Butter Chicken

Not necessarily authentic but a lovely curry. It makes a large quantity with a lot of sauce - think a meal and one for the freezer or the next day and a container of sauce only. I usually spoon of a generous amount of the sauce, put it in a container and then in the freezer. It can be used in the same way as any of the commercial cooking sauces but is much nicer.

Use ground almonds if you do not want to grind the cashews. I have also made this without marinading the chicken and then adding all the marinade ingredients and chicken into the sauce. Still very nice.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade 100 ml natural yoghurt Juice of 1  lemon 2 teaspoons  turmeric 1 tablespoon garam masala 2 teaspoons chilli powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 small knob/ 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1kilo chicken thigh/breast fillets, chopped into bite sized pieces 100g cashews unsalted, ground To serve chopped coriander cashews steamed basmati rice

Sauce 60g unsalted butter 1 tablespoon oil 2 onions, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons ground cardamom 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika 425 g can tomato puree or half bottle passata 1 cup chicken stock (water and stock cube) 300 ml thickened cream

Method

Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chilli, cumin and ginger in a bowl.

Add chicken and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for as long as possible.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion starts to soften but not colour, add garlic, butter, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves .

Reduce heat to low, add the chicken and marinade, paprika, tomato puree, ground cashews and stock. 

Simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Garnish with cashews, chopped coriander and serve with rice.

Chicken Tonight - Proscuitto Wrapped Chicken with Mushroom Cream Sauce

I make this dish quite often, it is good for a family meal and excellent for the times when you invite people over. When I make this I allow 1 chicken thigh fillet, one slice of proscuitto and three to four mushrooms person and simply increase or decrease the wine and cream accordingly. For the sauce I like to think in terms of a splash of wine and a glug of cream, use your judgement for the amount of sauce you need. I like lots of sauce and use a more cream. Some water or additional wine could be added if preferred. Serve with rice or other grains, buttered pasta or mashed potato.

The recipe is for four, however, can easily adapted for one person or as many as you want.

If making for a very large number, and your pan is too small, transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a large baking dish, add the mushrooms etc, and bake in the oven (160 -180degC). It will take longer to cook but does not need to watched as closely, leaving you free to prepare vegetables or whatever you would like to serve with the chicken. The chicken can be prepared earlier and refrigerated until needed and then cooked. The mushrooms could also be prepared and partly cooked to make things easier.

Wrap each piece of chicken with prosciutto.

Heat a small amount of oil in a frypan, add chicken and gently fry for about 8 minutes, taking care not to burn the prosciutto.

Add sliced mushrooms, garlic, thyme and wine. Cover and cook for a few minutes until mushrooms have softened and cooked down.


Add cream and some black pepper, Simmer gently for a few minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Mushroom Cream Sauce

4 chicken thigh fillets, cut in halves 4 long slices Prosciutto or 8 small 16 mushrooms, sliced thinly 2 -4 cloves garlic, crushed ½ - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves* or generous pinch of dried thyme

1/3 -1/2 cup dry white wine ½ -1 cup light cream/cream black pepper, freshly ground To serve chopped fresh parley

Wrap each piece of chicken with prosciutto.

Heat a small amount of oil in a frypan, add chicken and gently fry for about 8 minutes, taking care not to burn the prosciutto.

Turn chicken and cook for a further minute

Add sliced mushrooms, garlic, thyme and wine. Cover and cook for a few minutes until mushrooms have softened and cooked down.

Add cream and some black pepper, Simmer gently for a few minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly. 

Garnish with chopped parsley

*I use sprigs of thyme and do not worry too much about the stalks.

Mediterranean Chicken

Another recipe that works well for a family dinner or a crowd, just increase the quantities and use a bigger dish. It is important to use shallow layers in a large dish if you want the chicken to develop a nice golden colour. The juices and  flavour drip down through the beans and vegetables. It can also be made by mixing all the ingredients together and cooked in a casserole dish or deep baking dish. If cooked that way sprinkle fresh breadcrumbs over the top, dot with butter or herb butter and bake to make a crispy topping.

Mediterranean Chicken

1 tablespoon lemon olive oil or other 1 -2 tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 kg chicken thighs, cut in halves 10 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried A few sprigs of oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried

Vegetable Mix* 1 onion, diced 1 red capsicum, chopped 1 stick celery, diced 1 eggplant, diced 1 carrot 1 zucchini, diced 4 cloves garlic ,crushed *Vary the vegetables to suit  Optional Chopped parsley to serve

Preheat oven to 200 dec C.

Use a shallow baking dish or lasagne dish.

Put oil, onion, garlic and beans in the base of the dish.

Spread chopped vegetables over the beans, scatter thyme and oregano over the vegetables.

Pour chopped tomatoes over the vegetables.

Place chicken thigh pieces on top.

Bake in hot oven until chicken is cooked and golden brown.

Serve with rice/buttered pasta/crusty bread and some steamed green vegetables or salad.

Out of Africa

This dinner was prompted by an impulse purchase of a packet of Black Barley, the information on the packet described it as an heirloom variety prized in Ethiopia and this made me think of spicy foods and somewhere in the back of my mind was a link between African food, spices, tomatoes, pumpkin, food cooked over a fire/BBQ and communal eating. These recipes are in no way authentic and are my imaginings of a possible African style meal - vegetable stew,  spicy barbecued chicken, and accompanying grains. Some lightly steamed broccolini, eggplant pickle, yoghurt and flatbreads were added.

This is an excellent cook ahead meal, great for large numbers and the leftovers reheat very well.

African Vegetable Stew

1 tablespoon African Spice  Mix (Berbere or Ras el Hanout) 1 tablespoon cumin 1 small knob fresh turmeric or ½ teaspoon powder Small amount of oil to fry spices 6 cloves garlic, crushed 2 onions, diced 1 -2 chillies, finely chopped

1 cup raw peanuts 1 large carrot, large dice 1 wedge of pumpkin (about 2 cups large dice) 6 tomatoes, large dice 1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into pieces 1 green capsicum, deseeded and cut into pieces large handful of green beans, cut into halves 1 can coconut milk fresh coriander, chopped Optional Use other vegetables that you like and have on hand, such as eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower.

Put oil in saucepan, add spices and fry over low heat until fragrant, add onions, garlic and chilli and continue to fry, while mixing until onions are slightly softened.

Add peanuts, vegetables and coconut milk. Simmer gently until vegetables are just cooked.

Add beans and cook a further three minutes.

Top with chopped coriander


The spicy barbecue marinade uses SriRacha sauce, commonly used in Thai/Asian cooking. I used it because I had a bottle, however, any hot chilli sauce such as Tabasco could be used or add 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper. I would avoid Sweet Chilli sauce as it is not very hot and has a high sugar content and will burn more readily on the barbecue or grill.

Spicy Barbecued Chicken

Marinade 1 tablespoon SriRacha sauce (an extra hot chilli sauce from Asian grocery stores) 2 tablespoons grapeseed or  canola oil 2 teaspoons garlic powder. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut in halves or other pieces such as wings or drumsticks

Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Add chicken, make sure mixture coats each piece. Cover and refrigerate until ready to barbecue or grill. If possible leave for a few hours or overnight.

Heat barbecue or grill until very hot. Add chicken pieces and grill on both sides until cooked.

Place on clean plate, keep warm and allow chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving.

I find it easier to cook the grains in advance and reheat in the microwave. Usually I cook large amounts of different grains or rice and freeze the leftover to use for a mixed grain dish such as this.

Black Barley and Rice

1 cup black barley

1 cup long grain rice

Cook rice and barley in different saucepans.

For each grain bring a medium pot of water to the boil.

When boiling add the grain, stir and simmer until tender.

Strain and rinse. *

Combine grains, use a fork to mix and fluff. Reheat in microwave if necessary.

Note

*Rinse with cold water and mix grains when cold and then microwave to reheat.

The finished meal

The pickle was Brinjal and the recipe can be found here. This is the black barley.

Winter Fare

I enjoy any type of stew or casserole on a chilly Winter evening and when served with dumplings become the ultimate in comfort food. Savoury dumplings are a great alternative to rice or mashed potatoes, they are quite filling and a good way to extend the stew and are added towards the end of the cooking time. I prefer to 'mature' my stews so usually reheat the stew and add the dumplings when it is boiling. They are also good cooked for camp cooking.

This dinner was a hearty Italian styled beef and mushroom stew with plenty of tomatoes, garlic and some red wine in the sauce. The dumplings were flavoured with parmesan and provolone cheese and chopped herbs.


Savoury Dumplings

1 cup SR flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk approximately

for cheese and herb
2 tablespoons grated parmesan or provolone piccante
1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, I used 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon of oregano. Fresh chives are also very good.

Combine SR flour with grated cheeses and herbs if using them.

 Add melted butter and egg.

Add sufficient milk to make a stiff dough.

Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut, they expand as they cook.

Place dumplings onto hot stew mixture, cover and continue to cook on a very low heat (simmer) until the dumplings are firm, approximately 15 minutes. Avoid excessive stirring but check to make sure that the stew is not sticking to the pan.





The stew needs to have a reasonable amount of sauce as the dumplings absorb some of the moisture. If the stew is abit dry add some boiling water. The dumplings can be cooked on the stove top or in the oven. If cooking in the oven they usually take longer to cook.

Pastie Season

Pasties are something that I always associate cooler weather. They are a great light meal and make a delicious lunch served with a bowl of home made soup. This version makes a juicy and flavoursome style with plenty of vegetables. I prefer to grate the vegetables as this makes them cook quicker and the mixture easier to mould into the pastry and it is also a good way of disguising lots of vegetables.  Use vegetables that you like, however better flavour is achieved by using the swede and turnip. Dice the vegetables into small pea sized pieces if you like a chunky filling. These freeze well and I make them in a variety of sizes and if  making a lot I make my own shortcrust pastry.

Pasties
makes 6 large pasties
300 g approx of minced beef
3 tablespoons oat bran
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
1 carrot
1 small piece of pumpkin
2 -3 sticks celery
1 potato
1 swede
1 turnip
1 onion
1 -2 tablepoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 packet puff pastry sheets or shortcrust sheets
egg for egg wash

Assemble vegetables, wash, peel and grate.

Combine meat, egg, oatbran, stock powder and pepper in a large bowl.








Add grated vegetables and parsley. Mix really well, it is easier to use your hands.

Cut out pastry circles, I use a large saucepan lid as a guide to cut around.

Place a generous amount of filling onto the pastry circle.
 Moisten edges with a little water but do not make too wet.

Enclose filling and shape pastie with the join on the top (left) or fold over flat into a semi circle (right)

Fold edges over twice, decorate with skewer and pierce 2 -3 times  to create steam holes.

Place on tray .
Glaze with egg wash
Bake at 200 deg C for 10 minutes, reduce heat and continue cooking until golden brown.

Serve when cooked or place pasties onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before refrigerating or freezing.




  
The Gadget

I have this great gadget for making the very small pasties. I purchased a set of three in different sizes from a cookware shop, the largest is the one I used for the small pasties in the picture above. The smaller ones I use to make dim sims or bite sized curry puffs.





The Process

Cut out the pastry circles and then place the pastry circle in the gadget.

Place a small amount of filling onto the pastry, do not overfill and then fold shut. Trim away excess pastry if necessary.

Remove from the gadget, place on tray and pierce  2-3 times, Glaze with egg wash and bake. This size pastie are good for small children or with soup.





No Waste

Patch the off cuts of pastry together to create another piece for a pastie








or

Squeeze the pastry scraps into a ball and then roll out.

Cut pastry into pieces about the size of a playing card.

Place on tray, glaze with egg wash and bake until puffed and golden brown.







Split the pastry shapes, fill with jam and whipped cream, dust with icing sugar.

Everyone Loves a Bargain

Bargain hunting is not my strong point, however, recently came across this bargain piece of rump at the supermarket. Rump at $6.99 per kilo, quite cheap, even allowing for some waste with the fat. It was also in a cryovac package which gave me time to process it. After some consideration about the quality I decided that it would be perfect for casserole or chunky pie filling and good for slow cooked roast beef.

I started with  6.1 kg piece, trimmed off the fat and was left with 4.9 kg of meat. The cost of useable meat became $8.70 a kg, still a bargain.

The meat was cut into two generous roasts, a large chunk to be diced up into small pieces for a casserole and a small pile of trimmings for the cats. The fat was discarded, although, I did consider rendering it to make dripping and then thought better off it.

The diced beef was used to make Beef and Guinness Pie. Homemade pies are a great family meal and are a good choice for casual entertaining. I like to serve them with traditional style mashed potatoes, carrots and a green vegetable.

 For a large family pie like this I make shortcrust pastry for the bottom, however, commercial shortcrust works just as well and use commercial puff pastry for the lid. The quantities given below make a generous pie, it is easy to use less and make a smaller pie.

Beef and Guinness Pie
1.5 kg diced beef
2 onions, diced
1 carrot diced, finely diced
2 -3 sticks celery, finely diced
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 can Guinness
shortcrust pastry/sheet
puff pastry sheets

1 egg for glazing the pastry

Brown meat and then add diced onion and continue to brown

Add finely diced carrot, celery,bay leaf and flour to the meat mixture and mix well.

Add the Guinness and a little water, stir and bring to boil, keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Add pepper to taste.
Reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Line pie dish with pastry, I use shortcrust. Add meat filling and then top with a pastry lid, I use commercial puff pastry sheets. Glaze with egg wash and decorate with leaves made from the puff pastry scraps.

Bake in hot oven, you may need to reduce heat once the pastry on top has become puffed and golden brown.

The remaining meat was frozen for another time.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Inspired by the Simon and Garfunkel song, Scarborough Fair. All herbs picked from the garden.

This dish is an adaptation of the Italian dish, Veal Saltimbocca, something I make when I can get good veal. I use Marsala for the sauce in preference to the dry white wine that is traditionally used. Looked in the fridge - no veal on hand but a tray of chicken thigh fillets and some prosciutto, so for dinner - Chicken Saltimbocca with Marsala Sauce and sauteed potatoes with herbs. This is a dish that can be easily made for one, a family or even a crowd.

Allow I chicken thigh fillet per person and 1-2 thin slices of prosciutto per person. The proscuitto needs to wrap around the thigh fillet, a long piece cut into two or two short pieces. I used some pesto butter from the freezer instead of plain butter for the sauce. Do not add salt, there is enough in the proscuitto.

Sauteed Potatoes with Herbs

Wash potatoes and dry, peel if desired

Cut into medium dice.

Heat a little oil in a non stick pan, add potatoes and cook over medium heat until cooked through and crispy and golden brown.

Turn off heat and scatter with chopped fresh rosemary and thyme.


Chicken Saltimbocca with Marsala Sauce

4 chicken thigh fillets, each fillet cut in half
4 long slices proscuito or 8 short
8 sage leaves per thigh fillet
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup Marsala
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter

put sage leaf on each piece of chicken

wrap the chicken with the proscuitto

pan fry until chicken is cooked through and proscuitto is crispy and golden brown on both sides, this will take approximately 15 minutes








Add marsala, garlic and water to pan, simmer for 10 -15 minutes until sauce has reduced

remove from heat, add butter, stir through until butter has melted.

serve chicken with a little of the sauce spooned over and garnish with chopped parsley