Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus

This creamy chicken orzo with asparagus is a cheesy, velvety one-pot dish that is comfort food at its best. It has tender chicken and orzo smothered in a creamy Parmesan sauce and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes!

Creamy chicken orzo is a homey and comforting one-pot recipe that is super easy to make and taste like a real treat. It is a perfect dish to make on those days when you don't feel like cooking something complicated but still want to tuck into a bowl of deliciousness.

Orzo may look like rice but it's actually pasta. This means that even though this chicken and asparagus orzo dish looks a bit like risotto, it's much quicker to make. I personally love it with some double cream and lots of freshly grated parmesan.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breast
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup asparagus, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups orzo, uncooked
• 2 cups single cream
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp parsley

Method:

Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika on both sides.

In a large skillets heat 2 tbsp olive oil over  medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes oer side or until golden brown and cooked through. Depending on the thickness of your chicken, you might need longer time. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate, set aside.

In the same skillet, add the asparagus and sauté for about 3 minutes , just until it starts to soften ad starts to brown a bit. Transfer to a plate; set aside.

In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions is translucent and the garlic becomes aromatic. Add more olive oil if needed.

Add the orzo to the skillet and sauté for just one minute, to get it a little toasted, this will give it a nutty flavour. Add the single cream, chicken stock and stir.

Bring to boil, then turn the heat down to a medium-low, cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.#

Remove the lid and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.#

Add the asparagus back and stir it in. Slice the chicken into thin slices. You can either add it to the skillet or stir it in.

Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if preferred, and parsley.

Serve warm.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cake

Pumpkin, spice and coffee come together tastefully in this flavourful Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake with a very soft and moist pumpkin cake soaked in espresso syrup and topped with a creamy espresso buttercream frosting. This is a simple one layer cake that packs a big punch of flavour! It shows off all the cosy flavours that we love about Autumn.

Ingredients:

• 100ml vegetable oil, plus some for greasing
• 425g pumpkin puree, either in tin or freshly steamed pumpkin & blended finely
• 2 large eggs
• 100ml strong brewed coffee
• 125rg caster sugar
• 125g light brown soft sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger

For the coffee syrup:

• 50ml strong brewed coffee
• 50g caster sugar

For the icing:

• 50g icing sugar
• 100g full fat soft cheese
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml double cream
• ground cinnamon for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, coffee and sugars.

Using another bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones, then mix until smooth batter forms, with no large lump of flour remaining. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin while you make the syrup.

To make the coffee syrup: Stir the coffee and sugar for the syrup together in a small saucepan and warm over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. When you can no longer see any crystals, turn the heat up and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and syrupy. As the cake cools, brush the top with some warm syrup, then allow the remaining syrup to cool completely.

To make the icing: Whisk together the icing sugar, soft cheese and vanilla using a whisk until smooth. Add the cream in a steady stream, whisking continuously until the icing is thick and billowy. Pile  up onto the top of the cooled cake and dust with cinnamon. Drizzle with the remaining coffee syrup, then serve, preferably with steaming a mugs of coffee.

 

Banana Butter Cake

I had a bunch of bananas that was overripe. I know there are many ways to turn bananas into delicious treats. But I really enjoy most when mashed into a rich and moist banana butter cake. This Asian-style banana butter cake is moist, buttery and rich with banana flavour. Easy and fuss-free recipe that uses everyday pantry ingredients, this banana  cakes bakes beautifully and always turns out!

Ingredients

• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 360g)
• 250g plain flour
• 226g butter, softened
• 200g granulated sugar
• 100g brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 120ml whole milk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 60g walnuts or pecan nuts, chopped (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease a 9 inch round pan and line with baking paper.

Cream the softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas until fully combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the banana mixture, alternating with milk. Mix until smooth and no dry streaks remain. If using nuts, fold them in last.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Indonesian Prawn Curry

 Indonesian Prawn Curry does not refer to the origin of the seafood but rather the taste. This is a very popular dish in Malaysia which I am eager to recreate in my kitchen in UK.

Ingredients:

• 600g prawns, with shells on and legs trimmed. However you can also use peeled raw prawns
• 1 medium size onion, cut into wedges
• 5-8 shallots
• 3 garlic
• 2 red chillies
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 buah keras (candlenuts in English)
• 1 tsp belacan 
• 1 tbsp Meat Curry Powder
• 2 lemongrass, white part only, bruised
• 2 stalks curry leaves, removed the stalk
• 200ml evaporated milk or coconut milk
• sugar, to taste
• 150ml water
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Blend shallots, garlic, chillies, turmeric, buah keras, and belacan together in a food processor until they become a fine paste. This is the rempah or spice mixture.

Heat wok or claypot with the 1 tbsp cooking oil and toss in the onion wedges until some parts are browned and onions are translucent yet retain crunchiness. Set aside for later use.

Add 2 tbsp oil and fry the spice mixture and lemongrass until glistening and fragrant over medium heat. Add curry powder and half the curry leaves and fry until oil surfaces.

Add the 150ml water and turn up the heat to bring to a fast boil then lower heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Season with chicken stock (if use) and salt to taste.

Turn up the heat and bring gravy to a rolling boil before adding the prawns, boil until prawns are almost cooked through. 

Reduce heat before adding evaporated milk (to prevent curdling) to the gravy consistency you like. taste and adjust final seasoning.

Add the fried onion wedges and curry leaves and give it a quick stir. Turn off heat and serve with steamed rice.

                                                  

Sourdough Carrot Cake Bread

This carrot flavoured sourdough bread recipe is packed with freshly grated carrots, raisins and chopped walnuts. It is sweetened with brown sugar, golden syrup and cinnamon  and it the perfect spring dessert loaf!!. If you are looking for a fun carrot bread recipe, this it is! 

Found this recipe by https://www.pantrymama.com 

Ingredients:

Bread Dough:

• 100g active sourdough starter
• 350g water
• 40g golden syrup
• 500g bread flour
• 10g salt

Added during stretch and folds:

• 100g raisins
• 70g walnuts, chopped (or pecan)
• 100g carrots ( raw, grated)

Added during shaping:

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ginger
• 40g brown sugar
• 20g plain flour

Method:

Premix & Autolyse:

Weigh out the active starter, water and golden syrup in a mixing bowl. Mix them together so that the golden syrup is dissolved in the water.

Then add the bread flour and salt and mix together with a spatula. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together.

Cover the bowl with a cling film and let it sit for an hour

Forming up the dough:

Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from outside, stretching it up and over itself until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than about 20-25 folds to form a ball.

Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch & fold-Creating structure:

You need to add the raisins, chopped walnuts and shredded carrot to your dough during the stretch and fold phase. It is very easy to do!.

Try to add them around the second or third set of stretch and folds. So do your first set of stretch and folds with the dough as it is and then add the inclusions on the second or third set depending on how your dough is behaving.

Try to do around 4-5 sets of stretch & folds with around 30 mins between each set.

Bulk ferment:

Once you have finished your stretch & folds, place the cling film back over your dough and let it rest and bulk ferment at room temperature. This can happen quite quickly with golden syrup in the dough and all the inclusions, so keep an eye on the dough.

While your dough is fermenting, take a small bowl and mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar and plain flour together. Set this aside until you are ready to shape the dough.

Shaping the dough:

 

Once the dough has finished it's first ferment, it is time to give it some shape and surface tension and add the spices that you have kept aside.

Stretch the dough out into a rough rectangle and sprinkle over a generous amount of the spice mixture. Fold the top down and sprinkle on some more. Fold the sides in, sprinkle some more. It is really up to you as how much of the mixture you want to use.

Roll up the dough like a burrito and pull it towards you to create some surface tension and ensure all of those spices are tucked  up inside.

Place the shaped dough into your banneton with the seam side up. Stitch the base together if you need to.

Cold ferment:

Now your dough is in it's shaping container, cover it loosely with a plastic bag and place into the fridge to cold ferment.

Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours. Don't leave the dough too long as the carrot can cause moisture issues.

Preparing to bake the dough:

Once you are ready to bake, you need to preheat the oven to 220ºC.

Place your Dutch oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 30 minutes.

Baking your sourdough:

Now it is time to bake!

Take the sourdough out the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper.

Gently score your bread.

Carefully take your Dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Add 3-4 cubes of ice around the bread. Place the ice outside the baking paper. This will create some moist to the bread. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven.

Bake time:

30 minutes with the lid on

25 minutes with the lid off

When you remove the dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the Dutch oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool before slicing.