lunch

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Grilled Chicken, Mango & Avocado Salad: Food for the Soul – Lucy Lord

https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008421106/food-for-the-soul-over-80-delicious-recipes-to-help-you-fall-back-in-love-with-cooking/https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008421106/food-for-the-soul-over-80-delicious-recipes-to-help-you-fall-back-in-love-with-cooking/

Grilled chicken, mango and avocado salad with cashews and chilli lime dressing

Serves 2

2 skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

Pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

Large handful of soft leafy greens, such as lamb’s lettuce and baby spinach

1 mango, peeled, stoned and sliced

1 avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced

Handful of basil, roughly torn

30g cashews, roughly chopped

Lime wedges, to serve

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp olive oil

Zest and juice of ½ lime

½ tbsp apple cider vinegar

½ tbsp honey

Pinch of chilli flakes

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the grill to high and line a baking tray with foil.

2. In a mug or small jar, whisk the dressing ingredients

together with a fork.

3. Butterfly the chicken breasts in half lengthways and use your hands to rub the olive oil over each one. Place

on the baking tray and sprinkle over the garlic, chilli powder or cayenne pepper and salt, gently rubbing

the seasoning on to both sides of the breast. Grill the chicken for 4–5 minutes on each side, turning halfway,

until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, assemble the salad leaves and top with the mango, avocado and basil.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, thinly slice into strips and add to the salad along with the cashews. Drizzle over

the dressing and serve with lime wedges.

NOTE

• This salad is best enjoyed fresh but you can cook the chicken and make the dressing in advance and keep

in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days, just add the fresh fruits and assemble when

you’re ready to enjoy.

Recipes and images taken from Food for the Soul by Lucy Lord, published by HarperCollins.

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#Meat Free Monday – Goats Cheese Salad: The Catalan Kitchen – Emma Warren

The Catalan Kitchen

From The Catalan Kitchen: From Mountains to City and Sea – Recipes from Spain’s Culinary Heart

by Emma Warren. Photography © Rochelle Eagle | Food styling © Lee Blaylock (Smith Street Books, October 2018 – AU$ 55, NZ$ 65)

 

Goat's cheese salad

FORMATGE DE CABRA GRATINAT

PAN-FRIED GOAT’S CHEESE SALAD

Serves 4

2 tablespoons raisins

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹∕³ cup) extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons walnuts, toasted and chopped

½ teaspoon salt flakes

250 g (9 oz) goat’s cheese log with rind, cut into 1–2 cm (½–¾ in) thick slices

freshly cracked black pepper

½ radicchio, leaves separated

70 g (2½ oz) rocket (arugula) leaves

1 red apple, cored and thinly sliced

½ bunch chives, cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) lengths

 

Heat the raisins and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes to rehydrate the raisins. Stir through the honey and remove from the heat. Allow to cool a little then pour in the olive oil and mix through the walnuts and salt flakes. Keep at room temperature.

 

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

 

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. When the pan is extremely hot, add the cheese and cook for 1–2 minutes each side. Transfer to the prepared tray and crack some black pepper over the top.

 

Arrange the salad leaves on serving plates and top with the apple and fried goat’s cheese.

 

Spoon over the dressing and rain over the chives.

 

Authors note:

This simple, go-to warm salad is a modern Barna favourite served in restaurants throughout the city. It’s also very popular at functions, where it’s often served as an entrée.

 

The fats in the goat’s cheese make it an ideal cheese to fry with as you can get a crusty seal without the milk oils separating. Rinded goat’s cheese is a French product and its soft, creamy and acidic flavour pairs perfectly here with the sweet vinaigrette and fresh bitter leaves.

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MORRONES A LA PARRILLA CON HUEVO Y QUESO – Barbecued Capsicum with Egg and Pecorino – Ross Dobson & Rachel Tolosa Paz

the-food-of-argentina-9781925418712

From The Food of Argentina: Asado, empanadas, dulce de leche and more by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz. Photography © Rachel Tolosa Paz | Food styling © Vanessa Austin (Smith Street Books, November 2018 – AU$ 49.99, NZ$ 59.99)

 

 

 

MORRONES A LA PARRILLA CON HUEVO Y QUESO

Barbecued capsicum with egg and pecorino

 SERVES 4

 

BBQ Capsicum

4 medium red capsicums (bell peppers)

8 eggs

90 g (3 oz/1 cup) finely grated pecorino

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

Cut each capsicum in half lengthways, remove the stalks, seeds and white membrane and discard.

 

Preheat a barbecue hotplate or grill plate to high.

 

Place the capsicum on the barbecue and cook, turning frequently, for 10–15 minutes – you want the capsicum to be soft, but not too charred.

 

Turn the capsicum so they are cut side up, crack an egg into each half, then close the lid of the barbecue and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the eggs have set.

 

To serve, sprinkle over the cheese and parsley, and drizzle over the olive oil.

 

Authors note:

This is a novel and colourful way to cook eggs and capsicums (bell peppers). The capsicums should be soft and tender, so give them some time alone on the barbecue before cracking in the eggs.

For a slight variation on this recipe, lay a thin slice of provolone over each egg instead of using pecorino.

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Meat Free Monday: Gnocchi with Mixed Greens and Cave-Ripened Cheese – Adriatico – Paola Bacchia

Adriatico_cover

 

From Adriatico: Stories and recipes from Italy’s Adriatic Coast by Paola Bacchia

(Smith Street Books, September 2018 – AU$ 55, NZ$ 65)

Photography (c)  Paola Bacchia

 

Gnocchi with mixed greens and cave-ripened cheese

Gnocchi con erbe e formaggio di fossa

 

Gnocchi with mixed greens and cave-ripened cheese

SERVES 4

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mixed greens (such as silverbeet/Swiss chard, spinach and witlof/chicory)

iced water, to refresh

200 g (7 oz) fresh ricotta, drained

100 g (3½  oz) parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

100 g (3½ oz) formaggio di fossa or a crumbly pecorino, grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) dried breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon chopped dill

finely grated zest of ½ lemon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter

 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Wash and trim the greens, then plunge them into the boiling water. Once it comes to boil again, let the greens cook for a few minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water (to help retain their colour), then roughly chop and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, place the ricotta, grated cheeses and egg in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Add the cooled greens, breadcrumbs, dill, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste and combine well – the mixture will be quite thick. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Ideally the gnocchi should be cooked as soon as you make them – don’t let them rest too long.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Before you add the gnocchi to the water, melt the butter in a large deep frying pan over low heat. (You may need to do this in two pans or batches if you don’t have a very large pan.) Once the water is at a rolling boil, carefully drop in the gnocchi in batches, using a slotted spoon. Once they rise to the surface, lift them out with the slotted spoon and carefully drop them into the melted butter. Allow the gnocchi to cook for a few minutes on each side until nicely golden. Spoon onto warmed serving places and drizzle over some of the deep-golden butter.

 

Scatter with extra grated parmesan and serve immediately.

 

Authors note:

In Solignano al Rubicone in Emilia-Romagna, just north of Le Marche, they make cheese that is buried in the ground while it ages. It is called ‘formaggio di fossa’, literally, ‘cheese of the pit’. The cheese is made with sheep or cow’s milk (or a combination of both). It is wrapped in muslin and buried in a straw-lined rocky pit – typically of volcanic ash – three to four metres (about three yards) deep, and matured for a period of up to three months. During this time the cheese develops a distinctive woody flavour.

 

The cheese vendor at the weekly market in Cervia encouraged me to have a taste; it was crumbly, pungent and intense – what I would have called a ‘smelly cheese’ as a child. These days this sort of cheese is right up my alley; a worthy companion to softer milder cheeses on a platter, and a sharp-tasting addition to gnocchi or risotto.

 

These gnocchi are a bit like gnudi; ‘naked’ filling for ravioli without their pasta coat. Adding the ‘pit cheese’ makes them more flavoursome, and works well if you add some bitter greens to the mix and coat them in melted butter at the end. I am lucky that my local specialised deli in Melbourne sells imported formaggio di fossa, but if you can’t find it, use a crumbly strong-tasting sheep’s milk cheese that has been aged no more than 12 months, such as pecorino sardo.

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Cabbage Risotto: Adriatico – Paola Bacchia

Adriatico_cover

From Adriatico: Stories and recipes from Italy’s Adriatic Coast by Paola Bacchia

(Smith Street Books, September 2018 – AU$ 55, NZ$ 65)

 

Cabbage risotto

Risi e verza

 

Cabbage risotto

SERVES 4

750 ml (25½ fl oz/3 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

½ brown onion, finely diced

½ cabbage, thick spines removed, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled, bruised and left whole

200 g (7 oz/1 cup) carnaroli, vialone nano or arborio rice

sea salt and ground white pepper

50 g (1¾ oz) parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

 

Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and keep it simmering.

 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium– low heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion, then reduce the heat to low and sauté for about 7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the cabbage and garlic clove and stir well, then add about 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) of the hot stock. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the cabbage has softened, stirring occasionally so the cabbage doesn’t stick to the base.

 

Add the rice to the pan and stir so the rice warms through and is coated with the buttery cabbage. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir well, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. When all the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock and continue cooking the rice as described – you want to keep it quite soupy. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, adding stock as needed (or boiling water if you run out of stock) until the rice is cooked but still has a bit of bite. Remove the pan from the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and remove the garlic clove (if you can find it!). Stir in the grated parmesan, then cover and let the risotto rest for a few minutes.

 

Serve on warmed plates, with extra parmesan on the side.

 

Authors note:

Rice was introduced into Italian cooking from the East, probably arriving in northern Italy via Venice. It is a staple in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and widely used in the Veneto. Around the Venetian lagoons, simple dishes such as ‘risi e bisi’ (rice and peas) abound in spring. Somewhere between a soup and a risotto, it is traditionally made ‘all’onda’, meaning it is ‘wavy’ or ‘runny’, much like the waves on the sea (or on the lagoon when the boats pass).

 

A similar dish eaten in autumn is ‘risi e verza’ (rice and cabbage). Surprisingly sweet and velvety, the addition of butter and salty parmesan at the end of cooking produces a soupy risotto that is well balanced and delicious.

 

You can use vegetable stock to make this dish vegetarian, but I like the depth of flavour you get from using homemade chicken stock. I generally use everyday green cabbage but feel free to experiment with other varieties.

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Slow-Roasted Tomato and Scrambled Egg Breakfast Wrap: Get lean Stay Lean – Dr Joanna McMillan

I think this is going to become a new favourite for breakfast or even lunch.

get-lean-stay-lean

 

 

Images and recipes from Get Lean Stay Lean by Joanna McMillan (Murdoch Books RRP $35)

Slow-roasted tomato and  scrambled egg breakfast wrap

“I have to admit to being a creature of habit with my weekday breakfasts, but on the
weekend I love to do something different. These wraps filled with scrambled eggs and
veggies are so delicious, they fit the bill for a leisurely Sunday morning meal. I’ve used
a sandwich press to toast the wraps, but if you don’t have one you can do this in a large non-stick frying pan instead.”p.70

slow-roasted-tomato-scrambled-egg-breakfast-wrap-

 

Serves 4  Time 40 minutes  NF V

 

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 garlic clove, crushed

8 button mushrooms, sliced (see note)

70 g (21/2 oz) rocket (arugula) leaves

8 free-range or organic eggs

125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) light milk

4 thin wholegrain wraps

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

+

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt flakes

 

Preheat the oven to fan-forced 160°C (315°F/Gas 2–3). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Put the tomatoes on the tray, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and
pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and slightly caramelised. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Preheat a sandwich press, if using.

Heat a teaspoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 3–4 minutes or until browned.

Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together with the milk.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Wipe the pan with paper towel and place over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and pour in the egg mixture. Cook gently, moving the eggs with a wooden spoon until just set (they should still be slightly wet as the mixture will continue to cook off the heat). Remove from the heat and set aside.

Lay out the wraps on your work surface. Divide the rocket between the wraps and place in the centre of each one, then top with the sautéed mushrooms, slow-roasted tomatoes and the scrambled eggs. Fold the bottom of the wrap up into the centre, then fold each side over the other to enclose the filling and form a parcel, open only at the top.

Place in the preheated sandwich press or in a frying pan over medium heat and cook for 1–2 minutes until sealed and heated through. If cooking in a frying pan, turn over after 1 minute to toast the other side.

Serve immediately.

 

Note I’ve just used button mushrooms here, but you could also try chestnut, shiitake or any other type of small mushroom. All mushrooms have an impressive nutrition profile and are a worthy addition to your diet

 

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Carbonara: It’s All Easy – Gwyneth Paltrow with Thea Baumann

it's all easy

It’s All Easy: Delicious Weekday Recipes for the Super-Busy Home Cook by Gwyneth Paltrow ($45), published by Hachette Australia.

 

CARBONARA

Under 30 minutes

SERVES 4

 

“Carbonara is the perfect lazy dinner—it’s cozy, comforting, and shockingly easy to make. Not to mention the fact that everyone almost always has the ingredients on hand. Keep some cubed bacon or pancetta in the freezer so you can make this anytime, in just minutes.” (p.66)

CARBONARA

 

Salt

4 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into small dice

2 egg yolks (or 3, to make it extra creamy)

1 large egg

1½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper, plus more as needed

¾ pound bucatini

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

In an 8-inch sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Combine the egg yolks, egg, Parmesan, and pepper in a large bowl.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water (the temperature is important because you are going to use it to cook the egg) and set aside. Next, drain the pasta, and add it to the bowl with the cheese and eggs, tossing immediately to mix everything together.

Add the pancetta and any rendered fat from the pan to the bowl, toss to coat, and add the pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency (this usually takes about ¼ cup).

Adjust with extra cheese, pepper, and salt to taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Chicken & Cheese Jaffles with Spicy Capsicum Sauce: Surfing the Menu Next Generation – Dan Churchill &Hayden Quinn

Surfing the Menu cover

Surfing the Menu Next Generation

Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn

Simon & Schuster Australia

ISBN: 9781925368345

**The show is on ABC TV this Sunday 22nd May 2016 6pm**

Jaffles

Chicken and Cheese Jaffles with Spicy Capsicum Sauce – Hayden Quinn

 

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1⁄4 cup whole egg mayonnaise

1 small carrot, grated

1 celery stick, finely sliced

1⁄2 small red onion, finely diced

8 slices white bread

60g soft butter

8 slices tasty cheese

 

 

Capsicum Sauce

150g drained chargrilled red capsicum

1 garlic clove, crushed

1⁄3 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

 

 

1   To make the capsicum sauce, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl.

2   Heat a jaffle iron or sandwich toaster. Combine the chicken, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.

3   Spread the bread with butter, then place half the bread slices, butter side down, on a board. Top each one with a slice of cheese, 1⁄4 of the chicken mixture, then another slice of cheese. Put the remaining bread slices on top, butter side up.

4   Lift a sandwich onto the jaffle maker and cook for a few minutes, until the bread is golden brown. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with the sauce for dipping.

 

Serves 4

 

***My Hint – if you don’t possess a jaffle maker ( and they are coming back into style) use a sandwich press **

These are perfect for lunch or to have  for a lazy super  – kids and adults will love them.

 

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Huevos Rancheros With Guacamole: Good + Simple – Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley

Good + Simple Cover

Extracted from Good + Simple by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press, $49.99) Photography by Nicholas Hopper.

Foxtel is airing their brand new series Hemsley & Hemsley: Healthy & Delicious, on Mondays at 8.30pm on LifeStyle FOOD

Huevos Rancheros

 

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH GUACAMOLE

SERVES 2

4 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped

4 eggs

1 large handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped

1 small handful of grated mature Cheddar

 

FOR THE

TOMATO SAUCE

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 red peppers, halved lengthways, deseeded and sliced into strips

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

A pinch of cayenne pepper or finely diced fresh red chilli, to taste

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes or 800g fresh tomatoes

200ml water (100ml if using fresh tomatoes)

Sea salt and black pepper

 

FOR THE GUACAMOLE

1 large ripe avocado

1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil

Juice of ½–1 lime

2 spring onions or

1 small handful of fresh chives, chopped

1 handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

 

1 First make the tomato sauce. Fry the onion in the ghee or

coconut oil over a medium heat for about 8minutes, stirring

occasionally, until softened.

2 Add the garlic, peppers, bay leaves and spices to the pan

and cook for another 2minutes.

3 Add the tomatoes and water, season generously with

salt and pepper, then stir everything together and leave to

simmer for 10 minutes until reduced to a thick, rich sauce.

4 Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Halve and stone the

avocado, then scoop out the flesh and roughly chop. Place

in a bowl and stir in all the remaining ingredients and some

seasoning. Set aside.

5 Check the seasoning of the tomato sauce, adding extra salt,

pepper and cayenne/chilli as needed, then stir through the

spinach and cook for a few minutes until just wilted.

6 Use a spatula or spoon to make four wells in the tomato sauce

mixture and crack an egg into each. The eggs will poach in the

sauce and cook in about 4 minutes (lid on) for set whites and

runny yolks.

7 Scatter over the coriander and cheese. Serve immediately

(as the eggs will keep cooking) with big heaped spoonfuls

of guacamole on top.