter, Lemon cordial, Lemon Impossible Pie and Lemon Pudding.

Some recipes:

Lemon Honey

Ingredients:

125g butter
1 cup of sugar
2 large lemons
1tbsp cornflour or custard powder

Method:

Melt butter and sugar in the juice from the lemons. Add grated rind. Remove from heat. Moisten the cornflour with water so it can be mixed smooth. Stir this into the mixture and return to heat. Stir while cooking until the mixture is lovely and smooth. Remove from heat and cool a little before bottling in small jars and labelling. This lemon honey can be stored in or out of the fridge.

This is one from Destitute Gourmet:-

Lemon Curd Krummeltorte

2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup sugar
100g butter, chopped
2 eggs
1 cup lemon curd
1 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Place SR Flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Run machine until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. add the eggs and pulse to combine.

Press two-thirds of the dough into a greased 23-25cm cake tin
lined with baking paper. Spread the lemon curd over this and crumble the rest of the mixture over the top.

Bake for 35-40 mins.

Dust with icing sugar before serving

Lemon Cordial

6 lemons ( I use a mix of citrus fruits)
5 cups sugar
30g citric acid
1 litre boiling water.
1/2 tsp lemon essence (optional preservative)

Take the juice of six lemons, finely grated rind of two of them, add sugar and acid, then pour over boiling water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat as soon as boiling and add essence. Bottle and use as cordial.

Lemon Cordial

6 cups white sugar
3 cups lemon juice
6 cups water
2 level teaspoons tartaric acid
2 level teaspoons citric acid
Bung the lot in a saucepan. Boil five minutes. Boil 5 minutes. Strain. Bottle . Throw out if it bubbles or grows mould

Salted Preserved Lemons

Cut lemons in quarters, but not right down to the end (should open up like a flower).

Next, put as much salt as you can into the open lemon then re-form it back into its original shape. Fill jars with salted lemons. Squish them right in, they don't mind being forced in.

Cover lemons with lemon juice in filled jars.

Put on lids and leave for at least a week before using. Can last for up to about a year in a cupboard or pantry.

MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMON QUARTERS
Categories: Foreign, Fruits
Yield: 4 servings

Eureka/Meyer lemons, rinsed
Kosher salt

Quarter lemons lengthwise and put in a noncorrosive airtight container.
Freeze for 8 hours. Add 1 tablespoon salt per lemon (4 quarters).
Store airtight at room temperature for 6 days; shake occasionally.
Use as suggested.
To store, chill up to 6 months (colour darkens).
Each lemon makes 4 pieces.
RecipeSource

Preserved Lemons
Categories: Condiments, Fruits, Harned 1994, Moroccan, Preserving
Yield: 1 batch

5 Lemons
1/4 c Salt; more if desired
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Cloves
5 To 6 coriander seeds
3 To 4 black peppercorns
1 Bay leaf
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
-- if necessary

The author writes: “Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetables Tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives, and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California.

”Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste.

“The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have a half lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove lemons as needed.”

“Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.”

To make preserved lemons: If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.

Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2″ of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, and then reshape the fruit.

Place 1 tb. salt on the bottom of a sterilized one-pint mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices, between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice - not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.

Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days.

To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired - and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.

*According to the late Michael Field, the way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.

Cathy's note: I thought that the Safi spice combination sounded so good that I included it all as part of Wolfert's recipe although, when she wrote it, she only called for the lemons and salt as the main ingredients and made the rest of the ingredients optional.

From _Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco_ by Paula Wolfert.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1987. Pp. 30-32. ISBN 0-06-091396-7.
RecipeSource


Lemon Butter
1/4 lb butter - 125grms
1 lb sugar 450 grms
4 eggs
rind and juice of 4 lemons

Mix altogether, stir over low heat till thickened - not to boil

I found all these recipes on the Simple Savings Forum

Planting the Square Foot Garden - Spring

I decided this morning that today was the day to get planting. Chloe had Kinder this morning so I went and purchased all of the seedlings and seeds while I was one child down. I had my garden plan with me and pretty much stuck to it although I was able to pick up a few bargains of reduced to clear seedlings so I bought them as well, even though they weren't a part of the original plan. Im glad I did because when I actually measured the garden out it was bigger than I had planned for so I definitly had the space for a few add ons.

I also purchased a big triangular wooden trellis that expands and collapses. It fits really well in one of the plots and I'll use it for all of the climbing plants and the plants that need a bit of support. It was the perfect gardening afternoon, not too hot and not too cold. I packed the picnic blanket, drinks, should have packed snacks but didn't, hats and all the gardening tools. I also threw in a bag of Blood and Bone.

This plot has Tomato, Eggplant, Lettuce, Spinach, Silverbeet, Pumpkin and 4 Cucumber seeds. Lots more plants to be added tomorrow including Roma tomatoes and Rocket

I was wondering what I was getting myself into, trying to do both plots while keeping two kids occupied. One that desperatly wants to help and one that desperatly wants to explore, eat little things and climb. Luckily Elyssa had a big sleep in the stroller under a tree and Chloe used her little watering can to make mud up one end of the garden bed. She loved it but was covered in it!

Chloe also ammused herself by watering everyone elses gardens with her little watering can and by picking snails out of everyones gardens. I don't think anyone will mind....

It all went a bit pear shaped towards the end though, we had been there for two hours, Elyssa woke up grumpy and I didnt want to pick her up because I was covered in the mud Chloe had made. Chloe was being a pain because she wanted to go play at the park next door. I had a sore back from all of the planting and we were all hungry. We packed everything up, loaded up the car and Chloe had a play at the park. I put a blanket out on the ground and had a lie down while Elyssa sucked on my keys and climbed on me. I knew it was time to go when Chloe screamed 'wake up Jeff!'. The Wiggles have alot to answer for! Then Chloe lay down next to me and Elyssa climbed on top of both of us. I convinced Chloe to go home without a drama by reminding her there was yoghurt in the fridge at home and Daddy was home from work. We all had a big bath when we got home.

So far in this plot is 2 Chillis, 2 Capsicum, 8 Dwarf Bean plants, lots of Beetroot and the Rhubarb plant

The Dwarf Beans in their square foot. I marked every 30cm with an oil pastel

More Beetroot! This wasn't on the plan but I don't think the winter crop will last long :)

I moved the silverbeat from one plot to the other so that it was with the spinach

A grumpy, tired Elyssa

Overall I think the garden is looking fantastic, but I need to get quite a few more plants though. Its amazing how much fits in such a small space. Im going to head back tomorrow while Chloe is at daycare and finish it all off...ssshhhh! don't tell Chloe....