stuffed chicken: a last minute deal

presentation could have been better, but my roast was a success!

Right. I’ve got a whole bird, some veggies, dry fruit and breadcrumbs. Perhaps if I go through my pantry I will find some sauces for the glazing and I will make another scrumptious dinner out of leftovers, basically! So here’s what I have on my table so far.

ooooh curries!

Making Massaman Curry and lentil dahl (my style) 

Ooooh curries! There’s nothing better that that fragrant smell of spices in the kitchen. I tend to prefer thai-style curries to Indian ones because are more delicate and a touch sweeter, and, I am totally in love with that final touch of toasted cashews and fresh coriander right before serving a meal. Pure bliss.

Today I am making some slight variations to the recipe. I have run out of coriander so I am using basil leaves from my plant, and I have some bok choy leftovers as well: I am sweating the chunky bits together with the aromatic ginger, the onions and chillies and will be adding the softer leaves toward the end of cooking time. Whatever variations I make to curries, my kitchen always smell lovely! Right, here’s my ingredients list:

dim sum to touch your heart :)

from top left clockwise: it takes ages...but the flavour........

From the Japanese Gyoza to the Cantonese Dim Sum and their northern counterpart Baozi, Jiaozi, Tang bao…the choice is endless. Learning how to make dumplings from scratch it has been a challenge to me. Too  thin, too thick, too sticky, too big, too small – but I’ve eventually nailed it. My dumplings may not be 100% authentic but they look terrific and my friends love it, which is good enough to me. Another good reason to learn to make your own dumplings is saving money. When I checked the price of the frozen pack at my local Asian grocery I nearly hit the roof. GBP13,00 for a handful of dumplings (5 har gao + 5 xiu mai)!!  If you want to venture into the lovely world of dim sum get yourself a couple of good bamboo steamers and let’s rock the kitchen!  Today I am making some boiled pork dumplings and some fusion-style steam fried chicken gyoza. Here's what you need: 

my summer fish pie

 Inspired by a Jamie Oliver lighter version of the fish pie, I decided to experiment in the kitchen today. Did not know what to expect since this was my very first attempt to bake a savoury pie with no puff pastry, but judging by mr D’s face I’d say the experiment went well!   From the originally recipe I preferred to ditch the onions (I believe it overwhelms the fish’s flavour), and double cream (too many calories!)  And since I had some vegetarian curry leftovers I soaked the fish in that rather than the milk. Feeling inspired? Here’s my recipe for 4-6 serves. I like to cook in bulk so I can stack the freezer for those lazy days…