Satay-sfied!

I love satay chicken. Strike that, really love satay chicken, however, one thing about being married is that, with the old saying 'What's mine is yours', often means that this also applies to culinary dislikes. After a few failing attempts to offer this as a tasty dinner treat, yesterday I finally asked the 'last straw' (proving that, yes, persistence pays off!) and am proud to say that this dish is our newest addition to our hit list.

This really is simple, and boy does it taste good. Here comes the science.

Ingredients

1. 1 baby chicken/ or 4 breast pieces

2. 1 tbsp soya sauce

3. 1 tbsp fish sauce

4. 1 tbsp sesame oil

5. 2 tsp peanut butter

6. Handful of coriander stems

7. 1/2 red chilli (or to taste)

8. 1 garlic clove

9. 1 inch of ginger

10. Juice of 1/2 lime

Steps

1. Blend or grind in a pestle and mortar until the ingredients are coarsely ground

2. Pour marinade over the chicken and mix

4. You can either put the chicken straight into the oven at this point, 200 degrees for 30mins (covered with some foil), or you can place the chicken on skewers and put into the oven. ( To be honest, I don't even have skewers, so have just used some coffee stirrers that I had lying around for some reason! I just wet them before I put the chicken through, and there you go!) Add about 1/4 cup of water and put into the oven.

5. After 30mins or so remove the foil and turn the chicken. Then cook for another 10mins. 

6. As an extra step, but extra bite, remove from the oven, drizzle a bit of honey on top and cook for 5mins, or until golden. YU-UM!

Nutters...

I'm feeling particularly warm and fuzzy today- and no that's not the humidity frizzing up my hair. I have just been reading some comments back on the blog and Facebook, and made me think how lucky I am to have had such great people who have taken the time to be so generous with their compliments. So with that in mind, I must take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind words and support with my food journey. I am especially chuffed to have receive such great feedback about these Snickers cupcakes- to be honest, wasn't too happy with the photos or frosting, so they barely made it online! Big love to good people like Lauren, one of my nearest and dearest who actually made them and sent in a piccie- it made my day and I'm on top of the world! Virtual hugs and sloppy kisses to you, my Northern chum xx

"They looked so amazing that i had to have a try! Just finished the decoration (bit low on the neatness factor.. Had to improvise a bit - piping bag broke!) and now can't wait until we've eaten dinner to have a try!

Thank you for devising such yuminess! xxx "

Get some nuts!

TGI Friday everyone! Well, it's been a long week, and frankly, even if it hadn't been a long week, everyone deserves a treat, and I know just the little bit of happy I'm going to make myself.

Introducing my Snickers cupcakes- a bit of chocolate, a bit of peanut butter and a lot of calories, but worth every tyre around the tum.

Here's what you need to get some nuts:

Makes 6 cakes

Cake

(1/2 that of your standard sponge mix)

1. 2 oz margarine (at room temperature)

2. 2 oz caster sugar

3. 2 oz self raising flour

4. 1 egg

5. If you are feeling particularly cheeky, and don't have any diabetic tendencies, you could also diced up a snickers bar and chuck into the batter- for me, I feared this might take me over the edge, so I abandoned this plan for today, but would be perfect for a special occasion…or sweet tooth lovers.

Topping

1. Chocolate frosting

2. Peanut butter 

3. Handful of granola- the only way I could eat this and not feel like a total lard face

4. Sprinkle of desiccated coconut

Steps

Cake

1. Use a mixer to beat the margarine and caster sugar until you barely feel the sugar granules.

2. Add the egg

3. Sift the self raising flour  and fold in so that the mixture remains fluffy. 

4. Now bake for 25mins at 200 degrees.

5. Once these are cooled, give each cake a generous spread of peanut butter, and pipe with thick chocolate frosting. Finally garnish with a dash of granola and desiccated coconut.

6. Find a comfy spot on your sofa, make a brew, and attack.