Cranberry Cocktails, Crispy Chicken and Bubbling Bread and Butter Pud: Kitchen Wonders For The Weekend

It may have been a short week on account of the Bank Holiday, but that hasn't made us any less excited to see Friday roll around.

The Her.ie girls think the weekend is the perfect time to get busy in the kitchen and we're excited for the weekend of kitchen wonders that awaits us!

Friday Night Cocktail: Tequila And Cranberry Cooler

Expecting the girls over for a few bevvies tonight? This cocktail is the perfect treat for to start off the Friday night banter. Serves four.

Ingredients

30 grams of caster sugar

One lime wedge

160 mls of Tequila

50 mls Cointreau or Triple Sec

125 mls cranberry juice

75mls of lime juice

Method

Place your sugar on a shallow plate and run a lime along the rim of your cocktail glasses. Dip the rim into sugar.

Next, combine the ingredients in a large jug.

Shake over ice before serving.

 

Saturday Supper: Ina Garten’s Lemon Tuscan Chicken

The Her.ie girls love nothing more than spending an evening in front of The Food Network watching Ina Garten whip up one masterpiece after another. However, when her Lemon Tuscan Chicken caught our eye, we knew it had to be our Saturday supper.

Ingredients

One chicken (ask your butcher to divide into pieces)

Salt

80mls good olive oil

Two teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

80mls cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

One tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

One tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

One lemon, halved

Method

Sprinkle the chicken with one teaspoon of salt on each side.

Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and two teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup.

Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken two or three times while marinating.

On a stove-top grill pan, place your chicken, skin side up onto the heat and weigh it down with the dish you used for marinating.

Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the grill pan cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

Sunday Dessert: Traditional Bread and Butter Pudding

If you’re having a crowd over for dinner on Sunday afternoon, this is the perfect dish to warm them up. It is easy to throw together and is an especially satisfying dessert.

Ingredients

Ten slices of good quality white bread (it will work better if it is a little stale)

50 grams of unsalted butter

70 grams of raisins

325 mls of cream

325 mls of milk

Four egg yolks

Two eggs

100 grams of caster sugar

Method

Butter an ovenproof dish.

Remove the crusts from your bread and butter each slice on both sides before cutting into halves.

Place a single layer of bread along the bottom of the dish, each overlapping slightly, before scattering raisins.

Place another layer of bread over the first layer before scattering the remaining raisins.

Gently heat the cream and milk in a pan until it warms. Do not bring it to the boil.

Remove from the heat before whisking together the egg yolks and sugar in a heat proof bowl.

Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until it thickens. Remove from the heat.

Slowly add the cream mixture into the bowl and stir until combined.

Pour 2/3 of the custard over the bread and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Allow the dish to sit for 30 minutes until the bread soaks up all the custard.

Arrange the remaining bread on top and pour the remaining custard on top.

Bake in the over for 40 minutes until golden brown.