Marinated Chicken with Watercress Salad, Grape and Pine Nut Dressing

I simply love pine nuts.  What are they?  They're the edible seeds from the pine tree, from the pine cones.  They are expensive as it take years for the trees to start producing the seeds and they are harvested by hand.  All these factors add to the price tag.  I can't always find them at my local shops, but when I do I buy out the lot.  They are fabulous when lightly toasted and a bit crunchy.   They are most well known for being one of the ingredients in pesto.  Some years ago I made this chicken dish and came across the recipe the other day.  As it is also grape season and the weather is hot, it was perfect to make on the braai.  Prepare it the day before as it is best marinated overnight. I had typed that the dish was "Simply to die for", so I just had to try it again, and yes......it is simply to die for. 

 

Ingredients

 

1 whole chicken

salt and pepper

1 heaped teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

DRESSING

2 tablespoons roughly chopped white seedless grapes

1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

dash of white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

4 large handfuls watercress, washed

 

Method

 

1. Turn the chicken so that they are breast-side down and with kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone.

2. Discard the backbone, rinse the chicken under cold water, pat dry with paper towels and press flat.

3. Insert a skewer horizontally through the thighs of the chicken to keep it flat, then transfer to a bowl.

4. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the rosemary, chopped garlic, olive oil and the lemon zest and juice.

5. Coat chicken well, then refrigerate overnight to marinate.

 

6. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange on a wire rack over the braai (BBQ). Grill, breast-side down for 5 minutes, then turn and grill until the skin is golden brown and the flesh is cooked.

7. To make the dressing: combine the grapes and pine nuts with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

8. Just before serving, mix up well and toss with the watercress. the chicken can be served warm or cold - slightly warm is best.

Muesli Rusks

A few months ago while out shopping for a new cooker for our kitchen that we were renovating. I was looking for a completely gas unit but I repeatedly got told to go for the gas hob and the electric oven, one of the reasons being, was that you could not make rusks in the gas oven....ha!! Never say never to a blond....its like a challenge and as Saturday loomed rainy and cold it was time to take up the challenge....

 

Ingredients

 

6 cups brown flour (wholewheat)

2 cups Muesli (I used one with nuts)

2 cups Corn Flakes (or use All Bran)

1 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

2 cups plain yoghurt

2 jumbo eggs (at room temperature)

500g butter, melted

 

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C

2. Combine the flour, Muesli, Corn Flakes, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda in a large mixing bowl.

 

 

3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well until the dough is soft. Its should look rather sticky.

 

 

4. Coat three loaf pans with cooking spray and then a sprinkle of the brown flour.

5. Shape the dough into balls and place two balls side by side in rows into the prepared pans.

6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the rusks comes out clean.

7. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool.

8. When cool, break the rusks into smaller pieces.

9. Dry out the rusks at 100 C for about 6 hours on baking sheets. My gas ovens coolest setting is 150 C so they only took about 3 1/2 hours to dry out.

 

 

"Marmite", the resident woof......who is not allowed in the kitchen....trying his best to get closer to the yummy smell of rusks!

 



Mushroom Lasagna

As I walked around the corner at our local farmers market,The Shed on Route 59, Natalie's fabulous fresh exotic mushrooms were just begging to be made into something yummy.  Something that will allow the flavours to come out, and not be overpowered by meat or tomatoes or something similar.  I must add that these mushrooms never even made it to the fridge, lunch was on the way.............

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons flour

500ml milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

lasagna sheets

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

150g exotic mushrooms (shiitake, portabellini,

shimeji, king oyster)

150g button mushrooms

salt and pepper

extra grated cheese

 

Method

 

1. Melt the butter slowly in a pot.

2. Add the flour and stir in well.

3. Slowly start adding the milk to the butter and flour mix, whisking all the time.

4. Whisk until the sauce has thickened, remove from the stove.

5. Add in the cup of grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Set aside.

6. Add the olive oil to a frying pan and add in the chopped onion.

7. Add in the crushed garlic and cook until soft.

 

 

8. Slice the mushrooms and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

 

 

9. Cook until they are slightly brown.

10. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to the boil with some salt and cook the required amount of lasagna sheets until they are soft.

11. When soft, drain the sheets and set aside.

12. In a Pyrex dish first layer a small amount of cheese sauce, followed by lasagna sheets to cover the base. Then layer in some of the mushroom mix followed by another layer of lasagna sheets.  Start again with the cheese sauce and continue with the layers until you reach the top of the Pyrex dish, ending in a layer of the cheese sauce.

 

 

 

13. Sprinkle over the extra grated cheese, and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes.

 

 

Chilli Cheese Biscuits

So it's coming up to Christmas, and the parties are starting.  We're off to a wine and food pairing dinner tomorrow with our daughters and mom's wine club.  So what to give as a present.....hum!  Chilli cheese biscuits of course!!!

 

Chilli Cheese Biscuits

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

125g butter

90g chilli cheese (if you can't find chilli cheese use cheddar and chop up one small red chilli, discard the seeds)

pinch salt

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup cornflakes

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

 

Method

 

1. Cream butter until soft.

2. Grate the cheese and add together with the salt, sifted flour and cornflakes.

3. Mix together the egg and milk.

4. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg and milk mixture for glazing.

5. Add remaining egg and milk mixture to the cornflake mixture.

6. Mix thoroughly.

7. Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls, put on lightly greased oven trays about 5cm apart.

8. Press tops with a fork and glaze with the reserved egg and milk mixture.

9.Bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.

10. Cool on a wire rack.

 

 

 



Grilled Fish In Coriander Oil with Avocado

Today was a particularly hot day here on the highveld and we had planned to braai (BBQ) these on the flat grill, but as a huge storm was brewing outside, I did them under the grill in the oven and they worked out pretty well.  It's a lighter meal and really only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Grilled Fish in Coriander Oil with Avocado

 



 

Ingredients

 

500g filleted fish, cut into chunks (I used Kingklip)

1 cup coriander leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the Avocado

1-2 large avocados

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 small chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

3 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

salt to taste

 

Method

1. Soak some bamboo skewer sticks in water for about an hour.

2. Blanch the coriander leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain them and dry well.

3. Blend the coriander with the olive oil.

4. Pour over the fish and season.

5. Make sure the fish is covered in the coriander oil on both sides.

6. Thread the fish onto the skewers.

7. Grill the fish until just cooked and still moist.

 

 

8. While the fish is grilling prepare the avocado.

9. Mash together the avocado, lemon juice, chilli and coriander leaves until combined.

10. Season with salt to taste.



Cream Puffs

Like all things delicious, these are definitely worth making.  You can make them as big or small as you like, I like them seriously big, with loads of filling oozing out when you take a bite.....yum!  

 

They're not as hard to make as they look, so here goes.... 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 roll puff pastry, thawed

65g flour

pinch of salt

50g margarine

150ml water

2 eggs, lightly beaten plus

1 egg, beaten for brushing the puff pastry

small amount of castor sugar

 

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.

2. Roll out the puff pastry a little bit on a lightly floured surface.

3.  Cut into squares about 10cm x 10cm. (I didn't have a cutter so used the lid off a small Pyrex dish). Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

 

 

4. Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl.

5. Put the water and the margarine in a pan and heat very gently until the margarine has melted.

6. Increase the heat and bring to a rapid boil.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately tip in all the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the flour is mixed into the liquid.

8. Return the pan to a low heat and beat the mixture until it begins to form a ball and leave the sides of the pan. About 1 minute.

9. Remove the pan from the heat again and allow to cool for 3 minutes.

 

 

10. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating well between each addition, until you have a very smooth shiny paste, thick enough to hold its shape.

11. Put the mixture into a piping bag. (Doing the chef thing here doesn't work for me - trying to hold the piping bag and spoon all the mixture in is near impossible with one hand, so I put the piping bag into a tall glass and spoon the mixture in that way.)

 

12. Pipe a round of mixture onto the centre of the puff pastry squares. Divide the mixture onto 6 squares (if large) or 12 squares (if small).

 

 

13. Fold the corners of the puff pastry into the centre of the choux pastry.

 

 

14. Egg wash the puff pastry and sprinkle with a little castor sugar.

15. Bake for about 35 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and the choux pastry has risen.

16. Pierce several holes in the choux bun, using a skewer.

17. Return the pastry to the oven for 5 minutes more to dry out.

18. Cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Filling

125ml fresh cream

180g Caramel Treat

50g milk chocolate

small amount of icing sugar

 

1. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.

2. In a separate bowl mix the caramel treat well to remove any lumps.

3. Combine the caramel treat with the cream, mix lightly.

4. Spoon the cream mixture into a piping bag.

5. Pipe the cream mixture into the centre of the choux buns.

6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time.

 

 

7. Drizzle over the pastries.

8. Sprinkle lightly with sifted icing sugar.

 





 

 

 

 

Mushrooms Topped With Cheese And Garlic

Last Saturday (like every Saturday) we took a drive out to The Shed on Route 59 farmer's market. Going straight to Natalie and Andrew's mushroom stall to buy some of their enormous mushrooms, they are huge, I mean really huge, bigger than the size of my palm.  Normally we make mushroom pizza's out of them, this time though I knew exactly what to make with them.......

 

Mushrooms Topped With Cheese And Garlic

 

 

Ingredients (serves 1)

 

1 Giant mushroom

2 teaspoons soften butter

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper

paprika

 

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In a bowl mix the soften butter with the garlic and thyme.

3. Mix in the grated cheese.

4. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom.

5. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle a little paprika on top.

 

 

6. Place in a ovenproof bowl and pour in a little water (tip from Andrew). This helps the mushroom cook on the bottom.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese has melted.

 

 

 

 



Sugar Lumps

 

Can't remember when last I had sugar lumps for tea, so was rather thrilled when I saw these in the latest Ideas magazine.  We used to get those rock solid little white ones but these look so much better. 

 

 

So first things first, off to the shops to find a heart shaped ice tray, now this should be simple, yes it shouldn't be that hard!!  Except if none of the shops have them, just those big square shaped ice trays...

 

I knew the first shop I went into should have them, so went back again, but the staff were moving the store around, but eventually, way up higher than my head, I spotted them.

 

They really are quick and easy to make, follow the instructions here, I did leave them to dry a little longer,  and they came out perfectly.  Oh Yes!!

 

 

They make pretty awesome gifts as well.



 

Cocktail Meat Pies with Roasted Vegatables

I was paging through some magazines the other day and came across this recipe for meat pies....yum! Sounds awesome!!  These could be really good as cocktail party food.  As we don't have all the ingredients , it's a case of - ok, so what do we have!!   So we make a few changes, make much smaller pies and serve them with sweet chilli sauce and wow, are these good!!  Now to arrange the party.....

Ingredients

 

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup butternut, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons thyme

300g beef mince

2 teaspoons flour

2/3 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoons chutney

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup frozen peas

puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

sweet chilli sauce, to serve

 

Method

 

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees C.

2. Place the potato, carrot and butternut on a baking tray, sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix.

3. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

 

 

4. Heat the remaining oil.  Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook until soft.

5. Add the mince and cook until browned.

 

 

6.  Mix in the flour and cook for a further minute.

7. Add the stock, chutney and cabbage and cook until thickened slightly.

8. Remove from the heat and add in the peas, roasted vegatables, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

9. Allow to cool completely.

10. Cut out 8 x 8cm rounds from the pastry (or use a pastry press).

 

 

11. Brush the edges with egg and fold over the pastry, pinching to seal.

 

 

12. Brush with egg and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

13. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

14. Serve with sweet chilli sauce for dipping.