Dinner for Jo and Harvey - Main - Chicken in White Wine Sauce

This is a great french casserole style dish. I served it with rice, sauteed peas and baked potatoes for this dinner (it was a week night so for time reasons I skipped the entree and made up for it with 3 sides with the main).

Ingredients

-          50 gm button mushrooms

-          2 tbsp hazelnuts

-          2 chicken breasts

-          8 chicken lovely legs

-           (2/3 cup) seasoned plain flour

-          40 gm butter, coarsely chopped

-          1 onion, thinly sliced

-          1  carrot, thinly sliced

-          1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

-          4  garlic cloves, lightly crushed

-          150 ml dry pinot gricio and the more yellow the better for this recipe

-          100 ml pouring cream

Method

1.       Dust chicken in seasoned flour, shake off excess, add to pan, seal on all sides until golden (6-8 minutes), remove and place in slow cooker set aside.

2.       Add butter, add vegetables and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (5-6 minutes).

3.       Add 2 tbsp raw hazelnut kernels

4.       Add 2 cups white wine (dry pinot gricio)

5.       Add 1 cup chicken stock

6.       Bring pan to the boil

7.       Pour vegetable/hazelnut/wine/stock mix into slow cooker. Cook for several hours

8.       Remove vegetables (discard), and put the liquid into a saucepan

9.       Put chicken in a casserole dish and put a lid over it to keep warm

10.   Bring the saucepan to the boil and reduce by two-thirds (2-3 minutes), add cream and mushrooms, gently simmer for 10 minutes.

11.   Cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and stand for 10 minutes.

12.   Pour sauce over chicken

13.   Serve

Dinner for Tracy - Salad - Green Veg

Chop to same size:

-          Roast waxy potatoes in onion, garlic, salt and pepper

-          Boil in separate batches of salted water

o   Zucchini

o   Peas

o   Asparagus

o   Beans

-          When cooled stir through

o   Fresh mint

o   Dried ricotta (or shredded feta)

o   Good Olive Oil

Dinner for Tracy - Dessert - Ricotta Cheesecake Moulds

I've promised myself id put the good, the bad and the ugly in this blog. This dessert tasted good but darn it looked ugly! It dropped significantly after cooking. Note to self - always do this recipe in a tin.

Cheesecake – Ricotta Cheesecake - Annick's Recipe

8" spring form pan

Crust

-    1 cup honey flavoured tiny teddy crumbs (1 x 200g packet makes well over 1 cup)

-    1/4 cup regular or raw sugar

-    1/4 cup butter

-    All the above together with hands and press in bottom of pan

-    Bake at 165 for 5 mins in fan forced oven.

Filling

-    500g cottage cheese

-    3 eggs

-    3/4 cup sugar

-    1 tsp vanilla

-    Cream in blender or with hand mixer and pour over crust.

-    Bake at 165 for 45 mins or until cooked.

After

-    Cool well. Can be frozen.

Top with:

- Whatever you prefer

Fruit

Butterscotch sauce

Ingredients for Butterscotch sauce:

-          50g butter

-          1 cup (220g) brown sugar

-          1 cup (250ml) cream

-          1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1.       Combine butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in small saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

2.       Bring sauce to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

3.       To serve, slice the hot pudding into individual pieces, top with butterscotch sauce

Recipe - Bolognese Sauce - Chicken

Serves: 4-6

Recipe:

•  2 tbsp olive oil
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g chicken, minced
• 4 rashes of bacon, rind removed, minced 
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 x 400 gm canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil or oregano)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil till translucent
2. Add the minced chicken and bacon and cook until starting to colour
3. Add white wine
4. When the white wine has mostly evaporated add tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, herbs, Salt and pepper
5. Cook for approx 40 minutes on medium - medium/high heat so liquid is evaporating as you go

Napoletana pasta sauce

There are so many recipes out there for Napoletana pasta sauce but this is how I do it. I use it for parmigianas and pasta sauce.

INGREDIENTS

-       1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil

-       1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely

-       3 cloves garlic, crushed

-       20 lge basil leaves chopped

-       1 teaspoon sea salt

-       1 tbsp tomato paste

-       1kg ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely

METHOD

1.       Put the ontion and garlic in a small food processor to chop (or hand chop if you prefer)

2.       Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil till brown

3.        Add tomatos

4.       Add half the basil and salt

5.       Add paste

6.       bring to the boil then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes or until sauce thickens.

7.       Stir in a little oil and remaining basil

8.       simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Makes 4 cups.

NOTE: the sauce will keep, covered, under refrigeration for up to three days. Freeze sauce in sealed containers for up to three months.

Better Baked Beans

One of my own recipes xo

Serves 6

Ingredients:

-       3 x 400g cans cannelloni beans

-       Extra virgin olive oil

-       1 brown onion, finely chopped

-       2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

-       1 stick celery, strings removed, diced

-       1 tbsp thyme

-       2 cups chicken stock

-       4 good quality sausages

-       6 tbsp tomato paste

-       1 tsp tobacco

Method:

1. Fry the sausages in a large pot in the olive oil, when cooked remove and chop up
2. Sautee onion, garlic, celery and thyme
3. Add the cannelloni beans
4. Retrun the chopped sausages to the pot
5. Add chicken stock, tomato paste and tobacco
6. Simmer for atleast 40 mins

Recipe - White Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake - Whole cake or individual serves

The below recipe is for the full cheesecake. 

However, if you'd like to do individual serves, simply halve the recipe and used individual moulds (and decreased the cooking time). It will make 6 or 7. Adding a simple cherry coulis is also a nice touch.

Ingredients:

-            Melted Butter for greasing

-            220g white cooking chocolate

-            3 tbsp Baileys

-            1000g cream cheese

-            1 1/3 cups caster sugar

-            4 eggs

-            120g  tiny teddies crushed

-            400g frozen cherries

-            ¼ cup pure icing sugar, sifted

-            1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients:

1.      Thoroughly defrost the cherries

2.      Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

3.      Brush a 24cm spring form tin with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.

4.      Roughly chop the chocolate and put in heatproof basin. Sit the basin over simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the basin from the simmering water and set aside for the chocolate to cool to lukewarm

5.      Remove the cream cheese from the packaging, roughly chop and put in a large mixing bowl.

6.      Beat cream cheese until smooth then add the caster sugar and beat for 1 – 2 minutes.

7.      Lightly beat the eggs and add to the bowl with the Baileys and cooled chocolate, beat for 1 -2 minutes or until well combined. Spoon half the cream cheese mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the crushed tiny teddies.

8.      Scatter the cherries evenly over the layer of crushed biscuits.

9.      Carefully spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture over the cherries.

10.   Smooth the top using a spatula.

11.   Sit the tin on a baking tray and bake for 40 – 50 mins or until just set.

12.   Remove tin from the oven and stand on a wire rack to cool.

13.   When cool refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

14.   Dust the cheesecake with icing sugar and cinnamon just before serving

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Fish with Fennell and Seafood

Ingredients

-     Olive oil

-     Tbsp chopped Rosemary

-     2 sml fennel bulbs

-     2 Spanish onions

-     1 clove garlic

-     1 small chilli

-     1 can diced tomatoes

-     Saffron

-     ¼ cup parsley

-     1 tsp sherry vinegar

-     1 cup fish stock

-     a dozen prawns or muscles

-       4 pieces of thick fish

Method

1.    Sauté Olive oil, Rosemary, fennel, Spanish onions,  garlic and chilli

2.    Add tomatoes, Saffro, parsley, sherry vinegar, fish stock

3.    Simmer then add prawns/muscles and fish

4.    Place lid on a  turn down

5.    Take seafood out as it becomes ready

Serve

-     Sauce on bottom

-     Prawns/Muscles round the edge

-     Fish in centre

-    Sprinkle with parsley

-    Serve with rice

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Stuffed Capsicums

When using the below quantities it stuffs 8 whole capsicums but I modified this recipe to make it an entree. I served the dish in halves vs wholes.

Ingredients:

-        500 gm chicken breast. cut into 2cm pieces

-        2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-        60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

-        4 cloves of garlic. thinly sliced

-        2 tbsp marjoram leaves

-        2 tbsp salted baby capers. rinsed

-        8 baby red capsicum

Method:

1.         In a large nonreactive container combine chicken, balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive air. Garlic. Marjoram leaves and capers. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

2.         Place capsicum on an oven tray and cook at 180C for 15 minutes or until skin wrinkles and just starts to colour. Remove capsicum to a plastic bag and seal. Stand for 10 minutes, then peel skin and remove seeds.

3.         Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add half the marinated chicken and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove. Cool and repeat with remaining chicken. Process cooled chicken in a food processor until finely chopped and season to taste.

4.         Spoon chicken mixture into capsicum cavities and place in a greased roasting pan. Cook at 180C for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Salad With Sundried Tomato Dressing

Off memory I saw this salad on Huey's Cooking? And, I love love LOVE it!!!!

Salad

-    Baby spinach leaves

-    Whole cucumber

-    Mint leaves

-    Toasted pine nuts

-    Shaved Parmesan

-    Squeeze over half a lemon

Dressing

-    3 tbsp olive oil

-    1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-    5-6 sun dried tomatoes

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - White Sangria

White Sangria

·      1 btl Sauvignon Blanc

·      300 ml lemonade

·      300ml Apple Juice

·      Vodka to taste

·      fruits 

Prawn Saganaki

Prawn Saganaki

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

·         4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

·         4 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped

·         Sprinkle of chilli

·         ½ cup dry white wine

·         1 tbsp thyme

·         2 fresh bay leaf

·         60 gm Greek feta

·         200g prawns, peeled, cleaned

1.       Preheat oven to 220C.

2.       Heat oil in an oven safe frypan over medium-high heat,

3.       add onion and garlic and sauté until starting to soften (2-3 minutes),

4.       Add tomato and chilli and sauté until starting to soften (2-3 minutes).

5.       Add wine and herbs and reduce until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).

6.       Crumble feta over top, transfer fry pan to oven and roast until sauce thickens and feta begins to melt (15 minutes).

7.       Remove from oven, gently push prawns into sauce, return to oven and roast until prawns are cooked through (3-5 minutes).

8.        Serve hot with crusty white bread and green salad, if desired.

Chicken Kebabs - Shish Taouk

Chicken Kebabs - Shish Taouk.doc

-       1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

-       3 garlic cloves, minced

-       2 tablespoons olive oil

-       2 tablespoons lemon juice

-       1 tablespoon baharat, spice

-       2 tablespoons tomato paste

-       1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)

-       1 teaspoon salt

-       1/2 teaspoon black pepper

-       12 -15 bamboo skewers, soaked

Directions:

1      Soak bamboo skewers, if using, for about an hour (soak extra and freeze any unused ones for later).

2      Stir together ingredients and allow chicken to marinate in it for at least an hour, preferably more.

3      Skewer chicken.

4      Cook skewers on the grill or under the broiler until cooked through (time will vary with size of chunks).

Salmon and Sweet Potato Curry

• 2 medium pieces of salmon cut into large chunks
• 2 tablespoons of curry powder or curry paste
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon castor sugar
• 500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 400 ml coconut milk
• snowpeas
• Lime juice
• Chilli (optional)
• fresh coriander
• ½ a mango (optional)
• Steamed Rice to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in frypan
2. Add onion and chilli and fry approx 2 minutes
3. Add ginger, garlic, chopped coriander stalks
4. Add sweet potatoes
5. Add coconut milk
6. Stir in curry, fish sauce, castor sugar
7. Allow to cook for 20 minutes
8. Add salmon, snow peas and pureed mango and cook for a further 5 mins
9. Season with lime juice, scatter with coriander leaves and serve with the rice.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Sangria

Manou's recipe: 1 btl R wine; 300 ml lemonade; 300ml OJ; add 3ple sec + fruits

 

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Mushy Peas

Saute garlic and shallots in butter then add peas and chicken stock. When peas are cooked, remove and blend slightly.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Coq au vin

I honestly cant remember where I first came across this recipe but French food is one of my favourite cuisines, given we have French in the family. So, however this recipe started I have made it my own over the years. Serves 4.

Coq au vin Serves 4 – serve with rice or mashed potatoes

-        2 tbsp olive oil

-        90 gm butter, coarsely chopped

-        1.6 kg free-range chicken, jointed

-        150gm piece of pancetta, cut into 1 cm pieces

-        2 fresh bay leaves

-        2 sprigs of thyme (I teaspoon if using dried)

-        8 small pickling onions

-        1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

-        3 cups red wine

-        2 cups chicken stock

-        3 parsley stalks

-        2 small heads of garlic halved lengthways

-        1 tbsp plain flour

-        200 gm mixed small mushrooms such as pine, Swiss brown and button, trimmed

-        125 ml (1/2 cup) brandy, warmed

1.    Turn on slow cooker

2.    Have both a frypan and casserole dish on the stove top with the empty casserole dish on low heat

3.    In the fry pan, heat oil and 20gm butter over medium high heat, add chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

4.    Add pancetta to the fry pan and cook through, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

5.    Add onions to the fry pan and cook until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish

6.     Brandy over the chicken, pancettea and onions (all in the casserole dish), and ignite with a long match. When flames are extinguished, add wine, stock, herbs and garlic and season to taste. Bring to the boil.

7.    Transfer chicken, onions, and pancetta into the slow cooker

8.    Cook time as per slow cookers instruction guide (mine is overnight on low or 5 hours on high)

9.    When ready, strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve, discarding herbs and garlic. Heat sauce in clean casserole and simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. Combine flour and 20gm butter into a paste, whisk into sauce and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

10. Heat 50gm butter in a frying pan add mushrooms, cook until golden, season to taste and set aside.

11. To serve, return chicken, pancetta, onions and mushrooms to sauce and cook for 5 minutes, turning to coat and warm through. Serve chicken and sauce scattered with parsley.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - The Chicken Stock

I need stock for my Onion Soup so trialing this stock combo:

You will need:

-          Approx 2 kg bones/carcasses

-          2 onions, coarsely chopped

-          1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

-          1 carrot, coarsely chopped

-          1 leek, white part only, coarsely chopped

-          2 cloves garlic

-          Half bunch parsley stems

-          2  bay leaves

-          2 tsp thyme

Method:

1.       Preheat oven to 180C.

2.       Remove as much fat as possible from the bones/carcasses

3.       Roast bones/carcasses for XXXX minutes

4.       When done, remove and add to slow cooker

5.       Add to the roasting pan: 2 onions, celery, carrot, leek, garlic and roast vegetables in the oven until they change colour (approx XXX mins)

6.       Add to slow cooker and add cold water to cover all.

7.       Add Half bunch parsley stems, bay leaves, thyme

8.       Cook for approx 8 hours

9.       When the stock is ready, strain it and can use immediately or Cool and refrigerate

Tip # keep looking for fat and remove it by scooping out or letting a sheet of baking paper attract it.