Spicy Carrot Soup

This soup is packed full of vegetables and packed full of flavour. I guarantee you will get rave reviews.  If your not a chilli addict, cut down the amount of fresh chilli.  The addition of the fried curry leaves, ginger and garlic adds even more flavour.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, chopped
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
750g carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
400g can diced tomatoes
4 cups (1 litre) Vegetable stock
Juice of one lemon
Fried - curry leaves, garlic slices, shredded finer
Lime wedges to serve

Method

In a large saucepan, heat oil.
Add onion, garlic, finer and chilli, cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.
Add curry powder and tomato paste, cook for a further minute.
Add carrot, lentils, stir then add tomatoes and stock. Season
Increase the heat and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 35-40 minutes until carrot is tender.  (This may vary depending how large the carrots were cut)
Cool slightly then blend with a stick blender until smooth, if too thick add some boiling water to achieve desired consistency.
Stir in lemon juice.

Serve soup and top with fried curry leaves, garlic and ginger.

Spicy!!

Mamma Marmalade

Very easy Ciabatta

This is so easy and super impressive, you must give it a go.  Because saying to people that you make your own bread lifts your status as a cook to a new height.  As an added bonus it tastes delicious, even the next day when toasted on the grill.  Thank you Silvia Colleca !

Ingredients

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
4 cups of strong flour (bread and pizza flour)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt


Method

Place yeast and 3 cups flour, 360ml water and 2 teaspoon salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.

 Beat on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough comes away form the sides of the bowl (the dough will be quite wet) I did add extra flour at this stage to achieve this consistency.

Tip into a greased bowl and cover with a clean tea towel, leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
NB: Place a metal baking dish on the bottom of the oven with the rack above it.
Flour a baking paper lined baking tray with 1/2 cup flour.
Gently turn the dough straight onto the tray.
Top with remaining 1/2 cup flour.  Shape dough into a long oval.
Carefully pour cold water into the hot pan in the oven to create steam (this very important step helps the bread to rise and expand before forming a crust)
Place the tray with Ciabatta onto the rack above the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bread is risen, golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour IF you can resist.

Mamma Mia

Pear and Pecan Puddy Cake

I have been searching for desserts to share with friends who require Dairy-Free recipes. In addition, the desserts needed to be transported easily and had limited fridge opportunities.  So, I hunted through my books in search of a "Puddy Cake" - my name for a cake that tastes equally delicious as a dessert or a cake - a pudding cake!

The incomparable Belinda Jeffery always seems to have the solution to these dessert dilemmas! This cake is rich, sturdy but not too heavy, keeps well, delicious served either warm or room temperature, tastes even better the day after it is cooked and best of all for my Dairy-Free friends - uses olive oil instead of butter!

PS Thank you to my super clever friend Jenna who surprised me with the"Eat Up" plates plus my "feed your inner cook" engraved silver spoon that appears in some of my photo posts! Brilliant and perfect! 

Pear and Pecan Puddy Cake from Feed Your Inner Cook

Pear and Pecan Puddy Cake from Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation      20 minutes

Cook                1 hour

Cool                 15 – 20 minutes

Serves             10 – 12   (keeps well, can freeze remaining slices)

Ingredients

2 cups Plain Flour

2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground Cloves

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Pecans – roasted and chopped +  plus some extras for decorating cake

                           (dry roast the pecans on a tray for a few minutes in the preheating oven)

3 eggs

1 ½ cups brown sugar

¼ cup castor sugar

½ cup Light Olive Oil  (TIPS AND HINTS: this only means ‘lighter flavour’ – it has a much milder taste than Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so will not overpower the taste of the cake -  “Moro” brand make a ‘light oil’ that is usually available in many supermarkets. ‘Light oil’ has the same calories as regular olive oils)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup water

5 just-ripe small-medium pears.  Peeled, cored and cut into chunks  OR  825 gram canned Pears in natural juice (if possible)  - drained and chopped. 
TIPS AND HINTS: 
Hayden's Adventures  recommended : Don’t chop too small. If too tiny the chunks will not hold their juice that keeps the cake moist and it gives variety in the cake texture.  Plus it is nice to see the chunks dotted through the cake. A rough guide -  About 1 - 1 ½ cm cubes approximately. 

Decoration Options:

The reserved roasted pecans – either glazed with a little reduced apricot jam  OR thick honey

And / or  a dusting of icing sugar

Method

Preheat oven 150 °C

Butter and flour (OR   if DAIRY Free – use a food spray)  26 cm fluted non-stick Bundt tin.

In a large bowl – using a whisk – combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, bicarb and salt.

Toss the nuts in and ensure they are well coated in the flour mixture.

In a separate medium large bowl (I use a large pyrex jug)  add the eggs and whisk to just combine.

Add the brown sugar and castor sugar, oil, vanilla and water.  Mix thoroughly to combine.

Pour this wet mixture – 1/3^rd  first, then the remainder – into the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.

Add the pear pieces and gently fold through.

Pour the batter into prepared tin and ensure top is evenly spread out.

Bake for approx. 55 min – 1 hour.  Check at 50 minutes.

Cake is cooked when fine skewer inserted into middle bits comes out clean.

Cool on a cake rack for 10 – 15 minutes whilst still in the pan.

Gently invert cake onto rack to cool.   or  onto a serving platter if serving warm.

Decorate with the glazed nut options and/or icing sugar dusting.

Serving Options  (omit creams / ice creams, caramel sauces for Dairy-Free diners)

Delicious served at room temperature as a cake with cream

OR

Perfect as a dessert option – served warm with ice-cream or cream.

Even better dessert with a little drizzle of caramel sauce on top of that cream!

(can also serve at room temp for dessert).

Slices can be gently reheated in microwave if you want. 

And

Store remaining cake in an airtight container (NOT in fridge) – keeps well for 3 -5 days

Any left-overs freeze well.   Use within 2 weeks.

Please NOTE 

Disclaimer: The Feed Your Inner Cooks are not nutritionists or dietitians. We recommend people with specific dietary requirements seek appropriate professional advice for their dietary needs.  This recipe is provided as a general guide to assist with recipe ideas.

If you are searching for dietary cookbooks, we suggest:

Dr Sue Shepherd  Recipe books and website  are an excellent resource especially for low FODMAP books.

                             Enjoy!   Colleen

Indian roasted cauliflower pineapple, chilli, with coronation dressing

Another winner from Jamie Oliver, looking out for our health and vegetable intake.  This makes eating your veges a taste and look sensation.  Give it a try.



Ingredients

2 heads of cauliflower
1/2 a medium pineapple
Olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon each of fennel seeds, black mustard seeds
30g flaked almonds
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
1 level teaspoon ground turmeric
2 level teaspoons medium curry powder
1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
3cm piece of ginger
1 lemon
2 teaspoons mango chutney
200g natural yoghurt
1 fresh red chilli


Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Chop the cauliflower into large florets. Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water fro 6 to 8 minutes.
Drain and tip into a roasting pan.
Peel, core and chop pineapple into 3cm pieces, add to the roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, fennel and mustard seeds and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together to combine and roast for 30 minutes.

Turn everything over and then add flaked almonds, drained tin chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is slightly charred.

Toast turmeric and curry powder in a dry pan on a low heat for a few minutes until you can smell the spices.  Tip into a blender with coriander stalks, ginger, lemon juice, mango chutney and half the yoghurt.  Whiz until smooth add remaining yoghurt until you achieve a consistency you like.

Pour onto a large platter, top with the cauliflower combination, garnish with sliced chilli and coriander leaves.

Serve with chapattis or other flat bread.

Veg never tasted so good!

Mamma Marmalade

Orange, Almond Cardamon Puddy Cake

This is the type of recipe I love to share.  My gorgeous Cousin Emily kindly sent me her 'always perfect Orange Almond Cake' recipe in response to my SOS for a dessert cake which was DairyFree and GlutenFree.  Emily was right! As usual!  

This dessert cake was perfect - we shared it during our recent grape-picking weekend at the sublime Pyramids Road Winery where they specialise in hand-made wines. 
This puddyCake (my description of a cake to serve for dessert) was moist, flavoursome, easy to transport - did not need heating or refrigeration - and addressed some guest's dietary requirements. I did make a small alteration to Emily's recipe - Hayden's Adventures  suggested adding poppy seeds and a pinch of cardamom to the cake and a splash of lime juice to the syrup. Amazing results!  So, whichever way you choose to serve your PuddyCake, the results will be devoured by everyone! 
Thanks Cousin Emily and Hayden! 

Orange Almond Poppy PuddyCake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Orange Almond Poppy PuddyCake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Orange Almond PuddyCake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Orange Almond PuddyCake by Feed Your Inner Cook

Serves 12 – 16

Preparation       1 hour – 2 hours for boiling oranges, then 1 -2 hours to cool slightly

Preparation      20 - 30 minutes

Cooking           45 min – 1 hour

Syrup               30 min – 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 Navel Oranges –  whole.  Good sized, heavy. 
   Well washed, organic if possible. Navel oranges do not have seeds

1 teaspoon Baking Powder.  (should contain corn-starch, not wheat. If gluten free is important – read label)

6 eggs

1 ¼ cups Castor Sugar

4 cups Almond Meal  (500 gram)   

¼ cup Poppy Seeds

¼ teaspoon Ground Cardamom

SYRUP

1 ½ cups Orange Juice – strain to remove pulp.  Use good quality, fresh juice

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

½ of one lime – juice only

Method

Place the whole oranges in a very large deep saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to boil and continue to boil for 1 – 2 hours until very soft.  Depends on skin thickness. 
Remove from water and allow to cool approx. 1 hour minimum to 2 hours.
TIPS and HINTS: Boiling reduces the bitterness and makes entire orange soft – soft playdough consistency.  I tried using a microwave method but the flavour was not nearly as good – I will stick to boiling.

Preheat oven to 180 °C regular oven. Fan forced 160 °C. 

(I found just under 170 °C  was okay with my oven on fan assist).

Use a 24 cm Springform cake tin.  Line the base with baking paper, allowing some extra at sides outside the tin, to help with removing cake after baking. 
Grease base and sides with Butter (NB NOT butter if requiring DairyFree cake) thus I use Macadamia Oil to ensure cake is Dairy Free or you could spray with one of those Cooking Oil sprays if you want.

Cut the cooled oranges up roughly (check there are NO seeds) and add oranges, including any escaping juice, into a Food Processor.

Puree the oranges, add the baking powder and blitz again to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond meal, poppy seeds and cardamom.

Using an Electric Mixer, add the eggs and sugar into large bowl.  Whisk until thick and pale.

Change whisk to the mixing paddle.  Gently fold in 1/3^rd at a time alternating orange puree, then the almond mix.  Check all is gently combined.

Spoon or gently pour mixture into the prepared pan.

Dust with a little castor sugar and decorate with some blanched almonds if you like.

Bake 50 min to 1 hour.  Check at 45 minutes.  Turn pan around if browning unevenly.

Cake is cooked when firm to touch in the centre and golden. Should be moist but firm.

Cover with alfoil to keep moisture in.   If transporting, leave alfoil cover on.

Cool in the pan 15 minutes before removing from tin (or leave in for easy transporting)

Serving options (depending on your dairy free requirements)

Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar (optional), the syrup, cardamom flecked thick cream or sour cream or yoghurt.

Cake is equally delicious served at room temperature with warm syrup and creams etc as above.

Orange Lime Syrup   -  This is seriously delicious

Ingredients

1 ½ cups Orange Juice – strain to remove pulp.  Use good quality, fresh juice

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

½ of one lime – juice only

Method

Using a medium saucepan, combine the orange juice, sugar and water.

Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 – 40 minutes until thickens and becomes syrupy.

(I pop a wooden spoon across the pan during the simmer and never had a boil over)

Just as it thickens,  add the ½ lime juice and continue to simmer until syrupy.

If you accidentally take it too far – just add a splash of hot water and simmer and stir until desired consistency.

Orange Almond Poppy PuddyCake by Feed Your Inner Cook

For more information check out

Hayden's Adventures     for 4WD adventures and food ideas  

and

be sure to visit Pyramids Road Winery  for hand-made artisan wines in the Granite Belt, Queensland Australia                         

                                             Enjoy! Colleen

Spice and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

When friends drop in for a visit it's great to serve an alternative to the ubiquitous dips and crackers. The flavour is not overpowering - and you can vary the mix to your preference.

I adapted Nigella's recipe with a few added spices and replaced butter with Macadamia Oil to make it dairy free. These nuts transport easily if you want to take something to share at a gathering and really hit the spot during our grape-picking weekend at Pyramids Road Winery.   Hope you enjoy making and sharing these delicious nuts at your next event!

Spice and Rosemary Roasted Nuts by Feed your Inner Cook

Preparation  15 - 20 minutes

Cooking        7 - 15 minutes

Combining    5 minutes

Ingredients

600 gram total of  assorted unsalted nuts - Brazil nuts, Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Macadamias, Cashews    -  a mixture of whatever varieties you prefer

Spice and Oil Mixture

2 - 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2  teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2  teaspoon dried Chilli Flakes (optional)

1/2  teaspoon Garlic Powder  

shake of dried Rosemary leaves

2  teaspoons Maldon Sea Salt - crushed  PLUS   extra for sprinkling later

2    teaspoons Dark Muscovado Sugar   OR Dark Brown Sugar

2    teaspoons OverProof Bundaberg Rum  OR regular Bundaberg Rum (optional)

1 - 1 1/4 Tablespoons Macadamia Oil  (a little goes a long way!)

Method

Mix the spice and oil mix (without nuts) in a large bowl, ready for AFTER nuts baked

Preheat oven to 180° C  (oven must be at temperature before adding the nuts)

Prepare 2 oven trays with alfoil and baking paper and spread the nuts over the trays without crowding the nuts too tightly    NB nuts only

Toast the nuts in the oven approx 10 minutes (watch so they don't burn!) til lightly golden.

Remove from oven. Turn oven off and leave oven door closed.

Pour hot nuts into the prepared spice mix and mix through.

Spread the spiced nuts over the oven trays again and return to the OFF oven for 5 minutes or so to intensify the spiced mix.  Check they are not burning.

Remove from oven.

Allow to cool slightly and check for flavour  - add a little extra salt or chilli etc to your taste preference.

Serve warm   OR   at room temperature.

If storing in airtight glass containers - allow to cool completely beforehand.

Delicious!

for more information about handcrafted wines see  Pyramids Road Winery
on the Granite Belt near Stanthorpe Queensland.  Hand made and wonderful!

Spice and Rosemary Roasted Nuts by Feed your Inner Cook

                                           Enjoy!   Colleen

Smoky Barbeque Sticky Chicken Wingettes

It is always handy to have a recipe for nibbles to share - satisfying flavours, crowd pleaser and travels well to the venue.  I made these very moreish Sticky smoky chicken wingettes as nibbles to share on a recent grape picking weekend at the superb Pyramids Road Winery near Stanthorpe in Queensland.  Warren and Sue Smith make stunning hand-crafted award winning wines - be sure to drop in whilst visiting the Granite Belt or check out their boutique wines at Pyramids Road Winery.  

Smoky Barbeque Sticky Chicken Wingettes by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation  10 minutes and overnight marinating (4 hours minimum)

Cooking        25 - 30 minutes     

 Ingredients

1 – 1 ¼ kg Chicken wingettes – found at most butchers or supermarkets – chopped in half, wing tip removed -  for ‘chew off the bone’ ‘eat with your fingers’ nibbles

Sticky sauce Ingredients

½ cup Barbeque sauce 

2 tablespoons Caramelised Onion Jam  (store bought is fine – Beerenberg South Australia make a nice one available in many shops   http://www.beerenberg.com.au/

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon dried Chilli flakes   (optional)

½ teaspoon  ground White Pepper

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

10 – 12 stems of fresh chives – very finely sliced  PLUS extra for garnish at end

Splash of sesame Oil (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste (optional)

Cooking oil spray for during baking

Serving Options

Sweet Chilli sauce

Greek yoghurt

Lemon wedges

Method

Place a large plastic freezer bag in a bowl.

Using a measuring Jug – combine the sauce ingredients – Taste and adjust/add  extra chilli etc to your preference.  Pour into the plastic bag.

Add the chicken pieces and gently massage well to coat with marinade.

Store in fridge and turn the plastic bag regularly to toss with marinade. 

Leave overnight or 4 hrs minimum.

Cooking

Preheat oven 220° C.   Don’t put chicken in until oven is ready and hot.

Prepare 2 oven trays – cover with alfoil and baking paper.

Remove chicken pieces from plastic bag, shaking off excess sauce. Place on tray without crowding pieces.

Pour the extra marinade into a very small saucepan and if needed brush a little onto any pieces that might have missed a marinade coating.   Too much sloppy sauce will just steam instead of caramelising.

Cook for 10 minutes.  Turn the pieces, brush with tray juices.  Then very quickly lightly spray with oil  (this helps render the fat)

Cook for 10 minutes and repeat above process.

Cook for further 5 -10 minutes repeating above process  ie Chicken cooks 25–30 min total.

Whilst chicken is cooking – boil the remaining marinade for 10 minutes in very small saucepan until thick and sticky.  Important to boil well as sauce has been in contact with raw chicken.  May need to add a splash of water if starts to dry out too quickly

Remove cooked chicken from oven.  Drizzle with the sticky boiled marinade sauce.

Serve warm with the suggested sides.

PS  I precooked these chicken pieces and the sauce, took them to our grapepicking weekend at the beautiful Pyramids Road Winery http://www.pyramidsroad.com.au/ where I reheated them for 10 mins and then drizzled with warmed sauce – still delish and were great to share!

               

 

                Enjoy!  Colleen

Gnocchi Gratin

What a clever idea!  Nigella puts a twist on making traditional potato bake by swapping Gnocchi for sliced potatoes. This one tasted delicious but could have had a tad more oven time to turn it golden.

Ingredients

250 g mascarpone

60 ml milk

4 Tablespoons grated parmesan

Freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or 1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 x 400 g packets of fresh gnocchi

2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Combine mascarpone and milk in a large flat bottomed oven proof frying pan, (large enough to add the cooked gnocchi later in one layer)

Warm until the mixture starts to bubble, turn heat off and add 3 tablespoons of the grated parmesan cheese, stir to combine and melts.

Add ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg and salt to taste.

Take the pan off the heat.

Boil salted water and cook gnocchi according to the packet instructions.

Drain the gnocchi, add it to the sauce turning well but gently so they are all covered in a single layer.

Top with remaining grated parmesan and bread crumbs.

Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Serve immediately.

Mamma Marmalade



Vegetarian Nachos

This is the second recipe in our family favourites series.  Recipes that you make, time and time again and you are never quite sure - who in the family it was, that gave you the recipe. It's also very handy to whip this dish up, because the ingredients are mainly what you have in the pantry. With all our family favourites feel free to tweak to your family's taste, we like it hot so you may want to tone down the chilli and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

1 Medium/large brown onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Oil
1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes or half a bottle of tomato sugo sauce
2 x long red chillies, finely diced (seeds in if you can take the heat)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (reduce to what you like)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Packet of corn chips
Cheddar cheese, grated, as much as you like (My son Andrew tells me "you can never have too much cheese"!)

Extra Ingredients (if you have them)
Roasted red peppers, chopped
Corn sliced off the cob

Method

Heat Oil in a deep sided, heavy based frypan.
Sauté chopped onions until softened, add garlic, fry for just a minute, burnt garlic is bitter.
Toss in kidney beans, and all of the spices, stir to combine and let toast for a 5 minutes or more.
Add chopped tomatoes and stir.
Using a potato masher, gently squash bean mixture till it resembles a bubbling mixture but not so smooth as not to have some lumps and bumps.
Add any extras you want at this stage.
Heat oven grill
Place half the packet of corn chips on an ovenproof dish.
Spoon out the bean mixture over the corn chips, ensuring some ends are left not covered.
Then sprinkle grated cheese over the top.
Grill for 5-10 minutes until golden and gooey.

Serve with remaining corn chips, sour cream, guacamole and coriander.

Delicious
Mamma Marmalade

Rice Pudding Creamy and Delicious

Rice Pudding reminds me of English dinners, my Grandmothers and holiday comfort cooking.

Rice Pudding :   recipe from    Feed Your Inner Cook

Holidays often mean a fridge full of leftovers.  Excess milk can be tricky to use up easily.  

This recipe is excellent when the milk is still fine but nearing it's 'use-by' date.  
I particularly like adding a touch of ground Cardamom when the rice is almost cooked instead of the traditional nutmeg or cinnamon.  Cardamom is often called the Queen of Spices with a subtle camphor, bayleaf, minty peppery aroma.  Deliciously different.  A little pinch transforms this pudding from comfort food to exotic. Plus, it will keep for a few days once refrigerated.

Preparation                  5 minutes
Cooking               20 - 30 minutes - needs regular stirring whilst on stovetop.  

Ingredients      I have included measures for small and large sizes.

                                   Small                                   Double
Rice                              5 tablespoons (1/2 cup)       1 cup
Boiling water             1/2 cup                                    1 cup
Milk                              3 cups                                  6 cups
Sugar                          3  tablespoons                      6 tablespoons
Vanilla extract           1/2 teaspoon                           1 teaspoon
Cinnamon or nutmeg      pinch                              1/2 teaspoon
or 
Cardamom ground         pinch                              1/4 teaspoon   Increase to your taste
Method
Place rice in a large saucepan.
Cover with the boiling water and simmer rapidly until water almost evaporates.  
Stir constantly and watch it carefully. Do not boil dry. 
Slowly add the milk and stir well.
Bring to a slow boil.  Stir constantly and keep an eye on it as likely to boil over.
Reduce to a simmer.  Stir regularly.  Remove any 'skin' that forms.
Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon or nutmeg  OR cardamom
Stir and slowly simmer until thick and rice is cooked.  Taste to check rice is soft.
simmer until desired consistency, spoonable, but not too runny.
Allow to cool slightly and serve.

OPTIONS
variations:   lovely served with stewed apples or prunes 

Rice Pudding:  Recipe from     Feed Your Inner Cook

Plus:  Check out our earlier post for golden crust baked rice pudding
 http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/creamed-rice-with-golden-crust-simply.html

Enjoy!  Colleen

Chicken with Tarragon Salsa Verde

A dear friend bought me a copy of  Nigella Lawson's "Instant Italian Inspiration" and I am very grateful, it's one of those "coffee table" recipe books with beautiful photography and Nigella's chatty description of the recipes.  It never fails me, if I am seeking inspiration for something that appears simple but looks impressive and tastes sublime.

Chicken ready to enjoy, presented on a camphor laurel board from Esther & Cameron



Ingredients

4 Chicken breast fillets, skin n
2 sprigs of fresh Tarragon
Pepper freshly ground
Olive oil


Small bunch of parsley, leaves only approx. 20g
Approx. 5g fresh tarragon leaves
1 spring onion in including green section, roughly chopped
Zest and juice 1 unwaxed lemon
1 teaspoon salt flakes
6 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Place 1 tablespoon olive oil into a shallow ovenproof dish in which the breast fillets will set snuggly, place chicken in dish toss gently to coat in oil and have skin side up. Top with freshly ground pepper.  Tuck sprigs of Tarragon between chicken.

Cook in oven for about 30-45 minutes depending how large the chicken breasts are, until skin is golden and chicken is cooked, but still moist.

Rest chicken whilst you make the salsa Verde
For the sauce:

Combine parley and tarragon leaves with the spring onion, lemon zest, salt flakes and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a container you can use a stick blender to whiz into a paste, adding the lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons of oil slowly as you blend.  Add any juices that have come from the cooked chicken and whiz again.

Cut the chicken into slices/pieces and drizzle the tarragon salsa Verde over the top and arrange on a serving platter.

Serve with baked ratatouille or favourite salad.

Wonderful!

Mamma Marmalade








Pearl Barley with Mushrooms, Macadamias and Labna

Byron Bay is a sublime part of Australia and home of “The Farm” restaurant by the Three Blue Ducks chefs who create delicious fresh food sourced from their farm or local producers. Inspired by their cookbook, here is my take on their Mushrooms and Pearl Barley recipe.  It is so satisfying and hearty – packed with flavour but not heavy.  I swapped the bread sauce for Labna, instructions in an earlier post.  Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to go to “The Farm” restaurant if you are visiting Byron Bay and also enjoy a drive into the Mount Warning region and the delightful town of Uki  including a visit to

Esther and Cameron at the Buttery for Handmade Uki treasures.  

Check out information links at end of this post

Preparation   10 minutes

Cooking         30 - 45 minutes

Serves           4 - 5 

Ingredients

Make the Labna the night before    OR  use a 4- 5 tablespoons of thick Greek Yoghurt

http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/labna-make-your-own-low-fat-quick-no.html

plus

250 gram Pearl Barley

600 -750 gram Mushrooms sliced preferably mix Swiss Brown or Portabello, Enoki and Oyster

Macadamia Oil – Australian    50-60 ml to stir through cooked barley ,plus splash for sauté

1 -2 shallots, finely sliced

1 lemon – zest and a splash of  juice

Baby spinach leaves – a good handful

Some flat leaf parsley – finely chopped

Mixture of flat leaf parsley, mint, tarragon or lemon thyme leaves for garnish - chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

10 -12 Macadamia nuts – chopped and lightly toasted

Method

Add barley to large saucepan of boiling water. Reduce to a simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes

Drain.  Return cooked barley to the saucepan and stir through 50-60 ml Macadamia Oil, parsley and a little salt and pepper to your taste.

While Barley is simmering: 

heat a frypan and gently toast the chopped Macadamias til just golden. Remove from pan.

Next:  add a little Macadamia Oil to the pan and sauté the mushrooms, the thick ones first.

Add the Shallots and baby spinach leaves and stir through.   

Finish with a very small splash of Lemon juice

Taste and  add salt and pepper if needed

Spoon the warm Barley into bowls.  Top with the mushroom mixture.

Dollop with a little Labna or Greek Yoghurt.

Garnish with lemon zest and the chopped mixed herbs. 

More information on

Three Blue Ducks Byron Bay  http://www.threeblueducks.com/byron/home-byron

Esther and Cameron Handmade Uki shop at The Buttery Uki

http://estherandcameron.com/pages/handmade-uki

FaceBook Esther and Cameron Uki

Tweed Heads, Mount Warning and Uki region 

http://destinationtweed.com.au/experiences/nature-eco/page/2/

http://www.ukivillage.com.au/

Happy cooking, Happy Travels and ... Happy Eating!

                                                                                   Enjoy!  Colleen