Tag Archives: family

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Burgers

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Everyone loves crispy fried chicken, but few people these days are into deep fat frying. We know it’s not good for us.

The good news is that the recent arrival of air fryers in our lives has made it possible to achieve the same crispy finish without adding any oil – well, just a smidge from a spray can.

This recipe is simple and quick, not to mention healthy. A perfect mid-week dinner and one which will appeal to the kids. The photo shows the burger without the top of the bun, so you can see the filling. As you can see in the photo of the chicken on its own, it was really crispy.

4 chicken thighs
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (you might need a bit more)
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
Spray oil (olive or canola)
4 brioche buns
8 Tbs mayonnaise, preferably home-made
A little chilli sauce such as Sriracha (optional)
1 avocado, sliced
Lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced red onion (optional)
1 tomato, sliced

Trim chicken thighs and open them out, so they are of an even thickness. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and herbs into the flour. Coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour, then coat with egg and lastly the breadcrumbs, pressing them in well. Chicken can be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to several hours.

Spray the base of an air fryer with oil, place chicken pieces on the base, in one layer. Cook for 15 minutes at 200°C, turning halfway through and spraying again. Chicken should be cooked after 15 minutes, but it may need up to another five minutes, depending on your air fryer and the thickness of the chicken. It will also take a little longer if chicken has been refrigerated.

While chicken is cooking prepare the other ingredients. Split the buns and lightly toast them. If liked, mix some  Chilli sauce such as Sriracha into the mayonnaise.

Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the buns. Fill with the crispy chicken, lettuce, avocado, tomato and onion.

Serves 4

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

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Shredded slow-cooked beef makes a great filling for wraps or to serve with rice, potatoes baked in their jackets or roti.

1.5 to 2kg beef brisket
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs tomato ketchup
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs Sriracha chilli sauce (optional)
2 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
3 tsp hot English mustard

Place meat, trimmed of any excess fat, in a slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the meat. Cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, turning from time to time. The beef is ready when it’s so tender it’s falling apart. Use two forks to shred the meat.

Serve as a filling for wraps or taco shells. Side dishes of grated cheddar, sour cream, shredded lettuce, avocado or guacamole and onion and tomato salad go well.

Serves a crowd

Pearl Couscous & Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Maple Dressing

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This salad is a real winner. One you will make again and again. Healthy but filling, it just hits the spot.

Maple Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbs maple syrup
4 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad:
1 cup pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous)
1 small butternut pumpkin (also known as butternut squash)
1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach, firmly packed, stalks removed, or larger leaves, torn up
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup pecan or walnut halves

Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake to combine. Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel pumpkin and cut into 2cm cubes. Mix with the oil, salt and pepper, then spread out on a shallow baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked and starting to brown. Cool.

Meanwhile cook the couscous for 5-10 minutes in a pan of boiling, salted water, until al dente. Drain in a sieve, then run it under the cold tap and drain again. Toast the nuts by stirring them in a dry frying pan over moderate heat for a few minutes.

Mix the spinach and couscous with some of the dressing and arrange in a shallow salad bowl. Arrange the pumpkin, pecans or walnuts, cranberries and onion over the top. Drizzle with a bit more dressing.

Serves 4

Sticky Ginger Cake

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Auntie Vina and Uncle Hector lived at Hill House, a busy dairy farm on the moors of County Durham, where I spent many summers as a child. The farm hands all came into the farmhouse for meals, so Auntie Vina and her daughter in law Little Mary spent a lot of time cooking. She taught me all her basic cake recipes, such as sponge cake, chocolate cake, ginger cake and fruit cake.

Times have changed and most recipes using ginger now call for the fresh kind rather than dried. I decided to do some research online, looking for ginger cakes which use fresh ginger, or a combination of ground and fresh. I then adapted Auntie Vina’s recipe, using some of the new ideas I had found online. This is the result which I served as a dessert with Mangoes in Ginger Wine. If mangoes are in season where you live, give this quick and easy recipe a try.

Sticky Ginger Cake

250g unsalted butter
½ cup water
¾ cup treacle (or molasses)
¾ cup golden syrup (or honey)
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ cup milk
2-3 Tbs finely grated fresh ginger (to taste)

Preheat oven to 165°C. Butter and line a 22cm baking pan – round or square. I chose a ring tin – always a bit risky because being fluted you can’t line it, but fortunately the cake came out in one piece.

Place butter, water, treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar in a mixing bowl then heat in the microwave (covered to stop it spattering everywhere) for a minute or two until melted. Alternatively heat in a saucepan over moderate heat.

When cooled a bit, beat in the eggs with electric beaters or a hand whisk. Add the sifted flour, salt and spices, the milk and lastly fold in the fresh ginger. Scrape into cake tin and bake for 40-60 mins. Cooking times vary depending on your oven and the cake tin you use. If you overcook the cake it won’t be sticky, so as soon as the top is firm and springy to the touch it’s ready. Remove from the oven and when cool remove from the tin.

Serve as a dessert with whipped cream with a little rum or brandy added and some stewed fruit. Or serve with Mangoes in Ginger Wine as shown in the photo.

Or serve as a cake dusted with icing sugar or drizzled with lemon icing (1 cup sifted icing sugar mixed with 2 Tbs lemon juice).

Serves between 12 and 20 depending on serving size

Note: if you don’t have self-raising flour use plain flour and 2 tsp baking powder

Mediterranean Fish Casserole with Fennel & Tomato Sauce

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I was going to make a fish soup then changed my mind and came up with this fish casserole.

Serve it on one or two slices of toasted bread per person, depending on their appetite. One is enough for me. I used Turkish bread.

If preferred, serve the casserole without the toast and rouille. Or leave out the toast and serve a blob of rouille on each serving of fish.

750g white fish fillets
2 onions, chopped
1 leek (white part and a little of the green), chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs olive oil
1 bulb fennel, diced (keep some green fronds for garnish)
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans water
1 vegetable stock cube
¼ cup Pernod (optional)
2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Topping:
2 slices bread, made into breadcrumbs in food processor
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
To serve:
6 slices sourdough or Turkish bread, toasted
1 cup mayonnaise, preferably home-made
¼ cup roasted red pepper strips from a jar, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed

Arrange fish fillets in a single layer in a rectangular lasagne-type dish.

Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan and cook the onions, leek, garlic and fennel for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes, water (use the tomato can to measure), stock cube, Pernod and seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the fennel is soft. Add more water if necessary during cooking. When ready sauce should be fairly thick and chunky. Check seasoning.

Preheat oven to 180°C, Spread sauce evenly over the fish. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Meanwhile process the red peppers in food processor until smooth and mix into the mayonnaise with the crushed garlic. This sauce is a quick version of a sauce called Rouille, which is traditionally served in France with the fish soup called Bouillabaisse.

Place a slice of toast on six serving plates, spread each slice generously with the rouille, then top with a rectangle of the fish casserole – you should get six to eight servings. Garnish with some of the reserved fennel leaves and, if liked, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil around the plate.

Serves 6

Variations: if you can’t find fennel, substitute diced carrots, celery or zucchini.

Coleslaw with Fresh Corn & Ginger

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Try this slightly different coleslaw mix for a change. It’s healthy and goes well with meat, chicken or fish. The quantities are easily halved.

4 cups shredded red cabbage
4 cups shredded white cabbage
2 carrots, coarsely grated
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 cobs corn, kernels removed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced (optional)
½ cup raisins or sultanas
1-2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs honey
1-2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Any leftovers will keep, refrigerated for a day or so.

Variations: add some small broccoli or cauliflower florets, pine nuts or cashew nuts. If you don’t like things too sweet, leave out the raisins and use less honey.

Zucchini with Feta, Herbs & Pine Nuts

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We like to have one or two vegetarian meals a week. This recipe is delicious.

4-6 medium zucchini (courgettes)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
125g creamy feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup chopped fresh herbs (whatever you have)
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic glaze

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash zucchini and halve lengthwise. Make diagonal cuts in both directions on the cut surface of each zucchini half then arrange on a baking tray, lined with baking paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.

Meanwhile mix the topping. For the herbs I used a mixture of coriander, marjoram and sage, but use whatever you have.

Arrange one or two zucchini halves per person on serving plates. Spoon topping evenly over the tops and drizzle each plate with a little oil and balsamic glaze.

Serves 4

Sticky Lamb with Loaded Sweet Potatoes

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Lamb forequarter chops are about half the price of lamb cutlets. If you’re on a budget with a large family, you might want to try this recipe. Forequarter chops contain more fat than cutlets, but in this recipe it mostly dissolves during the cooking.

The sweet potatoes go well with the lamb. If preferred leave out the bacon. You think this recipe is going to serve more people, but the lamb is so tasty everyone comes back for a second helping! A green salad goes well with this family meal.

1 kg or up to 1.5kg lamb forequarter chops
Sticky Glaze:
2 Tbs honey
4 Tbs soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 Tbs chilli paste
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
Fresh coriander to garnish
Sweet Potatoes:
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 onion cut into 8ths
3 Tbs olive oil
3 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 rashers bacon, diced
1 cob fresh corn
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cut the chops into 2 or 3 smaller chops by cutting lengthwise and avoiding the bones. Mix the glaze and use it to marinate the chops.  Put aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunky chips. Place in a bowl with the onion, olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper and mix well. Tip into a large oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Put aside.

Dinner can be prepared ahead to this stage.

Preheat oven to 170°C. Arrange the drained lamb in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for an hour or until well-cooked and sticky as shown in the photo. Keep the glaze. Depending on your oven they might take a bit longer. Halfway through cooking time, turn them over, brush with remaining glaze.

Put the sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time as the lamb and cook for about an hour or until cooked through. Meanwhile cook the bacon for a few minutes in a frying pan. Add the corn kernels removed from the cob and continue to cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. About 10 minutes before the sweet potatoes are ready, top with the bacon and corn mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan (if using) and put back in the oven for the remaining 10 minutes or so.

Serves 4

Quick & Easy Italian Chicken

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Chicken Parmigiano is one of my favourite chicken dishes and the rest of the family like it too. However, it takes a bit of preparation and while it’s not complicated it doesn’t fall into the quick and easy category.

This recipe is similar, but without the tomato sauce and it can be prepared in a jiffy. Serve with a salad and crusty bread or rice. A real crowd pleaser which is easy to double.

4 or 5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup olive oil
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Oregano
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 tsp crushed chilli (optional)
½ tsp salt
Topping:
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs or home-made stale breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan, extra
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley
3 Tbs melted butter (optional)

Place the olive oil, lemon juice and rind, oregano, garlic, Parmesan, chilli and salt in a large rectangular lasagne-type dish and mix well. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you end up with 8-10 thinner pieces. Place them in the dish, one by one, turning them to coat them evenly with the oil mixture, then arranging them to cover the whole dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs, extra Parmesan, parsley and melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the chicken. You can leave out the butter if preferred. Bake for about 30 mins at 180°C or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with a green salad or a tomato, red onion and basil salad dressed with a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing and crusty bread or rice, or both.

Serves 6

Note: crushed chilli is sold in jars in most supermarkets

Cumquat and Almond Cake

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When a dessert comes into fashion you see it everywhere – in food magazines, on restaurant menus and served up by friends who entertain. A few years ago chocolate fondants – those tricky little puddings which are all about timing – were very much in vogue. A pool of delectable melted chocolate pours out when you stick your spoon into the middle – well that’s the theory. If you’ve managed to over-cook them, as I’ve done on more than one occasion, they’re still delicious. One of my all-time favourite desserts.

Turn the clock back even further to the 1970s and 80s and everyone was making Orange and Almond cake, where you boil two whole oranges until soft, whizz them to a purée, then add them to the cake mixture. I believe this cake made its debut in Australia in Claudia Roden’s Book of Middle Eastern Food, but recipes were soon popping up everywhere. Some versions don’t use any flour, making them good for celiacs.

Once again we have a huge crop of cumquats, so I decided to make this cake using cumquats instead of oranges and it was a great success. If preferred use two oranges or even mandarins.

Cumquat and Almond Cake

Cake:
About 300g cumquats (or 2 oranges)
2 cups ground almonds (or grind your own from whole or slivered blanched almonds)
125g butter at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
5 eggs
½ cup self-raising flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
Syrup:
2 Tbs cumquat juice (or orange juice)
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup water
2 Tbs whisky (optional)
To serve:
Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC and line the base of a 22cm cake pan with baking paper and grease the sides. Place cumquats in a pan and cover with water. Simmer for 10 mins or until soft then cool. If using oranges they will take 20-30 mins. Cut in half and remove seeds.

If you need to grind the almonds, do them first in the food processor, then add remaining ingredients for cake, including the cooked cumquats, skin and all. Mix until smooth, stopping once to scrape down mixture from the sides. Tip mixture into cake pan and bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Ovens vary so start checking after 45 mins.

Meanwhile make the syrup – place all ingredients in a small pan and simmer for 5 mins. Make holes over the top of the cake with a metal skewer and spoon the warm syrup over as soon as it comes out of the oven. The syrup will be absorbed.

Serve dusted with icing sugar, either warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of thick cream.

Serves 8-10

Variations: use macadamia nuts or pine nuts instead of almonds

Note: to make a flourless version suitable for anyone who is gluten intolerant, replace the flour with an extra half cup of ground almonds