Roast Moroccan Chicken with Chickpea Chips, Eggplant Pickle and Parsley Salad

This recipe is fantastic for a dinner party. Table set, wine open all you have to do is place the dishes on table and watch your guests help themselves! Watch them frenzy on all things spice...

 

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1½ tbsp cumin seeds

1½ tbsp white peppercorns

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp ground ginger

35 gm (¼ cup) plain flour

400 ml buttermilk

1 chicken (2 kg), jointed

To serve: sheep’s milk yoghurt mixed with tahini, lemon juice and honey

Eggplant pickle

3 eggplant, diced into 2cm pieces

100 ml vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

15 gm (2½ cm piece)               ginger, finely chopped

1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

1 tsp each ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground cumin and mustard seeds

200 ml white wine vinegar

75 gm brown sugar

Chickpea chips

225 ml milk

1 tbsp olive oil

10 gm butter

170 gm chickpea flour

For dusting: fine polenta

For shallow frying: vegetable oil

Parsley salad

30 gm pine nuts

1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley

1½ tbsp currants, soaked in 2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For eggplant pickle, lightly salt eggplant in a colander and stand until bitter juices drain (20-25 minutes). Rinse under cold water and pat dry with absorbent paper. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add half the eggplant, turn occasionally until golden (3-5 minutes), then drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant, then return reserved eggplant to pan with garlic, ginger, chilli and spices and sauté until fragrant (3-5 minutes). Deglaze with vinegar, then stir through sugar and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until slightly thickened (5-7 minutes), season to taste, spread onto an oven tray and set aside to cool.

For chickpea chips, bring milk, olive oil and butter to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, then gradually add chickpea flour, whisking continuously until very thick (3-5 minutes). Pour into an oven tray lined with baking paper and set aside to cool. When cool, turn out and cut into 2cm x 7cm chips. Just before serving, heat oil in a deep frying pan to 180C, dust chickpea chips in polenta and fry in batches, turning occasionally until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper, season to taste and keep warm in oven.

Meanwhile, for parsley salad, toast pine nuts in a frying pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden (3-5 minutes), then set aside to cool. Combine with remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Heat a char-grill pan over medium heat. Dry-roast whole spices until fragrant (30 seconds-1 minute), then finely grind with a mortar and pestle. Combine in a bowl with flour, remaining spices and 1 tbsp fine sea salt. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk, then coat in spice mixture and grill, turning occasionally, until just cooked through (15-20 minutes). Serve with hot chickpea chips, eggplant pickle, parsley salad and tahini yoghurt. 

Swiss Roll

I have very fond memories of my mother making these as a child thy are best eaten on the day, believe me that is really never that hard to do!

125g plain flour
225g caster sugar
30g vanilla sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Separate  the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the yolks until pale and add 125g of the sugar and whisk until pale and thick. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks then gradually add the remaining 30g of vanilla sugar until soft peaks form. Sift the flour and the baking powder and incorporate with the egg yolks. Gently incorporate the beaten egg whites.

Spread the cake mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, and cook for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. turn the cake out onto a damp cloth scattered with 100g of sugar.

Fill with the filling of your choice and roll up straight away!


BLACK CHERRY AND CHOCOLATE
Mix 100g dark chocolate with 30g of melted butter and 100ml of pouring cream, then mix with black cherry jam.

CHESTNUTS
Mix 100g of sweetened chestnut puree with 100g of Chantilly cream and 100g marron glace (candied chestnut) pieces.

NUTELLA AND SPECULAAS
Mix 150g warmed nutella with 150g crushed Dutch speculaas biscuits and 100g Chantilly cream.
 

Sweet Cinnamon Rolls

As a child I knew these as sticky buns, today I know them as sinful, diet food they are not but hey you know me..... more is never enough!

DOUGH

1/4 cup warm water

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3-3/4 to 4 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons soft butter

FILLING

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons soft butter

GLAZE

125g cream cheese

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Pour the water into a small bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and let it dissolve (about 5 minutes). In a large bowl, stir together the warm milk and sugar. Then stir in the dissolved yeast, egg, and vanilla extract.

With a wooden spoon, stir 2 cups of the flour into the liquid, and then beat well for 100 strokes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave the dough undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Stir the salt and then the soft butter into the sponge. Add the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring well each time. When the dough balls up and becomes impossible to stir, four your hands and knead the dough right in the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured counter and continue to knead it for about 6 or 7 more minutes, until it's smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a large, clean, lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat the entire surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough doubles (about 1 hour). Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Stir together the brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined.

When the dough has risen, punch it down several times to deflate it. Then knead the dough again on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

Flour your working area and, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12- by 16-inch rectangle so that a long edge is closest to you. If the dough springs back (it should stay where you've rolled it), let it rest another 2 or 3 minutes.

Spread the soft butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch boarder along each of the long edges. Cover the butter evenly with the cinnamon-nut mixture, pressing it down gently. Lightly moisten both long edges with water.

Starting at the long edge closest to you, snugly roll up the dough like a rug. Pinch the seam together. With a sharp serrated knife, score the dough in the centre, then at the centre of each half. With those marks as guides, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.

Evenly space the rolls in the pan, brushing the outer edges with a little melted butter (to keep them from sticking together as they bake). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until nearly doubled, about 35 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 180ºc near the end of the rising.

Remove the plastic and bake the rolls on the center oven rack for about 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Run a spatula around the pan to loosen the rolls, then invert them onto a large baking sheet. Carefully pull apart the rolls and set them right side up on a cooling rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle on the Sweet Glaze (see below). Serve warm. Makes 12 large rolls.

Sweet Glaze: This delicious glaze is perfect on the cinnamon rolls, so don't skimp. To make it, place cream cheese into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 3 minutes add the sugar and the milk and mix until incorporated. The icing should be smooth and flowing, but not overly runny. Add a little extra milk if needed.

Cauliflower Soup with Mustard and Gruyère Croûtons

 Quick and easy there is no excuse to eat soup from a tin!

50 ml   olive oil, plus extra to serve

50 gm butter, coarsely chopped

1   onion, finely chopped

2   garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1   large Desiree potato, finely chopped

1 kg   cauliflower, trimmed into small florets

1.75 litres   (7 cups) chicken stock 100 gm  

grated Gruyère 250 ml  

(1 cup) milk

Mustard and Gruyère croûtons

30 gm   butter, melted

30 ml   olive oil 2 tbsp  

Dijon mustard

2 tbsp   grated Gruyère

100 gm   day-old sourdough, coarsely torn

Preheat oven to 180C. Heat oil and half the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion, garlic and potato, cover, stir occasionally until onion is tender (5-7 minutes). Add cauliflower and stock, simmer over medium-high heat until potato and cauliflower are very tender (20-25 minutes). Purée until smooth, stir through Gruyère, milk and remaining butter, season to taste, keep warm.

Meanwhile, for mustard and Gruyère croûtons, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, toss to coat. Spread on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake, shaking occasionally, until golden (5-7 minutes). Scatter over hot soup, serve drizzled with oil.

Torta Salata Di Verdure

We all love a good pie as really you can add whatever ingredients you like, i am a huge fan of eggplant so this recipe works beautifully. If your not a fan of eggplant you could substitute with some roasted potatoes and broccoli...... The choice is all yours!

Meringue with Poached Pears, Cream, Toasted Hazelnuts and Chocolate Sauce

Ok anyone can make a pavlova however its all about the toppings here is one for the adults...

4 large free range eggs
260g caster sugar
a pinch of salt
100g roasted hazelnuts
4 pears
fresh ginger
200g dark chocolate
400ml double cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one orange
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Preheat the oven to 150oC and line a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof.

Put your egg whites into a bowl and whisk on a medium heat until soft peaks form. With your beater still running add the 200g of the sugar gradually a tablespoon at a time and add salt, turn your mixer to the highest speed and whisk for approximately 10 minutes or until when you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers it feels completely smooth.

Spoon out the meringue onto the baking paper and shape into a A4 size rectangle. place into preheated oven and bake for 11/2 hours

Peel and 1/4 the pears removing the core, add cinnamon stick, 60g of the sugar, cloves and cover with water and place on a medium heat on stove for 1 hour. Remove pears and pat dry, stain syrup and boil with 2 slices of fresh ginger until mixture has reduced by half. Take off heat add the chocolate and stir until melted.

Whip cream with vanilla extract.

Place dollops of cream on top of the meringue followed by the pears, drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. finish with some grated orange zest.

Serve straight away.

Torta Della Nonna

I am a sucker for anything that involves custard and believe me after you have made this you will be too....

For the pastry:
300g plain flour plus extra for dusting
80g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g butter cut into cubes
1 egg
1 egg yolk
grated zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

For the filling:
500ml milk
thinly pared strip of lemon zest
3 egg yolks
120g caster sugar
50g flour
few drops of vanilla extract


To decorate:
1 egg lightly beaten
pine nuts for sprinkling
icing sugar for dusting

To make the dough, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Add eggs, butter and lemon zest until you have a a dough, remove and divide into 2 balls and individually cover in cling wrap and place in refrigerator to rest.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Pour the milk into a pan, add the lemon zest and bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the flour and the vanilla, add the milk, combine thoroughly and pour back into the pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and is very thick. remove from the heat and let cool stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Grease and flour 24cm pizza tray 

Roll out a piece of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a round slightly larger than the prepared tray, leaving a overhang. Fill with the custard filling and roll out remaining pastry and cover filling seal edges, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly dust with icing sugar and serve.

Cherry and Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

There is nothing more gratifying than making your own biscuits and these are one of my many favorites, perfect with a cup of tea or, for those under the tea drinking age, a glass of milk.
The oats make these treats extremely chewy and they feel convincingly healthy.

I always double the recipe as guests love a goodie bag!

140g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
75g rolled oats
125g soft unsalted butter
75g dark brown sugar
100g castor sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
75g dried cranberrys and cherrys
50g pecans, roughly chopped
140g white chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats into a bowl.

Put the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat until lights and creamy

Then beat in the eggs and vanilla

Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and oats then fold in the berries, chopped pecans and chocolate chips

Set the bowl of biscuit dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.

 Roll tablespoons of dough into the palm of your hand and place on a lined baking tray

Cook for 15 minutes or until cookies appear golden, remove from aven and let sit for 5 minutes as they will be too soft to lift immediately. then place onto a wire rack, and repeat process.

SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO PASTA

There are so many ways to cook pasta, this is just one of my naughy pleasures! If you dont want to use cream stir through some ricotta instead. This dish is great served cold the following day!

500g tortiglioni pasta

3 cups fresh basil

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tbls butter

6 tbls pine nuts

2 tbls butter

2 cloves of garlic peeled

1/2 cup pouring cream

1/2 cup. thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil

 

Prepare pasta as directed; drain well (I always add bay leaves, salt and a drizzle of oil my my water for flavour).

 

In a food processor or blender puree basil, 1/4 cup cheese, oil, butter, pine nuts and garlic.Pour in saucepan and gently heat add cream and stir until slightly thickened. 

 

Toss sauce with pasta, tomatoes and rest of cheese and season with salt an pepper.

PROVENCAL-STYLE SALAD

It's a hot summers day and you don't want anything to heavy to eat.... this is the dish!
Every mouthful can be a different experience. Be sure to place emphasis on the freshness of all your ingredients. And it just looks so beautiful just like an artists palette.

6 eggs hard boiled
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves picked
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 iceberg lettuce, washed and drained
4 smoked chorizo sausages cooked and sliced

To serve
crusty bread
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
best quality extra virgin olive-oil
and red wine vinegar

Peel and half the eggs. On a large board or platter, arrange all the ingredients in seperate piles

Serve with crusty bread. At the table, guests select thier preferred combinations and proportions of each ingredient, and season to taste with salt and pepper olive oil and vinegar.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

I grew up thinking of this dish as something we ate when money was tight or time was short or when my mother simply ran out of energy. Looking back I can see that this is a perfect example of cucina rustica, i.e., simple family food made for the enjoyment of the moment without pretensions. It is delicious, inexpensive, quick to prepare and perfectly suitable for a friendly, informal meal.

Please do use the best olive oil you can afford, and buy a good brand of dried pasta. This dish is always made with long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine.

1 pkt good dried angel hair pasta
1/2 cup good olive oil
6 garlic cloves finely chopped
dried chilli optional
1 tablespoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
6 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs such as 
flat leaf parsley oregano and basil
80g butter
freshly grated parmesan


Bring a large of slated water to the boil with a drizzle of oil salt and some bay leaves.

Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2 a cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking gently warm the olive oil in a very large saut'e pan, add the garlic add the chilli flakes now if you want a bit of fire. Do not burn the garlic you just want to infuse the oil, add butter and set aside.

When pasta is cooked add to warm oil, add salt and herbs until well coated. if the mixture seems dry add a drizzle of the pasta water.

Serve immediately with a good grind of black pepper and pass the grated parmesan at the table

VEAL SCALOPPINE WITH BLACK OLIVES

Gutsy flavours and healthy ingredients are the trademarks of dishes from Italy, this is a easy dish to prepare and a fulfilling one to eat with friends. Serve with steamed baby potatoes.

1kg veal escalopes

plain flour for dredging

500g ripe tomatoes sliced (can use tinned)

1/4 cup white wine

4 teaspoons salted capers rinsed and gently squeezed dry

4 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano

6 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1/2 cup dry cured black olives (seeds removed and chopped)

olive oil for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200oC

If the veal is not already flattened, use a smooth meat mallet or wooden rolling pin to pound the veal lightly to an even thickness. Lightly oil a ridged grill pan or griddle over a medium heat.

Dredge the veal in the flour, shaking off any excess. sear each piece of veal in the pan for a couple of minutes on each side

Transfer meat into an oiled baking dish, arranging the pieces of veal side by side. Place the olives, slices of tomato, capers, herbs, wine, salt and pepper into a bowl and crush with your hands place over veal drizzle with olive oil.

Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for 15-20mins then remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

PAVLOVA

This melt-in-the-mouth pavlova has a soft, marshmellowy centre and a thin, crisp and fragile outer shell. Serve it with a generous amount of whipped cream and fruit of your choice.

Start this recipe at least 4 1/2 hours, and up to one day before serving time. Measure out the cream of tartar and caster sugar before you start beating the egg whites so you don't have to stop beating to do this. For more information on separating the eggs, see the tips below.

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon cream of tarar
200g caster sugar

Topping
400ml thickened cream, whipped
Fruit of your choice


Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 degrees celsius fan-forced).

Separating eggs
It is easier to separate eggs when they are cold. We separate eggs straight from the refrigerator then leave the whites to come to room temperature.

Ensure that no egg yolk gets into the egg white. If some egg yolk does get into the white, don't attempt to scoop it out: use the egg for another purpose. The presence of even a tiny amount of yolk can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.

Crack an egg over a small bowl to collect the white, and then transfer the white into the mixing bowl before repeating with the next egg. This way, if you accidentally break a yolk, or if one of the eggs is bad, you won't spoil more than one egg white.

If you don't have an egg separator, you can use your hand. Use your fingers to catch the yolk while the white passes between your fingers into the bowl below.

To make the pavlova, you'll need a electric beater or mixer with a large bowl. Ensure that the beaters as oil can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.

Beat the egg whites on a high speed with the cream of tartar for about 3 minutes or until you the mixture forms soft peaks. Sprinkle in one tablespoon of the sugar to the egg whites every 30 seconds. Once all of the sugar has been added continue to beat for a few minutes the mixture should be very think and glossy.

Pile the mixture onto your baking tray lined with non stick baking paper and form to a cake like shape (you can draw a 20cm diameter circle with a pencil  on your paper as a guide if you like)

Place the pavlova in the middle of the preheated oven and them immediately reduce the temperature to 100 degrees celcius and bake for one hour and 20mins . The pavlova will probably crack and sink during baking.

When the Pavlova has finished baking, turn the oven off but leave the pavlova in the oven. prop the oven door a couple of centimetres with a wooden spoon and let cool in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the pavlova from the oven and allow this to cool at room temperature.

When ready to serve, remove baking paper place on a serving plate top with whipped cream and fruit and serve immediately

ROAST PUMPKIN AND ARTICHOKE LASAGNE

This dish is such a treat! its sweet and soft texture plays beautifully with the bite of artichoke. Your thinking to yourself cream and pasta what are you thinking?  let me tell you it’s the guilty pleasures we enjoy the most you will skip dessert and want another slice that I can assure you….

1kg jap pumpkin, peeled and cut

into 2cm cubes

125ml olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 onion finely chopped

½ bunch thyme leaves

few gratings of fresh nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper

500g ricotta

1 bunch spinach steamed and chopped

1 jar marinated artichokes

10 dried lasagne sheets

350ml cream

2 cups grated grana padano

Preheat the oven to 180oC. Put the pumpkin pieces on a tray and toss with the olive oil, garlic, onion half the sage and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, than roast in the oven until tender or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool a little (keeping oven on). Put the mixture in a bowl add the ricotta and mash everything together.

Pour a little of the cream to coat the bottom of your lasagne dish. Place your lasagne sheets over the cream. Spread some of the pumpkin mixture over the top of your sheets then 1 third of your cooked spinach and some of your parmesan repeat 3 times and place yours chopped artichokes on top and remaining thyme leaves and bake in the oven for 30-40mins or until golden.

Let rest for 15mins before serving