Beef hamburgers

Hamburgers I think are something we should all be making fresh, from scratch with simple and tasty ingredients.  Once you have the essentials covered you can add whatever you like to a hamburger to suit your taste.  I have been grinding my own meat lately using my kitchenaid and I really love it.  I don't find it too time consuming or difficult and I much rather know what is going into making my patties.  I often find it so much cheaper and the extra 10-15min it takes to produce the most gorgeous looking ground beef is worth it to me.  The combination of using both chuck and sirlion makes for a delicious meat patty.  The chuck adds some much needed fat for big flavor and the sirlion keeps it lean.  I used it to make it with only chuck but these are better!

To cover off on the essential ingredients; you need to add salt, pepper, onion, egg and breadcrumbs to your ground meat.  That's a basic patty right... try this version which I've been making for a long time now. I use capers and a good dash of worcestershire sauce for a hint of flavor but otherwise it is the basic patty with some added dried oregano and shake of cayenne pepper.  I always sauté my onions first - there is nothing worse than biting into a piece uncooked onion in your burger.  I also use garlic.  To be honest there is not much I don't cook without garlic!  I have been topping it off with a homemade chipotle mayonnaise lately which just seals the deal for me in the hamburger steaks but I'll give you the cheats version if you don't want to make my original chipotle mayonnaise seen here http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2013/05/chipotle-mayonnaise.html.

Now, I have been holding off posting because I forgot to photograph the finished burger but we ate them again last night and STILL forgot to photograph! They are just too good not to share so I will update in due course but I figure everyone has seen a burger before!  Use your imagination!

makes 8 x 160g patties

Ingredients:
600g / 1.3lbs ground chuck
600g / 1.3 lbs ground sirloin
1 brown onion, finely diced, sautéed
1 tspn minced garlic
1 tblspn oregano
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper
3 tblspn capers, diced
2 tblpsn worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
2 eggs
1/3 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Method:

• Dice your onion and saute in a hot pan with a drop of olive oil until golden and translucent.
• Add the garlic and oregano and stir until fragrant
• Remove and allow to cool completely (in the fridge if necessary)
• In a large mixing bowl, to your ground meat add the rest of your ingredients and the now cooled onions and mix with a fork or hands until well combined
• Divide mixture in half, then half again and again until you have 8 evenly portioned patties
• Roll into solid balls, cover with glad wrap and refridgerate until ready to cook
• Pre-heat your grill plate
• Press in a burger press or with your hands to a flat'ish pattie and press a dimple in the inside so it doesn't swell
• Brush patties with a little oil and grill for 3 minutes, then turn 90degrees, continue to grill for another 3 mins then flip.  Cook for 6 minutes on this side as well, turning 90'degrees to ensure the criss-cross pattern.
• I usually add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese to the patty during the last few minutes of grilling to achieve a melted cheese top
• When cooked, remove and leave to rest for 5-8mins before serving on a toasted bun with your favorite toppings and a good spread of chipotle mayo or ketchup.
• Serving suggestions: sliced pickle, avocado, romaine lettuce and sharp cheddar cheese

Big burger balls ready for the fridge.  Press before grilling obviously!

cheats version of chipotle mayonnaise:
mayonnaise (store bought)
cholula sauce - to your liking

Baked Turkey Meatballs

I was in such a hurry tonight, I had every intention of putting these meatballs together during the day but just never got there.  Every other obstacle got in the way and so here I was at 5:45pm with some defrosted turkey meat looking at me, two hungry kids and it was all I could do not to pick up a beer!  I decided NOT to pick up the beer but instead, get cooking.  I would normally saute some onions and garlic and add that, cooled, to the meatballs but alas no time.  I ditched that idea and went straight for a quick and easy solution.... onion powder.  I used some fresh herbs which I even surprised myself at having this time of year and a dash of the secret ingredient.. worcestershire sauce.  I have to admit this dish did end up being incredible probably largely due to the fact that over summer when I was in the height of my summer produce from our garden and farm box deliveries I had made no less than about 2 dozen jars of homemade tomato pasta sauce which does contain the essential onions, garlic, basil, oregano and red wine vinegar.... so together this was a match made in heaven.  I'm sure you have a trusty pasta sauce either in your cupboard or if you were not running quite as late as I was, then putting it together really only takes about 10 minutes more so I would still call this a quick weeknight meal.

makes approx 18 meatballs.

Meatballs:
400g (just less than 1lb) ground turkey
1/2 tspn onion powder
salt and pepper
2 tblspn freshly chopped parsley
1 tblspn freshly chopped basil
2 tspn worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg


when ready to bake, add:
1 1/2 cups homemade pasta sauce
chunks of feta
shaved parmesan
basil leaves, ripped

Method:

• Add all the ingredients of the meatballs in a large bowl and using a fork, mix well until fully combined. 
• Roll into large tablespoon balls and place on a baking tray
• Refridgerate for 15-30mins (or longer) if time permits 
• Pre-heat your oven to 350'F
• In a hot skillet, brown the meatballs in a drop of olive oil.  Toss and turn until browned all over but not necessarily cooked through. I turned the heat down and put the lid on my pan for about 3mins.

• Place about 1 cup of homemade pasta sauce in the bottom of a pyrex dish, add your meatballs on top and then pour the remaining 1/2 cup of sauce over the top.  Rip up some fresh basil leaves and break off chunks of feta cheese, add a few shavings of parmesan and bake in your pre-heated oven for about 10mins.

• Serve on a bed of rice or pasta if you wish, I had it with a simple side salad of mixed spring greens, kalamata olives, pine nuts, cucumber and parmesan.  I used a jalapeño olive oil with a tangerine balsamic.... just awesome. 

Homemade pasta sauce:  
loads of your favorite tomatoes, preferably roasted
onion, diced
garlic, crushed
fresh basil
fresh oregano
red wine vinegar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper


My method and exact quantities will be provided another time!  All I will say is, when tomatoes are in season, tasting their best and are at their cheapest - go to town and make it up in large batches so you always have some on hand.

Roasted butternut squash risotto with chicken

It's pumpkin harvest time again so time to enjoy some gorgeous roasted pumpkin (or squash) any which way you can!  I love risotto in the winter so these two ideas came together beautifully on a cold night.  I have been making macaroni and cheese with roasted squash for some time now so the girls are quite accustomed to the sweet flavor (and orange color) that I can pretty much misrepresent this new look as 'cheese sauce'.  The pureed squash gives it such a subtle sweet flavor that I think it would almost be impossible to have an issue with it.  In this risotto, with roasted garlic, wine and fresh thyme it was so delicate I was almost tempted to crumble some fresh blue cheese on top but it may have ruined the softness of this dish.  We all enjoyed this one so I hope you try it too.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6 tblspn butter
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 zucchini, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, (roasted if you have time)
2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine
1.5 L chicken stock
1 roasted butternut squash, 2/3 of which are pureed
3/4 cup shaved parmesan
additional butter
2 chicken breasts, diced
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

Method:

• Cut the butternut squash into 2-3"pieces and place in a bowl.
• Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and fresh thyme
• Roast a head of garlic at the same time.  Chop the tip of the garlic head off to expose the cloves, cradle it in a small piece of aluminum foil and drizzle olive, salt and pepper and thyme over it and cover in foil.
• Place both the squash and the garlic on a roasting tray with parchment paper and bake for approx 25mins until the squash is cooked and lightly browned on the edges.
• Puree the majority of the squash using a food mill, or press and allow to cool.  Retain about 6 small pieces per person which can be placed under the broiler just prior to serving as a crunchy garnish 
• Set the garlic aside until you are ready to compile the risotto

For the Risotto:

• In a large non-stick soup pot, add about half of the butter and a dash of olive oil and heat
• Add your diced onions and cook until softened and translucent
• Add your grated zucchini and allow to sweat until the water has evaporated out.
• In a separate saucepan, begin to heat your stock 
• Now squeeze out 3 roasted garlic cloves and add them to your onions, pressing them against the base of the pan until you get a paste.  Stir until fragrant and well combined
• Tip in your rice and allow it to scorch in the hot pan.
• Now add your wine and allow it absorb completely.
• You can now add 2 ladle fulls of hot stock to your rice and stir regularly until it is completely absorbed.  Continue to add more stock, 2 ladles at a time until your stock is used and approx 20mins has passed. 
• At the same time, in a small skillet, cook your chicken pieces in a hot pan until just cooked.
• Add your chicken to your rice and the pureed squash.  If you need a little extra liquid, taste and decide whether you need more stock or just hot water. 
• Your rice should now be cooked through. 
• Turn on your broil/griller and heat your remaining pieces of squash to be used as a roasted garnish
• Turn the heat off, add the parmesan cheese, the remaining 3 tblspn of butter and stir gently.
• Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve immediately with your additional roasted squash pieces, a shaving of parmesan and some freshly cracked pepper.

Sweet potato tots

Tater tots...  Not something I buy too often but wondered whether it would be worth making them for myself.  Verdict: they were so simple and really tasty.  I used some fried bacon for a bit of extra flavor but it would be equally as nice without it I think.  We had them with chicken parmesan and steamed vegetables so they weren't the highlight of the meal but for my salad lunch the next day, they certainly were the stand out! 

You could use regular white baking potatoes if you prefer regular tater tots but these were so sweet, they were almost like a butternut squash.  Once rolled, I kept them in the fridge until I was ready to fry them in the pan so they had a chance of holding their shape, they would certainly be a good thing to freeze and have ready when you wanted them.  I'd do them again for sure.  I did have the oven on as well so that I could fry them in small batches until golden and crispy and then finished them off in the oven for about 5mins.  I will try baking them from the start next time but I wanted to ensure these were crunchy as well as hot.

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, boiled and grated
3 rashers bacon, sliced
3 tblpsn all purpose flour
salt and pepper

Method:

• Boil the potatoes (with skins on) in hot water for about 10 -12mins until partially cooked then remove and run under cold water.
• Dice the bacon and cook in a skillet pan until browned and crunchy, drain on paper towel.
• Once cooled, dice the bacon further until you have small bacon bits.
• Peel the skin of the sweet potatoes and then using a box grater, roughly grate them 
• In a large bowl, mix the grated potato, flour, bacon and season
• Take a tablespoon of the mixture in your palm and roll and squash into a rough ball, then shape into tater tot size logs. 
• Leave on a tray and refridgerate (or freeze) until ready to pan fry or bake in the oven
• Serve as a side dish to your main meal or with a simple honey mustard dressing for a game day snack.

Honey mustard sauce
4 tblspn mayonnaise
2 tspn honey
2 tspn dijon mustard

Slow Cooked pulled BBQ pork

Pork shoulder was on special last week so I got myself about a 4.5lb piece - not for any real purpose, other than thinking I would grind my own delicious pork mince for my next batch of spaghetti bolognese. However instead of grinding it, I decided to throw it in the slow cooker and see what would happen using my trusted pork spare rib rub recipe.  It was so easy it was almost unbelievable. My rub blend is probably a tad too hot for my girls so if you want to make this for your whole family I suggest you just switch the cayenne pepper out for some dried oregano but otherwise the flavors were awesome.

I had this in the slow cooker by 1pm and by 5pm I literally could break the pork using the back of a fork, it was completely shreddable and there was plenty of liquid to keep it moist.  Again, the beauty of the slow cooker is that it stays warm all evening long so on those nights when people are coming and going, you can be flexible.  

Ingredients:
4lb pork shoulder
Pork spare rib rub (see my previous post http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2012/07/best-baby-back-ribs.html)
1/3 cup BBQ sauce (homemade or store bought)

Method:

• Cut pork shoulder into fist size pieces to ensure a greater surface area to coat the rub.  Massage  the rub onto each piece of pork
• Pour about 3/4 of the BBQ sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker
• Add the spice rubbed pork on top
• Cook on high for 4-5hrs or until the pork can be pulled apart with a fork
• Shred the meat and mix through the remaining sauce if needed.

Serve in a hamburger bun, taco or wrap with a simple coleslaw or avocado and sour cream

Penne with chicken and spinach

This was a hit last night.  I was intending to make a carbonara but we didn't have any bacon or eggs and I had some leftover cooked spinach I wanted to use up.  My friend Mel gave me a new tip - peel a zucchini and finely grate it and add it in with the onions.  The girls never notice or taste it and I feel better about adding some extra vegetables to their meal.  I used cream today because I had no eggs but you could probably make a white sauce using butter and flour if you wanted to avoid the cream.  I wiped up some yummy garlic bread by defrosting a leftover bread roll from my freezer, made a quick garlic butter and had that in the oven while I prepared and cooked this, we were eating within 20 mins easily and we all had a relaxed and enjoyable mealtime.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, diced
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic
1 zucchini, peeled and finely grated
1/2 cup cooked spinach, chopped
1 cup portobella mushrooms, sliced
knob of butter
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
1/3 cup cream
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
400g penne pasta

Method:

• Boil pasta in salted water until al dente
• Drain and rinse in cold water
• Saute/steam spinach in a hot skillet with a lid on, in a drop of water until wilted. When cooked, drain and chop in a mini processor to a fine chop.
• Saute onions, add garlic and then grated zucchini
• Move to one side of the pan and add butter and mushrooms. Stir frequently and season well with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are well browned.
• Add chicken pieces and cook through.
• Add cooked pasta, cooked spinach, cream and parmesan and stir until well combined and heated through
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Serve with garlic bread, a side salad and a sprinkle of additional parmesan cheese.  

Sugar Cookies

I have been busy baking cookies lately for various occasions for my girls at school.  Before moving to the States 2 years ago, I'd never baked a cookie in my life!  Just not a big thing in Australia so I was under some pressure to get up to speed, particularly if I wanted my little hobby with parties to succeed here in the US.  I quickly learned some basic techniques and now have been having more and more fun decorating sugar cookies for all sorts of occasions.  These are some from our Wedding Anniversary celebration a couple of weeks ago.  I really enjoyed putting together the event styling and preparing all the food for our event but I was particularly proud of these.  So simple but so cute. I have to credit the fact that I use an awesome sugar cookie recipe and more than that, I use an incredible vanilla extract which has transformed the taste!  

I use the recipe below from Glory from Glorious Treats and I love the flavor and texture.  Some cookie folk use icing sugar in their mixture but I'm not sure about that, might be something I try down the track but this gives a great texture to work with and so I am sticking to this for now.

Rolled Sugar Cookies, 

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

Directions:

Directions as per Glory, here at http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/03/making-sugar-cookies-recipe-and-tips.html

I could rewrite her directions but she has done a wonderful job of working through each step with easy to follow photographs.  I also think it's necessary that you explore her site and get lost in her creativity... she's amazing.

Here are some more of mine for a baby shower Party Favor I finished today.... a little preppy, in some spunky colors of yellow, blue, lime green and grey.

Dukkah

Dukkah (pronounced Dook-ah) is an Egyptian spice and nut mixed which is usually served with bread and oil as an appetizer.  I gave these as a party favor gift at our recent Anniversary Party so I hope there are now people all over Wisconsin enjoying some tasty dukkah with their friends! It is a simple yet interesting start to a meal or you could use it in place of a breadcrumb to coat lamb or pork before pan frying or baking it.  There are loads of ways to use this versatile mix.  If you're interested in trying something different, you will be so surprised with the flavours you can achieve my mixing the basic blend of nuts with any other of your favorite element to make something you just love.

1 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup pistacchio nutes
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
salt
pepper or peppercorns

Method:

• In a hot dry skillet, roast the nuts and seeds separately until they are toasted and aromatic.
• Process each element in a coffee grinder to a coarse grind.  Finer if you wish but it is nice to have a bit of texture to it to grab hold of the oil on the bread.
• Mix the quantities you desire and add salt and pepper. 
• Optional: Add red pepper flakes, dried lemon etc (whatever takes your fancy) until you are happy with the flavor.
• Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3months.
• To eat; tear off pieces of a nice rustic bread, dip it in a good quality olive oil, and then dip into a bowl of dukkah.  Delightful!

additional options:
ras el hanout
fennel seeds
dried lemon zest
red chili flakes
dried herbs - mint, thyme

Stuffed Red Peppers

This was a knock out.  Very easily made into a vegetarian meal and sometimes I would say it would even be preferred but tonight we ate it with some spicy chorizo sausage meat and it was amazing.  My apologizes, it is not the most gorgeous of photographs, but let me tell you - you will inhale it! I had some left over cous cous from the night before and needed to clear out my vegetable drawer of some rather suspicious looking zucchini's.... I whipped this up and had it in the oven within minutes.  A beautiful aroma filled my house as it cooked and with a simple salad, it was a great healthy mid week meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup israeli cous cous, cooked
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
100g chorizo sausage meat
1/2 small red onion, diced
butter
1 tspn garlic
smoked paprika
oregano, dried
2/3 cup portabello mushrooms, finely diced
1/2 medium zucchini, finely diced
chili powder or red pepper flakes
1/2-1 cup tomato sauce / pureed tomatoes
tabasco sauce, optional

vegetarian option:
diced zucchini
roasted butternut squash
roasted eggplant

Method:

• Carefully cut around and remove the stalk from the red pepper and then slice it in half.  Trim and clean up the seeds from the inside so that you have two tidy half shells.
• Pre heat your oven to 350'F
• In a saucepan, cook your cous cous in chicken stock and a pinch of salt, until tender.  When ready, add a knob of butter and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and mix through.
• Heat a small skillet, add a drop of olive oil and cook your diced red onion under tender.
• Add garlic and zucchinis and cook for about 3mins. Add the mushrooms and a knob of butter.  Season with salt and pepper, oregano and mix well.
• When the mushrooms and zucchinis have browned nicely, remove from the heat and pour all the onion, mushroom and zucchini into a mixing bowl.
• Cook your chorizo meat in the same skillet until browned.  Drain any excess fat.
• Mix your chorizo with your vegetables and taste.  Add tabasco, chili powder or smoked paprika to your liking.  
• Add 1/3 cup of tomato puree and mix well.
• Spoon mixture into your half red pepper shells and bake for approx 25mins.
• Baste with a little extra tomato sauce after 15mins of cooking to ensure it stays moist.

As everything is already cooked you are just waiting for the peppers to soften slightly and for the flavors to incorporate.  Serve with a fresh mixed leaf salad, corn on the cob or boiled potatoes.

Basil and Lime Chicken

It is the week of 4th of July and despite the lousy weather I am determined to keep my cooking light and fresh.  I have been eating whatever is coming out of my Farm box so basil, zucchini and broccoli were big this week.  I have made so much basil pesto lately that I needed a new excuse to pulse up basil and create a different meal.  I found this recipe via pinterest a little while ago and have been meaning to try it, it comes from http://goodenessgracious.com/2012/01/basil-lime-chicken.html.  It was delicious.   I actually sliced my chicken breasts through in half lengthwise before marinading and for quicker cooking and then sliced it in chunks once grilled .  It ensured it stayed moist but then once cut it allowed it to soak up all those yummy flavors of the sauce.  My girls enjoyed the chicken, the marinade was fresh and tasty without being overpowering.  I served it with a simple vegetable mix of small florets of broccoli and cauliflower and zucchini quartered, tossed in a little walnut oil and butter in a pan with garlic... it made for a great everyday meal with some zesty flavors to keep from being another boring chicken dish. Give it a try at your next summer BBQ, you'll really enjoy it I'm sure.

Ingredients - marinade
2 limes, juice of and zest
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 T worchestshire sauce
3 T olive oil
1 tspn dijon mustard
3 T soy sauce
3 green spring onions, finely diced
3 lbs  or 1 1/2kgs chicken breasts, whole

Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until combined.  Place whole chicken breasts in the marinade and allow flavor to infuse, at least 1-2 hours in the refridgerator.

Ingredients - finishing sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 green spring onions, chopped
1 lime, juice of
3 T fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 tspn sugar, to taste.
salt

Place all ingredients of sauce into a mini processor and process until combined.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Method:

• Pre-heat grill plate.
• Drain the chicken from the marinade and grill on the hot plate, approx 7 mins per side and until internal temp reaches 165'F. Allow to rest, then slice into large chunks.
• When served, pour over the lime and basil finishing sauce.
• Serve with your choice of vegetables, salad, rice or pasta.

Chipotle Mayonnaise

I made my yummy turkey and spinach burgers the other night http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2012/07/turkey-burgers.html and wanted something delicious and spicy to go on top. We are watching the carb intake here at the moment so we ditched the bun however probably made up the calories with a healthy dollop of this awesome sauce!

I started with a garlic aioli and added the chipotle peppers to that.  I could eat garlic aioli on anything so it was a good base for me.  You might think it takes too long to do this sort of thing from scratch but honestly it takes about 3 mins to prepare and will keep in the fridge for at least a week to 10 days. I'll post a photo shortly, I have been making small jars for friends so will snap a photo before I give it away next time.

Garlic Aioli:

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and rinsed well (and strained)

2 egg yolks, room temperature

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and cracked pepper

4-6 tblspn red wine vinegar

water

The biggest tip I learned recently was after you crush the garlic then wash it thoroughly in a strainer under running water until the water coming off it is almost clear.  This takes the heavy punch of the raw garlic and leads to a more subtle end product.

Method:

• Add the egg yolks, rinsed garlic and about 2 tblspn cool water to the processor and mix to combine, well.  
• Begin to add your oil through the funnel at the top in a slow continuous pour and continue to process. It will begin to become thick and emulsify as you add the oil.  
• Once you have added about half of the oil, stop and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper, and add some red wine vinegar.  
• Continue to process until you have used all the oil. 
• Adjust the consistency by adding red wine vinegar or water, depending on the balance of flavors. Adjust to your taste.  Don't forget to add salt if necessary.  Obviously you are trying to achieve a flavor that should not be too oil heavy or too acidic. 

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

To about 1/2 a cup aioli you have just made, add 2 chopped chipotle* peppers and a spoonful of the adobo sauce.  Mix well and enjoy over grilled steak, in a burger, as a dipping sauce for veggies or chips.

* you can buy "Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce" in small tins in the mexican section of your supermarket.  I would keep the remainder in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  Use the leftover in your tacos or to make more chipotle mayonnaise! 

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Chutney

Chutney, relish, jam... I think it all refers to the same thing.  This is a slow cooked blend of fruit and sugar which turns into a delicious sticky jam with lots of complexity.  The small hint of chili make this a well balanced topping for loads of different things.  I would eat this on zucchini slice or frittata, alongside lamb, with a juicy big brat or country sausage, on a burger and probably even in a grilled gruyere and ham toasted sandwich.  I made half this batch and it just wasn't enough. 

Makes approx 4 small (half pint) preserve jars

Ingredients:
1kg tomatoes
2 small red onion, finely diced
5 red peppers, roasted and skinned
2-3 fresh red chili pepper
600ml white wine vinegar
450g caster sugar (fine white sugar)
salt and pepper
1 tspn paprika
1-2 tspn cayenne pepper (optional and to taste)

Method:

• Heat your oven to 400'F.
• Slice the red peppers removing the seeds and stem into approx 3 pieces each.  Rub with a little olive oil and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Roast the peppers until charred and the skin has visibly blistered from the flesh, approx 25mins
• Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately place in a ziploc bag and seal (for approx 2mins).  This encourages the skin to lift from the flesh and makes removing the skins much easier. 
• Remove skins and roughly chop the peppers
• Score the base of the tomatoes with a cross and place in a bowl.  Blanch them in boiling water for up to 1 minute.  This allows the skins to be removed easily.
• Peel and dice and the tomatoes or place in a mini processor - be careful not to produce a puree.
• Dice the onion and chili pepper.
• In a saucepan, add the tomatoes, peppers, chili and onion.  Add the white wine vinegar and sugar and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat and when the sugar has dissolved, turn down to a simmer and continue to cook until the ingredients turn into a jam like consistency.  This could take up to 40mins.
• Adjust the seasoning and add your paprika and/or cayenne pepper.  If necessary add a little water, 1/3 cup to the mix and reduce again to achieve a balanced flavor.
• I like my chutney with a little kick so the cayenne pepper works beautifully.

Orzo pesto pasta with grilled chicken

Orzo was a pasta I'd actually never cooked with before but after the success of this largely accidental dish, I will definitely be using it more often.  I have always been meaning to whip a quick pasta salad using orzo but have never found the occasion.  This turned into such a quick, light and super tasty meal for the whole family.  I had some chicken breast in the freezer which was marinating in rosemary and lemon oil so all I had to do was defrost it, cook the orzo and sauté the mushrooms.... so quick.  

I actually made the pesto from scratch here because I had a large bunch of basil on it's last days but you could easily opt for a good quality pre-made pesto.  Not to discourage you, because pesto is one of the easiest things in the world to make.... however I have some quick tips for your pantry to make it even easier.  I always have a container of lightly toasted pine nuts on hand so it is as simple as processing all the ingredients together and adjusting the consistency with olive oil or lemon juice. 

The girls loved the pasta, they couldn't quite get their heads around whether it was rice or pasta but it is so light, it makes a great vehicle for so many flavors.  I will be trying it again with a simple mix of tomatoes and olives and maybe some ripped prosciutto.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast, sliced
1.5 cups orzo pasta

3-4 cups chicken stock, (enough to cover pasta by an inch)

rosemary and lemon olive oil, to marinate the chicken piece

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

sea salt and pepper
2 tblspn pesto (see below)

Basil Pesto

3 handfuls fresh basil leaves

1 handful pine nuts, lightly toasted

squeeze of lemon juice

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper

Method:

• marinate the chicken breast pieces in rosemary and lemon olive oil for 1-6hrs (or freeze with oil in bag)
• cook orzo in chicken stock, 8-10mins
• cook onions until clear in a little olive oil
• add a knob of butter and saute mushrooms with crushed garlic and season heavily with salt and pepper. cook until they are golden in color
• move to one side of the pan and add chicken pieces
• sear the chicken and saute until cooked through.
• drain the pasta, retaining about 1/2 cup of chicken stock pasta water
• add the cooked orzo and toss thoroughly with the chicken and mushrooms
• add pasta water slowly to loosen as needed
• add basil pesto and stir through until combined
• serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and cracked pepper

Zucchini slice

Zucchini slice is one of those lovely summer dishes, perfect for a lunch or picnic when it doesn't particularly matter if it's served warm or cold.  I had my sister in law in town this week, which I love for many reasons... she is great company during the day, we share a love of Jillian Michaels so we try to work out together, my girls just adore her as she plays constantly with them never saying no to anything   - which amusingly often leads to her leaving the house with a dozen hair clips or slightly too much makeup.  Additionally, because she is vegetarian it encourages me to look for new and exciting meals for her which gets my creative juices going.  I made half of this dish with bacon and the other half without (and with the inclusion of diced roasted red peppers and mushrooms) so the picture below shows the mixed spread.

I have been sending my husband off to work with a slice of this and a small salad in place of bread lately and he has been loving it.  I can freeze it in individual ziploc bags and it will defrost by the time he is ready for it at midday.  A nice alternative for a lighter lunch.

Ingredients:
1 cup Self Raising flour
6 eggs
2-3 medium zucchini, grated and drained
200g feta, crumbled
200g cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
small handful of chopped parsley (or chives)
6 rashers bacon, chopped
1 red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional and more appropriately used if cooking with mushrooms)
sea salt and cracked pepper

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 375'F
• Dice your onion and bacon and add to a sauté pan.  Cook until tender (and add garlic if using) and the bacon is browned.  Remove and drain on paper towel
• Grate the zucchini over a chopping board with a large piece of paper towel.  Once grated, wrap in the paper towel and squeeze the excess water out of it.
• In a large mixing bowl, crack your eggs and gently whisk together.
• Add your sifted flour, zucchini, salt and pepper and cheeses, cooled onion and bacon and herbs.
• Mix well and then pour into a lined baking pan and cook in the oven for about 40-45mins until the eggs are cooked through and the top is lightly golden brown.
• Cut into large slices and serve.  Or freeze extra portions for up to 3mths.

vegetarian option:
mushrooms
roasted red pepper
asparagus spears, cut into 1" lengths

Curried Citrus Quinoa with sultanas and almonds

I have been looking for some alternatives to sandwiches for lunches lately and I remembered a lovely light quinoa salad we had in England recently from Waitrose.  I found this recipe at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curried-citrus-quinoa-with-raisins-and-toasted-almonds/ and it was perfect. I really didn't change a thing, maybe I added a little more curry powder after tasting it but that is just a personal preference.  The toasted almonds are a must so be sure to keep them separate until serving for the requisite crunch.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup low-sodium vegetable (I used chicken) stock
1 cup water

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tblspn fresh lemon juice
2 tblspn olive oil
1 tspn dijon mustard
2 tspn honey
1 tblspn curry powder
2 tblspn minced red onion
1/2 cup sultanas/raisins
sea salt
1/2 cup lightly toasted slivered almonds

Method:

• Combine the water, stock and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat
• Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, cover and leave to simmer for approx 10-15mins until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
• Make the dressing by whisking the juices, mustard, oil, honey and curry powder together in a bowl.
• Stir in the cooked quinoa, red onion and sultanas and season with salt.
• Cover and allow to cool in the refridgerator until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, combine add half of the almonds into the salad and serve the remaining half as a garnish.

Chunky Beef & Mushroom Pie

An Australian meat pie... unofficially our National Dish.  It can be made using ground beef or for a more gourmet pie, big chunks of melt in your mouth meat, beautifully sauted mushrooms and a thick gravy in a gorgeous flaky crust. It is the takeaway food of choice in many places, most often at the Footy or Cricket and I remember always ordering one from the Tuck Shop on the days mum let me put a lunch order in at school.  Normally they sold as individual size pies, in a foil pan but since I was feeding the family I made one large pie. I haven't tried making too many meat pies in my life but since we moved here to the States I have been thinking about them a lot.  Such a great Saturday lunch!

Essentially a good meat pie is all about the pastry. You need a good shortcrust on the bottom and a flaky puff pastry on top.   I kept this fairly simple and my gosh, it was perfect.  The right smell, the right flavor, the right consistency.  I was thrilled and my girls absolutely devoured it.  They remain Australian in their hearts, despite their 2.5yrs under the influence of American junk food. Australian junk food still trumps in my house! Now if I just had a bigger freezer I would make a dozen individual ones and send hubby off to work with one every day!

Makes 1 family size pie or filling for four (double pastry recipe for 4)

Ingredients:
2 lb chuck steak, cubed

1 T butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms,
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, diced

1 Cup beef stock

2 Tblspn cornflour
1/2 cup water

1/2 tspn vegemite

2 Tblpsn worchestershire sauce

1 sheet puff pastry - store bought

Shortcrust pastry

200g all purpose flour
100g butter, chopped
100g iced cold water

Method:

For the pastry base:

• Place the bowl and blade of your food processor in the fridge for 10mins to ensure it's chilled
• Place the flour and chopped butter into the cold bowl of the food processor and process until it looks like breadcrumbs, about 30sec - 1 min, on pulse.
• Remove and pour the flour into a large bowl.
• Add the iced water in a well in the middle and using your hand, twist and turn gradually combining the water with the flour/butter mix
• It should take about 2-3mins to bring it all together.
• Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it, not too much (you don't want it to get too hot) until it is a soft elastic dough and shape it into a ball.  Place it in a floured bowl and cover it with clingwrap and place in the fridge for at least 30mins.
• When ready, roll the dough out to cover the inside of a lightly greased family pie pan.  
• Preheat your oven to 350'F and cover the pie with foil, and then pie beans and blind bake for approx 15mins.
• Allow to cool completely at room temperature

For the meat filling:

• Cut your chunk steak into large 1.5"cubes
• Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large non-stick pan, heat your oil and add your diced onion.  Cook until soft and lightly browned.
• Now add your beef, in batches if needed until seared on all sides and well browned.
• Remove beef and onions into a separate bowl (or straight into your slow cooker)
• Add butter to your non stick pan and heat until melted, add your mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper.  Add your garlic and saute well until the mushrooms are browned.
• If using a slow cooker, transfer the mushrooms to the slow cooker pot as well and continue to add the remaining ingredients.  The beef stock, vegemite, worchestershire sauce, water with cornflour and cook on high for 3hrs or low for 6hrs.  
• I actually added the beef back to the non stick pan and combined the sauce ingredients and cooked it down for about 45mins until the flavors came together.  I then transferred it to the slow cooker for another 2 hrs while I had to go out.

Stuffed thick cut pork chops

Pork is still not a natural choice of meat for me.  We never ate it much in Australia, as our preference was always lamb, so I wanted to experiment and see whether stuffing the pork chop like this would be something that interests us.   It was very very tasty but I have to say, it didn't totally convert me. It was a massive piece of meat to get through so unless you have BIG eaters, we found one too much for one person.  I think I would like to try this idea with a tenderloin so I could slice it, as the flavors were delicious and the meat was cooked perfectly and still tender and juicy.  It was a really yummy way to eat pork.

We didn't need much on the side, a simple salad was great or if you prefer, a baked potato would go nicely too. I made one mistake.... I stuffed the chops with the filling before grilling the outside.  I think I would grill and char the outside (and that nice fatty bit on the top) briefly first and then slice, stuff it and bake it.  Just to ensure every inch of it was golden brown.  

This was really simple and quick to do and you could use whatever filling ingredients you liked really.  You could add sautéd mushrooms and sage or olives, feta, anchovy and spinach... whatever combination you like, experiment and see what you fancy. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 cup drained and chopped cooked spinach (fresh or frozen)

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 tblspn semi sundried tomatoes

75g feta

sea salt and cracked pepper

Method:

• Heat a grill plate or BBQ and set your oven to 400'F
• Make up your mixture, remember to drain the spinach, then add the crumbled feta, diced semidried tomatoes and roasted smashed garlic.

• Season the outside of the pork chop generously with sea salt, pepper and olive oil
• Grill the outside of the chop on both sides leaving char marks and frying the fat off the chop, approx 3 -4 minutes per side and top
• Allow to cool for a minute or two then slice down the center creating a pocket that goes almost to the other side.

Do this AFTER grilling the outside for best results

• Stuff with your filling and use a toothpick or two to secure the cavity
• Place chops upright on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven for approx 20mins until cooked through
• Allow to rest for 3-4 mins before serving, and remove toothpicks

Curry Dal

I made this dal the other week after being to Braise for a sausage making course.  We had it under a pan fried country sausage and it was just delicious. I see they found the recipe from http://www.monicabhide.com  and so I largely kept in unchanged however I added some fenugreek seeds and curry leaves to boost the flavor a little.  I used brown lentils as I couldn't find moong dal, the original recipe calls for the split yellow mung bean moong dal, and so if I find them I will try it with those another time.  I don't think it impacts the flavor too much, probably just a slightly longer cooking time with brown lentils.

I served it with my fish cakes http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2013/02/fish-cakes.html and the flavors complimented each other beautifully.  

Makes 4 serves

1 cup green/brown lentils (Or split yellow mung bean, moong dal)

4 cups water

1 tspn turmeric

4 tblspn vegetable oil

1 cup coconut milk

Tadka

1 tspn cumin seeds

1/2 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 tspn fenugreek seeds

1 small red onion, minced

1 or 2 whole dried red chili's, crushed
4 or 5 curry leaves

1 tspn grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 small tomato, finely chopped (optional)

salt to taste

1 tblspn minced fresh cilantro

Method:

• Rinse dal or lentils under running water in a fine mesh sieve and remove any debris which doesn't belong.  
• Drain thoroughly.  
• In a deep saucepan, bring water, turmeric and 1 tblspn of oil to a boil over high heat
• Add lentils/dal. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncover for 30mins, stirring occasionally until dal is soft.  If the water starts to evaporate, add another 1/2 cup water.  
• Remove from heat and set aside.

• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 3 tblspn of oil over medium-high heat.  
• Add cumin seeds, mustard and fenugreek seeds and when they begin to sizzle and pop, add onion.  
• Saute for a few minutes until onions are browned.  
• Add ginger, garlic, chilies and tomato.  Cook for a couple of minutes and then add coconut milk.
• Cook stirring occasionally for another 8 minutes, add cilantro and salt to taste and mix well.

Add tadka to dal and mix well until thickened.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Another successful recipe I use from Glory, at www.glorioustreats.com which was adapted from an original Hersey's chocolate cupcake recipe.  It is put together in such an unusual sequence that I would have never thought the runny, liquid consistency would ever turn into these perfectly chocolate, cupcakes. They have never failed and are so moist, they are irresistible.

Happy St Pat's Day!

Makes 26-30 standard sized cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available - so I don't use hershey's!)

1 1/2 tspn baking powder

1 1/2 tspn baking soda

1 tspn salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 vegetable oil

2 tspn vanilla extract 

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

• Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Preheat oven to 350'F
• In a large electric mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder , baking soda and salt.
• Add eggs one at a time, followed by milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on a medium speed for about a minute.
• Stir in the boiling water.  This is where it just gets really strange - it is SO runny, you'll never think it will bind and bake, but it will!
• Pour the batter into a smaller container with a spout and fill your liners 2/3 full.
• Bake the cupcakes for approximately 18-22 mins, depending on your oven.

Be sure to cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack before frosting.

French Onion Soup

Ooh-la-la!  This soup is divine.  Sweet, beefy with an underlying complexity of flavors.  This was part of a three course dinner party we had some time ago.  Here is a Donna Hay recipe I used today from her Seasons recipe book, and it was delicious, make sure you use a good beef stock and season well.  

For our dinner party, we followed the soup with the herb crusted lamb (http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2012/04/herb-crusted-lamb-rack.html) and then Creme Brûlée (http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2012/05/creme-brulee.html) as dessert.  We were nicely full but it wasn't over the top.  

I served the French Onion soup with a gruyere crouton as well as toasted croutons and extra cheese on the side.  The boys at the table really enjoyed throwing in some extra and it was a nice way to ensure the croutons stayed crunchy while I served up the dinner. 

Lunch today

Dinner party

Serves approx 6 people

Ingredients:

30g (2 1/2 tblspn) butter

3 tblspn olive oil 

1 kg (2 lbs) brown onions, sliced

1 tspn chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 cups water

4 cups beef stock

1/2 cup white wine

sea salt and cracked pepper

Method:

• Finely slice the onions, I did mine in the food processor as I doubled the recipe and wasn't prepared to cry for that long
• Heat a large soup pot and melt the butter and oil
• Add the onions and thyme and allow to soften and caramelize,  this takes up to 15-20mins.  Stir them regularly but not constantly
• When the onions are nicely brown add the wine and let it burn off, 30 seconds
• Add the beef stock and water and allow to simmer for about 30mins
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare your croutons or bread.  Using a good french loaf, brush a little oil over a slice of bread and grill on both sides.  Either slice the bread into large cubes and eat as croutons or cut in half and add gruyere or fontina cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese has melted and sit it in the soup.