Slow Cooked Steak & Bean Tacos

Today’s recipe is going to be a big cluster of photos because I felt like doing a step by step post today. If you’re on a slow internet connection or a download limit….my bad.

I haven’t decided if I like this format or not, but sometimes a visual does make explaining things a little easier.

I love Mexican food, love the flavours of beans, mouth watering shredded meats, tart lime juice, corn, avocado- yum, I drool just thinking about it.

I’m not trying to pretend to be some super awesome authentic Mexican cook, because I’m not. Let’s be real, for the first 18 years of my life, any Mexican food I ate was made from an Old El Paso burrito kit or in a food court, made by a pimple-faced teenager who couldn’t even pronounce jalapeno.

This is how we make it in my house and this is how we like it. Authentic or not, the flavours are good and everything tastes that much better when you make it yourself. You know what’s in it and you appreciate it more when you know what you went through to make it.

You can substitute chicken for the beef in this recipe and it’s just as delish.

My favourite part of this recipe though is the handmade soft corn tortillas. The meal looks a little more ‘rustic’ (my tortilla making technique isn’t the best without a tortilla press), but the taste is worth it!

With the guacamole, I believe the traditional recipe calls for chopped coriander. I personally hate coriander so have avoided it in this recipe.

As usual, my measurements are approximate. I go by taste and feel most times, but I’ve done my best to be accurate. We had leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

For the steak & bean mixture

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic (or 2 tbsp of minced garlic)
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds/powder
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp chilli flakes or powder
• Tabasco sauce (to taste! You don’t want to know how much I put in- my husband LOVES it spicy)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can of red kidney beans
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 Porterhouse steak, trimmed

For the soft corn tortillas

• 2 cups of masa
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

For the filling

• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of shredded lettuce
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack, you can use Tasty or Cheddar as well)
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

For the guacamole

• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• Salt & pepper, to taste
  

Method

Start with a heavy based, cast iron pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add your olive oil to the pan and allow it to heat.

Next, throw in your onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes to soften, making sure that the garlic doesn’t stick to the base of the pan.

Add the cumin to the garlic and onion mixture.

Add the crushed chilli or chilli powder.

Toss in the oregano. Smells delish!

Stir to combine and cook gently until onions are soft and becoming translucent.

Add the chopped tomato

And a generous lashing of Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant.

Now that we’ve established our flavour base, we’re going to remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Look at all that deliciousness. Scrape all the remnants that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. You can just taste it can’t you?!

Rinse your kidney beans in a colander under water until you’ve removed all the starch.

Bring the heat up to high and once the pan is at it’s hottest, throw in your steak. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, YEAH! Seal the steak on all sides. The goal isn’t to cook it through, it’s to seal all those juices in and brown the outsides.

Flip it over and seal the other side. At this point, my dogs were practically humping my legs trying to get to this meat, so if you have dogs, maybe they should go outside for a while!

Don’t forget to seal the sides of the meat also.

Turn the heat down to the lowest possible and then add your tomato and onion mix back to the pan.

Pour in the beans….

Next comes the ever so attractive looking canned tomatoes. Pour in the contents of the can and then fill the can up with water and pour that in too.

Also, add the tomato paste. My squeeze tube makes an awkward farting sound that STILL amuses my husband to this day…. Awkward.

Season!!!

This is what you should have- the steak is at the bottom of this red abyss, drinking up all those flavours and juice- it will be worth the wait.

Pop the lid on, make sure the heat is on low and go and find something to do for 2.5 hours. This could include Facebook stalking, watching transvestites throw chairs at each other on Jerry Springer or catch up on the laundry. I love multitasker meals.

2.5 hours have passed. I’ve had a shower, watched Jerry Springer, done my daily Facebook rounds and played with my dogs outside. I’ve been trying to stay away from the kitchen because the smell threatens to awaken the savage beast in me and I’m afraid I’ll rip the lid off and start eating from the pot. Believe me, it took great restraint to come in once every half an hour or so to stir things around and check on it.

Remove the meat from the pan. It will fall apart between the tongs, so be careful. Set it on a chopping board. Try not to eat it.

Shred the meat between 2 forks. Smells SO good.

Add the meat back into the thickening sauce, give it a good stir around to make sure it is well incorporated. My mouth is seriously watering.

Turn the heat up and keep an eye on it, with regular stirring while you start on your tortillas.

Combine water and masa flour in a large bowl. Mix it in with your hands or a wooden spoon and allow it to soak in for about 5 minutes.

Knead the dough like bread until it comes together. If the dough seems dry, add a little bit of water. If it’s too wet, add some more masa flour. Work it with your hands until the texture is just right.

Go back to your steak and beans, be sure to be constantly scraping down the sides of the pan and stirring the mixture to ensure it’s not sticking and burning at the bottom of the pan. It will begin to thicken up considerably, so it’s important you keep an eye on it.

This is the part where I pulled out a packet of corn chips and started dipping them into the mixture. I am such a pig. Lucky my husband and dogs still love me.

If you can drag yourself away from the pan, chop up some green onions. They don’t have to be perfect, it’s not a chopping competition.

Add the onion to the steak and beans and stir them through. If you were using coriander in your recipe, you would add it now.

Now it’s tortilla time! Take sections of the dough and roll into nectarine/plum sized balls. Lay them on a piece of baking paper, sprinkled with a little extra masa flour.

Now this is the part I call ‘rustic’ which is translation for ‘I’m really bad at this so please be kind’.

If you have a tortilla press, use it now!

If not, this method will have to suffice.

Place another sheet of baking paper over the top of your ball and then press it down with a flat chopping board.

This is what it will look like. This shape would be fine if you were making plain tortillas or pupusas, but we want it to be flatter and more pliable.

So, cover it up with the sheet of baking paper again and roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s flat and thin.

If you’re hung up on looks, trim around the outside with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to clean it up. I personally don’t care if they’re irregularly shaped, I’m just HUNGRY!

Cook the tortillas on a lightly oiled cast iron pan/skillet/griddle. They need about a minute or so on each side. Don’t panic if little air pockets form- that’s half the fun.

Set your cooked tortillas aside and cover them with a clean dishtowel. You may be freaking out because they’re quite crispy coming off the grill, but after a few minutes stacked up under the dishtowel, they soften up.

Turn the heat off on your steak and beans and get started on the last stretch- chopping up all your fresh vegetables.

Chop some tomatoes and set them aside in a bowl.

Chop up some lettuce and set aside in a bowl. You can use iceberg lettuce, but I used a mix of salad leaves (or weeds as my husband calls them) cos that’s what I had.

Grate cheese. Slap dirty paws of lingering husband who wants to pick at said cheese. Bad boy.

Guacamole time!!

Cut your avocados in half, take out the stone and spoon out the flesh into a large bowl.

Add the green onions, tomatoes, lime juice and salt and pepper and mash it up baby.

Now the fun part- compiling the tortillas. If you’re feeding a family or serving this for a group, putting all the ingredients in bowls for self-serving may be ideal.

Everyone has their own way of making up their tacos- this is how I do mine.

First I spread some guacamole over the middle of the tortilla.

Spoon on some of that mouth watering steak and bean mixture.

Tomatoes!

Weeds. Lettuce.

Yummy cheese. Pile it up.

Top it off with a dollop of sour cream, fold it over and tuck in. Goodness.

 

Slow Cooked Chicken in White Wine & Rosemary Sauce

‎

“Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.” – Anonymous

I never thought it would happen, but somehow I turned into one of those people that love and stockpile wine.

If you had told me this during my tequila-soaked early twenties, I would have laughed and said something along the lines of “Wine is for old people… [hiccup]“.

Now, not only do I like to drink wine, but I’m cooking with it more than ever! My husband says this is bordering on alcoholism. I think he just needs to pour me another glass and shut the hell up!

Truthfully, I’m not a big drinker anymore, but I do enjoy my wine on ocassion, especially in cooking. Wine lends a beautiful flavour to sauces, hearty stews and marinades and almost any meat cooked in wine is delish and tender, melting in the mouth.

This recipe suits a dry white wine. I’ve made this with sweeter, fruitier wines like Moscato before, but the sweetness overpowers the dish, so I’d suggest a dry white. You can use red wine also, but since I break out in hives when I drink red, I stick to white!

When it comes to cooking to wine, it’s tempting to use the cheapo bottle you got as a birthday present from your mother in law  the neighbour you don’t like, but the better the wine, the better the taste. If you wouldn’t drink a glass of it, don’t pour it into your food!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 Chicken Breasts, skin off (trimmed and cut into palm sized pieces)
• 1 small brown onion, diced
• 1 sprig rosemary, chopped finely
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a low heat, add onions and rosemary, cook it gently then remove it from the pan once it’s translucent and soft.
2. Once you’ve removed the onion from the pan, turn the heat up high and drizzle with a little extra olive oil if required.
3. Coat the chicken pieces in flour, add them to the hot pan, seal them quickly on both sides until they are browned. Toss in any excess flour from the bowl and cook it off to remove that floury taste.
4. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the wine, enough to ensure the chicken is covered. Add the cooked onion and rosemary back into the pan.
5. Cook on low heat, covered for about 40-45 minutes minutes, stirring occasionally or until the liquid has reduced and becomes thick. Alternatively, you can also pop a lid on this (if you’re using a casserole-type dish and pop it in the oven at 160C for about an hour) to let it marinate and cook gently in the beautiful wine.
6. Sprinkle with parsley a few minutes before turning the heat off.
7. Serve with lightly dressed salad greens or mashed potato.

 

 

Roasted Garlic & Dijon Mustard Mashed Potatoes

I live near potato farms which is just cruel considering I’m supposed to be low-carbing and avoiding the only things that make my life worthwhile- pasta, bread and….. potatoes.

I’ve always said I could eat potatoes everyday, in every which way, I just love them so much. Roasted, baked, mashed, boiled, fried- it doesn’t matter, I’d gobble it down.

So recently, with the New Year excesses behind me, I had been a good girl but a recent drive past the potato farm had me weak at the knees. All those beautiful, fresh potatoes, straight from the farms, caked in soil and smelling of the earth, I HAD to have some.

I picked up a huge 10kg bag of spuds and managed to wrangle it to the car (my daily exercise) and started plotting all the delish ways I was going to eat these babies.

One of my favourite foods is mash. I’m not gonna lie. Some of my winter dinners have consisted solely of mashed spuds and some gravy poured over the top.

This recipe is for anyone who is open to trying something new with their mash. For me, I had a hankering for roasted garlic and potatoes so I combined the two together. It’s delish, decadent and smells ever so seductive.

The slower and more gently you roast the garlic, the sweeter it will be so if time is on your side, get it started earlier in the day or use it leftover from another roasting session.

Also, if you have a potato ricer, you’ll get a smoother, more creamy mash.

Don’t laugh, but I had the leftovers today spread across some bread. A mashed potato sandwich. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this!

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of garlic, top sliced off
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6-8 potatoes, washed, peeled and quartered
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup milk
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

 

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 160C.
2. Place the head of garlic on a tray lined with baking paper, generously drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes-1 hour, until golden, soft and fragrant. Allow the garlic to cool for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes. Do the ‘Prick Test’ (Don’t you wish you could do this with some men? lol) with a fork to ensure they’re cooked.
4. Drain the potatoes and return back to the saucepan. Add the Dijon mustard, milk, butter and seasoning and mash over low heat until smooth.
5. Once the garlic has cooled, peel off the outer skin and gently squeeze the gooey roasted garlic out of about 3-4 cloves. On a chopping board, smoosh it out with the back of a spoon until it becomes a smooth paste. Mix this in with the potatoes until well combined.

Use the leftover roasted garlic cloves to spread on toasted bruschetta or Ciabatta bread or even rub it onto some beef/steaks before cooking for your next dinner.

 

 

Peperonata

Lately, I’ve been joking with my Italian grandparents about how much I miss the ‘peasant food’ that they grew up with and the recipes they brought to Australia with them and in turned raised us to eat.

The food back then was so simple- my grandparents and parents were raised in a simpler time, where they had to be resourceful with the meat and vegetables they had and would sometimes have to stretch those meals over long periods of time.

And yet, some of their food is the most delicious! Simple recipes, with few ingredients and uncomplicated methods. Sometimes I wonder what the hell we are doing these days with all this deglazing, flambe-ing and tomato-rose garnishes- we need to go old school and just pick a couple of ingredients and cook them simply and season them properly! That’s it! There’s no magic, you won’t die of starvation and the food is healthy, fresh and delish.

Peperonata is one of those favourites. There are lots of variations depending on where you come from and the one I was raised with was a tasty concoction of slow cooked red capsicum, onions, wedges of potato and some peeled tomatoes. You can add basil, garlic and a bit of oregano for extra flavour too (I do, but my grandma won’t- in fact she’d disown me if she found out I was telling people to put them in it, sorry Nonna!).

This is delicious on it’s own with some crusty Ciabatta bread on one of those CBF days. It smells AMAZING while it’s cooking away, so if you’re having people over, they automatically think you’ve been working your butt off in the kitchen because it smells so damn good.

It’s versatile too. Without the potatoes, it would be good tossed through some penne with some Parmesan cheese, in a lasagna, alongside a beef or chicken dish or even as the basis for a good Cacciatore- just add some olives and a few other veggies, some more Passata and slow cook your chicken in it. Delish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 4 red capsicums, sliced into thick strips
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 bottle tomato passata/ 1 can peeled tomatoes
• 1/3 cup basil, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt, pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy-based pot (non-stick preferred)- a Dutch oven, slow cooker or crock pot, cover and cook on low heat on the stove for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened significantly and the capsicums are soft and fragrant.
2. Serve with crusty bread and a salad or as a side dish for beef or chicken.

 

Grilled Rum & Lime Caribbean Chicken

Allow me to preface this by saying, I’m not an alcoholic.

Yes the photos are crap.

No I was not drunk when I took them.

So when I say that on one particular afternoon, I was craving the flavours of rum and lime, I don’t mean it in a Lyndsay Lohan kind of way, it was more of a craving for the flavours of the tropics, of sun, cocktails and warmth and all that good stuff. The alcohol factor wasn’t my motivator. Although, if you’re that way inclined, this is a perfect recipe for a ‘One for the bowl, one for me’ game.

This meal can’t get any simpler. Marinating overnight is ideal- I did and my chicken was foodgasmically tender.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli pepper, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 teaspoons orange juice
• 5 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2/3 cup rum
• 2 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl or into a large zip-lock bag. Coat the chicken breasts well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (but 24 hours is better).
2. Preheat oiled grill pan and cook chicken for about 6-7 minutes on each side and basting with leftover marinade until cooked through.
3. Serve with a big healthy salad or some crispy stir-fried vegies with lime butter.

 

Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon & Camembert

I’ve never had the balls to try stuffed mushrooms before. I had always reluctantly admired from afar, but the reality of baked, spongy fungi filled with different cheeses, vegetables and herbs…well to say I wasn’t completely sold on the idea.

So after picking up some lovely mushrooms at the local farm, I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it and make my first real stuffed mushrooms. AND I LOVED IT!

This recipe is so versatile- the basic premise for each variation is to include some sorting of melting gooey cheese to bind the filling, fresh herbs and crunchy breadcrumbs on top.

My concoction had a mixture of oozing mozzarella and creamy Camembert cheese with the tiniest sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary and parsely, spring onions, lemon zest for a little bit of sunshine and crispy bits of bacon, which of course can be omitted for vegetarians.

I’m really not sure how many people this recipe will serve, this made about 4 big mushrooms, which I happily devoured myself, so the portion sizes are completely up to you. This is one of those moments where measurements go out the window and you work by touch and intuition of sorts…. and well, let’s be straight, you can’t really ruin it. It’s mushroom. And cheese. And crumbs.

• Ingredients
• Large field mushrooms
• Mozzarella, sliced thinly
• Camembert, sliced thinly
• Spring onion, sliced
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh rosemary, chopped
• Chopped/minced garlic
• Lemon zest
• Bacon, diced and fried
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Garlic & Herb store-bought breadcrumbs (or make your own)
• Salt and pepper, to taste.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Remove the stalks from the mushroom and chop finely.
3. Combine chopped mushroom stalks, cheeses, spring onion, herbs, garlic, lemon zest and crispy bacon, stir well. Season to taste.
4. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the tops are golden.
6. Serve with lightly dressed salad greens.

 

Penne with Slow-Cooked Beef, Red Wine & Olive Sauce

Slow-cooker recipe today- simple but oh so tasty!

The slow cooked beef shreds perfectly and just falls apart after 6-8 hours soaking up the beautiful tomato sauce. A great,easy mid-week dinner and the leftover sauce is great for a variety of meals too! Add some Mexican spices, jalenpenos and Tabasco and use the sauce for nachos or burritos.  You can use it in a pasta bake or lasagna or in arancini rice balls. The possibilities are endless! So if you have leftovers, don’t fret.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Flour, for dusting
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 bottles of passata /approx 3-4 tins of tomatoes
• 1 Porterhouse steak
• 1/2 cup Italian olives
• 2 cups penne
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

 

Method

1. Coat beef in seasoned flour.
2. Add oil to frying pan and heat until oil is hot. Seal the beef quickly on all sides until a brown crust forms, but don’t be too concerned about cooking the inside. The quicker it’s sealed and browned, the better.
3. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker and add a touch of olive oil to the base.
4. In the same frying pan, add a touch more oil and cook the onion and garlic for approximately 3-4 minutes, until onion starts to soften and become fragrant. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
5. Deglaze the pan with some red wine to get all those yummy crusty bits and then transfer to the slow-cooker dish.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, pop the lid on and cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.
7. 1/2 hour before serving, remove the steak and on a clean chopping board, shred the meat with 2 forks or chop it roughly until all the meat has fallen apart.
8. Transfer the shredded meat back to the slow cooker for a remaining 30 minutes and cook your pasta.
9. When the pasta has been cooked and drained, return it to the saucepan and ladle some of the sauce over the pasta, tossing to coat. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Spicy Braised Beef Tacos

I’ve recently been practicing the art of braising now that I’ve been taking a break from working.

I love that my days now revolve around slow cooking tender meat until it falls apart on your fork and melts in your mouth.

I love that I’ve swapped disappointing cafe food for home-cooked lunches and even tastier leftovers.

I love that if I spill sauce on my shirt, it’s not a catastrophe.

I love the intoxicating aroma of anything that is slow-cooked, sauces bubbling away, packed with mouth-watering flavour and any excuse to use wine in my cooking- I’m sold.

No more rushing home, exhausted, brain-dead and desperate for food like a zombie in a Resident Evil flick.

I know not everybody has the luxury of time during the working week, so if you’re wanting to enjoy the beauty of braises without the time factor, invest in a slow-cooker if you haven’t already. They really are a saviour for everyone, from busy working people to parents on the go. Unlike braising on the stove-top or in the oven, you don’t need to periodically check on the food and the best part is…you can leave it to do it’s thing while you go to work or spend time with the kids. And let’s not forget the smell. Ask anyone who swears by slow-cookers- the smell that fills your house is heavenly- almost as good as a freshly baked loaf of bread…or better?

This week I adopted a slow-cooking technique and paired it with a quick and easy dinner- the best of both worlds. Everyone knows that tacos are a staple for time-poor people and people who just CBF! I tend to fall in the latter however this time around I was getting a bit bored of beans out of a can with some taco seasoning and wanted a rich, flavourful chili con carne style filling for my otherwise simple tacos.

The meat can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated, perhaps perfect for cooking on a Sunday afternoon before the work week begins. Then all you need to do is just chop up some vegetables and heat some tortillas after work for an easy, delish dinner.

This recipe serves about 4 people, or 2 with leftovers for lunch, NOM NOM!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large Porterhouse steak *(I only used this because it was what I had available, you can use a cut more suitable for braising)
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 green chilli, sliced
• 3 tablespoon taco seasoning powder
• 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1/2 cup wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups lettuce (I used mesclun leaves)
• 3/4 Tasty or Cheddar cheese *(I used a combination of grated Tasty cheese and Monterey Jack cheese)
• Sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a hot pan or casserole dish over a high heat.
2. Season the steak with salt and pepper and coat in flour. When the oil is hot, put the meat into the pan and cook until browned and a nice crust forms on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Into the same pan, add a little more oil and cook the onion, garlic, chilli, seasoning powder and Tabasco sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion has softened. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, wine and beef stock, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. At this point, you can do one of three things:

• If you’re using a casserole dish, place the meat in the dish and pour over the tomato and bean mix. Cover and cook in a low oven (150C) for 2-3 hours.
• If you’re slow cooking, combine the meat and sauce in the slow-cooker bowl and cook on low for 6-8 hours
• If you’re using a frying pan/skillet, transfer the meat into a heavy, ceramic baking dish, pour the liquid over and cook in a low oven for 2 hours, covered with foil for the first hour. Stir periodically once the sauce starts to thicken.

5. Once the meat has cooked, remove from the beans and shred it with a fork or chop it finely, it should collapse and be oh-so-mouth-watering.
6. Wrap the tortilla shells in foil and warm in the oven a few minutes before serving.
7. You can serve all your fillings in individual bowls at the table, family style or make up the tacos yourself.
Spread some of the bean and meat mixture into the base of the taco. Top with chopped tomatoes, squeeze of lime juice, grated cheese, lettuce and sour cream.
8. You can use the leftovers, if there are any, for nachos, baked potatoes or burritos.

 

Winter Day Lunch: Baked Pumpkin, Leek & Chorizo Risotto

 

Winter is my favourite food-season. All that hearty, carb-laden, warming food that you know is going straight to your ass but you kinda don’t care as you’re savouring each morsel? That’s the part of winter I look forward to.

Risotto is one of those perfect blustery afternoon wonders- filling and nourishing, but unfortunately when it comes to risotto, I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. Risotto is meant to be served with a creamy, soup-like texture but I have a husband that absolutely refuses to go anywhere near ‘creamy, soupy rice’. So in the interest of getting him to eat it, I did cook it down a little further than I’d normally go. It was still tasty, but not a truly perfectly cooked risotto, so bear this in mind when you’re preparing yours.

I was inspired by Donna Hay’s Baked Pumpkin and Sage risotto recipe because it’s baked which means you can pop it in the oven and not have to worry about it until it’s ready!

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups (400g) arborio rice
• 800g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1¼ litres (5 cups) chicken stock (* I used 4 cups of stock and 1 cup of white wine…because I can)
• 1/2 leek, sliced
• 1 chorizo sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 30g butter
• ½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
• extra finely grated parmesan to serve

 

METHOD

 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Heat a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil and onion, lee and mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
4. Add the Chorizo and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice, pumpkin and stock /wine and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. The risotto will be quite liquid. Stir through the salt, pepper, butter and parmesan and stir for 2 minutes until the risotto thickens slightly.
7. Sprinkle with extra parmesan to serve.

 

Fresh Noodle Salad with Warm Sweet Soy Dressing

 

I’m not going to call this an Asian noodle salad because you would be right to slap my dirty little mouth. The only thing Asian about is the Thai rice noodles and the dressing. So I’m calling this my “I’m having a bad hair day and refuse to go out for groceries” salad. It’s so easy and you literally just cram it with as much fresh vegetables as you can and munch away happily. If you stop chewing for a minute and listen really hard, you might be able to hear your organs thanking you for the vegie hit.

You can serve this with some crunchy toasted cashews or peanuts if you like…but again, I’m having a bad hair day and refuse to go out for groceries…

Ingredients

• 1 packet of Thai Rice Noodles
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cucumber, deseeded, cut into batons
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup red capsicum, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup yellow capsicum, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup mesclun leaves
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic or 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

Method

1. Soak the noodles in boiling water for approximately 3 minutes or until they have softened.
2. Combine carrot, cucumber, mushrooms, capsicums and salad leaves in a bowl.
3. Heat a wok with sesame oil and add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to avoid garlic burning.
4. Add the noodles to the wok and stir to coat with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they’ve absorbed the flavours.
5. Remove noodles with tongs and set aside. You should have some remaining liquid in the wok.
6. Cook the remaining sauce in the wok for a further 5 minutes until it has slightly reduced. Remove off the heat and add vinegar.
7. Compile your salad and spoon over the warm dressing.

 

Braised Steak with Onion & Leek

It’s hard to make brown food look good. Especially when you add a gelatinous looking ‘gravy’ to the mix and you’re photographing at night, but in the grunts words of TV chef Anne Burrel “brown food tastes good” and I’m here to agree.

With the approaching cold weather, I get excited about cooking again- all the rich, gravy-laden, melting, tender meat and roasted vegies are enough to make my toes curl. I am a mashed potato whore, I will do anything for a bit of mash and autumn/winter is the perfect excuse for me to bury my face in it’s creamy indulgence. I don’t plan my meals around core ingredients. I know I want mashed potato, so I plot what else I can make as an excuse to have it on the side.

This recipe was born of one such craving- I needed mash and was going to get it at any cost.

Add some tender meat that just melts in your mouth and the sweetness of the onion and leek braise and you have yourself a delish dinner, perfect for a cosy night in.

This recipe does need a few hours in the oven, so it’s not a weeknight dinner, although it would go great in a slow cooker, but you would need to adjust your liquids in the recipe to suit slow cookers. This recipe serves 2 with some leftover ‘sauce’ reserved to drizzle over mashed potato leftovers for lunch the next day. Yumsters!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 thick sirloin steaks
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp HP sauce
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1/2 cup red wine
• plain flour, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Lightly coat each piece of steak in flour.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onions, garlic and leek until soft.
4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over onions. Stir until well combined.
5. Add Dijon mustard, sauces, peppercorns and wine and cook for a further minute before removing off the heat and setting aside in a bowl.
6. Cook steak for approx 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
7. Slowly add onion and stock mixture to the ovenproof dish, covering the meat with liquid.
8. Bake for 2 hours or until steak is tender. Serve with potato mash, steamed vegies and roasted pumpkin.

 

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne

I’m not sure if I mentioned that I had recently set myself a challenge to not eat any meat for the last few weeks.

Having been a vegetarian for about 10 years back in the day, I know it can be difficult to enjoy exciting, delicious food that doesn’t involve asparagus (because apparently, that’s the staple of every vegetarian diet according to most caterers at functions) or lentils….

My motivations for not eating meat were varied. I wanted to detox my body in a way and just thrive on the nutrients and benefits of vegetables. It was also an experiment- would a meat-free diet inspire any changes in my health, my complexion, my irritable moods or stabilise my erratic hormones (how’s that for TMI?). Would not touching any steak, or chicken or seafood make me feel drained, weak and starving or would I feel vibrant and refreshed?

Well, here are the results, two weeks later.

• For the first few days, I felt vibrant, energetic, healthy and wholesome. I am convinced this was psychological, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
• Then coincidentally, I got the flu, had an allergic reaction where my face swelled up and itched like crazy, hives on my arms and puffy eyes. Now, I have a respiratory infection. Now, I’m not blaming the change in diet. I’M JUST SAYING, it’s a bit of a coincidence that I changed my diet and as a result, perhaps I wasn’t being as responsible with keeping my vitamin and mineral intake up to where it needed to be to help my immune system stave off all the problems? Alternatively, I blame my job. For stressing me. Stress weakens your immune system, therefore it’s all work’s fault.
• Then I felt tired. A lot. More lazy and lethargic than usual, I was having trouble being the night owl I usually am and was falling asleep on the couch every night while The Husband polished off the cookies behind my back. Don’t you worry, I took care of him. With my fists, KA-POW! Joking…no spousal abuse here….
• Then I felt hungry and unsatisfied all the time. My mouth was watering for chicken, to have something to CHEW and digest, I felt empty and found myself drooling over a pamphlet we got in the letterbox for KFC discount vouchers. I was looking at each individual coupon, tongue prickling, imagining what it would be like to chew on that. I thought about it all night and all the next day. I couldn’t shake the feeling. By 5pm the next afternoon, I was rabid. If someone didn’t give me chicken, I was convinced I was going to die from malnutrition. So I went. I ate with shame, my face buried in a 2-piece feed box and I think I had a foodgasm. Was chicken really this good before? It was the first time I had eaten chicken in 2 weeks and it was damn good. Then I felt guilty and dirty and like a failure. So I went home and ate celery with peanut butter and felt depressed.
• Then, I had a blood test. And my hormones were a little more balanced this time around. Hmm, interesting, interesting.

I love the idea of being a vegetarian again, for health reasons, for ethical reasons, for cost-cutting reasons, but I just don’t think I can do it this time around. I tried, I failed ultimately but what it did teach me is that I can survive on a diet without meat and there are delish meals to be had using vegetables as the stars of the dish.

Going forward, I will be cutting down the amount of meat we eat and try and incorporate more veggie-based meals into our diet, but God help anyone who gets between me and chicken ever again.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally

1 bulb of garlic

1 large eggplant, sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced

1 leek, sliced

1 brown onion, sliced into thick rounds

2 large red capsicums

3/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes

2 x 600ml jars of good pasta sauce (I use my grandmother’s homemade Italian tomato sauce)

Fresh  lasagna sheets

Fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

Fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Drizzle a large baking tray with olive oil and placed sweet potato slices, potato, carrot, the bulb of garlic,  leek and onion on the tray. Toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked and the onions, leeks and garlic are soft and sweet.
3. Remove the vegetables from the oven. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb and discard. Chop the cloves of garlic and combine with the roasted vegies.
4. Meanwhile, heat a grill on med-high heat, drizzle with olive oil and grill eggplant, zucchini and capsicums in batches until they have beautiful grill marks on them and are semi-cooked.
5. Now, to compile the lasagna, pour some sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Line with lasagna sheets. Trim any lasagna sheets that don’t fit well. Line the lasagna sheets with the sliced potatoes, onion and leek. Sprinkle with sauce and a small amount of the grated cheeses.
6. Place another layer of lasagna sheets on top of the potatoes. Line this layer with the eggplants, zucchini and garlic. Pour on some sauce, sprinkle with some of the cheeses again- dont overdo the cheese, it’s really there to act as a “glue” between the layers. Press down the layers and place one more layer of lasagna sheets on top.
7. For the last layer, arrange the capsicum, carrots and sun-dried tomatoes, pour a little sauce over the top, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese and pat down the top layer of pasta, pour on remaining sauce and sprinkle with enough cheese to cover the top.
8. Bake, covered with baking paper and foil for approx 1 hour before removing the foil to allow the top to brown and crisp up.

You should have leftovers of this for the next day- and it’s even tastier the next day.

 

Wild Mushroom & Leek Spring Rolls and Snow Pea Salad

Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• Canola oil,  for frying
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, seeds scooped out and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup thinly sliced assorted wild mushrooms
• 1 large leek, white part only, washed and cut into strips
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1  packet of  spring roll wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Pour sesame oil into hot wok, cook garlic, ginger, chilli, mushrooms and leek on med-low heat for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the hoisin sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce to the pan and cook for a further few minutes. Remove from heat and set the mixture aside to cool. Season to taste.
3. When the mixture has cooled, it’s time to start rolling the spring rolls. Lay a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface on an angle so it looks like a diamond. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling near the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold up to enclose the filling. Fold in the two sides. Paint the top seam of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Continue rolling up until nice and firm.
4. Deep fry in a hot wok with canola oil, in batches, until golden and crispy. Drain on absorbent paper.
5. Serve with a hoisin dipping sauce and snowpea salad.

Snow Pea Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup trimmed snow peas
• 1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 red capsicum, sliced into strips
• 1/2 spring onion, sliced finely
• 1 red chilli, sliced finely
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles, soaked in hot water and drained
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp sesame oil

Method

1. Soak vermicelli noodles in boiling water until softened and translucent. Set aside in a colander to drain all liquid while you prepare the salad.
2. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to hot wok, stir fry snow peas for approximately 1 minute, remove from wok.
3. Compile salad ingredients and add vermicelli noodles.
4. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, hoisin sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil. Mix well and pour over the salad. Toss to combine.

 

Sticky Orange, Honey & Soy Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken drumsticks
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 red chili
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup mirin (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Score the chicken drumsticks three to four times each with a sharp knife and place in a non-metallic bowl.
2. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. You could also do this by putting all of your drumsticks in a zip-lock bag and pouring the marinade in and massaging it with your hands. Whichever way you decide to do it, just ensure you leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can, turning occasionally.
3. Once it has marinated, place the chicken on the barbecue, cast-iron grill or frying pan medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes, brushing with any marinade left in the dish as it cooks. Alternatively, you can put it into the oven for about 30 minutes while you forget about it and busy yourself doing something else. Like blog-hunting.
4. If you do decide to bake in the oven, pop them on a lined tray into a preheated oven at 200C, turning a few times. Pour spoonfuls of the marinade over the chicken, basting it until it’s all sticky and golden and there are crunchy little caramelised bits. You can then sprinkle with sesame seeds in the last few minutes of cooking.
5. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables, or do what I do and enjoy them the next day while standing at the fridge when you think nobody is looking. Hehe!

 

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned schnitzel?

Over the years, I’ve tried weird and wonderful in my travels, restaurant hopping and recipe-scouring, but time after time, I find myself indulging in one of my favourite comfort foods, chicken schnitzel.

Everyone you talk to will tell you about their mother/grandmother/aunt/friend/cousin/lady who owns the local cafe and how they make The Best Schnitzel Ev-ah and they will carry on about that extra ingredient or that secret recipe.

Everyone likes to brag that their schnitzel is best. I remember early in our marriage, one of the first ‘silent treatments’ my husband got from me was when I overheard him on the phone praising his grandmother’s schnitzel as “the best schnitzel I’ve ever had”. Guess who didn’t get any ‘special cuddle time’ for a week! Ever since then, my schnitzel confidence was shaky at best.

In the last few years, I found myself looking for ways to introduce new flavours to the good old fashioned schnitzel and am proud to report that we enjoy this delicious parmesan-crusted chicken regularly. Other alternatives we also enjoy are having chopped herbs or pesto mixed in with the breadcrumbs, Moroccan seasoning, lemon rind and garlic mixed through the breadrumbs or ginger and sesame seeds for that extra crunch.

You can serve this with creamed spinach, steamed baby carrots and garlic mash or with a light, fresh and healthy salad.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup dried multigrain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 4 (125g each) chicken breasts, skin off
• vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Place flour on one plate, eggs in a shallow bowl and breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley and salt and pepper on separate plate.
2. Using a meat mallet, pound chicken breast to even, thin schnitzels. Lightly coat 1 schnitzel in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg then breadcrumb mixture and set aside. Repeat with remaining schnitzels, flour, egg and breadcrumb mixture.
3. Pour oil into a large frying pan, enough to deep-fry the schnitzels. Heat over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook schnitzels for about 4 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper.

 

Coq au Vin

Gee, I’m on a roll with these late night, unappealing photos aren’t I?

I’m hoping you’ll forgive me but I was just so proud that I had made my very first Coq au Vin without the assistance of a packet ‘flavour base” that I had to share.

So it might look unappealing and let’s not go there comparing it to other things it may resemble, just trust me when I say it was scrumptious and I will definitely be making it again.

We had this with olive oil mash and crunchy steamed green beans.

I made a few of my adaptations to this recipe.

• I used brown onions instead of pickling onions.
• I used chicken breast fillets because that was what I had.
• I used pancetta instead of bacon.
• I skipped on the cognac.

Ingredients

• 20 small onions (pickling onions)
• A few sprigs of parsley
• A sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 50 g butter
• About 100 g bacon, cut into small strips
• About 250 g mushrooms
• 8 chicken pieces on the bone, e.g. 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About 30 ml cognac
• 1 large tbsp plain flour
• About 400 ml red wine
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Place peeled onions in a saucepan with cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes, then drain.
2. Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together using kitchen string.
3. Heat half the butter in a wide saucepan on medium heat and brown onions for a few minutes. Add bacon and stir well for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Transfer onions, bacon and mushrooms to a dish.
4. Heat remaining butter in the same pan and brown chicken pieces on high heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
5. Drain excess fat into a bowl and discard.
6. Add cognac to pan and flame the chicken by either lighting a match or by tilting the pan towards the gas flame. Stir well, then sprinkle flour over the chicken.
7. Add wine and shake the pan. Add herbs, garlic and tomato paste and stir well. Bring to a slow simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes.
8. Turn chicken pieces over. Add mushrooms, bacon and onions, cover with a lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
9. Check the seasoning, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe adapted from here

 

One the kiddies will love: Bean Taco Cups

Ok, so in my Food Network induced coma, cooking really took a backseat. I survived on peanut butter toast, Crunchy Nut cornflakes and salads. My cooking was limited to quick, easy and cheap (I had just spent a few hundred dollars on…stuff…and hubby was pissed to the max), so I often opted for ‘uni student’ food.

This recipe is great if your kids are helping you out in the kitchen, it also jazzes up the normal burrito/taco thing and adds a little twist. And we all know how kids go apeshit over burritos and tacos. They love building their own burrito or taco and it really is a great way to get them involved in the kitchen and get them interested in their food at the dinner table.

I’m sorry for the crap photo, it was late at night and I was bordering on tipsy after a few too many Cherry Ripe cocktails…yep, I just blamed it on the booze.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 packet of soft flour tortillas
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup cheddar/Tasty cheese
• 2 tomatoes, diced (reserve half for the guacamole)
• 1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 avocado
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Spray a muffin tray with oil and forming the tortillas into cups, stuff them into the muffin holes. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden and crispy.
2. Pour olive oil into frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft and fragrant. Add kidney beans, cumin and paprika. Add the salsa and stir to combine, heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, then set aside.
3. To make the guacamole, blend avocado, green onion, lemon juice, sour cream, salt and pepper together (I used my beloved Magic Bullet, a 2 second job, gotta love it!).
4. When the taco cups have cooled and gone deliciously crispy, spoon in the kidney bean mixture, top with grated cheese, tomato, lettuce and top with a dollop of guacamole. Add some sour cream.

 

Chicken Salad Niçoise

Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 lb red potatoes (I used 3 average sized potatoes)
• 1/2 cup green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 3 precooked skinless chicken breasts (1lb), cut into long, thin strips
• 2 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1/3 cup niçoise or other black olives
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, tarragon or chives
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges

Dressing

• 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. (*I steamed mine)
2. Drain and cool potatoes, then peel and cut into thin wedges.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a strainer, run under cold water and then pat dry. (*I steamed my beans)
4. For the salad dressing, combine garlic, mustard, basil and lemon juice in a small bowl.
5. Whisk in oil a little at a time until well mixed, and season with salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl, combine chicken, potatoes, green beans, carrots, red pepper, onion, olives, capers and fresh herbs.
7. Toss with dressing. Garnish with egg and tomato wedges. If desired, serve on lettuce-lined plates.

Recipe Source

 

Spaghetti with Creamy Mushroom, Leek & Pancetta Sauce

I only discovered leeks a few years ago, on a rainy afternoon lunch break where I dashed into a local Starbucks for a caramel macchiato.

In my haste and my desperation, I needed something quick and easy to eat on the way back to work. The only thing left in the barren looking refrigerator case was a lovely golden pie, with a perfect, buttery puff pastry top that I claimed with my eyes while standing in line…and I was prepared to shoot death stares at anyone who dared step in on my pie.

Now,  I was skeptical. Skeptical about the pie. Skeptical about the coffee. Skeptical about the barista with chipped nail polish and a bad attitude, but I didn’t have time to starve, so I bought the pie, not even knowing what was in it and dashed into the rain back to my car.

This was my first taste of leek, in particular, chicken and leek together. I’m not particularly proud that it happened courtesy of Starbucks, wet bedraggled hair and scoffing lunch in my car, the windows steamed up while I hungrily watched the clock and dug in to the crispy, buttery puff pastry and creamy chicken and leek filling. I was impressed. And my fascination with leek grew from there.

I remember actually Googling ‘leeks’ when I got home later that night, curious why I had always walked past this vegetable and never given it the time of day. I suppose because my mother and grandmother had never really cooked with it, I had never been introduced to it.

Nowadays, leeks are a staple in my fridge – I love that they are so versatile, can be used in anything from soups to stocks, stews to pies and they seem to last for ages too….great for time-poor people who don’t have the luxury of being able to shop regularly.

Ever the helpful pal that I am, I have rustled up some info on leeks….just so you know. Here it is…

• The leek is related to both the garlic and the onion, with a sweeter, yet more subtle flavour.
• The smaller the leek, the more tender it will be
• It’s important to rinse leeks thoroughly, washing out any accumulated dirt and gunk from between the leaves. Most recipes call for the white part to be used only. The outer leaves tend to be more woody and bitter.
• The leek is known to have anti-bacterial properties as well as being a source of iron, vitamin B6 and folate (the stuff that’s very important for babymaking).

A few notes about this recipe:

• My measurements served approximately 2, so adjust accordingly if you need to.
• The pancetta can be substituted with prosciutto or bacon…or omitted entirely for vegetarians.
• If you’ve had One Of Those Days (OOTD) at work, add 1/4 cup white wine to the sauce so you have an excuse to stand there and take a swig from the bottle while your husband isn’t looking.
• You can use fettuccine, penne, tortellini or even gnocchi for this recipe instead of good old underrated spaghetti.
• If you’re watching your weight, you can substitute the cream with evaporate milk….but I don’t like your chances of it being as tasty!

Ingredients

• 300g dried spaghetti
• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic/2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2 large brown onion, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, sliced thinly
• 300g button mushrooms
• 50g pancetta, sliced into strips
• 150ml thickened cream
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• freshly shaved parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling water according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.
2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop in half of the butter and olive oil (to prevent the butter burning) and add garlic, onion, leek and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms and leeks are soft.
3. Add the pancetta and cook for a further 3-5 minutes, then pour in thickened cream and stir well. If you’re adding wine, one swig for you and one for the pan, now.
4. Add spring onion and then reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently for another 8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste, now!
5. To serve, distribute spaghetti amongst bowls, top with sauce and freshly shaved parmesan.

 

Rosemary Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

I’ve been eating a lot of risotto lately. I’m not sure why because I was never mad about if before, but suddenly I’m craving it all the time- maybe as an excuse to perfect my technique?

Risotto is traditionally supposed to be served with a very wet ‘soupy’ texture, but in the interests of trying to get The Husband to eat it, I cooked mine down a little further- he flat out refuses to eat soupy, sloppy rice. The same way I refuse to pick up his socks. It’s a Mexican stand-off of epic proportions.

I think it’s hard to make a chicken and mushroom risotto look good with the whole shades of brown thing going on and with no good daylight left, I was stuck with down lights only, so my most humble apologies. In my opinion, nothing looks as flash as a bright orange pumpkin risotto. That’s the only risotto that stands any chance of looking great in a photo.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small shallot or brown onion, chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 chicken breast, cut into small pieces

150g mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup leek, white part only, sliced finely

1 bacon rasher, cut into the tiniest little pieces you can manage

1/2 flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped roughly

2 cups arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock, hot

1/2 cup white wine

Shaved parmesan

Method

1. Heat  1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add chicken, cook for a few minutes until chicken is well-browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan and cook onion, garlic, mushrooms, leek and bacon until the onion is soft and translucent and the bacon is that yummy golden, crispy sort of texture.
3. Add the herbs and stir through before adding the arborio rice. Stir with the onion and mushroom mix until the rice grains are well coated with oil, then add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
4. Continue to add chicken stock, 1 cup at a time until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
5. As you add the last cup of chicken stock, also add the white wine and some shaved parmesan (not too much, save it for serving up).
6. The risotto should be ready when the rice is cooked, but not mushy and a traditional risotto is supposed to be soupy in texture with a lot of reserve liquid.
7. Serve the risotto immediately, you can drop in a knob of butter for that glistening, silky finish and stir through some fresh parsley. Shave some parmesan over the top.