I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight

Chicken breast, while being cheap and very versatile, can sometimes be very bland and somewhat dry. But I picked up a little tip from Nigella a while back which helped deal with this problem - marinate it in natural yoghurt (or buttermilk). It really makes even the driest meat succulent and tasty.

You can just marinate the meat then fry or bake it, but I think it's nice to coat it with breadcrumbs to make an easy chicken schnitzel. This is a great way to bypass the mess and hassle of the traditional flour/egg/breadcrumbs route but still get a great result. Here's what I did:

First, I took a large chicken breast and sliced it through the middle lengthwise to make two thin pieces of chicken. To thin them out a little more, I put them between two pieces of cling wrap (or you could use a freezer bag) and bashed them with a potato masher (you could also use a rolling pin, mallet or any bashing tool of your choice).

Then, I let them sit in some yoghurt in a ceramic bowl for about an hour.

Next, after shaking off the excess yoghurt, I dipped them in some crunchy breadcrumbs, pressing them in well to make sure they were properly coated.

Finally, I fried them in some oil for a few minutes on each side, until crispy and browned on the outside and just cooked on the inside. I served with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy. Very delish!

Mustard pork chops

This meal is very loosely based on Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops recipe, from her totally awesome book "Nigella Express". I changed it because I can't find cider here in Japan and I don't like gnocchi very much (or maybe I'm just not very good at cooking it). Moreover, I find the one tablespoon of mustard that Nigella calls for is just a bit too much for my taste.

So, here is my Nigella inspired pork chop recipe, which serves two:

2 pork chops (or however many you want to eat)
2 Tbs apple vinegar*
4 Tbs pouring cream
1 tsp grainy mustard
baby potatoes

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until tender.

In the meantime, fry the pork chops in a non-stick pan and a little olive oil until nicely coloured on the outside and just cooked on the inside. Remove from pan.

In the same frying pan, over low-medium heat, add the vinegar. This will make a lot of noise but that's part of the fun. Now, add the mustard and cream. Mix. Taste. Adjust ingredients if needed (maybe a little more cream, if the vinegar is too strong for your liking). Let it bubble up and thicken for a minute or so.

Serve the pork chops with some of the sauce on top. Throw the drained boiled potatoes into the pan containing the mustard sauce to coat the potatoes with the leftover sauce, before serving along side the pork.

*If you don't have/like apple vinegar, use cider as Nigella suggests, or use white wine.

The most dangerous cake recipe

Although I try to be healthy most of the time, sometimes what one really needs is chocolate. Lots of it. In the form of rich, gooey cake. And here is the perfect, quick recipe!

I was hesitant to bake a cake in the microwave, but I don't own an oven so sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Anyway, it is so delicious that you wouldn't guess it was cooked in the microwave. Don't believe me? The proof is in the pudding!

At this stage I'd like to send out a big thank you to Danica Gallagher for sharing this recipe with me (I'll be sending you the Jenny Craig bill shortly).

This is what you need:

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

First, put the dry ingredients into a bowl. Attack it with a wire whisk for a moment or so; this will break up any lumpy bits and it's quicker and easier than sifting.

Next, add all the wet ingredients and whisk again until the batter is combined and there are no lumps.

Finally, stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon (if using).

Now, pour the batter into a microwave safe dish of your choosing. The original recipe states that you can use a large coffee mug. I chose to use a small ramekin, which I greased with butter to be on the safe side, because I didn't want it to stick!


As you can see from the photo on the right, the batter came right to the top of the ramekin. I was concerned about mess in the microwave, but it turned out alright!

Microwave for about 3 minutes for a 1000W oven or 4 minutes for a 650W oven. The cake will rise, but don't be alarmed! To test if it is done, insert a dry piece of spaghetti (or a skewer) into the middle. It should come out clean. If it comes out with batter on it, pop in the microwave for a little longer.



And this is what it looks like when it comes out of the microwave.





This is enough to feed two. In fact, this cake is VERY rich, so it is best served with cream (my choice) or ice cream. My cake was especially rich because I used good quality cocoa and dark chocolate chips. You could definitely leave out the chocolate chips, in my opinion, to lighten this up a little.

I think it's nice to decorate the cake with some chocolate shavings. You can make these by shaving a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler.

Why is it the most dangerous cake recipe? Because now we can have one of the world's most fattening desserts in less than 5 minutes!

Veg out with vegie pasta

This winter has felt long and bleak. Like many fellow winter haters, I have been over indulging in comfort foods, and my lazy butt just doesn't wanna move.

If, like me, the thought of getting into a swimsuit this coming summer induces panic and images of a beached whale, try cutting a few calories by cooking up this delicious yet healthy sauce. This makes lots of sauce, which I freeze in small portions so that I can have a quick and healthy meal any time.

Ingredients:
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
100g button mushrooms, chopped
1 zucchini, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
a handful of fresh basil, torn
100ml tomato juice
1 can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
tobasco, salt and pepper

First, heat a smidgen of olive oil in a large, non-stick pan. Throw in the onion, celery, carrot and garlic, and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured.

Next, add all the other ingredients, stir, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until everything is tender to your liking. In particular, make sure the carrot is cooked.

If it's not thick enough, simmer without the lid until it reduces to your preferred consistency.

That's it! Serve on pasta with fresh basil on top, or try serving it with brown rice, on steak or chicken, or any way you like!