ROASTED LEMON AND GARLIC DRUMSTICKS

serves 4

• 12 chicken drumsticks
• 1 tbspn olive oil
• 60gm melted butter
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbspns finely grated lemon rind
• ¼ cup of lemon juice.

1. Preheat your oven to 200cthen place your drumsticks in a lightly greased shallow roasting dish

2. Combine the oil and 1 tbspn of melted butter and drizzle over the drumsticks. season with salt & pepper and toss to coat. then all you do is roast the drumsticks for 35 to 40 mins or until golden and cooked through.

3. Combine the remaining butter parsley lemon rind lemon juice and garlic in a bowl. spoon over the cooked chicken cover and let stand for 10 mins and then serve

4. You could also use chicken wings , cutlets or marylands

FRAGRANT SWEET CURRY CHICKEN

• · 500 gm chicken thigh fillets
• · 2 tbsp oil
• · 1/3 cup blanched almonds
• · 1 tbspn green curry paste available at most s’mkts
• · ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 375gm can of pineapple pieces in natural juice and reserve the juice
• · 1 medium red capsicum chopped
• · 3 small zucchini sliced
• · 1/3 cup of currants

Method

1. Cut the chicken in 2 cm cubes and put aside.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and add the almonds curry paste and turmeric.

3. Cook for 2 mins while stirring and then add the chicken stir for 5 mins or until it is browned.

4. Add the reserved pineapple juice and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 mins until tender.

5. Add the pineapple pieces zucchini capsicum and currants and then simmer uncovered for 5 mins or until the vegetables are tender

6. Then serve with rice.

MUSHROOM AND POTATO SOUP

 

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely
• · chopped
• · 1 garlic clove, crushed
• · 1 tbs thyme leaves
• · 400g (3 medium) potatoes, peeled, chopped
• · 600g mushrooms (swiss brown & cups), sliced
• · 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• · 1/2 cup thickened cream
• · Thyme leaves & toasted rye bread, to serve

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, cook, stirring for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the potato and cook for 5 minutes until potato starts to soften.

2. Increase heat to high, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add5 cups of stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

3. Blend or process to desired consistency. Return soup to clean pan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper, adding remaining stock if required. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed through.

4. Ladle the soup into serving bowls or cups, sprinkle with thyme and serve with toasted rye bread. Soup keeps for 5 days in the fridge.Lighter option: replace the cream with reduced fat cream.

FIG PUDDINGS WITH HONEY GINGER SAUCE

Serves 6

150g dried figs
150g butter, softened
1/4 cup Honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
2 eggs
1/3 cup sultanas
3/4 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sour cream
¼ tsp powdered ginger cream or custard and raspberries, to serve
Honey Ginger Sauce:
1/2 cup Honey ¼ tsp Ginger powder
1/3 cup thickened cream
20g butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Grease six 300g capacity individual pudding bowls. Place a small round of non-stick baking paper onto base of each bowl.
2. Place figs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, then simmer 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove and discard stems. Place figs into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

3. Place butter, Honey & Ginger, brown sugar and rind in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in figs and sultanas. Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together and add to fig mixture, then stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add sour cream and mix well.
4. Divide mixture between prepared bowls. Cut 6 squares of foil, slightly wider than the top of each bowl. Lightly grease dull side of foil. Place foil, greased side down, onto each bowl to form a lid. Stand bowls in a baking dish and pour sufficient boiling water into the dish to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowls. Carefully place in oven and bake 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre of a pudding removes clean.

5. Meanwhile, make sauce. Place Honey & Ginger, cream and butter into a
small saucepan. Stir over a moderate heat until butter melts. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly (sauce will thicken on standing).
6. Unmould puddings onto serving plates.
Just before serving, top with sauce.
Serve with cream or custard and raspberries.

Tips: If you do not have small pudding bowls, use ovenproof moulds or teacups.

SPICY CHICKEN AND BLUEBERRY SALAD

 

Ingredients:

• 4 small skinless chicken breast fillets
• olive oil spray
• 1 tablespoon za’atar spice mix
• 1 orange, 2tsp grated rind, flesh chopped into chunks
• ½ cup reduced fat plain yoghurt
• ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 100g rocket leaves
• 125g punnet fresh blueberries
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, blanched and halved
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Spray chicken breasts with olive oil. Combine spice mix with orange rind and sprinkle evenly over chicken.
2. Cook chicken in a frying pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Make sure the heat is not too high, as this will burn the coating.
3. Combine yoghurt and coriander. Refrigerate until required.
4. Place rocket leaves, blueberries, asparagus and orange into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
5. Divide salad between serving plates, top with sliced chicken and drizzle with yoghurt dressing. Finish with extra coriander leaves if desired.

BAKED FRUIT WITH HONEY

 

• 6 pieces of stone fruit (peaches, nectarines and/or plums)
• 2 pears
• 2 cinnamon quills
• juice of 1 orange and zest of
• ½ orange
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut fruit thinly and place in a baking tray with the cinnamon, orange juice and zest. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with sugar.Bake until golden (about 20-25 minutes) and serve with yoghurt, ice-cream or custard. This is really good cold the next day on muesli.

PEAR AND CHOCOLATE TART

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
3 sheets shortcrust pastry (sweet or regular)
200g dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups cream
3 eggs yolks
2 pears
Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and place the 3 sheets of pastry in a pile. With a floured rolling pin, roll out and trim the pastry into a circle with a diameter of 36 cm. Line a 28 cm cake pan or tart pan with the pastry. (The sides of the tart should be about 4 cm high).
Line the base of the tart shell with baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the baking weights. Cook for a further 6 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
Place the chocolate and cream in a pan and cook over a low heat while stirring, until it is smooth. Pour into a bowl and cool a little. Stir in the egg yolks. Pour mixture into the tart shells and bake at 150°C for 25-30 minutes or until the chocolate filling is set. Remove from oven and cool so that the filling sets more.
Peel, core and slice the pears and arrange on top of the tart. Cut tart into thin slices to serve.