Spicy beans with feta - Bill Granger

I love this dish for breakfast/brunch and it always seems to be a hit with others too.  We had it again this weekend with some friends who came over for brunch.  I served it alongside chipolatas, fresh avocado, blanched spinach and toast from the bbq - was really delicious.

Often I make double quantities and keep a batch in the freezer.  I also usually use half kidney beans and half cannellini beans just for aesthetics - I also leave out the spring onion as I'm not a big onion person in the mornings but I'm sure it would be fine.

Bill also suggests "as an alternative to toast, try these beans with corn tortillas.  Wrap a stack in foil and pop in the oven 5 minutes before the beans will be ready."

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, rinsed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice of a lime, or to taste
handful of coriander leaves
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbed
3 spring onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring for another minute.
Add the tomatoes, sugar and 125ml water.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the kidney beans and season with salt and pepper.
Put the lid on the casserole and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add lime juice to taste and scatter over the coriander, chilli, feta and spring onions.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Bill Granger, Feed Me Now, Page 21.

Beef and red wine pot pie

Mum made this recipe one weekend when my sister was up staying with them and I was sent a photo of a pie which made me want to make it immediately!  It looked fantastic and all reports were that it tasted just as good.  Dad sent me the recipe which I think is from the Good Weekend or Good Living and my attempt turned out pretty well.

This dish takes a long time to cook so best to do it when you have an afternoon at home - the meat needs four hours in the oven, then an additional 25 minutes with the pastry on top.

I served mine with green beans and roasted tomatoes - they are pretty large pies so you don't need much more.  The recipe suggests serving with mashed potatoes as well. 

1 kg chuck beef or beef shin

2 tbsp flour

Sea salt and pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 carrots, diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

100g tomato paste

4 bay leaves

250ml red wine

250ml water

2tbsp parsley, chopped

1tbsp parmesan, freshly grated

1 packet puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 150 degrees.

Cut beef into large bite-sized chunks, trimming off any major bits of fat.

Toss meat in seasoned flour.

Heat oil and brown meat, turning well.

Place in a heatproof casserole dish with carrots, garlic, anchovy fillets, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Add red wine and water and toss; the meat should be covered.

Cover and bake for four hours; if too runny, bake for the final 30 minutes uncovered.

You can do this step a day or two beforehand.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. 

Roughly shred the meat and mix with parsley and parmesan. 

Lay pastry on a floured surface and place a pie dish or ovenproof bowl upside down on top. 

Cut out four circles one centimetre larger than rim.

From remaining pastry, cut a few one-centimetre-wide strips.

Lightly oil each bowl and fill with meat. 

Press pastry strips around each rim and brush with beaten egg.

Place pastry lids on top and press down firmly to seal.

Trim if necessary and brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

If you want to serve with roasted tomato, bake them alongside.

Serves 4.

 Pie straight out of the oven

A shot trying to show the inside goodness

Annabel's Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauce (by Donna Hay)

This hot fudge sauce is seriously delicious.  My girlfriend Annabel served it for dessert a few weeks ago and I have been thinking of it ever since...  Now I have the recipe!  

Annabel served it as a topping for ice-cream sundaes - we all made our own (quality ice-cream and roasted slivered almonds) and then poured this fudge sauce over the top...  SO GOOD! 

Place 200g chopped dark chocolate, 1/2 cup (single or pouring cream), 2 tbsp honey and 50g butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is melted and smooth.

Serve immediately.  Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Pour fudge sauce over ice-cream and cakes. 

Thanks for the recipe and amazing dessert Annabel x

Pumpkin and chicken curry - a Paleo recipe

Mum gave me this recipe and it's very tasty and easy for a mid-week meal.  Quick to prepare and cook.

I served ours with brown rice and green beans on the side.

2 chicken breasts, sliced

5 cups pumpkin, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp ground coriander

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

Salt

Fry onion and garlic in a large pan with oil on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add chicken and cook stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until chicken has turned white.

Add pumpkin, ginger, turmeric, coriander and cumin and stir for 1 minute.

Add stock and leave to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Add chopped coriander, cover pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Season with salt to taste.

Cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Paleo - http://www.livingpaleo.com/pumpkin-and-chicken-curry/

Roast Pork Belly - Jamie Oliver

This was my first attempt at pork belly - it turned out pretty well!  It's a good recipe, but obviously the pork needs a long time in the oven so make sure you start early.

I forgot to buy the veggies below for the pork to sit on in the later part of the cooking process but it didn't matter - it just sat on the onion, garlic and thyme and was fine.  It probably impacted the gravy flavour more...we didn't end up using our gravy as it didn't taste all that great.  I think using stock rather than water would be better...?

Some mashed potato and baby asparagus were our accompaniments, I also made apple sauce which was delicious (and made up for our lack of gravy).  The meat melted in your mouth and the crackling was amazing - and I'm not usually that into pork belly!

1.5kg pork belly
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, halved
2 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
2 sticks of celery, chopped in half
1 bulb garlic, skin on, broken into cloves
a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
600ml water or stock

"The lovely thick layer of fat on this particular cut keeps the meat really moist as it roasts, and also gives you an incredible even layer of delicious crackling.  Belly is a very underrated cut in the UK, but it is becoming a favourite on gastropub menus, and rightly so.  If you're worried about scoring the crackling yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you."

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2.5 hours

Preheat your oven to full whack, it needs to be at least 220 degrees.
Place your pork on a clean work surface, skin-side upwards.
Get yourself a small sharp knife and make scores about a centimetre apart through the skin into the fat, but not so deep that you cut into the meat.
Rub salt right into all the scores you've just made, pulling the skin apart a little if you have to.
Brush any excess salt off the surface and turn it over.
Season the underside of the meat with a little more salt an a little black pepper.
Place your pork, skin side-up, in a roasting tray big enough to hold the pork and the vegetables, and place in the hot oven.

Roast for about half an hour until the skin of the port has started to puff up and you can see it turning into crackling.
Turn the heat down to 180 degrees and roast for another hour.
Take out of the oven and baste with the bat in the bottom of the tray.
Carefully lift the pork up and transfer to a chopping board.
Add all the veg, garlic and thyme to the tray and stir them into the fat.
Place the pork on top of everything and pop the tray back in the oven.
Roast for another hour.
By this time the meat should be meltingly soft and tender.
Carefully move the meat to a serving dish, cover with tin foil and leave to rest while you make your gravy.

Spoon away any fat in the tray, then add the water or stock and place the tray on the hob.
Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to scrape up all those lovely sticky tasty bits on the bottom of the tray.
When you've got a nice, dark gravy, pour it through a sieve into a bowl or gravy boat, using your spoon to really push all the goodness of the veg through the sieve.
Add a little more salt and pepper if it needs it.
Serve the port with the crackling, gravy, some creamy mashed potato, nice fresh greens and a dollop of English mustard.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Jamie Oliver - http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/pork-belly-roast

Chocolate Mousse Cake - Donna Hay

It was my husband's birthday over the weekend and I wanted to make a delicious cake for him (and us all to enjoy!).  This Donna Hay mousse cake was amazing - I'd definitely do it again.

It's actually made in two parts as there is a cake base, and then a thick rich mousse layer on top.  I served ours with strawberries and double cream.  I also didn't trim the top of the cake as it suggests in the recipe below - was short of time and instead flipped the cake base over so I was pouring the mousse onto the flat base of the cake.  It worked out well.

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
1 2/3 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar, sifted
1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted
5 egg whites
200g butter, melted

chocolate mousse filling
400g dark chocolate, chopped
100g 70 per cent dark chocolate, chopped
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 cups (500ml) single (pouring) cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine.
Add the egg whites and butter and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 22cm round springform cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake is springy to touch and comes away from the sides of the tin.
Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled, use a serrated knife to trim the top off the cake.
Line the tin with plastic wrap.
Place the cake in the base of the tin.
Set aside.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place the chocolate and vanilla seeds in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Fold the chocolate mixture through the cream until well combined.
Spoon the mousse over the cake base.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
Carefully remove the tin and plastic wrap to serve.
Serves 6-8.
Recipe by Donna Hay - http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/sweets/cakes/chocolate-mousse-cake

Thai chicken and bean curry - Donna Hay

A really tasty and simple recipe from Donna Hay.  Ideal for mid-week as it is quick to prepare and cook.

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste+
2 chicken breast fillets, sliced
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
150g green beans, trimmed and sliced
115g baby corn, halved
2 tsp fish sauce
125g cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup basil leaves
lime wedges and steamed rice to serve

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Add the beans and corn and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
Remove from the heat and stir through the fish sauce, tomato and basil.
Serve with lime wedges and steamed rice.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Donna Hay - http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/fastfood/chicken/thai-chicken-and-bean-curry

+Yellow curry is mild and aromatic.  You can use red or green curry paste; green is hot and sweet while red is milder and less pungent.

I forgot to take a photo of this - will add a pic soon.

Still in the pot

Served with steamed rice - very saucy and tasty! 

Maple Oat Cluster Trail Mix by Donna Hay

I saw this recipe in a Donna Hay magazine while sitting at the Doctor's waiting to be seen...  Not sure how old the mag was, but it had some great recipes so I photographed a few with my phone.

This one appealed as it is a healthy snack, I added some sunflower seeds to the mix, I'd also probably add some dried apricots next time I do it.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Combine 2 cups rolled oats,
1/2 cup halved blanched almonds,
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds,
1/2 cup raisins,
1/2 cup apple juice,
1/3 cup maple syrup,
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Set aside for 5 mins.  Roll teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes of until golden and crunchy.
Makes 48.
Recipe by Donna Hay.

Indian Fish Curry

I'm not sure who this recipe is by, Mum gave me a photocopy of it a while ago and I've loved making it - the flavours are so good!  Let me know if you know who's recipe it is, I think it might be from an old Good Weekend...?

It's a great mid-week or anytime meal as it is fairly quick to prepare, I made it on Friday night when a girlfriend came down to visit for the weekend and I knew I wouldn't have time to cook something that needed a lot of preparation or cooking time.

In terms of fish, I usually use blue-eye but another thick white fish fillet that won't fall apart would work well too.  I served it with green beans and some baked chapati bread (cooked in the Jamie Oliver style - see Rogan Josh recipe).  The curry didn't disappoint!

750g white fish fillets, skinned
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 thumb of ginger, grated
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 ground tumeric
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1/2tsp dried chilli flakes
300ml coconut milk
300ml fish stock or water
1 tbsp tamarind puree
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soft brown sugar
few sprigs fresh coriander

Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks and toss with the turmeric and salt.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the sliced onion until soft but not coloured.
Add the garlic and ginger, and fry for 1 minute, stirring.
Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek and dried chilli, stirring well until dark and fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, fish stock, tamarind, tomato paste, salt and sugar and heat gently, stirring.
Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked.
Remove from heat, scatter with coriander and serve with steamed basmati rice or saffron rice palao.
Serves 4.

Steamed Ginger Puddings with Ginger Caramel Sauce

I made these puddings for the first time on Saturday night when we had some family staying from Sydney. Was a little worried they would be too-gingery, but they weren't at all.  They were delicious and I would definitely make them again.  The recipe is by Terry Durack, from Good Living on June 26, 2010.

My only suggested change to the recipe would be to make double quantity of the sauce - it's so good, you'll definitely want more.  I served mine with vanilla ice-cream and strawberries.

2 tsp butter, for pots
4 tsp golden syrup
125g butter, diced
125g light soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
125g self-raising flour, sifted
60ml milk
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp preserved ginger, very finely diced

Sauce
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp butter
2tbsp cream
2 tbsp preserved ginger, finely sliced

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Lightly butter 4 x 150ml ovenproof pots or ramekins, and place 1 tsp golden syrup in each.
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Fold in the sifted flour and milk alternatively to make a smooth batter.
If it is very stiff, add a dash more milk.
Fold in ground ginger, cinnamon and preserved ginger.
Spoon mixture into the pots, and cover tightly with a sheet of buttered foil.
Place pots in a baking tray and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the puddings spring back to the touch.

To make the sauce:
Heat the golden syrup, butter, cream and preserved ginger in a small pan and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring.

Turn out the puddings onto warm plates and spoon the sauce and ginger over the top.
Serve with cream or ice-cream.
Serves 4.

Recipe by Terry Durack.

My steamed ginger pudding!

Snow Pony and Pizza Religion to finish off the weekend...

We didn't stop treating ourselves to amazing food when we arrived home from Daylesford.  First stop was Snow Pony as I was starving (again), and Dave was in need of a coffee.

Thought we'd try Snow Pony as I love Porgie & Mr Jones - we weren't disappointed.  A great cafe with an excellent menu (lots of the same items as Porgie & Mr Jones) and a fun vibe.

Here's what we ate!!

Dave's was the toasted banana bread with all things good and sweet loaded on top.  I had the organic lamb meatball flatbread toastie - delicious.

Coffee great and my chai hit the spot.

To continue on our "holiday" theme, we thought it only appropriate to order pizza from our favourite Pizza Religion for dinner.  Such fantastic pizzas, the crust is the best!  Definitely up there with Rosso Pomodoro in Sydney.

YUM!

A weekend in Daylesford

We have just spent the weekend exploring beautiful Daylesford, or more accurately we have just spent the weekend eating our way around the delights of Daylesford!  It was freezing - when we left today it had reached a high of 4 degrees - but Saturday was gorgeous and sunny once the fog cleared and we meandered along the streets visiting craft shops and galleries, stopping frequently to warm up in the cafes.  Some of the highlights are below...

Dinner at A Perfect Drop on Friday night was excellent.  We shared this amazing dessert, which included a chocolate brownie, halva ice-cream, Persian fairy floss, pistachios, Turkish delight, rose water (I think?)...not sure what else but it was good.

The brownie is hiding on the bottom under the ice-cream

Stopped for coffee, chai and cake at Frangos & Frangos.  My flourless orange cake with double cream was divine.

Our dinner venue on Saturday night was Mercato, which I highly recommend if you are after a special meal.  The staff were fantastic and the food was delicious.  We both were thrilled with our dishes (I had braised duck, Dave had the beef) and finished off the meal by sharing their dark chocolate fondant with prune and Armagnac ice-cream and hazelnut praline.  

That's my duck in the background

Breakfast this morning was at the Gourmet Larder - I had the rice pudding with rhubarb, apple and ginger, Dave had a fantastic looking huevos egg bake dish with chorizo.

We left Daylesford soon after breakfast as it was too wet to walk off some of the food we'd eaten around the lake as we'd planned, so headed home to relax some more.  A great weekend!

Anna's Chocolate Chip and Apricot Cake

A great friend of mine spoilt me with this fantastic cake after I spent a few hours looking after her gorgeous son.  I don't have the recipe...yet!  Will post it when I have it but I had to share the photo as it is a seriously delicious treat for afternoon tea (or anytime really)!

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Mum gave me the idea today to make a shepherd's pie for dinner tonight.  I don't think I've ever made one before but I've always loved eating them...  This one is from taste.com.au and it was delicious - perfect for a freezing Melbourne evening.  I served ours with blanched spinach, I meant to add peas as well but didn't have any in the freezer.  It's a pretty large serve for 4 pax, we didn't get through half of it.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped
500g lamb mince
2 tbsp plain flour
500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (about 200g each) desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
40g butter
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
Melted butter, to brush

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat.
Add onion, carrot and celery and cook stirring for 5 minutes or until soft.
Add lamb mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until lamb changes colour.
Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until combined.
Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.
Bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain well.
Return to the pan with the butter.
Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth.
Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon lamb mixture into a 2L (8 cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish.
Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture.
Brush with butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Sarah Hobbs, from taste.com.au / http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/2335/classic+shepherds+pie 

Yarra Valley visit

Last weekend my sister came to stay and we decided to venture to the Yarra Valley for the day.  Our first stop was Dominique Portet Winery Cellar Door.  It's a beautiful winery with lovely friendly staff and well worth a visit - we stayed for a tasting, bought some beautiful wine and then drove next door for lunch.

Next door is the Bella Vedere restaurant, with chef Gary Cooper.  It had been recommended to us and was absolutely divine.  The photos below show a little of what we ate.  I also ordered an amazing chocolate, caramel and raspberry cake for dessert.  So good!

The desserts!

Dave's pork belly 

My lamb with spiced salad - fantastic!

Emma and Dave loved their wine over lunch so we decided to find the winery and buy some more.  It was a Yarra Yering Pinot Noir, apparently fantastic (I was the driver for the day and left all alcohol consumption to them as I'm over 6 months pregnant).  We found the Yarra Yering Cellar Door close by, but weren't able to buy any of the vintage we were after.  So instead Emma bought a special bottle of their 2007 Pinot Noir for us all to share when the baby arrives!

Our next stop was Yerring Station - a much large Cellar Door and set up to the others.  It had a bar, shop, gallery etc - plus tastings.  Bought some more reds...!

A fantastic day out of Melbourne - it's only 50 mins away, so easy.

Lamb Curry, Michele Cranston

A good one for the freezer and absolutely delicious.  Keep in mind that the meat needs 3 hours for marinating and then 1 1/2 hours to cook.

1 kg lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp garam masala
2 onions, finely sliced
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
3 green chillis, seeded and cut into strips
250 ml veal or beef stock
10 mint leaves, finely chopped
300g plain yoghurt
steamed white rice, to serve

Put the lamb cubes into a large ceramic dish and add 2 tbsp of the oil, the lemon juice, ginger and garam masala.
Massage the ingredients into the lamb to ensure it is well coated.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the onion.
Cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft, then add the lamb - depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook the lamb in batches.
Cook for several minutes until browned.
Add the tomato, tomato paste, chilli and stock and return the rest of the lamb to the pan if necessary.
Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the liquid has reduced and the lamb is coated in a rich, thick sauce.
Meanwhile, stir the mint leaves into the yoghurt.
Serve the lamb spooned over steamed rice with a dollop of minty yoghurt.
Serves 4.
Michele Cranston, Marie Claire Comfort, Page 140.

Served with a mountain of beans, chapatis and minted yoghurt

Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice, Bill Granger

I love this dish and it is very much apart of our weekly repertoire.  It's easy to make on a week night - just need to remember to allow 15 mins for marinating - and is delicious.  Especially good if you are not a massive fish fan (but want some fish goodness), as the salmon is marinated and then caramelised in the cooking process so it doesn't taste at all fishy.

Also remember to put the brown rice on to cook early on as it takes a long time!

2 tbsp julienned fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3 tbsp oyster sauce

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 

1 tbsp soy sauce

700g salmon fillet

200g bok choy (pak choy)

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp soy sauce

Stir together the ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce in a large bowl.  

Cut the salmon fillet into large chunks, add to the bowl and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.  

Preheat the grill (broiler).

Arrange the salmon chunks in a single layer on a large baking tray and cook under the hot grill for 7 minutes (the fish should still be pink in the centre).

Meanwhile, halve the bok choy and steam or blanch for 1 minute, or until tender but still bright green and crisp.

Spoon the brown rice into serving bowls, top with the salmon and pan juices and serve with bok choy. 

Mix together the mirin and soy sauce and drizzle over the bok choy.

Serves 4.

Bill Granger, Simply Bill, Page 133.

I have a mountain of bok choy there - love it! 

Syrian Chicken with Ginger, Lemon and Saffron

Mum gave me a photocopy of this recipe from an old Sunday Life Magazine.  I'm not sure when it was published or who's recipe it is - I'd love to find out if anyone knows?!  I've been making this dish for a few years and is always a favourite, especially in cooler weather.  It usually takes me a while to chop everything up before I start, so probably more of a weekend dish than an weekly dinner when you're in a rush.  It has a fantastic flavour and is even better after a night in the fridge.

I usually serve mine with green veggies (beans) or a salad depending on the occasion.  With the ingredients below, I usually use chicken thighs (with or without the bones).

2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
cracked black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
8 chicken pieces
100mls olive oil
2 onions, thickly sliced
100gms ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
5 cloves garlic, bruised with a knife
2 small red chillis, split
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 pinches saffron threads
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5 sprigs thyme
1 lemon, juiced and zest finely grated
2 tbsp honey
100g currents
2 tbsp vegetable stock powder
1/2 bunch coriander leaves
cooked couscous or rice, to serve

Combine salt, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and turmeric in a large plastic bag.
Add chicken pieces and shake to coat.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over high heat.
Add chicken and brown on all sides.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onions, ginger, garlic and chillies to pan and cook for 3 minutes, adding a little more oil if necessary.
Add tomatoes, saffron, cumin seeds and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
Return chicken to the pan.
Add lemon juice and zest, honey, currents, stock powder and enough water to just cover chicken.
Cover with lid and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Uncover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through and sauce is slightly reduced.
Stir in coriander.
Serve with couscous or rice.
Serves 4.

Minestrone

This is the best Minestrone recipe I've tasted - it's from The Perfect Cookbook by David Herbert and is absolutely delicious, especially on a freezing wet Melbourne night like tonight!  I'm serving mine with some mini parmesan toasts and grated parmesan on top of the soup.  Keep an eye on the progress of your pasta once you've added it to the pot - some cooks a lot faster than the allocated 20 minutes.  Lisa x

2 tbsp olive oil
3 rashers bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 brown onions, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 zucchini, diced
400g can crushed tomatoes
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 cups shredded spinach leaves
120g small pasta shapes, such as orzo
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp chopped flat-leave parsley or basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
Add the bacon or pancetta and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic.
Cook, stirring, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened.  This gives the mixture its soup flavour.
Add the zucchini and crushed tomatoes to the saucepan.
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water.  Bring to the boil.
Skim off any scum, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the spinach and pasta.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cannellini beans and parsley.
Add extra water or stock if there is not enough liquid, but remember, this is a thick soup.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.
Serves 4-6
The Perfect Cookbook, David Herbert, Page 100.

My pot of minestrone before the spinach & parsley were added 

Bill Granger's Curried Chicken Rice

This is a fantastic, low fuss mid-week meal.  I made it last night so that it would cover meals for a couple of nights while I went interstate for work.  My only change from the recipe is that I use 8 chicken thigh fillets, rather than the 1kg chicken pieces on the bone with skin.  I'm sure the chicken on the bone would be a little juicier, however I prefer it without any bones or skin.  I also love to use the Herbies curry powder mix - it's a little more interesting than the standard ones from the supermarket.  When you're coating your chicken with the curry powder, I use a large clean plastic bag to shake everything around in.  I find it cleaner and easier than using a separate bowl.  Do whatever works best for you!

1kg chicken pieces on the bone, with skin
2 tbsp Indian curry powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, crushed
300g basmati rice
750ml chicken stock

To serve
150g plain yoghurt
cucumber and lime salad (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
Put the chicken in a large bowl, add the curry powder and toss to coat well.
Place a heavy-based casserole pan with tight fitting lid over medium heat.
Add the oil and chicken pieces and cook until they are sealed and browned all over.
Remove the chicken to a place.
Add the onion and garlic to the casserole and cook until the onion is soft and pale golden.
Add the rice, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes.
Put the chicken back into the casserole in a single layer over the rice and carefully pour in the stock.
Put on the lid and bake in the oven for 45 minutes of until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with yoghurt and cucumber and lime salad.
Serves 4.

Cucumber and Lime Salad
Toss together 2 chopped Lebanese cucumbers, 3 sliced spring onions, and a small handful of whole mint leaves.  Dress with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the juice of a lime and a dash of sea salt.

Bill Granger, Simply Bill, Page 21.

Straight out of the oven...

Preparing the cucumber and lime salad 

All on the plate with plain yoghurt