Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

Ok so tonight I was sitting on the couch watching Enemy of the state (P.S How hot is Will Smith in this movie?!) and had a craving for something sweet to eat while watching the movie. The fact that I haven't been grocery shopping means I haven't really got anything in the fridge. Seriously, I don't even have eggs. So I thought I would conjure up something with what I had in the cupboard and fridge. That really meant flour, sugar, butter, peanut butter. That is how these crumbly babies were born. These are like the peanut butter version of melting moments/yo-yo's or whatever you want to call them, and they are seriously addictively delicious! I only made a small amount (about 12 biscuits) so double the quantities if you want more.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 HEAPED tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter (I use woolworths select light crunchy peanut butter)
Approximately 50g of room temp butter (or enough to make the mixture just stick together)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of Self-raising flour


Method:
Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees celcius.
I basically just added all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mixed them with a wooden spoon, then worked the mixture with my fingertips until all combined. I basically just kept adding small amounts of butter until the mixture was just able to just stick together (but not really sticking together like cookie dough does). I estimate in total it was about 50g but start small and work it up until it is the right consistency (sorry I never really measure!).
I then rolled small balls and flattened with a fork and placed them on a baking paper lined tray. They are a little crumbly still so be careful when handling.
Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes. Take out of oven and leave on tray for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

It is that easy! Enjoy!

My Peanut Chilli Chicken

So this recipe is also one of my own . It was inspired after I went to a friend's house for dinner (thanks Emily) many years ago. I thought, cooking with peanut butter... seems so obvious that I would have done that before since I love it so much, but I don't think I had. Then came my peanut chilli chicken. I has actually become one of my favourite dishes. It really is yummy.

I have been asked for the recipe by a few people now, but have never gotten around to writing it down (I am horrible at guessing quantities, as I do everything by taste). Anyway, here it is(This is big enough for about 2 people I would say).

Ingredients:
a little olive oil
1/2 red onion chopped
1 chicken breast fillet (or the equivalent in chicken thighs - which turn out nicer but have more fat) chopped into small chunks
1/2-1 red capsicum chopped into sqaure chunks
6 button mushrooms
1 tomato chopped
handful of washed baby spinach
2 teaspoons of masterfoods portugese seasoning
about 500 ml of light milk
3 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce (I use homebrand)
3 very generous tablespoons of lite crunchy peanut butter (I use the woolworths select brand, not too oily and lots of nuts)
Freshly cracked black pepper
Rice to serve

Method:

Start by putting a large pan on high. Put a little olive oil in the pan and add the onions, then once these have started frying add the chicken breast. Lightly sear them then add the peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce, portugese seasoning and about 100mls of milk. Stir until it is all mixed into a thick sauce and as it cooks keep adding milk so it doesn't get too thick and burn.

Once it is a nice consistency add in the capsicum, tomato and mushrooms and stir in. Keep adding more milk as you go. I estimate you will use about 500ml of milk in total.

Once the chicken and vegetables are cooked and the sauce is a nice texture add in the baby spinach leaves and mix through. Season with cracked pepper to taste.

Serve with steamed rice and that's it!

Spanish Night = Paella and Sangria! Yay! I mean - Ole!

So, because I love Spanish food so much and back home in the country when I go to see my family there are no Spanish restaurants, one day I decided I would just make the food/drinks myself. I'm not going to kid myself in thinking I am some Spanish masterchef, but I had a go and figured it out, and well it turned out quite well.

I bought a very big paella dish, got out my mum's portable gas burner (we don't have a large enough stove, or a gas one for that matter) and searched around the internet for some instructions on how to make Paella and after a few times practicing, adding my own ingredients etc., I have come up with a recipe that I love (and my family do to!). So every few months we have Spanish Night. Paella, Sangria and us all sitting around as a family feasting on food!

So I tried to write down the recipe as I made it, and sorry it may not have perfect quantities but this is basically it:

Meat Paella:

Ingredients:
2L chicken stock liquid
1 Tablespoon saffron threads
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1kg chicken thighs, skinned and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 chorizo sausages, cut into pieces.
1kg boneless lamb (I use forquarters and just debone it and take off the big bits of fat, cut into medium sized chunks)
2 onions, diced
1 red capsicum and 1/2 yellow (just for color), seeded and cut into small squares
6 Tomatoes cut into smallish pieces
About 6-10 button Mushrooms cut into chunky pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups short-grained rice (I used aborio, but you can buy the proper stuff in Johnston st in Fitzroy, or at wheel and barrow)
1 cup peas
4 lemons
Parsley, Rosemary, Pepper, Paprika to taste
2 Roasted Red Capsicums and the other half of the yellow (roast your own by brushing the capsicum with olive oil and roasting on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until the skin blisters and turns black). Peel off skin and slice into thin strips for decoration. (Like a dumbass I always slice it up first, then it takes me forever to peel them - and the end result is usually some burnt fingers!).

 

Directions:

Heat the chicken stock, saffron and salt (to taste), over medium heat in a separate container (I use the microwave in large bowls or jugs).

In a large skillet (or a paella pan as I use) over medium high heat, heat the oil and sauté the chicken, chorizo, and lamb, about 5 minutes or until well browned.

Add the onions, diced capsicum, tomatoes and the garlic. Sauté about another 2 minutes.

 
Add the rice and stir to coat it slightly with the rest of the ingredients. Add some of the stock mixture and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add spice to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes (or until looking like it will be done in a few minutes!)

Add the peas. Add more hot stock if it has been absorbed. Continue cooking at a simmer about 5-10 minutes more.

Remove from the heat, and squeeze 2 of the lemons over the top. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes. Garnish with the roasted peppers and the remaining two lemons, cut into wedges.

As I don’t have a large gas stove, I use a portable gas burner (the Paella dish I have is very large) so I tend to have to stir my paella to make sure it cooks throughout. Also,the bottom of the middle section tends to burn due to the spot the flame hits so I try not to pick any of the burnt base up as I stir. Traditionally paella just sits there to form a crust on the base, it doesn’t get stirred. Because of the issues I have, the amount of liquid used is variable (sometimes more, sometimes less) but you will know when it is ready as all the rice should be cooked. Enjoy!

SANGRIA!!!

So as I find it hard to find good sangria I decided to learn how to make my own, and as it turns out, I think I have perfected it! I like my sangria rather strong on the alcohol side!


Sangria
Ingredients (mixed all together in a jug, refigerate and add some ice if you like to serve)

1.5 bottles shiraz ( I use wolf blass red label - I think!)
1 cup contrieau
2 cups of lemonade
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 apple cut into pieces
1/2 orange cut into pieces

I tend to do a taste test before refrigerating, and add more of whatever I feel it needs more of for taste (love orange? add more contrieu. If you like more wine add some, more fruit why the hell not?!)