Logotastic...

I've just finished a project, creating four logos for four different companies. I'm pretty pleased with my final designs above and had a lot of fun designing them. I'm especially proud of my chicken...cheeky chappy!

Fellside Farmshop - A local shop selling as you can imagine farm produce like meat and veg.

The Open House Project - A children's charity who provide shelter and support for abused children between the ages of 0-16 yrs.

Carlisle Allotment Society - What it says on the tin!

Sealeys - A tools company who produce tools at tradesman quality (I hand cut my final design out of shiny card hence why the image above looks a bit strange!)

Mmm pie...

There really is nothing quite like a home made pie. Me and my friend Jen were debating what to do with some ingredients that needed eating up when I found a brilliant recipe for a Chicken and Mushroom pie! Armed with kitchen utensils and an appetite to feed an army, we created the beauty below! We simply served it with some veg and some roasted parsnips...bish bash bosh!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
150g/5½oz button mushrooms, quartered
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
50g/2oz butter
2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
300ml/½ pint milk
200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
freshly ground white pepper
pinch salt
small handful fresh parsley, chopped
One of sheet of ready made puff pastry.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry until the chicken begins to turn white.
Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until the chicken is golden-brown.
Remove the chicken and mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside with the chicken and mushrooms.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly until it has formed a thick smooth paste (this is called a roux).
Mix the milk and stock together in a jug, then add the nutmeg, white pepper and salt, to taste. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour mixture, whisking all the time until smooth. Simmer over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the chopped parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken and mushroom mixture. Mix well, then spoon into a pie dish and leave until completely cool.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is the thickness of a pound coin. Brush the edges of the pie dish with beaten egg, lay the pastry on top, press down the edges and trim. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg and cut some leaf shapes out of the left-over pastry to decorate the top of the pie.
Make two or three slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown on top.

Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash...

I love cooking so much and I think there's nothing better than a good hearty meal to warm you up now that Winter is knocking at our doors! I was flicking through my recipe scrapbook the other weekend and came across one of my favourite recipes for a Hungarian chicken dish called, "Chicken Paprikash." It's a gorgeous dish and so easy to make so give it a go! This recipe serves 6 but you can alter it slightly to serve a smaller number. In the original recipe it also uses jointed meat but I found it easier and just as nice to use chicken breast.

Ingredients:
5-6 chicken breasts cut up into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter/marg
2 onions
1 clove of garlic
2-3 tbsp sweet paprika
1tsp hot paprika
1 tbsp plain flour
3 tomatoes (cored, deseeded and finely chopped)
350ml chicken stock
2 red peppers
1 small handful of parsley leaves finely chopped
(or a generous sprinkle of dried flat leaf parsley!)
140ml sour cream

Method:
Season the pieces of chicken with salt and pepper. Warm the oil and butter in either a large, heavy-bottomed casserole dish or I like to use a wok. Cook the chicken until golden brown (you may need to do this is batches) and then transfer to a large plate or bowl.

Once all the chicken is done, put the onions in the same pan and sauté over a low heat until softened and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and flour, and stir for a couple of minutes, being very careful not to scorch the paprikas. Stir in the tomatoes and pour in the stock.

Now return the browned chicken to the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Add the peppers and parsley and simmer, partially covered, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Stir a ladleful of the hot cooking liquid into the sour cream, then pour the lot back into the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. I like to serve mine with rice (white or brown) and a piece of toasted pita bread.

It was so delicious and a well deserved treat after a day of project work for me and my Uni wife Jen!