Mediterranean Chicken Piccata Meatballs

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I don’t buy chicken mince very often but this recipe caught my eye. The cream wasn’t in the original version, but we thought it really improved the sauce.

Meatballs:
500g chicken mince
1 egg
2 tsp Italian seasoning or mixed dried herbs
½ tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 Tbs finely chopped parsley
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Extra:
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
Sauce:
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
¼ cups capers
½ cup cream (optional)
To garnish:
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Using damp hands, form into 16 meatballs. Coat the meatballs in the extra ¼ cup of breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for half an hour or until serving time.

Sauce: Heat butter and olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the meatballs for a few minutes each side, or until golden all over. Remove from pan. To the pan add the lemon juice and zest, white wine, capers and cream (if using). Bring to the boil, stirring, then return the meatballs to the pan. Cook, turning them a couple of times, until sauce has thickened. Check sauce for seasoning. If you’re not adding the cream you may need to add a bit more water.

Serve garnished with the chopped parsley.

Serves 4

Lobster or Prawn Benedict

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This recipe makes a breakfast, light lunch or dinner fit for a king.

If you live somewhere you can buy lobster or crayfish for a reasonable price then use that. If not, prawns work well in this recipe. Instead of seafood try using ham or some steamed chopped spinach.

1 brioche bun, split in two or 2 thick slices brioche loaf
150g shelled lobster or prawn meat, roughly chopped
2 large eggs, poached
Snipped chives
Quick Hollandaise sauce:
60g butter
2 egg yolks
Lemon juice to taste (3-4 tsp)
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper

While the brioche buns or slices are toasting and the eggs are poaching, make the sauce. Melt butter in a bowl or jug in the microwave. With a hand whisk, mix in the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Zap in the microwave for  12-15 seconds, then whisk again vigorously. If it’s a bit too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of hot water. Don’t overcook it as you will end up with scrambled egg!

Place the toasted brioche on two warm serving plates. Spread some hollandaise sauce on each, then top with the lobster or prawn meat, divided in two. Arrange a poached egg on each serving, then spoon over more hollandaise and garnish with chives. If liked, arrange the other half of the toasted bun on the side of the plate.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Blueberry and Lemon Jam

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We grow our own blueberries and last year we had a bumper crop.

The new season will start in about three months and I still have a big bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer. I decided to use some of them to make jam. We also grow our own lemons, so blueberry and lemon seemed like a good combination.

Home-made berry jam is delicious served with warm croissants, as a topping on plain Greek-style yoghurt or as a topping on a home-made cheesecake. Here is a recipe for raspberry jam which is also delicious.

OMG this jam is so good!  You can use frozen or fresh blueberries so if you see a bargain, get the preserving pan out!

12 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
Juice and zest from 3 lemons
6 cups sugar
50g powdered pectin (1 pkt Jamsetta in Australia)

Place a tablespoon in the freezer to get really cold.

Place blueberries in a preserving pan or large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Squash the fruit with a potato masher. Add lemon juice and zest and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add sugar and pectin and when the sugar has dissolved continue to cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until setting point is reached. Test by placing a small amount on the cold tablespoon. When cool, push it with your finger and it should start to set. If not, put the spoon back in the freezer, cook the jam for a bit longer and test again. Meanwhile put 6-8 clean jam jars in the microwave (not the lids) and zap them on High for 2 minutes.

Use a small jug to fill the hot jars to within a centimetre of the top. Seal immediately with the lids and wipe the outsides. Label and store in a dark cupboard. Refrigerate after opening.

Makes 6-8 jars depending on size

Cucumber Avocado & Smoked Salmon Rolls

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You may have seen variations on this recipe on Pinterest and Instagram. I made them for a recent potluck French lunch which I attend every month in order to keep up the lingo. Learning a foreign language is a lot of work, so having put in all that effort it makes sense to keep it up.

As you can see from the final product, I didn’t roll it up tightly enough, so I will remember that for next time.

 

1 1

1 long telegraph cucumber
250g cream cheese at room temperature
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small avocado, or ½ a large one, sliced
3-4 slices smoked salmon
A few chives
To garnish:
Balsamic glaze
Sesame seeds

Choose a nice thin cucumber – you don’t one one with a lot of seeds and moisture.

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber lengthwise. Arrange the slices, slightly overlapping on a piece of baking paper, as shown in the photo. Mix the garlic, if using, into the cream cheese and season. Spread the cream cheese over the cucumbers to cover the top 10 cm or so. Also spread a tiny bit all along the opposite end, to help to stick everything together when you roll it. Either lay the chives under the avocado, whole, which is what I did. Or chop them finely and mix them into the cream cheese, which is what I think I will do next time. Arrange the smoked salmon, chives and avocado on top of the cream cheese, as shown in the photo.

Starting from the loaded end, use the baking paper to help you to roll it up as tightly as possible, then wrap in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge till serving time. Up to a few hours is ok. This helps to firm everything up.

To serve, use a very sharp serrated knife to cut the roll into slices 4-5cm thick. Arrange them on a plate, cut side up. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a few sesame seeds.

Makes about 10

Vegetable & Pasta Soup with Parmesan Croutons

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Rather than cooking a traditional evening meal, I sometimes make a hearty soup. This is a slightly adapted version of a recipe I found on the Gourmet Traveller website.

1 leek, white and light green part only
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
150-200g fresh lasagne sheets (see note below)
2 handfuls spinach leaves, shredded if large
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Croutons:
2 thick slices sourdough bread
1 Tbs butter, melted
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Topping:
1 small head fennel thinly shaved and some of the green fronds
Extra Virgin Olive oil to drizzle

Chop all the vegetables and place them in a large heavy-based saucepan with the olive oil. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the stock and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Can be prepared ahead to this point then reheated to serve.

Meanwhile make the croutons: cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl with the melted butter and grated cheese and mix well. Cook in one layer in a hot oven or an air fryer until crisp and golden.

Thinly slice the fennel and cut the slices into smaller pieces. Keep some of the fennel fronds.

To serve: Add the fresh lasagne sheets, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces and cook for a minute or two. Add the shredded spinach and sugar and check seasoning. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the lasagne is cooked, then ladle into soup bowls. Top with the croutons, the shaved fennel and fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 2-3

Note: if you don’t have fresh lasagne sheets, you can use any fresh or dried pasta and adjust the cooking time accordingly. If using dry pasta, choose a small size which cooks quickly.

Cream Cheese Log with Dried Fruit & Nuts

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Invite some friends round for a drink and serve this delicious cheese log with your favourite crackers. It can be made a day or two before serving. If you want it to keep for longer, leave out the chives and maybe add some dried herbs. Then it will keep for a week or two.

Try different combinations of fruit and nuts. The photo shows cranberries and pecans, but glacé ginger or diced apricots, or both, with walnuts or pecans is a great combination.

Just before serving I cut the log in half, so what you see in the photo is one of two small logs.

150g dried cranberries (or apricots, dates, seedless raisins, figs, glacé ginger, or a mixture)
125g pecans (or walnuts, pistachios or macadamias, or a mixture)
4 Tbs snipped chives (use scissors)
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the cranberries and pecans, both finely chopped, in a mixing bowl with the chives. Mix well. Place cream cheese in another mixing bowl, add the grated cheddar, about half the cranberry and nut mixture and season to taste.

Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the kitchen bench. Tip the remaining cranberry and nut mixture onto the middle in a rectangle.  Use a spatula to scrape the cream cheese mixture onto a plate or chopping board, in a rough log shape. Use damp hands to form it into a neater log shape, about 3cm in diameter. Or you can make two smaller logs.

Place the log on the cranberry and nut mixture and roll it around, patting it into the log until it’s completely covered, including both ends. Use a clean piece of plastic wrap to wrap the log and once it’s securely wrapped, roll it on the counter a few times to improve the shape.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving with your favourite crackers.

Serves a crowd

Zucchini Ricotta and Basil Tart

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This quick and easy recipe for a zucchini tart uses bought puff pastry and is delicious served with a mixed salad.

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
2-3 zucchini (courgettes)
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
250g fresh ricotta cheese
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs finely chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs pine nuts (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil

Lay pastry square or rectangle on a paper-lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 200°C. Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise using a vegetable peeler. Place in a bowl with the olive oil and seasoning and mix well with your hands to coat well.

With a fork, mash the ricotta with the lemon juice and rind and seasoning. If it’s a bit stiff add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix in the chopped basil. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a border of a couple of centimetres or one inch around the edges.

Layer the zucchini slices on top of the ricotta, overlapping the slices in parallel rows and doing several layers. Arrange the garlic slices over the zucchini before covering them with the last layer of slices. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the zucchini. Brush the beaten egg around the edges.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Halfway through the cooking time, sprinkle with the pine nuts, if using.

Place the fresh basil leaves in a food processor and process, adding enough oil to make a thick sauce. Drizzle the basil oil over the tart before serving.

Serves 4-6

Baked Fennel with Bacon

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This easy side dish goes well with fish or chicken.

1 large bulb of fennel or two smaller ones
2 tbs olive oil
2-3 rashers of bacon, diced
1 slice bread, preferably sourdough
2 Tbs fresh rosemary, leaves only
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200°C. Oil or butter a shallow baking dish. Thinly slice fennel and cut the slices into smaller pieces. Place in a mixing bowl with the olive oil. Mix then tip into the baking dish and spread evenly.

Place bread, rosemary and pepper in a food processor and pulse to obtain chunky crumbs. Fry the bacon until crisp, then mix with the breadcrumbs. Spread over the fennel, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the fennel is tender and the crumbs are golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Chicken Confit with Coconut Rice & Red Curry Sauce

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Living in Paris some 20 years ago I was introduced to confit, a cooking method where poultry is covered with duck fat or olive oil and cooked at a low temperature for a long time.

Confit comes from the French word confire which means to preserve and is used to describe any type of food that is cooked slowly over a long period as a method of preservation. It dates back to the days when people didn’t have refrigerators and this was a means of making things last longer.

The French mainly use this cooking method with duck, but chicken works just as well and I have also tried it with salmon. They say that confit duck or chicken pieces will keep in the fridge, submerged in the cooking fat, for up to a month, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for more than a week, just to be on the safe side. To serve, remove the chicken or duck pieces from the fat and pan fry them on both sides till crisp and golden brown.

The red curry sauce is a real winner. Quick to make and it can be frozen. If you don’t have time to confit the chicken, buy a cooked chicken at the supermarket, take off all the meat and mix it with this delicious sauce. The sauce goes with everything. Try it over steamed broccoli, green beans, noodles or fish.

The coconut rice recipe is also a winner because it requires no attention. It cooks in the oven and comes out beautifully fluffy and dry. This week’s recipe is perfect for entertaining because you can prepare all the elements beforehand.

There are two ways to serve this confit chicken. Either pan fried on top of the rice with the reheated curry sauce spooned over – as shown in the photo. Alternatively, remove and discard the chicken bones and mix the chicken meat (home-made confit or a cooked chicken from the supermarket) into the curry sauce, reheat and serve on top of the rice.

If you make the confit, don’t throw away the cooking oil once the chicken has been removed. Keep it to make the most delicious roast potatoes. Parboil them for 10 minutes, then drain, mix with some of the oil and roast in a hot oven or in an air fryer.

If you want to cut down on the calories in this recipe, use half a tin of coconut milk in the sauce and half in the rice. Add extra water to make up the difference.

Confit chicken pieces – see recipe
I used 6 chicken Marylands (drumstick and thigh)
Red Curry Sauce:
1 can (400g) coconut milk
2 Tbs peanut butter
2 Tbs red curry paste
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs lemon or lime juice
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup finely chopped peanuts
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
Coconut Rice:
2 cups rice (Basmati or Jasmine)
1 Tbs olive or vegetable oil to grease the casserole
1 can (400g) coconut milk
1 cup water
4 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
To serve:
Thinly sliced spring onions
Chopped fresh coriander
Lightly toasted coarse coconut
Lemon or lime wedges

Make the confit chicken according to the recipe link or buy a cooked chicken and take all the meat off.

Red Curry Sauce: place all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring often,  for 10 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and reaches the desired consistency. Can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until needed.

Coconut Rice: thoroughly rinse the rice with cold water, then cover with cold water and leave overnight or for at least an hour. Drain rice and place in a lightly-oiled heavy casserole with a lid. I used Le Creuset. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover with the lid. Can be made ahead to this point. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Remove from the oven and stir well about 15 minutes into the cooking time. Fluff with a fork before serving.

To serve: remove the confit chicken pieces from the oil they were cooked in, then fry in a frying pan until crispy and golden brown on both sides. You don’t need to put any oil in the frying pan as the chicken pieces will all have a light coating. Toast the coconut by stirring it in a dry frying pan over moderate heat until lightly coloured.

Serve the chicken on a bed of coconut rice, with half to three quarters of a cup over reheated curry sauce spooned onto each serving. Garnish with the spring onions, coriander, coconut and lemon or lime wedges.

Serves 6

The Olympic Chocolate Muffin that went Viral

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Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen uploaded a TikTok reel reviewing the meals in the Olympic village in Paris. There was pain au chocolat, pesto pasta, pork skewers, shrimp dumplings and chicken gyoza, all of which he gave average ratings.

However, when he gave the chocolate chip muffins a glowing 11/10 it went viral, and everyone went crazy for this chocoholic’s dream. Some of Christiansen’s muffin videos had over 10 million views and soon earned him the nickname The Olympic Muffin Man.

These little cakes, called Muffins Chocolat Extrême, are made in Paris by a company called Coup de Pates. A lot of people have been trying to replicate them and the photos I saw online all looked delicious. I thought I would have a go.

Use top quality Dutch cocoa and high quality dark chocolate for the best result. Use chocolate chips or just roughly chop a bar of dark chocolate to make chunks. The trick is not to overcook the muffins. The chocolate ganache which you squeeze into the middle after they’re cooked is optional, but very nice.

Definitely worthy of a Gold Medal 🥇

Muffins Chocolat Extrême - the Olympic village sensation

¾ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 tsp instant coffee
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
125g butter
2 cups plain flour
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup firmly packed soft brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
A few extra chocolate chips or chunks to go on top
Chocolate ganache filling:
½ cup cream
¼ cup chocolate chips or chunks
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin paper liners.

Place milk, water, coffee and cocoa powder in a medium to large saucepan and heat, stirring, to dissolve. Add the butter and chocolate chunks and when melted turn off the heat. Add the brown and white sugar, the oil, salt and vanilla. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then add the beaten eggs, the sifted flour and baking powder and the 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks. Don’t over mix, just enough to combine.

Spoon mixture into the muffin liners, filling them level with the top of the paper. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a few extra chocolate chips or chunks and push them in a bit. Bake for 15 minutes or until well-risen and firm to touch. As soon as they’re firm to touch they’re ready. Overcooked muffins will be dry.

For the filling, heat the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix. When smooth leave the ganache to cool a bit, then put it into a piping bag with a nozzle. Squeeze a bit into the centre of each muffin through the top.

Serve the muffins while they are still warm, or zap them in a microwave for 20 seconds the next day.

Makes 12 large muffins