Curry wasn't something which I had experienced a lot of prior to my moving over here to the UK.  My only experience had been a chicken curry that a friend of mine from Manchester had made for me about 30 years ago.

I was  living  on a British Military Training Base in Canada.  I remember that it was delicious but very spicy.  She had used a whole bottle of curry powder in it! It was love a first bite however!

 





The first curry I made after moving over here to the UK was a Chicken Tikka Masala that I learned how to make when I was taking my Chef's course.  

I thought it was really nice, and whilst I can by no means claim to be an expert at the dish of curry, I have been experimenting every since with flavours and textures in the years ever since.

  





I don't really like to use jarred sauces and mixes for things like this.  I prefer to start from scratch . . . using fresh spices and pastes and today I made a delicious Chicken Biryani which was quick and simple to make.  

I found the recipe in a cookbook I had purchased a long time ago entitled . . .  Good Food, The Family Meal Planner.  It's a great book for anyone who has a family and is struggling to get an interesting and delicious variety of meals on the table to feed their families.

This was very quick to make and has some lovely fruity flavours and just a bit of heat.  Of course you can adjust the heat by the type of curry paste you choose to use.  

I chose to use a Balti, but curry pastes vary widely in strengths and heats.  A Korma would be mild and coconutty, whereas a Madras would blow your hat off.   

I quite liked the Balti.   It's somewhere in between the two.

I love the flavours of cinnamon, bay and cardamom in this dish.   It makes a lot and is quite hearty! 

I do like a one pan supper that is quick, simple and easy to make and when it's delicious as well, then I'd call this a winner!  

I love the addition of the toasted almonds on top. Included also  is a tip to make a delicious salad from the leftovers on the day after.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN BIRYANI

A delicious Indian dish for four, cooked in one pan.  You can save 1/3 of it to make a salad the day after.  (See below.)  Adapted from Good Food, The Family Meal Planner.

 

300g of basamati rice (10 ounces or scant 1 1/2 cups)

25g butter (scant 2 TBS)

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 whole bay leaf

3 cardamom pods, bruised (crush lightly with the flat edge of a knife)

1 small cinnamon stick (about 3 inches in length)

1 tsp ground tumeric

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast portions, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 TBS curry paste (I used a Balti)

85g of raisins (9 TBS or scant 2/3 cup)

850ml of chicken stock (29 fluid ounces)

chopped fresh coriander leaves and toasted flaked almonds to serve (chopped cilantro leaves) 

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN BIRYANI

Cover the rice with warm water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.  At the end of that time, drain and rise with cold water until the water runs clear.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet (with a tight fitting lid) and add the onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.   Cook on low heat for 10 minutes without browning.  Add the chicken, ground tumeric and curry paste.   

Cook and stir until quite fragrant and the chicken has started to turn opaque.  Don't allow to brown or stick.  Add the rice and chicken stock and bring to a hard rolling boil.  Place the lid on tightly and reduce to a slow simmer.  

 

 Cook for 5 minutes.  Turn the heat out and allow to stand for 10 minutes.   Stir well, stirring through half of the coriander leaves.  

 Reserve 1/3 for the salad (see below) and scatter the remaining coriander leaves and toasted almonds over the rest.   Serve hot. 

Mix the leftover cold chicken rice with about 2 TBS of mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon juice.   Serve with some sliced baby gem lettuce and sliced cucumber.  

Yield: Serves 4

Author: Marie Rayner

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Chicken Biryani

A delicious Indian dish for four, cooked in one pan. You can save 1/3 of it to make a salad the day after. 

Ingredients

• 300g of basamati rice (10 ounces or scant 1 1/2 cups)
• 25g butter (scant 2 TBS)
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 3 cardamom pods, bruised (crush lightly with the flat edge of a knife)
• 1 small cinnamon stick (about 3 inches in length)
• 1 tsp ground tumeric
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast portions, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 TBS curry paste (I used a Balti)
• 85g of raisins (9 TBS or scant 2/3 cup)
• 850ml of chicken stock (29 fluid ounces)
• chopped fresh coriander leaves and toasted flaked almonds to serve (chopped cilantro leaves)

Instructions

1. Cover the rice with warm water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, drain and rise with cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet (with a tight-fitting lid) and add the onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
3. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes without browning.
4. Add the chicken, ground turmeric and curry paste. Cook and stir until quite fragrant and the chicken has started to turn opaque. Don't allow to brown or stick.
5. Add the rice and chicken stock and bring to a hard rolling boil. Place the lid on tightly and reduce to a slow simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Turn the heat out and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir well, stirring through half of the coriander leaves.
7. Reserve 1/3 for the salad (if desired) and scatter the remaining coriander leaves and toasted almonds over the rest. Serve hot.

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Do YOU like jam as much as I like Jam??? I don't think anyone could like jam as much as we do in this house, but . . . I could be wrong!

I hope that I am wrong.  I hope that you will love these as much as we do!



WE just LOVE jam. Sometimes we just have a simple supper of bread, butter and jam, which hearkens back to our childhoods . . . and we are completely happy and content with that. 

Other times I will bake Todd some Jam Tarts, which he just adores. Other times it may be a cake, or cookies. Today I made these delicious Raspberry Linzer Slices.



I have made Linzer Cookies many times in the past, and to be sure . . . they are just fabulous. But they do take a bit of time . . . with the rolling out, cutting, etc.  

Some days I am just lazy. I want the treat . . . but I don't want to do all the faffing and rolling out.



Some days I want near instant gratification.  Instant gratification.

 That is what these wonderful slices are . . . near instant gratification.  Unbelievably delicious.



With their crisp buttery base . . . sweet raspberry jam filling . . . and little buttery crumbles on top, these slices satisfy completely. In fact . . .



I bet you can't eat just one! (Which also makes them pretty near dangerous!!) 

Okay it goes beyond pretty near.  They ARE dangerous!



*Raspberry Linzer Slices*
Makes 9 to 12
Printable Recipe

Delicious jam bars, lightly spiced, buttery and sweet. Perfect with a hot cuppa!

For the base and topping:
175g plain flour (1 1/4 cup)
50g ground rice (1/4 cup) (you could grind rice in a coffee grinder and make your own
if you can't find it to buy. You want it really find, almost a powder.)
8 TBS golden caster sugar
140g cold butter, diced (9 3/4 TBS)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS milk

In addition:
8 TBS raspberry jam, stirred to loosen
2 tsp caster sugar



Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a shallow 8 or 9 inch baking tin with baking parchment.

Put the flour, rice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl, whisking well together. Drop in the butter and rub it in with yoru fingertips until fine crumbs form. Stir in the milk with a table knife. Tip three fourths of the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom, evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and crisp looking.

Spoon the jam over top of the base, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over top and then return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the topping is golden. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp of sugar and allow to cool completely in the tin, before cutting into squares to serve.

I was searching through the archives here the other day and I couldn't believe that I had never done a British Fry Up.  That is what they call a big breakfast over here in the UK.  

A fry up, and it is what will be offered you for breakfast at any B&B in the country.  It may vary slightly from area to area, but the basics are pretty simple . . .

 

It will consist of one or two British Bangers.  In a good place they will use quality sausages, but most restaurants (unless quality) will use cheap and nasty ones.  Blah.   

 Here at home I use only a quality banger.   It will also include a couple of rashers (slices) of good quality dry cure smoked or unsmoked British Back Bacon.  Both will have been grilled to perfection.



Along with a large free range (in the better places) egg done to your desire (scrambled, poached, or fried).  Also grilled fresh tomatoes.  

I have seen some places just heat tinned tomatoes, but I like to use fresh tomatoes myself.  There will also be fried mushrooms.  (Some places will serve tinned, again blah!)



What really surprised me when I first had a big breakfast over here was the addition of baked beans.  Back home we would never have thought about having baked beans with eggs.  

At least not in my experience, but it works quite well.  I enjoy them.  I  use tinned Heinz, Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. It seems to be the British preference.

  

You can also choose to have black pudding if you wish.  (We never wish)  Toast will often be offered, sometimes at an additional cost, which I just don't understand because to me toast is a must, but to each their own.  

 You can also get fried bread, which is a heart attack waiting to happen, no matter how good it tastes . . .  just thinking about it makes my arteries start to ache.  

It's pretty tasty, but you can imagine how much fat a slice of bread being deep fried would absorb!

And thats the Great British Fry Up!

Heat the grill of your oven to moderate.    Place the sausage onto a grill pan.  Grill the sausage beneath the grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.   Add the bacon slices for the last 5 minutes, turning them once they are golden on one side.  Remove and keep warm.  

Place your cut tomato under the grill, bottom sides up.  Grill for about 3 minutes, flip over and season with some salt and pepper.  Grill for about 3 minutes longer.   Remove and keep warm.  

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet until hot.   Add the mushroom slices and cook until golden, giving them a stir once or twice.  Scoop out with a slotted spoon and keep warm.  

Place the beans in a small saucepan and heat gently.   

Crack the egg open into a small bowl and slide it into the hot fat in the pan.   (You may need to add a bit more oil.)  Cook over medium heat until the white is completely set and the egg is beginning to turn golden at the edges.  Remove to a warm plate and keep warm.  (If you are wanting over easy, then flip it carefully, cook for about 30 seconds and then remove to a warm plate.)  

If you are having black pudding, fry it now in the residual fat in the skillet, until crisp on both sides.  

Toast your bread and butter it lightly, cut into half diagonally.  

Plate up the sausage, bacon, tomato, egg, mushrooms and beans.  Serve with the toast and black pudding ( if eating.)



I recently received a lovely little package from debbie & andrew's, makers of quality Pork Sausages.  They sent me a delicious package of their new Caramelized Red Onion and Pork Sausage and that is what I used here in my fry up, and they WERE very delicious, trust me on this.   Also included were the cutest little herb planter that is a pair of red wellies and a little sausage cookbook.

We really did like these sausages.   They are wheat, gluten and dairy free.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about that, but I was really surprised at how very good they were.  They were DELICIOUS!  I would and will buy these! 

Their sausages come in a variety of flavours including . . . . Harrogate 97%,  Perfect Pork,  Perfect Cumberland, and of course the Caramelized Red Onion and Pork.  debbie & andrews multi-award winning sausages are available in Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, with the new Caramelized Red Onion Pork Sausages being available in Asda from mid April.

Everything which goes into a debbie & andrew's sausage is prepared from scratch, nothing is brought in pre-cooked and no short cuts are taken.  It starts with the pork, using only the cuts that are best for making a really juicy sausage, selected from British farms that meet good welfare standards.

With the Caramelized Red Onion ones, the red onions are pan fried to perfectly ensure that they are caramelized for a really deep flavour, adding muscovado sugar to bring out the natural sticky sweetness as the onion reduces.  To really get the taste buds tingling, Balsamic vinegar is also added towards the end of the process, making the onions darker and even more delicious.  Altogether this makes for one very delicious sausage indeed.

Many thanks to Debbie and Andrew for sending me this lovely pack.  Although I did receive a package of sausages for free, I was not required to write a positive review.  Any and all opinions are my own.