They told me to Eat Battery Chickens!!!

I caught Countryfile on BBC1 this morning. They had a group of people who tried all different types of chicken.. free range, corn fed, battery... and the battery chicken was voted the most tasty! "Will this change how you shop?" the presenter asked, and a reply came from a mass of bobbing heads! She confirmed her point... "paying more for your chicken is no guarentee of the best flavour". I'm in shock! She did briefly mention that you may find your chicken easier to swallow if you know it was happy.... BUT IT WONT TASTE AS NICE! grrrrr

Its been years since I bought non-free range chicken, so I cant comment on flavour. However, I do know that I just could not buy anything else. And whilst im on the subject... (grrrrrrrrrr) this whole argument that you have to have battery chickens so people can afford them is such rubbish. I cant afford to eat chicken once a week... so when we do get one, its a real treat!

BTW.....Is there anyway we can cheapen the price of lobsters, I would quite like to eat those once a week? Ooooh and some Krug to wash it down :)

Hommity Pie

Following yesterday's rant, here is a nice Potato Recipe. This is comfort food bliss, it's a little naughty, but after a long day outdoors, it's the perfect meal :)

Ingredients -
Pastry
4oz Plain flour
4oz Wholemeal Flour
4oz Butter
Pinch salt and a little water
1 Egg

Filling
4 Medium Potatoes
1 Large Onion
6oz Strong Cheddar
Tarragon
Salt & Pepper
1tbs Olive Oil

1. Pre-heat over at 190C and grease Pie Tin
2. Make pastry - rub together flour, salt and butter until it resembles bread crumbs. Add a little water and mix together with your hands to make your dough. Put in fridge
3. Thinly slice potatoes (with skin on), my cheese grater has a slicer which makes this easy, (otherwise a peeler works, but takes longer.) Dry the slices with clean tea towels.
4. Slice the onion into whole rings
5. Heat a desert spoon of olive oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. Add the potatoes and onion slices, season well and give a good stir. Turn the heat down to very low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir often.
6. Whilst they are cooking roll out your pastry thinly (leave some for the top!)and line your pastry case, grate your cheese and chop your tarragon
7. After 20 minutes remove the potato and onion from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
8. Layer potato, onion, tarragon & cheese 3 times.
9. Egg Wash the pie crust and add the lid of the pie. Make a couple of slits to let the steam escape and then egg wash the whole pie top.
10. Bake in the oven for 30 Minutes.

Enjoy (I like this with green veggies, spinach and asparagus are very good) this is also fantastic cold on a picnic, or just to nibble on continuously throughout the day, straight from the fridge :)

Has Delia Gone Doolally?

I watched Delia's new series last night, with horror actually! Following on from so many more Healthy Eating Programmes of late, I'm surprised the BBC let her go ahead with it! It was pure madness, I checked the calender to ensure it wasn't April Fools Day! Tinned mince? Why oh why? Frozen mash? Is this not what we just banned from school dinners?

Funnily enough, earlier yesterday I had watched a BBC foody programme presented by Greg Wallace. This showed the rubbish that is added to our standard frozen foods, and there is Delia making family meals with it as though it was the Philosopher's Stone!

My favourite was definitely the potato wedges! It does not take an experienced chef or a lot of time to make potato wedges! I make them fairly often because they are quick, healthy, and seem a bit naughty because they are like chips! To chop a few potatoes into half, and then half again is hardly time consuming. Mix them up in a bit of oil, add some smoked paprika and pop them in the oven for 30 mins. Delia didn't have to chop her potatoes, she took frozen potatoes wedges out of a bag, so saving of 5 minutes? Plus, she still had the same amount of washing up as she added oil to them - even though they probably already had some! I obviously can not comment on the quality of the product she used, but I had a quick look at a similar item today in the shop... Mr Wallace would have stuck a couple up his nose and said "wibble".

Also her bread was a hoot! I am not afraid to admit, that I am prone to a little laziness. Kneading bread for 10 mins and then leaving it to rise for 30 mins, is not greatly appealing (until you smell the thing baking!) I don't make my own bread often, however, Soda Bread is delicious and takes less than 10 mins to make, and you throw it in the oven. The best thing about it is... its cheap, easy, store cupboard ingredients and you do not have to defrost some processed potato rosti. I did chuckle when she said... if you don't have a microwave, just leave it to defrost for 30 mins.... hmmm? would that be the same 30 mins it would take your bread to rise?

Anyway, if you fancy a go at Soda Bread here is a link to my favourite recipe, it really is easy, and quick :) (ps I substitute 4oz of white flour for wholemeal)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/sodabread_82421.shtml

This blog is about all things natural; trying to be close to nature and being green whilst living in the city. It's about the things I love, aromatherapy, natural remedies, green spaces, being enviromentally friendly, my garden, and most importantly, food.