Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto in the Oven!


Well, well , well, risotto in an oven, "no way" i hear you say.
This was also my reaction when i first stumbled upon the basic recipe on Donna Hay's excellent website. I have adapted it to celebrate the mushroom and provide warm fuggy comfort on the table on what is a very chilly evening. Cheers to mushrooms, cheers to the oven and cheers to you!

Mushroomy, Leeky Risotto Oven Magic
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and leeks
• a brown bag full of mushies, chopped
• 30g Dried french forest mushrooms
• ¾ cup (150g) arborio rice
• 2 ¼ cups (560ml) vegetable stock
• parsely
• ½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
• 20g butter
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Heat the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and thyme and cook for 5 minutes or until browned.Meanwhile, soak the dried forest mushrooms in sub-boiling water for 15 mins and drain (reserve some of the glorious liquid for the stock). Place mushies and leeks in a 5 cup-capacity (1.25L) ovenproof dish with the rice and stock and stir to combine. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes or until most of the stock is absorbed and rice is al dente. Stir through the spinach, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper. Serves 2.

Don't forget to have wine! Tonight I'm having it with the D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz..mmmm warming and enjoy the revolution of a no stir oven awesome risotto!

0 comments Labels: , |

Hot Cross Buns


No doubt these represent to you all that is good about Easter; warm, fuggy goodness.

I was particularly interested to read that the humble hot cross bun pre dates christianity and were made and eaten in honour of the saxon goddess Eostre (Easter!) who was the custodian of the dawn in saxon lore. Interestingly the four sectors formed by the cross are reported by some to symbolise the four quarters of the moon. Kooky and yay to have a sweet bun eaten in honour of you.

So why not make some to celebrate the goddess in your family. I found this recipe below from Gourmet Traveller. I reckon a dash of cointreau would be very welcome in this too.

Hot cross buns

Serves 16

INGREDIENTS

Buns

750 gm (5 cups) plain flour, sifted

55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar

2 tsp (14 gm )dried yeast

1 tsp allspice

½ tsp cinnamon

250 gm (1½ cups) sultanas

100 gm candied orange peel, coarsely chopped

1 orange, finely grated rind only

300 ml milk

100 gm unsalted butter, coarsely chopped

1 egg


Glaze

55 gm (¼ cup)caster sugar

¼ tsp mixed spice

METHOD

1

Combine 700 gm flour, sugar, yeast, spices, sultanas, orange peel and rind and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl. Gently warm milk and butter over a low heat until butter melts and mixture is tepid. Add egg to milk mixture and whisk. Make a well in the centre of flour mixture, add milk mixture and stir. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Knock back dough and cut into 16 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a ball, place in a lightly greased 22cm-square cake pan, cover with a damp tea towel and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

2

Preheat oven to 220C. Combine remaining flour and ¼ cup water and stir to a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle. Pipe lines down each row to form crosses. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200C and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden. (They’re ready when they sound hollow when tapped).

3

For glaze, combine ingredients with ¼ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Brush glaze over hot buns, then transfer to a wire rack to cool


0 comments Labels: , |

Hello Autumn



It feels like Autumn is trying to wash Summer away with the rain this morning. I personally cannot wait for the crisp cool air to waft on in and herald the beginning of the cosy months.

March 1 was strictly speaking the beginning of Autumn , I love changing seasons particularly with regard to cooking as it brings with it a new crop of ingriedients and produce that are at their best. I really believe in seasonal eating it just makes so much sense.

So hello Autumn and hello to your bounty


Beurre Bosc Pears
Quince
Pistachio
Hazelnuts
Almonds
Pomegranate

Red Cabbage and Lettuces
Pumpkin (see recipe below)
Ginger
Sweet potato/potato
Shallots
Fennel
Mushrooms
Leeks
Celery
Olives

What a bounty! So why not celebrate Autumn with this tasty pumpkin salad- recipe and photo from 101 cookbooks.


Roasted Pumpkin Salad

3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oi
fine grain sea salt

12 tiny red onions or shallots, peeled (OR 3 medium red onions peeled and quartered)
2 cups cooked wild rice*

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F
Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. You'll need to flip both the squash and onion pieces once or twice along the way - so it's not just one side that is browning.

In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Stir in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings (or flavors) to your liking - I usually need to add a touch more salt with this dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash (I'll very gently toss with my hands here to disperse the pumpkin a bit). Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.

* To cook wild rice: Rinse 1 1/2 cups wild rice. In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. You'll have enough for this recipe and some leftover.

1 comments Labels: , , , |

Book Review: Spirit House Thai Cooking

I was lucky to receive this book for my birthday 3 years ago and I find it to be one of the most useful books for both recipes and techniques relating to thai food.

The book is penned by the powerhouse team of Helen Brierty and Annette Fear whose Spirit House thai restaurant at Yandina has become a foodie mecca.

This book is a comprehensive guide to Thai cuisine, covering all elements of the thai pantry, thai sauces, thai curry pastes linking the freshest produce to the most delectable plated outcomes.

My favourite concept of this book unlike many other thai tomes is that you can find inspiration for any ingredient one might acquire as the repertoire is not limited to satays and red duck curries. For example if you happened upon cuttlefish at the market- the spirit house book has the answer (Cuttlefish, Snake Bean and Cashew salad with Chili and Coconut dressing). Have some yum steak in the house but don't want boring old mash and vege? Whip up a massaman inspired sauce and voila a modern oz nod to the delicious curry.

I have made several items from this book my favourites are Thai rare beef salad, Carrot and Kaffir Lime Salad (this is to die for). As you'd expect there is a rather large curry section - i must say my favourite from this is the Penang Chicken Curry with Green Peppercorns and Pumpkin.

Thai food is particularly inspiring for its use of fresh and vibrant flavours- I picked up some delicious live mussels from the market yesterday. I turned to the spirit house book for inspiration and found a divine recipe for Steamed Shellfish with Garlic, Coriander, Peppercorns and Basil.
It was simply perfect for the mussels. I've included the recipe below.


Steamed Shellfish with Garlic, Coriander, Peppercorns and Basil.
IMG_1286.JPG

1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
2 red chillies , chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 tlbs chopped coriander root (i used a bit of stem too)
3 tlbs vege oil
1 tlbs oyster sauce (i omitted this)
1 kg black mussels
1/4 cup of chicken/fish stock
1 teaspoon palm sugar
1/2cup of basil leaves

optional:
I also added
3 strips of lime rind
a handful of snowpeas
chopped coriander leaves

:make a paste out of pepper chillies, garlic, coriander root and lime in a mortar and pestle
:heat oil in wok, add paste-fry til fragrant
:stir in fish sauce and sugar
:add the mussels and toss in the pan so to coat with the paste
: add chicken stock, cover with lide and steam until the mussels have opened.
Discard any that haven't!

Garnish with coriander and a good squeeze of lime juice. I served the mussels over rice and poured the broth over. yum!


0 comments Labels: , , |

Technique Trends: cooking with stout

Finding the ultimate braising conditions or marinade can indeed be a daunting venture often replete with a recipe list whose size on paper could double as a cravat for Matt Preston. I've recently been addicted to the dining and wine section in the New York Times, I was thrilled to read about finding alternate uses for the venerable stout. The author of the article laments the bitterness of some stouts for drinking and was inspired instead to exploit those lovely smokey, malty and chocolatey flavors present in many stouts for cooking- particularly in braising and marinating.

Simple and easy due to the layered flavour of stouts like guiness often all one would have to do is simply pour over your meat or replace the addition of wine with stout. Intriguing . I'm particularly imagining a beef pot roast simmering in malty glory accompanied with thyme, potatoes and carrots. Some very honest and comforting cooking. Get involved the next time your dad leaves a can of Guinness in the fridge you don't want- now you'll know what to do!

The NY times article linked out to two stout based recipes. I've included stout and citrus glazed lamb. Yum


Grilled Thick Lamb Chops with Stout-Citrus Glaze
Time: 45 minutes



1 cup stout of your choice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
8 thick (about 1 1/2 inches) lamb rib or loin chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
Black pepper.
1. Combine stout, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously until reduced to about 1/4 cup syrup, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, build a fire on one side of a grill. When fire has died down, and coals are medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate for about 2 seconds), move enough coals to other side of grill to form a single layer, leaving most coals on hot side.

3. Rub lamb with oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, place directly over hot part of grill and sear well, about 2 minutes a side. Move chops to cooler side of grill. Brush side facing up with glaze and cook for 4 minutes; turn over, brush other side generously with glaze and cook about 4 minutes more for medium-rare. To check for doneness, make a 1/4-inch cut in thickest part of one chop; it should be slightly less done than you like it.

4. Remove chops from grill, cover them loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Brush again with glaze just before serving.

1 comments Labels: , , , |

Recipe: Harrisa Chicken Couscous



I made this the other day for some lovely friends. It went down a treat. It's a particularly good dish for summer, light and full of Moroccan tastiness.

Ingredients
Chicken and Harissa
4 Chicken Breasts
2 Cloves of garlic
1 Birds eye chilli
Zest of 1 lemon
a good handful of coriander (with stalks)
2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup of water
2-3tlbs of olive oil

Couscous Salad:
1/2 pumpkin (cut into cubes)- roasted at 180 degrees, 30 mins
2 zucchini chopped into 2.5cm rounds (roasted with the pumpkin for the last 20 mins)
bunch of green beans (steam, microwave for 3mins) and cool
200g Spinach leaves
250g Couscous (i used divella instant couscous)
1/3 of cup of nut mix - i used a trail mix

Salad Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
1/3 of cup of dates chopped finely
1 tlbs of Ras el Hanout (from entice with spice)
3 tlbs of water
1/4 cup of olive oil

Method
Pound out the Harissa, Marinate and Cook the Chicken.

In a mortar and pestle smash the garlic and chili to form a thick paste and a good grinding of salt and pepper. Add to this the remaining ingredients and stir to form a marinade. Place the chicken breasts in a suitable bowl (not metallic) and rub the marinade onto the chicken and place in the fridge. I marinated the chicken for 3 hours. Less will work too.

After marinating, cook the chicken breasts, we did this on the BBQ about 7 minutes a side medium heat. Pan frying will be fine too. When the chicken is cooked. Slice it and arrange on top of the couscous salad


Salad Dressing:

To a small bowl add the juice of the lemons, the dates (so they can soak up all the goodness), ras el hanout and water. I leave this to steep for 30 minutes. However this isnt' necessary. Prior to mixing the salad i add the oil and give it a good shake or stir.

Couscous

Bring 25oml of water to the boil with a teaspoon of salt and a drop of oil. Take off the heat and stir in couscous. Let it sit for 3mins to fluff up. Add a tlbs of butter return to low heat and stir until butter has melted (this step is optional).

Assemble

To a large salad bowl add the couscous, all of the cooked salad ingredients and mix through the dressing. I also add extra chopped coriander (I'm a fiend for it). I added the couscous to each bowl and arranged the sliced chicken on top.

This recipe will serve 4. With a bit of couscous leftover for lunch the next day..

Ingredient Note: Ras El Hanout
Is a Moroccan spice mix containing
Cumin,paprika, ginger, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cinnamon, caraway, nutmeg, galangal, cardamom, cayenne, allspice and salt.
there are also other variations. If you pick up anything containing similar spice blends you will do fine.

Beverage Suggestions:
Iced Mint Tea
Sauvignon Blanc eg Les Nuages Sauvignon Blanc
Pale/Light Lager

0 comments Labels: , , |