April “Cuttings”

Well April is here and the warm March has encouraged Spring to arrive.
The cruising season is now in full swing.
So here are some recipes to try out.

Chicken  served in a Mushrooms and crème Fraiche sauce
with mixed leaf salad dressed with balsamic vineger and lemon flavoured rice

Chicken portions (breast meat)
Knob of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil
Mushrooms      2 small mushrooms per portion
Crème fraiche  2 table spoons per portion
Salt and pepper to your own taste.
Method

1.      

Heat a fry pan and place in the butter and oil

2.      

Place the rice on to cook with the addition of  chicken stock seasoning or  a stock cube and the zest of one lemon

3.      

When the oil is hot cook the chicken breasts turning regularly until clear juices run from the meat.

4.      

Remove from the pan and keep the meat warm.

5.      

If using microwave rice place this in the microwave now

6.      

Now place the sliced mushrooms in the pan used for the chicken and cook until slightly brown.

7.      

Now turn the heat down and place the crème fraiche in the pan and stir until warmed through and season to taste.

8.      

Put your salad, rice and chicken on the plate spoon over the mushroom sauce.

Serve the salad dressed with Balsamic vinegar or one of your choice.

Pear and Almond tartlets

1 Tin of pears in juice (4 tarts)
1 Teaspoon of ground almonds per tartlet
1/2 oz of melted butter for filo tart (per tartlet)
3 sheets of filo pastry OR any pre prepared pastry.
1 teaspoon of raspberry jam (per tartlet)
1 yorkshire pudding tin or individual tartlet tins

Method
1.Cut the filo pastry into squares (3 sheets per tartlet)
2.Brush to filo square with butter on both sides and place into the tin with the corners over lapping the sides of the tin by at least 1 inch.OR line the tin with pastry.
3. Place the second   and thirdsheet with the points at a different angle to the first this then produces the frilled edge of the tartlet by crushing the edges.
4 Place 1/2 teaspoon of raspbery jam in the bottom of each tartlet.
5. Next add the spoon of ground almonds.
6, Slice the pears and decorate the top of the tartlet complete with the remaining jam.

Bake in a hot oven 200oC or gas 8 until golden brown and serve with custard or cream.

Please feel free to share your recipes with us by sending them to linda@ownasharecruising.co.uk