One-Pot, Wonderful

The nights still close in early and cold chills in the air means warming, comfort food is a must. Here's a wonderful way to quickly put together a hearty meal for a family, or for two; the extra can be frozen and saved for future 'quick' fixes.

All you need is:

1 pot
1 knife & board
and a Wooden Spoon

along with these (or a variation) ingredients:

1 whole Chicken
2 Onions, quartered
2 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped
2 Celery Sticks, roughly chopped
8 - 10 Baby Carrots, trimmed or 4 large, roughly chopped
8 - 10 Baby Marrows, trimmed or 3 large, roughly chopped
A handful of cherry tomatoes
1 Cup of Brown Rice
1 Cup of Soup Mix (I like to make my own with 1/2 Black Lentils, 1/4 Barley, 1/4 Split Peas)
1/2 Lemon

Herbs of your choice, I like the following:

2 Fresh Rosemary twigs 
3-4 Bay Leaves
2 tsps Oregano

plus Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

First fill the kettle and pop it on to boil. While you wait for the water you can prep the veggies by topping and tailing the Carrots and Marrows, or chopping into large chunks if using larger veg.
Rinse all these under the tap to make sure the skins are all clean and lovely. No time is wasted peeling and all the goodness is preserved.

Peel and quarter the Onions and Garlic cloves and chop the celery into smaller pieces.

The kettle should now have whistled so, pop your whole Chicken, ensuring there are no giblets in a little packet inside, along with all the veggies into a large pot and fill up to cover the chicken with the hot water.
Turn on the stove to a medium to high heat to get the liquid bubbling.

Now add the Rice and Soup mix to the top as well as the herbs and Black Pepper. I tend to only add the Salt towards the end of cooking because it can make the meat tougher.

Put the lid on the pot and turn down the heat and leave for an hour; I recommend using this time to relax with a glass of wine and your latest knitting project!
After an hour give the pot a stir making sure the grains are not sticking to the bottom and there is still liquid bubbling in the top. Squeeze the lemon into the pot and add the rind too. Then season with salt and pepper and leave for another 1/2 hour.

You may like to add a chicken stock cube or some other spices to your version. More lemon, cumin and some cayenne makes a wonderful exotic tasting dish for those who are more adventurous.

Dish up the rice and veggies in a big heap with Chicken that falls off the bone ...and enjoy! One pot, very little prep and just a little dash of patience to make a healthy, homely meal. 

This makes enough for 4 generous portions. Perhaps also a little extra leftover that you can add 500mls of stock to for a lovely soup the next day.

Eggless Wonder Cake

 This weekend set me a new challenge that worked so well I felt to share it with everyone who might be Seeking Out something special out there...

Choosing my mixing bowls

A good friend let slip on Saturday that it was going to be his Birthday the next day - I try to make a cake for any loved one on their birthday but this one had a catch...Jo and his wife Heidi are Lacto-Vegetarian and I had never tried to make an eggless cake before.

So, I did what all modern food lovers do...I looked online for a recipe! having no knowledge of where to start, I ventured into the unknown and gave this very simple recipe a go from: http://kitchenexhibitionist.blogspot.com/2006/09/baking-for-lacto-vegetarians-eggless.html

A little tricky to turn out...

Chocolate Cake 
3 cups flour 
6 tablespoons cocoa powder 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 teaspoons salt 
2 cups sugar 
2/3 cup vegetable oil 
2 tablespoons white vinegar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups cold water 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and beat well. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool before frosting. 

Chocolate Fudge Frosting 
1 cup sugar 
5 tablespoons butter 
1/3 cup milk 
1 cup milk chocolate chips 
(I used a cup of broken up plain chocolate)

In a medium saucepan bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and frosting is smooth. Pour evenly over the cake that is still in the pan. Allow to cool.

Double-boiler to the rescue

I made the frosting far too soon so it started to set before the cake was cooked but I found that transferring the whole lot into my trusty double-boiler and warming it over a gentle heat soon brought it back to its silky smooth texture.

Caught licking the bowls clean

I found all the ingredients (bar the chocolate bar) in my cupboards and it took no time at all to whip up. I was naughty and iced the cake while it was still quite warm, I also dug out the candles and stuck them straight in too...just in time for Jo to walk in and see his surprise. The boys (grown men actually) tucked into the frosting pan with sheer glee and couldn't wait until after dinner to try the cake itself so we dug in while it was warm with a wish for Jo, I think he wished for another one just like it next year!

Yummy!

So, if you find you have friends who can't eat eggs or you need to whip up a quick cake for surprise visitors - this is a great 'go to' recipe.

Good luck and happy baking! 

Ruthie in South Africa