Osso Buco with Gremolata and Polenta

It is starting to get a little cooler in Australia and with all the self isolation of Covid-19 it's the perfect time to be self sufficient with cooking delicious, nutritious meals. Beef shin is a cheaper cut of meat but ideal for slow cooking. The addition of vegetables and herbs not to mention red wine makes this flavour packed. And next night we topped with ready made puff pastry and had a delectable pie.

Ingredients

3 or 4 x veal shanks
2 Tablespoon plain flour
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 x 410g tin, diced tomatoes
2/3 cup red or white wine
1 cup beef/chicken stock (homemade preferably)
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Cooked Polenta to serve

Gremolata

1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon rind


Method

Preheat slow cooker that has a saute function, otherwise brown on the stove in a fry pan and transfer to a slow cooker.

Dredge veal shanks in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Add oil to slow cooker
Add floured shanks and brown on all sides.
Remove to a plate
Add a little more oil to slow cooker and tip in diced onion, carrots and celery.
Stir until soft, add garlic
Add in Tomato paste and stir
Then add, veal shanks, tin tomatoes, dried herbs and wine.
Close lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Gremolata - combine together in a bowl

Serve with Polenta cooked as per packet instructions.

Delicous

Mamma Marmalade

Moroccan Chicken

Now is the perfect time, to bring out your slow cooker.  This gently spiced chicken is fall off the bone delicious. Just to change it up a little I mixed up some Moroccan spices and tossed in some citrus, olives and capsicums.

Ingredients

2 x chicken Marylands (thigh and drumstick) free range or organic

Spice Mix

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayene pepper

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small jar roasted capsicum

10 green olives

3 x lemonades cut into quarters or limes or 1/4 preserved lemon

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Chicken stock

Heat Instapot or slow cooker if you can (otherwise brown chicken on the stove in a frypan)

Add Oil and when hot diced onion

Saute until soft

Put salt and pepper on the chicken skin

Add skin side down the 2 Marylands

brown for 10 minutes, add crushed garlic

Add all spices and toss

Add, lemon or citrus equivalent, olives and capsicum

Add a little chicken stock approx. 1/2 cup or water if you don't have stock

Set to slow cook for minimum of 4 hours on high

Serve with side salad.

Mamma Marmalade

Roasted Vegetable Filo Pie

As you know, I usually squirrel extra roasted veggies into the freezer for a quick addition to many recipes.  Here is another one!  Very flexible - this is more a guide than a recipe. Change it to your flavour preferences. Just defrost the veggies for a few hours, mix with some beans, maybe some spicy sauce or chutney, maybe add a few fresh spinach leaves and herbs, then tumble into a pie dish lined with a few filo pastry sheets and bake.  Dinner sorted!  Enjoy!  Colleen

Roast Veg Filo Feed Your InnerCook

Roast Veg Filo Feed Your InnerCook

Roast Veg Filo Feed Your InnerCook

Roast Veg Filo Feed Your InnerCook

 Preparation    Defrost your pre-Roasted Veggies a few hours (flat pack = speedier defrost) 
                         then  5 - 10 minutes to mix and assemble 
Cooking           depends on dish size.  Allow 30 - 45 minutes to heat through and brown.

Ingredients  Amounts depend on how big a pie you want to make, keep adding til you have                        enough to fill your pie dish.


Sheets of Filo pastry.  I usually use about 4 - 6 on the base and 2 or 3 on top. 

TIP: Filo dries out quickly so remove the sheets you need and return rest to fridge in airtight covering.  If you find filo drying out - cover with a clean tea-towel and proceed quickly to finish preparation.

Melted butter or olive oil to brush over each sheet of pastry

My frozen pre-roasted veggies usually include:  onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, cauliflower etc.   Whenever I get the chance, I pop an extra tray or two of veg in the oven to roast and then reserve these roasted veggies for a future meal.

I usually add some of these (depends if you are aiming for ,eg, Italian or Indian flavours) 
- you get the idea -  eg No curry paste with pesto!! :

a tin of drained and rinsed beans - cannellini, chickpea or brown lentils
some crushed garlic
Check if you need to add a splash of olive oil to moisten your veggie mix.
fresh veggies :  some spinach leaves or finely chopped kale, sliced green beans,  mushrooms
fresh herbs and spices   eg  thyme, rosemary, or curry powder ,  parsley etc
maybe a small tin of tomatoes (maybe add a dash of the juice)  You want a moist NOT sloppy mix.
VIP: a couple of spoons (to your preference)  of condiment etc:   tomato chilli sauce, massaman curry paste or a pesto  or a chutney. This brings the pie flavours to life and adds the necessary zing.
Have a taste - add what else you think is needed plus check for salt and pepper.

Remember:  don't make a watery sloppy mix, the pie retains the moisture within the ingredients but it won't soak up the excess.  Eating Damp filo pastry is not happiness.

Method
Preheat oven to 190 -200 ℃ 
Grease your pie dish well.  Something with a bit of depth is good to use.
One at a time, brush the filo pastry sheets with a little butter or oil
Lay over and cover the base of pie dish to form the lower crust.
Use a large bowl and gently mix the veggies with your chosen beans, condiment and herbs and spices.
Tumble the veggie mixture onto the filo sheets.
Brush the final filo sheets with butter or oil and use to cover the veggies.
Stab a couple of very small holes into the crust to allow steam to escape.  
Option:  Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Bake for approx 30 - 45 minutes depending on size of dish.  Pie filling should be heated through and crust turns a bit golden.
Serve as it is, or with a delicious green salad.  Great for leftovers the next day too.
                          Enjoy!    Colleen

Chicken and Zucchini bake

This chicken and zucchini bake is a perfect dish if you are looking to up the vege component of your meal or a low carb alternate to pasta.  I often end up with leftover Roast Chicken now that hubby and I are empty nesters, a few years back I was roasting 2 chickens for a fmily dinner.!  Now I can use up my leftovers with an easy one pot dish.

Ingredients

2 cups of shredded left over chicken (approx.)
1 cup pasta sugo sauce, pimped with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder/ 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 large zucchini
1/2 diced red or brown onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano or substitute Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or substitute smoked paprika
3/4cup grated cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Garnish
Sour cream
Pickled jalapenos

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Slice zucchini lengthways into thin strips (about 4 slices)
Heat a gridle pan
Pour a little olive oil over each strip of zucchini and season with salt and pepper
Place in hot griddle pan and cook until soft and grill marks appear
Remove and place on a plate and continue cooking until all zucchini are done.

In a large frypan, saute onion then add garlic, fry for 2 minutes then add cumin, oregano, chipotle powder,coriander, chicken and 1/4 cup of pasta sauce. Remove from the heat.

In a rectangular oven dish spoon over 1/4 cup of pasta sauce to cover the base.
Lay zucchini strips side by side
Spoon over all the chicken mix then lay zucchini on top.
Pour over remaining pasta sauce.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
If browning too much on top, cover with foil and then remove for the last 5 minutes.

Serve with dollops of sour cream and sliced jalapenos.

Tip: You could have this all assembled and refrigerated until time to pop in the oven.


Mamma Marmalade