Five-minute chocolate pots

This recipe is sooo easy and sooo delicious that anybody can do it :D

200 gr dark chocolate, chopped, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract, 300 ml single cream, 1 large egg, 6-8 small ramekins

Whizz the chocolate, vanilla and a pinch of salt in an electric blender. 

Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat, pour over the chocolate and blend. 

Add the egg, blend, then pour into the ramekins.

Chill in the fridge for 3 hours before serving, decorated with physalis, if liked.

Enjoy!

Baked Eggs Benedict

My fist time doing Eggs Benedict...

Thanks Clean Eating Magazine

Olive oil cooking spray, 1/2 oz extra-lean, uncured, cooked ham, finely diced,
4 large eggs, 1 tbsp organic unsalted butter, 1 tbsp brown-rice flour, 3/4 cup 1% milk, 1/2 oz low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, grated, 1/4 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, 2 cups baby spinach leaves, 2 whole-grain English muffins, split and toasted, 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a kettle or saucepan of water to a boil.
Mist 4 4-oz ramekins with cooking spray. Place ramekins into a 9 x 9-inch baking pan and fill with enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. (Alternatively, fill pan with very hot tap water.) Divide ham among ramekins and crack an egg into each. Transfer pan to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes; do not over-bake. Remove from oven and let ramekins rest in pan to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium. Add flour and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, whisking constantly. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until completely melted. Stir in salt and pepper; set aside.
In a large sauté pan on medium-high heat, add 2 tsp water and spinach and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 45 to 60 seconds. Drain.
Top each muffin half with spinach, dividing evenly. Run a knife around the inside edge of each ramekin to loosen eggs. Using a spoon, remove egg-ham mixture from ramekins and place over top of spinach, dividing evenly. Stir tarragon into cheese mixture and pour over top of egg-ham mixture, dividing evenly. Serve warm.

Lemony Pasta with Goat Cheese and Spinach

Salt and pepper, 3/4 pound spaghettini or spaghetti, 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, 10 ounces baby spinach (10 cups), 3 cups fresh parsley, chopped, 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain.
In pot, stir together goat cheese and 1 cup pasta water over medium. Add pasta, spinach, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, and more pasta water if necessary to create a light sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Easy, peasy, thank you Martha Stewart ;)

The Script - If you could see me now

Chicken, mushroom and bacon pie

Like usual, long live Good Foods Magazine :D

1 tbsp vegetable oil, 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon , cut into large pieces, 1 onion, halved and sliced, 250g pack baby button mushrooms, handful thyme sprigs, 2 tbsp plain flour, 400ml chicken stock, 200ml milk, 500g pack fresh puff pastry , or frozen and defrosted, 1 egg, beaten

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Season the chicken to taste and fry for 5-8 mins until golden brown, turning occasionally. You may need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Lift the chicken onto a plate and tip the bacon into the pan. Fry for 5 mins until crisp. Add the onion, mushrooms and thyme, then fry on a high heat for another 3 mins until the onions start to colour.
Tip the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 min. With the pan off the heat, gradually stir or whisk in the stock, followed by the milk, then add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins. Spoon the filling into a large pie or baking dish (approx 20 x 30cm) with a lip and leave to cool.
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. On a floured surface, roll the pastry to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut a long strip as wide as the rim of the pie dish and, using a little of the egg, fix to the edge of the pie dish. Brush with egg, then lift the rest of the pastry over the pie, using the rolling pin to help. Gently press the edges with your fingers and trim with a sharp knife. Brush lightly with egg to glaze, then bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is risen and dark golden brown.

Simon's Cat - Feed me

Simon's Cat is baack :))

Peppered Bacon, Green Onion, and Buttermilk Scones

6 slices peppered bacon, 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk, 1
egg, lightly beaten, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4
teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper, 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups finely shredded gruyere cheese
 

In a very large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Cook green onions in hot drippings until tender; set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg; set aside.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in crumbled bacon, green onions, and cheese. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture. Add remaining buttermilk mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until mixture is moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or just until dough holds together. Roll out dough evenly to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2- to 2-1/2-inch round cutter, cut rounds from the dough. Place rounds, nearly touching, on prepared baking sheet. Brush rounds with reserved 2 tablespoons buttermilk mixture.
Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer scones to wire racks; cool completely