I like stuffing chicken thighs (or breasts) to add to the flavour, and give a bit of variation to every day meals. I don't always like the hassle of making the stuffing though so will often substitute a ready-made one. I cooked these stuffed chicken breasts for our dinner the other night and my youngest son loved them.

Stuffed chicken thighs with gravy

This recipe serves 4

Bacon wrapped chicken thigh with sage and onion stuffing

You will need:

4 chicken thighs, with bone removed
1 pack sage and onion stuffing
8 slices bacon
Black pepper
Olive oil

 

Method:

1. Prepare the sage and onion stuffing per the directions on the box. The type I use you just pour the contents into a bowl and add about 200ml cold water, give it a stir then let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Place two slices bacon on the cutting board, lay the thigh flat on top. Place a spoonful of stuffing into the middle and roll up the thigh around it with the bacon.
3. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the bottom of a baking tray and place the wrapped thigh on top. Drizzle a bit more olive oil over the top if desired and sprinkle with a bit of black pepper.
4. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely.
5. The gravy can be made relatively easy.
6. Melt a small amount of butter in a saucepan. Add a spoonful of flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 – 3 minutes. Pour in 1 pint chicken or vegetable stock, a bit at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Season with pepper. I find that most store-bought stocks are salty enough so don't add any more salt unless you taste the gravy and think it's needed. To lift the flavour just a tiny bit more, try adding a ½ teaspoon of malt vinegar.
7. Serve these stuffed chicken thighs and gravy with a seasonal green vegetable and mashed potatoes.

 

If you'd prefer to use chicken breast…

This dish can be made equally well using chicken breasts. I just prefer the flavour of the thighs, plus they're cheaper.
You can either butterfly open the breast, or cut a pocket into the centre before stuffing the breast and wrapping it in the bacon. 

How to: 

Debone a chicken thigh:

Place the thigh skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife make a cut on either side of the

Slide the knife under the bone

bone, slide the knife underneath the bone on one side and run it down the underside. Then detach it at the top and bottom.

Butterfly a chicken breast:

Place the breast skin side down on the cutting board facing lengthwise away from you. Using a small sharp filleting knife, cut 2/3 straight down the middle, perpendicular to the board. Turn the knife at a right angle and now cut parallel with the board 2/3 of the way through one side, and then the other. Fold open the breast to either side. If the breast is especially thick, you may want to make another parallel cut to fold it out a second time.
You can then place a spoonful of the stuffing into the centre and wrap the breast around it.

Open a pocket in the breast:

Place the breast on the cutting board with the thicker side closest to you. Using a sharp filleting knife make a cut through the centre of this thickest part at the side, cutting parallel to the board and using your non-dominant hand to hold the breast steady on the board. Move the blade back and forth to enlarge the pocket while taking care not to cut through the other sides or through the bottom.
Using a spoon or (as I do) your fingers, push a small amount of the stuffing into the pocket.

 

Why bacon?

I will either wrap the breast in streaky bacon or will use the reserved skin from off the breast to wrap the chicken once stuffed. This helps to keep the meat moist while adding flavour as well as keeping the whole thing from coming apart while cooking. Feel free to omit and use cocktail sticks, or use a lower-fat bacon if you desire.

Fish Chowder Made Easy

Do you ever have one of those days when you look at what you have on hand and think "What on earth can I make using that?" Well, so do I.

This week, the mystery ingredient is fish. Now, normally I would make a fish pie or a seafood risotto, but I didn't really want to spend that much time on cooking and besides I forgot to buy any risotto rice this week.

October weather has been quite mild this year, but come evening time temperatures are starting to dip, making this an ideal time of year to start having soups.

And there is my inspiration, I decided to make a fish chowder. A quick check in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook just to see how they did their clam chowder, and to get an idea on how much milk they use and what herbs or flavourings they add.

This is what I came up with.

Fish chowder

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 medium potatoes,diced
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 1 pack seafood selection (prawns, mussels, and squid)
• 1 pack fish pie mix
• Dried thyme
• Dried parsley
• Worcester sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste, but start with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups water
• Vegetable stock cube
• 2 heaped teaspoons corn flour (corn starch)
• 2 cup skimmed milk

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stewing pot. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy.
2. Add in the potatoes, onion, packs of seafood and fish, and stir to mix. Add in the dried herbs, worcester sauce, salt and pepper, water, and vegetable stock. Stir. Bring up to a boil then reduce heat. Leave to simmer about 10 - 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked and potatoes are soft. Uing the back of a wooden spoon, smash some of the cooked potato into the side of the pot and stir back into the soup.
3. Stir 2 heaped spoonfuls corn flour(corn stach) with 2 cups skimmed milk and pour in. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring back up to a simmer and stir 1 - 2 minutes until it begins to thicken.

Serve with slices of buttered bread.

Easy Apple Crumble

My son brought this recipe home from school many years ago. It was one of the foods he cooked as part of his food technology course. He liked it so much, he asked me to keep the recipe and make it again.

This recipe is so quick and easy to make. Pop it in the oven when you sit down for dinner, it’ll be ready to eat when you’re finished with the main course. 

Easy Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble

• Serves: 2
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cooking apples, small to medium 
• 2 X 15 ml spoonfuls granulated sugar 
• 100 gm plain flour 
• 50 gm butter 
• 50 gm granulated sugar 
• 2.5 mg ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4/350F
2. Wash, core and slice apples. Place half the apples in a baking dish, sprinkle over with the 15 - 30 gm(1 - 2 tablespoons) sugar. Place other half of apples on top.
3. Sieve flour and cinnamon into a bowl.
4. Rub in butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs
5. Stir in 25 gm sugar
6. Sprinkle over the apples
7. Bake until topping is pale brown, about 25 - 35 minutes. Serve warm with custard or ice cream.

Blackberries would make a very nice addition to this simple crumble. Just add about 1/2 cup to the apple mixture, or sprinkle a few over the apples before sprinkling over the crumb mixture. 

Custard Powder

 I don't fiddle about making custard, I use Bird's Custard Powder to save time and hassle.  

English Apple Pie

I brought The Kansas Cookbook with me when I moved to the UK because I wanted to be able to share my Kansas heritage with my new family. The smell and taste of apples cooking conjure up visions of that idealised home and childhood everyone wishes he had. This recipe isn't to be found in any of my English cookbooks, but it most closely resembles an Eve's Pudding.

It will make its own crust, top and bottom, while baking. Serve it with thick cream, warm custard, or a rich vanilla ice cream. 

Old English Apple Pie

Serves: 12

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 - 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups tart cooking apples (I prefer Bramleys) cored, peeled, and chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Optional:

• 1/2 teaspooon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

OR

• 1 teaspoon mixed spice

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored. Add the sugar slowly and continue beating until well combined.
2. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat well. Add the apples, nuts, and spices, folding until all ingredients are completely mixed.
3. Pour the batter into 2 well-greased 9-inch pie plates or a well-greased 13 X 9 - inch baking dish. Bake at 350F/Gas Mark 4 for 40 to 45 minutes.

Find this recipe and other simple but delicious food recipes in The Kansas Cookbook, with over 400 recipes contributed by lifelong Kansas residents that reflect the State's history and ethnic diversity.

I have used my copy so much, the cover is now missing and the inner pages are dotted with splashes and splotches. That doesn't stop me from pulling it out when I want to make wholesome, inexpensive, and filling foods.

The Kansas Cookbook: Recipes from the Heartland