Sticky chicken and watermelon salad

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe that is a great standby.  It has been awhile since I looked through my Jamie 15 minutes cook book, but was inspired again by the simplicity of his recipes but the absolute flavour hit he gets by adding fresh herbs and spices.  I encourage you to make the dressing as it is a flavour bomb and can be used on any salad to give it a zing.  I swapped out the rice noodles for beans sprouts to lower the carb content, but you can replace if you wish.

Watermelon salad

Sticky kicking chicken thighs

Ingredients

Lettuce (whatever leaves you have on hand or baby gem)

4 or so radishes, sliced

1/2 bunch of fresh coriander and mint, finely sliced

Handful of fresh bean sprouts

4 slices of watermelon cut into chunks

1/2 dozen cubes of feta

8 chicken thigh fillets

1 Tablespoon Chinese 5 spice powder

Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Sweet Chilli sauce

2 Tablespoons of Sesame seeds

Salt & Pepper

Dressing

2 Tablespoon low salt soy sauce

1 Tablespoon fish sauce

1 fresh red chilli

1/2 thumb size of ginger

2 Spring Onions

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 limes

Coriander stalks

1 Tablespoon sesame Oil

Method

Combine all salad ingredients decoratively on a platter

For the dressing place the coriander stalks, soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli, peeled ginger, chopped spring onions a splash of water, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, lime juice and crushed garlic into a blender or container and use a stick blender. Blitz to combine

Dress salad with a little of the dressing and keep the rest in a screw top jar in the fridge.

On a large sheet of greaseproof paper sprinkle the 5 spice powder and salt pepper, place the chicken and toss each thigh to be covered in spice.  You can pound to make thinner but I didn't.

Heat the oil and fry chicken thighs till golden and cooked through.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Garnish with a few leaves of coriander.

Bring everything to the table and enjoy.

Mamma Marmalade

Ottolenghi's Charred Tomatoes with yoghurt

 I came across this recipe when listening to one of my favourite podcasts "The Dinner Sisters".  The 2 sisters and sometimes special guest, do similar to what Colleen and I do. That is; by devouring new cookbooks and any recipes we can lay our hands on we trial the recipes that appeal to us and trial them on our families. If they pass the critics we put them on our blog to share with you.  Yotam has a way with veg that makes them sing.  This simple but delicious dish can be served as a side or a starter with some good bread.

Ingredients

1 x small punnet of cherry/grape tomatoes, or if you can find some truss cherry tomatoes use those

3 Tablespoon EVOO

1/4 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 Teaspoon brown sugar

3 sprigs of Thyme

6 Oregano sprigs, (3 sprigs to be left whole and 3 sprigs taken off the stem for serving)

1 Lemon, made into 1 teaspoon zest and 3 strips of peeled skin

Salt flakes and Pepper

1 2/3 cup of thick "Greek Style" Yoghurt

1 Teaspoon chilli flakes

Method

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

In an oven dish just large enough to fit the tomatoes.  Combine, tomatoes, olive oil, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, cumin seeds, sugar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.

Toss to combine.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.

Turn on the grill and grill until the tomato skins are blistered and start to blacken.

Combine cold yoghurt with grated lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt flakes.

On a serving platter spoon out the yoghurt mixture and with the back of a large serving spoon spread it to create a well.  Place all tomatoes and juices into the centre and top with oregano leaves and chilli flakes. 

Delish

Mamma Marmalade

Limoncello Amaretti Biscuits

Quick, easy, delicious, gluten-free and dairy free. This is a great recipe to have on standby and if you hide the biscuits from Wilbur in an airtight container they will have 5 days or maybe more.  Silvia Colloca made these recently on Adam Liaw's TV show and suggested an option I am keen to try soon - swap the almond meal for hazelnut;  use frangelico instead of limoncello; and switch out lemon zest to orange instead.  Sounds yummy and Wilbur volunteers to taste-test.  I make these biscuits a bit smaller than suggested which yields about 30-32.   I have also included a 'halved' ingredient list if you only want to make about a dozen or so, although it is just as easy to make a full batch - they seem to disappear very quickly!  Enjoy!  Colleen

  

Preparation   15 - 20 minutes 

Makes            30 - 32 two bite biscuits   OR   Halved option makes 14 - 16

Cooking        10 - 12 minutes

Ingredients  for full recipe 

300 gram almond meal - rub out any lumps

250 gram caster sugar

2 egg whites - lightly beaten

2 tablespoons Limoncello

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

extra sifted icing sugar for rolling/dusting

OR  OPTION  - HALVED INGREDIENT LIST

150 gram almond meal - rub out any lumps
125 gram caster sugar
1 egg white - lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Limoncello
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
extra sifted icing sugar for rolling/dusting

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175 - 180 ℃ and prepare 2 flat non-sided trays with baking paper

Sift a little icing sugar into a shallow bowl (about saucer width) and set aside.

Use a large mixing bowl to combine the nut meal and caster sugar.

Add in the lightly beaten egg whites, limoncello and lemon zest.  Use your hands to quickly combine - will feel like wet clumpy sand.

Pinch off small amounts and roll into walnut sized ball shapes.  I pop them all on one tray.

Then lightly roll each ball into the sifted icing sugar and place on 2 trays leaving space between each biscuit.  Leave as balls.

Bake approx 10 - 12 minutes until tops slightly 'crack' and base is firm.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

Store in airtight container.

Enjoy!  Colleen

Moroccan Lamb

 Whilst the full heat of summer is fast approaching there is still the chance to use the slow cooker to make a delicious casserole.  Wednesday's are my Gigi baby sitting days and popping everything into a slow cooker means that once my little cherub is collected in the afternoon Baba and I will have a tasty dinner.

I was on the hunt for something a little different to the standard beef and red wine.  I came across this one, using diced lamb.  My slow cooker has a setting to sear the meat which is invaluable, saves another pan to wash and it also means those brown bits of flavour don't get lost. 

Ingredients

1kg diced lamb

Olive Oil

2 onions, halved and sliced

3 -5 cloves (depending on size) of garlic, crushed

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely sliced

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

! Tablespoon ground coriander

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of saffron or turmeric for colour

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 large or 1 small skin of preserved lemon (I did not have any on hand)

600ml beef stock

Optional

80g pitted Kalamata olives

1 lemon, zested and a squeeze of juice

1 Tablespoon honey

chopped mint, coriander or parsley to garnish

Method

Preheat slow cooker on the "sear" setting. 

Place some olive oil in the slow cooker and brown the lamb in batches. 

You can do this in a frypan on the stove if your slow cooker doesn't have this option.

Remove with a slotted spoon and set by.

Add a little more oil and fry off onions. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stirring now and again.

Add garlic and ginger, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add spices, preserved lemon (if using) and tomato paste.

Tip in lamb and juices and stock.

Season with salt and pepper.

Set slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

Once the meat is tender if you want to take to the next level add the honey, lemon and olives and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

Serve garnished with chopped herbs and a side of Couscous

Mamma Marmalade

Find your Spice

Where is Cinnamon? Where is Cinnamon?  Here I am.  One of the easiest ways to speed up your time in the kitchen is streamlining your items to quickly find the ingredients you need.

Spices and herbs are often in a jumble even when you have them in a rack on a pantry door.  I simply write on the top of the lid (I use a liquid white-out pen - easy to scratch off if you change your mind )  so when I look down on the multiple bottles I can quickly locate the one I need.  I have one small shelf for herbs and one for spices.  Because I have a steady turnover of my most-used spices, I refill a number of bottles from large packets I purchase at either a continental deli or Indian spice shop, so they are always on hand to replace an empty jar. My spice bottles are re-used over and over.  

A few spices bottles are on a top rack on the pantry door -  I name these  spices on the base of the container so when I glance up I can easily see which is which.

I hope this gives you some ideas to make your cooking easy and enjoyable!  

Cheers!  Colleen

Individual Ratatouille

 If you are looking for inspiration for a vegetable side these individual Ratatouilles may be the answer.

Simple to make with a little preparation and then pop in the oven.  You could even make them a little more indulgent by popping a slice of buffalo mozzarella between the zucchini and tomato.

 

Ingredients

Pasta/Sugo sauce homemade or quality store bought

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Italian dry herbs

Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C

Slice zucchini and tomato into similar sized rounds

Place a little pasta sauce in the base of individual oven ramekins

Arrange alternate slices of tomato and zucchini at an angle

Sprinkle over dried Italian herb mixture and Salt and Pepper to taste.

Top with grated parmesan cheese

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 - 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the cheese is golden.

Mamma Marmalade

Aromatic Spiced Lamb Chops and Veggies

Sometimes a photo can be deceiving. These lamb chops are quick to prepare, delish and you can use a variety of veggies to cook in the spice and serve alongside - one pan easy! Enjoy! Colleen 

Preparation           5 minutes plus 5 minutes to chop veggies

Cooking                10 minutes approx

Serves                   4

Ingredients

8 lamb leg chops - trimmed

a splash of olive oil for cooking

3 teaspoons ground Cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground Turmeric

2 teaspoons ground Cumin

1 teaspoon ground Coriander seed

1 teaspoon dried Thyme leaves or fresh 

1/2 teaspoon dried Mint leaves

1/4 - l teaspoon dried chilli flakes - optional - to your taste

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)  

1 teaspoon Sea Salt flakes

few cranks of freshly ground black pepper

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

chopped fresh parsley and/or mint leaves

a few toasted pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Method

Toast the pine nuts (if using) in the dry pan, remove and set aside.

Mix the spices, sesame seeds, salt and pepper together.  Sprinkle over the lamb chops and pat in so it adheres - both sides.

Heat a splash of olive oil in pan and fry the chops approx 3 minutes each side.

Remove from pan and loosely cover with alfoil on a plate to rest for a few minutes.

Using the same pan (and any left over spice mix) quick fry some chopped veggies - zucchini, left over roast pumpkin or potato chunks, baby spinach leaves, broccoli florets, beans etc - add a little extra olive oil if you need.

Place a heaped serve of veggies on plate alongside 1 or 2 lamb chops - squeeze over a little lemon juice, garnish with chopped parsley/mint leaves and some toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy! Colleen

Jelly Cake - Happy 90th Birthday Eric

This is how the story goes, my father is going to turn 90 this month. A wonderful and very special achievement.  He is don't forget, a Leo and so when he sent me a newspaper article on cake recipes I did not misinterpret the message that he would like a home baked cake.  Now as regular followers of FYIC will have noticed, baking is definitely not my strong point.  Colleen my fellow blogger has probably accounted for 90% of the recipes that get the tag "Baking".   So I did my best and chose what I thought was the easiest of the cake recipes he sent me.  It is a put everything in a bowl and mix recipe.  What could go wrong you say?  Well for starters the reference to "softened butter" I left it on the bench overnight but even in sub tropical Brisbane it is still cold enough not to get your butter soft enough to incorporate in a one bowl mix everything together. So why would a few lumps of butter in the mixture cause issue, surely they will melt in the oven. Yes they did but it took longer to cook the cake and the outsides were a little dry. (Maybe perfect for trifle).  Then added to the mix I got my 89 year old mother who suffers from Dementia to help me decorate it.  It was a heart warming experience and I am blessed to have them both in my life.

Ingredients

125g butter, softened

1/2 packet jelly crystals

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup plain flour

Strawberries and whipped cream to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Beat for 3 minutes using an electric mixer.

Bake in a greased loaf tin for 35-40 minutes

When cool turn out on to a wire rack.

When completely cold, decorate with cream and strawberries.

Happy 90th Birthday Dad 

Mamma Marmalade

Simple Pumpkin, Sage and Feta Pasta

By now you know I regularly have a stash of roasted veggies in the fridge or freezer as the base for quick midweek dinners.  This easy pasta dish is super-quick, nourishing and packed with flavour - a great way to eat lots of veggies and still have a comfort-food pasta meal. The roasted pumpkin chunks are really the star ingredient.   Enjoy!  Colleen

This recipe uses pumpkin you've  already roasted and saved in fridge or freezer.  

If cooking from fresh add an extra 30 minutes.

Preparation          5 minutes

Cooking               10 - 12 minutes.   I cook pasta in one pan and other ingredients in 2nd pan.

Ingredients

Pasta - enough for 2 people, 4 people or a tribe. I like to use spaghetti 

NB reserve some of the pasta water to add back into sauce

Roasted pumpkin cut into chunks.  Bite-size works best

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - good splash plus more just before serving

Butter (optional)  - 2 teaspoons per person approx

garlic - crushed,  approx 1/2 clove per person

sage leaves -      roughly sliced - approx 6 leaves per person

Dried sage  -     tiny pinch per person

Dried mint or thyme  - small pinch per person

Dried chilli flakes - to your taste (optional)

Baby spinach leaves - big handful per person - they wilt to almost nothing

Black olives - pitted and quartered.   4 or 5 per person

Parsley -        small handful - roughly chopped

Feta cheese   - approx 4 tablespoons per person - crumbled 

Freshly ground black pepper - I like to add a decent amount just before serving

Small squeeze of lemon juice just before serving

Method

Cook pasta in rapidly boiling water according to packet directions (approx 10-12min)

While the pasta is cooking

In separate pan - heat the oil and butter, fry the sage leaves, add dried herbs and garlic . 

Toss through the roasted pumpkin chunks to reheat.

Then toss in the baby spinach to wilt

Add the black olives and parsley

Drain the pasta   -  and reserve approx 1/2 cup of pasta starchy water

Add the cooked drained pasta to the pumpkin mixture and stir through some of the pasta water (start with a few tablespoons and add more if you need)  to loosen the pasta -  it makes a bit of a sauce with the oil and butter

Stir through the crumbled feta, black pepper and a dash of lemon juice.

Enjoy!  Colleen

 

Let’s talk Turkey

 Cooking is always an evolving art, one of the many aspects I enjoy, is the ability to learn new recipes or techniques,  We were sold on the idea of wet brining poultry when you had the time, it does make for a more juicer bird.,  However it was really only at Christmas that we attempted this technique.  But finding a container larger enough for a wet brine and then refrigerator room in the silly season was near on impossible.  So whilst researching for our latest "Christmas in July" family lunch I came across this alternate on You Tube.

I will be admit this is our first attempt and we could have spatchcocked the Turkey a little better but gee it was a far easier brining experience and a way faster cook.

The after photo may look a little overdone but I can honestly say the breast was still beautifully moist.

I encourage you to give it a go.

After dry brining, Before cooking

After cooking

Ingredients

2 teaspoons of Kosher salt per kg of bird or 1% of the Turkey weight.

Baking powder (gives a nice crunchy/brown skin) - approx 1 Tablespoon

Zest of one spray free lemon

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves.

Oil for rubbing, or bacon fat or goose/duck fat

2 carrot, sliced lengthways

2 sticks celery

2 sliced onions, sliced through the middle

Oven Thermometer or remote probe thermometer (available from Bunnings)

Method

Unwrap the turkey, do not rinse under the tap as it is not necessary.

Turn the turkey upside down, breast facing down, you will need a pair of kitchen scissors and starting at the parson's nose cut all the way down the side of the back bone.  You will need strong hands or a willing husband  :) Then cut the down the other side of the back bone.

Remove the backbone and retain to make stock later.

Now flip the bird over and pressing down very hard on the breast bone with both hands, trying to snap the breast bone so that the Turkey lays down a little more flat.

Now position your Turkey, take the wing tips and tuck behind the wing.  Rotate the thighs and legs outwards so leg is facing inwards. (my first photo does not show correct leg position, will try again next time)

Dry brining is the process of aggressively salting meat and giving the salt time to penetrate through the meat, which for a large Turkey can take up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

The salt absorbs into the bird and denatures the protein inside the cells which makes the moisture stay within the Turkey.

In a small bowl, tip salt in.

Add baking powder, lemon zest, thyme leaves to the salt.

Flip the Turkey over so the inside is showing.

Rub a third of the salt mixture patting down with your hands.

Flip Turkey to the presentation side and rub in the remaining salt mixture. Don't worry if some falls into the pan when you flipped it.

Now do not cover and pop in the fridge for at least 2 days at most 3 days.

2 days later remove Turkey from the fridge at least an hour or 2 prior to cooking to get to room temperature.

Preheat Oven to 230 degrees Celsius

It will only take a maximum of 90 minutes to cook the Turkey

Prick the skin with a sharp knife, we don't want any air bubbles to lift the skin of the Turkey (because of the baking powder)

Rub the Turkey skin all over with any type of oil, duck/goose fat, even in the nooks and crannies.

Line a large oven roasting dish with the chopped vegetables, lay Turkey on top. You can add a little water later on if the oven is smoking too much.

Put the oven proof thermometer or remote probe thermometer into the deepest part of the breast not touching the bone.

Place the oven tray in the oven with the legs facing the door of the oven.

1/2 way through the cook rotate the oven tray so the wings now face the oven door.

150 degrees F or 66 degrees C is the temperature we need to get the Turkey too.

Once out of the oven, let it rest for at least 20 minutes.  The Temperature will continue to climb.

Don't cover with anything as you will loose the crisp skin, and don't remove the probe either.

Once rested, carve and arrange on a serving platter.

Mamma Marmalade

Toddler Chef Eggbeater Pancakes

My Grandson discovered my manual rotary eggbeater and was enthralled. It was taken for rides in his little car, included in construction play and held during story time. So I needed to find an easy recipe where he could really whip up a storm and then eat the results!  

This is a simplified very young child-friendly recipe - no salt, sugar or butter in the main batter mixture. The finished pancakes can be made thinner than usual thick pancakes because the key attraction is the eggbeater and the final honey flourish! 

Usually you don't want to over-beat pancake and pikelet mixes because it toughens the gluten but the point of this recipe is to use minimal ingredients and encourage participation and learning cooking skills.  Nana doesn't indulge him with sweet treats - blueberries are the treat of choice in my home - but I do permit a tiny drizzle of fresh honey, sliced banana or a dash of raspberry jam on these homemade pancakes as there is no other sugar in the batter.

Of course, always supervise children closely and keep little fingers and clothes away from stovetops during cooking and while hot objects are around.

Enjoy!  Nana Colleen

   

Tip  - get all equipment and ingredients out before starting.  Have a damp handtowel and cleanup rag on standby. And a just-damp towel under a bowl can help keep bowl in place during enthusiastic mixing

Preparation    5 minutes or as long as they want!  

Plus 30 minutes batter rest time (if possible - good delayed gratification practice if toddler amenable)  They love watching the countdown on the timer!

Cooking          a few minutes per pancake

Serves             makes 3 - 4 small size pancakes

Ingredients

1 egg

3/4  cup Self Raising Flour  (OR  plain would be okay for this recipe)

75 ml water  (1/3rd cup)

75 ml milk    (1/3rd cup)

tiny shake cinnamon

teaspoon softened butter to grease pan

Method

Allow toddler to help measure out the ingredients and place necessary utensils on bench

Combine the water and milk in an easy-pour jug, approx 500 ml size so you can re-use to pour batter into pan later

Beat the egg until light and fluffy in a deep bowl - using the eggbeater!

Pour the water and milk into the beaten egg and beat again - using the eggbeater!

Sift the flour and cinnamon into another deep bowl

Make a little well in base of flour and gradually add the eggy milk - let them use the eggbeater  but not too much this time - until just combined and batter smooth. Pour batter back into the jug used previously to make pouring into pan easier.

Pop batter aside covered with a tea-towel. Let toddler set the timer for 30 minutes - if possible - even 5 minutes will be okay.  They love pushing the buttons and watching the countdown!

Warm pan and melt a tiny amount of butter.  Pour approx 1/third or 1/quarter into the pan depending on how many pancakes you want to make. This is a fairly runny mixture.

Cook on one side until starts to bubble (approx 2 - 3 minutes depending on thickness)

Flip over and cook other side ( approx 2 minutes)

Remove and pop onto serving plate.

Cooking remaining batter as above.

Serve with a drizzle of honey, sliced bananas or a dash of jam.

Let them help tidy up afterwards too!

Enjoy!   Nana Colleen 

Pecan stuffed dates

 We recently celebrated Christmas in July and I was looking for a new starter/nibble.  I came across these stuffing dates and they worked a treat. Can be done ahead, something a little different and vegetarian.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 eschallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

50g fresh breadcrumbs

100g pecans, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped

50 ml vegetable stock or water

12 medjool dates, pitted

12 small sage leaves

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add shalllot and pinch of salt, cook 2-3 minutes until softened, then add garlic, breadcrumbs, pecan and thyme. Cook for a further minute.  Add a splash of stock to bring the mixture together.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Cut the dates in half lengthways (don't cut all the way through). Remove the seed.

Take small amounts of the stuffing and place inside the dates, push the sides of the dates back together.

Put a sage leaf on top of each date, then put the dates on an oven tray.

You can prep the dates to this point and place in the fridge overnight to do ahead.

Brush the outside of the dates with olive oil, hen bake for 15-20 minutes until the sage leaf is crisp.

Yum

Mamma Marmalade

Meatloaf

 Comfort food at its best, Meatloaf.  Does not win any prizes for being the most attractive but it sure does win in the categories of easy and delicious.

This is a base recipe that you can add in whatever you choose to amp up the flavour.  You could place have the mixture in the tin and then add a layer of boiled eggs or swiss cheese and salami.  An economical meal and this version is made low carb/keto by substituting breadcrumbs with almond flour.

Ingredients

1kg ground mince, I used 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork

1/2 cup ground almond flour

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 egg, large organic

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 Tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (I used Parley, Thyme and little Rosemary)

2 Teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 x bacon rashers, rind removed, nitrate free if possible

1/3 cup tomato ketchup (sugar free) or low sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Grease a loaf pan and line with bacon rashers.

In a large bowl combing all ingredients apart from tomato sauce.

Mix together till well incorporated but don't overmix.

Place mixture into loaf pan.

I place loaf pan in a roasting pan and pour hot water until it is half way up the side of  the loaf pan.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and spoon on tomato sauce of your choice.

Return to oven and cook for a further 45 minutes or until internal temp is 71 degrees celsius.

Turn out on a board and serve with your choice of vegetables.  We had keto cauliflower au gratin.

Enjoy

Mamma Marmalade

Email subscriber update from July 2021

 Thank you so much for supporting our blog ... "Feed your Inner Cook"

This Advice is for our existing Email  subscribers

Did you previously subscribe to our blogger email mailing list and  receive our recipes via Email?  If so, please be advised:

Our blog website, Blogger, advises they will soon stop  forwarding emails.

Therefore,  when blogger stops the email service, we plan on continuing the email service from our G-Mail address in addition to our Facebook and blog website.

If you have been receiving our Email recipes to your email inbox:

Could you please add   

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to your safe senders list.

Please look out for emails from     feedyourinnercook@gmail.com

Any queries - please contact us via email.

Thank you and happy cooking!

Cheers Colleen

Warming Vegetable and Barley Soup

Barley recipes remind me of my dear Nana.  I remember feeling very special holding the handle of a small ramekin bowl filled with steaming nourishing vegetable and barley soup or stew  - simple childhood pleasures!

Protein options can easily be added to this soup if you wish - shredded cooked chicken, mushrooms, pancetta, bacon or tofu pieces will add protein and variety.  

I prefer to freeze the vegetable barley soup base in small portions for easy thawing then add fresh herbs, protein if using - and a squeeze of lemon to refresh the flavours.   A great freezer standby - Enjoy!  Colleen

Preparation     15 - 20 minutes

Cooking           approx 1 hour

Serves             6 - 8 approx      (good to freeze cooked soup base)

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 onions - chopped

2 carrots - chopped

1/2 sweet potato - cubed

1 - 2 potatoes - cubed

3 celery stalks - chopped plus some of the inner leaves for later

4 garlic cloves - crushed

6 or so sage leaves - sliced

pinch dried mint leaves (optional) 

6 or so stalks thyme and 1 stalk rosemary - leave whole, leaves drop off in soup

2 -3 fresh bay leaves

pinch sea salt flakes

1 cup pearl barley - rinsed very well 

10 gram dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 1 cup warm water (15 min) NB you will be using the (strained) soaking water too AND roughly chop soaked porcini before adding to soup

2 litres salt reduced vegetable stock  OR  beef or chicken stock if you prefer NB  MIGHT need more stock or warm water to add later

handful dried red lentils - rinsed

handful sliced green beans   AND/OR   frozen peas

couple of handfuls Baby spinach leaves OR some finely chopped silverbeet 

Finely chopped parsley and mint  leaves

Freshly ground Black pepper

squeeze lemon juice

OPTIONS  cook and add shredded chicken, bacon or cubed tofu, mushrooms.

Method

Use a large deep pan, heat the oil and add the onion, carrot, sweet potato and potato pieces cooking for approx 10 -15 minutes until begin to soften and golden.

Add the celery, garlic, herbs and salt and stir through.

Stir in the rinsed barley, stock, chopped porcini mushrooms and the strained soaking water

Pour in the stock and add the red lentils. Stir well to combine.

Simmer for approx 35 - 40 minutes until barley is soft and tender. Check during simmer and add additional water / stock if needed.

Taste and add pepper and extra salt if needed.  

Remove the herb stalks and bay leaves.

Add the chopped celery leaves, green beans and peas and simmer until tender.

Add the baby spinach leaves and simmer until wilted.

Remove from heat and add the parsley and mint leaves and squeeze of lemon juice.

Stir in any of the protein options if using

Serve.

Freeze soup base (without the protein options or fresh herbs) then thaw, reheat and add fresh  herbs and squeeze of lemon juice. 

Enjoy!   Colleen

Janelle's bliss balls

 I stumbled upon this recipe whilst looking for healthy snack ideas for my daughter in law who has a newborn and a toddler.  Great for snacking on when time is at a premium and you need a sweet fix but not necessarily a sugar high. 

    

Ingredients

I cup rolled oats (not instant)

1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 Tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup roasted almond butter

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

3 soft Medjool dates, pitted (or substitute 2 additional Tablespoons of Maple syrup)

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Method

In a frypan toast the oats over a low heat until just browned at the edges.  Toasting the oats makes them more digestable.  

In a small bowl combine flaxseeds and warm water, set aside for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

In a food processor combine almond butter, maple syrup, dates, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add flaxseed mixture and blend until smooth.

Add the pecans, pulse to combine, Add the oats and coconut, pulse to combine. Add the choc chips and pulse until evenly incorporated.

Using wet hands roll the mixture into balls and chill until firm (at least 30 minutes).  If the mixture is too sticky to roll, place in the refrigerator for several minutes before attempting to roll into balls again.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Guaranteed delidous

Mamma Marmalade

bliss

Eggplant and Spinach Dhansak

 We have a family lunch on the first Sunday of the month and June's theme was Indian.  So on with the Bollywood dance music and prepare an Indian feast including this lentil dish.  Flavours were mild but very tasty.  Great vegetarian option.

Ingredients

100g red lentils

1 large onion, grated

400g tin cherry tomatoes

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 large eggplant, cut into 3 cm pieces

6 leaves of silverbeet or half a bunch of english spinach

2 Tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

4 cardamon pods, split

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

small bunch of coriander, chopped

1 tsp garam masala

Method

Combine in a pan the lentils, onion, tomatoes, turmeric and 1 tsp salt in a pan, add one tomato tin full of water. Bring to the boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Note: I did this stage the day before and popped in the fridge.

Put chopped eggplant in a bowl and toss with oil and salt and pepper.

Heat a large frypan, add a little more oil and cook eggplant in batches until golden brown and softened.

Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Put all eggplant back into the pan and add the spices (not garam masala) and cook for 2 minutes. 

Stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes. 

Tip in the lentil mix and 200ml of water. 

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

To finish add coriander and garam masala, cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve.

Mamma Marmalade

Make ahead chicken vegetable tray bake

Tray bakes are a simple toss together meal that also deliver great flavour. I  like to prep this meal either in the morning or the night before. Leftovers are delish and great base for another meal. Simple,  satisfying.  Enjoy! Colleen 

Preparation   15 20 minutes

Baking             45 minutes approx 

Serves              4 -5

Ingredients 

8 - 9 chicken pieces on the bone, eg drumsticks 

2 onions, peeled, sliced into quarters and part cooked 

1/2 sweet potato,  peeled, cut into chunks, part cooked.  OR thick slices of carrot

2 celery sticks thickly sliced

Options, some wedges potato , fennel slices

Marinade 

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon, or more, dried chilli flakes 

Good pinch salt flakes

Pinch celery salt

Good amount cracked pepper to taste

1/2 cup passata, but might need more

4 tablespoons olive oil

To add in final 20 minutes 

prepare this when  oven preheating, then set aside: 

Approx 1 1/2 sourdough bread rolls torn into generous chunks mixed with more olive oil with Handful grated parmesan cheese, pinch More dried oregano, fennel

Plus later

Cherry tomatoes,  halved

Handful black pitted olives

Option: drained rinsed butter beans

More passata if needed  

Some dried fennel seeds 

Then before serving

Fresh chopped parsley for garnish 

Squeeze lemon juice prior to serving 

Method

Combine all the marinade dried herbs, spices, tomato passata, oil in a lidded container or bag .

Add the chicken pieces and smootch, squeeze until coated.  Pop in fridge overnight.

Next day

Oil a large tray with inch or so sides.

Place part cooked sweet potato,  onion wedges etc in base.

Nestle chicken pieces in and pour over remaining marinade juices.  

When ready to bake

Preheat oven to 190 oC fanforced

Pop into middle of oven and bake approx 25 minutes,  turning chicken at halfway. Add a little more passata if drying out. 

Add the butter beans, olives,  cherry tomatoes, fennel seeds 

and the prepared parmesan herb oil tossed sourdough chunks go on top.  

Bake approx 20 minutes until bread golden crunchy and chicken thoroughly cooked.

Taste and add more salt, pepper if needed.

Just prior to serving,  scatter with chopped parsley and squeeze of lemon.

Serve with lots of greens or a salad.

Enjoy! Colleen 

Refreshing Lemonade

 What is the old saying "When life gives you lemons, make Lemonade". This super easy recipe is from Martha Stewart, but there is not much more than making a simple sugar syrup adding lemon juice and then adding sparkling water to your preferred taste.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup caster sugar

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sparkling mineral water or soda water

Mint leaves and slices of lemon to garnish

Method

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to the boil stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat, cool and then refrigerate.

When ready to serve combine sugar syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher.

Let guests serve the lemonade concentrate with their preferred amount of sparkling mineral or soda water.

Add ice and garnish with sliced lemon and mint.

So refreshing.

Mamma Marmalade

Easy vegetable curry without the rice

 This vegetable curry is a great way to use up lots of bits and pieces of various vegetables. It is quick and easy to prepare  - chop veg the night before, store in 2 containers, 1 for dense veg and 1 for the rest.

I have been trying to reduce the amount of rice and noodles we eat so this recipe swaps the rice with chickpeas. Squishing a few chickpeas will help thicken the sauce and increase your legume intake. Add your favourite veg, maybe some broccoli or squash if you like.  Enjoy! Colleen 

Preparation   15 minutes  

   

Plus!  easy to chop veg the night before, store in 2 containers, 1 for dense veg and 1 for the rest of veg.

Cooking         20 minutes

Serves            4 approx 

Ingredients 

Splash rice bran oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 large sweet potato , diced

2 carrots, peeled and large diced

1/2 large cauliflower,  halved florets

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 large zuchhini,  sliced

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

Handful green beans,  sliced

1/4 Red capsicum, sliced 

Tin chickpeas,  drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons massamam curry paste (or less if preferred)

1 heaped tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

Pinch dried chilli if preferred 

400 ml tin coconut milk 

Parsley, shredded

Some halved cherry tomatoes

Few cashews , optional

Mint or coriander leaves to serve

Lime cheeks to serve

Method

Warm the oil in a large, wide pan.

Add the onions, cauliflower,  sweet potato, carrots and soften. Might need a lid for a while to speed up cooking.

Add the softer veg and cook until still a little crisp.

Stir though the curry paste and spices.

Pour in coconut milk and stir.

Add the chick peas and squash a few. This will help thicken the sauce.

Warm through.

Remove from heat.

Add the halved tomatoes, cashews, parsley and mint or coriander  to serve.

Squeeze a little lime juice over. 

Leftovers are delish too! 

Enjoy! Colleen