Toffee, Date and Macadamia Pudding

Here is an Aussie twist on one of Nigella's easy puddings.  This is gooey, satisfying comfort food and the calories are best shared with a large group. A generous sprinkle of Macadamias give this a wonderful crunch - so yummy!  Enjoy!   Colleen

Toffee Date Pudding by Feed Your Inner Cook

Toffee Date Pudding by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation    15 minutes

Cooking          45 minutes  plus 5 - 10 minute for additional sauce

Serves             8    (or 6 Wilburs)

Ingredients
250 gram pitted dates - roughly chopped
100 gram dark muscovado sugar  (or use dark brown sugar)
175 gram Self Raising Flour
shake of ground Mixed Spice (optional)
125 ml milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
50 gram butter - melted - allow to cool slightly

Sprinkle over:
150 gram dark muscovado sugar  (or use dark brown sugar)
600 ml  Boiling Water

plus before serving 
good handful of Macadamia nuts - roughly chopped.  Toast nuts on a tray for a couple of minutes while the oven is pre-heating.  Keep an eye on them as they burn quickly.

for the Jug of sauce  (everyone always wants more sauce!)
150 gram dark muscovado sugar  (or use dark brown sugar)
80 gram butter   - chopped
250 ml cream  

Method

Preheat oven to 170 oC  and grease a large pudding dish.  Place the dish on an oven tray to help removing it from oven easier after baking

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour and spices.  
Use a large measuring jug - measure the milk then beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter
Pour the eggy mixture into the flour mix bowl. Stir to combine. 
Fold the dates through the mix and pour into the prepared pudding dish.
Sprinkle over the 150 gram of sugar
then slowly drizzle the 600ml of boiling water across the back of a large spoon (this distributes the water better and stops it pushing through the batter too quickly)
Place the tray holding the filled pudding dish in the oven and bake approx 40 - 45 minutes until middle is just cooked - should be springy and spongy but not raw.

Top with the toasted macadamias and serve the jug of extra sauce along with icecream, custard or cream.    

Extra Sauce
In a saucepan, gently heat the sugar, butter and cream, stir gently until butter has melted and allow to thicken slightly.  Pour into a jug to serve with pudding.
Enjoy!    Colleen

Toffee Date Pudding by Feed Your Inner Cook

Chicken Marsala with olives and oranges

Chicken drumsticks create delicious dinners that can be prepared ahead of time and are always a crowd pleaser.  I recently served these at a friend's gathering with 2 generous dishes of sticky drumsticks accompanied by a warm sweet potato and kale salad.  The guests battled over the last of the chunky sourdough croutons that were crunchy yet plump with the orange and marsala sauce - so good - have lots of serviettes handy as everyone will gnaw the bones clean!                                 Enjoy!    Colleen

Chicken Marsala  by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation   5 - 10 min to prep marinade.  Marinate overnight or at least 4 hours
                      another 15 min or so for basting and garnishes
Cooking        approx  50 minutes - 1 hour. 
Serves           allow 2 drumsticks per person and 3 (or 4!) for hungry appetites

Ingredients    (This recipe can easily be doubled if you like)

8 - 10 chicken drumsticks
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground ginger
10 - 12 stalks of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Shake dried chilli flakes

1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon green peppercorns  (these come in a small tin - near spices in supermarket)
2 teaspoons salt flakes (1 for marinade, 1 before serving)
120 ml red wine vinegar
80 - 100 ml Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 red onion - cut into slivers
6 -8 garlic cloves - leave skin on. Slightly crush - will cook in the skin and go syrupy.
150 gram black olives - pitted.  Don't cut up
200 gram large prunes - pitted.  Don't cut up
2 Navel oranges -  (Navels are seedless oranges) first use the Zest of 1 Navel orange, then peel both oranges and remove each segment from the membrane to get flesh only membranes.  This is sometimes called 'supreme orange segments'.  (Reserve some for last 10 minutes).  Squeeze the pulp and add the juice to the marinade
120 ml Marsala wine.  Also known as Madeira.
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Freshly ground pepper - good amount - to your taste 
handful of dry roasted almonds - roughly chopped.  Add in last 10 minutes. 1 sourdough baguette torn into chunks for croutons.  Add in last 10 minutes.

Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Toasted flaked almonds for garnish

Method
Use a large freezer bag or large lidded glass container to hold marinade and drumsticks.
First combine the ground coriander, cumin, ginger, thyme, bay leaf, chilli, dried mint, green peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of salt flakes.  Shake or stir to mix.
Pour in the vinegar and olive oil and stir to combine well.
Add in the slivers of red onion, garlic cloves, black olives, prunes and orange zest, orange juice and mix into the oily paste.  
Toss the drumsticks into the paste so they are coated. Cover or seal the marinading chicken the store in fridge overnight.  If possible toss or massage a few times to ensure each piece is being coated in the marinade.
Next day
Preheat oven to 180 -190 oC
prepare large baking dish (or 2) for the marinade and drumsticks.
Pour the marsala into the marinade container and slosh around to get all the gooey flavour. Then pour over the chicken.
Place about 2/3rds of the orange segments around (add final 1/3rd in last 10 minutes) 
Sprinkle over the capers and then the brown sugar.
Bake for approx 35 - 40 minutes.  Baste a few times if possible
Check chicken should be almost cooked through and golden
Remove from oven. Baste well. Grind over some pepper and season with the remaining teaspoon of salt flakes.
Add the final 1/3rd of orange segments, chopped roasted almond chunks and turn the bread chunks over into the sauce so they can soak it up but bread top will go crispy and golden.  Return to oven for approx 10 minutes until golden.
Serve with a scattering of toasted flaked almonds and fresh mint leaves.
Great alongside a big bowl of warm salad, brown rice or garden salad. 
                                Enjoy!   Colleen

Porcupine pasta with sausage sauce

Now the weekend is here you may have a little more time and want to tackle some homemade, fresh pasta. Guaranteed to impress your family and friends. Plus no pasta machine required, just some muscle.  This is an adaptation of Jaimie Oliver's recent Italian recipes from Nonnas.  After kneading the dough for 10 minutes I can appreciate why the Nonnas were in their 80's. 😊😊
If you don't have the inclination or time to make the fresh pasta, you can substitute a good quality dried pasta shape.

Ingredients

400g durum wheat or flour suitable for pasta making, extra for dusting or some fine semolina

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 bunch thyme
1  chorizo
2 Italian sausages
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 400g tin plum tomatoes
40g parmesan cheese, grated

Method

On a clean surface (kitchen bench) pile the flour into a mound and make a large well in the centre. Gradually add 200ml of warm water, using a fork to bring the flour in from the sides, until a dough forms.

Knead on a flour dusted surface for 10 minutes (put a timer on) until dough is soft and elastic.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces and keep covered with a damp clean tea towel.

With each piece roll into a long sausage shape about 1cm or the width of your little finger wide.  Cut into 2cm pieces.

Lightly flour the back of a fine greater or large microplane, gently roll the piece of dough against the grater and roll it off to create a textured shape similar looking to a porcupine.

Place on a tray dusted with semolina.

Sausage sauce

Heat a large frying pan.
Add 1 tablespoon Olive oil, once hot add dried chillies and thyme.  Remove with a slotted spoon after 2 minutes, reserve.
Add a little more oil, remove casings from Italian sausages and add to oil, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
Add chopped chorizo.
Add chopped red onion, crushed garlic and paprika.

Cook for 15 minutes constantly breaking up the sausage and combining the other ingredients.
Add wine and tin tomatoes (squash) and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rapid boil.

Add pasta, once they float to the top continue cooking for a further few minutes until pasta is cooked to your liking,  I found these needed to be softer than  al dente.

In a large serving bowl combine sauce and pasta.
Garnish with reserved thyme and chillies.

Enjoy!

Mamma Marmalade

Broccoli and Bacon Impossible Pie

We have posted Impossible Pie recipes before - and with good reason!  They are such an easy 'toss together' dinner, full of veggies and calcium. Just add salad for a complete meal. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day. Yummy addition to a family picnic too. You could swap salmon or tuna for the bacon if you prefer. 
A simple, satisfying family dinner easy classic.   Enjoy!  Colleen        

Broccoli and Bacon Impossible Pie by Feed Your Inner Cook

   

                         

Preparation   10 minutes  (including frying the onions etc)

Cooking         35 - 40 minutes in the oven.  
Ingredients
1 onion - finely diced  OR 2 spring onions sliced
1 clove garlic - crushed (optional)
3 rashers of bacon, fat removed and sliced into bite size strips
1 small head of broccoli - cut into bite size florets
1/3 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cups milk
4 eggs - lightly beaten 
120 - 200 gram corn kernels - drained from a tin  OR thawed from freezer
1/4 red capsicum finely diced
1 cup grated cheese   NB  3/4 goes into mix and 1/4 is sprinkled over before baking
1 -2 teaspoons freshly chopped herbs eg Parsley or thyme etc  OR pinch of dried herbs
Pepper to taste
not much added salt as bacon and cheese are salty

Method
Preheat oven to 190 oC and grease an  approx 22cm ovenproof dish
In a frying pan:  fry the bacon and onions til they become golden.  Add the garlic.
Add the broccoli florets and fry with the bacon and onions until begin to soften.
Toss through the diced capsicum to wilt and soften.
Remove from heat and allow to cool a little
In a large bowl :  Whisk the flour and milk together.
Then whisk the eggs through.
Add herbs, pepper, salt if needed, and the drained corn kernels.
Fold  3/4 of the cheese into the mixture.
Stir in the bacon, onion and garlic mixture until combined.
Pour into the prepared dish.
Bake approx 35 -40 minutes until golden and middle of pie is set.
Serve with salad or just slices of tomato if desired.

Options:
Swap salmon or tuna for the bacon
swap chopped kale for the broccoli
add peas along with the corn  - 
Make it your way!
                                                     Enjoy!   Colleen