Lemony Zucchini with Mint and Pinenuts (not pretty but yummy)

Lots of veggies and no pasta.  This is one of those toss together recipes that might look a bit Yugly (yummy but ugly).  You can add different meats or leave out completely - either way it tastes delicious.  Even play around with slicing the zucchini - discs, ribbons or long lengthways slices - just not too thin or they could fall apart.  Easy to prepare and you know you are serving heaps of veggies!  Enjoy!

Lemony Zucchini Mint and Pinenuts by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation   10 minutes
Cooking        20 minutes
Serves           4

Ingredients

4 good-sized zucchini - sliced  

2 tablespoons currants
1 lemon - juice and zest
1/2 lemon cut into wedges for serving (optional)

4 tablespoons Pine Nuts (lightly toasted in pan)

Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 red onion - finely sliced
2 - 3 garlic cloves - crushed
Tin anchovy fillets in olive oil (approx 30 - 50 gram) 
Small splash of Dry Sherry (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Dried Chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon Dried Mint
1/2 teaspoon Celery seeds
Handful of shredded cooked meat (eg a little leftover roast lamb or chicken)  Optional
2 - 3 dried tomatoes - finely sliced  (optional)
Tin Cannellini Beans - rinsed and well drained
Few handfuls of baby spinach leaves OR mixed torn lettuce leaves 
Handful fresh mint leaves
50 gram Fetta - cubed  OR some ricotta - to dollop over just before serving
1 ripe tomato - finely diced for garnish
Pepper to taste .  Maybe salt though unlikely as anchovies are salty

Method
Soak the currants in the lemon zest and juice whilst preparing meal.
Heat a pan over moderate heat without any oil and lightly toast the pinenuts. Remove pinenuts from pan and reserve for final serving.
Saute the onions, garlic and anchovies in the anchovy oil . Add splash more oil if needed.
Add zucchini, Chilli, dried mint, dried tomato slices and Celery seeds and cook until zucchini begins to soften.
Pour over a tiny splash of Dry sherry. and the soaked currants and lemon juice and zest.
When almost cooked - 
toss through the cooked meat and drained Cannellini Beans.
Quickly add the spinach leaves or torn lettuce.
Remove from heat.
Finish off by sprinkling over the fresh mint and cheese and the diced tomato.
check the seasoning
Serve while still warm with lemon wedges if required.
                   Enjoy!   Colleen

Rack of Lamb with Parmesan Crust

It's Spring in Australia and that means Lamb!  The honey coating combined with the Parmesan crust keeps these delicious new season Lamb Racks delightfully moist and flavoursome.

Ingredients

2 racks with 8 or so cutlets each
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
3 slices of day old bread, or frozen bread roughly torn
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary finely chopped
1 egg lightly whisked
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat Oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Mix honey and mustard together in a small bowl.
Paint this mixture over lamb racks as best as you can.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a food processor, whizz together bread, parmeasan, garlic and rosemary until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Tip into a bowl and add egg and salt and pepper.
Press mixture firmly over the back of the lamb rack.

Place racks crust side up in a baking dish.
Roast for 25 minutes.

Let the racks rest, whilst you serve the vegetables.

Serve with your choice of vegetables, we chose, ratatouille and oven baked potato slices.

Perfect.


Mamma Marmalade

Moroccan Chicken with chickpeas and apricots

This combination of Moroccan spices, chicken and chickpeas works well with the generous proportions of vegetables in the recipe to create a rich, textual stew with lots of flavour. I find 1 chicken piece on the plate is quite enough when served with such delicious vegetables but those with big appetites might need two pieces.  The recipe is my take on Nigella’s chicken tagine and she recommends cooking it the day before then reheating to really develop the flavours.  Either way, it is delicious.

Moroccan Chicken & Chickpeas by Feed your Inner Cook

Preparation       10 minutes

Cooking             45 – 60 minutes then   OPTION  Reheat the next day if desired

Serves                4 -6  depends on appetite and size of chicken thighs

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs with skin and on the bone

Splash Olive Oil

2 large onions – sliced

4 cloves garlic – crushed

3 sticks celery – sliced

2 carrots – diced

½ sweet potato – medium diced

½ red capsicum – sliced

Handful dried apricots (or prunes if you prefer)

Handful golden sultanas

Small handful red lentils

1 tin chickpeas – drained

1 tablespoon Flour  OR  leave out the flour and add some more red lentils to thicken the stew

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

250 ml White wine

600 ml Chicken Stock  - salt reduced

Salt and pepper to taste

Few large handfuls baby spinach leaves

Garnish:  Fresh coriander for garnish

Handful toasted pine-nuts

To serve:  your choice of couscous, rice or Turkish Bread

Method

Heat a splash of Olive Oil in a wide frypan that has a lid.

Brown the chicken thighs, skin side first. Remove from pan.

Add the onions, garlic and celery and gently cook until onion softens.

Mix in the carrot, capsicum, sweet potato and cook for a further 5 minutes

Combine the flour and spices and add to the pan, cooking for a few minutes until fragrant.

Return the chicken pieces and pour over the wine and stock.

Stir in the chickpeas, lentils, apricots and sultanas.

Cover pan with the lid and simmer on low heat for 30 – 45 minutes.

Now, if possible, turn off, cool a little and refrigerate a few hours until ready to reheat.

Then (or if not possible, continue …)

Warm through until reheated.

If dish is too thick, add a small amount of hot water a little at a time until sauce is thick but not too dry.

Taste and season with salt and extra pepper as required.

Add the baby spinach leaves and stir through until just wilted.

Serve with your choice of couscous, rice or Turkish bread

Garnish with shredded coriander leaves and toasted pine nuts.

                                            Enjoy! Colleen

Rosemary and Speck Mac n cheese

With number 2 son travelling to study overseas it was time for a crash course in cooking on a student budget and shared kitchen.  Armed with some easy but tasty recipes this Mac and cheese that he cooked, turned out a treat.

Ingredients

2 cups macaroni
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
200g speck, rind removed, chopped
1 cup Milk
1 cup (240g) mascarpone
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 6 minutes or until al dente.
Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large fry pan, add speck and fry stirring for 2-3 minutes until crisp.  Remove speck and set aside.
Place the pasta, milk, mascarpone, salt, pepper and half the cheddar in the pan and return to high heat. Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Place the mixture in a 1.5 litre capacity oven proof dish.
Top with the speck, rosemary and remaining cheese.
Cook for 10 minutes or until golden.

Serves 4

Easy as
Mamma Marmalade