MONDAY DINNER AT THE MANOR

MENU

ENTREE
A tapas style serving of Spanish Manazilla olives stuffed with anchovies,  Greek Halkidiki olives stuffed with pickled garlic , Spanish Manazilla olives stuffed with aged Parmesan and served with horseradish cream and toasted sourdough .

MAINS
Jambalaya.....a Creole dish including , chicken , pork , seafood with onions , carrots ,celery and jalapeno chilli.
Marinated in apple cider vinegar for 24 hours, slow cooed for 12 hours and served on a mound of mixed grain .

Satay Chicken .....cubes of poultry cooked in a spiced mixture with a light peppery peanut sauce ...

DESSERT
Curd and treacle......strained Greek yoghurt served with treacle
Faluda......a Muslim influenced  Sri Lankan drink and dessert....made with water , milk , rosewater, ice cream and basil .

CREAMY CHEESY CHICKEN

Today in class we made creamy , cheesy chicken .
This is my recipe for the time poor ..( well that is all of us ) .
My food has to be easily assembled , flavoursome , inviting with aromas that welcome you home .
1. Spray the bowl of your slow cooker.
2. Slice and cube the  skinless chicken fillets ( thigh or breasts ) 4-6.
3. Sprinkle the chicken cubes with cracked pepper and curry powder .
4. Slice 6 small carrots into rounds , peel and slice 2 potatoes and onions . you can also add some chopped broccoli , celery  or sliced beans at this point .
5. Mix chicken and vegetables together and then turn into the bowl of the slow cooker .
6. In a small saucepan add 250gm of creamed cheese spread , 1 tbs of minced garlic ,
3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar , 1/2 cup of chicken stock , 1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa .
7. Heat slowly just enough to warm through and melt the cream cheese spread .
8. Pour the sauce over the chicken mix in the slow cooer , stir to combine .
9.Cover and cook on low for 5 hours .
10. Serve with crusty sourdough or garlic bread .

 

MINESTRONE MIX

Heat 2 tbs of rice bran in a large saucepan over a low heat and add 2 finely sliced onions and 2 tbs of minced garlic .
Cook until the onion is translucent .
Add 1 x 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 2 carrots chopped , 2 potatoes chopped .
Add 200ml of white vinegar , 250gm of soft brown sugar .
Allow this mixture to simmer for 20 minutes or till vegetables are tender .
Add 1x 400gm can of 4 bean mix and stir through with the contents of 2 x  680 gm jars of passata .
Add 150 gm of sliced black olives and 150 gm of dried gomiti pasta or a short pasta of your choice .
Heat for 30 minutes and serve with crusty bread .

MARINATED SILVERSIDE

Anne ,yesterday in class we made a sweet fruit chutney and I mentioned the chutney makes a wonderful marinade for silverside .
The marinade needs to be prepared 2-3 days ahead .
First you need to remove the skin from 1 kg of tomatoes , chop any large pieces of flesh .
Peel and chop 3 onions
Peel and core 2 green apples
Grate 3 carrots
Add 425gmof shoestring beetroot
Place all chopped and grated ingredients into a large bowl
Add 750gm  of soft brown sugar , 1 litre of brown malt vinegar , 1 tbs salt , a pinch of cayenne pepper , 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 dsp of ground cloves
Mix thoroughly .
Cover and allow to sit on your bench till you are ready to use.
Before cooking the silverside slice it uncooked .
Slice 1/2 a head of cabbage , discarding the thick white core .
Spray the bowl of your slow cooker .
Layer the bowl with sliced cabbage then slices of uncooked silverside
Repeat till you have used all the silverside
Now stir the fermented marinade and ladel over the meat and cabbage .
Place any remaining marinade into a container with a lid and refrigerate
Turn your slow cooker to slow and leave  for 8 hours ....
This is delicious ...
FOOTNOTE
Drizzle any leftover marinade on oven baked vegetables or heat the left over marinade in a pan and prepare French toast with a twist .

ITALIAN STYLED POTATOES AND MEATBALLS

Peel and chop 2 onions , mix with 1 tbs of minced garlic .
Scoop the flesh out of 10 ripe tomatoes and chop into pieces .
Turn the slow cooker on to low , brush the bowl with oil , add garlic , onions and tomatoes , 1 tsp of oregano , salt and cracked pepper to taste .
Add 1x 400gm of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of soft brown sugar , 125 ml of white vinegar .
Wash 6-8 small new potatoes in their jackets and 2 carrots grated , add to the slow cooker and mix to combine
Now remove the casings from 12 hot Italian sausages and shape the sausage meat into small balls .

 Now add these to the slow cooker , with 100gm of sliced black olives

Cook on the low setting till the potatoes are tender .

 

PEKING GIN ROAST

The combination of coffee and gin in this recipe add a nice rich flavour to the meat .
You need to purchase a 2kg piece of roasting beef and ask your butcher to either slice or cube the meat .
Peel and slice 2 onions and mix with the meat pieces in a glass dish and cover with 1 and 1/2 cups of  apple cider vinegar .
Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours .
Then drain and discard the vinegar .
Saute the onions and meat in a large pan with 3 tbs of oil over a high heat until the meat is browned .
transfer this mixture to the bowl of your slow cooker .
Add 500 ml ( 2  cups ) of  hot black coffee , an extra cup of water , 3/4 cup of gin , season with sea salt and cracked pepper .
Cover and heat on low setting for 8 hours .
Serve with mixed grains and  dry oven roasted vegetables .

BEEF BRISKET WITH BEER , FOR SHAUN MERSEY .

You will need a piece of brisket 1&1/2 to 2 kgs.
Ask your butcher to cut the brisket into serving size pieces .
at home place the sliced or cubed brisket into a large bowl and coat with 3/4 cup of soft brown sugar and 1 dsp of all spice ....
Peel and slice 2 onions
Place onions and meat in the greased bowl of your slow cooker and pour over 1 can of beer .
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours .....
Serve with rice / vegetables and or a creamy mash .

EGYPTIAN CHICKEN ....

Remove the skin from 12 chicken legs .
Peel and slice 2 onions into 1/4 inch thickness.
 Remove the seeds from  both a green and red capsicum , slice into 1/4 inch thickness .
Trim and slice 3 celery sticks .
Prepare the bowl of your slow cooker with a brush of peanut oil .
Place the sliced vegetables into the slow cooker along with 500ml of chicken stock .
Spread crunchy  peanut butter over the chicken legs and sprinkle with chilli powder .
Place the chicken legs in the slow cooker on the sliced vegetables....
Do not stir ......
Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
Serve with wild rice .
Delicious

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

I am a fan of tea leaves  as  an ingredient in cooking , tea has  an amazing list of health  benefits.
Green tea has catechin the tea’s bitter component that eliminates toxins caused by bacteria.
It can even prevent the bacteria that causes bad breathe .
Green tea is rich inVitamin E, which works as an antioxidant , it also aids digestion and rejuvenates the body .
This is the best way to rejuvenate after a heavy meal with or without alcohol.

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM
Heat 1 cup of full cream milk and 1/4 cup of castor sugar to a gentle simmer
Sprinkle with 2 tbs of green tea leaves or the contents of 8 green tea teabags .
Stir and allow to cool .
Chill over night .
Next day strain through a seive .
Gently heat the milk to just warm .
Lightly whisk 4 egg yolks .
Pour the lightly beaten egg yolks into the warmed milk over a low heat and whisk continuously till the custard starts to thicken .
Cool , stir in 1 cup of cream , 1 tsp of lime juice , 1 drop of green food colouring .
Mix well .
Churn in your ice cream machine , follow manufacturer’s directions .
Freeze until ready to serve .
You can serve with fresh fruit or garnish with thinly sliced lime rind ...Optional .

 

BANANA BUNDT CAKE

I had an order for a banana cake , I made 2 ...keeping one for myself .
It was delicious.
A simple banana cake , baked in a moderate oven ( 160 C ), in a bundt pan .
Once cooled , the cake was iced with a butter icing and  banana essence .
I then dressed the iced cake with coconut circles and filled the middle with banana chips ...
To serve I halved the coconut circles , sliced the cake and added a good dollop of creme fraiche topped with banana chips .
This was so good !!!!

 

LEMON AND COCONUT SLICE

Grease a lose bottom flan pan
Pour 1cup of condensed milk into a small saucepan along with 200gm of margarine/butter .
Warm over a medium heat stirring until the butter melts .
Set aside .
Place 400gm of plain wheaten biscuits in the processor , process to a fine crumb.
Put into a large bowl add 2 x 250ml cups of  desiccated coconut , the grated rind of 1 lemon and 40ml ( 2 tbs ) of lemon juice .
Add the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon till combined .
Press the combined mixture into the prepared flan pan .
Refrigerate till firm  ( 90 minutes ).
To make the slice topping ....
Place 2 cups of icing sugar in a large bowl with 40gm of margarine  , 2 1/2 tbs of lemon juice , 3/4 cup of shredded coconut .....beat with a wooden spoon till smooth .
Spread icing over the slice and place back in refrigerator  45 minutes .
Remove from pan and slice as required .