Balsamic Chicken

Simple & delicious

Serves 6

6 chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt & cracked black pepper
3 lemons, halved

Preheat grill pan over high heat.
Brush chicken breasts lightly with oil & place in hot pan. Reduce heat to medium-high & cook for 5 minutes.
Drizzle with vinegar, sprinkle with salt & pepper & cook for a further 1 minute.
Turn chicken over & continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
When you turn chicken, add lemons to the pan, cut side down.
Squeeze grilled lemons over balsamic chicken & serve with baked potatoes & salad.

Chilli & Lemon Hummus

This is quite lemony, so you might want to add only 1/4 cup juice to start with

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2x 400g cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 long red chilli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
sea salt

Place all ingredients except salt in a food processor & process until combined.
Add salt to taste.
Serve with toasted Turkish bread & lemon wedges.

Herb-crusted Veal Loin

Serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil
1kg veal loin, trimmed
sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 200ºC.
Rub oil over veal & sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Sear veal for 4 minutes each side.
Combine mustard & lemon juice & spread over veal.
Place on baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper & bake for 10 minutes (for medium-rare) or until cooked to your liking.
Set aside for 10 minutes, then roll in combined parsley & chives.
Slice & serve warm or at room temperature with salad.

Chocolate & Frangelico Mousse

Serves 4

250g dark chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
3 egg whites
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup frangelico
100ml (single or pouring) cream

Put chocolate in a double-boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water). Leave until chocolate has melted.
Remove & allow to cool slightly, then add golden syrup.
Stir egg yolks & frangelico into cool chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites in a clean dry bowl until stiff peaks form.
Beat cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold cream & egg whites into chocolate mixture with a large metal spoon or spatula.
Pour chocolate mousse into serving bowls or cups & refrigerate until firm.
Yummmmm!

Here's some dishes I cooked for dinner tonight.

Herb Spring Vegetables with Fried Haloumi

Serves 2

1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 bunch baby carrots (100g), peeled & trimmed
1 zucchini (150g), sliced
1 bunch asparagus (200g), trimmed
30g butter, chopped
sea salt & cracked black pepper
100g haloumi cheese, sliced

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Line a bamboo steamer with non-stick baking paper.
Add the lemon, carrots, zucchini & asparagus.
Top with the butter, chives, salt & pepper.
Place the steamer over the water, cover with the lid & cook for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, place a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Add the haloumi & cook for 1 minute each side or until golden.
Serve the vegetables with the haloumi.

Ginger, Sesame & Green Onion Fish

Serves 2

2 green onions (scallions), shredded
4 slices ginger
2 x 185g firm white fish fillets, skin removed (I used barramundi)
2 gai larn (Chinese broccoli) leaves, trimmed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Place the green onion & ginger on top of the fish fillets & wrap the gai larn leaves around the middle.
Place a plate in a bamboo steamer & add the fish.
Pour over the lemon juice & oil.
Place steamer over the water, cover with the lid & cook for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
Place the soy sauce, vinegar & sugar in a small saucepan over low heat & bring to the boil.
Pour the sauce over the fish & serve with steamed rice (& vegetables - but not cheese - as cooked below, if desired).

Potato & Lemon Chicken Salad

Something light & fresh for spring.

Serves 4

4 x 150g chicken breast fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 lemon thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
500g boiling potatoes (new, kipfler, pink-eye, desiree, nicola or bintje)
1/2 cup whole-egg mayonnaise
1/4 cup single (pouring) cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt & ground white pepper
1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed
125g wild rocket (arugula)

Place chicken, oil, thyme & zest in a (non-metallic) bowl. Cover & place in fridge for 15-30 minutes.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan of salted cold water. Bring to the boil & cook for 12 minutes or until just tender when tested with a skewer. Drain. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel & cut in half lengthways.
Combine mayonnaise, cream, lemon juice, salt & pepper & toss through the warm potatoes.
Preheat bbq or char-grill.
Drain chicken & grill for 3-4 minutes each side or until just cooked through.
Slice chicken & serve with potatoes, capers & rocket.

Double-Chocolate Cupcakes

Perfect any time.

Makes 24

200g milk cooking chocolate
125g butter, melted
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs

white chocolate layer:
180g white cooking chocolate, melted
190g cream cheese, softened
1 egg

Preheat oven to 150ºC.
Place milk chocolate & butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly or until chocolate is melted & the mixture is smooth.
Place sugar & flour in a bowl. Add eggs & cooled chocolate mixture & mix until smooth.
Divide mixture between 24 patty pans lined with paper cases.
To make white chocolate layer, process melted white chocolate, cream cheese & egg in a food processor until smooth.
Spoon mixture over milk chocolate mixture & smooth the tops.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Serve warm, with a cup of hot chocolate for a triple-chocolate experience.

Blood Orange & Cinnamon Infused Vodka

2 3/4 cups (~700ml) vodka
2 blood oranges, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks

Place vodka, orange slices & cinnamon in a bottle.
Seal, then set aside in a dark place for at least 24 hours.
Serve over ice.

Moose Stew with Mashed Potato

Serves ?

Stew:
chunks of moose meat (or beef) (~500g)
flour
salt
pepper
small onions (eschalottes)
mushrooms
vegetable stock
1/2 cup red wine

Mashed potato:
potatoes, peeled & cut into 2cm squares
egg yolk
milk
butter
salt
pepper

Tossed meat in flour with salt & pepper, then browned in a pan.
Put in a casserole dish with onions & mushrooms, vegetable stock (not quite covering the stew) & red wine.
Bake, covered, in a slow oven (120°C) for 3 to 4 hours.
Correct the seasoning with salt & pepper after cooked.
Serve over mashed potatoes: boil potatoes until soft, then mash, mixing with egg yolk, milk, butter, salt & pepper to taste.
Mmm... A true Alaskan dish! (I'm sure!)

Uschi's Roast Lamb with Baked Potatoes

I made this for Consuelo, Tim & the boys in Santa Fe & they loved it!

Serves ?

Lamb:
leg of lamb (on or off the bone)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil
vegetable or chicken stock (or just water)
1/4-1/2 cup tamari
fresh rosemary leaves

Potatoes:
large baking potatoes (1 per person)
olive oil
rock salt
fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat oven to slow (about 120°C)
Cut small slits in the lamb & put one slice of garlic in each slit.
Rub the lamb with olive oil & put in a baking dish at least 10cm deep.
Put stock/water in the dish till it's about 2cm high.
Pour tamari over the lamb & sprinkle with rosemary.
Put in oven for 2 hours, basting with jus from baking dish every 20-30 minutes.
Peel potatoes & slice in half lengthways.
Put in shallow baking dish, cover with oil & sprinkle with salt & rosemary.
Put in oven about 30 minutes after lamb has gone in & bake for 1 1/2 hours, turning every 20 minutes until golden & crispy.
Serve lamb & potatoes with cooked vegetables of choice. Yummm!

Crispy-skin Chicken

Serves 4

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 x 700g spatchcocks, rinsed & dried
1 lemon, halved
2 L water
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder, extra
1 1/2 tablespoons salt, extra
3 tablespoons honey
3 cups water, extra
oil for deep frying
lemon wedges, to serve

Combine the Chinese five-spice, salt & cinnamon & rub inside the cavities of the spatchcocks. Place a lemon half inside each cavity & tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place the spatchcocks in a large deep heatproof bowl.
Bring the water & half the extra Chinese five-spice & half the extra salt to the boil. Pour over the spatchcocks & allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Drain, then use tongs to place the spatchcocks on a baking rack in a baking dish.
Heat the honey & extra water, stirring, in a saucepan over medium heat until honey dissolves, then pour over the spatchcocks.
Place the spatchcocks in the fridge for 3 hours or until the skins are dry.
Remove the lemons from the cavities & cut the spatchcocks in half.
Fill a large deep saucepan or wok two-thirds full with oil & heat over medium heat. Carefully deep-fry the spatchcocks one half at a time for 8-10 minutes or until the skin is crispy & golden brown.
Serve with remaining combined Chinese five-spice & salt, lemon wedges, rice & jasmine tea (or a nice semillon).

Lemon Cake with Passionfruit Syrup

Serves 8-10

125g butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Passionfruit syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
2/3 passionfruit pulp

Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Place the butter & caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer & beat until light & creamy.
Mix through the sour cream, lemon juice & rind, flour & baking powder.
Spoon the mixture into a 23cm round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
To make the syrup, place the sugar, water & fruit in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then increase the heat & boil the syrup for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly.
Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a rack over a plate.
Pour half the hot syrup over the top. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then serve with the remaining syrup & thick cream or ice cream.

This one from the lovely Lisa:

Citrus Pork

Serves 4

4 lean pork chops/medallions
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 teaspoon each dried mint, rosemary & tarragon
cracked black pepper
2 mandarins

Heat the oil & brown the pork quickly on both sides. Remove them from the pan & rest them on paper, drain any fat from the pan.
Add the apple juice, herbs & pepper, and heat until boiling.
Add the chops, reduce the heat, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.
While you're waiting for that, peel, de-pith & segment the mandarins. Add them to the meat & simmer for a
further 5 minutes.
Remove the chops & fruit from the pan with a slotted spoon & put them on a warm serving dish
Boil the liquid until it thickens, & then pour it over the chops.
Serve it with stir-fried veggies and noodles. Mmmm...

I served this last night to my girlfriends:

Mustard Pork with Mushrooms & White Wine

Serves 4

4 pork fillets (each ~15cm long)
mustard of your choice (I use a combination of Dijon & wholegrain)
oil for frying (~2 tablespoons)
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
handful field mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons cornflour
cold water

Coat fillets generously with mustard.
In a medium-large frypan, heat oil over high heat. Fry fillets till well-browned (to seal completely).
Add stock & wine, then simmer (medium-low heat) for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through, but still tender. Add mushrooms in last 5 minutes of cooking.
Remove meat (but not mushrooms) from sauce, slice into 2cm thick pieces & set aside, keeping warm.
In a cup, mix cornflour with a little cold water to form a smooth paste. Add to sauce, stirring on medium heat till bubbling. Stop stirring & leave to thicken & reduce (5-10 minutes).
Add meat to sauce & serve immediately over rice or mash potato, with salad if desired.

Some peary goodness:

Veal with Pears & Verjuice

Serves 4

40g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 thick veal steaks
3 small pears (eg corella)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup verjuice (available from specialty stores)
1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Heat a large frypan over high heat.
Add the butter & oil &, when bubbling, cook the veal for 3-5 minutes each side or until browned. Remove meat & keep warm.
Slice each pear into 6, discarding the cores.
Cook in the frying pan for 3 minutes or until just tender. Remove pears & keep warm.
Add the stock & verjuice to the pan & simmer, scraping the brown pieces from the base of the pan.
Add the lemon thyme, salt & pepper & cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve the veal immediately with the pears & verjuice sauce.

Vanilla Risotto with Caramelised Pears

Serves 4-6

3 1/2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
40g butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup (white) sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
40g butter, extra
1/4 cup water
4 small pears (eg corella), halved

Place the milk, vanilla bean & seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until hot but not boiling.
Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat & add the rice.
Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the rice is translucent.
Add the hot milk mixture to the rice, 1 cup at a time, stirring in between additions until each cup of liquid is absorbed & the rice is al dente. Stir through the white sugar.
While the risotto is cooking, cook the pears. Place the brown sugar, extra butter & water in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the pear halves & cook, cut side down, for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn the pears & cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
To serve, spoon the risotto into bowls & top with the pears & some syrup.