CHICKEN ASPARAGUS PARCELS

This recipe was given to me years ago by Pauline who I used to work with. It is the easiest recipe in the world. You can either make individual parcels, or two bigger ones and plait the pastry so it looks really fancy!

2 sheets puff pastry
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shreaded
1 tin asparagus, tips and stalks
1 block cream cheese
salt and pepper

Mix the chicken, asparagus, cream cheese, salt and pepper together in a big bowl. (that is the hard part!)
Lay our the pastry, and if making two big rolls, divide the mixture into two and put it down the middle of each piece of pastry. Cut out the corners of the pastry, and fold the ends over the mixture, then cut the sides of the pastry into strips that you then fold over the middle to make a plait. Use a little water to stick the pastry to itself.
Or, cut the pastry squares into quarters, and then put a blob of the mixture into each, and fold over to make triangular parcels.
Bake in a 375F oven until pastry is golden.

These also taste really good cold.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Thanks to Real Simple magazine (I think) for this recipe.
Note, for the main ingredients, I just make sure if we are having a roast chicken, that I make more vegetables, and then cut everything up and freeze it, so then I just dump the chicken and vegetables straight from the freezer into the pot.

2 sheets puff pastry
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
3 cups shreaded cooked chicken
5 cups roasted vegetables (carrots, parsnip, potato, sweet potato, onion)
1/2 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F
In a saucepan heat 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock and flour. Add to saucepan, and stir until boiling. Add chicken and vegetables and simmer until thick.
Spoon mixture into individual ovenproof dishes, and top with rounds of pastry.
Bake until pastry is cooked.

Kid friendly version: I usually just cut the pastry into shapes with cookie cutters, and bake it by itself. Then the kids can just dip the pastry into the pot pie mixture.

WILD RICE SALAD

Many thanks to Martha Stewart for this recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
3 1/2 cups cooked rice (mix of wild and brown seems to work best)
1 yellow pepper, cut into small squares
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, cut into small slices
1/2 cucumber, cut into small slices
cherry tomatoes

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard. Set aside.
Put all other ingredients into a large bowl, and mix together. Add dressing, and toss well.

PAVLOVA

New Zealanders and Australians have been claiming this recipe as theirs for what seems like forever. However, it is without a doubt my belief that it is a New Zealander who first came up with this, so we claim it as our own.

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour (corn starch)

Pre-heat oven to 225F

Put egg whites in a glass bowl (eggs won't fluff in a plastic one) and beat with an electrical beater until starting to fluff. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until all is incorporated into the egg mix. This usually takes around 8 minutes. The egg whites should be quite thick and glossy.
Add vanilla, vinegar and cornflour and mix again until they are all mixed in.

On a baking sheet, lay out some parchment paper, and then draw a circle (about as big as your hand - a girls hand) on the paper.

Pour the mixture onto the paper, keeping inside the lines. Put into oven, and bake for around 40 minutes. Check to see if the pavlova lifts off the paper easily, and the outside is crunchy.

Let cool, then top with whipped cream (the real thing) and a sliced kiwifruit)