Chicken Parcel with Summer Potato Salad

The days are getting warmer and the food is more lighter. So here is the start of the summer season. Chicken is a good staple for any summer dish and the potato salad is a good accompaniment.  A meal done in under 30 minutes!

Only cooking for yourself? Leave the other prepared breast
for another day

Serves 2

2 Large Chicken Breasts
1 Ball of Mozzarella Sliced
8 Streaky Bacon Slices
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Rocket

Potato Salad
6-8 New Potatoes, cut in half
2 tbsp Mayo
1 ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Handful of Chopped Chives
Salt and Pepper


1, Heat the oven to  200c/180c fan assisted. The take a chicken breast and make a cut in the middle of the chicken, on the side half way deep. Put the mozzarella slices in the chicken. Then lay 4 rashers of bacon down and lay the chicken on top. and wrap the chicken in bacon and season. Repeat this for the second breast.

2. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken breast one at a time starting with the side where the bacon strips meet. Flip after 4-5 minutes or when the chicken goes white then cook other side.

3. Then put the chicken on a tray and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. For the potato salad. Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked. Leave to cool. While cooling, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Then when the potatoes are cool mix with the mixture.

5. Plate the chicken, potato salad and rocket.

Pepperoni Stuffed Crust Pizza

My 100th Post! Time to celebrate with some Pepperoni pizza. Let's make it stuffed crust. Obviously pick and choose your favourite toppings. 

Makes 1 Pizza

Base
175g Strong Bread flour, extra for dusting

100ml Lukewarm Water
1 tsp Yeast
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt

Crust

Butter

1/2 Cloves of Garlic

6/8 Hot Dog Sausages (depending on length)

Tomato Base

250ml Passata 

Basil Leaves, torn

1 Clove of Garlic

1 tsp Oregano

Toppings

Mozzarella Cheese, grated

Pepperoni

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220/200 fan assisted. Take a circular baking tray or normal baking tray and line with baking paper. For the base add the flour, yeast and salt to a mixing bowl and stir. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and gradually add the water and mix. Once the water is gone add the olive oil and mix. The mixture should be soft and be able to stay together. If too dry add more water, if too wet add more flour.

2. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Then put back in the bowl and leave to prove for 30 minutes (cover with cling film)

3. While it is proving, make the sauce by mixing the tomato ingredients with seasoning in a measuring jug.  Also for the crust melt the butter and mix the garlic. 

4. After it has proved tip onto a floured surface and foll out to a circular shape. If you want to be adventurous try some pizza tossing as this makes it quicker to get the round shape. Then put on the tray. If making stuffed crust make sure it is big so you can overlap the dough over the hot dogs. 

5. Begin with the hotdogs and place them near the edge of the dough. Then cover with the dough so you can't see the hot dogs. Then wash with the melted garlic butter. Then ladle on the tomato sauce, layer the pepperoni and finally add the grated mozzarella cheese. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

6. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The dough should be cooked through and the cheese golden. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with green salad, garlic mayo dip, chips, garlic bread or anything you want to party.

Mediterranean Chicken Burgers

Tired of those horsemeat burgers? Try my chicken burgers.... No horses in sight. Has a lot of healthy things in them with an explosion of different tastes.

Serves 2

1 Chicken Breasts, cut in half

About 5 slices of bread worth of breadcrumbs

4 tsps Green Pesto

A ball of Mozerella, sliced

1 Red Onion

Rocket

Jar of Sundried Tomatoes

4 Bread Rolls (Ciabatta, Burger Buns etc)

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

1. Cut each chicken breast in half. For each half put them underneath some cling film and flatten with a rolling pin.

2. Rub a bit of oil onto each bit of chicken then dip the chicken breast halves onto a plate of breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

3. Heat a frying pan with some olive oil. Then fry in the pan, each side for about 5 minutes. It should be a golden brown colour.

4. For each roll put a small handful of rocket and some sliced red onion.  Cut half of the chicken breast half and place on top. Add a mozzarella slice, a couple Sundried tomatoes and a tsp of green pesto. Repeat for each roll. Serve with some chips and salad.

Calzone

Essentially a pizza folded in half. Fill it with anything you want. Can make it really meaty with pepperoni, sausage, pork, beef etc. Go veggie, with peppers, onions, sweetcorn etc. Or have a bit of everything

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Dough

250g Strong White Flour, shifted

Sachet of Yeast (7g)

Pinch of Salt

Splash of Olive Oil
125ml of Milk
75ml Water

Filling

1 Onion, sliced finely

Ingredients for the Dough

1 Pepper (Red or Green)

Black Olives, halved

Pepperoni

Ham, cut into pieces

Cooked chicken, cut into chunks.

Mozzarella Ball, cut into slices
Mushrooms, sliced
200ml Passata

40g Butter
2 Garlic Cloves
Parsley



1. To make the dough, you put the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the milk, water, salt and yeast to the bowl and mix together. Once combined begin to knead the dough for about 5 minutes

2. Add the olive oil and knead the dough for a further 5 minutes. Leave in a warm place for a couple of hours.

3. Preheat the oven for 220c/200c fan assisted.

4. Fry the pepper, onion and mushrooms in a pan. Put in a large bowl and add the other filling ingredients to the bowl, apart from the mozzarella. Mix well.

5. For the garlic butter, put the butter in a bowl and microwave. Fry the garlic. Add the garlic and parsley to the butter and stir.

6. Get the dough and separate into 4 pieces. Put the dough onto a floured surface and roll into circles.

7. Add the filling in the centre of the dough, then place the mozzarella on top.

8. Fold the dough over the filling and brush the edges with the butter to seal. Then brush a bit on the top.

9. Put on a baking tray with greaseproof paper on it. Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Serve

Tomato and Cheese Gnocchi (V)

First time I ever cooked with this pasta so kept it safe and did a basic tomato sauce with bits of red pepper and cheese. It was lovely and fills you up a treat.

Serves 4

500g Gnocchi
Can of Chopped tomatoes, blended
Red Pepper, de-seeded and chopped
Small glass of red wine
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped finely
Basil leaves
Mozzarella Ball, sliced
Salt and pepper

1. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and fry the red pepper and onion on a low heat for about a couple of minutes then add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute

2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, gnocchi and seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked thoroughly.

3. Once the pasta is cooked add the basil. Transfer to a dish and place the sliced mozzarella on the top. Grill for about 5 minutes or until the a mozzarella is golden. Serve