Italian Chicken Bake

Image Leave a comment 24/03/2021 the wee caledonian cook

A great way to use up left over chicken after your Sunday Roast. This dish is very easy to bake and healthy too.

This simple and tasty bake will keep you full as it has protein (chicken), fiber (veggies), and fat (cheese). The chicken is smothered with cherry tomatoes, onion and peppers keeping the chicken moist. I used Italian herbs and chilli spice for a wee kick. Delicious!

Prep time is only 10 minutes and 40 minutes in total to cook, so a quick meal to bake. Gluten free too.

Serves 3-4

2 Large Chicken Breasts, cooked & shredded

1 Onion, chopped

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1 Garlic Clove, chopped

Spray Oil

2 Tsp Italian Herb Mix

1 x 400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

10-12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes

125g Mozzarella, grated or sliced

Small handful basil leaves to serve

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 deg fan.
In a pan heat the spray oil and fry the onions, pepper and garlic for a few minutes to soften.
Add in the Italian herbs, chilli, tin tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar and season, then simmer for about 20 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the cooked chicken then transfer to a baking dish.
Tear or grate over the mozzarella evenly and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and bubbling. Serve with some chopped basil leaves. Plate up with a side of cooked rice, pasta or potatoes.

Puff Pizza

Image Leave a comment 17/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

I know, I’m going to tell you all about my Crisperplate again….lol! Just 7 minutes bake time for these quick and easy puff pastry pizzas, compared to an oven bake (20 mins), the Crisper does it in more than half the time with the same results.

One my own this afternoon I just wanted a quick lunch, so this was perfect. I decided to use up things in my fridge, so I went for this combo, but you can make any combination you like. (times may vary)

Makes 2

1 roll puff pastry (use half if making 2) – cut in half or quarter if making 4

2 tbsp tomato paste

Seasoning

Grated Mozzarella

Mushrooms – I used Chestnut

Little olive oil

Pre heat your crisper plate for 2 minutes
Roll out pastry and with each half, score a 1cm border all the way around.
Score a couple of diagonal lines in the middle (do not go right through) then place onto crisper plate.
Place grated mozzarella into the middle, evenly but not too thick. Season.
Then place the mushrooms in a layer evenly and drizzle a little oil over. Season
Cook on Crisper setting for 7-8 minutes or until your desired brownness level.
Yummy!

Parmesan & Tomato Stars

Image Leave a comment 17/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

OMG! These are so delicious and perfect for the party season. Little bite size pieces of deliciousness.

Makes about 12

8-10 Vittoria Tomatoes
Dried Thyme
150g plain flour
75 g soft butter salted
40 g grated parmesan
1 egg
250g mozzarella
Green pesto
Paprika & poppy seeds

1. Pre heat oven to Fan 160 deg, Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the butter and parmesan, add in half the whisked egg, slow speed on mixer mix together.
3. Tip onto a non stick surface and bring together with your hands until you have a dough, flatten slightly. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat crisper plate and cut tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt & thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
5. Take a small 3cm star cutter and cut the mozzarella into thin stars.
6. Remove the dough and roll out and cut with a 5-6cm star cutter, place on baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 mins or until slightly browned.
7. To serve, once stars are cooled, spread a little pesto on star then place mozzarella star, a little more pesto then the tomato half.
8. Yum! Gorgeous with some prosecco.

Meatball Burger

Image 3 Comments 08/09/2017 the wee caledonian cook

I am watching Jamie Olivers new 5 Ingredient Cook programme just now and every week I’m like….I really need to try that. So this week it was Meatball Burgers…just the name sounds amazing.

Its a friday night, you come home from work and want something quick, easy and filling but tasty too…..this is the go to recipe. It was so tasty and so quick and easy to cook. The sauce that you can dip your burger in just made it….yum!

Makes approx 14 meatballs

500g Aberdeen Angus Mince

Pesto with basil

1 tin Plum tomatoes

1 ball mozzarella

Rolls – make sure they are crusty, if you use soft rolls they will fall apart.

Mix the mince and 2 tbsp pesto together in a bowl and season
Preheat a fry pan with a little oil, spoon with a dessert spoon some of the mixture into your hands and mould into a ball. (best to have wet hands when doing this)
Place into fry pan and cook for about 10 mins turning to brown all over.
Empty the plum tomatoes into the pan and season with salt & pepper.
At the same time slice the mozzarella and place 1 slice over the top of each meatball, cook for about 2 minutes or until the mozzarella starts to melt.
Spread 1/2 tbsp pest onto each roll
Place about 3 meatballs onto each roll
Dish out the sauce either into a bowl on on your plate. Devour!

Wee Italian toast snacks

Image Leave a comment 09/06/2016 the wee caledonian cook

I purchased some Soya Based Mozzarella from Muckle Coo Ltd at my local Glasgow Food Assembly https://thefoodassembly.com/en/assemblies/7907 this week. Jill (the owner) at Muckle Coo Ltd makes handmade Soya based Meltable Mozzarella style balls that are Dairy/Gluten free & Vegan friendly. The two day process uses 83% organic ingredients (however, as its not 95% I can’t list any of the components as organic).
They are: Soya beans, water extra virgin rapeseed oil, tapioca flour, Carrageenan, sea salt, bifidus & acidophilus.

It was absolutely delicious! I decided to melt them onto Olive bread topped with cherry tomatoes and fresh chopped basil, such a tasty wee snack.

Friday Night Takeaway – Homemade Pizza

Image Leave a comment 12/03/2016 the wee caledonian cook

I love pizza……….and always make my own, that way I can make it a bit healthier and not feel guilty eating it. Here are two different toppings we done this weekend. I also used my pizza stone to crisp the bottom of my pizza.

Makes 2 large pizza bases

For the Pizza Base:-

200g White Flour

200g Wholemeal Flour

7g yeast sachet

300ml warm water

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 tsp salt

Olive oil

Pepper to taste

Sift the flours into a bowl along with the salt. Make a well in the middle.
Add the yeast to the warm water and sugar, stir and let sit for 10 mins.
Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 220 deg or Pizza setting, if you have one.
If you have a pizza stone, preheat.
Little at a time add the yeast water to the flour and mix in until you get dough like mixture.
Put a little olive oil on your worktop and knead the dough for about 10 mins, stretching all the time until elastic like.
Prove the dough for about 1 hour or until double in size. Cut dough into 2 parts and wrap in cling film, refrigerate for about 1/2hr or overnight. (I find doing this make the dough easier to roll out)
Roll out to desired thickness and size. Prick with a fork so it doesn’t rise too much and cook gently at 220 deg for 5-10 mins.
Base now ready for toppings.

Tomato sauce topping:-

1 400g chopped tin tomatoes

1 garlic clove – chopped

1 handful of basil

salt and pepper