Heidibella in the Tropics

Creole Chicken Fricassee

Last night I was just too tired to cook.  I had breakfast for dinner...cereal, milk, and banana. But tonight I was going to pull out all the stops.  My sister and I...or is it sisterS...Chris, did you decide to make this after all?...decided to make the same thing for dinner tonight.  Michelle suggested Creole Chicken Fricassee from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. It's very similar to what we would call in Panama, a pollo guisado. But the bay leaf and spices give it that creole flavor. I served mine with white rice, but you could do a wild rice, cous cous, or mashed potatoes. Delicious and quite satisfying!

Chunky Minestrone

Tonight's dinner was Chunky Minestrone Soup from the BBC Good Food site. It's very similar to the veggie soup I make, but the addition of the cabbage gives it a fun twist. I used mini pasta shells instead of spaghetti because, as my sister Michelle said when she sent me the recipe, "Who ever heard of Minestrone soup with spaghetti in it?" I also didn't process my veggies, I chopped them myself only because I enjoy doing it...it's a kind of therapy for me. The difference was I think it made the soup even chunkier, and the veggies took a little longer to soften than the 10 minutes the recipe calls for. This soup is hearty, healthy, and very easy to make.

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots , roughly chopped
• 1 large onion , roughly chopped
• 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 2 large potatoes , cut into small dice
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2l stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can butter or cannellini beans
• 140g spaghetti , snapped into short lengths
• 1⁄2 head savoy cabbage , shredded
• crusty bread , to serve

 

1. In a food processor, whizz the carrots, onion and celery into small pieces. Heat the oil in a pan, add the processed vegetables, garlic and potatoes, then cook over a high heat for 5 mins until softened.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 mins.
3. Tip in the beans and pasta, then cook for a further 10 mins, adding the cabbage for the final 2 mins. Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.

An orange appeal

I rediscovered oranges this morning. I couldn't tell you how long it has been since I've had an orange. I always buy oranges for the peel...it adds amazing punch to so many foods.  I usually have the fruit leftover. But today, I ate the fruit (delicious!!!!  why don't I eat oranges more often?) and had the peel leftover. What to do?

If you find yourself in this situation, here's a tip.

Fill a pot with water, add orange peels and a few cinammon sticks. Simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the pot on the stove all day. It will freshen up the kitchen, giving it a wonderful citrusy aroma.

Red Velvet Cookies

For those of you that tried the Red Velvet Cupcakes I made a while back, or if you love Red Velvet, or if you just love a damn good cookie...have I got something for you.

My friend Scott has been looking for a good Red Velvet Cookie recipe and when he couldn't find one he decided to experiment on his own. Last weekend, he emailed me that he had finally done it. I decided to make them and they are delicious!

I did find that the cookies came out a bit soft and cakey, so you might have to adjust the flour content depending on the humidity, or maybe just bake them a little longer depending on your oven. As for the icing, I decided to pipe it on but Scott's recipe uses a thumbprint method which works as well.

Give them a try!  Click here for Scott's recipe.