Claire's Cake Bake & Other Foodiness

My, did they celebrate tonight. 20 minutes of fireworks set to music. Fantastic.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Liverpool

Happy Birthday to you!

And blogger now does videos!!…

I’ve been full of a horrible cold all bank holiday weekend & I’m feeling no better (if not a bit worse) today. I’ve had to call in sick to work as I am not up for anything except dozing in bed & watching bad daytime TV.

So to make myself feel a little bit better I made my myself a traditional lunch for such occasions! Chicken sandwiches with Heinz Cream of Mushroom soup.

We have a birthday to attend later tonight - luckily I have to move nowhere as Liverpool is celebrating its 800th Birthday with a firework display right opposite our settee. How very kind of them, I dont even have to get dressed properly! With any luck some we may get some good pictures.

Yesterday we picked up some tuna steaks for dinner and whilst we were in the supermarket we picked up some chillies, lime, lemons and avocado.

So I marinated the tuna in some chilli, lime juice & a dash of olive oil. And whilst that was sitting in the fridge I tried my hand at guacamole. Mr C has a strange relationship avocados as he doesn’t like them, the taste or texture - unless its guacamole? Anyhow, I mashed down 1 1/2 avocado, added some chopped chilli & garlic, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and then seasoned with a little salt & pepper. After a few tastings & a few more drops of lemon juice I think it worked quite well. So after leaving it to infuse in the fridge I served it up with a tuna steak, a jacket potato and some salad.

We both enjoyed it and the Maris Piper potatoes were so soft and fluffy. Delicious with a slice of butter melted in.

Thanks has to go to the lovely Jules at Trainee Domestic Goddess for firstly, finding this chocolate guinnessness that Hubby adores and secondly for converting the recipe from US to good old English measures.

I made the brownies yesterday & apart from them needing some chunky texture next time, they came out just as I had hoped.

I also bought a brand new silicone baking tin - its very flexible and I was slightly worried that when I picked it up full of runny mixture it would invert & land on the kitchen floor - but I was careful with my handling & it did the job very well indeed.

Recipe - Care of Trainee Domestic Goddess - link as above

Ingredients (for 16 brownies)

• 4 eggs
• 5oz caster sugar
• 12oz of various chocolate - dark & milk
• 2.5 oz unsalted butter
• 4 oz plain flour
• 2 tsp cocoa
• 290ml Guinness
• icing sugar

How to Do It

1. Preheat oven to 190oc and line 8 inch square baking pan with baking parchment
2. Combine eggs and sugar. On a medium heat melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Allow to cool for about 3 mins.
3. Beat chocolate mix into egg mix. Sift in flour and cocoa. Beat until well combined.
4. Whisk in Guinness, then pour into pan. Bake for 25 min until a skewer comes out just abour clean. It will continue to cook slightly after being taken out of oven.
5. Cool on rack, then dust in icing sugar and cut into 16 squares.

I’ve been wanting to make a pie for so long now, but as I don’t cook much meat I’ve kind of put it off and my new Nigella pie dish has been patiently waiting in the cupboard.

Well last night we where in Tesco & I picked up Olive magazine and some corn fed chicken breasts. And it just so happened Olive contained the kind of pie recipe I’ve been craving.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts
• 8 shallots - 6 whole, 2 sliced
• 100g creme fraiche
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar - I’d probably use a touch less next time
• 75 ml white wine
• Small bunch chopped tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Ready rolled puff pastry

How to Do It

1. Heat oil in pan
2. Cut chicken into chunks & brown in heated oil
3. Once brown remove chicken & add all the shallots and cook for 8 minutes
4. Add vinegar & cook until reduced by half
5. Add chicken, wine, creme fraiche, tarragon & cornflour mixture - cook for 5 minutes
6. Add mixture to pie dish & cover with puff pastry (cut to just larger than the pie dish)
7. Cook for 25-30 minutes on 180°c
8. Let pie cool for 5 minutes before serving

Enjoy!

Thanks Ginger!

Four places you’ve lived

• On the Wirral since I was born but have managed two houses (with family) & flat with hubby. Hoping I’ll move to a house with hubby soon (anyone looking to buy a nice flat?!)

Four places you’ve been on holiday

• France
• Italy - Sorrento - love, love, love it
• Italy - Florence -verrrrry nice
• Antigua - our honeymoon -relaxing with a few cocktails & watching the sunset. Bliss

Four favourite foods

• Bread
• Cheese
• Pizza
• Chocolate

Four places you’d rather be

• Scotland - somewhere in the Highlands
• On a beach with a martian martini cocktail
• In Venice or Paris as I havent managed to get to either yet
• On a boat

Not the most exciting answers! But hey ho.

I tag:

Escape Crate
Girl With The Golden Touch
Gastronomy Domine
Kitchen Delights