Chicken Katsu Curry

I liked this. I really did.
Julia thought it would be better if the portion was smaller and part of something else.
So I reckon I'll try it again at some point with some kind of twist to "interest it up" a bit and see if I can change her mind.

Use about 75g bread to make fine breadcrumbs.
Using 2 chicken breasts, cut both in half.
Dust each piece with plain flour and then transfer into beaten egg. From the egg to the breadcrumbs.
Lay the coated chiken out.

Make the sauce:
1 onion, roughly chopped.
Cook in about 30-40g butter so that it cooks slowly.
Add in approx 3 tbsp mild/medium curry powder and around 125ml chicken stock.
Stir well and then add in 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2-3 tbsp mirin.
Let this cook together. It can be thickened with cornflour but I haven't needed to.

Fry the chicken in veg oil for 7 mins on one side and 4 mins on the other.
When done the breadcrumbs should be golden but not burnt.
Cut each piece of chicken into bitesize pieces.

Serve with rice.

Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

• 150g dark chocolate
• 200g baguette
• 50g butter
• 400ml full fat milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• pinch cinnamon
• 3 eggs

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water.
Slice the baguette thinly and butter the pieces. Add the remaining butter to the melted chocolate.
Arrange bread over the base of a greased oven dish.
Spoon some chocolate over the bread.
Add another layer of bread and another layer of chocolate, etc.

Whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla essence together and pour over the bread.
Cover loosely with buttered foil and leave to stand for 15 mins.
Then bake for 30 mins gas 4 / 180 with the foil on, folllowed by 5 mins without the foil to brown the top.

Delicious Pork Fillet

Pork Fillet
This was based on BBC Food website.
Basically, boil some new potatoes. When cooked, slice them. Fry them with some bacon bits, and then add spring onions when you're well on the way. Season.
Take off heat and add some grated emmenthal cheese.

Slice port fillet into thick slices. Fry.
Finely chop a gherkin, and mix with finely chopped dill (or parsley which I used) with about a tbsp of olive oil.

Arrange potato mixture on plate with slices of pork on top.
Gherkin mixture on top of that with a sprinkle of paprika to finish it off.

Very good indeed.

Pork Dijonnaise

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 15g butter
• pork fillet
• 1/2 - 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300ml cider
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 tbsp double cream
• chopped chives
• potatoes or rice

Heat oil and butter in frying pan.
Add sliced pork, onion and garlic and fry over high heat for 4-5 mins until browned on both sides.
Add cider and mustard and boil until reduced slightly.
Lower heat and stir in cream.
Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Pork with Cream Cheese and Pasta

Makes a tasty lunch.

Boil some pasta.
Fry a few slices of pork fillet and some chopped bacon.
Add a chopped shallot and a 1-2 cloves chopped garlic.
Add some cider/white wine and boil rapidly until reduced.
Add a few tsps of cream cheese.
Add chopped chives just before serving.

The dish doesn't need extra salt as the cheese and bacon give it enough.
It's the kind of dish you could add any veg you wanted, leave out the pork etc. Basically use whatever you've got.

Lamb With Leeks

Use 2 lamb loin chops (or some sort of lamb pieces) per person.
Dot the lamb with redcurrant jelly and season.
Grill for a few mins each side.
Thinly chop 2-3 leeks.
Fry in some olive oil and butter along with 1 tsp of capers and 2 tsp of red peppercorns.
Add a small handful of mixture of (or 1 of) mint and rosemary.

A bit of mash or new potatoes is good too if you want bigger portions.