Chicken with Lemon and Tarragon

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I used to make this classic French dish many years ago and then for some reason I stopped. With a large crop of tarragon in the garden this vintage recipe is back on the menu. Serve the sauce with a whole roast chicken or chicken pieces or breasts.

Roast or pan fried chicken (whole or pieces or breast)
Seasoning to taste
Sauce:
25g butter
25g flour
3 Tbs white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1½ Tbs Dijon mustard
1-2 Tbs cream
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Juice from ½ a lemon or 1 lime

Season chicken and cook as desired. I used chicken breasts, cut into 3-4 pieces, seasoned then pan fried until cooked in a little oil.

While chicken is cooking make the sauce. Heat butter in a non-stick pan and cook, stirring until slightly brown. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and stock, stirring or whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Add mustard and cream and keep stirring. Check seasoning. Let simmer for a couple of minutes then mix in the tarragon. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.

Drizzle lemon juice over the chicken and spoon over the sauce.

Makes about 1½ cups sauce

Baked Pears with Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Honey

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This year we have our first crop of pears. A delicious way to use pears when you can’t eat any more fresh is to bake them. This savoury baked dish makes a great starter or light meal, served with a rocket salad.

3 pears (some of mine were smaller so I used 4)
2-3 tsp olive oil
50g creamy blue cheese (e.g. Gorgonzola)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3-4 stalks fresh thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
1-2 Tbs honey
½ tsp Aleppo pepper (available from specialty shops)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs to garnish

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove core and seeds with a melon baller. Place in a baking dish in one layer, cut sides up. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then turn them over. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the pears over, so they are cut side up and stuff with the blue cheese, walnuts and thyme. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper. The Aleppo pepper is not essential, but it adds a bit of extra colour and flavour. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with a lightly dressed rocket salad.

Serves 3

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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I’m not vegan, but I saw this recipe and it looked so quick and easy I thought I’d give it a try. It was delicious.

The packet of tofu I bought weighed 450g, but I threw it all in anyway. If you want to make the mousses dairy-free, don’t serve them with cream.

400g silken tofu
200g dark chocolate
4 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
To serve:
Whipped cream (optional)
Grated chocolate

Place tofu in a food processor or blender, and mix until smooth with the maple syrup and vanilla. While it’s mixing, heat the chocolate, broken into squares, in a microwave for about two minutes, or until melted.

Add the melted chocolate to the blender and mix until smooth. Scrape into small serving dishes and refrigerate. If liked serve with whipped cream or pouring cream and garnish with some chocolate, shaved off with a vegetable peeler.

Serves 4-6

 

Scotch Eggs in the Air Fryer

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A hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried becomes a Scotch egg.

There are various explanations regarding the origin of the name of these traditional British snacks. They were first mentioned in Britain in publications from the early 1800s, so they have been around for quite some time.

The advent of the air fryer makes cooking them so much easier and healthier. Instead of deep frying, just give them a quick spray with a can of oil before they go into the air fryer.

Served at room temperature they make a perfect addition to lunch boxes, summer buffets and picnics.

Serve with Spicy Tomato Sauce (recipe below) for dipping.

6 large eggs, hardboiled and peeled
600g pork sausages
1 very small onion, grated (optional)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (or maybe a bit more) panko breadcrumbs (or ordinary breadcrumbs)
Fresh herbs or thinly sliced spring onion to garnish
Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce:
½ cup tomato ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbs vinegar
1 small onion, grated
1½ Tbs honey
½ tsp hot English mustard
2 tsp grated fresh ginger

While the eggs are boiling, remove the casings from the sausages and discard them. Mix the sausage meat with the onion, herbs, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into six and flatten each portion into a circle about four inches (10cm) in diameter. Place an egg on each, wrap the sausage meat around the egg and pinch to close any holes an make a nice oval ball. Roll each one in beaten egg then breadcrumbs, patting them in to cover evenly. Can be made ahead to this point and kept refrigerated for up to several hours. My eggs were not very big so I hardboiled 7 rather than 6.

Place the Scotch eggs in an air fryer in one layer and preferably not quite touching. Spray lightly with oil then cook at 200°C for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn them over and spray again.

Remove from air fryer when cooked and leave to cool. Serve cut in half, garnished with herbs or spring onion and with the sauce for dipping.

Makes 12 egg halves

Sauce: heat ingredients together in a saucepan, then cool. Use as a dipping sauce for Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and empanadas.

Hutch’s Quick Cauliflower Cheese

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This version of a traditional cauliflower cheese was sent to me by my brother, whose nickname is Hutch. It’s quick and easy. The oven heats up while you prepare the dish.

I didn’t have any nutritional yeast so looked on Google and came up with miso paste, which I did have, as a substitute. It’s quite salty so I didn’t need any additional salt for the sauce. It went very nicely with the last of the Christmas ham. The recipe is easy to halve.

1 large cauliflower cut into large florets
2 eggs
125ml milk
125ml oil (olive or canola)
200ml plain yoghurt
1 tsp paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs nutritional yeast or white miso paste
Salt if necessary
Almond slivers or flakes
Grated cheese – I used cheddar

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Cook cauliflower in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes then drain. Mis remaining ingredients except the cheese and nuts, whisking to remove any lumps from the miso paste.

Add the cauliflower, turn to coat, then tip into a greased baking dish. I decided to divide it between two smaller dishes and keep one to serve the following day. Scrape the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with almonds and cover with grated cheese. The amount is up to you.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Don’t overcook.

Serves 6-8

 

 

 

Salmon with Shaved Beetroot & Avocado

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This colourful salmon dish will appeal to beetroot fans. Serve it as a light but satisfying main course for two or a starter for four. 

2 portions salmon (350-400g)
1 rounded Tbs each salt and sugar
1 medium beetroot
2 small avocados (or one large one)
Olive oil, Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs snipped chives
Balsamic glaze

Place salmon in a plastic container with a lid. Add the salt and sugar and turn to coat. Cover with the lid and refrigerate for a day or two, turning 2 or 3 times. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Salmon can be wrapped in plastic wrap at this stage and frozen for up to a month. Thaw to use in this recipe. Remove and discard skin and cut salmon into 1cm dice. Add olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Peel beetroot then shave thinly using a mandoline slicer, or the thin slicing attachment on a food processor. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, separating the slices so each one is well-coated. Arrange beetroot on 4 individual serving plates in an overlapping circle, leaving a space in the middle for the avocado.

Peel avocado and mash with a fork, adding salt, olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Divide between the four plates, piling into the middle. Top with the salmon, then garnish with the chives, balsamic glaze and freshly ground pepper.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light main dish

Grilled Steaks with Board Dressing

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This dressing to serve with grilled steak is prepared on a chopping board, while the steaks are cooking. It comes from a website called Certified Angus Beef and takes an ordinary steak to another level.

I have heard several well-known chefs say that steaks should be seasoned with salt and pepper a good hour before cooking. Since I adopted this advice I have found that it really does make a difference to the flavour of the meat. If you only have time to make it half an hour, so be it, anything is better than nothing.

4 rib-eye steaks each weighing 200-250g
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup fresh parsley
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2-3 leaves fresh sage
2 small sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1 spring onion or shallot
3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar or glaze
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp soy sauce (optional)

Season steaks on both sides with salt and pepper at least an hour before cooking. Preheat grill or barbecue to medium high.

Place the herbs, garlic and spring onion or shallot on a chopping board and chop very finely, adding a little salt and pepper and one Tbs of the oil.

Cook steaks to desired doneness then place them on top of the herb mixture, turning to coat. Cover loosely with a piece of foil and leave for 5 minutes while you mix the sauce. In a small bowl mix the mustard, balsamic vinegar or glaze, soy sauce (if using) and 2 Tbs olive oil.

Slice steaks downwards, while they are on the herb mixture and arrange the meat on 4 serving plates or one large platter. Scrape the herbs and any pan drippings into the bowl with the dressing and whisk to combine. Spoon dressing over the steaks and serve.

Serves 4

Salmon Poke Bowl

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According to Google, poke bowls (pronounced pokee) originated in Hawaii but are now deeply-rooted in Japanese cuisine. Poke means “cut into pieces” and refers to the slices or cubes of raw fish that are served in a bowl, along with rice, vegetables, dressing and seasoning.

A poke bowl is usually an individual serving, with the various ingredients arranged in groups. In this version, which I created as part of a buffet lunch where I had been asked to bring a plate, I made one large poke bowl, with the ingredients evenly layered in the serving dish.

I have always made my own salad dressings but this roasted sesame dressing is an exception. I buy it from Woolworths and we always have a bottle in the fridge. If you have never tried it I should warn you that it’s addictive. Guaranteed to perk up any salad!

1 cup sushi rice
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
300g fresh salmon
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 finely chopped birds-eye chilli (optional)
1 Lebanese cucumber, half  the peel removed, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded into fine julienne
1 avocado, sliced
3 eggs, hardboiled and quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced (or spring onions)
Coriander leaves
Black sesame seeds
1 Tbs pink peppercorns (optional)
Kewpie Japanese roasted sesame dressing (see note below)

Cook the rice in boiling salted water then rinse, drain thoroughly and mix in the rice wine, sugar and seasoning to taste, while it’s still warm. Spread over the base of a large serving dish. Remove skin and trim any stringy bits from the salmon, then cut it into 1cm cubes. Mix it with the olive oil, grated ginger and chilli if using.

Arrange the ingredients evenly over the rice, in the order they are listed. Finish with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and some pink peppercorns if you have them. Lastly drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

If preferred serve the ingredients in 3 or 4 individual bowls.

Serves 6-10 as a side dish

Note: Kewpie Japanese roasted sesame dressing is available in Australia in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets. Here is a photo of the bottle so you know what it looks like and a recipe to make your own if you can’t buy it where you live.

Variations: add baby tomatoes, halved. Use raw tuna instead of salmon.

Mediterranean Baked Fish with Feta

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When we were posted to Israel we had a cleaning lady who was also called Linda. My Hebrew was pretty basic, but she spoke Italian and I speak Spanish so we communicated in a weird combination of all three. A certain amount was lost in translation, but we managed.

When Linda’s son had his Bar Mitzvah she invited us to the celebration. We got terribly lost on the way and as we pulled up at the address we had been given – a huge building in the centre of town – we were feeling somewhat frazzled. The sound of a big party was wafting down the stairs so we ran up to find a room packed with over 200 guests seated at tables for 10. Linda was nowhere to be seen, so not wanting to make a point of having arrived late we spotted a couple of empty seats in the far corner and sat down. We were onto our second glass of wine and having a jolly time when suddenly the band started to play, everyone stood up and in walked the bride and groom. “Holy Dooley” said Matthew, “wrong party.”

It was impossible to leave without shaking hands with the happy couple as they were blocking the only exit. We left them looking somewhat bemused and no doubt thinking, “Who invited them?”  We eventually found our party at the other end of the building.

Linda gave me this easy recipe for a Mediterranean all-in-one fish dish. If you have more mouths to feed, the onions and potatoes “pad it out”, as my mother used to say, but I often leave one or both of them out. If preferred, serve potatoes, rice or Israeli couscous as a side dish.

This recipe makes a quick midweek family dinner and is easy to halve or double. More people to feed? Bigger dish. It’s also great for casual entertaining and looks very colourful when you bring it to the table. I don’t usually measure the ingredients, just do it by eye.

1.5 kg firm white fish fillets
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
200-300g feta cheese
200-300g olives, stoned (black or green)
12-15 baby onions or 1 large onion cut into 8.
12-15 peeled baby potatoes (optional)
200-250g cherry tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes, thickly sliced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup white wine or dry sherry
To serve:
3-4 Tbs chopped parsley, preferably flat-leafed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 200°C . Cut fish into 2-3 cm chunks, mix with salt, pepper and crushed garlic and spread over a greased shallow baking dish. If using, cook baby onions and potatoes separately in boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until almost cooked then drain. If using a whole onion cut into 8, fry it for a few minutes in a little olive oil, or until softened.

Cut feta into cubes and evenly distribute, tucking them in between the fish to make a pretty picture. Add the olives, tomatoes, onions and, if using, the potatoes. Drizzle with the wine or sherry and then the oil. Recipe can be made ahead to this stage and kept refrigerated for up to a few hours.

Bake for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with a little more oil (optional). Serve with a crusty baguette to mop up the juices and a big green salad or some steamed green beans.

Serves 6-8

Mushroom Risotto

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When making risotto it’s important to serve it when the rice is just cooked. It should be al dente as the Italians say. It’s not difficult – you just need to add the liquid slowly and check the rice each time, before adding more stock.

While the dried mushrooms aren’t essential in this recipe they add a depth of colour and flavour that you won’t achieve from just using fresh mushrooms.

About 30g of dried mushrooms (e.g. porcini)
2 cups boiling water
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, crushed
250g mushrooms, peeled and sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1½ cups arborio rice
½ cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
About 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
To garnish:
Fresh rocket leaves
3 Tbs pine nuts, lightly toasted
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, extra
A drizzle of Extra Virgin olive oil (optional)

Cover the dried mushrooms with the boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Drain, keeping the liquid. Chop the drained mushrooms.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring. Add the herbs, the chopped dried mushrooms and the rice and cook, stirring for a minute or two. Add the wine and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until there is no liquid left.

Add the liquid from the dried mushrooms and cook, stirring from time to time, until it has been absorbed. Continue to cook the risotto, adding the vegetable or chicken stock about a cup at a time and adding more when it has been absorbed. Stir often and keep tasting the rice. It is ready when it is tender, but still has a little bite to it. You may not need all the stock.

Mix in the Parmesan and season to taste.

Serve risotto garnished with the rocket, pine nuts, extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4