Cornflake Chicken in Warm Tortilla Wraps

Let's keep this short and get straight to the point as I imagine you want to eat!!!!

Whether you are making this as a main, slicing it into wraps or serving it as a chicken burger in a bun it all starts the same... and ends with you licking your lips.

Simply allow one chicken breast per person and coat each in plain flour. If your breasts are particularly big (oo-er!) you may want to butterfly them out and give a wee bash with a rolling pin first to ensure they are cooked evenly throughout by the end of the cooking time. Dip your breast in a premade egg wash (1 egg mixed with a tiny splash of milk) and then dip them into pre crushed cornflakes! The flour allows the egg wash to cling on, the egg allows the flakes to stick...

Place on a baking tray into a preheated oven at 180-200 degrees fan and cook for 20-25mins. The chicken comes out crispy yet juicy every single time and I love it! This is a healthier alternative to deep fried or battered chicken and always cures comfort food cravings for me.

Why not pair this up with the "Chunky Relish" I discuss in a seperate post? Or simply dunk into good old Heinz Tomato Sauce? I promise you won't be disappointed.

Nom nom x

Chunky Relish using The Wee Kitchen Company's Pots of Joy!

So this relish has been made to accompany "Cornflake Chicken in Warm Tortilla Wraps", however it would also go very well streamed salmon, BBQ'd pork chops or tossed through some plain cous cous as a side or snack. 

It's very simple, very quick and required no cooking itself, but this relish still packs a punch in taste, which is what we want... all thanks to The Wee Kitchen Company!

The Wee Kitchen Company was originally, as the name suggests, a hobbie for founder and owner Jennifer who established her business from the comfort of her home and 'wee kitchen'. Jen's jams, which are "handmade with love", are infused with a wide range of flavours - some subtly tickling the tastebuds, others waking them up with a full blown fog horn - which personally, I like.

Jen lovingly hand crafts several different flavours of homemade jam which can vary in consistency from batch to batch due to the irregular nature of her fresh ingredients. Varieties range from Pineapple, Ginger, Chilli and Lime to Smoked Paprika, Tomato and Coriander- they all taste delish! For this taste sensation I opted for the "Fiery Three Chilli" as I personally love the full blown mix of sweet, smokey and hot chilli peppers in this pot of pure joy.

To 3 tablespoons of jam I added very finely chopped cucumber, red onion and quartered Picccolo tomatoes. I left all ingredients covered and to one side in order to come to room temperature  (they had all been in the fridge before) aaand that's it! Told you it was simple...

Once my Cornflake Chicken had cooked, I sliced this, placed on a warm tortilla wrap and smothered with this beast of a best friend!

Please note: this relish becomes very watery due to the liquid within the cucumber and tomatoes. That doesn't take away from the flavour as they have been left to infuse however it doesn't look the best on a plate so I suggest just using the 'chunky' (now fiery) chopped items or squeeze excess water out of the veg before mixing with a grind of rock salt and a clean dish cloth or layered kitchen roll. Simples.

Close runner up to being chosen tonight was the Caramelised Onion and Chilli pot, however I think it's deep flavour would actually suit a steak far better. Go on, give them all a try for yourself and see which one you prefer, they make perfect marinades as well as a buddy to cheese boards too!

Well done Jen and Happy Munching! x

Poporopo Popcorn Salad

Before I get onto the main body of this post - the popcorn 'salad' - let me just rant and rant about relative new comers, "Poporopo". Just say that name a couple of times out loud first. It sounds delicious, moreish even,  right!!?? Well, you've just tasted their product without even taking one bite...

I genuinely love their product (and I've tasted all varieties!), love their name, their marketing and their packaging... (now would be a good time to point out I was not paid to write that, nor do I have a gun to my head). Their popcorn is THE best I've ever tasted and their range of flavours makes eating popped corn a pure joy.

Each irregularly shaped buffed ball of  corn is super charged with the thickest, crispest caramel coating and then infused with either salt, peanut butter, ginger or chilli and lime flavouring; I honestly can't pick a favourite and think it very much depends on your mood. What I can confirm though (as someone who was not sure about the latter two) is that none of them are mega heavy on flavouring so don't worry about trying the somewhat unusual, but highly pleasing, flavour combinations. 

Poporopo started producing in mass last year after a few successful trial food fayres and are now going from strength to strength. They are based in Stirling, Central Scotland, which pleases me even more as they are another example of quality local produce emerging in the past 2 years! Poporopo don't just stop at selling mere bags of the best taking popcorn you've ever tried though, they do live demonstrations for kids, wedding favours and Popcorn Bars for parties and evening receptions!

So, to the salad, well I wanted to make one of those latter flavours more accessible to you.... I know the jump from Butterkist to herb infused treats might be too big so pair it up with some familiar friends and you have yourself a pretty healthy supper time snack. PS - with 1 whole bag of Poporopo Popcorn holding the same calories as a 6 square bar of diary milk (and this receipe doesn't even use the whole bag) you're good on the weight watching front too!

Simply mix half a bag of Chilli and Lime popcorn with half a dozen chopped strawberries, very finely grated dark chocolate (80-90%) and a few fresh coriander leaves.

You think I'm mental don't you!?

I promise you,  if you like things even slightly oriental, you like unusual treats for your tastebuds and you want to tip your cap to Summer at any point during the year, then this is the salad for you.

Happy popping x

Polenta Fries

Chips for cheats! That's what I'm all about this week as the diet is back ON. These were introduced to me by one of these posh eateries that charges £25 for a plate of fish and chips (I wish I was joking!) but in a way I feel it was worth it just to find out about these fellas.

Admittedly, mine need a bit of work- next time I would use a higher quality stock cube, probably go for chicken stock not vegetable and perhaps add a smidgen of cheese such as parmesan. I would also work on 'shaping' these a bit more but when they are all going into the gob I suppose it doesn't matter as I for one am not charging £25 for mine!

The reason I'm hooked on polenta fries is because the ground maize flour is virtually fat free and develops an equal, if not better, crispiness to that of french fries!! Also, because you can alter the flavour to suit, as I said I would do a cheesy version next time but you could try garlic, sunblushed tomato or cinnamon, you can excite your tastebuds - unleash your inner chef!

To make these beauties simply cook 120g of polenta in 500ml of stock (I sadly used a low quality veg cube which came through in the taste, don't make my mistakes!)  Add a little onion salt, paprika and a touch of chilli powder. Cook for 8 minutes, or until a solid mass results, spread onto a baking tray lined with cling film and leave to cool. Then chop this slab into chip like sticks and baked for 15mins in a fan oven, temperature 180 degrees.

Done! They certainly curb my chip cravings and add another carby dimension to a meal if you are sick of rice and tatties!!

Let me know what flavours you enjoy, happy chipping! 

Independence Day American Style Cheese Biscuits

For brunch today, July 4th, I tipped my cap to Independence Day in America by making American Style Cheese Biscuits. For us Brits, they are very similar to scones and the way I made them today I'd say they were more like butteries  (far too heavy on the rich stuff) but hubz seemed to approve of this so just adjust accordingly to suit your taste...

For 2 cheese biscuits I combined 120g self raising flour, 25g unsalted butter, 80-100g strong cheddar cheese, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of baking powder, a sprinkle of chilli powder and a sprinkle of paprika in a food processor. Once combined roughly, I added 20-30ml or so of milk to bring together in a semi wet dough (be careful at this bit, only add a touch of milk at a time as you don't want it too wet).

I then divided the mix into two with my hands, brushed with some milk and topped with a little extra cheese - then baked in an oven for 15mins at 170 degrees fan.

I served my biscuits with sliced tomatoes and crisped up parma ham (minutes before in a hot pan). A good crush of pepper hits the spot too!

Simple and a little different of a morn- hope you enjoy!! X

Demolition to Cake Design: Arlene Patel

Yes, it's true! Arlene Patel, who moved to Bridge of Allan last year, gave up her 'day job' in a demolition company and decided to take the plunge in setting up shop for herself by filling her days with her true passion: baking!

This decision was not based on a whim, Arlene spent 12-18 months prior building up her client base and reputation by specialising in Cakepops - these proved so popular she made over 1500 last year!!

Arlene and I crossed paths when I was looking for someone local to design and create a cake for an adult family baptism taking place the following week. She was prompt in communication; sent me many designs to get my mind racing and catered for our tastes and budget too - she was absolutely fab!

But....it all comes down to the cake doesn't it?

Well, after 50 portions were 'demolished' within 4 minutes of being cut, and many people in the local church hall asking for seconds, I don't think it needs much of a review!  We decided on one chocolate tier and plain sponge with jam and cream for the second- both were popular but Arlene can also cater for different tastes including lemon and toffee. The sponges were moist and delicous, the buttercream sweet and smooth.

Cakes by Arlene Patel are not just reserved for her kitchen or to a custom order though. Arlene already supplies The Cardboard Box Play Cafe and local community fayres in the Stirlingshire area so be sure to check her out and try her scummy, yummy bakes as soon as you can!

I wish Cakes by Arlene Patel the very best in setting up in a new area, it's great to hear about a kitchen business growing from strength to strength.

Check out Arelene's designs and recent work at http://www.cakesbyarlene.co.uk

It must be noted I was not paid to write this review or 'recruited' to promote Cakes by Arlene Patel.