Tag Archives: Puff pastry

Pie again and again it was good

6 Replies

Okay today has been good at work. Busy but entirely manageable. I spent some parts of it thinking about dinner. I had a boneless and skinless chicken thigh in the refrigerator along with some vegetables. I bought some puff pastry from the supermarket.

I finely chopped some onions and sliced a part of a leek very finely. I also finely diced some salami I had too. While that was softening in a wok I floured some diced chicken meat and then added that. While that was cooking I grated some sweet potato and Gruyere cheese. After tossing the chicken around a bit to brown it off I added a little white wine and cream to thicken the sauce. I combined the sweet potato and cheese with a packet of French onion soup. To this I added the chicken salami, onion and leek. This all went into a Pyrex dish and I added some peas and corn and a little more cheese.I added some Tabasco sauce and chili flakes to add some kick to the hot salami. I covered this with the puff pastry brushed with an egg wash and then covered in freshly ground pepper. The dish was put in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.

It tasted good. It was really nice.

Just ready for the oven

Just out of the oven

It's not a pie without sauce :-)

I cracked the pastry and the creamy cheesy goodness oozed around inside

I want more :-)

Related articles

I like pie

9 Replies

Would you believe I’ve never made a pie. I know I’ve eaten hundreds of pies. When I was at school there was a year when I think I ate a cottage pie every day from the tuck shop in addition to the lunch Mum made me.

Tonight I had some chicken, some sweet potato, some cheese, a packet of French onion soup and some puff pastry. I didn’t blind bake or do anything like that. I was hungry when I came home from work and just put the pastry in a lined glass oven proof dish. I browned some diced chicken, grated some sweet potato and cheese and then covered with some cream that had been whisked with an egg and the contents of a French onion cup-of-soup packet.

The ‘thing’ looked hideous as it cooked.

Of course I had to finish with ice cream.

Cooking in the oven

Cooling on the bench

With barbecue sauce of course

Cracked open, oh the creamy chicken and sweet potato goodness

Ice cream and berries

All in all it looked bad but tasted great.

Related articles

Baked salmon and then a little ice cream

17 Replies

Today was a quiet one. I’ve eaten well, walked a little and spent some time thinking. I also spoke with my parents on the telephone. A pleasant quiet Sunday.

After last night’s dinner I slept in and awoke feeling a little full but not uncomfortably so. After grocery shopping and a coffee at a local café I went for a stroll along Lake Ginninderra. You can see the route here.

I’ve always thought that imitation is a valid form of flattery. I thought about Bron’s various French Toast creations and thought I’d try some. I made mine with a piece of Brioche, an egg, some milk, vanilla and sugar. I also had some blueberries and cream with maple syrup with the toast.

French toast made with Brioche, cream, maple syrup and blueberries

About mid afternoon I started feeling a little peckish and thought about a cheesy snack. I had some salami and thought a platter of salami and blue cheese would be ideal.

Salami and blue cheese

For dinner I had some Atlantic salmon in the refrigerator and some puff pastry in the freezer. Along with a sweet potato and Gruyere the decision was easy. In the sweet potato and Gruyere cheese dish I added some broccoli and green beans. In the pastry parcel I had the salmon, some cheese and a couple of asparagus spears.

A couple of friends have said I need to include images of food after the first cut. So I’ve included a shot of the pastry cracked open.

Sweet potato, beans and broccoli. An odd combination I know, but hey there are vegetables in this with cheese. CHEESE, therefore it must be good.

The salmon in puff pastry

Plated up

Cracked open, the salmon was cooked nicely and creamy.

I know I should not have but I also had ice cream for dessert.

Ice cream, cream and blueberries

It has been a good day :-)

Related articles

 

I feel fat but I’m full of goodness from today

6 Replies

I had two meals today. I know that’s not ideal but each was quite filling. Not as filling as yesterday’s but filling just the same. I woke up this morning without much of an appetite and then I remembered Bron was going to make Crème Brûlée French toast this morning and my appetite came back with a vengeance.

This recipe also calls for drunken strawberries which were really nice. we also elected to add some whipped cream from a can.

Crème Brûlée French toast naked

Adding whipped cream is fun

Crème Brûlée French toast with whipped cream from a can

Crème Brûlée French toast with cream and drunken strawberries

My second helping of Crème Brûlée French toast

I went for a decent walk this afternoon but I don’t know that I burned enough emergy :-)

Check out the walk at http://runkeeper.com/user/garydlum/activity/74679324

This afternoon after a little ironing I started preparing dinner. I still had a piece of New York strip steak left and I thought it would make a nice Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellington is one of my favourite meals. It is so rich and unctuous especially when made with Pâté and mushroom Duxelles.

New york strip steak, butter, onion, prunes, mushrooms, and parsley

Laid out I have almost everything ready. New york strip steak, butter, onion, prunes, mushrooms, and parsley.

Browned steak resting and cooling

Browned steak resting and cooling until room temperature.

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, and mushrooms (The secret ingredient is anchovies)

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, and mushrooms (The secret ingredient is anchovies) You can’t taste them in the finished product but they add a richness to the dish.

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, mushrooms and parsley

Lots of parsley is required :-)

Nearly ready to prepare. Puff pastry laid out.

A sheet of Pampas puff pastry.

Steak coated with Pâté

The steak needs to be coated with Pâté.

Duxelles on the puff pastry

Cooled Duxelles in the puff pastry.

Beef on the pastry

Everything ready to be wrapped.

Wrapped and egg washed

The beef is wrapped and the pastry egg washed.

Plated up sans sauce

Plated up with carrots, asparagus and beans. Sauce to come.

With a pepper sauce

I love making pepper sauce with green pepper corns in brine.

On my dining table with a bottle of ginger beer

Plated up on my dining table with a bottle of ginger beer and my MacBook Air ready to eat.

After yesterday’s meal and with the steak and Pâté today I hope I don’t have a gout attack this week.

I really enjoyed making this meal and eating it.

Related articles