Wednesday, January 28, 2009

A nice Steak Sauce





This is a nice marinade which turns into a great sauce.

1tbsp shrimp paste
1tbsp catchup
1tbsp chilli paste or pepper sauce
2 crushed garlic cloves
Sliced swiss brown mushrooms
2 roughly diced spring onions
1 bottle of beer
1 cheap steak


Marinate the steak in this for 2 hours

Then cook the steak

Reduce the marinade and add sour cream

It could be served with a nice potato mash or chips the choice is yours.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Roasted Chicken with Coriander seeds, Pepper and Thyme


This recipe was adapted from one in Karen Martini’s column in Sunday Life. Cooked for me I loved it and said it was worthy of a guest spot. Anyway you can never have too many chicken recipes right?

1.6 kg barn-raised roasting chicken, cut into 10 pieces
3 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, skin on, woody end removed
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp Murray River pink salt flakes (or sea salt)
30 mL extra virgin olive oil
8 – 10 sprigs thyme
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
20 mL sherry vinegar

Place chicken pieces in a large, plastic zip-lock bag. Roughly crush coriander seeds and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. (If your mortar and pestle is not very large you may need to do this in 2 or more batches). Add garlic and roughly crush. Add chilli and salt. Tip spice mix into bag, add olive oil and massage into chicken. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (overnight if possible) to allow flavours to infuse. (Mine got 3.5 hours, and the flavours were beautiful.)

Preheat oven to fan-forced 220C (240C conventional). Remove chicken from bag and place in a 40cm X 25cm ceramic baking dish. (I used a lasagne dish, which is actually 32cm X 23cm, and it worked fine.) Scatter over thyme and tomatoes and roast for 55 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked (I gave mine an extra 5 minutes with the oven at 240C fan-forced to give the chicken a bit more colour).

Remove from oven, drizzle over sherry vinegar and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve chicken with pan juices spooned over.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Low fat Thai Style Curry





I want to make this really clear. This is not a Thai curry, it is an attept to make a really low fat version of a thai curry. It tastes nice but is not meant to be in any way the same as the real thing.

Rice

I cook the rice in chicken stock with a good amount of Masterfoods Thai seasoning

Main
marinate the meat in:

2 tbsp bran oil
2 tbsp Thai Chilli paste
2 tbsp shrimp paste
Juice one lime

For 2 hours

Then cook the meat
Add 1 packet of Birds eye frozen vege (thai is best)

Once all is ready i add 1 tin of carnation evaporated Skim milk with thai essence until warm.

Beef Stir Fry





I love my chinese style food, and a stir fry is quick tasty and really hits the spot, this is my standard stir fry recipe. I will use chicken, pork or beef but use basiclly the same ingeredients.

I don't know how authentic this is but i love the flavour balance and can eat it often.

500 gms beef stir fry strips
!/2 sliced onion
Diced Red peeper
1 Sliced red chilli
Ginger matchsticks to taste
2 pak choi, slice stems and remove leaves

Using rice bran oil
Cook the meat and remove it


Then add in the vege and cook until a little soft but still has some crunch.

Return the meat and add

2tbs Light soy sauce
2tbs dark soy sauce
1tbs Shao Hsing Wine ( sherry will do)
1tbs black rice vinegar

Add in the Bok choi leaves at the last minute

Thicken the sauce with corn flour or arrowroot and water

Serve on a bed of rice

Garnish with unsalted roasted nuts

Friday, January 23, 2009

Micowave Cooking




There comes a time in the life of all good cooks when superior technology steps into our life. At that point we understand that all that we have known has changed. real food can now be done differently.

I would love to point at this book and laugh, ridicule the recipes as if i was an expert. In fact way to easy to have known more than my mother and one of our best cooks.

None the less way wrong and 2 decades later this book seems even more wrong.

Lets me make one thing clear, the whole microwave thing was never any good, and it sucked lots of good cooks into its VORTEX. This book is about how silly it got, not to make fun of those involved.

I forgive you, we are after all only human.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Chicken with Mushrooms






This one is for Jodie who loves her chicken and for my special mushroom girl. The is a serve for two but could do more if you wanted to add more rice and vege. The whole thing cooks in about 40 minutes. A nice quick meal.

1 brown onion sliced and fried in olive oil, remove when softened.
1 double chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces, fried and removed.

Then add sliced fresh mushrooms about 1 cup, whatver you prefer, I would also add half a cup of rehydrated chanterelles

Then degalaze pan with 1 cup of chicken stock
Add one cup of white wine

Add 3 tps of a good grain mustard
Return everything to the pan add tarragon and simmer to reduce

I thicken the sauce with arrowroot and water

Serve on a bed of white rice, stir in some light sour cream into the sauce to add flavour at the end.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Spagetti Sauce




I really like a pasta sauce that i make myself. Not fancy but i like the taste and flavour and it freezes well. By the way good pasta sauce does not need any oil or fat to taste good. By the way this will serve about 8 people. This is it:



Sauce:


2 finely diced onions
1/2 celery finely diced
2 finely diced carrots
3 diced garlic cloves

lightly fry in chicken stock until soft

Then add 1 kilo of pork and veal mince, (500gms of each is good)
Again cook in the stock and juices.

once browned add,
2 400 gm tins of diced Italian tomatoes
1 700 gm pasata ( tomato
dried or semi dried tomatoes diced
300 mls red wine

simmer for 2 hours

serve on your choice of pasta
with grated Parmesan

Saturday, January 17, 2009

The Mountains


For those who noticed I have been away for a few days in the Blue Mountains. We did the usual holiday things, ate out, read a lot and generally relaxed. In addition we went shopping which is always fun (did i really say that). In particular we went looking at antique and second hand stores and book shops.

Yes for those who know me extra boxes were bought, two in fact so my collection had grown yet again. Books were also purchased including a couple of vintage titles. I have for a little while now collected older cookbooks. Partly out of interest in how food preparation has changed over the years, and partly to amuse myself. I find books from the 1970s very amusing, I guess because that was when I grew up. It is my aim to write about some of these books in future posts.

In addition to all of this the one prize pictured above was a Noritake dinner service for 8. The price was right and it clearly wanted to belong in our house.

Hopefully the blog will be back to normal from now on.

Rissoles and Warm Slaw





This combines two of my favourite things, I love rissoles and i really like cabbage. This recipe is very low fat and if you wanted to adding butter and cheese would make it more indulgent.






Rissoles
500 gms lean beef mince
1 grated carrot
1 diced ready chilli (which you can leave out)
2 tsp crushed garlic

Make the rissole and place on a baking tray in the fridge for 15 minutes
Cook at 180 c for about 40 minutes


Slaw
1 sliced savoy cabbage
Olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar

Add the oil to the pan and stir through to soften the cabbage then add the other ingredients, if it still seems a little firm add some water to steam.

Before serving you can stir though some no fat yogurt of cheese

Marinated Octopus



This is great for a really hot day as little is cooked and you can do it outside on the BBQ so as not to heat up the house. This should serve 3 people.







700 gms baby octopus

Marinade
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
2tbsp olive oil
2 tsp crshed garlic

marinate for 2 hours
Cook on high heat until the legs fold up and its done.


Serve with greek salad and a nice crusty bread

Friday, January 9, 2009

Five Nights a Week - Valli Little




This has been out for over a year but is a very useful book. All of the recipes come from Delicious magazine. The 5 nights a week section is really a collection of recipes that you can easily cook after work, but which taste great and offer heaps of variety.

This book has 150 selected recipes, across a range of different areas. Soup to salad to entree to cooking all types of meat and fish. What all the recipes seem to have in common is minimal preparation and cooking time so you can spend the most time actually enjoying the food with friends and family.

My wife and I have used this book very widely. In fact it has been one of our most used cookbooks over the last 18 months. It is well marked with at least 15 recipes being cooked on more than one occasion. In fact we have given copies to friends and family all over the place.

If you want a no nonsense cookbook, that you don't need to be a chef to understand and which has simple easy to follow directions this is it. Unlike other books that fit into this category it assumes you want variety, a range of choices some very healthy others a little more luxurious.

Some of our favourites include easy Chicken and artichoke rice, Low-fat Berry Tiramisu, Herb Crumbed Lamb Cutlets, the list goes on. So this one gets a highly recommended from me.

You can pick up your copy from any ABC shop, although i have seen it in other places

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Duck Breast with Cherries

This one comes for having a duck breast left over, and Gordon Ramsays' recipe from
Cooking For Friends
. Great book well worth a look.

Potatoes:

baby spuds, microwave then oil with salt pepper herbs and 180c oven for 40 mins

Sauce:

Soak a handful of dried Chanterelle mushrooms in warm water, keep the liquid
Fry 2 diced bacon rashers
1 diced spring onion
deglaze with the rich mushroom liquid
The add in
200gms pitted cherries
2 tbspn cherry jam

Meat:


Pan fried duck breast
Skin side down in a cool pan until skin crispy then turn

Vegetables:


Pak choy trimmed separated and cooked gently in butter

Serve on the potatoes

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Spicy Prawns and Mango Salsa




Marinade:
1 diced red chilli
1 handful diced coriander
1tsp brown sugar
1tsp fish sauce
juice 1 lime
1 tsp crushed garlic
500 gms of prawn meat

marinade for 30 mins

Salsa:
1 diced mango
1 diced Spanish onion
1 diced red chilli
juice of 1 lime
1 diced avocado
salt

Serve:
With rice
1 peeled and sliced Lebanese cucumber
Fresh mint and coriander

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Bean and Goats Cheese Cannolini






This is Rebecca, she does not eat meat. So this dish is for her. I am so not used to cooking different meals so it is a quick and easy dish. Yes i know everyone with children is saying you should see my house at dinner time.

Filling:

Puree one can cannelli beans or any white bean in a food processor
Add in 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
Boursin cheese
Lemon Juice
Ground coriander
Bread crumbs
The mix should not be runny

Cannelloni


Don't buy the dried shells because they are a pain, instead by fresh pasta lasagna sheets, in the supermarket, Cut in half and fill and then roll them up placing the seal at the bottom of a creased baking dish.

Sauce
1 Jar of Dolmio Chicken carbonnara sauce
Pour sauce over the top added grated Parmesan and cinnamon

Bake at 180c for about 40 mins

Duck Breast on a Warm Cabbage Slaw


This is one of my favourite foods. I simply love duck breast. I did this meal for my friend VJ and her family.

Duck Breast

Place skin side down in a cool fry pan turn on medium heat, allow to cook until skin browns, this rends the fat from the breast, Then turn and brown the other side. That's it your done, for best results it should still pink in the centre. The fat is great for roasting potatoes so you may want to keep it in the fridge.

Cabbage Slaw

Dice Some bacon, about a rasher per person, and cook in a non stick pan
Add a diced Spanish onion and cook until soft
Toss in a finely sliced savoy cabbage, remove core before slicing
Add 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Half a bunch of chopped chives
1 packet of Bousin cheese (soft goat cheese, Australian and French versions readily available in Supermarkets)
Stir and cook until cabbage softens and cheese melts through.

Serve the duck breast on top of the slaw

Monday, January 5, 2009

Green Tea Tiramisu


I don't usually do deserts but this one jumped out at me from November 08 Delicious. It comes from Simon Bryant from the ABC show The Cook and the Chef.





Ingredients:
3 separated eggs
75gms caster sugar
250gms mascapone
Pinch of cream of tartar
300mls thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
1tsp orange liqueur
12 savoiardi
500mls brewed green tea
1/3 cup green tea powder
chopped unsalted pistachios to dress

Method:
1) Whisk yolks and sugar over boiling water till thick and pale (5 mins)
2) Beat egg whites and cream of tartar till you get thick peaks
3) Whip the cream, vanilla, and liqueur
4) Now fold all three bowls into the cream mixing thoroughly
5) Dip the savoiardi briefly in the brewed green tea, and make a layer in a 1.5 ltr dish
6) Top with half the filling and dust with green tea powder
7) Now repeat the process and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours
8) Just before serving sprinkle with the crushed pistachios.


I would serve it with a nice vanilla ice cream.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Chicken Kapama



This is a Greek chicken casserole served on macaroni or risoni, Very tasty and quick to put together.

Ingredients:
chicken pieces, should include skin and bone.
ground cinnamon (NOT the sweetened or Dutch Cinnamon)
salt pepper
butter
olive oil
2 cans diced tomatoes
250 gms tomato paste
1 cup water
2 minced onions
4 cloves minced garlic
1 bay leaf
3 cinnamon sticks

Macaroni, or risoni
Cheese for grating Kefalorteri is normally used but Parmesan does just as well.

Method:

1) Season the chicken well with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in olive oil and butter, do this in batches
2) Place chicken in a large pan and add tomato, tomato paste, water and spices simmer
3) Use a food processor to mince the garlic and onions
4) Soften the garlic and onion in olive oil and butter being careful not to burn
5) Mix everything together and simmer for 50-60 mins
6) Cook pasta as per instructions

Serve the chicken on top of the pasta and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Summer Sardines

I have always loved fresh sardines, to me they speak of summer and all its flavours. This is a simple recipe, but tasty and satisfying. It's also a bit different so you can impress your friends, without having to go too much trouble.

Ingedients:
10 Sardines(this recipe is for 2 I allow 5 per person)
500gms of potato, cut into wedges, or chips
2 Roasted capsicum cut into strips
1tsp Hot paprika
1tsp smoked paprika
2 rough chopped tomatoes
1/2 Spanish onion diced
Diced Corriander
Juice of half a lemon and the other half sliced to dress

Method:
1) Cook the potato Microwave or boil, your choice but make sure its firm, we are going to bake it.
2) Pour 1tbsp Olive oil into a dish with paprika and coat potato pieces
3) Place potato on a baking sheet in a 180c oven until golden brown 20-30 minutes
4) Meanwhile assemble and combine the other ingreients and mix in a bowl
5) When the potatoes are nearly done heat up a pan or the BBQ and cook your sardines until the skin starts to go crunchy, make sure not to let them burn, but you do want the crunchy skin.
6) Combine the cooked potato and other ingredients, and put them on your plates
7) Place the sardines on top and drizzle a little lemon juice

Ready to Eat, Had this last night it's really good.


NOTE:

Some people don't like to use whole sardines, if you can't get fillets, they are easy to fillet yourself. Take a sharp knife and remove the head, turn the fish onto its spine and widen the cut on its belly now turn it over and flatten it out with your hand. Now when you turn it on its back you should be able to pick up the spine at the head end and simple pull down and it should come straight out, cut the tail if you need to. Now you have fillets.

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Kitchen Diaries Nigel Slater


This is one of my favourite books about food. Nigel Slater is too little known here in Australia, his writing on food is at once thought provoking and gets to the heart of why we eat and the pleasure we get from it. Nigel has been a hero of mine for some time. He is not a chef but someone who loves his food. His TV shows as yet unknown here, link food and our lives so well.

His best current show is called A taste of my life and on each show he traces the life of a well known person through the key foods they have eaten. Family and friends contribute but rather than be a chef he is a cook who looks at the link between what we eat and who we are.

This book is a great introduction to what cooking is really about. Good food and friends. For me Nigel's philosophy of food is one I share. This is not a recipe book. It tells us what he he thought about food to cook and why he chose to cook some things. This was the first book that convinced me that a food diary was a good idea.

This was the first in print that i am aware of and is really a great read. it won't be the only book by Nigel that i will mention. It is not a cook book though so maybe if you don't like food books you might borrow it rather than buy it. It follows through a year looking at what Nigels feels like eating and how he prepared it, It does not give a recipe for every day and a lot of it is about what he sees in the food. An enjoyable book to sit down with.

Nigel is my sort of cook, some quotes:

"Food is, for me, for everybody, a very sexual thing and I think I realised that quite early on. I still cannot exaggerate how just putting a meal in front of somebody is really more of a buzz for me than anything. And I mean anything."

"Eating, and that feel of food in the mouth, is all part of comfort and affection and warmth, and I think that a lot of the reason that I turned to food was because I was actually quite a lonely child."

He also was the one who introduced Nigella to the world.

It deserved its awards, but as I said its more about food than a cookbook.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Chargrilled Thai style Chicken

This one at Jodie's request.

To start you will need to spatchcock your chicken, easy to do and makes for very even cooking.

1. Place the chicken breast side down, using poultry shears cut along one side of the backbone, now cut along the other side and remove the backbone. Now open it out and turn it over
2. Using your hand or a second cutting board press down, firmly to flatten the bird out
3. Push a long skewer from left leg through to the right wing, and another from through the right leg to the left wing

We are now ready to marinate the Chicken

Marinade

4 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 lemongrass stem peeled and finely chopped
4cm piece of peeled and finely chopped ginger or Galangal (if you can get it)
2 Finely chopped red chillies (remove the seeds if you don't want it hot, or leave out the chilli)
2 tbs spoons chopped corriander stems (we will use the leaves later)
1 tbs honey
1 tbs fish sauce (soy if you don't have fish sauce at a pinch)
Juice of 1 lime (lemon if you don't have lime)

Pound in a mortar and pestle until you make a semi smooth paste, start with the solid ingredients add salt and then the liquid ingredients last.

Rub the marinade into your chicken and stand in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

To Cook

Place on a pre heated BBQ hotplate at medium or a char grill pan on medium, This is going to take 30 minutes or so to cook and we will turn it every 3 to 5 minutes, using any left over marinade to keep the bird moist. If BBQing make sure the bird is not over direct flame, use the burner/s to either side. If on the stove place the browned bird into a 180 C oven.

To Serve

A green salad with mango perhaps and a side serving of Thai Chilli Jam, available at good delis.
Also use the corriander leaves for garnish

If you need carbs, jasmine rice would work or some glass noodles

My Hints

If you don't have something swap in something else or leave it out.
You can buy crushed Garlic, Ginger and sliced Lemon Grass from most supermarkets.
If you don't like chilli don't use it, or if you love it add more.
If you only want to do a serving for one or two use chicken maryland rather then the whole chicken