Friday, 28 October 2011

Friday Feast - Chicken with Parma Ham and Cranberries

Well, the pumpkin and I had fun yesterday. I won Round One in the morning and it won Round Two in the afternoon - at the moment of truth! I won't publish a recipe on here if I'm not 100% happy with it so, although that was my first disappointment out of at least four times with the 'pumpkin fun' and it was still perfectly edible (yummy in fact), it didn't look as it should and I'm going to have another go when I get a chance :)

Today's Friday Feast is almost a traditional Sunday roast, but a low-calorie option apparently - although you don't feel terribly self-righteous when scoffing and it's really easy to make! Like a lot of the recipes I save and file away, it came from Woman's Weekly. The Mail on Sunday is another good source of yummy recipes to save :)

Chicken with Parma Ham and Cranberries:

50g butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 large chicken breasts
8 slices Parma ham
300ml hot chicken stock
4tbsp cranberry sauce
6tbsp red wine

Pre heat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas 4. In a bowl beat together the butter and garlic. Make a deep slit in each chicken breast. Spread the butter inside each chicken breast and close the chicken back together. Wrap each breast in 2 slices of Parma ham. Place in a roasting tin.

Pour the hot stock around the chicken and roast for 30 mins.

Remove the chicken from the oven and roasting pan and cover with foil and a tea towel. Place the roasting pan on the hob and add the cranberry sauce and red wine. Boil rapidly for 10 mins or until the sauce has thickened.

Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce.
Things I do:
For two of us I still make the full amount of cranberry sauce. I do use red wine but am sure you could substitute either water or cranberry juice.
As I often make this instead of roasting a full Sunday joint, it has to come with the traditional accompaniments of course :)
Enjoy! 
PS I had a lovely surprise yesterday, my friend Joy came to collect the wedding stationery for Stuart (her son) and Jess. And they had sent her along bearing these:
A very sweet thought indeed! :)
Di
x
Posted by at
Labels: ,

15 comments:

  1. Annie28 October 2011 at 08:15

    Good morning Di. I do something similar with blue cheese in the middle and wrap bacon round it before roasting....but guess mine isn't so fat free :-)
    I've put you another smile on my blog today :-) enjoy.
    Hugs,
    A x

    ReplyDelete
  2. mamapez528 October 2011 at 08:26

    Your food always looks beautiful Di. Many moons ago, the tech manager at my college told us how he used to be the photographer for M&S, and all the things they had to do to food to make it look good in a photo. You do it with a simple camera!!
    Beautiful flowers. You deserve them.
    Kate x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Di28 October 2011 at 08:32

    Aw, thanks Kate! Mind you, I have to be quick taking a photo as Len is normally hovering in the wings waiting to tuck in!

    Di xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sarn28 October 2011 at 09:59

    Mmmmmmm . . . am drooling here . . . that's a winner for sure!

    I do a similar thing with Dairylea triangles stuffed inside the chicken breast, then wrapped around with bacon!

    Delish!

    Right . . . that's IT . . . I'm eating my elevensies at tensies!

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sarn28 October 2011 at 10:00

    ooops . . . forgot to say . . . the flowers are beautiful xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous28 October 2011 at 12:59

    Lol to Sandra, I's breakfast time for me right now and I WANT that dish for brekkie! Especially the roasties, lol! Beautiful flowers and very well deserved.

    Hugs
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kathleen28 October 2011 at 13:12

    Looks delicious, and the flowers look beuatiful too.
    Ooops think I am in trouble!!!

    Kath x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mrs Mac28 October 2011 at 14:10

    Oo lovely flowers!
    And can I come over for dinner?

    Thank you for all your messages about Scooter. He is snoring away here. And being quite farty, I'm afraid, too. Bob keeps shouting 'Wa-hey' at him.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The Crafty Elf28 October 2011 at 20:46

    Screeeeeech! My mouse just came to a halt when I saw this post! This has got to be one of my fav's so far Di!!! NOT that all the others weren't yummy but I'm a chicken freak and everything on that plate is something I love!!! I can't wait to try this!
    Well deserved flowers, they are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sandra H28 October 2011 at 21:23

    Hi Di, Thats mouthwatering!! looks gorgeous l have just had my dinner of Fish & Chips not something i normally have but there is a cafe here and they serve the best Fish & Chips couldn't resist:) Sandra H

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sandra H28 October 2011 at 21:25

    Forgot to mention the flowers they are gorgeous too! what a lovely thought! Sandra H

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jules29 October 2011 at 11:01

    Hi Di

    That sounds a lovely recipe .. .. I must admit to going straight to the photograph and wondering for a moment where the pumpkin came into it! LOL!!!

    Those flowers look gorgeous! A lovely thought indeed.

    Have a good weekend.

    Love Jules xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. G Peplow30 October 2011 at 07:39

    Good morning, I've just popped over from Sandra's blog and I'm so glad I did. What a feast, clever meal and beautiful flowers, mmmmmm Gay xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Eileen31 October 2011 at 22:05

    I have just popped over from Sandra's blog as well ... cor, super meal.... I burn loads of stuff if I get too caught up in my crafting lol! xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Elizabeth31 October 2011 at 23:33

    Just doing a bit of late night catching up and got to say this recipe sounds very tasty - one for my notebook I think :) Lovely flowers - so nice to be appreciated. Elizabeth x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much if you take the time to comment!

This is a public blog. Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog or entering a piece of artwork into a linky do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog and in so doing have published their own personal details and consented to my use of that personal information should they be selected as a winner or to accredit work.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)