Jimmy's Butter Chicken

SERVES: 4
PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES
COOK: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients
140g (1/2 cup) Greek style yoghurt
3cm piece ginger, peeled finely grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2tbs garam masala
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbs olive oil, plus extra, to grease
1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to serve
800g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm wide strips
2 tbs ghee (clarified butter) (see my notes)
2 onions thinly sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
2 long red chillies, seeded, finely chopped
260g (1 cup) passata (sieved pureed tomatoes)
300ml pouring cream
1 bunch mint, leaves picked, finely chopped


Basmati rice and pappadams, to serve

Method
Combine yoghurt, ginger, garlic, 1tbs garam masala, lemon juice, oil and half the coriander in a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. 


Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or char-grill pan over medium - high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook, in 2 batches, turning for 6 minutes or until almost cooked through.


Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, turmeric, tomato paste, chillies and remaining garam masala, and cook stirring for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Add passata and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Reduce heat to low, add cream, mint and remaining coriander, and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken and simmer stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Scatter with extra coriander and serve with rice and pappadums.

My Notes
This was a absolute screamer of a great dish! really tasty!!! The recipe comes from one of 2010 Australian Master Chef contestants Jimmy Seervai and was published in the 2nd edition of Masterchef Magazine. 

I must say at first look at this magazine I was disappointed....it just does not overflow with fabulous recipes like the 1st one, but on the second look I did find a few things that I wouldn't mind making. 


Really the only note I would differ on in this recipe is that the sauce doesn't need to thicken, the consistency is really good right from the start! so keep an eye on it to make sure the sauce doesn't reduce too much. 


Oh and don't go looking for ghee in the fridge section of the supermarket! It's not in the butter section..."who knew?" It is in the ethnic food section, we had a really helpful young girl at woolies go hunting for it :) 

Maple and Date Syrup Cake

SERVES: 8 - 10
COOK: 50 MINUTES
PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES 

Ingredients
1 cup (230g) fresh pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup (80g) chopped sultanas
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising (self rising) flour, sifted
3/4 cup (130g) brown sugar
150g butter, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups (500ml) maple syrup extra

Method
Preheat oven to 160C (325F). Place the dates, sultanas, bicarbonate of soda and water in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Using a hand held blender, blend the date mixture until smooth. Set aside. 


Place the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, maple syrup, vanilla, eggs and date mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm round tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Place the extra maple syrup in a saucepan over high heat and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Allow to cool slightly. Pour warm syrup over the cake to serve. 

My Notes
This cake could easily have been cooked in a bigger say 22cm cake tin as it rose really high! and it probably would have cooked in the recommended 50 minutes. I needed to cook for a further 20 minutes as the cake was still runny in the middle. 


It looks like an awful amount of Maple Syrup around this cake! I wonder if it will soak up...It cost a fortune! 

This recipe was from Donna Hay Magazine June/July 2010 issue, wow what a great magazine! (and to be honest I am surprised...I have never been a fan of hers, mainly from seeing her on the TV where she just leaves me cold!) but I have tagged just about every second page with recipes that I just HAVE to make! and all the photos are really gorgeous! I wish I could take them like that :)  I think I will be buying this magazine again:) even though Daniel has put me on a magazine buying ban.......we shall see... *evil twinkle in my eye*

Rich Choc-Caramel Self Saucing Pudding

SERVES: 6 
PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES 
COOK: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients 
220g block caramello chocolate
1 1/3 cups self raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder 
1 cup caster sugar
125g butter, melted
1 cup milk 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
frozen raspberries, thawed
icing sugar 
vanilla ice cream to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease a 3cm deep, 19cm x 30cm (base) lamington pan. Place chocolate block in freezer for 20 minutes.


Sift flour and 2 tbs cocoa powder into a bowl. Add caster sugar, butter and milk. Whisk until smooth and combined. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Break chocolate into squares. Press into flour mixture. Using a spatula, smooth mixture over the top. Place on a baking tray. 


Sprinkle brown sugar over mixture. Sift over remaining cocoa. Carefully pour boiling water, over the back of a large metal spoon, over mixture. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until top is just set. Stand for 5 minutes. Top with raspberries and icing sugar. Serve with icecream. 

My Notes 
I have the misfortune of not having a lamington tray, and as I am not fond of lamingtons I can't see myself rushing out to buy one any time soon, so I used the closest thing I have to it which was a pyrex glass baking dish, which worked fine.


This was a really delicious warm dessert....mmmmmm, we hardly ever eat icecream, and I didn't want to buy a whole big tub that would end up being thrown out, so I found just a little single serve tub did the trick!  Only trouble is that this serves 6 and I only got enough icecream for 2 serves lol.

The magazine that this recipe comes from Super Food Ideas is an absolute little ripper of a mag and for $2.95 it's a bargain with lots of other recipes worth a try :) 


Oh and look at that! the recipe I cooked is on the cover :) and there was a free berry tea bag as well, which I am drinking as I write this. Also very yummy and smells great! 

Mussels with Tomato, Chorizo & Sherry

SERVES: 4 
PREPARATION: 20 MINS
COOK: 25 MINS 

Ingredients
1kg fresh mussels
2tbs olive oil
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 tbs dry sherry
400g can chopped tomatoes
300ml fish or chicken stock
1tbs fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
1 chorizo sausage, cut into 1cm cubes




Method
Soak mussels in cold water for 1 hour, changing water twice (this helps remove any grit). Drain mussels, discarding any broken shells. Scrub and remove beards. 


Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes to soften. Add sherry and bubble for 30 seconds, then add tomato, stock and thyme and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add mussels and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, removing mussels as they open (discard any mussels that haven't opened after this time). Keep mussels warm while you simmer the sauce over medium high for 20 minutes until reduced to a thick relish.


Meanwhile, cook chorizo in a pan over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes until crisp and browned. Drain on a paper towel.


Remove and discard 'top' shells from shells. Serve mussels with the relish, chorizo & thyme.

My Notes
Wow this was a really gutsy dish! full of flavour and really moorish :) 


I decided to leave the relish as a bit more of a thick sauce consistency as we had this dish with really yummy crispy garlic bread which we dipped into the sauce. 


I also added the chorizo to the sauce as it was reducing, the sausage really added to the flavour. 


A really easy dish to make, a really messy one to eat too! we will be eating this one again!

 This recipe comes from one of my favourite magazines Delicious June 2010 edition. Isn't the picture on the cover just gorgeous?! I have some pears in the fridge but I don't think I am game to attempt this :) 


The recipe is by Jill Dupleix, funny I just mentioned her in an earlier blog on about my Smashed Rosemary Potatoes Jill would have been one of my earliest influences when I first took an interest in cooking. 


I have a few recipes tagged to make from this magazine....now I just need the time to make them and eat them too! 

Pat's Coconut & Lemon Syrup Cake

SERVES: MAKES 1 20CM ROUND CAKE - 8 SERVES
PREPARATION: 35 MINUTES
COOK: 45 MINUTES + 10 FOR SYRUP

Ingredients
cake
4 eggs
125g butter
grated zest of 1 lime 
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (250g) caster sugar
2 cups (180g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) self raising flour




lemon syrup
1/2 cup (125ml) water
3/4 cup (190g) sugar
Juice 2 lemons
rind of 1 lemon - cut into strips 


Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Butter and flour a 20cm spring form tin.


Cream the butter, caster sugar, lime and lemon zest together until light and fluffy.


Gradually add the eggs one at a time and beat until they are fully incorporated.


Fold in the coconut and the sifted flour. 


Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes away clean.


Meanwhile prepare the syrup. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. 


Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. 


When the cake is cooked, pour over the hot syrup and leave it to cool in the tin before turning it out. Serve with double cream. 

My Notes



I didn't notice that the recipe said spring form tin until it was too late....and used a normal tin. I also didn't butter and flour the tin, I greased and lined it like a good girl :).


The batter was really thick! I didn't think it was going to come together there for a minute, but it did. 


I think the cake needed another 5 - 8 minutes in the oven it did sink in the middle! (hate that) so I turned it upside down for presentation. 


As for the syrup I cooked mine for longer, about 15 minutes and reduced it quite a bit.
I also used the juice from 1 lemon & 1 lime instead of the 2 lemons. 


I also poked holes all over the cake with a skewer and then poured the syrup over. 


I looked through my books to make a cake with ingredients that I had handy, and came up with this one from a book called cafe cafe - A cookbook for the easy life by Kirsten McKay.
This book was given to me by my daughter's school friend Heidi for Christmas in 1998! and I had NEVER made anything from it....but I have now and will continue too :) 

Cafe Cafe A Cookbook for the Easy Life
click here to buy it at Amazon


This recipe is credited in the book to a cake cook named Pat Birley. 


The cake it self is really gorgeous, tart and sweet, just adore it!   

Mediterranean Style Lamb Shanks

with Creamy Polenta 

SERVES: 4

PREPARATION: 15 MINS 

COOK: 6 - 7 HOURS 

Ingredients 

4 large (about 1.5kg) lamb shanks, trimmed

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 medium red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces 

2 medium zucchini, halved thickly sliced

1 small (350g) eggplant, cut into 3cm dice

2 sticks celery, thickly sliced

2 x 440g cans chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (I only had dried) 

1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded

Method

Place lamb and flour in a bowl. Toss to coat. Heat oil in a large non stick frying pan over medium - high heat. 

Cook lamb for 5 - 6 minutes, turning, until browned all over. 

Transfer to bowl of slow cooker.

Add onion, garlic, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant and celery to frying pan. Cook stirring for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just start to brown. 

Add vegetable mix to lamb. Top with chopped tomatoes. Pour over combined tomato paste, wine and stock.

Turn slow cooker onto low, cover and cook for 6 - 7 hours.

To serve stir in oregano & basil. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve lamb shanks over mashed potato, pasta or polenta. 

My Notes 

Continuing on the heart warming comfort foods, and having lamb shanks in the freezer this recipe looked just the ticket. 

The sauce is a little runny, I think I am going to have to reduce the recommended liquid in some of these recipes either that or cook uncovered for a while to reduce the sauce. (I took the lid off the slow cooker for the last 30 minutes and that did the trick!) 


Don't forget to skim the oil off the top, there was quite a lot!

This recipe is again from the freebie magazine www.taste.com.au it is really worth buying one of the magazines just to get hold of this one ha ha! I think I have cooked 5 dishes out of it this weekend so far! 

The photo's don't do this dish justice, it really was quite delicious, and Daniel hates eggplant and zucchini and scoffed this one down :) 

oops I forgot to put the basil on :-o

Creamy Polenta 

SERVES: 4 

PREPARATION: 5 MINUTES

COOK: 15 MINUTES

Ingredients 

• 
  
• 750ml (3 cups) cold water
• 170g (1 cup) coarse polenta (cornmeal)
• 125ml (1/2 cup) thin cream
• 20g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
• 40g butter
• Salt & finely ground white pepper

Method

Bring the water to the boil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Use a wire balloon whisk to stir the water. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly until all the Polenta is incorporated into the water (whisking ensures the polenta is dispersed through the liquid as quickly as possible). Don't add the Polenta too quickly or it will turn lumpy.

Reduce heat to low (cook the polenta over low heat otherwise it will cook too quickly and you will need to add extra water). Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and the polenta is soft. (To test whether the polenta is soft, spoon a little of the polenta mixture onto a small plate and set aside to cool slightly. Rub a little of the polenta mixture between 2 fingers to see if the grains have softened. If the grains are still firm, continue to cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the polenta is soft.)

Remove from heat. Add the cream, parmesan and butter, and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

My Notes 

The hot polenta may spatter as it cooks, so use a long-handled wooden spoon when stirring to avoid being scalded.

I added probably an extra 1/2 a cup of water as I went along, my arm also gets tired from stirring when I make polenta! Daniel would have come in handy to stir this, however he has a wii related sore arm from sword fighting all weekend.... oohhh didums lol 


OMG this is SUCH a filling meal! and delicious as well!

Sticky Date Pudding

to die for!
SERVES: 8 if you are polite and don't scoff the whole thing....
PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES
COOK: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients
250g pitted dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
125g butter, softened
1 cup (80g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted


caramel sauce
1 cup (80g) brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g butter


cream to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 7cm deep, 22cm cake tin and line base with baking paper.


Cover dates and bi-carb with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar & vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Using a large metal spoon, fold in date mixture and flour. Spoon into cake tin.


Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate. 

To make caramel, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes. ''Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour over 1/2 cup of the warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce and cream..... Apparently Ant doesn't eat dessert....sure!


My Notes
yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum, did I mention YUM 


Just a couple of things with this recipe, DON'T stir the caramel whilst it is cooking


I poured a cup of the caramel sauce over the pudding because there was oodles of it. 

This recipe also comes from the little www.taste.com.au magazine which has had a real workout this weekend! I want to bathe in this, so yes it will definitely be on the menu soon :) 

Beef & Guinness Pies

with Roasted Honey & Cumin Pumpkin, Smashed Rosemary Potatoes & Steamed Beans with Garlic Butter

Well Saturday night was a another birthday dinner for me with my  gorgeous daughter Amy & her fiancé Ant. And as it was SO freezing I decided on a nice warm dinner full of comfort food :) 




Beef & Guinness Pies 
SERVES: 4 
PREPARATION: 15 MINUTES 
COOK: 2 1/2 HOURS


Ingredients 
1/4 cup (40g) plain flour
800g beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm pieces (I used gravy beef)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large brown onions, cut into thick wedges
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
440ml Guinness Draft Beer
1 1/2 cups (375ml) beef stock
2 dried bay leaves
8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 25cm sheet ready rolled puffed pastry
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method
Place flour in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add beef and toss to lightly coat. Heat half the oil in a large flame-proof casserole dish over high heat . Add one quarter of beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat in 3 more batches


Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add beef, beer, stock and herbs and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender and sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool slightly. 


Preheat oven to 200C. Spoon beef mixture evenly amongst four 1 1/2 cup (375ml) oven-proof dishes. Cut the pastry into quarters and lightly brush with egg. Place piece of pastry over each dish and use a small sharp knife to cut a small slit in the top of each pie to help release steam. Place on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. 

My Notes 
I found there was far too much liquid in this recipe and had to thicken at the end, I would definitely make some version of this pie again, I have heard the Jamie Oliver recipe for Beef & Guinness pie is sensational! this one just lacked a little depth of flavour but it was still really good!


Reserve the left over gravy from the beef & Guinness mixture to serve over the vegies! 

This recipe came form a free magazine www.taste.com.au that I picked up when I bought another food magazine (I know I just have to stop! I bought 4 this week......) I have made a few things from this little mag this week, and nothing from the 4 new magazines that I paid for lol. 


Roast Honey & Cumin Pumpkin
SERVES: 4 
PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 45 - 50 MINUTES

Ingredients
1kg Queensland Blue pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded, sliced into 1cm thick wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons cumin seeds


Method
Preheat oven to 200C. Place pumpkin in a slightly greased roasting pan. Combine oil, honey and cumin seeds in a jug, pour over pumpkin. Season with salt and pepper and turn to coat. Roast pumpkin for 45 - 50 minutes or until golden & tender. Serve. 


My Notes 

Well I didn't have Queensland Blue pumpkin I had butternut so that is what I used for this recipe, I also by accident used 2 tablespoons of honey...this is because I didn't have my glasses on lol. But it was really yummy! Oh also I microwaved the oil honey & cumin seeds for 30 seconds before I poured it over. 


This recipe also came from the www.taste.com.au freebie book and will also be a repeat dish on our table :) 


Smashed Rosemary Potatoes
SERVES:4
PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 2 HOURS

Ingredients
4 large new potatoes
tablespoon sea salt flakes 
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped 
1/2 cup olive oil


Method
Scrub potatoes until clean.


Boil potatoes in large pot until a skewer passes easily through potato (my potatoes were quite large and took around an hour) 


When cooked strain and set aside until cooled.


Preheat oven to 200C


Once cooled place potatoes onto a lined baking tray and gently smash and flatten potatoes until 2 - 3 cm thick with a potato masher.


Pour over olive oil


sprinkle with sea salt flakes & rosemary 


Place in oven and roast for 45 - 50 minutes or until golden and crispy

My Notes 
These potatoes have been a firm family favourite for over 20 years now but I hadn't made them in such a long time! I think I originally got the idea from Jill Dupleix many moons ago 




Steamed Green Beans with Garlic Butter
SERVES: 4
PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 5 MINS


Ingredients 


250g string-less green beans
50g butter
1/2 glove garlic, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped


Method
top and tail green beans


mix butter, garlic and parsley together


place green beans into double steamer and cook until beans turn bright green


remove from heat and serve with garlic & parsley butter