Herb Crusted Chicken Bites

Like chicken nuggets? You'll love these!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
2 cups (200g) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
salt and cracked black pepper
flour, for dusting
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes

Method

Preheat oven to 210°C. Place the mixed herbs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until combined, then set aside. Place the flour in another bowl and the eggs in a third bowl. Toss the chicken cubes in the flour, dusting off any excess. Working in batches, dip the chicken pieces into the egg, then the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat well.

Once all the chicken is crumbed, heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the chicken in batches until golden. Remove and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in oven for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken with lemon wedges and a little whole egg mayonnaise for dipping, if desired.

Serve with wedges and a salad.

Enjoy!

Greek Lamb with Crispy Potatoes

A lamb roast in under an hour? Yes you can!

Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2 tbs chopped rosemary leaves
1 lemon, sliced
4 x 4-cutlet lamb racks
10 chat potatoes
150g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1 cup (160g) pitted kalamata olives

Method

Combine garlic with 2 tablespoons of the oil, rosemary and lemon in a bowl. Add lamb, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Meanwhile, part-cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, then drain.

Flatten each potato with a potato masher and place in an oiled roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season well. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, heat a large frypan over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb on all sides. Place lamb and any pan juices on top of the potatoes with lemon slices and roast for 10 minutes (for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking). Remove lamb, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives to the potatoes, then return pan to the oven for a further 5 minutes until tomatoes soften. Serve the lamb on the potato mixture, with mint sauce if desired.

Enjoy!

Basil Pesto Chicken

Basil pesto is quite possibly one of my favourite flavours of all time....

Ingredients
200g dried fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 single chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 cup cream
shaved parmesan, to serve
basil leaves, to serve

Method

Cook fettuccine according to the packet directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until brown.

Add pesto, cream, salt and pepper to frying pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly.

Drain pasta. Add to pesto mixture. Toss over low heat until well combined. Transfer to serving bowls. Top with parmesan and basil. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Casserole

I do love a good casserole.....

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5kg diced beef chuck or blade steak
2 large onions, cut into thin wedges
2 leeks, white part only, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 sticks celery, trimmed, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
2 x 425g cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook beef, in 4 batches, stirring, until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onions, leeks, garlic, celery and carrots to pan. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Return beef to pan with tomatoes, wine and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until beef is tender.

Serve with pasta or creamy mashed potato.

Enjoy!

Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup

With winter approaching my mind has started turning towards yummy, filling and warming soups. What better way to start off the season than with the miraculous-flu-fighting chicken soup!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, halved, washed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 swede or turnip, peeled, diced
1 1/4 cups dry soup mix (lentils), rinsed
8 cups chicken stock
1kg skinless chicken lovely legs

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add carrot, celery, zucchini and swede. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in soup mix, stock, chicken and 1 cup cold water. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until soup mix and vegetables are tender.

Remove chicken legs from soup. Allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from bones. Roughly chop chicken meat and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into warmed bowls and serve.

Enjoy!

Char Siu Lamb Cutlets with Fried Brown Rice

Aussie - Check. Loves Lamb - Check. Loves Asian inspired food - Check and Check.

Ingredients
8 (about 450g) lamb cutlets, excess fat trimmed
1 x 240g jar Char Siu Chinese barbecue sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee brand)
250g (1 1/4 cups) medium-grain brown rice
1 tbs vegetable oil
100g diced ham
4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally

Method

1. Preheat grill on high. Combine the lamb and barbecue sauce in a large, shallow glass or ceramic dish. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

2. Meanwhile, cook rice in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until tender. Drain well.

3. Heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until brown. Add the prawns, shallots and brown rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until heated through.

4. Place the lamb cutlets on a baking tray and cook under preheated grill, about 6cm from heat source, for 3-4 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Spoon the fried brown rice among plates and top with lamb cutlets.

Enjoy!

Beef and Vegetable Pasties

My hubby love love LOVES pasties, so here's a simple recipe I use to keep him happy :)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
300g lean beef mince
400g Sebago potatoes, peeled, diced, washed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup coriander leaves, chopped
3 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is very soft. Increase heat to high. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, chilli powder and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned.

Place potatoes into a shallow microwavesafe dish. Cover. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Roughly mash.

Add potato to mince mixture. Mix well to combine. Transfer filling to a bowl. Set aside to cool completely. Stir in lemon juice and coriander.

Preheat oven to 200C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 squares. Spoon filling into centre of each square. Fold each square in half on the diagonal to form a triangle. Use a fork to press pastry edges together to seal. Place onto prepared tray. Brush with egg. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with green salad.

Enjoy!

One-Pot Lamb Curry

I love this recipe for three reasons. 1. I love lamb. 2. I love curry. 3. It's so darn tasty!

Ingredients
500g trimmed lamb fillets
1/2 tbs good-quality medium curry powder
1 large onion, thinly sliced
40ml (2 tbs) olive oil
500ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
425g can crushed tomatoes
2 cinnamon sticks
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 1/2 cups orzo or risoni pasta

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut lamb fillets into 2cm pieces and place in a medium baking dish. Scatter curry powder and onion on top and drizzle with the oil. Give everything a good stir and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove lamb from the oven. Add stock, tomatoes, cinnamon, garlic and curry leaves and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, add the orzo and stir to combine. Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes by which time most of the liquid will have been absorbed. Remove the curry leaves and cinnamon sticks before giving a final stir and serve with naan and/or a dollop of yoghurt

Enjoy!

Baked Lamb with Crispy Potatoes

I posted a recipe a while ago for Irish Stew. This is a slight variation on that one, a little simpler on the taste buds but just as yummy!

Ingredients
3/4 cup plain flour
10 lamb loin chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves
1 lemon, skin and pith removed, thinly sliced
650g (4 medium) Desiree potatoes, thinly sliced
olive oil cooking spray

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine flour, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat chops in seasoned flour. Place onto a plate.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook chops, 3 at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Add 1 tablespoon of remaining seasoned flour to frying pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 1 minute or until bubbling. Slowly pour in water, stirring constantly until mixture comes to the boil. Add rosemary and lemon slices. Pour mixture over lamb chops.

Place sliced potatoes, overlapping slightly, over lamb. Spray with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are golden and crisp.

Enjoy!

Uh oh :(

I won't be able to post this week! Hubby and I have have used up all our download and the internet is so slow!
So I'll make up for it when I get back.
See you soon!

Cheese and Herb Mash

Another great accompaniment for slow cooked lamb shanks, corned beef and most roasted meats and slow cooked casseroles.

Ingredients
1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
60g butter, chopped
3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

Method

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Return potatoes to saucepan over low heat. Shake pan gently until any remaining water evaporates. Roughly mash potatoes.

2. Add butter and milk. Mash until potatoes are fluffy. Stir in cheese, parsley, chives and salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Steamed Cabbage with Crispy Bacon

A great accompaniment to slow roasted lamb shanks, corned beef or any roasted meat.

Ingredients
175g rindless bacon, cut into thin strips
1.5kg cabbage, finely shredded
40g butter, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Method

1. Place bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, pour 2 cups water into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add cabbage and cook, covered, on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return cabbage to hot saucepan. Add butter, Worcestershire sauce and bacon. Toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Enjoy!

Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks

I love (LOVE) slow roasted everything, and this is one of my absolute favourites!

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
4 large French-trimmed lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, unpeeled, cut into 1cm slices
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups beef consomme
3/4 cup red wine (such as merlot)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons cold water

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place flour and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly coat shanks with flour. Heat oil in a saucepan over high heat. Cook shanks, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a large roasting pan.

2. Add onions and garlic to saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add consomme, wine and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over shanks and cover pan tightly with foil. Roast for 1 1/4 hours. Remove foil. Turn shanks and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.

3. Transfer shanks to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve. Discard onions. Return liquid to pan. Mix cornflour and water in a bowl until smooth. Stir into liquid and bring to the boil, stirring, over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Serve shanks with gravy.

Serve on cheese and herb mash and steamed cabbage (see tomorrow's recipes).

Notes
Beef consomme can be found with the other stocks in Woolworths and Coles

Enjoy!

Chicken and Cheese Pasta Bake

I'm a lover of bakes, but the hubby isn't. However, he likes this one, so it must be good!

Ingredients
1 x Basic Woolworths roast chicken
400g Penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
500g jar tomato pasta sauce
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
100g baby spinach leaves

Method
1. Remove skin and meat from chicken. Discard skin and bones. Roughly chop flesh.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain. Return to saucepan.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until tender. Add onion mixture, pasta sauce, chicken, 3/4 cup cheese and spinach to hot pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently until well combined.

4. Spoon pasta mixture into a 7cm deep, 24cm x 19cm (base) baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and heated through.

Enjoy!

Pork & Asian Greens Stir-Fry

This is a relatively quick, lightly flavoured stirfy, great for those nights when you don't feel like working too hard!

Ingredients
300g pork fillet, thinly sliced
1 red onion, cut into thick wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 tsp peanut oil
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 5cm pieces diagonally
1 bunch baby choy sum, coarsely chopped
1 bunch baby buk choy, washed, dried, quartered
60ml (1/4 cup) oyster sauce

Method
1. Combine the pork, onion, garlic, ginger and Chinese five spice in a bowl. Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat. Add one-third of the pork mixture. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining pork mixture.

2. Heat remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the broccolini and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Add the pork mixture, choy sum, buk choy and oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until buk choy just wilts.

Serve on rice

Notes
I've made this recipe without the oyster sauce (Completely unintentionally, I just forgot all about it!) and it still tasted great!


Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

A yummy dish, sure to be a hit in your house!

Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
500g rump steak, cut across the grain into thin strips
1 medium brown onion, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g mushroom flats, sliced
2 tsp cornflour
1 250g carton sour light cream
2 tbs tomato paste
125mls (1/2 cup) beef stock
2 tbs finely chopped fresh continental parsley
400g dried fettuccine pasta

Method
1. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat until just smoking. Add 1/2 the steak and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Remove from wok. Repeat with another 2 tsp of oil and remaining steak. Remove from wok.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to wok. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.

3. Combine cornflour, sour cream and tomato paste in a bowl. Add to wok with stock and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return steak to wok and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until steak is just heated through. Stir in parsley.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in pan of salted boiling water, following packet directions; until al dente. Drain. Serve with beef stroganoff.

Notes
This recipe is slightly more tomato-y then most stroganoff recipes which makes it great for children. My dad used to make stroganoff for us kids and we didn't like it until he started adding more tomato to it! Might just work for your kids :) This also happens to be the only way I'll eat mushrooms!

Also, if serving it for children, you can chop up the pasta (or use a short pasta like a penne) and stir it through before serving.

Enjoy!

Apricot And Sultana Rock Cakes

My mother used to make these little beauties, they're my absolute favourites! (Yep, they even beat triple choc chunk cookies!)

Ingredients
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 cup plain self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup caster sugar
90g butter, chilled, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup sultanas
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup reduced-fat milk

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Sift flours and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in sugar.

3. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in apricots and sultanas. Make a well in the centre.

4. Combine egg and milk in a jug. Add egg mixture to flour. Using a flat-bladed knife, mix to form a soft dough, adding more milk if required.

5. Spoon rounded tablespoons of mixture, 5cm apart, onto prepared trays. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes
This recipe makes about 18 average sized biscuits, or about 20 smaller ones.

Any dried fruit will work in this recipe, I've used dried apple in place of the apricots before.

Enjoy!

Mince and Pea Curry

Tired of the normal savoury mince dishes? Try something with a little bit of spice with this delicious twist on a family favourite!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons madras curry paste

650g beef mince

400g can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.

2. Add beef and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until liquid has almost evaporated.

4. Stir in peas and cook for 1 minute or until peas cooked through.

Serve on rice with papadums.

Notes

You can change the heat of this dish simply by adding more or less of the madras paste. My husband likes it spicier, so I usually add another tablespoon.

Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Chicken Paella

This is simple version of the classic paella. Very hearty and full of flavour, this is a fantastic family dish.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
6 chicken thighs on the bone, skin on, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g chorizo sausages, roughly chopped
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 1/2 cups Gravox Chicken Stock
2 cups arborio rice
400g can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup frozen peas

Method
1. Combine paprika and 1 teaspoon of turmeric in a bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over both sides of the chicken. Using your fingertips, rub spices into the chicken.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 26cm (base) paella pan or a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until chorizo is light golden. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add remaining oil to the pan. Cook chicken, skin side down, for 4 minutes or until golden. Turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up. Add 1 cup of stock to the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the lid. Boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until almost all liquid has evaporated.

4. Combine 2 cups of remaining stock and remaining turmeric in a jug. Add rice, tomatoes and stock mixture to pan. Stir to combine. Return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed.

5. Add peas, chorizo mixture and remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Simmer for 5 minutes or until stock is just absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

Apple Crumble

A great Aussie favourite. The humble apple pie just got so much better!

Ingredients
150g (1 cup) plain flour
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
100g chilled butter, chopped
50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats
60g (1/2 cup) Sultanas
6-8 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and oats in a bowl.

3. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the walnuts.

4. Layer the apple into a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity ovenproof dish. Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the apples. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Serve with custard or vanilla ice-cream.

Quiche Lorraine

A yummy light dinner for those days when you want something simple yet satisfying :)

Ingredients
2 sheets ready rolled shortcrust pastry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 rashers bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
1 cup grated tasty cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon plain flour
300ml cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup corn
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a fluted 3cm deep, 23cm (base), loose-base flan pan.

2. Line base and sides of flan with pastry. Trim excess. Line pastry with baking paper. Half-fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake a further 10 minutes or until golden.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cool. Sprinkle over pastry. Top with cheese and corn.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Whisk remaining ingredients and salt and pepper in a jug. Pour over bacon.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Stand for 5 minutes