Trissalicious

Mum's Cannelloni

Is it just me or do none of your family members comment on your blog as well?  I know they read it but no matter how much I bribe (“I’ll give you some cookies that I baked in exchange for a comment”) or  beg (“please, please leave a comment”) – still no comment.

It would probably be particularly difficult for my Mum who, to put in mildly, is technologically challenged.

When my Dad taught her to send e-mail he had written VERY detailed instructions which went something like this:

Step 1 : Turn on computer

Step 2: Go to “icon” that has a picture of envelope and says E-mail and “double click”

Step 3: To send a message click on New on the upper left hand corner of the computer screen

…all the way to…

Step 12: To close your E-mail, click on the white X surrounded by a red square on the upper right hand corner of the computer screen

Step 13: Go to lower left hand corner of the computer screen and click the windows icon

Step 14: Find the arrow to click “shut down”

We were so proud of her when we started receiving e-mails.  She had finally joined the 21st century!

It was only months later that we discovered that for each and every email she sent out – she would actually follow step one to fourteen.  So for instance if she wanted to send three different emails out in one sitting  – she would have to turn on the computer three times and turn it off three times as well!

So believe me, teaching her to leave a comment on this blog was another milestone!  I told her that at least she only has to do it ONLY once for every post!  🙂

It’s a good thing that Mum’s  much better at cooking than computers. As she is here from the Philippines for a short vacation, I am making the most of her time here by asking her to teach me some dishes.  Tonight she taught me to make her take on the Cannelloni, or what she calls Canelones in Spanish.  No one in my family can resist this dish.   It’s made of chicken, mushrooms, chorizo, and smothered in a rich bechamel sauce and topped with  mozzarella cheese…

Yes… I know.

I’m very lucky!

Cannelloni smothered in a rich bechamel sauce

Recipe

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 pieces of chorizo, chopped
• 500 grams boneless chicken thighs, boiled and chopped (leftover roast chicken can be used in a pinch)
• 1 handful of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 jar (400 grams) of your favourite tomato based pasta sauce (we used Barilla)
• 1 box cannelloni pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1. Cook the cannelloni as per instructions on the box.  Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onions, then add the chorizo and brown them
3. Next, add the chicken, then the mushrooms and cook until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated
4. Add the tomato sauce and allow to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Allow to cool to room temperature

To make the Bechamel

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter, once this has melted, add the flour
2. Slowly add the milk, incorporating this into the butter and flour mixture a little at a time
3. Cook out the mixture for around 5 minutes over low heat, making sure to stir constantly to ensure that the bottom does not “catch”
4. Add the 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the mixture and set aside.

To assemble

1. Fill each cannelloni with the chicken mixture and lay these on a baking dish
2. Top with bechamel sauce
3. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese
4. Bake in a 180 c fan forced oven for 30 minutes
5. Garnish with parsley (optional)

Thanks for dinner Mum! It was lovely. 🙂

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