Like water for chocolate

This is the name of a book I read a few years ago. Along with a love story and recipes the book offers invaluable cooking advice. The most memorable advice I can recall is that you should never cook when you are in a bad mood, because the food will taste bad. Well today I was overcome with cooking euphoria and put together a treat for dinner, thanks to my amazing mum. She sent me the recipe for chicken minestrone last night. Coupled with that I also whipped up a gateau chocolate cake, thanks to MUJI. Haven't yet tasted either but am sure my genki mood will make for a delicious meal.

Chicken Minestrone by Denise

500 grams of chicken thigh
3 rashes of bacon
2 nobs of butter
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 packs of kidney beans
3 cubes of chicken stock
3 cups of water
1 tin of diced tomatoes
2 stems of celery
2 carrots, sliced
2 packs of maccaroni pasta
oregano
fresh parsley

Pop the butter in the pan, add bacon, onion and garlic. Throw in chicken and mix around for a bit, or until chicken is just cooked. Add celery, carrot and beans. Mix for a bit. Then add tin of tomatoes, chicken stock, 3 cups of water and pasta. Boil away for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer at which time you should throw in oregano and parsley. Best to make early afternoon so soup can thicken and build up flavour.

Serve with parmesan cheese and garlic bread. Nice bottle of cab sav will really set things off.



Nice dessert to accompany minestrone might be strawberries dipped in MEIJI white chocolate which I have cooling in the freezer. Will go well with cake!



100yen heaven didn't help out today, but I'm sure I'll be there soon for something I'm yet to find out I need.

Stay tuned...