Creme Brûlée

I've had a request for desserts... I quite honestly don't do desserts very often so this was a bit of a stretch for me. I hosted a dinner party recently and tried these out and they were OH so good!  A Donna Hay recipe which turned out beautifully.  My sister in law had bought me a blow torch (!) for Christmas so I got to use that but you don't need to have one to get the crunchy burnt top.

This is a great dessert for when you are entertaining as all the preparation is done during the day and you literally just have to burn the top prior to serving and that's it.  I don't know anyone who doesn't like a good creme brûlée!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 litre (4 cups) single cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar
1/4 cup (55g) sugar

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 320'F (160'C)
• Pour the cream, vanilla bean and seeds into a saucepan and heat for 3 minutes.  Then set it aside for 20minutes to allow the flavor of the vanilla to infuse.
• Return the cream to a low heat, then add the egg yolks and caster sugar.  Stir for 8-10minutes or until the custard mixture coats the back of a spoon.
• Remove the vanilla bean and pour the custard mixture into 6 ramekins.  Each 185ml capacity.  Lower flat ramekins are better to allow for greater surface area.
• Set the ramekins in a baking tray and fill the surrounding tray with hot water, enough to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  
• Carefully transfer tray to the oven and bake for 35-40mins or until the custards set.
• Remove the custards from the baking tray and refrigerate until set and cold, usually more than 1 hr.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle heavily with sugar and use a torch to burn the top surface.  This part is fun!

Alternatively:

- Place the ramekins back in a baking tray, sprinkle custards with sugar and let it sit for a few minutes.  Place ice cubes around the ramekins, heat a grill (broiler) and place under the grill for 2-3minutes until the sugar is melted and golden.

Crispy noodle salad

A perfect light meal, or salad with a summer BBQ.  This was a huge hit with my girls, they loved the combination of crunchy noodles and shredded chicken and almost forgot it was full of cabbage.  Give your kids a pair of chopsticks and let the fun begin!

I would have normally spruced this dressing up with a little lime juice and red chili but there was something about the simplicity of this, it was tasty and delicious as it was, I didn't bother.  I bought the chicken from the store and so this was the quickest meal to put together.  It took me about 8 1/2 minutes I think including toasting the almonds and dinner was served.

Back home we all know this as a "Changi salad" after the brand of noodles and the recipe on the back!  I haven't found the crispy rice noodles as easy to find here but I stumbled upon some "China Boy" brand the other day so perhaps I need to rename it.... nah, always a changi to me.  You could substitute pork for the chicken, and add whatever you like to it really, red capsicum, celery, grated zucchini, or thinly sliced snow peas, go to town and build your own changi to your liking.  Here's the basic...

Serves 4

Dressing
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup caster sugar (fine sugar)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tspn sesame oil
2 tblspn soy sauce

Salad
1 chinese cabbage (napa cabbage in US)*
5 spring onions
crispy rice noodles, approx 1/2 packet
100g / 3.5 oz silvered almonds, toasted
Roast chicken, shredded
1 carrot, grated
coriander / cilantro, small handful

* You could always use red or green regular cabbage if you can't find chinese cabbage. Chinese is milder in flavor.

Method:

• Combine the vinegar and sugar and mix until sugar dissolves.  
• Add remaining dressing ingredients. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Toast the almonds in a dry hot pan or a tray in the oven until golden brown
• Thinly slice the cabbage and spring onions. Add the grated carrot, chicken, almonds and noodles
• When ready, dress the salad throughly and garnish with coriander and enjoy!

Marinated chicken wings

Sunday roast not an institution in your home anymore?  I don't know about you but by Sunday evening the last place I want to be is hovering over a stove. I'd much rather be savoring the last of the weekend with friends, family and a glass of wine before the beginning of another full week of schedules and chasing the clock. Wings are ideal - the girls love them and they pretty much cook themselves.  Alternatively a great dish for your most hectic mid week night in your home.   Throw the chicken wings into a ziploc bag with simple teriyaki, soy, honey and ginger marinade in the morning and keep them refrigerated.  When it's time for after school activities, set them in the oven, put the timer on and have them only minutes from being done when you get home.

Put on the rice when you get in, microwave a handful of frozen peas and corn and mix those into the rice with a knob of butter.  Kids will love it and with a tasty little salad or some corn on the cob, you and your hubby will be very satisfied as well.

serves 4

Ingredients:
approx 16-18 chicken wings, cut in two
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup kikkoman (or similar) teriyaki marinade
1 tblspn honey
1/2 tspn ginger
salt and pepper

Method:

• cut the wing tip off and discard (or use it for stock if you're so inclined) and then cut the wing into two small pieces through the joint (so you have a drumstick and a wing).  
• it makes them quicker to cook and easier for the kids to get stuck in.  
• mix the marinade together and pour into a ziploc bag over the chicken pieces
• lay them flat in the fridge from anywhere from 30mins - 6hrs.
• when ready to bake, put on a baking tray with parchment paper with space in between the wings.
• bake in an hot oven, 400'F for approx 25mins or until cooked and browned.
• serve with rice, pasta, corn or salad.  (Blue cheese dressing if you need to!)

Caesar Salad

How about a good chunky caesar salad as an option for a lighter (excuse the dressing) during the week. My girls do not eat salad so much yet but they love a poached egg, bacon and toast so why not make an amended version for yourselves into something better looking and more tasty, a caesar salad! Nothing wrong with kids eating breakfast for dinner right?  It seems very popular here in fact.

Now this is the fair dinkim' Aussie version of a caesar salad, we don't skimp on the bacon, or the croutons and we definitely need the egg oozy and runny on top.  If you are a die hard anchovy fan, then knock yourself out and add those as well.  It's up to you whether you feel the need for grilled chicken or salmon, or even some smoked salmon but gauging from the size of mine here, it's not really necessary.

Ingredients:
romaine lettuce
chunky bread, toasted or baked and chopped into cubes
parmesan cheese, shaved
smoky bacon
6 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 poach egg per person
grilled chicken, salmon or smoked salmon (additional option)
caesar dressing (store bought is easy)

Method:

• toast the bread in a toaster or on a grill plate, then cut in cubes
• fry the bacon in strips and drain on paper towel
• combine the lettuce, croutons, bacon, anchovy and most of the parmesan cheese in a ziploc bag, pour the dressing in and mix and massage until the leaves are coated to your desired level.
• poach the eggs*.
• serve in a large open bowl with egg on top and top with cracked pepper and sprinkle of parmesan to serve

* a reminder on how to poach an egg?
- Fill a saucepan with water, add a tablespoon or so of white vinegar and boil.
- Once the water has boiled, turn down the heat slightly and crack your egg, gently tipping into the water over itself so it forms around itself.
- Repeat for each egg.  

Tomato & basil bruschetta

Stuck for ideas for a weekend lunch or an evening starter... this is ideal.  It never fails to impress and is so delicious and fun.  I'll give you the easy option as well as the full version because if you have the time, do yourself a favor and make the aioli from scratch.  It is mouthwatering and adds so much to the dish. Doesn't mean that there isn't a quick option if you need it.

I'll leave the quantities up to you depending on how many you wish to feed...

Ingredients:
Cheery/grape tomatoes, quartered
Spanish onion, finely diced
Fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Baguette, ciabatta, sourdough loaf - whatever you prefer, sliced and grilled
Olive oil

Garlic Aioli: * instructions below
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1- 1.5cups in total)
Lemon juice, approx 1 tblspn
1-2 tblspn water

In a processor, blend the eggs, mustard, salt and garlic until well combined and starts to thicken.  While the processor is still going, slowly add the oil gradually, blending to maintain a good consistency.  Continue to add oil and blend.  Once thick, add lemon juice and blend again.  You should finish with a glossy, thick garlic mayonnaise.  If the mixture begins to split at any point, add water or lemon juice and continue to blend. Refridgerate covered for up to 2 weeks.

Alternative to homemade aioli - garlic mayo:

• crush 2 cloves of garlic and then using the back of a knife crush again with some sea salt until it becomes a paste.
• mix this paste with 1/2 cup of whole egg mayonnaise

Bruschetta Method:

• Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place in a bowl with chopped basil leaves, and diced onion.  mix together and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside until ready to serve. 
• Make the aioli using a food processor, as above.
• Slice bread to desired thickness (1/2- 1" thick is good) and when almost ready to serve, brush with a little olive oil and grill both sides.
• Spread a thin layer of aioli over the grilled bread, then pile up bruschetta mixture and serve on a platter, with napkins!

Baked cod with spring onions and chili

Super healthy, light and full of flavor, this delicate fish turned into a meal which produced the following remark from my 'fish-wary' husband "Now this is exactly how I like to eat fish!".  Mark thinks I should incorporate a 'husband rating' system on the bottom of each dish to give you punters an indication of overall success but I really wonder, do you even care what he thinks?!  Who is he, after all?!  Well, he is my best sounding board because let's face it, if he doesn't like it, we won't be eating it again.  Except for meatballs, he hates meatballs and I continue to cook them...

Let me tell you, this was simple and tasty and took almost no time to prepare.  My challenge living here in Wisconsin (as far from the sea as I can imagine) is finding good, fresh fish.  Tilapia is the fish of choice in most stores but to me it tastes dirty, as in stinky socks dirty, and no amount of herbs and lemon juice can hide that.  It is supposed to be neutral in flavor but I can't disagree more, it has been tainted by a 14yr old boys sports bag and that is not a place I want to start when cooking a fish meal.  Use cod, or whitefish and I think you'll really enjoy this.  I've done this dish before and I remember dropping a spoonful of soy sauce over it before baking but I didn't this time and it tasted less complicated, so explore what works for you.

For the younger child, bake a few pieces without the chili however the other flavors would be totally fine for them (if you remove the evidence when serving it). If you hesitate about there being too many unknown flavors then do a simple lemon, parsley and salt and pepper on their pieces.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large cod fillets, approx 2 pounds of fish
4 spring onions, sliced
2 fresh red chili's
large handful of coriander (cilantro to my US friends)
2 limes, juice of one and the other sliced (lemon would also work)
knob of butter
salt and pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 350'F
• Place your clean fish fillets in a glass baking tray.  
• Season heavily with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fillets
• Slice the spring onions using the white and fresh green ends of the stalks and sprinkle over the fish
• Slice the chili's and place over the fish
• Drop a small knob of butter on each piece 
• Finish with the circles of lime, one on each piece of fish
• Bake in the oven for 18-20mins

Serve with your choice of side dishes: steamed rice, boiled or mash potatoes, corn, bok choy or any variety of salad.

Spinach, fetta and pea salad

Do you want a simple side salad that ticks all the boxes when it comes to presentation, ease and flavor? This salad has been one of my favorites for a long time now.  You might think from the recipes so far on this blog I'm mad about peas but I'm not particularly... I just find them so versatile and fresh.  Sometimes you have a meal with so much going on, you just need a little greens on the side.

Ingredients:
baby spinach leaves
fresh or frozen peas, blanched
greek style fetta, broken and crumbled not diced

Dressing:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
ratio of oil: lemon is 3:1