Friday, 31 May 2019

LEMON AND GARLIC SUPREME

Preheat your oven to 200deg C
Using a small saucepan place 1 lemon roughly cut with 1 tsp of brown sugar and bring to the boil .
Keep boiling until dark brown( about 3 minutes )
Place 1 chicken breast ( bone in ) on a lined baking tray .
Drizzle over the lemon mixture through a strainer over chicken and bake for 20 minutes or till cooked through .
While chicken is baking , mix 2 tbs of minced garlic with the juice of 1 lemon , season with sumac .
Just before serving pour lemon and garlic sauce over the breast.
Serve with a cauliflower mash and a crimson salad .  

SIMPLE GARLIC PRAWNS

You need 6 baked beetroots , peeled and thickly sliced into rounds .
Heat about 5 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan over a medium heat .
Stir through 2 tbs of minced garlic
Add 500 gm of shelled and cleaned green prawns .
Move the prawns around the pan until they change colour .
Add a handful of chopped fresh parsley and 250ml of sour cream , the grated zest of 1 small lemon .
Arrange rocket leaves on serving plates .
Drizzle beetroot rounds with 2 tbs of truffle oil then place on serving plates .
Top beetroot slices with prawns .

FRESH APRICOTS AND PEACHES IN LAVENDER HONEY

Fresh apricots and peaches in lavender honey .
Place 1/4 cup of lavender honey in a pan
Over a low heat bring to the boil .
Add 6 fresh apricots stoned and halved
2 fresh peaches stoned and halved
Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes
Place on a serving plate .
Top with yoghurt and a dressing of almond flakes
 

COTTAGE CHEESE AND FIGS WITH HONEY

Cottage cheese and figs with honey ......
Stuff 6 fresh figs that have been partially quartered with base still intact , with a dob of cottage cheese or smooth ricotta .
Then sprinkle with crushed pistachios and drizzle with honey
I used bush honey ( not too sweet )
 

CRIMSON SALAD

Remove the skin and cut 3 baked beetroots into 4cm cubes .
Cut 150gm of fetta into 2cm cubes .
Place fetta cubes over the cubed beetroot.
Arrange radicchio leaves around the beetroot and fetta .
Mix together 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil with 1 dsp of minced garlic and 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar .
Drizzle over salad and dress with pomegranate seeds .

Wednesday, 29 May 2019

CHOCOLATE CHICKEN

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
Marinate 6 chicken thighs in 500ml of Prosecco overnight in a bowl in the refrigerator .
Use your mortar and pestle to grind 3 tsp of fennel seeds together with 2 whole cloves .
Add 30 gm of grated dark chocolate and set aside .
Peel and chop 2 onions and soften over a medium heat in a pan with a little oil .
Add the chicken thighs and fry lightly , until golden .
Go back to the bowl with the chocolate and spice mix and add 1 tbs of raw sugar ,freshly chopped chilli ( as much as you are comfortable with ).....mix this altogether with 4 tbs of white wine vinegar and add this to the pan with the chicken and onions .
 Place the combined ingredients into an ovenproof serving dish ,cover with a lid and let it simmer away for 40 minutes in your preheated oven .
You can add a good splash of Prosecco if it dries a little through cooking .
I will be serving this dish with wild rice , artichoke hearts and green beans .....
Enjoy !!

Saturday, 25 May 2019

TANDOORI CHICKEN

You can use any joint of chicken you prefer ...but make sure whatever joint you use has the skin intact .
You will need 500gm of chicken pieces
Before you do anything ....preheat your oven  to 220 deg C
Line a baking tray with cooking spray and  baking paper
Using your washed fingers , loosen the skin from one side of the joint .( I said loosen not remove ).
In a separate  bowl  combine the juice of 1 lemon , 350 gm of Greek yoghurt with 1 tsp of ground chilli , 1 tbs of minced garlic , minced ginger , 1 dsp of ground coriander , cardamom , cinnamon fennel , 1 tbs of turmeric, 2 tbs of the zest of 1  preserved lemon ......mix thoroughly .
Now using your fingers gently coat  the flesh of the chicken   under the skin ...
Season with sumac , cracked pepper and a little salt  .

Bake in your preheated oven for 35  minutes .

PICKLED RHUBARB

I'm very fortunate to have rhubarb growing in my garden, so I have it on hand throughout the year . Rhubarb is at home in a sweet dish and just as welcome in a savoury dish .......or just as a crunchy snack straight from the pickling brine . I use 10 stalks of rhubarb, washed, trimmed and sliced . Now all you need is to prepare your brine .......1 tbs of mustard seeds, 12 whole cloves, 1 dsp of whole peppercorns, 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 250ml cup of raw sugar, 1 tsp of sea salt . Place these into a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved, it won't take long and the brine will only be warm... Remove from heat . Place the sliced /chopped rhubarb into a large jar that has a lid, now pour in the warm brine. Cover with a lid and leave in the refrigerator for 10 days . This rhubarb is great as a snack, as an additive to soups or slow cooked meals .......add it to salads and drizzle with a little of the brine.
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Friday, 24 May 2019

CITRUS DELIGHT WORSHOP FOR YINNAR COMMUNITY GARDEN AT YINNAR ARC.

On Sunday I had a fabulous afternoon presenting the citrus delight worshop for Yinnar Community Garden .
Our discussions crossed a wide variety of topics all based around food ......
Laufa Oakley, my assistant got people up to the table to prepare a 'one bowl brownie '.
While it was cooking we discussed the merits of fermentation and tasted my 'yummy ' rhubarb pickle.
Another group put together a cheeky salad featuring the pickled rhubarb and thinly sliced lemon with a green leaf mix , sliced onions and cherry tomatoes and drizzled with the rhubarb pickle brine  .
Sal and his wife joined me at the prep table to prepare ricotta, minced garlic and preserved lemon filling for the chicken Maryland 's and finished off with a sprinkling of sumac ( Middle Eastern savoury spice featuring lemon flavours ).
By now the brownie was done and a lemon glaze was prepared and spread over the brownie .
Earlier I had prepared a non bake lemon flan .
Our host for the workshop was Cathryn Thompson, who also bought along jars of her fabulous 3 fruit marmalade and cumquat marmalade .....they were seriously good !
Than you for the invite .
Requested recipes will be sent out to you all .
Noelene Marchwicki .

Wednesday, 8 May 2019

ROCKY ROAD FUDGE

Grease and line a 20cm square pan with baking paper .
Place 200gm of chopped dark chocolate in a heavy based saucepan with 1x 395 gm can of sweetened condensed milk.
Stir over medium heat until combined , take off heat and cool .
carefully fold through 210 gm of roasted nuts and 120 gm of mini marshmallows .
Pour into prepared pan .
Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until firm .
Cut into squares and serve .....

JELLY SLICE

Grease and line a lamington pan /or until set . tray ( 20 -36 cm ) with baking paper .
Combine 185gm of melted butter /marg with 250gm of crushed marie biscuits
Press firmly into the prepared tray .
Refrigerate .
Dissolve 1 dsp of gelatine in 125 ml of boiling water . Set aside .
Add 1 x can of sweetened condensed milk ( 395 gm ) to a medium bowl with 2 tbs of lemon juice and now stir in the gelatine mix , beat until well combined .
Pour this over the biscuit base and refrigerate for 1 hour or until set .
Now make up a packet of jelly with an extra dsp of gelatine
Cool mixture and then refrigerate for 1 hour or until set .
Now cut into slices with a warm knife .


BEST LASAGNE IN 3 STEPS

STEP 1
RAGU SAUCE FOR THE LASAGNE
In a large saucepan add some rice bran oil ( not too much because the meat will release fat. )
Cut up 2 medium sized onions ( finely diced ), and fry over a low heat .
When the onions are nearly done add 1 tbs of minced garlic.
Add a drop of water if necessary to stop the onions burning .
Add 1.5 kg of mincemeat , a little at a time and stir till meat is browned .
ADD 120gm of button mushrooms ( diced ) stir with the mincemeat until beginning to cook.
Now add 2 chopped sticks of celery with celery leaves , 1 medium carrot ( chopped ), 6 tins of Italian diced tomatoes ,    1tin of tomato purée ( 170 gm ).
Add salt and pepper to taste .
Bring the ragu to the boil and then simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours minimum .
 Add 1 glass of red wine during the cooking to stop it from becoming too dry , and stir occasionally to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot .
Stir through fresh chopped basil right at the end of cooking .
STEP 2
PASTA
Place 750gm of strong white plain flour on your kitchen table a well in the centre, add 4 large eggs ( lightly beaten ) and 60 ml of water .
Start mixing from inside the well if you don’t want to the water .
Knead for 20 minutes minimum
Sprinkle some flour if the mix is too wet or a sprinkle of water if it is too dry .
The end dough should not be sticking to your hands or have any air bubbles in it .
You can test this by tutting the mix in half with a knife , any air bubbles will show .
Continue to work the mix until the bubbles disappear .
Then cut the dough into 3 or 4 portions, wrap all but one in cling film to keep moist .
Then start to stretch your pasta ...... this can be done with a pasta machine ,a rolling pin or wine bottle
Then cut up strips of pasta to a managble length and then lay them on the back of a chair or a portable air dryer to dry or until you are ready to cook them .
Alternatively you can use pre cooked dried lasagne sheets...
STEP 3
BESCIAMELLA SAUCE .
Place 60 gm of butter in a small saucepan , heat gently until it melts add 2 tbs of plain flour nd stir until the mixture is crumbly , add 480 ml of milk  stirring until  the mixture is smooth seaso with salt , pepper and nutmeg .
Slowly bring to the boil and stir until the sauce thickens .
When you are happy with the besciamella sauce pour it over our prepared layers of lasagne sheets and ragu sauce .
Place the completed dish in a well preheated oven 180 deg C or 45 minutes