PASTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Good Morning to you,

I love Tuesdays

..... because it is the day our sewing group meets. After a lovely morning spent catching up with each other and sharing our sewing projects, three or four of us head for the charity shops, to see what little treasures are waiting to be found and this Tuesday was no exception.

After visiting three other shops with no luck, my final port of call was the 'Mind Shop'. I was scanning the books and looking for any titles which would jump out at me, when I discovered a book called The Real 'Dad's Army', The War Diaries of Colonel Rodney Foster. I knew straight away that I had to buy the book as I knew George would love it.

The reason I knew George would love the book, is because there is also a 1970's comedy series, called 'Dad's Army' which George loves. He watches the re-runs whenever they are shown on the television,  I swear George must have seen the series so many times that if asked, he could probably recite every word to you. 

Now here's the thing, when I find a book which I take a fancy to, I do not just pick up the book and read the cover information, I like to open the book and read the first couple of pages, to see if I can get a feel for the book. In this case I by-passed the first few pages which were maps and the introduction, because I knew I could read those pages later.... I went straight to Friday 1 September, 1939 and the paragraph began,

'Daphne's birthday.  Phyllis out to a board meeting in the afternoon and I had my usual afternoon with my father-in-law.  In the evening we sat in our blacked-out house.  Very stuffy, inconvenient and depressing.'

Well I never, you can imagine my surprise. What are the chances of both the names, Phyllis and Daphne appearing in a book, not just in a book but also on the same page.

At first I was not sure who Phyllis and Daphne were, but then, after further reading, I discovered that Rodney had married Phyllis in 1910, so Phyllis was Rodney's wife and three years later, in 1913, their daughter was born and yes, her name was Daphne. 

.... so just like (Ivy), Phyllis and Me, Phyllis is the mother and Daphne is the eldest daughter.

How marvellous.

I need to investigate further.  What are the chances that the name Ivy will appear in the book.... mmm I wonder, I can't wait to find out.

I am really looking forward to reading these diaries, as in 1910, Ivy, my grandmother, would have been about 9 or 10 years old and I am fascinated to see what life was like back then,  but I will have to wait in line.... after all I did buy the book for George.

So it's on with the pinnie and today, we are making,

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, which is so easy and relatively quick to make.

So while I organise my ingredients, I have a fabulous album for you to listen to,

the lovely Barbara Dickson.  Parcel of Rogues is a such a good album.  I first came across Barbara in the 1970's when she sang, 'Answer Me'.

Listen to,

Van Diemen's Land

My Johnny was a Shoemaker

Fine Flowers in the Valley

you will thoroughly enjoy each song.

So whilst I listen to 'Sule Skerry'.... no singing along today, as I love just listening to this album, I will organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

YOU 

WILL NEED

TO

MAKE

PASTA WITH 

ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

400g jar (drained weight) Roasted Red Peppers

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

400g tinned tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon of sugar

sea salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3/4 pint of chicken stock

handful of basil leaves

100g of Feta cheese

PASTA

250g fusilli pasta

HOW TO MAKE

PASTA

 WITH

ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Finely chop the onion.

Place the olive oil into a wide pan

and 

add the chopped onions.

Cook until translucent.

Grate the garlic

and 

add to the pan.

Cook for a minute.

Add the dried oregano

and

dried chilli flakes

and

cook for a minute.

Add the tomato paste

to the pan

and stir,

cook for 2 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes

and add to the pan.

Stir the ingredients together.

Add the

sugar

and

stir.

Add 

the

chicken stock

and 

stir.

Drain and slice the 

roasted red peppers

and 

add to the pan.

Bring to the boil,

reduce the heat.

Place a lid on the pan

and

simmer for 20 minutes.

Check after 15 minutes that the sauce is

not too thick. 

If it is reducing too quickly,

add a little more chicken stock.

While the sauce is cooking.

THE PASTA

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil

and

cook as directed on the packet.

Cook

the pasta until it is al dente (with a bite)

Drain the water.

THE SAUCE

When the sauce is cooked,

place a third into a food blender

and blitz

until the sauce is smooth.

Repeat the process 

until all the sauce is smooth.

Check for seasoning, if salt is required

add now.

Return the roasted red pepper sauce

to the pan

and

add the drained pasta.

Toss everything together

until the

pasta is thoroughly coated.

Shred the basil leaves

and add to the spaghetti.

Toss together.

Add the feta cheese

and

enjoy!

I know you will.

I add feta cheese because I love the sharpness it gives to the dish, but if you prefer you can add shavings of Parmesan cheese.

If you would prefer to roast your own peppers, then I have shown you how to do it  here.  Often during the summer time, when there is an abundance of peppers, I will roast my own, but I also keep jars of roasted peppers in my store cupboard for when I want to make a quick meal.

The house is quiet, it's raining and George has gone for a swim, so it's the perfect time to borrow his book The Real 'Dad's Army, to see if I can find Ivy's name ..... fingers crossed.

Take care and I will see you on Thursday.

This week I will be joining,

Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday

and

Robin for Fluster Buster's Creative Muster

HOW TO MAKE LABNEH

Good Morning to you,

Before I begin, in case you don't know, I thought I would mention that the term 'Geordie',  is a person from Newcastle. 

.... and I love living in Newcastle and the 'Geordie' women I have met are lovely.

Family is very important to them, they are warm hearted and they love to talk, any time, any place, any where.

I can be standing at a bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive, and if I am the first person at the bus stop, the second person to arrive, will always chat to me. If I am the third person to arrive, the women already at the bus stop, will always include me in their conversation.

I can be waiting in a queue at the shop and I can guarantee you, that the lady behind me will always talk to me, as will the lady in front.

.... but George, who is a 'Geordie' himself, was surprised to hear women talking in the swimming pool, when he was swimming his many lengths.

When swimming, George alternates between breast stroke and crawl and when he swims crawl, he hears nothing but the whoosh of the water, but when he swims breast stroke, he hears snippets of conversation when he passes by.  What surprised him the other day, was that the same group of women were talking when he was swimming his first length and  still talking when he was swimming his final length.  He does not understand this.  When he mentioned it to me, he said "If they don't want to swim, why take all that time to get showered and changed, just to stand around in the water. Why don't they go and have a coffee together and talk?"  I explained that women are not like men, we are different and we enjoy talking wherever we are.

I could see the confused look in his eyes.  He really doesn't understand that we women just love to talk, whether it is at home, at the bus stop or the swimming pool.

What surprises me though, is that he does not understand, because as a young boy, he was brought up in a house full of women.  He also has three women in his life, and when Natasha, Danielle and I meet up, we never stop talking.  When we used to take his mother, Sadie, and his Auntie Mim out and about, they would talk non-stop in the car as well.... so women who like talking have always been a part of George's life.

..... and then he asked, "Why do some women wear jewellery and make up when swimming?"

I think it's time I re-read 'Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus' or maybe I should get George to re-read the book.

..... and my apologies to all the quiet women out there, as I know there are many, I am talking generally about the women I have met.

So while I think where I put the book, let me tell you what we are making today.

Do you remember I mentioned Labneh when I made English Muffins, Labneh and Salmon for breakfast just before Easter. Well, today we are going to be making,

the said Labneh. Labneh is a popular Middle Eastern snack made by straining yoghurt.  

So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am listening to is,

The Lovin' Spoonful and my oh my, does this take me back to my teenage years.  I was still in school and living in Larnaca, Cyprus, when I first heard the 'Lovin Spoonful. Do you know I can't believe it was so many years ago in 1966. The first song |I heard was, can you guess,

'Daydream'

Whenever this song came on the transistor radio, my friends and I would always dance and sing along... we loved this song.

Do you remember,

'Summer in the City'

and

'Do you Believe in Magic'

I love the songs now, as much as I did then.  So whilst I organise my ingredients, I am listening to and loving 'Darling Companion' and yes, I know all the words and I can't help myself, I am singing along.

INGREDIENTS

YOU WILL NEED

TO

MAKE

LABNEH

500g Greek style yoghurt

4 pieces of cheesecloth 13" x 13"

(washed and dried)

l large jug,
1 soup dish

and

1 large wooden spoon

HOW 
TO

MAKE

LABNEH

I tend to make Labneh in the evening,
ready for the following day.

Line a dish

(I use a soup dish)

with

the pre-washed

cheesecloth.

Spoon the yoghurt

into

the centre 
of

the cheesecloth.

Then

bring the first two opposite corners together

and tie.

Repeat with the other two corners.

Place the wooden spoon

underneath the tied corners.

It will look a little like Dick Whittington's knapsack.

Have your jug ready
(I am using a glass container so that you can see clearly)

and

suspend the 

cheesecloth filled with the yoghurt.

This allows the liquid to drain away.

It is important that the 

cheesecloth bag does not touch the bottom

of the jug.

Cover
and

place in a cool place overnight.

If you place the jug in the fridge, it
will need at least 16 hours to drain.

In the morning you will 

notice that the cheesecloth bag is not so rounded,

in actual fact it looks much thinner.

This is because all the liquid has drained

away.

Untie the cheesecloth

and place the Labneh

in

a

bowl.

On it's own the flavour is mild and tangy,

but

you can add 

other flavours

such as 

chopped spring onions,

chopped chives,

shredded basil,

thinly sliced pepper dew peppers,

crushed black pepper

or

my favourite

crushed walnuts.

Labneh can be served with crusty bread,

crackers, pitta bread,

whatever takes your fancy.

I pop the Labneh into a Tupperware box with a lid and place it in the fridge.  It will keep well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days..... but not in this house, once made, it is eaten and gone within two days.

I mentioned at the beginning that a 'Geordie' is someone from Newcastle, but there are several other interpretations and if you would like to know what they are, take a look here.

It's time to put my thinking cap on, to see if I can remember where I put that book..... I wonder if I gave it away, I hope not, as I need to be prepared, as I have a feeling there could be more questions, from George, in the future.

Take care and I will see you on Thursday.

This week I will be joining,

Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursday

and

Robin for Fluster's Creative Muster

HOW TO MAKE CORONATION CHICKEN

Good Morning to you,

Do you have a recipe, that as a young woman, you used all the time, but as time went by, and your cooking repertoire grew, the recipe was placed in the back of your cookery book and forgotten about. 

I have such a recipe. 

As a young married wife, one of my 'go to' recipes was Coronation Chicken.  

... but I did not know it's origins, until much later. I discovered that Coronation Chicken was quite a special dish in the 1950's. The creators were Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry, and they created Coronation Chicken as a celebration dish, for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. 

The recipe I was given many years ago, uses cooked chicken, mayonnaise, curry powder and apricot jam instead of mango chutney.... yes that's right, you read correctly, apricot jam.... because at the time, mango chutney was a very exotic ingredient. The sauce was then mixed with cooked chicken and the end result was what I know as Coronation Chicken.

I have not made Coronation Chicken for many years, and had quite forgotten about it, until last year.

The reason for the resurrection of this dish was a family New Year's party, when each of us were asked to take along a dish to add to the buffet table. Whilst I was thinking about what to make, Natasha suggested Coronation chicken.

So we bought a chicken, poached it, mixed together the dressing,  shredded the chicken and coated the chicken with the dressing. I have to tell you it was a huge hit at the party, as it was the first dish to be finished.

So it's on with the pinnie and yes, you've guessed it, today, we are making,

that blast from the past, Coronation Chicken.  I have tweaked the recipe a little.  I know this is an old recipe, but I feel it is time to bring it forward, into the year 2015.

As you know, I love country and western music, so it will come as no surprise to you when I tell you the music I am listening to is,

Rockin' the Country.  Do you know, I had forgotten I had this album.  I discovered it tucked away at the back of the shelf.  When I read the names of the artists on this album, I was surprised to read the name Blake Shelton.  Do you remember I featured Barbara Streisand's album in the New Year and I mentioned that I loved the voice of Blake Shelton, but I had never heard of him.  Well blow me down, that obviously was not true, because he sings on this album.  I really must take more notice of the names on these compilation albums.

So my first recommendation has got to be, Blake Shelton singing,

'Some Beach'

then how about

'HickTown' sung by Jason Aldean

and

then

'Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On' by Neal McCoy

So while I listen to Tennessee River Run I will organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

YOU WILL 

NEED

TO

MAKE

CORONATION CHICKEN

1 kg chicken breasts (about 4)

5 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

pinch of saffron (optional)

chicken stock

1 teaspoon of salt

THE SAUCE 

1 large onion

4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 tablespoons of mango chutney

2 tablespoons of curry powder

250g Greek Yoghurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

50g toasted almonds

handful flat leaf parsley

HOW
 TO MAKE

CORONATION CHICKEN

Place the chicken breasts into a deep

saucepan.

Add

the bay leaf,

salt

black peppercorns

and

saffron.

Add enough chicken stock

to cover the chicken breasts.

Place a lid on the saucepan

and

bring to a simmer.

Gently poach, until the chicken breasts

are thoroughly cooked.

When cooked, drain the stock

and place on a plate
and allow to cool. 

Set aside for the moment.

 

Place the flaked almonds

into a dry pan

and toast until golden brown.

Make sure you move the almonds
around the pan.

I would advise that you don't walk

away, as the almonds can easily become burnt.
 One minute the almonds are white

and the next minute they are brown. 

Set aside and allow to cool.

THE SAUCE

Finely slice the onion.

Place the olive oil into a pan

and

add the sliced onions.

Cook gently until
golden in colour,
then

add
the curry powder. 
Move the onions around the pan
until
 the curry powder
is thoroughly incorporated.

Remove the cooked onions from the
pan
and allow to cool.

Place the 
yoghurt,
mayonnaise
and
mango chutney
into a bowl
and
mix together.

Add the cooled
cooked onions
and

stir the ingredients 
until
thoroughly combined.

ASSEMBLING
THE
CORONATION CHICKEN

Slice the cooled chicken
into cubes

and

add to the sauce.
Mix the sauce and chicken together. 

Make sure all the chicken is coated.

Place a clean tea-towel
over the bowl
and place it in the fridge
for at least an hour.

When ready to eat,
fold in the

parsley
and
the

toasted almonds,

and

enjoy
with a nice green salad.

Just a word of advice, do not add the flat leafed parsley and the toasted almond flakes until you are ready to eat, otherwise, they will become soggy. I often place them on the table, in a couple of small bowls, so that they can be added to the Coronation Chicken as desired. 

Now here's the thing, Coronation Chicken can be used in many ways.  We have eaten it with a rice salad, with a pasta salad, boiled new potatoes with a green salad and even used left overs in a sandwich or roll.... pretty versatile don't you think?

So what do you think, should this recipe be relegated to the 1950's or is it worth resurrecting and bringing it into the year 2015.

...... personally, I feel it can make the leap into 2015 without any problem.

Take care and I will see you next Thursday.

This week I will be joining,

Robin for Fluster's Creative Muster Party

and

Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday