Seasonal treats

We've been very lucky this year as our cherry trees are quite generous. This is minutes before this beautiful fruit has been demolished, squeezed into big glass jars and set to marinade over night before Step 2 in our attempt to make some cherry liquir :)) Hey! What did you think??

Mind you, there might be some cherries left to make some tartlets for tonight's after dinner treat. I shall update you on both soon! Have a good day!

Beginner's slow start!

I reach out in lots of directions to get my pleasures in life and one of them is my Little Kingdom in the kitchen. Maybe it doesn't look exactly the way I would have wished for.. Maybe it is often too messy.. Maybe it's too loud (the washing machine, the tumble dryer and cats meowing for attention!)..

But when I manage to negotiate some time for myself, I just love to close the door behind me to the rest of the house, open the door to the garden, put my favourite radio station on (must admit the Classic FM is often the choice), and put my crown on..

I don't know about you, but equally myself and my friends are too busy juggling home life, family, work and other engagements, to find ourselves  often in the situation of having some unexpected dinner guests over... or even those expected, (previously three times cancelled and postponed) friends coming over. And so, when this happens, I want to celebrate the opportunity, I want to make it special and I want to be able to do get my dishes out as quickly as possible.

And here comes the Thermomix and one of its biggest and mostly valued by me quality - the time factor. The speed of making the dishes. The freedom for me to do other things, whilst the Thermomix cooks something for me quietly in the corner, without the need for me to do the stirring and mixing and overlooking.

Like the other day when I made the cheesecake from my mum's recipe and by the time I prepared the yolks and cheese and sugar mixture, I had my whites beaten like they've never been before

and the result was outstanding! Trust me :)

And if you think that does look good, look out here for the recipe (providing my mum gives permission!).

I have recently come across this simple yet delicious recipe. Great one for a quick, midweek dinner. Enjoy!

Pasta sauce with chicken and pineapple

Pasta sauce with chicken and pineapple
(by courtesy of "anka25" from przepisownia.pl)


Ingredients:

100g   onion, peeled and cut in quarters
20g     olive oil
40g     leek
1 tin    chopped tomatoes
1         cube of chicken gravy
1/2tsp salt
50g     pineapple juice (from the tin)
100g   water
1/2tsp dried basil
1/2tsp dried oregano
180g   chicken fillets, diced in small cubes
150g   tinned pineapple, cut in chunks
80g     sweetcorn
5         basil leaves, cut in thin strips


1. Put the onion into TM bowl and chop (4 sec/speed 5)
2. Add olive oil and cook together (2 min 30 sec/Varoma Temp/ speed 1)
3. Add the leek and mix together (3 sec/speed 5)
4. Add tomatoes, stock cube, salt, pineapple juice, water, dried basil, dried oregano and cook (5 min/Varoma Temp/speed 2)
5. Add the chicken to TM bowl, pineapple and sweetcorn and cook (7 min//90°/speed 1)
6. Just before the end of cooking add the basil leaves


Serve either with pasta or rice.

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