Hi everyone,
It was my son Craigs 15th birthday yesterday so of course we had to have a special dinner,my 2 sons have exactly 2 weeks between them!!!!and my daughters birthday is just over a week away so its a busy time for me and my *purse*!!!!!!!!.Fortunately it was a lovely day so were able to sit out on the *stoep*(verander)and reflect on the last 15 years of Craigs life .watching a tiny red-faced baby become a mischeivios toddler(who ran everywhere and loved to eat beetles and mud in no particular order!!!!)and now has developed into a handsome young man(I can say that I,m his Mum!!!!!)who loves Rugby and cricket,not to keen on school and who is discovering girls(they are for ever ringing my home phone so no one can get hold of me and think I,ve left the country!!!!Thank goodness for cell phones!)Hes full of fun,not very tidy!!!(the floor is his wardrobe!)and I,m so proud of him.Here is what we had for his birthday bash........HOT AVOCADO CREAM WITH BACON CRUMBLE
******************************************

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp cornflour
1,5 litres (6 cups) strong home-made chicken stock
salt and milled black pepper to taste
2 large ripe avocados, skinned, stoned and puréed
65 ml (1/4 cup) fruity white wine
125-250 ml (1/2–1 cup) cream
2 tbsp crisped bacon crumbled
few sprigs fresh coriander

(Serves 6-8)

Melt butter in a saucepan. When hot and bubbly, stir in cornflour and continue to stir until mixture turns golden.
Gradually add chicken stock, whisking constantly to smooth away any little lumps.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from stove.
Add avocado puree, white wine and cream.
Reheat carefully, but do not allow to boil.
Transfer to a heated soup tureen and sprinkle with crisped bacon crumble.
To serve, ladle into heated soup plates and garnish with fresh coriander.

I severd the soup with some breadsticks flavoured with rosemary.....Then a chicken dish Craig has loved since he was little.......I made twice the amount as the children love it heated up the next day for lunch!!Chicken in Mayonnaise sauce.
*******************************

2 lbs chicken pieces, excess fat and skin removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 1/2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
generous 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons prepared mild mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons brown vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/3 cup mayonnaisePreheat oven to 180º C (375º F) and spray an ovenproof dish with non-stick spray or grease lightly with butter. Arrange chicken pieces in the dish and season generously with salt and pepper. (The chicken skin may be removed completely if preferred.) Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until done and tender. Serve with rice and a salad. Serves 4-6.

here is the rec for the mayonnaise......

Mayonnaise
*************

1 egg
1 clove garlic (optional)
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard (optional,I use dijon)
1 large cup light olive oil(I don,t like too strong a taste for mayo!)
Lemon juice

In your blender, add the egg, garlic and seasoning. Start blender and gradually add oil, if it gets too thick, add juice of 1 lemon. Keep on in this manner until you are happy with consistency and taste.

with the chicken we had...saffron riceSweet Saffron Rice
********************
(Serves 6-8) 500 ml (2 cups) uncooked Basmati Rice

salt to taste

2 cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods

2 ml (1/4 tsp) saffron

65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar

100 g(4 ozs) butter
Soak the Basmati Rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse well under cold running water.

Bring the water, salt, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to the boil.

Add rice and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the rice is still firm in the middle of the grain. Remove from the pan and rinse well under cold water.

Return to the saucepan and add the saffron, sugar and butter or margarine. Stir together gently.

Cover with a tightly-fitting lid and steam gently for 10 minutes.Brussels with nuts
*********************

Serves 6-8

675g/1.5lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed
75g/3oz unsalted butter
100g/4oz smoked streaky bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
Half tsp fennel seeds
grated rind of 1 orange
Half tsp soft thyme leaves
75g/3oz toasted chopped hazelnuts or 175g/6oz canned or vacuum-packed whole chestnuts, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the Brussels sprouts in a pan of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. Drain well. If you want to prepare ahead, at this point drain the Brussels and plunge into iced cold water, drain again and chill until needed.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until the bacon starts to colour. Add the onion, fennel seeds, orange rind and thyme and cook for another few minutes until the onions start to colour.

Add the drained Brussels and hazelnuts or chestnuts and fry until the Brussels start to turn crisp and golden. Season to taste and serve at once.Dessert was........Baked Alaska
******************

Serves:14 5 egg whites
250 ml(1 cup) castor sugar
2 sponge cakes, round
125 ml port
food colouring, red
1 can strawberries, (410 g meduim tin)
1 ltr(4 cups) ice cream, strawberry

Prepare a meringue from the egg whites and sugar Sprinkle one of the cakes with port mixed with two drops of food colouring, arrange strawberries over cake and top with remaining cake.Soften ice cream and spoon over cake in the shape of a dome, freeze until firm.Pipe or spread the meringue mixture around the cake and ice cream, starting at the base, until completely covered.Bake in a hot oven for 3 minutes or until the meringue is browned.Serve immediately. I also made a cake using one of eggys rec,s and it was wonderful.So Thankyou eggy.
I hope you all have a great day
love Julie