This recipe came just at the right time in our lives- faced with a glut of cherry tomatoes in the back garden, this recipe makes sweet delicious use of them! Hubby had this one night after his running club- so was happy with something pretty light- maybe would want to add in something else on a normal night.
Definitely abides by the half hour rule for a mid-week meal and is an absolute breeze to throw together!
Serves 2
Chicken with caramelised balsamic tomatoes
2 chicken breast fillets
olive oil, for brushing
sea salt and cracked black pepper
250 g. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
basil leaves to serve
extra olive oil for drizzling
Brush chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook chicken 4 - 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add tomatoes and the vinegar to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are caramelised. To serve, slice the chicken, combine with the caramelised tomatoes, sprinkle with the basil and drizzle with olive oil.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Peanut beef with bok choy and beans
Yum- sauce is really like a satay sauce and just spunks up the simple steaks. Fulfilled my half hour rule- so definitely a good mid-week starter! Satisifying enough for hubby's hunger (think peanuts help)
Serves 4
Peanut beef with bok choy and beans
4 sirloin steaks
vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 bunches bok choy, quartered and blanched
200g green beans, trimmed and blanched
Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Brush the steaks with vegetable oil and cook for 4 - 5 minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking. Set aside and keep warm. Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, peanut butter, coconut milk and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute or until warmed through. Slice the steaks, serve with the bok choy and beans and spoon over the peanut sauce.
Serves 4
Peanut beef with bok choy and beans
4 sirloin steaks
vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 bunches bok choy, quartered and blanched
200g green beans, trimmed and blanched
Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Brush the steaks with vegetable oil and cook for 4 - 5 minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking. Set aside and keep warm. Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, peanut butter, coconut milk and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute or until warmed through. Slice the steaks, serve with the bok choy and beans and spoon over the peanut sauce.
Mint and Apple Lamb with crunchy salad- Donna Hay
This literally took 20 minutes to prepare- so definitely a hit in terms of prep- a mid-week winner!
I really liked the taste and combination of textures- loved the fresh, crunchy salad and really liked the slightly sweet sauce for the lamb. Hubby was left a little dissatisfied by the salad I think- but good food for the health/ weight conscious. And for everyone else, maybe just do some mash on the side...
Mint and Apple Lamb with crunchy salad- Donna Hay
For 4
8 lamb cutlets
olive oil
1 cup of apple juice
1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped mint leaves
sea salt and cracked pepper
150g snow peas- trimmed and blanched (we actually used raw)
1 bunch radishes, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, trimmed and finely sliced
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Brush the lamb chops with oliive oil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.
Reduce the heat to medium. Place the apple juice, mint, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add the apple mixture to the pan and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Thinly slice the snow peas and place in a bowl with the radish and celery and toss to combine. Spoon over the apple and mint sauce and serve the crunchy salad with the lamb cutlets.
I really liked the taste and combination of textures- loved the fresh, crunchy salad and really liked the slightly sweet sauce for the lamb. Hubby was left a little dissatisfied by the salad I think- but good food for the health/ weight conscious. And for everyone else, maybe just do some mash on the side...
Mint and Apple Lamb with crunchy salad- Donna Hay
For 4
8 lamb cutlets
olive oil
1 cup of apple juice
1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped mint leaves
sea salt and cracked pepper
150g snow peas- trimmed and blanched (we actually used raw)
1 bunch radishes, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, trimmed and finely sliced
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Brush the lamb chops with oliive oil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.
Reduce the heat to medium. Place the apple juice, mint, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add the apple mixture to the pan and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Thinly slice the snow peas and place in a bowl with the radish and celery and toss to combine. Spoon over the apple and mint sauce and serve the crunchy salad with the lamb cutlets.
Big Food Week
Well, its the end of a big food week- with lots of focus on what we're eating. The week of Donna Hay recipes every evening delivered some winners and the Indian Feast for the family was definitely a winner- though not something you'd want to do every day! This week our only goal is to eat all the meat in our freezer- so we're going to be improvising around those all week- starting off with a bolognese that I made last night (how much frozen mince can one freezer take!). But I'll comment on each of the last week's meals separately...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Smoky Grilled Pork with Barbecued Corn Salad
I love to cook, but let's face it, during the week after work, I don't really have that much time. So I'm trying out some recipes that talk half an hour or less, are healthy and hopefully delicious. This week I've picked 5 recipes from the latest Donna Hay (feb/ March 2008) that are quick to test as potential mid-week favourites.
First cab of the rank was this smoky grilled pork. And yes it was quick, yes its healthy and it is truly delicious. I like the salad very much and this would make just a great salad on its own- the salad leftovers were delicious in my work lunchbox the next day!
Serves 4 (recommendation- halve the meat if cooking for 2 and use the leftover salad for lunches)
Ingredients
4 x 100g thin pork steaks (I used pork cutlets and worked out fine)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons oregano leaves (yum, fresh from the garden!)
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 corn cobs
4 tomatoes (our neighbours have given us fresh ones- delish!)
2 bunches of rocket
1/4 cup of red vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil for the salad
Place the pork, paprika, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat a large char-grill pan (or use the barbecue) over high heat. Char-grill or barbecue the corn for 10 - 12 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked. Allow to cool and strip the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
Char-grill the pork until cooked through. Slice the pork into strips (or if using cutlets as I did, just set on top of the salad to serve)
Mix the corn, tomato and rocket. Combine the red wine vinegar and extra olive oil and spoon over to serve.
One other thought- the salad would be nice with some chilli in it if you like it a bit spicy. Also, you could as well boil the corn- may be easier.
First cab of the rank was this smoky grilled pork. And yes it was quick, yes its healthy and it is truly delicious. I like the salad very much and this would make just a great salad on its own- the salad leftovers were delicious in my work lunchbox the next day!
Serves 4 (recommendation- halve the meat if cooking for 2 and use the leftover salad for lunches)
Ingredients
4 x 100g thin pork steaks (I used pork cutlets and worked out fine)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons oregano leaves (yum, fresh from the garden!)
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 corn cobs
4 tomatoes (our neighbours have given us fresh ones- delish!)
2 bunches of rocket
1/4 cup of red vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil for the salad
Place the pork, paprika, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat a large char-grill pan (or use the barbecue) over high heat. Char-grill or barbecue the corn for 10 - 12 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked. Allow to cool and strip the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
Char-grill the pork until cooked through. Slice the pork into strips (or if using cutlets as I did, just set on top of the salad to serve)
Mix the corn, tomato and rocket. Combine the red wine vinegar and extra olive oil and spoon over to serve.
One other thought- the salad would be nice with some chilli in it if you like it a bit spicy. Also, you could as well boil the corn- may be easier.
Best-ever lasagne
On cool nights, one of hubby's favourite meals is lasagne. So I am always on the search for the best-ever recipe for it. So of course when I saw in Neil Perry's new book "Good Food" a recipe for "Best-ever lasagne", I just had to try it.
My verdict- very yummy- though not quite best ever- deliciously tomatoey though. The bechamel didn't work- maybe because I used skim milk- so I made it with an alternative recipe (though have written down Neil's original instructions). Kids would definitely love it. And my father in law thought the next day leftovers were delicious- so smiles all round.
I used de cecco Lasagne which doesn't need to be precooked- was easy and yummy.
Didn't use as much mozzarella as he prescribes- just seemed over the top.
My fabulous Italian deli on Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds minced the veal and pork on the spot for me from lovely lean cuts- so the meat was top class.
So give it a go...
Serves 6
Ingredients
9 lasagne sheets
500g fresh mozzarella- torn
100g freshly grated parmesan
meat sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion- finely chopped
6 garlic cloves - finely chopped
300g (10 1/2 ounces) pork mince
300g (10 1/2 ounces) veal mince
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
pinch of cster sugar
700ml (24 fl. oz.) tomato passata
400g (14 oz) tinned diced tomatoes
1 large handful basil leaves
bechamel sauce
50g ( 1 3/4 oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp. plain flour
600ml (21 fl oz) milk
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Take a 23 x 29 x 7 cm lasagne dish.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (375 degrees F/ Gas 5)
For the meat sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add both of the meats and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes, or until the meat loses its raw colour but has not browned. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes, then pour in the vinegar and stir occasionally till it has almost evaporated.
Add the sugar and passata and diced tomatoes and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it reduces and has started to thicken slightly. Season. Stir through the basil leaves and set the sauce aside.
To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the flour to the butter and stir constantly over the heat, for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the milk all at once, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Return the pan to the heat and continue to whisk constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
To asemble, spread one quarter of the meat sauce at the bottom of the lasagne dish. Place 3 of the lasagne sheets over the sauce. Spread another quarter of the sauce over the lasagne, followed by 1/3 of the mozarella. Continue to layer the lasagne sheets, sauce and mozarella two more times. Pour the bechamel over the final layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle evenly with the parmesan.
Cook the lasagne for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has browned and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the lasagne from the oven and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a simple salad.
Enjoy!
My verdict- very yummy- though not quite best ever- deliciously tomatoey though. The bechamel didn't work- maybe because I used skim milk- so I made it with an alternative recipe (though have written down Neil's original instructions). Kids would definitely love it. And my father in law thought the next day leftovers were delicious- so smiles all round.
I used de cecco Lasagne which doesn't need to be precooked- was easy and yummy.
Didn't use as much mozzarella as he prescribes- just seemed over the top.
My fabulous Italian deli on Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds minced the veal and pork on the spot for me from lovely lean cuts- so the meat was top class.
So give it a go...
Serves 6
Ingredients
9 lasagne sheets
500g fresh mozzarella- torn
100g freshly grated parmesan
meat sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion- finely chopped
6 garlic cloves - finely chopped
300g (10 1/2 ounces) pork mince
300g (10 1/2 ounces) veal mince
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
pinch of cster sugar
700ml (24 fl. oz.) tomato passata
400g (14 oz) tinned diced tomatoes
1 large handful basil leaves
bechamel sauce
50g ( 1 3/4 oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp. plain flour
600ml (21 fl oz) milk
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Take a 23 x 29 x 7 cm lasagne dish.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (375 degrees F/ Gas 5)
For the meat sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add both of the meats and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes, or until the meat loses its raw colour but has not browned. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes, then pour in the vinegar and stir occasionally till it has almost evaporated.
Add the sugar and passata and diced tomatoes and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it reduces and has started to thicken slightly. Season. Stir through the basil leaves and set the sauce aside.
To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the flour to the butter and stir constantly over the heat, for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the milk all at once, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Return the pan to the heat and continue to whisk constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
To asemble, spread one quarter of the meat sauce at the bottom of the lasagne dish. Place 3 of the lasagne sheets over the sauce. Spread another quarter of the sauce over the lasagne, followed by 1/3 of the mozarella. Continue to layer the lasagne sheets, sauce and mozarella two more times. Pour the bechamel over the final layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle evenly with the parmesan.
Cook the lasagne for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has browned and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the lasagne from the oven and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a simple salad.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Libertine North Melbourne
Libertine
500 Victoria StreetNorth Melbourne, VIC 3051Phone: +613 9329 5228info@libertinedining.com.au
Now good French restaurants are hard to come by and I have to say, our experience at Libertine was a bit hit and miss. Unfortunately for me, hubby had the hits and I dudded out with the misses.
But before we move on to food- the place itself. Pretty straighty-180 dining room style- elegant and nothing flashy or showy (a good thing). Service was very friendly, though of the two waiters serving, only one seemed genuinely enthusiastic and knowledgable about the food.
So the food...our overall opinion was that they had tried hard, with a bit of a pedestrian result.
Hubby started with a entree (I was saving up for desert) of Terrine du jour, mini brioche & relishes ($17.50)- as I recall it was goose. Very nice, delicate flavours.
For our main course, we had the duck a l'orange for two (sorry childhood memory of French restaurants means I just love this dish) and the duck was dry- one of the drumsticks was actually burnt and the sauce was a bit scant. Really disappointing- I'd so been looking forward to it. Poor hubby as it means he missed out on the pork belly he thought sounded more interesting.
But my most major disappointment was in the deserts...if a French place gets everything wrong, the desert should deliver redemption.
But not in my case- I had the Rhubarb millefeuille ($13.50) and it was quite bizarre- rhubarb was baked- so really dry and still with fibers a bit intact, and it wasn't a pastry but those little lattice biscuits. Dry dry dry. And served with lemon sorbet- found that odd as the tart of the rhubarb plus the tart of the sorbet just was not a good combination- would have preferred something creamier instead of the sorbet. But Cam's Souffle au chocolat ($13.50) was delicious- everything you would want- rich chocolate flavour but light as a feather.
And the wine list is great too. Just don't order the duck!
500 Victoria StreetNorth Melbourne, VIC 3051Phone: +613 9329 5228info@libertinedining.com.au
Now good French restaurants are hard to come by and I have to say, our experience at Libertine was a bit hit and miss. Unfortunately for me, hubby had the hits and I dudded out with the misses.
But before we move on to food- the place itself. Pretty straighty-180 dining room style- elegant and nothing flashy or showy (a good thing). Service was very friendly, though of the two waiters serving, only one seemed genuinely enthusiastic and knowledgable about the food.
So the food...our overall opinion was that they had tried hard, with a bit of a pedestrian result.
Hubby started with a entree (I was saving up for desert) of Terrine du jour, mini brioche & relishes ($17.50)- as I recall it was goose. Very nice, delicate flavours.
For our main course, we had the duck a l'orange for two (sorry childhood memory of French restaurants means I just love this dish) and the duck was dry- one of the drumsticks was actually burnt and the sauce was a bit scant. Really disappointing- I'd so been looking forward to it. Poor hubby as it means he missed out on the pork belly he thought sounded more interesting.
But my most major disappointment was in the deserts...if a French place gets everything wrong, the desert should deliver redemption.
But not in my case- I had the Rhubarb millefeuille ($13.50) and it was quite bizarre- rhubarb was baked- so really dry and still with fibers a bit intact, and it wasn't a pastry but those little lattice biscuits. Dry dry dry. And served with lemon sorbet- found that odd as the tart of the rhubarb plus the tart of the sorbet just was not a good combination- would have preferred something creamier instead of the sorbet. But Cam's Souffle au chocolat ($13.50) was delicious- everything you would want- rich chocolate flavour but light as a feather.
And the wine list is great too. Just don't order the duck!
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