Tea on the table

Hi Bloggees (that is my new term of endearment to the collective you out there).  So I have been absent for a couple of days and well I haven't been home that much, just at work!  I began a new job this last year working for an international company and with a new job and such a company comes opportunities to further yourself and education and to learn new skills so I jumped at the chance to start studying for a new qualification...you just never know these days what can happen to your job.  Now of course I find myself attending classes after work and not getting home until 9 and wow the time just disappears, you get home and after an hour it is time to go to be to get up and the day starts all over again.  These days of the week are incredibly long and stressful, but one thing I treasure more than anything is walking into my home and finding tea on the table (well almost).

Yes I adore cooking, more than any other activity, it is my time for relaxation and to unleash my creative side, but every cook likes a break in a while and you have no idea how much we appreciate it when someone else produces us a meal instead.  In fact guys....note this down, cooking is sexy...a woman will love you all the more for it so get your skills up to scratch and branch out a little from your signature dish.  My Dad always taught me a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I have news for you, it puts you in the good books with the ladies as well.  If you can cook well guys, it will impress.

Ok, enough of that I will tell you what he cooked for me....a chicken bacon and mushroom pie with a cider sauce, carrots and peas. So delicious.  He didn't get to the pudding part, but hey it's an achievement to even get him to eat puddings, when I first met him he was a savoury only kind.  I got the recipe off him though so here goes:

Chicken breasts diced
Bacon diced
Mushrooms sliced
Carrots cubed
Onion diced.
Puff pastry (ready bought unless you want to spend hours making it)
Dry Cider (or chicken stock) Half a can/200 mls
Soured cream (or creme fraiche) 2 tablespoons
Peas

Quantities are really dependant on the your preference, amount of people you are feeding and size of dish.

Method

• Fry off the chicken and as it turns white, add the bacon for a minute or so then add the onion and carrot and cook for a further 5 mins.
• Add the bacon or chicken stock to the pan and let the mixture simmer until it has reduced by half.
• Meanwhile find a dish big enough for your mixture (we used a small heavy bottomed casserole dish) and roll out your puff pastry until it is about the thickness of a pound. 
• Back to the bubbling mixture and add the soured cream..any dairy product like this will do, if I didn't have soured cream I would add creme fraiche or even yoghurt, probably not cream though because you want that tangy taste rather than a rich taste that cream tends to add.  We used 2 table spoons for a portion size that would feed 3 so adjust your measurements accordingly.
• When the sauce is thick enough to coat the bag of wooden spoon, take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool for 5 mins.
• Spoon into your dish and add the pastry top; cook in the oven on about 180 degrees for 20 mins, or until the top is golden brown.
• Serve with peas.

The wooden spoon test
Some of you may know this test and others may not but it is a test my mum always taught me and I will pass on to you.  Most sauces that you want in pies or with meals etc need to pass the following test:

"If it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, it's ready"

This is how I check...I dip the spoon in the sauce and turn it over to see the back then run my finger tip through the sauce on the spoon (also a good excuse to taste) if it leaves a clear line (and the sauce doesn't run down my track as soon as my finger moves away) then you are good to go.

So...to everyone out there, young, old, male or female, if you can make this simple dish for your parents, friends, loved ones or whoever you want, they will be very happy and so should you!