Another delightful mouth watering dish from Donna Hay. Why not make this tray bake one of your favourites, minimal effort and maximum flavour.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
4 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
45g fresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60ml) kecap manis (available from the Asian grocery section of the supermarket)
1/2 cup (125ml) soy sauce
Salt and pepper
10 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
1 orange thinly sliced
1/4 cup (90g) honey
Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
In a large bowl combine, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, orange juice, kecap manis, soy sauce and salt and pepper, add chicken and toss to coat.
Let marinate for minimum 10 minutes.
In a roasting tray place the chicken skin side down in a single layer, pour over the marinade.
Cook for 15 minutes, turn chicken and add orange slices on top and pour over honey.
Cook for another 15 minutes until chicken is cooked, and is golden and sticky.
Serve with steamed rice and stir fried Asian greens.
Mamma Marmalade
Welcome
Our aim is to share with you our favourite meals and the little tricks and tips we have learnt along the way.
Time is precious.
Food is expensive.
Both are resources too valuable to waste.
We want to share recipes that deliver delicious, nourishing meals - making the most of your time and ingredients.
Life is way too short for bland, disappointing food.
So ... Feed your inner cook - and Enjoy!
Wednesday 30 September 2015
Wednesday 23 September 2015
Carrot and Walnut Muffins with Cream Cheese frosting
I am always surprised how easy it is to make muffins, simply mix all ingredients together in a bowl. These muffins were discovered when the urge for something sweet hit and I had no butter in the fridge.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups of Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Frosting
100g softened cream cheese (or use spreadable version)
75g softened butter
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
11/4 cup icing mixture
Method
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Place paper muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tray.
In a bowl combine flour, caster sugar, mixed spice, brown sugar, carrot and walnuts, make a well in the centre.
Add milk, egg and oil and mix until well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared cases.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and just firm to touch.
Cool completely before icing.
Cream cheese frosting: Beat using electric beaters, cream cheese, butter and lemon rind until light and fluffy, gradually add in icing mixture until well combined. Spread frosting over the muffins.
Mamma Marmalade
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups of Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Frosting
100g softened cream cheese (or use spreadable version)
75g softened butter
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
11/4 cup icing mixture
Method
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Place paper muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tray.
In a bowl combine flour, caster sugar, mixed spice, brown sugar, carrot and walnuts, make a well in the centre.
Add milk, egg and oil and mix until well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared cases.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and just firm to touch.
Cool completely before icing.
Cream cheese frosting: Beat using electric beaters, cream cheese, butter and lemon rind until light and fluffy, gradually add in icing mixture until well combined. Spread frosting over the muffins.
Mamma Marmalade
Thursday 17 September 2015
Osso Bucco Slow Cooked in Red Wine and Herbs
After a weekend drive through the magnificent Mt Warning NSW
countryside, I was pondering what to cook for dinner. There was still just a touch
of chill in the crisp evening air. I reached for my worn copy of Belinda
Jeffery’s “The Country Cookbook” that showcases life, simplicity and the beautiful
produce of the lush Northern NSW area we had just visited. This is my version of Belinda Jeffery’s
divine Osso Bucco recipe. The irresistible
aromas wafting from your kitchen will guarantee no-one dillydallying to your
dinner table.
Preparation 15
minutes
Cooking 3 hours
including 2 ½ hours in the oven. Allow 15 minutes to rest and serve.
Serves 4 (with left-overs hopefully)
Ingredients
8 pieces of Osso Bucco - good- sized, cut approx. 1 inch thick
¼ cup Olive Oil approx.
3 large brown onions – diced
3 garlic cloves – chopped
4 carrots – sliced
2 Tablespoons Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
1/3 cup plain flour – for dusting the meat
400 gram tin diced Tomatoes
1 ½ cups – 2 cups Shiraz Red Wine
¼ cup water
2 Teaspoons Sea Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
4 Bay Leaves – fresh if possible. Crushed a little bit in your palm to release aroma
Chopped Parsley and lemon zest to garnish
Method
I use a wide deep round enamel cast iron pan with a close fitting
lid
Preheat oven to 165 °C
Add flour to a plastic bag and shake to dust the meat. Shake
off excess. Set aside.
Warm a little of the olive oil in the pan.
Place the meat in pan, browning well on both sides. Remove the
meat from pan, cover and keep warm.
Add the onion, garlic and carrot to the pan stirring gently until
softened slightly. Add a little more oil if needed.
Stir in the tomato pesto and cook down. Stir well so does
not catch on base.
Pour in the red wine, water, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper
thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir well.
Increase heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer.
Return the meat to the pan and ensure it is covered with the
sauce.
Place a piece of Baking Paper over the meat and push to
cover. (ie a cartouche)
Cover with lid.
Place in oven and check approx. every hours. Needs 2 – 2 ½ hours in total cooking in oven.
Add a little water if liquid reducing too quickly in the
pan.
Remove from oven when cooked. Leave lid on and allow to rest
for 10 minutes.
Check if excess oil on top of meat and use paper towels to
blot up if needed.
Taste and season with additional salt or pepper if you feel
it needs a little more.
Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Turn the meat over in the sauce and sprinkle with the
parsley and lemon zest.
Serve with fresh steamed green vegetables or a green salad
and your choice of mashed potatoes, risoni pasta or even chunks of fresh bread.
Enjoy! Colleen
Tuesday 8 September 2015
Prawns with Spiced Cauliflower and Chorizo
Preparation 15 - 20
minutes (bit longer depending on your
prawn peeling speed!)
Cooking 10
minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
Mix together and prepare
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Fennel
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
also use
Splash Australian Olive Oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 kg King Prawns – then peel and de-vein
1 – 1 ½ good quality
Chorizo – thinly sliced or diced if preferred
2 small Red Onions – finely sliced
¼ pumpkin cut into
small cubes part - cooked prior to use
½ cauliflower – cut into small florets (not too tiny)
and part
- cooked prior to use
½ capsicum – finely sliced
1 cup of frozen peas – allow to thaw a little
Good handful baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons Raisins
These are pre-soaked in the Sherry
Dash of good sherry (dry or .. I used Olo Rosso)
1 tablespoon flaked almonds – toasted
Fresh fennel fronds – finely chopped or use dill or even a little chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Sear the prawns. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Heat a little olive oil and the butter in a wide frypan over
medium heat.
Add the onions then add the part-cooked cauliflower and
capsicum tossing to cook.
Sprinkle over the spices then mix through the pumpkin and
chorizo.
Add the peas and soaked raisins.
Toss the prawns in to warm through.
When the pumpkin is cooked and cauliflower still has a little
bite -
remove from heat.
Stir the spinach leaves through to wilt slightly.
Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Arrange on serving plate and scatter over some of the fresh
fennel and the toasted almonds
TIPS AND HINTS if you forget to pre-cook the cauliflower and
pumpkin, just sauté them first prior to adding remaining ingredients.
Enjoy! Colleen
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Buttery Pears in Rich Bay leaf scented Syrup
Six seemingly lovely but rock hard pears sat forlornly in the fruit
bowl. How could they be transformed into
an easy to prepare, delicious dessert?
Look no further than the incomparable Stephanie Alexander’s “The Cook’s
Companion”. However I accidentally misread
the ingredients and somehow used white wine instead of red. Oops. I wonder how that happened??
Yet the flavours in the finished dish were so satisfying and the
caramelised pears were tender and golden in a thick luscious syrup heady with
the rich aroma of bay leaves and wintery pear juices.
This is one mistake I am happy to repeat when the results are so delicious.
Preparation 5 minutes
Cooking 20 – 30 minutes depending on the texture of
the pears
Serves 2 Wilbur sized dessert appetites or 4 small servings
Ingredients
6 small – medium pears – peeled, quartered and core removed. TIP If pears
are not too hard then just peel, halve and core.
30 grams unsalted butter
¼ cup castor sugar
3 fresh bay leaves - just gently crush them slightly in your palm to release aroma
½ - 1 cup White Wine – I used
Pinot Grigio.
Method
Use a heavy based frypan with a lid. Pears need to fit in the pan in a
single layer.
Gently melt the butter and allow it to foam a little.
When the foaming subsides, add the pear pieces and allow to brown a
little.
Turn over in the butter and continue browning
Add the bay leaves and scatter with the sugar, turning the pears as
well.
Pour ¼ cup wine over the pears to start. Allow to bubble slightly and move gently so
pears do not catch on base of pan.
Cover pan but leave lid just slightly ajar to allow steam to escape.
Reduce heat to low and simmer pears turning as needed
Add another ¼ cup of wine and shake the pan just slightly to mix. Pears should be softening but you want tender
pieces of pear not puree.
You may need to add a little more wine to increase the simmering time
if pears are still tough.
Continue to simmer until pears are golden, tender and juices are thick
and syrupy
Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves.
Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.
Enjoy! Colleen
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