No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

This recipe was given to me by my neighbour at Uki, It is a great starting ice cream base to add whatever your favourite flavours are.  Justine has her own chickens, so her eggs were extra special. If you don't own chickens, source the best and freshest organic eggs.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

175 gm caster sugar (if not wanting too sweet only use 150g)

600 ml single cream

2 Tablespoon rose water

150 gm ground pistachios or scraped vanilla bean pod 

Method

Cream the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixer until smooth, thick and pale. Transfer to large stainless steel bowl. 

Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Gradually pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, beating continually. 

Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water) and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens to a custard. 

Add the rose water (or not if you don't have any) and fold through pistachios or vanilla bean seeds.

All the mixture to cool, then pour it into a serving bowl, cover with cling film and freeze overnight. 

Serve straight from the bowl.

I added a spoon of my Davidson Plum Jam on top to serve.

So good.

Mamma Marmalade

Chicken and Thai Basil Stir Fry

An easy chicken dish with great Asian flavours that may not be authentically Thai but is quick to cook and a tasty dinner winner!  I was gifted a big bag of peppery Rocket leaves, had some left over after making salads and wondered how they would work in this stirfry. The result was gobbled up and bowls left clean – an clear indication that the combination was spot on! There are lots of veggies incorporated into this recipe (typical of my dinners!) so feel free to mix it up a bit and add a few options of your own.  Zucchini chunks would work well, just add early to give sufficient cooking time.  Fresh crunchy green beans would be delicious too.  I just love adding the good green stuff!  Be sure to have everything ready to add to the pan as once you start cooking – it won’t be long until dinner is ready!  Enjoy!

Chicken and Thair Basil Stir Fry by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation      10 minutes

Cooking           10 – 15 minutes

Serves              4

Ingredients

500 gram Chicken Thigh fillets – remove fat chunks, slice into strips

1 tablespoon Cornflour

Splash Rice Bran Oil   or  Peanut oil

2 onions – finely sliced

2 cloves garlic – crushed

½ teaspoon dried red chilli  Or   use sliced red chilli

2 shallots – cut into 1 inch batons

½ red capsicum, sliced

2 large handfuls Rocket   OR   baby spinach

2 handfuls Thai Basil leaves

200 gram packet Asian noodles (cooked in boiling water for couple minutes, then drained)

1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Dry Sherry  (pop the sauces and sherry in a cup ready to add in one go)

½ teaspoon Sesame Oil (no more – very intense flavour)
Handful Fresh Bean Sprouts

Salt and pepper to taste

Handful Cashews

½ cucumber – sliced on diagonal into chunks

Few snow peas – shredded (optional)

Mint leaves – shredded (optional)

Method

Toss the chicken slices with the cornflour in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frypan until quite hot.

It is important to have everything ready, cook quickly and don’t allow to stew – keep stirring.

Add the oil to coat the pan

Quickly add the chicken slices and toss/stir constantly until almost cooked. Remove from pan and set aside in a warm place.

Add the onion slices and stir until beginning to soften

Quickly toss in the garlic, chilli and capsicum

Stir in the rocket or baby spinach and the shallots

Add the sauces and sherry

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, toss to reheat

Add the drained noodles and toss through

Remove pan from heat

Taste. Season if needed, maybe just pepper.

Stir through the Thai Basil leaves, Bean Sprouts and cucumber chunks

Dot in a few drops of Sesame Oil

Finally toss in the cashews

Garnish with the snowpeas and mint leaves

                                   Enjoy!  Colleen

Modern Sweet and Sour Pork

This Donna Hay interpretation of the classic Sweet and Sour Pork is a winner, a few more steps but it elevates the dish to new heights of flavour.  Interesting how useful pickled onions can be, both in this dish and I also use for onion rings.

Ingredients

2 cups of shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine)
2 cups of unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cm piece of ginger, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1.5 kg pork belly (Preferably Australian)
440 g pickled white onions
Dried Pineapple to serve (I never had any on hand and still tasted delicious)

Sweet and Sour Sauce
3 green shallots, trimmed and halved
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cm piece of ginger, sliced thinly
3 cups of unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup white caster sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar (I used cider)
1/3 cup shaoxing
2 teaspoons tomato paste

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Combine shaoxing, pineapple juice, ginger and garlic in a deep sided roasting dish.
Add pork skin side up and cover with aluminium foil and roast for 2 hours or until the pork is tender.
Line an oven tray with non stick baking paper.
Take pork from dish, discard cooking liquid and place skin side down on oven tray. Cover with another sheet of non stick baking paper.  Weigh down the pork by placing 3 cans of food or a heavy saucepan on top and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold.

Now make the sweet and sour sauce.
Place the sliced pickled onions (I used about half the jar), garlic, ginger, pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, shaoxing and tomato paste in a large saucepan over high heat.
Stir to dissolve the sugar and once to the boil, reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until syrupy.
Strain and set aside.

Heat a heavy based frying pan.
Slice the pork belly into 6 pieces.
Cook skin side down for 4 - 6 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Place on the side and cook until warmed through, repeat on other side.
Cook for 10 minutes until all is golden and warmed through.

Add the pickled onions to the sauce.

Drizzle the amazing sauce over the sliced pork, and garnish with slices of dried pineapple (if using).

Taste Sensation!

Mamma Marmalade.

Quinoa Crusted Salmon with Avocado Coleslaw

Sometimes, the day has disappeared. It is almost dinner time and you find yourself in the shops wondering what to cook that is nutritious, fast and tasty.  Here is one of those "Faster than Takeaway" recipes where you grab some fresh salmon, a couple of bags of precut veggies and add to your pantry staples - and you are sorted.  I know those packaged bags are not as ideal as cutting up fresh veggies yourself, but just occasionally they make a good alternative to the temptation of greasy takeaway. Pricewise, it is comparable to many takeaway family sized dinners.  Plus, leftovers are great for lunch the next day. Enjoy!

Quinoa Crusted Salmon with Avocado Coleslaw by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation       10 minutes

Cooking            10 minutes

Serves               4

Ingredients

2 pieces salmon fillet – skinless  (approx. 100 -120 gram each)

½ - 1 cup quinoa flakes  (start with ½ and add more as needed)

Sesame seeds – white and black (approx. 3 teaspoons of each)

Salt (just a tiny pinch) and Pepper

1 egg - lightly whisked

1 packet raw coleslaw pre-cut vegetables

Handful mixed seed and pinenut mix (incl Pepitas, sunflower seeds)
Few almonds, unsalted, skin on.

1 packet baby spinach leaves

Splash of Oil – I like to use Avocado Oil  or alternatively use Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Leftover roasted sweet potato cubed (I often cook extra roast veggies during the week and save it in fridge for this sort of recipe)

1 ripe tomato – diced

1 avocado – sliced

1 tablespoon Pesto

½ lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste if needed

Few mint leaves - torn

Method

Whisk an egg in a bowl.

Using a plate, mix the quinoa flakes, sesame seeds and a little salt and pepper.

Heat a dry frypan and lightly toast the almond, seed and pinenut mix.  Remove and save for garnish.

Heat a splash of oil in the frypan.

Heat oven to approx. 140 ˚C

Slice the salmon into small “logs”. If too damp, pat with some paper towel.

Quickly dip the salmon into the beaten egg.

Lightly roll the salmon in the quinoa/sesame seed mixture.

Place the salmon pieces in the pan and turn until crisp on all sides.  Remove to an oven tray.

Keep warm in the oven but do not burn.  Will only need to keep warm about 10 min max.

Add the roasted sweet potato cubes to the pan and warm through.

Add the baby spinach and stir until just begins to wilt

Stir in the coleslaw and remove from heat.  You just want to take the chill off essentially.

Mix the pesto through the veggie mix.

Combine the seed mix, avocado, tomato, a little salt and lots of pepper through the vegetable mixture.

Place into a wide serving bowl.

Drizzle with a little Avocado Oil (or Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Arrange the salmon pieces on top and squeeze a little lemon juice over the salmon and veggies.

Scatter with the torn mint leaves.

                                                  Enjoy!   Colleen