Recipe - Slow Cooker Chicken with Tomato, Spinach and Chick Peas

 

Ingredients

·         1 bunch of English Spinach, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 onion, diced

·         1 bunch of shallots, chopped

·         2 ripe tomatoes or 400g tomato passata

·         1 small red chilli (seed removed), thinly chopped

·         1 cups of chicken stock

·         400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed

·         1kg chicken – combination of thigh fillets and skinless legs

 

Method

1.       Preheat slow cooker on high

2.       Add to slow cooker the garlic, onion, shallots and chilli and leave it for 20 minutes (i.e. when these ingredients have softened)

3.       Add spinach and leave it for 10 minutes (i.e. when the spinach has wilted)

4.       Add tomatoes, stock and chickpeas (in their juice) and leave for 20 minutes (i.e. when the mixture is warm)

5.       Immerse chicken pieces in the liquid

6.       Pending on your slow cooker the cooking time will be anywhere from 4 hours – 6 hours. So, allow maybe 7 hours cook time as you can switch the slow cooker off at any time beforehand and resting (for even multiple hours) won’t affect it. In fact, it will make it better J

7.       Serve with rice or even risoni

 

Recipe - Red Velvet Cupcakes

You'll need

• 1 beetroot (from 200gm - 300 gm range works)
• 60 gm dark cooking chocolate
• 60 gm milk cooking chocolate
• 200 gm butter, grated
• 100 gm caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 tsp red food colouring (or more if you'd like really intense colour)
• 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
• 25 gm (¼ cup) Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. If the beetroot is fresh, cook beetroot in a saucepan of boiling water until tender (40 minutes to 1 hour), then set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel. Or skip this stage and use a Love Beets beetroot (give it a good rinse and soak for 5 mins)
3. Transfer beetroot to a food processor and blend to a smooth purée
4. Melt chocolate - either by cooking on 1 on induction, or in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly
5. Meanwhile, beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and creamy, then add yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition
6. Add beetroot purée and food colouring, sieve flour, cocoa and baking powder over and fold to combine
7. Add chocolate
8. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl to soft peaks, then fold into chocolate mixture. 
9. Spoon into a 12-cup muffin tray lined with paper cases and bake until an inserted skewer withdraws clean (20-25 minutes). 
10. Set aside to cool.
11. I served mine with cream cheese icing and shaved chocolate

Recipe - Lamington Butter Cake

This would have to be one of the simplest, quickest and tastiest cakes you could make! Even a novice will nail it.

Ingredients - Cake

·         125g Butter or Margarine

·         ¾ cup caster sugar

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         2 eggs

·         2 cups self-raising flour

·         ½ cup milk

Ingredients - Icing

·         1 cup icing sugar

·         I tbsp coco powder

·         1 tsp butter

·         Desiccated coconut

Method - Cake

·         Preheat oven to 180

·         Cream butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy

·         Beat eggs slightly then add to butter mixture. Beat to combine

·         Sift flour and fold into mixture alternately with milk. Beat well

·         Fold into square tin (that’s lined with baking paper)

·         bake for ½ hour

·         Test to see if cooked by pricking with skewer. If it comes out clean then cake is cooked

·         Let cool slightly then turn out onto wire rack to cool

·         Ice only when cool

Method - Icing

·         Sift dry ingredients

·         Add butter

·         Mix to paste with boiling water – a little at a time i.e. start with a tablespoon

·         Sprinkle liberally with coconut whilst icing is still wet

Review - Etica Ethical Pizzeria - Adelaide

Any restaurant that focuses on seasonal produce and ethics gets my vote any day!

Tucked away in one of the more quieter streets, this was a terrific find. The ingredients are truly the stars, which allows for decor to be understated with a bit of funk, and the open kitchen adds to the vibe.

If you don't feel like drinking ... go another time as you simply must have a signature cocktail.

If you only want a slice of pizza as you're not so peckish ... go another time as, if you order 2 pizzas, they bring them to you already half/half and you must must must try both.

And ... you also must try a side salad - all of them perfectly compliment the pizzas and with the produce being so fresh you can't not experience what a salad tastes like when it is the freshest of the fresh.

Desserts didn't excite me so much but everything else makes that very easily forgivable.

A must go-to.

http://www.eticapizzeria.com.au/

Check out what we ate in the attached pics.

Recipe - Ultra Moist Banana Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 Cloves

2 very ripe bananas

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1.       Preheat oven to 190 degrees.

2.       Line a loaf tin with baking paper

3.       Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.

4.       Add egg, and beat until well combined.

5.       Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, into the mixture

6.       Add buttermilk

7.       Add vanilla

8.       Chop the banana into the mixture and just lightly whisk so some little banana pieces still remain for texture

9.        Pour batter into pan

10.   After 20 minutes quickly take cake out and push the 6 cloves into the top, then quickly return to oven

11.   Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean

12.   When cooked, let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

13.   Flip cake to cool on wire rack.

14.   Eat hot or even cold

Review - The Bentley - Sydney

Oh … wow … this is a must for any foodie that wants to experience dishes that you just can’t get anywhere else in Sydney.

The décor is cool and a but edgy and the wait staff are extremely attentive and professional but still down to earth so if you do ask for a tip on how the dish is intended to be eaten you’re not looked down upon. Once word gets out about here … I promise you it will take months to get a booking … it’s THAT good.

We started with the Cured Kingfish + Coriander Vinaigrette & the Scallop + Fois Gras which you have to taste to believe … the closest I have experienced to this amazing sensation was the creations of Oscillate Wildly, Newtown.

For mains we had Mulloway + Baby Turnip + Jamon + Amaranth & Morton Bay Bugs + John Dory + Shellfish Broth … again sensational and second to none.

For dessert we had Aerated Chocolate + Fig Leaf Ice-Cream + Lemon Aspen & White Chocolate + Apple Sorbet + Fennel. You will not find this calibre anywhere else in Sydney, it’s just pure genius.

We had a bottle of Rose throughout the meal and the bill was $240. Really, I think the value is outstanding!

I can’t wait to go back and absolutely recommend here. Run ... don't walk ... you will need to make that booking as I said!!!

http://www.thebentley.com.au

Recipe - CousCous Salad

Serves eight as a side dish (if it’s the only side dish).

Ingredients

Vegetables

You really can choose 4 vegetables that complement each other. Today I used

·         Mushrooms

·         Green Capsicum

·         Pumpkin

·         Eggplant

o   You could also use chickpeas and/or Spanish onion but I’d still keep it to 4 so there’s not too much going on

·         4 cloves garlic

·         1 tbsp. fresh ginger

·         1 tbsp. cumin seeds

·         Salt and pepper

·         5 tbsp. olive oil

·         1 cup quick-cooking couscous

·         1¼ cups boiling stock

·         70g Pinenuts

·         ¼ cup raisins

·         1¼ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock

·         Juice of 1 lime and half a lemon

·         ½ a bunch flat-leaf parsley , chopped

·         ½ a bunch flat-leaf coriander, chopped

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 200 degrees

2.     Dice all the vegetables into small pieces

3.     Place the garlic, fresh ginger, cumin seeds, Salt and pepper; and olive oil into a food processor and blend

4.     Mix the marinade through the vegetables, spread them across a baking tray then bake for approx. 30 mins – longer if needed

5.     Meanwhile, mix the couscous with the raisins in a bowl and pour over the boiling stock. COVER with a dish towel, plate or plastic wrap to seal in the steam and let sit for 5 minutes.

6.     FLUFF the couscous with a fork to separate the grains.

7.     Dry roast the pinenuts and stir them through the cous cous

8.     When vegetables are cooked, stir them through the cooked vegetables

9.     Just before serving (or can do 2-3 hours before) stir through the herbs and lime/lemon juice

This recipe can be prepared the day before

Recipe - Mushroom Quiche

 

You'll need

 

Pastry

·         2½ cups

·         plain flour

·         ½ tsp

·         sugar

·         1 tsp

·         salt

·         170 g

·         unsalted butter, diced

 

Filling

·         4 tbsp

·         unsalted butter

·         1 tbsp

·         olive oil plus extra for drizzling

·         1 red onion, finely sliced

·         2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·         500 g mixed mushrooms (or use one variety if desired), sliced

·         1 tbsp fresh thyme

·         2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

·         4 egg yolks

·         300 ml cream or crème fraîche

·         140 g parmesan cheese, grated

·         1 tsp grated nutmeg

 

To serve:

·         100g girolle mushrooms sautéed in a little butter until tender and a green salad

 

Method

1.       Preheat oven to 200°C.

2.       To make pastry, combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.

3.       Add half the butter and process for 30 seconds. Add remaining butter and process for 1 minute. Add about cup cold water and mix until large lumps form. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, bring mixture together to form a rough dough. Gently knead with heel of your hand for about 30 seconds or until dough has just combined. Flatten to a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

4.       Allow pastry to come to room temperature. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface and gently press into a 22cm flan tin with a removable base. Prick pastry with a fork then cover the base with a layer of baking paper and an even layer of dried beans. Blind bake pastry for 10-12 minutes or until lightly coloured. Remove from oven, cool and remove beans and paper. Turn down oven to 180°C.

Ø  Or if you don’t have time – cheat and buy premade short crust pastry and follow the instructions on the packet

5.       Meanwhile, to prepare the filling, heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and parsley for 10 minutes or until tender. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper then transfer to a bowl. Whisk egg yolks, cream, parmesan and nutmeg together in another bowl.

6.       Spread mushroom mixture evenly over the pastry case then pour the egg yolk and cream mixture over the mushrooms.

7.       Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until filling is tender and the top is golden. Remove from oven and serve warm or cold. Just before serving, sprinkle girolle mushrooms on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with a simple green salad.

 

This recipe is from the April/May 2012 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.

 

Review - Pino's Dolce Vita Fine Foods, Kogarah

What a find! A charcuterie in the St George area! Whether you need gourmet meat, gourmet sausages, small goods, gourmet grocery or a bite for lunch ... it is a one stop wonderland.

For lunch we chose the 3 sausages with salad option and the pasta with fresh tomatoes and cheese. It was simply produce at its best - the simplicity of the pasta showed off the fresh and fine ingredients, with the fresh pasta cooked to al dente perfection. The sausages were also amazing combining herbs with succulent mince.

Can't wait to go back and venture back here for my small goods purchases.

www.pinosdolcevita.com.au

Review - The Duck Republic, Cronulla

We were party of  2 for a Sunday lunch. Despite the website forewarning that you’re only likely to get a booking if you book 2 weeks ahead, we got a booking easily and while there we were there only 3 other tables were occupied

 

 

Entrees
 

I had Roast duck betel leaves, aromatic herbs, peanut praline, chilli & cucumber, char grilled pineapple jam- Italian buffalo mozzarella, pumpkin puree, pumpkin seed granola & mustard fruit. It was a nice entrée … a lot going on … the duck was overpowered by the very sweet caramelized onions.

 

 

Mum had Sashimi of Tasmanian salmon, shaved Port Lincoln cuttlefish, togaroshi, rock oyster, wakame & nashi pear. Again quite a nice dish – I had a taste and got an oyster. It definitely wasn’t freshly shucked so the texture wasn’t overly pleasant. But, that aside it was quite nice.

 

 

Mains
 

Mum had Char grilled Kilcoy eye fillet of beef, Paris mash, wilted spinach, thyme & garlic roast field mushrooms & red wine jus
 

I had Pan fried salmon fillet with sake braised vongole clams, pearl cous cous, black & white fungi.
 

Both mains were quite good – mum and I both wanted medium to rare in its truest form but got thoroughly cooked through steak and salmon so if you like medium to rare maybe request rare if you do want to see pink.
 

We didn’t need sides at all as the dishes came with sides and were good serves.

 

 

So, on www.eatability.com.au overall I’d say a 7 or 7.5 captures our meal
 

I do want to make a special point of saying how excellent the service was though – outstanding, attentive and extremely genuine. Service was a 10.
 

Critiques

We went on a rainy day so all windows were closed. There were only 3 other tables on the other side of the restaurant yet it was hard-to-hear noisy.
 

Only Rose on the menu was a Curious Nature Rose – If you like sweeter and fruitier Rose’s you like it, we don’t and made the mistake of not asking.

 

 

Bill for 2 entrees, 2 mains and a bottle of wine was $141.00.
 

 

http://www.theduckrepublic.com.au