Roast Tomato Salad with Proscuitto, Aparagus & ParmesanPrint Recipe

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Michelle

I have been making this salad for years and I will keep making it for years to come. Without boasting too much, I am always complimented on it when I whip it up it for barbeques, dinner parties or functions we are invited to. I personally believe that the highlight is the dressing (it is so good you just want to drink it), followed by the well chosen ingredients that manage to cinch the deal. It is as full of flavour as it is colour, the oven baked red of the roasted tomatoes, the buttery yellow of the parmesan, the myriad of greens, the sweet, the salty….just plain delicious really.

It can be served as individual portions – as a starter. Or spread it out onto one big platter to make a sensational looking salad. Actually, it’s going to be sensational either way – just enjoy!

Salad
12 Slices proscuitto
6 roma tomatoes halved
Olive oil
cracked pepper
200g (6.5 ounces) baby spinach leaves
200g (6.5 ounces) fresh asparagus blanched
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shavings

Dressing
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded basil
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Place proscuitto and tomatoes, cut side up on a baking dish with olive oil and pepper. Bake at 180c (350 f) for 25 minutes or until proscuitto is crisp and tomatoes are fairly soft.
Arrange spinach leaves and asparagus on platter – top with tomatoes, proscuitto and parmesan.

Combine all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

Notes: The tomatoes and prosciutto can be cooked a couple of hours prior to serving, as can the asparagus.

Source: Marie Claire ‘Cooking’

Posted in Recipes, Salads, Sides | 2 Comments

Lemon SlicePrint Recipe

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Michelle

Dear Lemon Slice, 

You always put a smile on my face. How is it that you are so delicious? Each piece I have of your buttery biscuit base and your dense and luscious lemon topping sends me over the edge. Even your vibrant yellow colour drives me wild. Don’t go changing. xx

It was a cold and wintery Canberra day and my daughters decided they wanted to do some baking. I was thinking of some sort of biscuit or cookie but Lucy saw this Lemon Slice recipe and could not be persuaded otherwise. Not that I was complaining – I love lemons and I love cooking with lemons – lemons are in fact, a staple in our household.

It was very quick and easy to make and a great little something to serve at a morning or afternoon tea – or for a moment (or many moments) of indulgence.

Base
½ cup of castor sugar
1 ¼ cups of plain (all purpose) flour
120 grams/4 ounces butter
1 tablespoon of milk

Topping
1 ½ tablespoons of corn flour (cornstarch)
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 eggs
1 ¾ cups of castor sugar
1 ½ tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
¾ cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 170 c (330 f). Process the sugar, flour, butter and milk in a food processor until the mixture comes together. Press into a 8” x 12” slice tin lined with non stick baking paper. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Whisk together the corn flour and 3 tablespoons of the cream until you have a smooth paste. Then add the remaining cream, eggs, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice. Place this into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, whisking continually until the mixture thickens. Pour this over the cooked base and place back in the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the topping is set. Cool in the tin and cut into slices.

Notes: I thought these may go well with scones, brownies and chicken sandwiches – a nice little high tea combination.

Source: Donna Hay recipe in Modern Classics 2

Posted in Biscuits/Cookies/Slices/Bars, Lemons | 2 Comments

Potato GratinPrint Recipe

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Michelle


I love cooking with potatoes, they are a blank canvas and with the addition of a few simple ingredients they can be transformed into the most mouth watering masterpiece. This particular recipe is one of my favourites and I cherish the pure perfection of each creamy, garlicky mouthful of potato. There is seriously not much that beats this dish. And in Winter when you open a good bottle of red and settle in front of your fireplace – it is the perfect accompaniment.

Traditionally potato gratin (gratin dauphonois) does not use cheese – mine does because I like it that way.

1 kilo/2.2 pounds of starchy potatoes, peeled
3 cups of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3/4 cup of grated Gruyère or Emmental

Heat the oven to 205c/400f and carefully cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices with a sharp knife.

Put the potatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. Cook the mixture over medium/high heat until the cream is boiling, stirring occasionally.

When the cream boils, pour the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the surface with the cheese. Bake in the oven until the top is deep golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are extremely tender when tested with a skewer, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours (depending on your oven).

The dish may look liquidy however it will set as it cools. Leave to settle for around 20 minutes and serve. It is also fabulous left for an hour and served at room temperature.

Notes: A mixture of waxy and starchy potatoes may be used.

Source: self developed

Posted in Recipes, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Tomato, Olive and Caper CrostiniPrint Recipe

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Michelle

 

There is almost nothing better than sharing good food & wine amongst friends and whilst I was living in Chicago I made some great friends. The Flatmans (Kim, Shane and Hugo) were one family we spent a lot of time with. We had a lot of dinners together including a couple of great dinner parties at their apartment. The food was always fabulous and the wine, well that’s another story – let’s just say that we were very privileged.

Shane whipped these up one night when he was taking control of the kitchen. They were so good and we ate so many that we could hardly get through the rest of his dinner which was as equally sensational.

Of course I immediately asked for the recipe and surprisingly it was relatively simple. A few choice ingredients, together with olives and capers that really add a salty kick to the basic tomato flavour.

We may not have the company of the Flatmans anymore but at least we can enjoy their crostini – a small consolation for leaving dear friends.

1 baguette cut into ½ inch thick pieces
5 tablespoons of olive oil
10 canned or very ripe fresh tomatoes
12 stoned black olives, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons of salted capers, washed and dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled

Arrange slices of bread on a baking tray.

Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan. If you are using canned tomatoes they will need to be drained and coarsely chopped. If you are using fresh tomatoes they will need to be blanched in boiling water for 1 minute, peeled, seeded and chopped.

Add the tomatoes to the oil and cook over a medium to high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the olives and capers and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the grill and toast the bread lightly on both sides. Rub the hot toast with the garlic and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining oil and spoon a little of the tomato, olive and caper mixture on each slice of baguette. Serve immediately.

Source: Kim and Shane Flatman – our sorely missed friends.

Posted in Nibbles & hors d'oeuvres, Vegetarian | 5 Comments

Country Apple PiePrint Recipe

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Michelle

 

There is almost nothing that beats a good old (or new) fashioned apple pie for dessert. I don’t make them that often because I am still navigating my way through a minefield of disappointing pie recipes in attempt to find a pastry that I can master.

But this recipe – this one is different. I have had my hands on it for a good 15 years or so. Being more of a rustic apple cake than a pie, you don’t have to deal with any of the issues a tempremental pastry can bring to your dish.  

So as I said earlier, this pie or cake if you will, is perfect for dessert with a spoonful of ice cream or really, really nice with a cup of tea at any time of the day – even breakfast.

Ingredients
2 ¼ cups of self raising flour
2/3 cup corn flour
2/3 cup castor (superfine) sugar
200 grams/7 ounces of butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup milk
800 grams/1.7 pounds pie apple

Preheat oven to 180c/360f and lightly grease a 23cm/9 inch springform cake tin.

Put the sifted flours, sugar and butter  into a food processor bowl and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the egg, vanilla and milk and process until mixture wraps around the blades.

Press half the mixture into the base of the cake tin (using floured hands). Spoon in the applesand  cover with the remaining mixture.(it helps if you press it between the palms of your hands).

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. When cool dust with icing sugar or sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.

Notes:  You can choose to make your own pie apple if you wish, although tinned pie apple will work just fine.

Source: Amanda Grimwade, Edible Deli, Benella via the Good Weekend mid 90’s

Posted in Cakes, Desserts, Fruit | 5 Comments

Slow Roasted Lamb ShoulderPrint Recipe

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Michelle

I have arrived in Canberra (Australia) and it is cold. I am going to cook for my family tonight, this includes my brother, his beautiful wife and two darling boys. It is so nice to spend time with them and to see the children play together, living away from them can be very hard. So with this family dinner in mind I popped into the local butcher to see what was on offer – it was lamb.

I love lamb and this recipe has been on my mind since I saw it on Chocolate and Zucchini, another of my favourite food blogs.  It was clearly time for me to rustle up this little slow roasted number smothered in anchovies, lemon and garlic.

The smell of it roasting was heaven – it wafted through the house and into the garden, the birds and small furry animals gathered around the kitchen door in anticipation. Okay, maybe not – but if Disney animated the afternoon they certainly would have.

It is very easy to prepare and the results are very impressive. So for those of you looking for a Sunday roast to share amongst family and friends – this is it.

1 bushy sprig of fresh rosemary
1 lemon
10 fillets of anchovies
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons of whole mustard seeds
Black pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2.2 kilos/5 pounds bone in shoulder of lamb
8 small ripe tomatoes (650 grams/1.3 pounds)
4 cloves of garlic, in their last papery sheath

To make the seasoning paste, pluck the needles of the rosemary, and peal the zest of the lemon. Place into blender along with anchovies, peeled garlic, mustard seeds, pepper, vinegar and oil. Pulse the mixture until it turns into a coarse paste. I use a mortar and pestal which works just as well.

Place the meat in a baking dish and rub in the seasoning paste. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 or 4. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking and bring to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 220c/430f. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and tomatoes, cored and halved, slipping them under and around the meat.

Place the dish in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 130c/270f and cook for another 2 ½ hours, flipping the meat every 30 minutes or so. Cover with a sheet of foil is it seems to brown too quickly.

Remove from the oven and let it rest under a sheet of oil for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Chocolate and Zucchini

Posted in Mains, Meat | 1 Comment

Snapper PiePrint Recipe

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Michelle

I have spent the morning at the Sydney Seafood Markets – a place I love. Years ago, when I lived in Sydney I often went very early on a Saturday morning. I would walk around the different shops in my gum boots looking at the fish and crustaceans and chatting to the fishermen about the days catch and what was good. Based on the feedback I would bring home something to cook for lunch or dinner. It was often quite simple – a bag of prawns that I would dress a lime mayonnaise, a handful of sardines that I would grill with tomatoes or a whole salmon that I would wrap in newspaper and barbeque, Jamie Oliver style. There were so many more little dishes and nice tasty morsels. I miss having access to such a variety of good quality seafood.

With this in mind I ventured down to the markets today to soak up the atmosphere and find something to cook for dinner tonight. I got waylaid, ran into people I knew, sampled some sashimi and then wandered out to the decks to enjoy the sunshine and watch the morning sun sparkle on the water. As I was gazing across I noticed The Boathouse, a restaurant I have not been to for years, a restaurant that is famous for its Snapper Pie.  I had my inspiration, my dish and off I hurried to buy my snapper.

Quite frankly this pie is just heaven – the buttery pastry lid, the soubise sauce with sweated onions and of course the subtle flavour of the snapper. I think that if I ever ate this dish alone I might be tempted to lick my plate.

800 grams / 1.7 pounds of pink snapper fillet
4 dessert spoons of white truffle oil
1 kilo/2.2 pounds of puff pastry

1.2 kilos/ 2.6 pounds  sliced white onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
400 mls fish stock
800 mls cream
300 grams/10 ounces diced white onion
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of milk

Sweat sliced onions over a low heat with a tablespoon of the olive oil and a little salt. Cook until onions take on a very light brown colour, approximately 50 minutes. Cool. Add fish stock, put back on heat and reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Add cream and simmer slowly over a low heat. Reduce by half again or until a thick cream consistency is reached, around another 50 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and blend until smooth in consistency.

In a separate pan, sweat the diced onion in the remainder of the olive oil, over a medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Add to the blended onion and season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Roll the puff pastry to ½ cm (1/6 inch) thick and cut into four ovals (to fit 4 ceramic pie dishes). Ensure there is a little overhang. In each pie dish spoon three tablespoons of soubise sauce. Lay 200 grams/7 ounces of the snapper on the sauce and cover with another table spoon of sauce and a dessert spoon of truffle oil. Lay the puff pastry lid over the top and press down the sides.

Whisk milk and beaten egg together and brush lightly over the pastry top. Cook for 25 minutes at 220c/430f. Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Very nice served with mashed potato and oven roasted tomatoes on the side.

Notes: Making the Soubise sauce is time consuming, if prep time before you eat is minimal you can make it ahead and refrigerate.

Source: adapted from The Sydney Morning Herald Winter & Food Magazine, May 2004

Posted in Mains, Recipes, Seafood | 4 Comments

GranolaPrint Recipe

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Michelle

When it comes to granola I like a fairly basic one, not a cereal with a thousand complex flavours but one that is fairly simple in its ingredients and tastes. I have been in search for a good granola recipe for some time and was very happy to find it recently in a Bon Appetit magazine. I guess the thing that caught my eye was that it was written by the author of Orangette – one of my most favourite food blogs.

So, to the recipe. I think that the ingredient that really makes it shine are the pecans – they add a really nice crunch and subtle flavour. The rest is fairly standard, though the result is far beyond. I added some sultanas, dried pineapple and dried apricots where it stipulates dried fruit – next time I think sultanas and apricots will suffice as I find dried pineapple a little too sugary. Totally up to you of course , use whatever you like – a mixture of dried cranberries and blueberries might be a winner for those of you that are partial to berries and wanting to go down the antioxidant route.

Have it with milk, sprinkle it on yogurt or eat it as a snack. You may be labeled a hippie but sticks and stones – at least you will be healthier and happier for it.

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300f/150c. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and place baking sheet on a rack. Stir granola and allow to cool. Mix in fruit and store in an airtight container.

Notes: A little bit of history for you – Granola was invented in 1894 by a Dr James Jackson who ran a prominent health spa. Many decades later fruit and nuts were added to the original recipe – deeming it as healthy and it became popular with the hippie movement. Some say the hippie connotation still exists,  I think that it crosses so many demographics that it cannot really be called hippie food anymore or maybe we all have a little bit of hippie inside us.

 Source: Molly Wizenberg for Bon Appetit

Posted in Breakfast | 2 Comments

Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta and HerbsPrint Recipe

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Michelle

 

I cannot count the number of times I have made this and the amount of positive feedback I get for it. And it is easy. I have made it for so many dinner parties, lunches, picnics etc – it is incredibly versatile. You can serve it straight from the oven or let it cool to room temperature which can solve a lot of oven space issues if you are having a large number of people over for dinner and cooking up a storm. Another great thing is that you can make the ricotta and herb filling the day before and store it until it’s time to stuff the bird. Cutting down on that valuable prep time when you might have more important tasks at hand such as mixing those pre dinner cocktails and entertaining your guests with stories of motor biking through Vietnam and the like.

Aside from all of that, it tastes great which is the most important thing of all.

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups whole-milk ricotta (preferably fresh)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 heaped tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
2 heaped tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 whole chicken (around 1.5 kilos/3.5 pounds)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook garlic in oil in a pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in ricotta, eggs, parmesan and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut out backbone from chicken with kitchen shears. Pat chicken dry and spread flat, skin sides up, in an oiled shallow baking pan. Gently slide your finger between skin and flesh of breast and legs of the chicken to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Using a small spoon, slide the ricotta mixture under skin, using a finger on outside of skin to spread filling over meat of breast, thighs, and drumsticks. Brush skin of chickens all over with oil (2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

If there is any remaining filling place it in a smaller dish and bake with chicken removing after 30 minutes.

Bake chicken in the middle of the oven until it is just cooked through and until the filling/gratin is puffed and golden, about 60 minutes. Let chicken stand for 10 minutes and cut each into quarters or smaller pieces if so desired.

Notes: Filling can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Remove from fridge an hour before stuffing to allow it to come to room temperature.

Source: adapted from Epicurean.com

Posted in Mains, Poultry, Recipes | 11 Comments

Roasted Pumpkin with Persian Fetta and Pine NutsPrint Recipe

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Michelle

Every time we come home to Australia, we literally leave our suitcases at the door of our apartment and make our way to the local grocery store/markets to purchase those items we do not have access to in the midwest (USA). The top ones on our hit list are ham off the bone, sausage rolls, party pies, Maggie Beer ice cream, Harris Farm yogurt, Bowen Island breads and pumpkin.

I can see you are probably thinking that I am a little crazy, pumpkin pie is a traditional dessert at Thanksgiving in the USA – so of course Americans have pumpkin. Well, yes they do but it is not the same. The flavours of the pumpkins in the States are very different to those in Australia, in fact they almost taste like squash. Consequently, it is very hard for me to make a lot of the dishes I used to make because they require a fairly strong pumpkin flavour and not a watery version.

So Roasted Pumpkin with Persian Fetta and Pine Nuts is on the menu for dinner tonight. It has been on my mind each day as our trip to Australia got closer. For those of you that have been to my house for lunch or dinner, you would have certainly had it before. In fact, the only person that does not like it is my brother Brian who is an avid pumpkin hater for a variety of reasons. But those are stories for another day, now I must go and eat.

Yarra Valley Persian Fetta is the brand name for a luscious marinated feta made in the Yarra Valley, Australia. It can be purchased outside of Australia, I have found it in the US and in the UK.  If you cannot get your hands on it do not despair – any marinated feta will do. I am just a big, big fan of this particular one. In fact it’s this fetta in its delicious marinade of oil, garlic, thyme and a variety of other herbs that makes this dish really stand out.

750 grams/1.6 pounds of pumpkin, peeled and cut into rough 1.5” x 1.5” pieces (I like Butternut/Queensland Blue & Jap)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
½ tin (125 grams/4.4 ounces) of Yarra Valley Persian Fetta,

Preheat your oven to 220c/425f and position the rack to the middle of the oven.

Place pumpkin into a baking dish, sprinkle with the olive oil and salt. Mix through to ensure that each pumpkin piece is coated with the oil (mixing it with your hands will work a lot better than a utensil). Place into oven and roast for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until the pumpkin is golden brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven and transfer the roasted pumpkin to a few sheets of paper toweling to absorb the oil. Let cool for around 30 minutes.

Pile the pumpkin on a serving dish. Break the Persian Fetta into small pieces and sprinkle over the pumpkin, along with the toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with a little of the oil from the fetta and serve.

Notes: I often serve this with a roast as a vegetable side or turn it into a salad tossing it with around 120 grams/4.25 ounces of rocket (arugula) or baby spinach.

Source: inspired by Ms Jennifer Duhnfahr

Posted in Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 4 Comments