Butter Chicken

This recipe I got from a friend and I must say that after a long trial of experimenting with various butter chicken recipes and after almost giving up I finally found one that I really enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken fillets

100g butter

1 onion

Garlic (as much as you prefer)

Small can of tomato paste (about 2 Tbs)

sugar (to taste)

3 heaped tsp chicken spice (any kind)

2 tps jeera (cumin)

2 dessert spoons of Amina's Wonder Chicken Tikka Paste

250ml freash cream

Coriander (dhanya)

Method:

1. Melt the butter and braise the onions in it until nice and brown.

2. In the mean time cut the fillets into cubes.

3. You can either marinate the chicken with the spices and garlic, or braise the spices and garlic with the onions.

4. Add the chicken and the tikka paste to the pot and simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the tomato paste and sugar and allow to boil.

6. Pour in the cream and give it a nice boil.

7. Add the chooped dhanya just before serving.

Chicken and Veggie Pot-Pie

This is a recipe I got from my cousin and it was an instant hit with my husband. And the best part is that after you bake it it will still taste good the next day. Just reheat in the oven :)

It takes a little bit longer. I like to cook it nice and slow so that the veggies are nice and soft but still intact.....not mushy. Or actually you can just pop some of the veggies in the microwave till soft :)

Ingredients:

4 chicken fillets cut into cubes

500g ready rolled puff pastry

2 carrots

1 large potato

8 mushrooms

1 onion

1 tsp garlic

1tsp dried crushed chillies/chopped fresh chilli....however hot you want it.

black pepper

2 Tbs soy sauce

2 tsp Louisiana Cajun spice from the Robertsons Spice Range or any other nice tasting spice

salt to taste

1 cup water

Method:

1. Place the carrots and potato in the microwave or boil till soft but not too soft.

2. Once they are soft cut the carrots into rings and the potatoes into small cubes.

3. Slice up your mushrooms.

4. Braise your onion in a medium size shallow pot till brown.

5. Add your garlic and chillies.

6. Add the chicken and cook till half done.

7. Throw in your spice, black pepper, salt and soy sauce and stir.

8. Add the water and cook on medium to low heat till all the flavours are cooked through.

Note: To make a nice thick gravy add 2 tsp of cornflour to your chicken-veggie pot.

Once your chicken-veggie pot is done place it into your ramekins ( about 4 ramekins), you can just judge, then place the pastry on top, make slits and bake in the oven on 200 degrees celcius till pastry is done.

The Easiest White Sauce Ever!

My sister taught me how to make this white sauce and I've been using this recipe ever since. I make it in the microwave.

From this white sauce I make a range of different sauces.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs butter/margarine

1 Tbs plain flour

1 cup milk

salt to taste

Good grinding of black pepper

Method:

1. Melt the butter

2. Add the flour and whisk through

3. Add the milk and whisk through

4. Place in the microwave for 2 minutes stiring every 30 seconds until nice and thick.

5. Add the salt and pepper.

Makes about between 300ml-400ml

Cheese Sauce:

Once your white sauce is done and still hot add a handful of either cheddar or gouda cheese and a 1 tsp of bbq spice (optional). This sauce is great with pastas like macaroni topped with cheese and into the oven till cheese is golden....yum yum.

Garlic and Black Pepper Sauce:

Add 1tsp of crushed garlic and a good grinding of black pepper to your white sauce. This sauce goes great with fried chicken and steamed veggies.

Mushroom Sauce:

Slice up about 6 button mushrooms. Quickly fry them with some garlic and bbq spice (optional) then add to your white sauce.

I actually use this sauce as a pizza base topping when I make chicken and mushroom pizza but then I just make the sauce a bit thicker.

Spicy, Hot and Crispy Chicken

Sooo good crispy chicken you'll be licking your fingers off! Similar to KFC zinger style.

This recipe is for about 8 pieces of chicken you can just half the recipe for less chicken.

Ingredients:

8 pieces of chicken. Any pieces don't matter.

2 cups plain flour

1 cup cornflour

2 Tbs chicken spice

2 Tbs bbq spice

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp dried crushed chillies

1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Combine the flours and spices and half it.

2. In the one half add some water until you have a thick paste. Add the chicken to the thick paste, coat well and marinate. You can do this the night before. Marinating makes your meat nice and soft when fried.

3. When ready to fry coat your chicken pieces into the other half dry flour-spice mixture. You can either deep fry or shallow fry.

4. Serve with a nice green salad. Enjoy!

Strips and Spicy Rice - Nandos Style

My husband really likes the strips and spicy rice at Nandos. I thought to myself that it couldn't be hard to make...i like a cooking challenge :). So I tried and tested and SURPISE!.....Nandos strips and spicy rice @home in minutes. :).....FOR MUCH MUCH CHEAPER!

Ingredients:

4 chicken fillets cut into nice bite size strips

1 cup of rice

crushed garlic

green pepper

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 heaped tsp bbq spice

1tsp peri peri powder

1tsp chilli powder

Nandos sauce - the medium heat one (The medium one is the trick)

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with 2 tsp crushed garlic and about 60 ml nandos sauce. Be sure to coat all the chicken in the nandos sauce. You can do this the night before.

2. Boil the rice according to packet instructions but add to the water the tumeric, 1 tsp garlic, the bbq spice, the peri peri powder, the chilli powder and a small piece of green pepper (chopped) and stir it through.

3. When the rice is done strain but do not rinse.

4. In a big pan, I use my wok (its better, less messing), heat some oil either vegetable or olive and add your marinated chicken. Cook until nice and brown.

Then add more nandos sauce so that you have a nice gravy. If you want more sauce just throw in more nandos sauce.

5. Throw in your rice, some salt to taste and stir till well combined.

6. Serve with crumbled feta cheese on top and more nandos sauce if you want :). You can never get enough of nandos sauce.

Creamy Chicken Soup

A lovely creamy soup best enjoyed on a winters day served with crispy garlic bread. A soup that can be made in record time :)

Ingredients:

3 chicken fillets cut into cubes

1/2 cup raw macaroni

1 onion (chopped)

215g can sweetcorn creamstyle or kernals

1 packet creamychicken powered soup (I use knorr but any other brand will do)

1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

1 tsp dried crushed chillies

A good grinding of black pepper

Salt to taste

500ml water

500ml milk

Method:

1. Combine the water, milk and packet soup in a jug. Stir well until soup is dissolved.

2. Braise the onion in some oil till brown.

3. Add the garlic and ginger paste and the dried crushed chillies and stir

4. Add the chicken and braise until cooked through.

5. Add the liquid soup mix, the sweet corn, salt, freshly ground black pepper and the macaroni.

6. Turn down to a low heat and let it cook through till the macaroni is soft.

7. Serve with crispy garlic toast (bread rubbed with butter and garlic and popped into the oven till brown a crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.)

P.S. The creamstyle sweetcorn makes the soup nice and thick but if you want a thinner soup then add kernals instead.

Tasty Chow Mein with a hint of Thai Flavours

This is one of my favourites, I am a serious pasta fan. I enjoy it everytime.

Ingredients:

4 chicken fillet cut into cubes

250g spaghetti or liguini cooked according to packet instructions.

Half green (or red or yellow or all 3) pepper cut into strips.

A few canned bamboo shoots or however much desired (optional)

1 carrot grated (optional)

2 tsp fresh garlic finely chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped

1 big red chilli

A few basil leaves

Fresh coriander

Light soy sauce

Dark soy sauce

Lemon juice

Vinegar (white or brown)

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Marinate:

1. Place the chicken in a bowl.

2. Add the sugar, white pepper, 1 Tbs light soy, 1 Tbs dark soy, 1 Tbs lemon juice and 1 Tbs vinegar.

3. Mix all together and marinte for at least 1 hour.

Method:

1. Heat some oil (vegetable or olive) in your wok.

2. Add the ginger, garlic, half of the red chilli (chopped) and about 2 basil leaves (chopped)

Stir-fry quickly because you don't want the garlic to turn brown. Its a beautiful smell!

3. Add the marinated chicken then stir-fry until cooked through.

4. Add the green pepper, carrots, bamboo shoots and toss. Do not stir-fry for too long because you still want your vegetables a bit crunchy.

5. Add your pasta and work it through the stir-fry gently.

6. Add some salt to taste and an extra tablespoon of light soy and lemon juice.

7. Lastly, just before serving add some chopped coriander, chopped basil and the half of the red chilli (chopped)....toss, serve and enjoy.

p.s Im still improving the recipe I will update it as I go along. The version I gave you is still gooood though :)