Sharing Lockdown Day 22

18 Days – 175 metre driveway planted on each side with over 2000 tussocks. Its magic really how perseverance, super determination, and wanting the job done in the time frame of our lockdown turned out to provide us with a lot of self satisfaction and completing a job we never envisioned happening for a long time.

Can be compared to the saying – How do you eat an Elephant? Answer- : One bite at a time

Easy Dinner after a bottle of bubbly … I modified one of my favourite recipes from my book ‘Judith Cullen Cooking Classes ” Chicken Thighs Baked in Apple Cider with Peas, Shallots, Bacon & Mint . I often buy Pork Scotch Fillet slices from Havoc Pork at the Dunedin Farmers Market and found some in the Cromwell supermarket . I basically divided this recipe into thirds and cooked a pork Scotch fillet each. Served it with our favourite panfried Cabbage.

Chicken Thighs Baked in Apple Cider with Peas, Shallots, Bacon & Mint

1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, 3 tablespoons olive oil , 6 shallots, cut in ¼‘s or 2 small red onions, 100 grams bacon, 2 cloves garlic, crushed , 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges, 1 cup apple cider, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 fresh bay leaf, ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped. 

Toss the chicken thighs in olive oil. Heat a large frying pan and brown the chicken in batches. Remove from the pan. In the same pan, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and starting to colour. Add the diced bacon and apples and toss for 1 minute. Pour in the apple cider and chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pan with bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season and add chopped mint. Simmer to reduce sauce. (I did cheat a little bit and mixed 1 teaspoon cornflour with a little water to thicken my sauce)

When I was flatting in Christchurch ……. a very long time ago with 6 girls . I somehow remember we used to eat a lot of panfried cabbage with vegetables and would often toss eggs through it. Well … it was healthy !!! and I still love panfried Cabbage

Pan Fried Cabbage

1/2 cabbage – sliced thinly, 4 cloves garlic- crushed, 1 red onion – sliced thinly, 1 chilli – sliced thinly

Heat 2- 3 tablespoons olive oil., saute garlic, onion and chilli, add cabbage and toss until cooked through. 5- 6 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with lime or lemon juice to serve.

Our wee Mia and her friends from Melbourne say HI

XXx Jude

 

Serve with crunchy baked potato wedges in a bowl.