My Favorite Salad

Hi everyone

I call this my favorite salad because its easy to make and great when you get home from work and don't have a lot of time or inclination to make dinner. I was asked by a friend to put up an easy salad. I thought of this one.

Ingredients

• a whole chicken - I buy a cooked chook from the supermarket to save time
• olive oil
• half a ciabatta or sourdough loaf torn into chunks - if you don't have either cut up some normal bread slices into cubes.
•  bacon or pancetta - I use 6 rashers of streaky bacon or 8 or 9 slices of thin pancetta
• 1 1/2 cups of rocket  - this salad is awesome with rocket which is nice and peppery in taste but if you don't have that a mix of other lettuce is fine as are baby spinach leaves
• a punnet of cherry tomatoes halved or 280 gm jar of sun friend tomato drained and halved - either works 
• cup of basil or mint - my husband doesn't like mint so we use basil
• a just ripe avocado sliced
• 100 gms toasted pinenuts
• balsamic vinegar
• good quality olive oil

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees.

If using a non cooked chicken rub with some olive oil and roast in a pan for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked.  Take the chicken out reserving the fat in the roasting pan. Cool the chicken slightly. Take a fork to the chicken and tear meat into long strips. Discard bones and skin.

If using a brought chicken pour the fat that is at the bottom of the dish the chicken is brought in into a roasting pan.  Otherwise use the pan you cooked the chicken in and add the bread to the pan turning to coat the bread with the fat.  Put the pan back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it so the bread doesn't burn. You now have croutons for the salad. Drain on paper towels.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the bacon or pancetta for 2-3 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Slice when slightly cooled.

Toss the the torn chicken with the croutons, rocket, tomatoes, mint and pancetta.  Season with salt and pepper and dress with a little balsamic vinegar and the good quality olive oil. I say good quality because I find your standard "cooking" olive oil can be a bit harsh for a salad. So having a nice bottle in your pantry for the dressings is a good idea. You can usually pick them up in the supermarket I like the Village Press oils with the barneo olives. Finally I prefer to place my slices of avocado on top after tossing the other ingredients so it doesn't get all mushy and lost in the salad. If you do this sprinkle a bit more balsamic and olive oil on to the avocado. Finally sprinkle on the pine nuts. 

Enjoy with a nice pinot gris and slices of the other of the left over ciabatta on the side..yum

Thing about salads is you can mix and match with what you have. Ive sometimes just put uncooked strips of prosciutto on top of a salad of mixed lettuce leaves with, slices of avocado, a few shavings of parmesan or wedges of brie and toasted pine nuts. Dressed with balsamic and olive oil or just lemon juice and olive oil.Just as nice. So experiment and enjoy.

Me xx

PS let me know if you want me to blog about particular types of food or recipes. Happy to oblige. 

My lamb salad

Hi everyone

On the weekend we were cooking out of our old motorhome lovingly called the Lovell Tardis. We shared dinner with some friends on Saturday night and I made a lamb salad. When your working out of a motorhome you get inventive with what you make. We did all the cooking on a small portable bbq. One of our friends has asked for the recipe so here it is:

Ingredients:

1 x eggplant cut lengthwise into strips
2 x zucchini (Courgettes) again cut into strips lengthwise
a mix of lettuce leaves - I had rocket (Arugula) and some iceberg shredded but choose what suits you.
haloumi cheese sliced - greek cheese that you can fry it is so yummy and can be found in most supermarkets in the specialty cheese section these days
2 x lamb rumps or a butterflied leg of lamb - you could have just one rump if making the salad for a smaller group or served as a side. The dish I made on the weekend was the main and sides all in one so I had a lot more meat in it.
100gm pinenuts toasted in a dry pan (optional)
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing

150 gm pesto - I used your basic basil pesto 

100 gm lite sour cream or plain yoghurt if you prefer

1 -2 tablespoons lemon juice

So how to pull it together. Ive been asked for clear instructions (for the least culinary inclined) so will bullet point them.

• Heat the bbq to medium heat
• Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the eggplant and zucchini in a bowl. Place the strips on the bbq plate and cook them until soft and tender. You have to watch them as you don't want them to burn.  If you think they are too dry you can brush more olive oil on them as cooking. 
• Once the veges are cooked place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil
• Rub the lamb with olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place on the same bbq and drop the lid (fi you don't have a lid on your bbq put some foil over the top of the lamb. 
• Once the meat is on turn the bbq down to med/low. If using rump Id cook 15 mins on the first side and 10 mins the other side depending on thickness. If cooking a butterflied leg of lamb cook on non skin side for 10 mins and the other side for 15 mins. Don't be tempted to turn and turn the meat turn only once so that the juices stay in the meat rather then all one the bbq.  
• That should get you nice medium rare meat. Once cooked put on a plate cover with foil and let the lamb rest for 10 mins. After its rested slice the lamb. Don't turn the bbq off just turn it down right to low
• Now make the dressing combine the pesto with the sour cream or yoghurt to make it a creamy dressing.  Add the lemon juice to make the dressing more runny.
• Combine the salad greens in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and lightly mix with the lettuce
• Cook the haloumi cheese last as you want the slices nice and hot when they go on the salad. Just place on the bbq which should be at the low setting. If the grill is a bit dry you can add the final tablespoon of olive oil.
• I prefer the haloumi lightly cooked with a little bit of browning and still soft. It can be cooked further and be firm to the touch. Comes down to preference. Place the cheese on paper towels to drain once cooked. 
• Once you have cooked the cheese start to pull the salad together. I used a platter and layered the lettuce.  I then layered the veges next and then the haloumi. I added the lamb on top and sprinkled with pine nuts which I lightly toasted in a frying pan with no oil until lightly brown. Finally I seasoned the salad and then I sprinkled the remaining dressing on top. 

You don't have to use basil pesto try different kinds and you will have a different taste in the salad each time. I love sun dried tomato pesto and capsicum pesto as dressings as well and you can get them all in the supermarket if you don't want to start from scratch. Also you can make extra to serve on the side. 

Enjoy

Me xx

Easy peasy Seafood Chowder

Hi everyone

I had a request for easy recipes from a friend and a seafood chowder recipe specifically. So this one is for you Gill :)

I found the basis for this recipe when in Hawaii on one of the remote islands. Ingredients bar seafood were limited so there was no point trying to make the chowder from scratch. This seafood chowder is simple and takes about 10-20 mins to prepare and about the same to cook.  The secret is using a base soup in this case a potato concentrate e.g. Campbells or Watties.

Ingredients are:

1/2 cup butter
1 stalk celery, minced 
1 small onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh I love fresh thyme)
3 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups milk (or more if you like a thinner soup) or if you prefer a creamier soup you can reduce the milk by half or just a half a cup and add cream instead.
2 cans condensed cream of potato soup (undiluted) - if you can't find plain potato then potato and leek is yummy too
Seafood - peeled shrimps, mussels, fish (go with fish thats more likely to hold together e.g. gurnard or snapper), scallops etc 
Salt and pepperchopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

So its all pretty easy. Melt the butter in a big saucepan and sauté the onion and celery until tender (leave the celery out if you have someone that hates the taste of celery in my case both husband and son). 

Add cayenne and thyme along with flour and stir until smooth making a roux of sorts. Don't let it burn!

Add milk (cream if using) and condensed soup. Stir until hot. Clean and chop seafood as you like. When soup is hot add seafood and stir on medium heat until seafood is cooked through. Season.

Serve in bowls topped with a sprinkle of parsley and enjoy

Me xx

Something different

Hi everyone

On summer days we like sometimes to have something different from the usual bbq fare.  One of Scotts favorites is bbq marinated lamb rack or cutlets with a spinach and chickpea curry.  It sounds exotic but it is easy to do and is yummy.

Ingredients are:

12 lamb cutlets (you can cook a rack but I prefer cutlets because they are quicker to cook on the bbq)

Marinade for cutlets

1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of paprika (sweet smoked is best if you can get it)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Spinach and chickpea curry

500gm spinach washed and stalks removed, then roughly ripped up.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
1 red capsicum thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon each of curry powder, cinnamon, coriander and turmeric
pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
250 mls thick plain yoghurt
1/2 cup chicken stock
400gm tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed
salt and pepper


With the cutlets trim off any excess fat and add to the combined marinade ingredients. Leave in the fridge for half an hour or more.  Once ready heat the bbq till its hot and cook the cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side depending on how you like your lamb cooked. Once cooked season and set aside on a plate cover with foil or baking paper and let rest for 5 minutes. Note if you don't have a bbq you can cook the lamb in a frying pan.

For the curry heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, capsicums and garlic.  Cook until tender. Then add all the spices and the tomato paste.  Cook for 2 minutes just to combine and cook the spices. Add the spinach in batches, adding more as the spinach wilts slightly. Add the chickpeas and stir into the mixture for a minute ensuring the chickpeas are coated. Then add the chicken stock cook for a couple of minutes and then take off the heat and fold in the yoghurt.  I do that so it doesn't curdle. Taste and season if required. Gently warm the curry through for a few minutes but don't let it boil. Put the curry in a low bowl or platter and place the cutlets on top. Any juices that come out of the lamb while resting can be tipped over the top. Final flourish sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander over the top and enjoy.

Me xx

One of the three things my mum could cook

Hi everyone

Ive said my adopted mum wasn't a great cook. Three of the things she could cook however were tomato relish, apple pie and banana cake.  We all loved her banana cake and when I left home Id make it in roasting dishes as it would disappear that quickly. I slowly changed her recipe slightly to suit me and now its really more my own then hers.

So I will say simply what I don't like with banana cakes..I dont like dry and dense. Soo I have two tricks. I use ripe bananas that Ive frozen and thawed it keeps the cake beautifully moist and nothing like your bake sale banana cake. Secondly I don't beat the cake much when Im putting the flour in..more fold then beat. That comes from being diagnosed with arthritis when young. I can't beat anything and with this cake its been a great change to the original recipe method.

Ingredients for a simple small cake are:

125gm butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
4-5 thawed ripe bananas mashed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

So do the usual things when making a cake. Start with putting the oven on 180' C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin. You can line the base with baking paper too.

Cream butter and sugar - I soften the butter first as I can't beat the butter and sugar physically. If its a little melted Ive found its not the end of the world. I just get the sugar and butter together and combine so its well mixed and hopefully light and fluffy and cool (as you don't want scrambled eggs when you add them). Add the eggs then one at a time mixing well between each egg.  Add the banana and mix. Stir the baking soda to the hot milk. It should froth up. Add to the mixture.

In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder together. Note if using self raising flour (I do when I suddenly realize I don't have standard flour in the pantry) I always still add at least half a teaspoon of baking powder just to make sure the cake will rise. Now fold the flour into the mixture a small amount at a time. Don't beat in. When Ive made a big cake Ive actually been known to put the mixture into the roasting dish Im cooking it in without the flour and then just added in the flour in the pan before putting it in the oven stirring a bit till combined, thats how little you play with the mixture. My view is that is why Id never use a food mixer or anything to make this cake because they over beat the cake and make it dense.

If you are like me and don't do small cakes you will want closer to the multiples of 1 1/2 cups of flour then the 2 cups when increasing the ingredients for a bigger cake. The mixture should be still slightly wet and not like a dough. If its dry and dough like then theres too much flour in the mixture and the cake will be dense.

Bake for 40-50 minutes generally although I always check it as different ovens will require different cooking times. I usually put a skewer into the centre just to make sure its cooked. Crumbs should come out with the skewer rather then wet mixture. Once cooked leave in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn on a wire rack.  When cold I ice with lemon cream cheese icing yummy

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family has

Me xx

Pasta..but not as you know it

Hi everyone

I love pasta but get bored with your standard spag bol..and lord knows I won't use a basic spag bol sauce from a can when I do cook it (its one of the son's favorites so has to be on the menu). Soo I do try and do other things with it.

When I can I use italian made pasta. You can get it in the supermarkets now and there is amazing pasta if you look for it in your mediterranean shops and delis. Its also easy to make but thats another discussion.

Tomato

So Ill give you the recipe I use for my tomato pasta sauce.

Some dried mushrooms - ceps or porcini. Soaked for half an hour in 2 tablespoons of boiling water. If you don't have them then chop up some fresh mushrooms.
1 tablespoon of butter
55gm pancetta diced
1 small onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 small carrots diced
2 celery sticks diced
300g mince beef
1 pinch of salt
nutmeg
1 tablespoon tomato paste
125 ml red wine
250g passata. Tomato sauce base you can get in most supermarkets
salt and pepper

Fry the pancetta in the butter. Add the onion and garlic and fry till soft but not brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the beef and brown. Season with salt and pepper a pinch of sugar and some nutmeg. Add the tomato paste and then the red wine and passata.

If using dried take the mushrooms from the water , reserving the liquid and thinly slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms (fresh or dried) to your sauce. Pour the reserved mushroom liquid through a sieve into the tomato sauce. Cook sauce over a low heat for an hour and check seasoning before you serve. Serve with your preferred pasta.  Note you can make the beef into meatballs instead of just as mince or you can leave the beef out. If you make with meat balls make the sauce without the beef and brown the meatballs before adding to the sauce in the last 10 minutes of cooking.  If you do leave the beef out completely add 1/4 cup of beef stock for taste.

Stir the sauce through your preferred pasta or use as a base for lasagna.

Creamy Mushroom

I admit Im not a big tomato fan so I tend to use other sauces too. For my mushroom sauce that I have with tortellini or ravioli  (although its just as nice with a fettucine) I use:

A mix of mushrooms - dried and fresh.  With the dried I rehydrate in some boiling water for half an hour. About 400gms should be about right, sliced.
50gm pancetta diced
30gm butter
30mls olive oil or if you can get it garlic oil
1 clove of garlic diced if you can't get the garlic oil
30mls white wine
4 tablespoons mascapone cheese - italian cheese that you can get in the specialty cheese or by the cream and sour cream in the supermarket :)
salt and pepper
tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley

Heat the butter and oil. Add the garlic if using and stir for a minute. Add the mushrooms nd cook for 3 minutes over a medium heat. Add the wine to the pan and turn the mushrooms. Let the wine reduce for a couple of minutes but not so much that the pan goes dry.  Then take the pan off the heat and add the mascapone, stirring. Once stirred in put back on a low heat for a minute to warm through. Add the pasta to the pan and toss. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Something different

Now finally here is a recipe with a bit of difference. I saw a version of it in a magazine and have played with it to make it more my own. Sorry Sue its got peas in it so if you don't like them, leave out and add a tablespoon of pesto instead of the peas and mint.

20gm butter
1 onion finely chopped
3 sausages - I like lamb but pork is fine too
2 tablespoons of mint, chopped
250 gms fettucine
250 gms peas
125gm mascapone
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
40gm parmesan grated

Cook the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft. Squeeze the meat out of the sausages and add the cooked onion and mint if using and mix well. Form small meatballs (2.4cm approx)
from the mixture and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions and drain reserving a 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Cook the peas on salted boiling water for 5 minutes until tender, then drain well. Return peas to pan and crush lightly with a fork. Lightly so not until mush your just releasing the flavor of the peas. Stir in the mascapone (pesto if using) and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan you cooked the onions in and cook the meatballs.  Turn them on all sides for 3-4 minutes until brown. Then add the pasta, pea mixture, pasta water and remaining oil. Season and toss over a medium heat until combined and heated through.

When serving top with the parmesan.

Enjoy

Me xx

Gotta love fried chicken..karaage anyone?

Hi there

When we have friends over I love to put on nibbles for everyone to enjoy as they settle in and grab a glass of wine or beer. A favorite is fried chicken made with a japanese inspired marinade. The japanese call their fried chicken karaage and its awesome with the asian mayo you can buy at the supermarket these days.

There are lots of different recipes around for japanese fried chicken.  Mine is:

1 kg of chicken thighs without skin or bone.

Marinade
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine) or sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce - you can use japanese but I just use old fashioned kikkoman
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 cloves garlic


Cornflour for coating
oil for deep frying (I use canola or something like that)

So how to do it.  Cut the thighs into strips or cubes depending on what you like..bite sized is the main thing. Combine all the marinade into a non metallic bowl and add the chicken. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour or so.

Fill a deep fryer or large pan with oil. Heat to 180 degrees.

Drain the chicken from the marinade and coat in the cornflour.  Fry in batches for 5 minutes and then pull out.  They should be nicely golden and cooked. Once they are all cooked I sometimes put them back in the fryer for an extra 2 minutes just to give it that extra crunch.

Drain and enjoy

Me xx

Peas, pancetta and onions

Hi there

Sometimes I get sick of salads sometimes I want something different to go with my summer dinner. Sometimes hubby starts complaining he's turning into a rabbit.

There are other delicious spring and summer veges that can make wonderful side dishes. One of Scotts favorites is braised peas and onions with pancetta.  It sounds like a winter dish I know and of course you can have it that way..but try it as a side with bbq or roasted chicken and it is yummy!

Recipe is pretty simple

25g butter
100gm pancetta chopped up
2 onions (I like red for color but brown are fine) cut into quarters or sliced whatever you like
few sprigs of thyme
2 cups peas thawed if frozen
150 to 200 mls chicken stock

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions. Toss and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.  I often put a lid on to almost steam them  for the last 5 minutes and keep them moist. It also reduces the risk that they will burn. Take the lid off and add the pancetta and let it cook for 3 mins. Add the thyme, peas and chicken stock. Season well and simmer for almost 5-6 mins until the peas are tender and the stock has mostly cooked off.

Enjoy

Me xx

Summer bbq chicken

Hi everyone

Its raining here but that doesn't stop me yearning for summer days and bbq. I love bbq chicken. Im always worried though about the chicken not cooking through or getting too dry as I make sure its fully cooked.  For me that means I think about marinade and I think about the cut of chicken.

Its not as healthy as breast per see but I use chicken thigh when cooking on the bbq. I do that because theres more fat in it and less likelihood of it drying out. Also I often make chicken skewers - again to reduce the cooking time.  But for dinner for the family Ill use whole thigh. Depending on what Im doing with it Ill use it with bone and skin on, or without.

If Im using a marinade Ill often use what evers in the fridge and pantry to make something up.  I love yogurt marinades for skewers or with boneless and skinless thigh meat. If making skewers cut the raw meat up either into cubes or strips for easy stringing on the skewers.

A good yogurt marinade recipe I use:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
juice and zest of a lemon or lime
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

If you don't like yogurt then maybe a soy marinade:

1/3 cup of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of sweet chill sauce
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of ginger

Mix the ingredients together and then add the chicken and coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (the worlds not going to end if its not overnight. Im never that organized).

When your ready to cook the chicken take it out of the marinade - if your cooking whole thigh then season and cook on  a preheated medium grill until golden brown and fully cooked. If your making skewers string the chicken on metal or  pre soaked bamboo skewers. Mix and match with some veges between the chicken or just stick to the meat. Again cook on a preheated medium grill turning to get all the pieces cooked.

If your cooking pieces of chicken with skin on or a whole chicken on a rotisserie then give the chicken some extra moisture and flavor under the skin. Mix a bit of softened butter with herbs or softened butter with 1/2 teaspoon of five spice and lift the skin on the chicken.  Insert some of the butter under the skin and then if your using a rotisserie smother the rest of the butter over the chicken and cook.  When Im using chicken pieces I melt a little butter with some olive oil and use that to baste the chicken as I cook it on the bbq. Again medium preheated grill and cook until done.  Ok so its not the healthiest but sooo yummy.  I appease my healthy gene by having lots of salad sides lol.

Enjoy

Me xx

Lets go - whats in a salad?

The post xmas bulge - time to eat better I guess..but who wants to be a rabbit?

My mum used to make the old iceberg lettuce, quartered tomatoes and hard boiled eggs covered in a dressing made of condensed milk and malt vinegar.  Any healthiness was demolished by the dressing..not great culinary memories for me.

It took me a long time to look at a salad with anything close to enthusiasm. I like interesting salads - roasted veges with haloumi, spicy salad mix or a rocket, endive, mustard greens with a hazelnut or walnut dressing. Maybe an asian style slaw.

So whats in a nice salad?

Answer is whatever you want it to be. I go with whatever I have in the fridge.  For the young ones - weekend markets are cool and cheap. Nothing like getting a good coffee and wandering around the stalls getting vege, cheese, bread and meat.

For an easy vege salad I combine colors so I use eggplant, zucchini, red capsicums, red onions, garlic cloves (optional not all like the strong taste and smell). I cut the veges into strips and put them in a bowl with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss and then cook on a heated BBQ grill. Not too cooked i.e. burnt but not raw. once cooked I toss with some rocket and dress with a pesto dressing. You can make the pesto - a green leaf - basil, baby spinach, or rocket, garlic, a nut (pine nut, cashew, walnut or other) blitzed in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Once combined add olive oil and parmesan and gently stir together to combine. Season and taste. Or just by some in the supermarket - you can pick the standards or go for something different in a sun dried tomato pesto or a red capsicum pesto.

When using as a dressing you may want to add a small amount of extra oil to allow it to coat the veges easily. Not too much or you will end up with ail and not a lot of tasty salad. Toss and season the salad.

For a green salad I combine salad leaves - again I like the peppery tastes of rocket and mustard leaves. Mix with some red onion and cherry tomatoes cut in half. I dry toast some pine nuts or hazelnuts too. I love to have this salad with bbq lamb - cutlets, or butterflied leg yum!. When I do then the dressing is a hazelnut raspberry dressing. Generally the recipe is to taste little bit of this and a bit more of that But a basic recipe is:

3 tablespoons of hazel nut oil
1 tablespoon of raspberry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of castor sugar
1 tablespoon of water

The water softens that tartness of the dressing. You can add and take away from this recipe - replace the sugar with salt or add a bit of dijon mustard as well.

Presentation wise I bbq the butterflied leg or cutlets. Once rested I slice it.  I arrange a bed of the salad on a platter and place the slices of lamb on top. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts and drizzled with the dressing. I have more salad on the side. Enjoy!

Me xx

2013 Here We Come

So its a new year and a chance to do and try new things. This year we will be trying new foods and will post recipes we try test and enjoy. We have a core group of friends and family we test and trying things on..poor things and this year will be no exception.

We plan to publish recipes and welcome comments and thoughts.