Slow Cooked Chicken & Corn Noodle Soup

Most people make their chicken and corn soup out of chicken drums or thighs. Well I only had breast in the freezer so I used breast as a bit of a test and I must say, I'm impressed.

As some of you know via Facebook - I recently had to replace my slow cooker. This is the first meal cooked in the new one. I didn't follow a recipe, I made this up…threw it in the SC and hoped for the best… we were not disappointed!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (kept whole, trimmed of fat)
• 1 x 420g can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 4 celery sticks, thinly chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, halved and chopped thinly
• ½ green capsicum, roughly chopped
• Half an onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tin corn kernels, liquid discarded or alternatively use a tin of creamed corn
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon of rock salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of fresh Cambodian cracked pepper (I guess any pepper will do as long as it is peppercorns, freshly cracked)
• 3 litres of chicken stock. I used 1 litre of chicken stock and 2 litres of water as I didn't want it too salty. I had already added the rock salt so was being overly cautious.

Method:

1. Place the chicken breast in the bottom of the slow cooker whole - do not cut as we will shred it later
2. Add the celery, carrot, onion, corn and capsicum to the slow cooker
3. Place the can of soup, the chicken stock and water along with the garlic, ginger salt & pepper into a large jug and mix well, then add to the slow cooker
4. Put a tea towel under the lid of the slow cooker and cook on either low for 6hrs OR auto for about 4hrs. Chicken can become dry in the slow cooker if left too long, or if cooked on high
5. Before serving, take the chicken breasts out with a slotted spoon and shred with a fork. Return to the slow cooker and stir
6. Also before serving, add noodles of your choice, cooked to packet instructions. I used vermicelli which only need to sit in boiled water for a few minutes. After a few minutes - and once they were soft - I placed the vermicelli into soup bowls and simply poured the soup on top of them.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Mediterranean Chicken Bake

Sorry I haven't blogged for so long, I've been very busy with work, however now I'm in a new routine, I hope to blog more often.

I found this recipe in a gossip magazine and adapted it to suit our tastes. It was amazing - very flavoursome and filling. This serves 5 or 6 with veggies or salad on the side.

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken breast fillets, split lengthways
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 cups tomato passata
• Approximately 400g of antipasto (or a mixture of jarred roasted capsicum, artichokes, olives, sun dried tomatoes and leeks)
• Basil, chopped ¼ cup, plus extra to garnish
• Eggplant, thinly sliced lengthways and char grilled
• Mozzarella, grated, 1 cup
• Fresh breadcrumbs (I used rice crumbs), ¼ cup

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 200 degrees celsius
2. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a medium sized oven-proof casserole dish, drizzle with half of the oil, season to taste and bake for 15 minutes
3. Char grill the sliced eggplant quickly, turning once
4. In a large saucepan, cook remaining oil and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until tender
5. Stir in passata, antipasto mix and basil, season to taste
6. Pour half the sauce over chicken in the casserole dish, layer with the eggplant and remaining sauce
7. Sprinkle the combined mozzarella and breadcrumbs over the top and bake for a further 10-15mins until the top is browned nicely
8. Garnish with basil and slice into the required number of pieces, serve with salad or veggies…

D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken, Pumpkin & Chickpea Curry

Originally when I found this recipe it called for a tin of korma curry paste. I didn't have any, so made a simple curry paste instead. This serves 4-5 with rice and is very mild, but tasty.

Ingredients:

• Half a butternut pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, cut into 2cm chunks
• 800g chicken breast, cut into 2cm chunks
• 300g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Curry paste:

• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ground
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, steam the pumpkin pieces for about 10mins
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add all the dry curry paste ingredients
3. Add a bit of water to form a paste (don't add all the water yet)
4. Once the paste has formed, add the chicken pieces and cook, turning often to ensure the outside flesh turns white
5. Once the outside flesh is white, add the pumpkin and drained/rinsed chickpeas
6. Mix very well
7. Add the rest of the water and stir well
8. Simmer on low for about 30mins
9. Serve on a bed of rice, garnished with coriander

D-E-L-icious  XD

Note: ½ cup of water won't look like enough, but don't add more as the pumpkin releases liquid during cooking and it will end up too soggy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu - Gluten free, Lactose free, low FODMAP

Image courtesy of 4Play - 4 Ingredients

Now before you say…hey, that looks like a professional photo…it is! I made these last night and plum forgot to take a pic. I know…talk about forgetful. But I am being honest here - mine DID look exactly like these, well without the rose petals on the plate of course!

OK these were a W.I.N.N.E.R - even with fussy Mr 12. Now as you know, I don't eat real bread crumbs so I replaced the breadcrumbs with rice crumbs. This served 4 with vegetables on the side.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken fillets, sliced in half and beaten until 1cm thick
• 4 rashers of bacon
• 4 slices of tasty cheese (use lactose free if you are lactose intolerant)
• ½ cup rice crumbs, seasoned with salt & pepper

Method:

1. Once you've beaten the chicken fillets to 1cm thick, lay them on baking paper
2. Place the bacon on the chicken breast
3. Place the cheese on top of the bacon
4. Roll up, tucking the ends in, and secure with toothpicks
5. Roll in the rice crumbs until covered, but not too thick
6. Cook in 180 degrees celsius oven for 30-35mins, or until crumbs are golden

D-E-L-icious  XD

Sticky Kicking Chicken - Jamie Oliver

My daughter made this chicken last night and it was amazing. Jamie's recipe calls for it to be served with a watermelon and noodle salad, which my daughter did make - but we only photographed the chicken because we didn't quite have enough salad ingredients so it looked kind of funny…not photograph worthy, you could say. But this chicken is really lovely, tender and flavoursome. It serves 4 with salad or vegetables on the side.

Ingredients:

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (we used a double chicken breast)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Small handful of coriander, torn

Method:

1. Pre-heat a large frying pan with the olive oil
2. Place the chicken on baking paper (or between glad wrap), sprinkle with salt, pepper and Chinese five spice and flatten it with a mallet
3. Place the chicken into the frying pan on a medium-high heat and turn after 5mins. If you've bashed the chicken really thin though - it will take less time, so keep an eye on it
4. Once both sides are lovely and brown and you an smell the aromas in the air, remove from the heat and drain any excess oil from the frying pan
5. Return the pan to the heat with the chicken in, drizzle with the sweet chilli sauce and toss with the sesame seeds
6. Serve onto a platter and garnish with the torn coriander

D-E-L-icious XD

Chicken with rosemary and tomato - low FODMAP

I had grabbed some chicken breast from the freezer this morning, for tonight's dinner, with the intention of making a simple stir fry. However by the time the kids came home and asked what was for dinner - they were disappointed that I was making yet another stir fry!

'Fair enough' I thought. I admit it - I make a lot of stir fries...because they are quick, easy and versatile. But I caved in and began hunting for a chicken recipe which a) I already had the ingredients for; and b) was low FODMAP - suitable for my irritable bowel.

I found a chicken in tomato sauce recipe, which needed adapting for low FODMAP by removing the garlic and onions. Not only is this low FODMAP, it is also low-fat, tasty and easy. This serves 4 and is best served with either pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. Why? Because it has THE BEST SAUCE you've ever tasted!!! We had sauce left over so we grabbed some slices of sour dough and literally plonked the bread into the sauce pan to soak up the juices...then ate it! Yep...it's that kind of sauce.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes (no garlic or onion added)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (I used dried)
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 10-12 black olives, pitted and left whole
• 75ml red wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the chicken all over
2. Add half the rosemary, stir to coat, then set the chicken aside on a plate
3. In the same pan add the diced tomato, capers, olives, wine and the rest of the rosemary and bring to the boil
4. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and turn down to simmer for about 20mins, or until the chicken is cooked through
5. Serve with something which will mop up the sauce...pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. I used gluten-free pasta and also added vegetables...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken and Noodles - low FODMAP and gluten free

I've been adapting my favourite recipes to accommodate the fact that I now need to follow a low FODMAP diet because of my irritable bowel and lactose intolerance.

One of my favourite meals is chicken with noodles. I've always added chilli, garlic, onion and sauces to this dish, but today I made it totally low FODMAP.

I used Tamari instead of soy sauce. You will find Tamari in the health food section of your local supermarket. The other thing I changed is the stock cubes I use. Massels 7 are suitable for IBS sufferers and are considered low FODMAP because they contain no onion and garlic. Read more about Massels 7 here. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 packet vermicelli rice noodles
• 200g chicken breast fillet
• 1 shallot (spring onion) but only the green part, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 Massels 7 chicken stock cube with water (as per instructions on packet)
• Splash of Tamari sauce

Method:

1. Cook the vermicelli noodles as per packet instructions. I find just placing them in a large bowl of boiling water with the stock cube cooks them without having to actually cook them on the stove
2. Steam the chicken until cooked through, turning once. Depending on the thickness, between 5 and 10 mins should do
3. Place the cooked noodles on a plate
4. Slice the cooked chicken breast and place on top
5. Garnish with the shallots and chilli and splash with Tamari... D-E-L-icious  XD

Shish Kebabs - low FODMAP alternative

I love making these because they are easy, enjoyable to eat and versatile. You can put pretty much whatever you want on them - as long as they cook on a hot plate! I have one fussy eater so I made some which will suit him, and the others I made for the rest of us.

I made chicken and lamb shish kebabs. The chicken shish kebabs in the top photo have cherry tomatoes and corn spears - they are for my fussy eater! Whilst the lamb ones in the bottom photo have an assortment of red capsicum, green capsicum, onion, corn spears, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

For IBS and for those following the low FODMAP diet - use zucchini, cherry tomato and capsicum. You could also use harder vegetables too like carrot, green beans, pumpkin and potato, but my suggestion is to pre cook them first so they don't take too long on the hot plate.

Ingredients:

• 500g diced lamb pieces
• 500g chicken breast
• Vegetables of your choice, suitable for sticking a skewer through and grilling on the hotplate
• Marinade of your choice. I marinated the chicken in soy sauce and sesame seeds (Mr fussy's choice) and the lamb in mint sauce alone. Marinate for at least one hour, the longer the better though!

Method:

1. The first thing you MUST do is soak the skewers in a bowl of water for about 30mins so they don't burn on the hotplate
2. Once the meat is marinated and the skewers have been soaked, place the meat and vegetables on the skewers in any order you like
3. Either BBQ them or use an electric frying pan or griddle pan
4. Cook on a medium heat, turning often and mind they don't burn.

Note: it is advisable to cut the pieces of meat and veg around the same size so they do actually touch the hotplate. If they are not touching the hotplate they won't cook!  D-E-L-icious  XD

Baked Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic - lowFODMAP

Now I'm following a low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome - I will blog some meals which are suitable for IBS sufferers. The low FODMAP diet is not a cure for IBS, but if followed - can alleviate the pain associated with an inflamed and irritated bowel. See my blog post about IBS and the low FODMAP diet.

I came up with this meal idea myself, so I wasn't sure about cooking times, temps or how it would actually turn out in the end, but it turned out beautifully so I was super excited. This serves 4 and is lovely served with steamed vegetables and brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast (bone-in pieces will require less cooking time)
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 and 1/2 lemons - juice half of one and slice the other one
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 190 degrees celsius
2. Cut your chicken breast into largish pieces - about 2cm x 6cm and place into a casserole dish
3. Place peeled, whole garlic cloves into the casserole dish and sprinkle the rosemary over the top
4. Pour over the juice of half a lemon and place the sliced lemon pieces from the other lemon over the top of the chicken
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the top
6. Bake at 190 degrees celsius for about 25 mins, check to see if chicken is cooked though as some pieces may be thicker than others and bone-in pieces may already be done
7. If a little longer is required, cook for a further 10mins and check again
8. Serve with rice or couscous as there will be quite a bit of lemon juice which is flavoured with garlic and rosemary to pour over it...D-E-L-icious  XD

*Note: Even though garlic is not a low FODMAP food, you can cook with garlic as long as you remove it and not eat it. Read more about this here.

Chicken Fattoush

This recipe is similar to a Weight Watchers one, but I've adapted it to suit our needs. It is extremely healthy, easy to make, quick and delicious. It is so nice, we had it twice in the same week.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole BBQ chicken, pulled apart and flesh pieces broken and placed into a large bowl
• 4 pieces wholemeal pita bread - I used tortilla wraps
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, thickly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:

1. Toast or grill the pita bread/tortilla wraps until lightly browned and let cool
2. Add the salad vegetables to the bowl with the chicken
3. In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic then pour over the chicken and salad and toss well
4. Top the chicken and salad with broken pieces of the pita bread/tortilla wraps.
5. Serve immediately.  D-D-L-icious  XD

Chicken Schnitzel - Gluten Free and Low-Fat

I love a chicken schnitzel, but believe it or not, I've never made it...until now. Unfortunately my tummy doesn't handle stuffing or crumbing well, so I didn't use regular breadcrumbs. I found Orgran Rice Crumbs in the health food section of my supermarket. They are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free, nut free and vegan. The Rice Crumbs can be substituted for stuffing and crumbing among other uses.

The other thing I did differently is I baked the schnitzels in the oven as I don't like frying in oil. The rice crumbs don't get that lovely golden colour that traditional schnitzels have, but you can rest assure that they taste amazing and are extremely healthy. Why bind yourself up with breadcrumbs and oil when there is a much healthier alternative? This recipe serves 4 and is lovely served with wedges and salad.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast, fat removed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• Dash of skim milk
• 3/4 cup Orgran Rice Crumbs
• Spices of your choice
• 3 large, shallow plastic containers

Method:

1. Beat the chicken breast until flat and even throughout
2. In container one add the flour
3. In container two add the beaten egg and dash of milk
4. In container three add the rice crumbs and spices of your choice
5. One at a time, add the chicken to the flour (both sides), then the egg/milk wash (both sides) and finally the rice crumbs (both sides)
6. Place them on a large plate, wrap the plate with gladwrap and place in fridge for at least 20mins
7. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees celsius
8. Place the schnitzels on baking paper in an oven tray
9. Spray both sides with spray oil
10. Cook for 10-12mins each side depending on the thickness of the chicken
11. Serve with seasoned wedges and salad.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Slow Cooked Chicken Korma Curry

I found this recipe online and adapted it for my slow cooker. The fragrance upon entering the house at the end of the day is amazing. And of course I didn't cook enough cos we ALL wanted to go back for seconds. This serves 5 with rice and veg on the side.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and quartered
• 3 tablespoons korma curry paste
• 1 x 400g tin chick peas
• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2cm piece ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup cashews (I used raw)

Method:

1. In the slow cooker place the tinned tomatoes, korma curry paste, chicken stock, garlic, ginger and chick peas and mix well
2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker (no need to brown first) and mix well
3. Cook on low for about 8hrs
4. Half an hour before serving, add the cashews and yoghurt and mix well, turn on high to warm through
5. Serve on a bed of rice with veg on the side.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken Laksa

This laksa dish is very easy, tasty and pretty quick to make. It serves 4-5 generous bowls and is a great winter warmer. If you love Thai flavours - you will love this simple soup-like dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons laksa pasta
• 1 and half tins coconut milk or cream (I used light coconut milk)
• 300g chicken thigh fillets, cut into small chunks
• 600ml water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1 yellow capsicum, roughly chopped
• 5 mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 handful of green string beans, cut into thirds
• 1/2 packet rice vermicelli

Method:

1. Cook the chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil until brown
2. Once the chicken is brown, add the water, garlic, laksa paste and coconut milk to the pan with the chicken and stir well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes
3. Add the carrots and beans, stir and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add the capsicum, mushrooms and shallots and simmer for another 5 minutes
5. Add the vermicelli and cook for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are soft
6. Serve while hot in soup bowls.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Vietnamese Chicken Salad - Julie Goodwin

As soon as I saw this recipe in Julie Goodwin's book 'Gather' I knew I would love it. The flavours of lemon, fish sauce, sweet chilli, mint and coriander are synonymous with Asian food. Personally I could eat coriander on toast and I can't believe there are some people out there who don't like it! This dish is fast. Once you've marinated the chicken pieces for an hour, the dish only takes 10 minutes to prepare and serve. This serves 4 small lunch-sized meals or 3 larger dinner-sized meals.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thigh fillets (about 600g)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 100g mixed salad leaves
• 1 lebanese cucumber, deseeded and julienned finely
• 1/2 bunch shallots, julienned finely
• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
• 1 bunch mint, leaves picked, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup crispy shallots (I didn't have any)

Method:

1. Place the chicken thigh fillets in a pres seal bag with the garlic, lemon zest and black pepper. massage to coat the fillets thoroughly. Marinate for one hour in the fridge
2. Place the salad leaves into a large bowl. Toss the julienned vegetables together and lay on top of the lettuce
3. Heat a BBQ grill plate or frying pan (I used a griddle) to medium high and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes each side, until browned and cooked through. Put aside to rest for 5 minutes
4. Mix together the lemon juice, sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce. Slice the chicken and lay it over the salad
5. Drizzle the dressing over. Top with bean sprouts, coriander, mint and crispy shallots.

D-E-L-icious  XD

Julie Goodwin sends message from yonder

I feel like such a fan-girl, lol. I sent Julie Goodwin, Masterchef winner, a message on her Facebook Page and then thought nothing of it. However today she sent me a reply and I am feeling very humble. I've attached a screenshot to show you, and of course, so I can gloat and say 'ner ner ner ner ner!'

So because I've been given the nod to go forth and prosper (lol) tonight I will make Julie's recipe 'Vietnamese Chicken Salad' from her third book 'Gather'. Stay tuned for the blog post a bit later  XD

$120 Food Challenge : Week 5

 I spent more than last week. Argh! Why can't I reduce my food bill?

Before shopping
As usual I checked what I already had, made a menu up for the week and then constructed my list. I am trying SO HARD to only buy what is essential for the meals because I don't want to throw anything out. I'm encouraging the kids to finish off yoghurt and snacks before they expire, making sure I use vegetables before they go soft, etc. We even ran out of bread this morning so the kids had to have a lunch order.

Lunches
The de-boned ham I bought last week WAS A WINNER! I will buy ham this way from now on because I can use it sliced for lunches and toast, and I can dice it to add to meals...so versatile. Never again will I buy the 'fake' ham bits in the supermarket for pizza toppings or quiches - I will always buy the de-boned ham from now on. I must thank my cousin Kris and brother Sean for this suggestion xox

The de-boned ham lasted a whole week for sandwiches and meals XD

So the kids had ham on their sandwich every day (except the day they bought their lunch) with either lettuce, cheese or grated carrot. They loved the new ham and the skin didn't bother them. I bought another ham this week and it was the same price as last week $16.48 per kilo. Bread was up again - 2 loaves for $5.00. It seems to fluctuate each week.

The meat
This week I bought a split marinated Tandoori chicken at Woolies as per Kris' suggestion. It was $7.99 and cheaper than buying an already cooked one. I look forward to having that tomorrow as it looks delicious. Last week I bought a whole chook from Aldi and baked it and it tasted like bleach! I won't buy their whole plain chook again. The only other meat I bought was chicken thighs. I was going to buy them at the butcher but Woolies had them on sale for $3.82 for 600g so I couldn't say no to that. I plan to make butter chicken with them.

What I learned this week

• The de-boned ham is definitely a winner
• Always look for specials
• If you can do without something for a week or two - do so and buy it when it is on special.

Thai Red Chicken Curry

This is one of my favourite Thai dishes. This recipe serves 4 with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tblspn olive oil
• 1 tblspn Red Curry Paste
• 3 cups coconut cream (I use light coconut cream)
• 500g thinly sliced chicken breast
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1 tblspn white sugar (palm if you have it)
• 1/2 tspn chicken powder
• 2 small carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green beans, halved
• 8-10 corn spears (tinned is moister than dried)
• 200ml water
• Fresh coriander leaves

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in the wok
2. Add the curry paste and stir for 1-2 minutes
3. Add the coconut cream and stir until hot
4. Add the sugar, salt, and chicken powder and stir
5. Add the chicken and cook on high until tender
6. Add the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes
7. Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

*Warning* This is a very hot dish.

Easy Chicken & Bacon Casserole

This is a very easy casserole with only 5 ingredients. I adapted the original recipe from the Chicken Casserole recipe courtesy of the lovely and talented 4 Ingredients ladies, however I added a fifth ingredient for extra oomph! It serves 4 with pasta.

Ingredients:

• 500-600g chicken breast, cut into large pieces
• 400g tin cream of chicken soup
• 5-6 rashers bacon (I used rindless), cut into squares
• 4-5 stalks celery
• Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees celsius
2. In a large casserole dish place the chicken pieces
3. Place on top the bacon pieces and celery
4. Pour over the soup and sprinkle with pepper
5. Cover and cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked
6. Serve over pasta

D-E-L-icious  XD

French Onion Chicken

This chicken dish is creamy and so flavoursome that it's a winner with this family. This serves 4 and is great served with roast potatoes and a green salad.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 packet French Onion soup mix
• 250ml low-fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms

Method:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a medium sized baking dish
2. Place the mushrooms over the top
3. In a small bowl mix the yoghurt and French Onion soup mix together - if a little thick, add a small amount of water
4. Pour the yoghurt and soup mixture over the chicken and mushrooms
5. Cover and bake in a 180 degrees celsius oven for 50-60mins.

D-E-L-icious  XD

Home-made Chicken Soup

This chicken soup is very easy, very tasty and lovely served with fresh bread rolls. This serves 4 generous serves, or 6 smaller ones.

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken drumsticks
• 1 large brown onion, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbs finely chopped fresh continental parsley stems or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 litres water (may need more for later if the liquid reduces too much)
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

Method:

1. Place the garlic, ginger and chicken drumsticks in a large pan with some olive oil, turn often so the chicken browns on all sides
2. Once browned, add the onion, carrot, celery, water and herbs and bring to the boil
3. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and place the saucepan lid on
4. Leave for a minimum of 2hrs
5. After 2hrs (sometimes more if the drums are large) remove the drums from the saucepan and place on paper towel to cool slightly
6. Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the drums. It should be relatively easy. Discard skin, bone and any sinew.
7. Return the cooked chicken pieces to the pan to warm through
8. Serve when ready and sprinkle with fresh parsley and hot buttered rolls.

Note: Instead of using water - I added home-made chicken stock which I had in the freezer. D-E-L-icious  XD