Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

Friends coming to lunch, and wanting something new to try Pinterest becomes my go too at the moment. I wanted a slow cooked, succulent and soft roast with my soft bread and a nice grilled vegetable salad....thinking yes should tick all the soft maybe to try and eat for the Wisdom Tooth extracted Daughter.

After reading lots of different slow cooked chicken recipes, they all seemed very similar to one I had done before that is a Nigel-la recipe - so here is what I did.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.8kg tray of chicken pieces from Coles
• 1 kilo chicken drumsticks
• 1 head of garlic, crushed and bruised, cloves still have the skin.
• 4 lemons cut into chunks
• 6 larger new potatoes cut into wedges
• fresh from my garden oregano - about 4 sprigs, leaves plucked
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• Salt and Pepper

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven to about 150.
2. Place chicken, garlic, lemons, potatoes, oregano, olive oil, Marsala and salt and pepper into a very large baking tray
3. With your hands massage all the oils and seasoning's into the chicken and potatoes. Try if you can to make sure that the chicken is skin side up.
   
4. Cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook at that slow temp, you will think it's not cooking after about 2 hours, the smells will just start leaching from beneath that foil...remove oh my the aroma will be there... yes this is what you want...
5. Crank the oven too 200
   
6. Cook uncovered now for about 30-45mins, if like me you cooking some nice fresh bread to go with pop it in now. The chicken skin will start brown and lemons should start to caramelise a little.
   
7. At this point, impressing table service is to transfer the potatoes, garlic bulbs and some of the lemons into a nice serving platter, topping with the chicken pieces.
8. Skim from the top of the baking tray the oily residue - I didn't have too much, a few sheets of good paper towel soaked it up quick then pop the baking tray onto the stove top and reduce that wonderful sauce by about half, and serve in a jug beside your slow roasted lemony garlic chicken.

Curried Lamb Triangles

another old family favourite that I have been makign for years, and hadn't realised that I hadn't shared till my son asked could he cook it....so this is a more from memory post so that he could cook it.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion diced
• 4 potatoes diced
• 500g lamb mince
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 handful pine nuts, toasted
• 1 large handful sultanas
• 1 packet and half Puff Pastry
• 1 handful chopped fresh mint
• 1 tub low-fat Greek yoghurt

Method

1. Fry off, garlic, onion, potatoes, lamb with the spices over a medium heat till brown. Add Sultanas and toasted nuts stir until combined. Cool for 5 minutes.
2. Preheat Oven 180
3. Cut pastry sheets into quarters and place spoonfuls of mix onto half of each square fold over to form a triangle and crimp edges (use a little water or milk to help seal them well)
4. continue till you have used up remaining ingredients. 
5. Place on a lined tray and either brush with a little beaten egg or spray with spray oil. before baking in the oven for about 10-20 minutes till golden.
6. Combine Yoghurt with mint to serve.
7. 
   

We make large batches, and freeze these on baking paper before baking them. they are a great straight from freezer to oven meal for either lunch or dinner with a salad.

Old Fashioned Barbecued Pork Spare Ribs

This is a childhood favourite. One of my favourite foodie memories is my Poppos passion for cooking, he loved to cook and perfect recipes. I loved calling in on my way home from work, as I drove by his front door twice a day and test out his latest recipe. But I recall vividly his Chinese phase and I now have his book, although when I moved out if home, he did purchase me one of my own. But when he died I requested his, with book, with its tried and tested food dribbled pages.

If you can get a copy of the Australian Woman's Weekly Home Library CHINESE Cooking Class Cookbook, I recommend you do, or if you have a copy of it bring it out and cook an old fashioned Chinese Banquet like my Pop used to... Yes we were treated to a 20 course banquet one night... He really loved to cook. I believe I am very much like him, our passions the same, no matter the medium we create something everyday.
Ok back to the recipe.
YOU WILL NEED

• 1kg pork spare ribs
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons brown vinegar (I've substituted apple cider here as I don't always have malt vinegar in the cupboard)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese chilli sauce (make the effort it is really red and it helps with the rich red colour)
• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic
• 2.5cm piece of green ginger

Method

1. Put pork spare ribs in large saucepan of water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer covered 20 minutes, this helps remove any excess fat.(it is also convenient if you are like me and decide to cook this by looking in the freezer and seeing frozen spare ribs - pop them in frozen and they soon defrost)
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drain pork and put into a baking dish, pour over combined and mixed sauces and leave to marinate at least one hour, turning occasionally. (This really helps to soften the pork as well, for that falling of the bone kind of ribs)
3. Bake in a moderately hot oven for one hour, or until pork is tender and the smell is driving the household crazy, baste frequently.

Posted with Blogsy

Massaman beef curry with cashews

It's winter and time for some comforting warming meals, to me that means slow cooking the old fashioned way on the stove or in the oven. Whilst away I managed to read the JULY copy of Australian GoodFood, it took some tracking down but I managed to get my hands on a copy it's filled with lots of recipes I want to try.

Here is my version of the Massaman beef curry from page 130.

Ingredients (my altered version)

• 1tbsp vegetable oil   (olive oil maybe only 2 teaspoons as I use a non stick pan)
•  650g gravy beef, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces  (700g chuck steak)
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup massaman curry paste   (1/3 Valcon Massaman curry paste in a jar)
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 1/2 cups salt reduced beef stock  (my pan is a larger one and I always find that with a bigger cooking surface it tends to need more stock, so I used 2 cups)
• 500g chat potatoes, halved  (I would quarter then next time as I did need longer in the cooking time on the halves)
• 400ml can coconut milk  (OK had the skinny evaporated coconut milk - this could be the cause of mine splitting slightly but we liked it)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted cashews, toasted
• 250g green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander
• Rice to serve

Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan on high. Cook beef, in batches, for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a plate, Add onion and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Return beef to pan, along with any juices. Add star anise and stir to combine. Stir in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.

Add potato, coconut milk and fish sauce to pan and simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes, until potato and beef are tender. Stir in beans and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, until beans are bright green and just tender. Remove from heat. Stir in half of cashews and half of coriander.

Serve in bowls with rices and top with remaining coriander and cashews.

Pork Saltimbocca with Roasted Vegies

Roasted veggies is a warming thing for us at the moment, and easy to do. I am not doing much cooking, but after a nice ferry ride today, I strolled (aka LIMPED) into Aldi with a what to cook for dinner mission, - the pork schnitzel was on special, BUT ALAS sick daughter and a trainee chef who doesn't want to cook when he gets home and a hubby who is a recipe cook and well me with my gaff leg knows that I just won't be up to crumbing them - so then I spied the prosciutto and thought OK, saltimbocca and veggies sounds good....  so here is how I went about it gaff leg and all.

Bianca washed the spuds, whilst I chopped well cleaned up some mushrooms, corn cobs and baby how cute are these capsicums.

tossed the lot in some olive oil, salt and pepper in the roasting pan and roast for about 40 minutes

OK onto that pork schnitzel - a little piece of cheese and some sage leaves rolled up in a prosciutto layer with a spike - popped on top of the roast veggies 

sprayed the lot with some olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

popped it into the oven for a further 25mins - praying that I didn't over do the pork.

when just about done, we plated up with a handful of baby spinach, mixed veggies,topped with pork and then a dollop of apple sauce and a drizzle of caramelized balsamic vinegar

Shrove Tuesday - Asian Style Pancakes.

Shrove Tuesday - means its Pancake Day and although I am catholic I am not strict catholic, but Shrove Tuesday is always pancake day. For those of you who don't know it Shrove Tuesday is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

The reason that pancakes are eaten is that they are made from the sugar, flour, eggs and fat from which traditionally we restrict during the fasting of Lent.

Each year I try to find a different savoury pancake but we usually always finish with traditional pancakes with lemon and sugar.

This year I hunted down this recipe from taste.com.au one of my favourite places to browse for recipes. Having had a horrid day, though but having purchased the ingredients I left it up to the boys, and they said it was easy as. Although we all thought it was rather stodgy (not sure if that's the word) it was dense with the addition of the rice flour, but without it would really have just been a frittata

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes
 
Ingredients (serves 6)

• 175g (1 cup) rice flour
• 8 eggs, lightly whisked
• 125ml (1/2 cup) water
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh garlic chives (we substituted for just chives having them in the garden)
• Salt & ground white pepper  (black pepper from my pepper mill just as good)
• 1 tbs peanut oil  (rice bran oil)
• 300g peeled green prawns (I shop in Aldi, so i used the frozen bag of green prawn meat which was 400g - used the whole bag)
• 1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced (used another red as we didn't have the yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger
• 55g (1 cup) bean sprouts
• 4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander

Sweet chilli dressing

• 2 tbs sesame seeds
• 2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tbs rice wine vinegar

Method

1. Place rice flour in a bowl. Whisk in egg and water until a smooth batter forms. Stir in chives. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
2. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, cook the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat, tossing, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Whisk together sesame seeds, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl.
3. Preheat grill on high. Heat half the oil in a 25cm-diameter (base measurement) non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add half the prawns and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until prawns curl and change colour. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the capsicum, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until just tender. Add the prawns, bean sprouts and green shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until shallot softens slightly. Pour in pancake batter and cook for 2-3 minutes or until pancake is golden brown underneath. Cook under grill for a further 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer pancake to a chopping board and cut into wedges. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with dressing.

Honey-Lemon prawn stir-fry

Recipe - Woman's Weekly

This was a yummy and very filling dinner, although the kids opted for a chicken base not a prawn base, but with all ingredients ready not hard to split and cook two meals.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup White rice
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1.2kg  uncooked king prawns, shelled deveined, tails intact (halve and do 600g chicken if your cooking like me half chicken/half prawn two dishes!! (actually I think it would be nicer without the tails - next time, it looks pretty but eating was a little messy)
• 2 small brown onions, halved, cut into wedges.
• 600g Wombok, sliced thinly
• 2 small carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly.

Method

1. Cook rice - We like to cook in the microwave, double the quantity of rice and use this measurement for water and then 16 Min's on high (eg 1 cup rice 2 cups water). Drain.
2. Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds, in heated wok; remove from wok and set aside.
3. Cook prawns in heated wok and remove.
4. Stir-fry brown onion, in heated pan, until tender, return prawns to wok with Wombok, carrot, lemon juice, honey and ginger, stir-fry until hot.
5. Serve with rice and sprinkled sesame seeds and green onions. We also topped ours with bean sprouts!!!

ENJOY!!!

Birthday Dinner - Main Roast pork with pistachio stuffing & hasselback potatoes

They really spoilt me with this one, in our Master chef style family judging though we did think it needed some greens and a gravy - but oh boy it was delicious and the pears and apple and extra slice of pork left over made for a great birthday night dinner too.

Recipe Source

Preparation Time 30 - 35 minutes
Cooking Time 160 minutes
Serves 10

Ingredients

• 2.2kg boned rolled loin of pork, string removed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 11/2 tbs sea salt flakes
• 5 small pears, halved length ways
• 5 small red apples, halved cross ways
• 10 Clean potatoes, halved length ways (just because we like it 20 small pieces of sweet potatoes)
• 20 Eshallots, peeled
• 20g (1/4 cup) shredded Parmesan
• 20g (1/4 cup) fresh breadcrumbs parsley,

Lemon & pistachio stuffing

• 140g (2/3 cup) couscous
• 160ml (2/3 cup) boiling water
• 1/4 cup pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
• 1 tbs finely grated lemon rind

Method

1. Preheat oven to 230°C. To make the parsley, lemon & pistachio stuffing, place the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains. Stir in the pistachio, parsley and lemon rind. Season with pepper.
2. Place the pork, rind-side up, on a clean work surface. Use a sharp knife to score the rind cross ways, into the fat layer, at 2cm intervals. Turn the pork over. Cut a horizontal slit in the thick end of the pork (don't cut all the way through).
3. Open the pork to sit flat. Place the stuffing mixture along the centre. Starting from the thick end, roll up the pork firmly to enclose the filling. Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie the pork cross ways at 2cm intervals.
4. Place the pork, rind-side up, in a large roasting pan. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil, then rub the salt into the cuts. Roast on the top oven shelf for 35 minutes or until the rind crackles.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the pear and apple on 1 tray. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on the shelf under the pork for 30 minutes. Transfer the pear and apple to a plate. We cooked the sweet potato in the oven with the apple and pear at the same time.
6. Meanwhile, place the potato, cut-side down, on a chopping board. Cut thin, evenly spaced slits at 5mm intervals, about two-thirds deep, in the top of each potato.
7. Arrange the potato, flat-side down, and shallots on the remaining baking tray. Drizzle the remaining oil over the potato. Roast on the shelf under the pork for 50 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the potato is tender and golden. Transfer the pork and shallots to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest.
8. Combine the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the potatoes with any pan juices. Sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden. Serve with the pork and shallots.

Certainly think it would be best served with some green beans or broccolini, and a little gravy too!!

Asian Style Salmon en Papillote

Recently when the Masterchef challenge was on it reminded me of this dish and its a family favourite that's been a while since I last cooked...so it was requested, and here is how I do it...it obviously came from somewhere, but for the life of me I don't recall, and well as I do it now just from memory - there aren't really any measurements but I will keep a note as I cook, just so I can share with you all.

Here is a link on how to fold it properly, that I have used.....but sometimes just scrunching the ends is just as good ;)

OK here goes for round 2 - blogger wasn't helpful. there isn't a recipe as such, I have just estimated what I have done as I have gone along.

This is a real taste and test as you go, to be sure that you get the right sweet, salty and sour perfect.

1 bunch of Bok Choy, washed and leaves separated

4 pieces of Salmon

1/2 Red Onion finely diced

1 clove Garlic finely diced

1 small piece of ginger finely diced ( 1 teaspoon from the jar kind )

1 chilli finely diced ( 1 teaspoon from the jar kind - :) yep it's whats on hand tonight)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

juice of one lime ( sometime more sometimes less)

1 disc of palm sugar chopped ( or if you don't have it 2 tablespoons brown sugar will work)

Simmer all but the bok choy and salmon in a small saucepan just till the onion and garlic are softened and the sugar dissolved - yep taste it now to be sure that it's just got that sweet, sour, salty flavour right - adjust with either the sugar or lime here) set aside.

Take 4 sheets of baking paper and fold them in half

Place a selection of the bok choy leaves on one side near the fold

Place the Salmon on top, drizzle about 2 table spoons of the onion syrup mix over the salmon - as pictured below

Then fold the paper over and starting on the left with the fold at the back, work from left to right just folding and bending as you go - the link above explains this better...but you get half circles like below, slide onto a baking tray and then pop in a moderately hot oven for 10 - 15 minutes. The time it takes to steam some rice in the microwave

1 cup rice 2 cups water in a large uncovered bowl for 16 minutes on high - perfect rice every time. Let the rice stand for a few minutes before serving.

Dish up and enjoy - let me know if you like it.

Tip - If you have a bunch of coriander - I didn't tonight - I like to chop some and sprinkle over the salmon before serving just for that fresh touch.

Christmas Turkey with all the trimmings, Stuffings and Relishes

I spent 1 hour compiling this recipe post yesterday and then blogger through a hissy fit and lost the lot, not even a draft copy totally devastated...but here we go, perhaps with less story this time...promise you yesterdays was worth reading....LOL

Sarah Sun a Facebook follower, requested that I share my Christmas Turkey Recipe, and I realised that I had started this last Christmas well the recipe for the Stuffing balls, so I thought perhaps its almost time for Christmas in July let's share the lot in one post.

Christmas is special in our family, and my sister and I now take turns in hosting the Christmas Day lunch, but for the last few years I have always brought the Stuffing balls to her home too. I can thank Coles and their free magazines for a lot of these recipes, from the simple PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED TURKEY which is a family favourite all year not just at Christmas, which are accompanied by CRANBERRY RELISH in the 2007 magazine and I think the same year in the TASTE best ever freebie came the CRANBERRY STUFFING BALLS. Then more recently in 2009 I decided on my turn to cook that I would try and debone and stuff a turkey breast using ROLLED TURKEY BREAST WITH PISTACHIO AND CRANBERRY STUFFING Recipe by Bill Granger from bill's food, served with my new favourite CRANBERRY CHERRY & ALMOND RELISH

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED TURKEY

Serves 8

Prep 30 mins

Cooking 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

• 1Kg Steggles Turkey Breast Roast, thawed
• 5 slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Remove the plastic from the foil container and cover the turkey breast roll with a piece of foil. Place in the oven, cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the piece of foil. Carefully invert the turkey roll into a large baking pan, and discard the original foil container.
2. Drape the prosciutto over the turkey, and use toothpicks to secure each end (I have never used the toothpicks). Return to the oven for 30 minutes.

CRANBERRY RELISH

Ingredients

• 250g jar whole berry cranberry sauce
• finely grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Combine the cranberry sauce, orange rind and thyme; set aside. Serve with the Turkey!!

Pictured above Cranberry Relish and just under the spinach leaf is one of the Stuffing Balls.

CRANBERRY STUFFING BALLS

Prep 20 mins

Cooking 25 mins

Makes 16

Ingredients

• 4 slices prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 1/2 cups stale white breadcrumbs
• 75g dried cranberries
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 50g butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut each prosciutto slice length ways into four pieces.

2. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Transfer to bowl. Add breadcrumbs, cranberries, egg, sage and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

3. Shape tablespoons of mixture into 16 balls. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each ball. Place on prepared tray. Bake for 15 to 20 mins or until browned and heated through. Serve.



ROLLED TURKEY BREAST WITH PISTACHIO AND CRANBERRY STUFFING

Recipe by Bill Granger from bill's food

Turkey Ingredients

• 1 x 1-1.5kg boneless Turkey breast with skin (I could only get a breast on the bone - so with my Dad's help we soon learnt how to debone it - well worth the hard work.)
• 1 tablespoon melted Butter

Pistachio and cranberry stuffing Ingredients

• 40 g Butter
• 1 Onion chopped
• 100 g chopped pancetta rind removed
• 1 crushed Garlic Clove
• 120 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Sage
• 100 g craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
• 50 g roughly chopped Pistachios
• sea salt
• Ground black Pepper

Turkey Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Put the turkey breast, skin-side-down, on a board.

Spoon the cooled stuffing down the middle of the breast and then roll up the turkey to enclose the stuffing.

Tie the turkey with kitchen string every 2 cm (about an inch) to secure and then place in a large roasting tin.

Brush the entire surface of the turkey with melted butter.

Roast for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the juices run clear when you poke a skewer into the thickest part of the breast.

Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Pistachio and cranberry stuffing Method
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until softened.
Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until cooked through.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Tip everything into a large bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs, sage, craisins and pistachios, season well and stir together.
Leave to cool completely before using.

Link to previously posted
CRANBERRY CHERRY & ALMOND RELISH


Then I guess I should share this wonderful ham recipe with you too....enjoy and happy Christmas be it July or December!!!

Ricotta Gnocchi with two sauces.

It's no secret, that I often get asked if I am Italian, but alas no there is no little Italian mumma inside me, beyond the part of me that loves pasta and has created a pasta addicted daughter. So have we cooked pasta before yes, its a staple once a week dish here, in many varieties, and Gnocchi has always been the potato version - often fresh from the deli, or the shelf variety and on occasion fresh from our hands...but having tried this ricotta Gnocchi I doubt I would ever make or buy potato gnocchi again. Recently I watched a TV programme where the presenter raved about the pillowy softness of gnocchi...I didn't get it till eating this version of pasta...yep little fluffy pillows of goodness...OH MY my mouth is drooling as I type.

This is another recipe from the Donna Hay a cooks guide

and Donna's little blurb from beneath them is perfect,

(yep they have to be cheats as anything this simple just can't be true but I have eaten them and well it's true and some little pillows from heaven)

savour these soft and pillowy morsels with an array of delicious toppings. Prepared simply or baked in a rich tomato-based sauce, these CHEAT'S dumplings are irresistible

BASIC RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Ingredients

500g ricotta

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup plain flour

sea salt and cracked black pepper.

1. Place the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine.
2. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into 4 x 15cm ropes

I have even cooked this one for a 12 hour crop and keeping Linda's Celiac disease in mind, used a gluten free flour - admittedly they weren't as light and fluffy as all my describing says...but they were still just as good.

Baked Gnocchi

1 x quantity basic ricotta gnocchi (see above)

1 cup grated mozzarella

tomato sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons brown sugar

400g can borlotti beans, drained

2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

sea salt and cracked black pepper

To make the tomato sauce, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock and sugar and cook for 5-6minutes. Add the beans, basil, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Set aside.

Follow the basic gnocchi recipe. Place the cooked gnocchi in a 1 litre ovenproof dish. Spoon over the tomato sauce and top with mozzarella. Cook under a preheated hot grill for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Serves 4

I popped it in the oven for the time it took to warm and cook my frozen loaf of garlic bread and it was perfect. And I doubled the recipe for a bigger serve, and added a few rashers of bacon to the the garlic step just to please the meat eater in my house as well.

CREAMY MUSHROOM GNOCCHI

1 x quantity basic ricotta gnocchi

150g goats cheese crumbled

shaved Parmesan, to serve

cracked black pepper, to serve

creamy mushroom sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small brown onion, chopped

300g button mushrooms, sliced

1 1/4 cups single cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

sea salt and cracked black pepper

To make the creamy mushroom sauce, heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and onion and cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the cream, stock, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Set aside and keep warm.

Follow the basic gnocchi recipe, adding the goat's cheese to the mixture. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the cooked gnocchi and top with parmesan and pepper to serve

Mid-loin pork chops with orange, fennel and rosemary.

This is one of my new favourites on my book shelf

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons orange zest

3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

4 organic rindless pork loin chops

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 oranges, juiced

600ml beef stock

100g butter, chopped

mashed potato, to serve (we also added our garlic lemon beans)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine fennel seeds, peppercorns, orange zest and rosemary leaves in a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Press fennel mixture into chops and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Season chops with salt. Heat olive oil in a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add chops and brown for 4 minutes on each side. Add orange juic and stock. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer chops to another dish and keep warm. Boil juices in pan over high heat for 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced. Check seasoning, add butter and stir to combine. Serve chops with sauce spooned over. Serve with creamy mashed potato SERVES 4

MasterChef Veal Osso Bucco with Cannellini Beans

Being an avid cooking household it's no surprise that we are hooked on any cooking shows and Masterchef of course is a daily vigil in our home. When they shared their Osso Bucco Recipe Brian was busting to get into the kitchen and cook it.


Image Source

Ingredients

1.5kg bobby veal shin, cut 2.5cm thick (about 12 pieces) (well clearly we only got four large ones)
1 cup plain flour
100ml olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
¼ bunch parsley stalks, leaves picked and roughly chopped, stalks reserved
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
250ml white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
400g tin crushed tomato
2 cups veal stock
100g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight (OK cheatsville here we used a can, well you can't cook on a whim if there is overnight prep)

To finish
Freshly cracked white pepper and sea salt
½ bunch parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 loaf crusty bread, thickly sliced ( oh the hot buttery bake at home rolls worked a treat to mop up all that Delicious sauce)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.
2. Season meat with salt and white pepper and toss in flout to coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a frying pan, add meat and pan fry until caramelized. Add celery, onion, carrot, reserved parsley stalks, garlic and cook10 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes and deglaze with wine.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 ½-2 hours.
5. Remove lid, cook for 45 minutes until sauce has thickened. (This is where time extended due to picking up of working teenage son, and the sauce thickened it so stewy and Delicious (salivating just remembering it)
6. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cracked pepper, sea salt, chopped parsley and lemon zest.
7. Serve with crusty bread.

oops yep got in a scoffed before I remembered to snap, and yep I mopped all that sauce up with a yummy bread roll....mmmmm I dare you not to Cook it and ENJOY IT!!!

Southern-Fried @ Home

A couple of weeks back Kylie emailed me and asked for my fake KFC Chicken recipe, and for the life of me I couldn't put my fingers on it, it's been so long since I cooked it. But with the house renovations happening and the cleaning and culling I have come accross this one which I think sounds delicious, I know it's too late for Kylies Birthday Boys dinner, but I thought I would share, think it might be something I try once the new stove is up and funcitoning (that might even be tomorrow)!!!

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking: 40 minutes
Source
 
Ingredients

• 1 whole Chicken
• 4 extra drumsticks
• 1/2 cup plain wholemeal flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan Forced. Lightly grease a baking tray. Cut chicken into 4 pieces, removing major bones and skin; Pat pieces dry on paper towels.

2. Place flour, spices and 1 teaspoon salt in a plastic food storage bag; shake to combine. Whisk egg with milk and juice in a shallow dish.

3. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then into flour mixture to coat; shake off excess. Place on prepared tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. untill tender and golden.

 

Serve with Easy Salsa

1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 lebanese cucumber, halved, seeded, diced

1/4 small onion, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped parsley or coriander

1 tablespoon red or white wine vingegar

Pinch sugar.

 

Combined all ingredients; season to taste with salt and pepper.

: Recipes+ Issue 12 september/october 2006

Fruity Moroccan Lamb

Fruity Moroccan lamb
Prep Time 20mins
Cook Time 1 1/2 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 600g diced lamb shoulder
• 2 tblsps Moroccan seasoning (mild)
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tsps finely grated orange rind
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
• 1/2 cup pitted dates, halved
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 150g green beans, trimmed and halved
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
• Couscous and natural yoghurt, to serve

The HOW TO

1. Combine diced lamb and half the Moroccan seasoning in a large bowl. Heat a large, oiled flameproof casserole dish (16-cup capacity). Cook lamb in three batches, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Remove from dish. 
2. Heat olive oil in same dish. Add onions, garlic, ginger and remaining Moroccan seasoning. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft. Return lamb to pan. Add orange rind, juice and stock. Bring to boil. Cover. 
3. Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 1 hours, or until lamb is tender. Stir through apricots, dates, chickpeas and green beans. Cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through pistachios and coriander. 
4. Serve lamb with couscous and natural yoghurt.

Chicken with Preserved Lemons

Image Source

A few months back, with a profusly fruiting lemon tree, I decided I would make some preserved lemons....and wow, amazing...such a simple thing to do, but does it pack flavour into your dishes....so we have been looking for great recipes to use our jars of preserved Lemons and this is one of them....YUM...!!!!

Just quickly making your own Preserved lemons, is easy simply quarter yourlemons and packing them tightly in sterilised jars with salt, lemon juice and flavourings such as cinnamon or cloves. The jars are left in a cool, dry place for 30 days for the rind and pith to soften.

To then prepare them for cooking, remove and discard the flesh, rinse well before slicing/dicing and adding to your dish.

Be sure to refrigerate your jars after opeing.

Chicken with preserved lemon

Photo by Sonia  Cooked by Masterchef Brian :)
Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/

Ingredients
(serves 4)

• 2 brown onions, diced
• 2 preserved lemons, flesh discarded, rind chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 2cm piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 chicken pieces, on the bone
• pinch of saffron
• cooked pasta, to serve

The How To

• 
  
  Combine onion, lemon rind, coriander, ginger and 2 tablespoons oil in a large, shallow ceramic dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 
  
  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, scraping away onion. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer chicken to a plate and wipe pan clean.
• 
  
  Reduce heat to medium-low. Add marinade to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan. Add 1/2 cup cold water. Increase heat to medium. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add saffron. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduced. Season with pepper. Serve with pasta.

Afghani Lamb & Spinach Curry

Serves 4
Prep & Cook time 2 hours 30 mins

Ingredients
1 1/2tablespoon vegetable oil
1kg Lamb Shoulder, diced
1 Lge brown onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons tumeric
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
400g can tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
150g baby spinach
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

1. Heat half the oil and brown the lamb. set aside.
2. Add remainder of oil to the pan and fry off the onions, garlic and spices.
3. Return the lamb to the pan, with tomatoes and stock, simmer covered for 1 hour  45 mins.
4. Uncover and simmer for further 15 mins till the sauce thickens and the lamb is tender (I actually took the meat from the pan and boiled the sauce for a bit to thicken it and then still made a small cornflour water mix to make it a little thicker)
5. Add spinach & lemon rind stir over heat until spinach wilts.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle over almonds and serve with Afghani bread (not knowing what afghani bread was, we had it with garlic toasted turkish and it was perfect to mop up the sauce...although family agreed we needed some rice next time.) 

ROASTED PUMPKIN, SPINACH & FETA SLICE

Sorry no photo till it's cooked again, LOL it was all eaten before i got to snap it.
Serves 8
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cooking 55 Minutes 

Ingredients

750 g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 3cm pieces
2 Zucchini, cut into chunks
1 large redonion, cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
80g baby spinach
90g feta, crumbled
8 eggs
1/2 cup cream or milk
salad, crusty bread to serve.

Preheat oven to very hot, 220 Degrees.
Line a large baking dish with foil.
Lightly grease an 18x28cm slab pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.
Toss pumpkin, zucchini and onion in prepared baking dish with oil, season to taste and spread out.
Bake for 15-20minutes, or until vegetables are golden and tender.
Remove from oven. Toss with spinach. Place vegetables in slab pan and spread out.
Sprinkle evenly with feta.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and mil and season to taste. Pour over vegetable mixture.
Bake for 30-35mins, until set. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Serve with salad and crusty bread.

TOP TIP - you could also try leftover baked vegies, or broccoli, capsicum and mushrooms.

Well - working from my cupboard tonight - the kids prefer sweet potato to pumpkin, didn't have baby spinach but had a packet of frozen spinach so substituted both those (used the whole packet of frozen spinach.) I used the milk not the cream and we had a salad and not the bread....very filling and very yummy. I did line my baking tray with the paper, and cooked the vegies, and then I removed them from the tray and the paper, and then sprayed the same tray with a little spray oil....didn't see the sense in lining tray with foil and I used the same tray making less dishes. It was divine.

Chicken with Wine and Herbs

from the good taste collection - Lite & Luscious

1.5kg chicken thighs (about , skin and visible fat removed) I have just used boneless thighs and breasts and not had them in the pot the whole time as it is what I have had on hand - still good.
100g bacon picnic slices chopped
16 eschalots or small pickling onions, peeled
1 medium brown onion, chopped  ( didn't have the eschalots so added an extra couple of onions just quartered)
2 garlic cloves,
chopped 2tbs plain flour
375ml(1 1/2cups) dry red wine
125ml (1/2cup) chicken stock
1 large carrot, sliced
1/2tsp dried thyme leaves
200g button mushrooms, stems trimmed
2tsp chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
salt & ground black pepper to taste
prepared couscous, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180. Heat a large non-stick sauspean over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 the chicken and cook for 3 mins each side or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2. Add the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, ofr 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the eschalots and onions. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add the wine, stock, carrot, bay leaves and thyme. Stir until mixture is boiling.
3. Place the chicken in a large flameproof casserole dish and add the wine mixture. Cover and cook in preheated oven for 1 hour.
4. Remove casserole from the oven and stir in the mushrooms and marjoram or oregano. Cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes. ( i took out my chicken here as it wasn't on the bone)
5. Remove from the oven and use tongs to transfer chicken pieces to a plate. Cover with foil and set aside. Bring the casserole liquid to a boil over medium-high heat and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until reduced by 1/3. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.  I have added topped and tailed fresh green beans here too.

6. Return the chicken to the liquid and simmer until just heated through. Serve with couscous.

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Chicken & Snake Beans

Another family favourite Recipe by Bill Granger from Feed Me Now
Bill says"This is the replacement take-away meal. I guarantee you can make this faster than you could order and pick something up" and we agree
Serves 4
Ingredients

450g flat rice noodles (fresh or dried)
2 tablespoons mild-flavoured oil, such as sunflower
600g chicken mince
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200g snake beans or green beans, topped and cut into 3cm lengths
60ml sweet chilli sauce
60ml fish sauce
60ml dark soy sauce
60ml light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
handful Thai basil leaves(or sweet basil leaves)

Prepare the flat rice noodles according to the packet instructions

Place a wok or frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken mince and brown well, stirring frequently, then add the garlic and beans, Cook stirring for 2 minutes.

Add all of the sauces along with the sugar and stir well. Add the prepared rice noodles and toss to combine. Remove from the heat, stir through the basil and serve in warm bowls.

Sadly no picture - we had this one for dinner last night, and each time we cook it we play with it a little with the veggies we have on hand.

Last night was no exception - no snake beans, so a few green beans, some julienne of carrots, and capsicum....an it was delicious