Wednesday 9 January 2008

More Star Wars Food

Sorry, promised these yesterday. I don't know who I was trying to kid when I thought I could get right back into cooking every day. Worse still that I'd be absolutely fine without help. I think I'll blame it on all the drugs (prescription ones!) either that or I was some kind of martyr in a previous life, an heroic one obviously! Thankfully, these were made before my back told me that the Jedi High Council needed a recess!

I haven't gone over the top about making things look like Star Wars characters. I hope nobody is disappointed, it's just that I don't want to be dressing food up everyday just so my children will eat it. Once in a while is fun but
with this I wanted to get their imaginations fired up by talking and debating about what names to give the food. Besides I'm not Annabel Karmel. Not that there's anything wrong with AK, I've got two of her books - I've got a lot of books!!


Chewie's Chocolate Chestnut Cakes
I've lost the piece of paper that I wrote everything down on as I made these... I'll find it and post at some point.. from memory I think it went like this. Working on the old 4,4,4,2 theory but scaling it up and adding more solids to make up for the addition of chestnut puree.
3 eggs
butter 5 oz
sugar 6oz
flour 6oz
cocoa powder 2oz
3/4 of a tin of chestnut puree

These need work, they're almost brownie like in texture. Some seemed to burst open while cooking, see picture, very space crater like, but they still taste VERY good!



Chewbacca's Chicken and Cous Cous (Served a family of 4 twice)
12 chicken thighs
1 very large onion, peeled and diced
1 carton of chestnut mushrooms
handful of small brussel sprouts (the last ones from the garden)
4 very large carrots, peeled and cut into large(ish) chunks
2 pints of water
1/4 bottle of sweet sherry
Very big drizzle of liquid chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to season

What follows, isn't really a method, it could even be considered quite poor form by those who love cooking, including myself. However, those who read regularly know that things are not normal around here at the moment, so Hubs decided to make this and when looking exhausted he asked if he should brown the onions and chicken first I said "No, prepare it all, throw it in the big Le Creuset pan and then heat it on the hob and see what happens, we can have it with couscous and who cares, at least it will be food..." After I'd said this I did wonder if I'd taken leave of my senses, quite possible, you try taking diclofenac, dihydrocodeine and diazapam and fire on all cylinders. Anyway, IT WAS FANTASTIC! So, out of the window goes the long and laborious ways of cooking. From now on it will be a quick prep session, all in the pan, heat on, cook for an hour or so and wham, bam, thank you Mam! Tasty dinner, hardly any work, feet up, where's the gin?

Thank you to everybody for all your kind comments, best wishes and e-mails about my back. To update: I'm having physio today. It still hurts like **** and I'm walking like John Wayne, but the pigeon version! A sight for sore eyes, I know it! Still waiting for the date to see consultant (NHS I'm afraid. I gave up my private medical insurance thinking it was a waste of money, that I was invincible and wouldn't need it! Kicking myself about that now!). Thanks again. xx

26 comments:

Patricia Scarpin said...

I have never thought that making movie inspired food would be so much fun! :)

Anonymous said...

This sounds wonderful. I'm going to have to try it.

Marie Rayner said...

The cupcakes look pretty good but my goodness that chicken and couscous looks even better!
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/

Gemma said...

I'm loving all the star wars inspired goodies! Good luck with the waiting list.

Gemma x

Cottage Smallholder said...

I so admire you sruggling on when you are in pain! You are a hero!

Those cupcakes look so tempting. Hope that you are feeling better soon.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

I saw a Star Wars cookbook in the store yesterday. It had great names for real food recipes.
With kids, imagination is really better than "real" for a lot of things.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Patricia, the boys have enjoyed it

Hi Marie, the chicken and couscous, what a surprise. It just shows that sometimes throwing it all in can work just as well as spending hours slaving over a stove.

Hi Gemma, thank you

Hi Fiona, thank you, I am much better, just good and bad days and I guess that's to be expected.

Hi Tanna, I nearly ordered a StarWars cookbook on-line and then thought that by the time it arrived we'd have finished. I love their imaginations, they can go off on such great, exciting tangents, perfect!

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Deborah said...

I think I would love the cupcakes if they have a brownie texture because I love brownies so much!!

Cynthia said...

You are such a cool mom! :)

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Deborah, they still taste good a couple of days later. Wouldn't normally last that long but we've still got chocolate and sweets hanging around from Christmas. All I have to do now is find the piece of paper that I scribbled on while making them.

Hi Cynthia, thank you!!! x

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

So clever Amanda...the boys must be loving it!

On your last post...I love the idea of using Cheerios for the nuggets :)

David Hall said...

You know what Amanda? I love these posts, my favourite so far. Realy good fun, great for the kids, nothing serious - just how food should be. My 3 year old is taking a great fascination in Star Wars which is good in some ways, i.e. I can watch them with her, hooray! But shoud a 3 year old be watching them? I'm sure the correct police would have me locked up. But whatever she enjoys and all that.

Brilliant.

Cheers
David

Kelly-Jane said...

Cupcakes looks so moist and yummy, but the chicken stew is right up my street :)

FH said...

Chestnut puree sounds great Amanda, never would have occurred to me! Looks delicious and moist:))
So sorry about your John Wayne walk, I feel ya! Fortunately,it's temporary!:D

KJ said...

That's bad new. I hope you feel better soon.

Your Star Wars inspired goodies sound fantastic. What a fun idea. I might try this with my nieces.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi CC, I'd seen something similar done with cornflakes and thought it must surely work with cheerios too and it did.

Hi David, I'm all for anything fun. It's really important to me that our house is filled with laughter. Laughter often goes side by side with great memories and it's brilliant at carrying you through the hard times too.
Know exactly what you mean about the correct police, but I think if children are taught the difference between right and wrong and some things are watched with parents and talked about afterwards then there's a big difference to just leaving them to it. I don't allow them to watch any 12 films. I know some other parents do but I tell the boys that if they've seen/done everything too soon they'll have nothing to look forward to as they get older. At the moment it seems to work but I expect it will become harder as peer pressure kicks in more.

Hi Kelly-Jane, hugs xx

Hi Asha, Pigeon John Wayne here... teehee!

Hi KJ, if you do, let us know how you get on. It is really good fun and the boys are loving it.

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Annemarie said...

Well done on a) still getting home-cooked food out of the kitchen rather than resorting to (shhh) takeaways and b) making sense of your sentences despite the meds! Hope the weekend sees more recovery for you and more Star Wars food coming out of the kitchen. I may need to do a celebratory fire-up of the films to read your next posts...

Pig in the Kitchen said...

oooo, the chewie cakes look gooooood. Have you thought about osteopathy? Keep resting! Stop cooking! I'm nagging!
Pigx

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Annemarie you've made my day! I made sense of a sentence. Now then... where's the phone so I can order a takeaway.

Hi Pig, I think I'd give anything a try - with regards to my back that is. "Keep resting! Stop cooking! I'm nagging!" That shall become my mantra. Mainly for the last bit so that I can keep nagging... harumph, chortle, harumph! x

Thank you
Amanda x

Anonymous said...

The buns look delicious.You are so culinary creative.
Sara from farmingfriends

Sylvie said...

I just discovered your blog and just wanted to say that I think what you're doing is brilliant. It's so wonderful to get kids interested in all kinds of foods! Also thanks for the link the the Chicken campaign!

Truffle said...

Amanda- I hope you make a quick recovery and the wait for treatment is as short as possible.

What a fabulous collection of dishes. I love the creative names!

Katie Zeller said...

The chicken couscous looks great!
Good luck with the physio. I wish I could offer some sage advice...but, nope, noe there!
Okay, here's one: as soon as possible switch the pills for some lovely red wine...

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Sara, thank you, we do try. ;)

Hi Sylvie, thanks for stopping by and saying nice things. We love hearing nice things!

Hi Truffle, thank you, I'm getting there.

Hi Katie, Tried that on Friday night - having not had a drink all over Christmas because of flu and then all over New Year because of the back! I was seriously in need of a glass or two but I had such a crappy night, I've realised the wine is going to have to wait. It was really nice wine too... ah well.

Thank you for your comments
Amanda x

Anonymous said...

the cakes were amazing - I made them for my nieces 2nd birthday. we both agreed the more gooey the better!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Georgie, thanks, I think I'd make them with melted chocolate next time a bit like the Nigella brownie recipe that I made for Bonfire Night Celebrations. But then they might be way too gooey.

Amanda x

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