Chicken Casserole with olives & raisins

There now - I bet that got your attention.  Chicken casserole with olives and raisins?  Curious!

Well, that's the reaction it engendered in me when I saw it.  Maybe I'm the only one.  ~shrug~

I'm always in the market for another chicken casserole recipe - after all, it's one of the mainstays of our week's menus - or used to be!  Since chicken is apparently particularly bad where being inflammatory is concerned, I'm thinking that perhaps it's going to appear rather less in the future.

However, I'm still getting my head around the anti-inflammatory thing - and I have got two growing lads to feed.

I found the recipe on Good Food Channel's website and immediately was struck by the novelty value of raisins and olives being included in a casserole that, apparently, didn't contain the middle eastern spices that are more usually found in conjunction with this type of fruit.  Not only that, but the recipe also includes 100ml of dry sherry which is another unusual bedmate.


However, I could see how they would all potentially sit agreeably together, particularly with the tomatoes and green peppers that the recipe also demanded.


The end result was very nice indeed.  I was careful to ensure that the sauce stayed good and substantial and no one flavour stood out from any other.  We ate the casserole with some sweet potato wedges which were a great foil for the savouriness of the chicken mixture.  However, I can't help but think that some plain rice and maybe some green beans would be just as good.


CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH OLIVES & RAISINS  (serves 3)


Ingredients :


2 tbsp olive oil
3 skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato puree
100ml dry sherry
3 cloves
2 green peppers, sliced
2 carrots, sliced finely
100ml chicken stock (I used Knorr Chicken Stock Pots)
1-2 tbsp raisins
1 handful pitted green olives.

Method :


1.  Pre-heat your oven to 200deg C/400deg F/Gas 6.

2.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken breasts on each side for 3-5 minutes until golden.  Transfer to a casserole dish, leaving behind as much of the fat as possible.

3.  Add the onions to the frying pan and cook on a medium heat until softened.  Add the garlic and flour and cook for a minute more.

4.  Stir in the tomato puree, sherry and stock, stirring or whisking to ensure all lumps are mixed in.  Add the cloves, carrots and green peppers and bring to a gentle simmer, then pour over the chicken.

5.  Cover the dish and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

6.  Remove from the oven and stir in the raisins and olives, then replace and cook for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Serve.

.

Boiled Fruit Loaf

I came home from work on Thursday, walked in to the house which was full of the smell of fruit cake.  Ooooh, delicious! The Artisan Bagel Baker had broadened his scope and made a cake.

Now I have to say, that this isn't the first cake hubby has made - he's quite an accomplished baker of cakes.  He makes a lovely ginger cake and his lemon drizzle is legendary.

However, there's just something so autumnal about a fruit cake - and this one goes perfectly with some of the Lake District Cheddar cheese.

BOILED FRUIT LOAF

Ingredients

100g sultanas
100g flame raisins (or dried cherries, or dried cranberries or a.n other dried fruit)
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
250ml semi-skimmed milk
200g light muscovado or other light brown sugar
125g baking margarine or butter
1 beaten egg
250g self raising flour
half a tsp ground cinnamon
half a tsp ground mixed spice.

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan).

2.  Put the dried fruit, grated apple, milk, sugar, margarine and spices into a large pan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 2 mins and then remove from the heat to cool for 15 mins.

3.  Once cooled, fold in the flour and mix well.  Add the egg and then mix again.

4.  Pour into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin and bake for 1 hour 15 mins (a paper hat may be needed over the loaf tin to prevent the top from overcooking).  Test with a skewer, returning to the oven for another 10 mins if the skewer comes out with batter on it.

5. Once the skewer comes out clean, leave to cool.

NOTE :  this recipe produces a very moist cake, if a drier texture is needed, increase the baking time by 20 mins and make sure a paper hat is used.