Chicken, Bacon, Corn, Beans and- Banana?!

I am generally very much into cooking and trying out new things, still most of the time when I am standing in the kitchen my creativity has its limits. So finally, something like spicy couscous with vegetables, raisins and peanuts is normally the maximum. Last weekend I took my courage in both hands and tried out something completely new. I dared to prepare a special Texan dish out of Jamie Oliver’s cookery books, namely Chicken Maryland. Yes, it does sound strange and made me frown. An unusual combination of savoury and sweet but I gave it a try and if you want to do the same, here you are- the recipe to an extraordinary taste experience:

Ingredients (serve 4)

·         4 Chicken breasts

·         Beans

o   White cannellini beans. I couldn’t find them in the supermarket, so I just bought 1 can of big white beans. The most important is that they’ve already been cooked!

·         Corn

o   Sweet corn is the best choice if you ask me

o   Jamie recommends to use fresh corn but I just used canned corn

·         Cream

o   “Schlagobers”, 300 ml

·         Bacon

o   You’ll need around 12 slices

·         1/3 cup of white wine

·         2 peeled bananas

·         Mint leaves

·         Salt and pepper

·         A pinch of chili powder, although it depends on how spicy you like to have your corn

·         Butter

·         A rectangular baking tin

Here we go!

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C. Wash corn and beans. Half of the beans need to be mashed (best with a little fork. It is important that the whole thing gets a little creamy). Mix corn and beans in the baking tin and season it with salt, pepper and- if you like- chili. Pour cream and wine over the mixture.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Chop the bananas in thin slices so that you can still wrap the slices of bacon around each chicken breast. This requests a bit of skill as you don’t want the bananas to drop down. If you are into savoury food as well, sprinkle the chicken again with a slight amount of salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts, which are now covered in banana slices and bacon, gently on top of the mixture of corn, beans, wine and cream. Before putting it into the oven, place a couple of butter flakes on top of the corn in order to let them become a little crispy.
Leave it in the oven for around 40 minutes. At this point the bacon should have turned crispy but make sure not to burn it.
After gotten it out of the oven, sprinkle it with one handful mint to give it one last boost in flavour.
For serving it, just place it on the table and let your guests help themselves.

For me, this dish was so moreish that I could’ve eaten seconds and thirds. The combination of sweet and spicy was gorgeous and I am pleased having tried it out!
If you’ve decided to prepare this fabulous dish and have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me and, of course, I would love to know about your experience! Have a nice day!

What good bloggers do

While reading through various blogs recently to get a little inspiration for my own, I took some notes what a good blog is about.

The first lines count!
If the first impression of a blogpost is a boring one and it is not clear what the entry is about, people might stop reading it. It is crucial to call your reader’s attention as soon as possible to make them doing the opposite. From experience, I can say that with a little humour and witty expressions you’ll grab your audience.

What to write about?
It is always some good advice if you blog about topics you’re passionate about. If so, you are most likely able to catch people’s interest in your entry.

It can be about anything; latest political events, cultural relevant things, music, movies, etc. Moreover, if you write about something you provide loads of interesting stuff, people have never heard of, they won’t resist! I personally like entries about own experiences or extraordinary adventures. They evoke my enthusiasm since emotions play a very important role. But the most outstanding and weirdest entry I’ve ever read was Where do you poop? I bet anyone could hear my laughter in class last week! As you can see, taboo's are not forbidden in the blogosphere- but be careful!

How to write?
Blogging is like a conversation. It is definitely advantageous that the reader feels like you are talking to him. Write in the most natural way, like you’re talking. Just imagine yourself talking to a close friend or your siblings, which might make the whole thing easier. But never forget to write accurately, give information needed and to whom you’re writing since all entries are published!

Add some nice details…
In addition to your writing, it is a good idea to upload some pictures and videos The give some information in advance what the entry is about and they are a pleasure for our eyes anyway.

I'm interested in your blogging experiences! Are there any blogposts you haven't forgotten until today? Why? What do you think makes a good blog a good blog? Feel free to leave a comment :)