Lemon Love Chicken

 On a very hot day when the stove was not an option, this creamy lemon bake was born.....

This is a fabulous recipe to make on those very hot nights when you just want to pop something in the oven. It's super fast to put together and is ready in about half an hour. Serve with rice / couscous and a salad if you like. This is one of those eyeball-the-quantities kind of recipe and very adaptable. 

INGREDIENTS

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

Good amount of grated cheddar cheese

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 tsp lemon juice

Pinch nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 tsp dried herbs of choice (Italian/thyme/oreganum)

*optional others: paprika, garlic powder

Small broccoli florets

Sliced mushrooms

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (170 for fan assisted ovens).

Grease a suitable oven dish.

Season the chicken (slice in half if very thick) and put in the dish.

Mix together all the other ingredients and spoon over the chicken.

Add some more cheese on top.

Do not cover the dish.

Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes and check. The cheese should be nicely browned on top.

Let bake for a total of about 35 minutes - all ovens are different, your chicken might be ready sooner or later! The chicken should be done, nice and juicy; take care not to bake too long = dried out tough chicken!

NOTES

Use any cheese you have on hand

Use any herbs you like 

Serve with a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc

Don't cut the chicken into small pieces - it will dry out faster

Cheddamelt Sauce

 This sauce is lovely with hamburgers and fries! In fact it will go with anything that calls for a cheese sauce! 

Image by Summerstock on Pixabay

INGREDIENTS

Butter for frying mushrooms

1 punnet sliced/quartered mushrooms of choice

1/4 tsp thyme

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE 

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

METHOD

1. Sauté the mushrooms in butter with the thyme until done. Keep aside.

2. Make your cheese sauce and stir in the mushrooms. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary. 

Lemon Yoghurt Sauce

 This sauce goes very well with roasted pumpkin or butternut, but I would think it will work equally well for other veggies or even fish.

Image by Yenni Vance from Pixabay

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup white yoghurt

1 TBS lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 TBS olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix all together in a small bowl. Cover and let chill in the fridge (at least 10 minutes)

Ostrich Goulash

 Easy to make and cooking time is much shorter than for beef goulash. And of course its delicious! Serve with rice.

Serves 4

Image by RitaE from Pixabay

INGREDIENTS

600 - 800g ostrich goulash meat

3 carrots, chopped

250 g sliced mushrooms

3 medium potatoes,  peeled and cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 can whole peeled tomatoes

1 sachet tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup red wine

1 TBS Worcester sauce

1 TBS olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Fresh parsley for garnish

METHOD

1. Sauté the onion and carrots in olive oil.

2. Once the onions are translucent, add the potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.

3. Add the meat, garlic, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix well and cook until the meat has browned.

4. Add the canned tomatoes and Worcester sauce.

5. Stir through and add the beef stock, red wine and dried herbs.

6. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, and then add the mushrooms. Stir from time to time. 

7. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick and the mushrooms done. 

8. Serve with rice and chopped fresh parsley on top.

*Optional: add a few dollops of sour cream if preferred.