Tag Archives: quick

Chicken and Zucchini Burgers with Creamy Sauce

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This recipe is adapted from one by Israeli-born Yotam Ottolenghi. He uses turkey mince. I used chicken mince, but you could also use pork or pork and veal mince. He pan fries them, then finishes them off in the oven. I just pan fried them. I also increased the cumin and added the pine nuts for a bit of crunch.

This is a good way to get reluctant kids to eat some green vegetables. Any leftover burgers are delicious cold for lunch.

Chicken and Zucchini Burgers with Creamy Sauce500g minced chicken, turkey, pork or pork and veal
2 small or one large zucchini (courgette), coarsely grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 egg
2 Tbs finely chopped mint
2 Tbs finely chopped coriander
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbs pine nuts
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Oil for frying
Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup thick Greek yoghurt
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ Tbs vegetable or olive oil
1 Tbs Sumac (see note below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving time. Mix all ingredients for burgers (not the oil) in a large bowl. Form into about 8 burgers or 16-18 large meatballs.

Heat some vegetable oil in a large frying pan and cook the burgers in two batches for 5-6 minutes each side, or until nicely browned and cooked through.

Serve burgers hot or cold with the sauce.

Serves 4

Note: Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice mix. If you don’t have any use 2 tsp dried cumin and 2 tsp dried coriander instead. If preferred use 1 cup yoghurt for the sauce and leave out the sour cream.

Tomahawk Steak with Whisky-Glazed Carrots

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Aldi had Tomahawk steaks on special so I bought one. Never having cooked this cut of beef before, I had a look on Google and learnt that it’s the rib-eye or Scotch fillet with the bone left in.

There was a fair amount of fat on the meat so I decided to cook it simply, on a very hot BBQ, in order to render most of it off and crisp up the rest. The result was delicious and very tender.

Whisky-Glazed Carrots – an old recipe from the 1970s – and some good mustard completed the meal. We didn’t feel the need for potatoes or other accoutrements which might have detracted from the simple combination of succulent savoury beef with sweet carrots.

After a week of abstinence, a very good bottle of Padthaway Shiraz we had been saving for a special occasion, or in this case no occasion at all, went down a treat.

Tomahawk Steak with Whisky-Glazed Carrots1 Tomahawk Steak weighing 1.3-1.5kg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g carrots cut into sticks
Juice and grated rind 2 oranges
1 tsp sugar or honey
2 Tbs whisky
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs butter
Snipped chives
To serve: your favourite mustard

Pre-heat BBQ on maximum for 10 minutes until very hot. For medium-rare, cook steak for 7-8 minutes each side, then a further 7-8 minutes each side. In addition, cook for about 5 minutes on the curved long side of the steak – you may need to hold it in place with some tongs while it cooks on this third side. Place on cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile cook the carrots. Place in a saucepan with the orange rind and juice, sugar or honey, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until almost cooked. Remove lid, add whisky and butter and cook for a few minutes more, shaking pan often, until liquid has been absorbed and carrots are just cooked and slightly glazed. Add chives and serve.

Slice meat downwards, across the grain and serve with mustard and carrots.

Serves 4-6

Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon & Sour Cream

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Over the years I’ve tried lots of recipes for potato cakes, latkes and rostis. Some used whole eggs and plain flour, while others used none of the above. None of them have ever quite hit the mark.

This recipe, based on one from Yotam Ottolenghi, uses egg whites and cornflour and from now on I won’t use any other. He uses a combination of grated potatoes and parsnip, but I used all potatoes and they were delicious. Ottolenghi says to use Desiree potatoes. I used Kipflers from the garden, because that’s what I had, and they worked well.

Serve one potato cake as a starter, or two as a light lunch or supper, perhaps accompanied by a cucumber salad. The potato cakes are best served immediately, but you can make them ahead and reheat them briefly in a hot oven.

Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon & Sour Cream500-600g peeled potatoes, coarsely grated
2 egg whites
1 rounded Tbs cornflour
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs snipped chives
40g butter
4 Tbs vegetable oil
To serve:
Smoked Salmon
Sour Cream
Chives

Tip grated potatoes onto a clean tea towel, draw in the sides and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Place potatoes in a bowl with the egg whites, cornflour, salt, pepper and chives and mix well.

Heat half the butter and half the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Make three or four potato cakes using about 3 Tbs of mixture for each and about half the mixture. Cook for 2-4 mins each side over medium heat, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven. Add remaining butter and oil to the pan and make three or four more potato cakes.

Serve potato cakes (one or two per person) topped with smoked salmon, sour cream and a couple of chives.

Makes 6-8 potato cakes

No-Knead No-Cross Buns

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There’s nothing quite like home-made Hot Cross Buns for breakfast over the Easter weekend. Serve them warm straight from the oven. Or make them ahead and reheat them in a moderate oven. Or split and toast them.

In an attempt to save time I thought I would see if the No-Knead Bread recipe could be adapted to make Hot Cross Buns. You always need more yeast when you’re adding fruit, sugar, butter and eggs to a basic bread dough, so I doubled the amount used in the No Knead Bread recipe.

Putting crosses on the buns is a bit fiddly so I didn’t bother and can assure you they taste just as good without! Technically this recipe is not quick because you leave the dough to prove overnight. But the actual work involved takes no more than five or ten minutes.

Basic yeast mixture:
4 cups plain flour
½ tsp dry yeast unnamed
1½ cups warm water
1 tsp salt
Additions:
60g butter at room temp (I used spreadable butter)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp each ground cinnamon, mixed spice and ground ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup sultanas
¼ cup dried mixed peel (optional) or use more sultanas
Extra flour as needed
Glaze:
1 Tbs cold water
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp powdered gelatine

In a large mixing bowl mix all ingredients for yeast mixture with a spoon until well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave overnight. Next day – whenever you are ready – mix butter, sugar, spices and egg into the yeast mixture, using electric beaters. Lastly mix in the fruit then tip mixture onto a well-floured surface.

Knead just enough to incorporate a bit more flour and get rid of excessive stickiness, then cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Form into balls and arrange in a greased 10-12″ (25+cm) round tin or use a rectangular one. Leave to rise for an hour or two, then bake in a pre-heated oven at 220ºC for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and brush with hot glaze while hot. Serve warm or toasted split in two and spread with butter.

Glaze: place cold water and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatine. Zap in the microwave for 20 secs on High.

Makes 12 buns

Note: can be frozen, but best frozen without glaze then thawed, reheated in a moderate oven and brushed with glaze while hot. Made in this way the buns all stick together and need to be broken apart. If preferred bake them on a larger biscuit tray, leaving more space between each one, so they don’t stick together.

Spanish Tomato and Jamon Salad

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This colourful salad is perfect for late summer entertaining, when tomatoes are at their best and you may have some in the garden.

Spanish Tomato and Jamon Salad250g baby tomatoes (preferably some red, some yellow)
4 slices Spanish Jamon or Prosciutto
About 16 black olives, stoned if preferred
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Basil and flat leaf parsley to garnish
Dressing:
1 Tbs sherry or red wine vinegar
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Halve tomatoes and arrange on one shallow serving dish or 2 individual plates.

Cut jamon slices into about 4 pieces and arrange in between the tomatoes. Scatter with the olives and onion. Shake dressing ingredients in a jar and drizzle over. Garnish with the torn basil and parsley leaves and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 2 as a starter or 4 as a side dish

Variation: add some cubes of Spanish manchego cheese. Or feta or goat’s cheese.

Baked Cauliflower with Cheese and Bacon

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If you’re a fan of cauliflower cheese you will like this one.

I’m sure it would be delicious as a side dish, but we’ve eaten it about four times in the past month as a main course, when we felt like a mainly vegetarian evening meal. For anyone following a low carb diet this ticks all the boxes.Baked Cauliflower with Cheese and Bacon

1 large cauliflower cut into flowerets
8 slices bacon, diced and fried in a little oil till starting to go crispy
6 Tbs snipped chives
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably home-made)
½ cup sour cream or cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large pot boil water and cook cauliflower for about 8 minutes or until al dente, drain and let cool. In a large bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, half the bacon, half the chives and half the grated cheese. Lastly add the cauliflower and carefully mix well. Tip into a shallow greased lasagne-type dish and cover with remaining cheese and bacon. Can be made ahead to this point and kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours, covered.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with remaining chives and serve. If it has been refrigerated it will need to bake for about half an hour.

Serves 4-6

Zucchini Spaghetti

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Make healthy low-carb “spaghetti” from zucchini, carrots and other vegetables using a Zyliss Julienne Slicer/Peeler. This gadget is really easy to use as you can see from this you tube video. In Canberra you can buy them at the Essential Ingredient.

To serve as a vegetable, stir-fry quickly in a frying pan in a little oil or butter then add seasoning, herbs and maybe a dollop of sour cream. Or use the “spaghetti” in salads or to make this delicious stir fry with prawns.

Zucchini Spaghetti with Prawns

4-6 medium to DSCF0878large zucchini (courgettes)
⅓ cup olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried chilli flakes) or use some fresh chilli
Salt and freshly ground pepper
400g peeled green prawns, tails intact (weight after peeling)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
To serve:
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add garlic, chilli, salt and pepper and cook stirring for a minute. Add prawns and continue to cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until prawns turn pink and are nearly cooked. Add the “spaghetti” and continue to stir fry for a minute or until prawns are cooked and spaghetti is ” al dente ” Add parsley and serve drizzled with a little oil and garnished with a little extra chilli.

Serves 4

Smoked Salmon with Mango & Avocado

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My Swiss friend Esther served this simple but delicious starter for a ladies lunch she hosted. You can use smoked salmon or smoked trout and the recipe is easy to halve for two people. Served with a rocket salad and some crusty bread it’s enough for a light lunch.

Smoked Salmon with Mango & Avocado2 ripe but firm avocados in 1cm dice
1 spring onion (white part and a bit of the green), finely chopped
2 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of 1 lime or half a lemon
2 ripe but firm mangoes in 1cm dice
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices smoked salmon or trout
To serve:
Lemon or lime wedges
Fresh chives
Extra Virgin olive oil

Arrange four stacking rings on serving plates. Mix avocado with spring onion, coriander and lime or lemon juice. Season to taste then divide among the stacking rings and press down firmly with a spoon. Mix mango with chilli, place on top of the avocado and press down. Top each serving with a slice of smoked salmon or trout. Remove stacking ring then garnish plates with a lemon or lime wedge, a couple of pieces of fresh chive and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4

Seven Quick Desserts

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We all need a few desserts in our repertoire which can be made in a jiffy.

The secret is to have a few basic ingredients on hand. For the Blueberry Parfait, for example, you need some Lemon Curd in the fridge and a packet of bought meringues (which keep for ages) in the pantry. Just add berries and cream to your shopping list, or nip down to the corner shop.

When I served this dessert recently and said “Would anyone like any more?” everyone said “Yes please”, so I had to re-load all the glasses!

In Australia you can buy a whole pavlova in a box and I used chunks of that instead of meringues because it’s softer and more marshmallowy. But either will do.

  • DSCF0886Blueberry Parfaits – in tall parfait glasses or tumblers place a dollop of whipped cream or thick Greek yoghurt, a dollop of Lemon Curd (preferably home-made), some crumbled meringue, more cream or yoghurt, then a few fresh blueberries. Repeat layers and serve immediately.
  • Mocha Mousse – dissolve 2 tsp instant coffee in 2 Tbs hot water. Mix into 1 cup Nutella chocolate spread. Whip 1 cup cream in another bowl and fold in. Lightly toast ½ cup skinned hazelnuts or almonds and chop coarsely. Break 8 sponge fingers into 6 to 8 small wine or Martini glasses. Drizzle with some Kahlúa or Bailey’s Irish Cream, top with half the chocolate mixture, half the nuts, then repeat. Dust tops with sieved cocoa. Chill before serving.
  • Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding – keep some brioche or croissants in the freezer to make this in one large dish or individual ones.
  • Blancmange – mix 6 slightly rounded tablespoons cornflour with 1 Tbs sugar and a little cold milk. Bring 1 litre milk and ½ cup cream to the boil then add the cornflour mixture and 1-2  tsp vanilla essence, stirring till thick. Pour into coffee cups which have been rinsed out with cold water. Refrigerate till set. To serve dip quickly in hot water and tip onto serving plates. Meanwhile thaw half a kilo of frozen raspberries with some sugar (to taste) and serve this compote with the blancmanges with some thick cream.
  • Mangoes with Ginger Wine – peel and slice 4 mangoes and place in serving dish. Heat ¼ cup Stone’s Ginger Wine with 2 Tbs finely chopped glacé ginger until hot, then pour over mangoes. Chill before serving.
  • Baked Apples – Use a large biscuit cutter to cut 4 circles from 4 slices of bread. Place in a buttered shallow baking dish, top each circle with a whole unpeeled apple, cored. Mix equal quantities melted butter, dried fruit/nuts and brown sugar – a couple of Tbs of each. Add juice and grated rind of an orange then use mixture to stuff the apples. Bake for an hour at 160ºC, basting often. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or cream. The bread goes all crunchy and delicious.
  • Moroccan Fruit Salad – in a small saucepan heat the rind and grated juice of an orange with ¼ cup brandy or rum, ¼ cup honey, ½ cup water and a broken cinnamon stick. Pour over 4-6 cups mixed dried fruit such as sultanas, apricots and sliced figs and leave to macerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with toasted pine nuts and Labneh.

Florentines

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Florentines are a delicious treat to serve with coffee after dinner.

Actually they’re delicious any time of day. I swear they talk to me from the tin, sending out “Eat me” messages. They’re quite big, so if it makes you feel better cut them in half, or make smaller ones. But you’ve seen Florentines in cake shops – they’re always big!

Use any combination of dried fruit and nuts you have on hand. I used some dried sour cherries from Costco and craisins (dried cranberries). I left out the candied peel because I’m the only one in our family who likes it.

Woolworths sell non-stick egg rings in two packs for about two dollars, so I bought five packs. I could have made the Florentines slightly thinner and got 12 from the recipe, but I had only bought 10 egg rings, so that was that! If preferred make them free-form by placing heaped tablespoonsful onto the paper – they will spread as they cook.

½ cup creamFlorentines
½ cup sugar
1 Tbs honey
½ cup dried cherries (glacé or sour cherries)
½ cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
½ cup candied peel (or more dried fruit)
1 cup flaked or slivered almonds (I used almonds & cashews)
½ cup flour
100g dark chocolate, melted
1 tsp vegetable oil, coconut oil or Copha

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper and arrange the egg rings on top. In a medium sized saucepan heat cream, sugar and honey till boiling. Remove from the heat and add fruit, nuts and flour. Cool for a few minutes so it thickens up.

Divide among the rings spreading evenly then bake for 10-15 mins or until light caramel coloured. Don’t overcook as the fruit easily burns. Leave to cool on the tray.

Melt chocolate and oil or Copha in microwave or in a bowl over boiling water. Dip each Florentine into chocolate on the flat side, shake off excess then cool on non-stick paper, chocolate side up. If you’re in a hurry stick them in the fridge or freezer. And if you have any chocolate left, drizzle a bit on the bumpy side, but let the chocolate set on the first side before you do this. They actually look better on the drizzly/bumpy side.

Makes 10-12