Chicken and lentil soup

One word: yum.

A few more? Easy, simple, marvelously healthy and hearty. Sorry for being so immodest, but it's good. Honest.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 red onions

2 cloves of garlic

tin of chopped tomatoes

tin of lentils

a pint of chicken or vegetable stock

a couple of handfuls of spinach

salt and pepper

Serves 2 adults and a little 'un.

Chop up your onions and garlic, fairly fine, and cut the chicken into thin strips, sort of as close to 'shredded' as you can get with raw chicken. Sauté the lot in some butter or olive oil until the chicken is cooked and the onions are soft. Transfer to a big saucepan and add your tomatoes, stock, and salt and pepper if you are using it. Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 mins, or until it has reduced to a nice thick consistency, then drain your lentils and stir them in, along with the spinach. Let the whole lot come back to the boil, and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until the spinach is good and wilted. Serve with some irish soda bread for double-yum factor, and enjoy.

Fairy Godmother Rice

I got an email the other day, in response to my 10 things post, or, more specifically, to my admission that I cannot cook rice properly. It was from my godmother, Bad Betty Bell, who I am hoping has solved my rice issues, and I thought I would share it with you, in case there were any other rice-ophobics out there.

Now, there are clearly a lot of things that you can do that I can't. But one thing I can do is cook rice! And here's how.....................

Follow this to the letter and you will not go wrong - I promise!

I usually use white basmati rice if cooking white and short grain brown rice if cooking brown. However seems to work for all types, the only thing is that brown needs cooking longer.

One average size mug of rice will be generous amount for two people.

Measure the rice precisely (in a cup, glass, mug, whatever), put it in a sieve and rinse at length under a running tap until the water is running practically clear. (Takes much longer to rinse the starch off white rice than brown). Drain well.

Measure exactly the same amount of cold water and put it with the rice in a pan which is the right size ie. one that when the rice is cooked it pretty much fills it.

Put in a good pinch of sea salt, bring it to the boil, stir it once with a fork and then either cover with a tight fitting lid (or tin foil and then lid as well for a good seal).

Turn the heat down to absolute minimum, - one of those heat diffuser things is ideal - and DO NOT TOUCH IT until it is ready precisely 12 minutes later.

Turn off the heat, fluff it with a fork - et voila.

Brown rice need cooking for about 30 - 35 mins.

The great thing is that when it is ready you can leave it sitting there for up to an hour or so before you are ready to use it. Just DON'T TOUCH IT!

So there you are - let me know how you get on.

X

I am optimistically hoping that this is the key to my domestic success. Thank you BBB! x

Spinach and goat's cheese muffins

I first made these a while back when I was rooting around in an empty-looking fridge trying to produce a meal. They are really, really good, though I shouldn't say so myself. I made them for our lunch today, so I figured I may as well take a few pictures and stick the recipe up here, because they have gone down really well with a few people I gave the recipe to. They are a great option for baby-led weaning, but just as popular with grown-ups.

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 oz (1/4 cup) of butter, melted

6 oz (3/4 cup) wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 bag spinach, chopped

4oz (1/2 cup) goat's cheese

Cheddar, grated, for sprinkling

EDIT: I made these again the other day, but didn't have any spinach or butter, so instead I used a 1/4 cup of olive oil and a grated courgette (zucchini, for those of you in the US of A, or anywhere else that isn't trying to pretend to be french) and they came out just as good. I may consider working on some more adaptations...

Preheat the oven to 190ºC (350ºF)

Beat together the eggs and melted butter.

Roughly mix in flour and baking powder (it will be lumpy - don't panic, and don't overmix!)

Add goat's cheese and spinach and stir until just mixed.

I also add a dash of milk at this stage. When I remember.

Spoon into the muffin cases or whatever you are using – I used these little silicone loaf tins that I got for christmas that are the best thing to be made of silicone since Pamela Anderson took boob jobs too far – and sprinkle with cheese. Stick 'em in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until they are golden and firmish to the touch, and a skewer comes out clean. You know the drill.

Now, this is where the illusion is shattered, and you realise that this is not Blue Peter. Not only did I forget to sprinkle the cheese on top and to add the dash of milk, but in my enthusiasm I must have overmixed it all because they really didn't rise very impressively. They still tasted okay, but not up to the usual standard. So, take heed of my mistakes – this is why we beat until just combined.

Happy baking x