Mickle's Pickle: from our World's Southern most Capital City.
04 December, 2009
01 December, 2009
First Day of Summer
Mid afternoon here on the 1st of December. Our first day of Summer has delivered pouring rain and high humidity. There is little wind so we'll be stuck with it for a bit.
Ol' Zebbycat has crawled beneath his quilt in disgust. I intend to make the most of the peace!
Here is our wee home on a recent evening when it wasn't raining.
Ol' Zebbycat has crawled beneath his quilt in disgust. I intend to make the most of the peace!
Here is our wee home on a recent evening when it wasn't raining.
29 November, 2009
Its a tough life.....
... No need to sit up to wash
... when you're Mickle's much beloved Zebbycat
Monday Postscript: you'd be flopping down too in our currently 99% humidity
25 November, 2009
Luckily I checked again ...
... on the washing machine as the service person was due this morning. Wouldn't you know it - the darned machine is working again. A hasty phone call to cancel the callout ($99.00 saved) and I then caught up on the washing.
A gloriously fine day -light wind and wall-to-wall sunshine - so all is dry and put away.
My threats to replace the dratted machine with a new front loader must have worked!
A gloriously fine day -light wind and wall-to-wall sunshine - so all is dry and put away.
My threats to replace the dratted machine with a new front loader must have worked!
23 November, 2009
Salad Spinner back on Dual Duty
Yes, my pesky washing machine has broken down again - mutter, mutter ...............
Postscript, Wednesday, 25th November 2009: Washing machine repair person due today. Said machine is under threat - if too dodgy and repairs to be expensive Mickle will move from a history of top loaders to buying a new Whirlpool front loader.
And my Salad Spinner will get to relax again, between the green leaves.
Postscript, Wednesday, 25th November 2009: Washing machine repair person due today. Said machine is under threat - if too dodgy and repairs to be expensive Mickle will move from a history of top loaders to buying a new Whirlpool front loader.
And my Salad Spinner will get to relax again, between the green leaves.
18 November, 2009
No pictures, but I do have a chicken recipe for you. Very adaptable and very delicious.
Here is the original from around the late 1960s/early 1970s:
Country Captain Chicken Curry (CCCC) (Alison Holst)
6 servings
1 jointed chicken
½ cup flour
3-4 Tb oil or fat
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 Tb brown sugar
2 tsp curry powder (or less)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp thyme
1-2 tins chopped tomatoes
¼ cup currants
Joint chicken into 12 pieces. Dry joints, then flour them evenly and brown over high heat a few pieces at a time in butter or oil, turning when necessary. Remove from pan when golden brown. Lower heat and add sliced onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook 2-3 min without browning, then replace browned joints in the pan, skin side down. Add sugar, curry powder, salt and thyme, then tomatoes. Cover, bring to the boil and cook over low heat for 15 min. Turn, add currants, cover and cook 10 min longer, until the chicken is tender.
Ah, those distant days when the only peppers available in NZ were green. I loathed them!
Now for the Mickle 2009 version. I use skinned and boned chicken thighs and don't bother with flouring them (incidentally making the dish gluten free). I like red and yellow peppers so add heaps, but it is absolutely okay to leave them out. I've never added currants. I boost the flavour with ground cumin and coriander and dried oregano. And I add other veggies too - variations have included sweet potato, canelloni beans (canned - rinsed and drained) and mushrooms. And I thicken it at the end with a slurry of arrowroot powder and water. Cornflour would work well too.
Need to hide veggies from reluctant eaters? Just blitz onion, carrot and celery in a food processor then add. Replace the fresh garlic with garlic powder or garlic granules. Make your own changes but please do include the tomatoes, chicken and the brown sugar ( or molasses)
It works well cooked in an electric frypan, as it was when dear friend Jane made it earlier this year. I promptly asked her for the recipe. I use my Dutch Oven on the cooktop. You could throw it all into a slow cooker and let it simmer away. Marjie - your "broil the chicken pieces in an oven dish then remove, start the rest on the stove top in the same oven dish then add the chicken back and finish it all by baking in the oven" method would work really well here. For others this "Marjie Method" is a really good way to cook chicken for a crowd and you still only have the one pan to clean.
Serve with rice and a nice green vegetable. I like to use fresh green beans. Oh, and this Chicken and Tomato Casserole freezes really well.
Happy cooking and eating everyone!
N.B. For those in Australia please be aware that your standard tablespoon measurement is bigger than everyone else's. This recipe uses the NZ and rest of the world standard metric tablespoon that is equal to 3 teaspoons (i.e 15mls) while your own tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons (20mls) - just one of your wee quirks I guess!
Here is the original from around the late 1960s/early 1970s:
Country Captain Chicken Curry (CCCC) (Alison Holst)
6 servings
1 jointed chicken
½ cup flour
3-4 Tb oil or fat
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 Tb brown sugar
2 tsp curry powder (or less)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp thyme
1-2 tins chopped tomatoes
¼ cup currants
Joint chicken into 12 pieces. Dry joints, then flour them evenly and brown over high heat a few pieces at a time in butter or oil, turning when necessary. Remove from pan when golden brown. Lower heat and add sliced onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook 2-3 min without browning, then replace browned joints in the pan, skin side down. Add sugar, curry powder, salt and thyme, then tomatoes. Cover, bring to the boil and cook over low heat for 15 min. Turn, add currants, cover and cook 10 min longer, until the chicken is tender.
Ah, those distant days when the only peppers available in NZ were green. I loathed them!
Now for the Mickle 2009 version. I use skinned and boned chicken thighs and don't bother with flouring them (incidentally making the dish gluten free). I like red and yellow peppers so add heaps, but it is absolutely okay to leave them out. I've never added currants. I boost the flavour with ground cumin and coriander and dried oregano. And I add other veggies too - variations have included sweet potato, canelloni beans (canned - rinsed and drained) and mushrooms. And I thicken it at the end with a slurry of arrowroot powder and water. Cornflour would work well too.
Need to hide veggies from reluctant eaters? Just blitz onion, carrot and celery in a food processor then add. Replace the fresh garlic with garlic powder or garlic granules. Make your own changes but please do include the tomatoes, chicken and the brown sugar ( or molasses)
It works well cooked in an electric frypan, as it was when dear friend Jane made it earlier this year. I promptly asked her for the recipe. I use my Dutch Oven on the cooktop. You could throw it all into a slow cooker and let it simmer away. Marjie - your "broil the chicken pieces in an oven dish then remove, start the rest on the stove top in the same oven dish then add the chicken back and finish it all by baking in the oven" method would work really well here. For others this "Marjie Method" is a really good way to cook chicken for a crowd and you still only have the one pan to clean.
Serve with rice and a nice green vegetable. I like to use fresh green beans. Oh, and this Chicken and Tomato Casserole freezes really well.
Happy cooking and eating everyone!
N.B. For those in Australia please be aware that your standard tablespoon measurement is bigger than everyone else's. This recipe uses the NZ and rest of the world standard metric tablespoon that is equal to 3 teaspoons (i.e 15mls) while your own tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons (20mls) - just one of your wee quirks I guess!
13 November, 2009
Normal blogging service shortly
Sorry for the absence, blog friends. I'm feeling flattened after learning that a cousin and 2 dear bloggy friends are each coping with a diagnosis of cancer. Another darling friend is coping with a sudden death of another and is also under going an assortment of medical tests to determine just what the heck is causing their own health problems.
The cousin and friends all live overseas. SO there is a bit much going on in my mind for blogging just now.
I can report that the new cupboard was assembled on Sunday, is in place and has been filled - hooray, a something positive!
Take care, everyone.
The cousin and friends all live overseas. SO there is a bit much going on in my mind for blogging just now.
I can report that the new cupboard was assembled on Sunday, is in place and has been filled - hooray, a something positive!
Take care, everyone.
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