Back again!!

I have returned!!!

Sorry it's been so long between entries but with christmas etc. I have not had much time for posting.

But now that the majority of the silly season is over, I am back to a more stable routine and cooking up my usual goodies.

Today I made an interesting chicken curry using the leftover from Christmas (and a chicken I cooked yesterday).

I tried an artichoke dip for Christmas which was not overly budget friendly but turned out quite nice. Perhaps a bit too cheesy, but not bad.

The artichoke dip recipe is as follows:

Artichoke Dip

· 8 oz artichoke hearts (approx. 1 tin)
· 8 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese (not Kraft) (around 400g)
· 8 oz whipped cream cheese - 250g light philly is what (I used)
· 8 oz mayonnaise - Can't recall sorry
· 2 tbsp Hungarian paprika (sweet variety)
Mix in large bowl. I don't recommend blending this in a food processor, as artichoke heart leaves are best in larger pieces.
Spread in baking pan, up to 3" deep.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbling with brown edges.
Cool and serve with sliced baguette, carrots and celery, or crackers.

The dip was nice and well received, but it makes a lot of dip. You could easily cut the recipe in half which would also make it less expensive.

For the chicken curry I simply lightly fried half an onion, added in my left over chicken from the roast yesterday and the left over dip! A little curry, some salt and pepper plus some water to thin out the sauce and it was done. A few minutes cooking time and a really interesting meal.

I served it with turkish dipping bread but it would be great with rice as well. You could use any other meat in this too. Left over pork or lamb roast perhaps. Some cooked sausages chopped into small pieces would also taste good.

A vegetarian version could involve a nice selection of vegies to make a vegetable curry. Definitely not something you'd do every day but if you happen to make the artichoke dip it's a good idea for later.