Tag Archives: easy

Aleppo Pepper & Honey Chicken

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According to Wikipedia, Aleppo pepper is a variety of capsicum used as a spice, particularly in Turkish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Also known as Halaby pepper, its pods are ripened, semi-dried, de-seeded and crushed.

I’ve been seeing quite a few recipes which call for this spice and realised it was one which, believe it or not, I didn’t have in my collection. It’s not sold in Australia in your average supermarket selection, but I found it at The Essential Ingredient.

If you look at images online you will see that Aleppo Pepper varies in colour from bright red through to a dark brownish red. I suggest you buy a bright red one, as the colour is a big part of the appeal of this spice. The flavour is somewhere between a spicy, tangy pepper and a very subtle chilli.

This recipe can be halved or doubled. If preferred, you can use chicken breasts or bone-in pieces, such as wings or drumsticks, instead of boned thighs, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. I prefer to use thighs as chicken breasts tend to be a bit dry.

This recipe is easy and absolutely delicious, with a subtle pepperiness and a very attractive colour. You will want to make it again. Perfect for a weekend BBQ, but it can also be cooked in the oven.

1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
2 Tbs Aleppo pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs honey
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley
To serve:
Lime wedges

Trim chicken pieces of any excess fat. Place in bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well, then leave to marinate for at least half an hour or overnight if that suits you.

Cook the drained chicken in a preheated oven 200°C for 20-30 minutes or on a BBQ – preferably a charcoal grill. If cooking in the oven, cook in a single layer and you may want to line the baking sheet with baking paper which comes up the sides a bit, to make the washing up easier. Burnt honey is always a pain to clean!

Garnish with lime wedges to serve.

Serves 6-8

 

Mexican Charred Corn Salad

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This fresh corn salad is a nice accompaniment to chicken, fish or beef or use it to fill some wraps, with a few slices of barbecued chicken.

Using mayonnaise in the dressing makes it creamier but leave it out if you prefer. Optional garnish is some sliced avocado.

3-4 cobs of fresh corn (or 3 cups frozen corn, thawed)
2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced or diced red onion
3 Tbs mayonnaise, preferably home made (optional)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbs chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small red capsicum (or ½ a larger one), diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or substitute crumbled feta)
2 Tbs lemon or lime juice
Garnish:
Sliced avocado (optional)

Remove kernels from cobs using a sharp knife. Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook the corn for 10 minutes, stirring often, over medium to high heat, until it’s starting to brown a bit.

Mix all ingredients together.

Serves 4

 

Chickpeas with Chorizo

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This is a hearty dish to tuck into before the warm weather arrives. It’s one of those dishes that improves with keeping for a day or two in the fridge. So, if there are any leftovers, serve them later in the week, on one of those nights when you’re too busy to cook. To make the leftovers go further, serve them in warm wraps. You can also freeze it.

I made this in my slow cooker, so I was able to leave it to cook while I was out for a couple of hours. If you prefer to cook it in the oven, use a heavy casserole with a lid and you may need to add a bit more water. Keep an eye on it and add as necessary.

The Clonakilty Black Pudding I used, which I bought in Woolies, completely dissolved into the sauce, making it thick and full-flavoured.

3 or 4 chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
5 large shallots or 2-3 medium onions
100g speck or pancetta, cut into chunky dice
100g black pudding (optional), sliced (you can substitute salami)
2 cans chickpeas (or 1 can chickpeas and 1 can cannellini beans), drained
2 cups beef stock
2 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To serve:
Steamed rice
Chopped parsley

Peel and quarter the shallots or if using onions cut them into 8ths. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions, garlic, chorizo and speck for a few minutes, stirring often, until onions and garlic are softening and speck is starting to brown and release its fat.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or longer on low. Stir from time to time. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4

Variations: use any other sausages instead of the chorizo. Use ordinary bacon instead of speck. Use drained lentils or black beans instead of cannellini and chickpeas.

Prawn Wontons with Pesto

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These prawn wontons are quick to make using a packet of wonton wrappers from the supermarket. Thaw the packet enough to remove the number you need, then stick them back in the freezer.

I used frozen green (raw) prawns from Aldi which are peeled and deveined and you just have to remove the tails. Remove the number you need from the packet and then stick it back in the freezer.

I used pesto I had frozen in ice cube trays last summer. We grow lots of basil which is an annual. I always make several batches of pesto just before the first frosts arrive, because frost invariably kills the plants. If I had used freshly-made pesto it would had been a brighter green but the taste was still good. Then I used ginger which I also freeze in ice cube trays and keep in my freezer, so I always have it on hand.

Adjust the recipe to serve more people. Three makes a nice starter or light lunch, four makes a light main course, which we ate accompanied by a substantial side salad.

16 wonton wrappers, thawed
8 very large or 16 medium green (raw) prawns, thawed if frozen and dried
Pesto preferably home-made
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger, optional
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tsp butter or oil
Extra virgin olive oil

Arrange half the prawns on half the wonton wrappers. If using two prawns, place them like two moons facing inwards so they make a neat circle in the middle. If using ginger, mix it into the pesto. Top the prawns with a teaspoon of pesto. Moisten the bottom wonton wrapper with a little water around the edge, then press another wonton wrapper on top. Pinch well to seal.

Heat a large pan of water and when boiling, turn down a bit so it’s simmering. Add the wontons one at a time and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are translucent. Meanwhile place spinach in a small frying pan with butter or oil. Cook for a minute or two, until wilted.

Arrange drained spinach on 2 serving plates. Top with the wontons, drained then dried on kitchen paper. Mix a little oil into the remaining pesto and drop it over the top. Drizzle a little oil around the edge of the plates and serve.

Serves 2

Ten Super Quick Dinners

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We all have our favourite quick and easy recipes that we make regularly. The recipe you think of as you take the main ingredient out of the freezer.

Tried and tested, easy no-brainers.

What are your favourite go-to recipes you can make with your eyes closed? Here are some of mine.

Salmon with Ginger and Sweet Chilli Sauce
Crispy Skinned Fish with Tomato Salsa
Lamb chops with Dijon, Rosemary and Honey
Steak Diane
Smoked Haddock with Tomatoes and Cream
Eggplants with Labneh and Spicy Cashews
Sticky Chilli Chicken
Pasta with Broad Beans and Pesto
Kedgeree
Chicken with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Raisins

Crispy Pork Belly with Sticky Sherry Sauce

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This easy recipe for pork belly comes from Taste.com

Making it in an air fryer is the easiest way to ensure crunchy crackling with no oven cleaning. Roasting pork in the oven inevitably creates a lot of spattering. An air fryer is a dream to clean. Well mine is.

Aldi sell pork belly in one kilo packs which are perfect for this recipe.

1 kg (approx) pork belly with skin
2 tsp garlic salt (or ordinary salt)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sticky Sherry Sauce:
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
¼ cup sherry
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs wholegrain mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

With a sharp knife, make cuts parallel to the edge on the meaty side of the pork, 1 cm apart. Don’t cut all the way through – less than halfway. Make similar cuts in a diagonal direction on the skin side of the pork, also about 1cm apart and just cutting through the skin, not right through. Mix the salt and spices and use the mixture to coat both sides of the pork, rubbing it into all the cuts.

Place pork on the tray of an air fryer, skin side up, and cook at 200°C for 25 minutes then at 160°C for a further 30 minutes. By this time the pork should be cooked through and the crackling crunchy.

Meanwhile place all ingredients for sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 3-4 minutes until reduced and sticky.

Slice pork and serve with the sauce underneath or spooned over. Garnish with some fresh herbs such as coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and a steamed green vegetable or a simple coleslaw.

Serves 4-6

Note: if you don’t have an air fryer, cook in the oven in a roasting pan for half an hour at 220°C then turn the oven down to 160°C for a further 10 minutes or until pork is tender and crackling is crunchy.

Smashed Avocado on Toast with Pesto and Poached Eggs

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Australian restaurateur Bill Granger served his first plate of smashed avocado in 1993 at his informal café Bill’s, located in the Sydney suburb of Surrey Hills.

Roughly mashed and seasoned with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper he served the avocado on toasted sourdough bread. The dish took off to become a global phenomenon, indicative of the rising popularity of Australian-style breakfasts and brunches.

In this recipe I have added some pesto and poached eggs, to create a more substantial dish for lunch. If liked, serve two poached eggs per person.

1 large ripe avocado
2 Tbs pesto (preferably home-made)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon or lime juice, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
2 poached eggs
2 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted

Remove flesh from avocado onto a plate and mash roughly with a fork. Leave it nice and chunky. Roughly mix in the pesto and season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon or lime juice and olive oil.

Arrange toast on two serving plates. Top with the avocado, then the poached eggs. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some cracked pepper.

Serves 2

Note: make pesto at the end of summer when basil is cheap and plentiful – you may even have some in your garden. Freeze in ice cube trays, then tip into a container or plastic bag and keep in the freezer to add a taste of summer to your winter recipes. Spread over pizza bases instead of the usual tomato paste. Use in pasta dishes such as this one.

Gratin of Eggplant with Prawns & Jamon

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This recipe comes from a book called Miguel’s Tapas by Spanish chef Miguel Maestre.

In his recipe he fries the eggplant slices. I prefer to brush them with a little olive oil and cook them in the oven. This way you have more control over the amount of oil they soak up. If you don’t have gruyere cheese, use an aged cheddar.

2 eggplants (about 500g), sliced 1.5 cm thick
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
1 cup stock (chicken, beef or vegetable)
12-16 large green (raw) prawns, shelled, deveined and halved
50g thinly sliced jamon serrano, torn into smaller pieces
50g gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large shallow baking tray with baking paper and arrange the eggplant slices on top. You may need two trays. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides and season lightly. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden and cooked.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 Tbs olive oil in a non-stick saucepan until soft. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add flour and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the milk and stock and season lightly once the sauce has thickened.

Oil four individual dishes with a capacity of about 2 cups or one large dish. Divide the eggplant slices and the prawns between the dishes, then top with the jamon. Spoon the onion sauce over the top, then top with the grated cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with a green salad.

Serves 4

Note: go easy on the salt on the eggplant slices and in the sauce, bearing in mind that the jamon and the cheese are both quite salty

Brussels Sprouts with Honey & Balsamic

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Brussels sprouts, love them or hate them?
Nightmares of these over-cooked, soggy vegetables have haunted generations of children. Back then everybody boiled them for far too long, leaving them grey and unpalatable.
But have you ever tried them roasted? With the addition of olive oil, salt and pepper and about 20 minutes in a hot oven, sprouts take on a whole new persona.

Before serving, you might like to add a touch of honey and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. In the second photo I’ve added some cooked peas and crumbled feta cheese.

Let me know in the comments if this recipe convinces you to give sprouts another go!

500g brussels sprouts
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp honey
1-2 tsp balsamic glaze
1-2 cups frozen peas, cooked in boiling salted water and drained (optional)
100g feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 200°C. Trim sprouts and halve vertically. Mix with oil and seasoning. Spread out on a shallow tray lined with baking paper and roast for about 20 minutes or until al dente and starting to brown on the edges. Alternatively, cook in an air fryer for 10-15 minutes.

Drizzle with the honey and balsamic glaze. If liked, mix in the peas, top with the feta and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Serves 4-6

 

Lamb with Hummus, Roasted Veggies & Mint Pesto

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This is a delicious way to serve roast lamb.

1 leg or shoulder of lamb, boned or not
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
2-3 tsp Za’atar spice mix (or spice mix of your choice)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups hummus (home-made or bought)
1 batch oven roasted veggies
Mint Pesto:
1 cup mint leaves, firmly packed
½ cup pistachios or pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Olive oil
Salt to taste
To serve:
Toasted pine nuts

Pre-heat oven to 150°C. Place lamb in a large heavy casserole with a lid. Season with the Za’atar, salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and water and cover. Cook for 2- 3 hours, turning the meat over halfway through. If when you turn the meat the liquid has all dried up add a bit more water – half a cup or so. If the meat is boned it will take less time. Cook to preferred doneness.

Prepare the roast veggies.

For the mint pesto, place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Process until chunky then add the oil through the feed chute with the motor running until you have a thick sauce. Scrape down the sides halfway through. Scrape out into a bowl.

To serve, spread the hummus on one large plate or divide between individual plates. Top with sliced lamb, then the roasted vegetables. Top with some mint pesto and sprinkle with a few toasted pine nuts – which as you can see from the photo, I forgot! If liked drizzle some of the cooking liquid from the lamb over the top and around the edge of the plate.

Serves 6-8