Okay, I know 'Winter is Coming - Part II' makes no sense, since A) it's already winter and B) winter doesn't have a 'part II' of coming, it's either here or it's not.
But lately, I've been experimenting with a few more winter warmers and I felt like they needed to be shared. Unfortunately, this week's recipes are slightly more expensive than the ones I generally put up, but trust me, they're properly worth it!
As I've mentioned in past posts, I try to make my chicken stretch further by only using 1 breast per meal and bulking the dish up with more veggies. You guys are perfectly welcome to use more chicken, or mess around with the recipes as much as you like. That's what I love about cooking; taking a recipe, adapting it to suit yourself better and creating something different!
Now I love a good curry, especially in winter. They warm you up all over and make the house smell incredible! This is possibly my favourite curry discovery ever, and it gives me an excuse to use up that Tandoori paste I've had sitting in my fridge since post one! I've pictured it with my homemade naan bread which is an excellent addition, but takes a little more effort and time. If you'd like the recipe, please comment below or Facebook me :)
Easy, Creamy Butter Chicken
Feeds: Myself and Hungry Boyfriend 1 large serving each.
Cooking Time: 30 - 40 minutes plus a few hours marinating time.
Total Cost: $6.35
- 1 large(ish) chicken breast, cut into cubes ($2.75 - $11.10 for 4 breasts)
- 1 generous tbsp Tandoori paste (roughly $1 - $5 for a jar and you'll use about one fifth)
- 1/2 brown onion, diced (35c)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely (15c)
- 1 tin condensed tomato soup ($1.35)
- 1/2 small bottle (roughly 300mL) light cream (65c - $1.30 for a bottle)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice mix - less than 5c)
- 1 cup rice, cooked with 2 cups boiling water in the microwave for 10 minutes (virtually nothing- $2.60/kg)
Method:
1. Marinate chicken cubes in Tandoori paste for as long as possible, it can be anywhere between an hour or overnight if you're super-organised.
2. Gently fry onion and garlic in a splash of oil until there's that yummy smell coming from the pan, then add the chicken and fry until sealed*.
3. Pour in tomato soup and cream.
4. Stir in spice and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep simmering for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve over cooked rice with naan bread.
*'Cooking until 'sealed' is basically cooking until the chicken is white on the outside, but still pink on the inside.
Of course, winter usually means someone getting sick and passing it to everyone they have contact with, including you. This recipe is loaded with cold-kicking ingredients garlic, ginger and chilli. Although fresh ginger is quite expensive, minced or ground ginger can be fairly reasonable. Minced is best for this dish, but ground will work fine :)
Ginger Chilli Chicken
Feeds: Myself and Hungry Boyfriend for 1 large serving each.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Cost: $5.60
Ingredients:- 1 large(ish) chicken breast, cut into cubes ($2.75 - $11.10 for 4 breasts)
- 1/2 brown onion, diced (35c)
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped finely (15c)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (60c - $2.50 for a small jar and you'll use a little less than a quarter)
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (20c - $2 for 700mL)
- 1 cup chicken stock (30c)
- 1 carrot, sliced in circles (30c)
- Small handful snow peas (80c)
- 1 chilli, finely chopped (free from my pot plant)
- Sprinkle flour (less than 5c)
- Salt and pepper, to taste (less than 5c)
- 1 cup rice, cooked with 2 cups boiling water in the microwave for 10 minutes (virtually nothing- $2.60/kg)
Method:
1. Gently fry the onion, garlic and chilli in a splash of oil until onion is soft.
2. Add chicken and stir-fry until white all the way through.
3. Stir in stock, chilli sauce and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer and sprinkle in a little flour (1-2 tablespoons should do it).
4. Stir over a medium heat until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add carrot and snow peas.
6. Stir for 5 - 10 more minutes until veggies soften slightly and serve over rice.
Cuppa-Soups are so lovely in winter, especially yummy homemade varieties. There are tons of combinations you can work with, but this one is a particular favourite of mine. I left mine chunky, but you're welcome to use a handheld mixer or processor to puree it into a smoother soup. I also apologise for the picture, but it was rather difficult to work with the crappy lighting. Just trust me when I say it's good :)
Homemade Cuppa-Soup - Corn and Potato
Feeds: Myself and Hungry Boyfriend for 3 days worth of lunch.
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Cost: $4.40 or $5.40 with bacon
Ingredients:- 1 tin corn ($1)
- 1/2 brown onion, diced (35c)
- 2 medium potatoes, diced into tiny chunks ($1)
- 2 tablespoons butter (10c - be generous!)
- 1L, or 4 cups, chicken stock ($1.20)
- 1/2 small bottle (roughly 300mL) light cream (65c - $1.30 for a bottle)
- Sprinkle flour (less than 5c)
- 2 rashers bacon, optional ($1 - $5/500g)
- Salt and pepper, to taste (less than 5c)
Method:
1. Over a low heat, melt butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and bacon (if you're using it) until fragrant, which is a fancy word for 'smells nice'.
2. Add tinned corn and potato chunks.
3. Sprinkle in flour (1 - 2 tablespoons should do it) and stir until everything is coated.
4. Pour in stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes or until potato is soft.
6. Stir in cream, season to taste and enjoy on a cold day - morning or evening!
And last, but not least; dessert! A classic crumble is cheap, flexible and practically impossible to get wrong. I used tinned apricots in this recipe, but apples, pears, peaches, strawberries or any other fruit you can get your little hands on will work. I also served my crumble with ice-cream, but regular cream and/or custard is equally good. Enjoy!
Apricot Crumble
Feeds: Myself and Hungry Boyfriend 1 large serving each
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Cost: $3.35
Ingredients:
- 1 400g tin apricots ($1.65)
- 1 cup flour (30c - $1.85/2kg)
- 1/2 cup butter (90c - $4.70/kg)
- 1/2 cup sugar (20c - $1.66/kg)
- Sprinkle cinnamon (less than 5c)
- Ice-cream (25c - $2 per 2L)
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Drain tinned apricots and place in the bottom of a cake tin. Stir through a little cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the top of the fruit and top with sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until sugar has caramelised slightly.
6. Serve hot with ice-cream. Or cream. Or custard. Or anything yummy :)
Good luck in the kitchen guys! I'll be back sometime next week with more tasty meal ideas, and hopefully they'll be cheaper than this weeks :P
Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave a comment below or contact me on Facebook or Twitter. I'd love to hear from you :)
Lots of love,
(broke) Masterchef Mel
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