Supper

Have had quite a mental day since I posted yesterday, or the day before yesterday . . . since Thursday to be precise.  Ended up in hospital with migraine black out thing and had a ct scan and an mri!!!  Bloods too and injections.  I do have a brain and it didn't take them long to find it, phew and I don't have meningitis . .  definite PHEW! Whoah, easy on !'s Niamh.  Arrived at hospital at 7pm and left it sometime around 2am this morning, yesterday morning now.  You with me still?

Anyway, got home, fell into bed only to pretty much fall out of it right away to begin school run.  Met mums who were coming over here tonight and they all very kindly gave me a moment to reconsider cooking dinner for 6 tonight.  I considered and said 'Nah, I can do that stuff in my sleep'.  I obviously was sleeping when I said it as was frickin shattered and only started thinking about the supermarket at 4pm.  We had (recipes to follow at the end) a very boring green leaf salad, boring because I forgot to get anything to go in with the green leaves.  Pesto/Marscapone Chicken, boiled and buttered new potatoes and sugarsnap peas.  Dessert was a very, very delicous lemon type pud.  It's kind've sponge on top but turns to lemon curd beneath.  Add in some raspberries and strawberries that have been relaxing in Robinsons Summer Berries and you're onto a winner. 

I had a great night, and it was obviously brilliant as I sit here listening to Prince Diamond's and Pearls, the washing that didn't fit into the dishwasher is washed and the dishwasher is on.  No doubt I will be tut tutted at by Darren tomorrow over my inadequate dishwasher loading skills but who cares?  I had a great night with 5 other great women.  One of whom brought chocolates, one brought tequilla (she can definitely come again) and one gave me the most beautiful sunflowers.  I know lovely people, wouldn't you agree?

The deal with the supper club is you cook.  Or order takeaway or go to the chipper, whatever.  But basically you have everyone around to your house and have a laugh.  The hostess cooks the food and the guests bring the booze.  A win-win situation for everyone.  As it was my idea I got to host the first night.  I received quite a few texts saying 'please don't set bar too high etc.'  so I didn't.  Not that I could.  For some really mental reason people think I can cook.  I can't!  I can just about follow a recipe.  I simply have no problem throwing a few people around a table and seeing what happens.  What happened?  Lots of bitching about Ronan, school chat, how often one puts out ones black bins (Aedin only does it twice a year whilst Claire does it every week) and what else?  Oh yeah, the retelling of the Clodagh / Paul love story.  And the complete catch up on whose watching what on telly.  A bloody great night.  Nice wine, nice food and ace company.  Defo on for it again and next time Aedin is cooking (will tell you how she gets on).  It was fun and the best bit was I didn't have to read a book I didn't want to!

The recipes:

Creamy Pesto Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

It's meant to look like this which it did, for the most part

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp Homemade pesto
85g mascarpone
4 tbsp olive oil
100g breadcrumbs , preferably from day-old bread
175g baby tomatoes , on the vine
handful pine nuts
handful basil leaves (oops, I forgot these)

The How To:

1.Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Use a small sharp knife to make a slit along the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Mix together the pesto and mascarpone, then carefully spoon a quarter of the mixture into each chicken breast and smooth over the opening to seal.

2.Brush a little oil, about 1 tsp, all over each chicken breast and season well. Tip the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and season. Place each breast on the plate and press all over with the breadcrumbs. Place in a lightly oiled shallow baking dish along with the tomatoes (kept together on the vine in a couple of bunches). Drizzle over the remaining oil.

3.Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the chicken starts to turn golden and is cooked through. Scatter over the pine nuts and cook for 2 mins more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve with new potatoes or crusty bread.

 

The Dessert Luscious Lemon Pudding with Summer Berries

 

50g soft butter , plus extra for greasing 1.Butter an ovenproof dish and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Carefully weigh out the butter and sugar into a bowl.

200g caster sugar
2 large lemons
3 large eggs
50g plain flour
300ml milk
Punnet Strawberries
Punnet, actually make that two punnets of, raspberries
2 tbsp blackcurrant cordial or 2 tbsp sugar
icing sugar , for dusting

It should look like this but I promise it won't last long as it's magic.

The How To:

2.Finely grate the zest from the lemons. For best results, grate, then turn the lemon a little and grate again, so you just take off the yellow skin rather than the pith below. Halve and squeeze the juice from the lemons - you need 100ml, so make up with a splash of water or more juice.

3.Separate the eggs (put the whites in a large, clean bowl), being careful not to get any yolk in with them. Whizz the butter, sugar and zest in a food processor until creamy. Add the juice, whizz again; then, with the motor still running, tip in the yolks, flour and milk to form a smooth batter.

4.Whisk the egg whites, preferably with an electric hand whisk, until firm but not stiff. Pour in the lemon batter, then gently fold the 2 mixtures together with a large metal spoon, being light-handed so that you don't knock out all the air from the whites. Don't worry if it looks a bit lumpy.

5.Pour the mixture into the buttered dish, then put it in a roasting tin. Pour in a kettle of hot water into the tin so it is half-filled (this is called a bain marie). Ask an adult to help you with this bit. Bake for 35 mins until the top is set and there is a saucy lemon curd below. Use oven gloves to remove it from the oven.

6.While the pudding is baking, pull or cut the hulls (the green tops) from the strawberries. Halve or slice them if large. Put in a bowl with the blueberries, then spoon over the cordial or sugar and mix together. Remove the pudding from the tin, dust with icing sugar through a sieve and serve warm or cold, with the berries.

If you don't have a food processor...

Use an electric hand whisk to beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice with the egg yolks and flour, then gradually beat in the milk but be warned.  It's bloody messy

To serve

If you don't have any berries, serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.