Kashmiri Lamb Korma

It was a miserable day, weather wise, and I had a curry planned on the menu so it was already a win win in my books.

The curry chosen for tonight wasn't a hot and spicy dish but rather a thick creamy mild comforting one.  Korma just means a mild curry. Yet, it is actually a very rich stew in which the meat, chicken or vegetables and nuts are braised in cream, yogurt or coconut milk. 

Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region in Indian. It borders Pakistan, Afganistan and China, the Tibetan region. Kashmir has its own special and traditional foods influenced by the climatic conditions and customs. Rich and redolent with the flavour of the spices used –cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, saffron, etc. Kashmiri food can be the simple meal of a family, or a 36-course wedding banquet called Wazawan. The staple diet of every Kashmiri is rice, the most preferred being the dense, slightly sticky grained Kashmir variety, which is prized in the Valley. Mutton, chicken or fish are of prime importance in Kashmiri meal and everyday cooking often combines vegetable and meat in the same dish.

Once again another curry made from scratch - no jar in sight.  The combination of spices was easy and not over complicated.  Cooked slowly the lamb was beautiful and tender, all most melt in your mouth.  Enveloped with a thick creamy sauce this recipe may not be completely authentic but with lots of spice and herbs, this delicious korma packs a punch of flavour which we all enjoyed.

Kashmiri Lamb Korma

(recipe adapted from Taste.com)

Serves: 4

60 grams ghee or butter

3 brown onions, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 green cardamom pods, crushed

1 cinnamon stick

8 black peppercorns, crushed

6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 kilogram lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces

2 cups water

1 cup natural yoghurt

salt

freshly ground black pepper

80 grams ground almond meal

additional water if required

toasted flaked almonds, to garnish

chopped coriander, to garnish

Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until lightly golden.

Add the turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, chilli and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are pulpy.

Add the lamb, stirring until completely covered with the tomato mixture.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the water and mix well.  Allow mixture to come back to a simmer.

Add the yoghurt and bring to a simmer, ensuring that you mix the yoghurt through completely.  Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until lamb is very tender and sauce thickens slightly.

OR:

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Transfer to a large casserole and cook, covered in the oven for 2 hours, stirring occasionally or until lamb is very tender and sauce thickens slightly.

Add almond meal and mix through well.  If too thick add a little water.

Spoon lamb into a serving bowl and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Serve with steamed rice, if desired, and coriander.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe).

Meatball Tomato and Mozzeralla Tray Bake

It's that time of year again - football season and winter.   When meals need to be quick and easy due to weeknight footy training, not to mention Saturday is game day and then there is always our social life to fit in.  

So it officially started this weekend for us.  Two football matches on Saturday (one in Carrum Downs and the other in Hastings).  Needless to say Saturday was busy until around 2pm. Saturday Night we went out for dinner with our beautiful friends, Tanya and Pete, whom we actually met through football.  We were all being "restaurant Guinea Pigs" as I had chosen a restaurant that none of us had been to before.

We had some amazing flavours at the Sun Wah last night - definitely had the taste buds jumping.  Everything on the menu sounded delicious so we all settled for the "Our Chef Degustation Menu".  Eight courses of amazing flavours and the presentation - wow it was magnificent.  This was the second time we had sat down for a Degustation feast - the first time was at Ten Minutes By Tractor.  I have to say we really enjoyed our first experience of a Degustation menu at the beautiful restaurant and winery in Main Ridge so needless to say I was definitely eager to see how the Chinese laid it our.  Our feast at the Sun Wah was as follows:

Amuse Bouche

Duck & Pork Croquette w. black truffle mayo

First Course

Ginger pear scallops, crispy pork belly, golden pearl sago, chilli jam

Second Course

Blue swimmer crab dumpling, Yarra Valley salmon caviar, clear consomme

Third Course

Twice cooked lamb rib, chilli jam, coriander

Fourth Course

Hopkins River grass fed eye fillet, eggplant, snake green beans, snow peas, mushrooms. teriyaki jus

Served with Special Fried Rice

Fifth Course

Roast Peking duck, steamed crepe, pickles, cucumber, hoi sin

Sixth Course

48° poached salmon, black bean, soy dressing with

dry fried spicy green beans

Seventh Course

Stuffed chicken w. minced prawns and mandarin jus

Eighth Course

Indulgence sharing dessert platter

Followed By Coffee and Tea

and Petit Fours 

Tonight's dinner truly had to be worthy of a king to match up with the food we ate last night.  LOL I am only kidding - tonight's dinner needed to be the perfect homemade meal.  A balanced meat and vegetable dish with lots of flavours.  This is a dish I have made a few times and it always goes down a treat.  Not only is it really easy, a fabulous one pot wonder, it is quick and manages to disappear.

Meatball Tomato and Mozzeralla Tray Bake

(Recipe adpated from Weight Watchers Australia)

Serves: 4

Smart Points per serve: 9

500 grams lean beef mince

3 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon rind, finely grated

2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes

1/2 cup fresh wholegrain breadcrumbs (approx 2 slices)

1 egg

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 medium red capsicum, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

cooking spray

400 grams canned cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoons baby capers, rinsed, drained

100 grams bocconcini, torn

1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves

Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced.

Combine mince, shallots, parsley, rind, chilli flakes, breadcrumbs and egg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Roll level tablespoons of mixture into 24 meatballs.

Place meatballs, capsicum and zucchini in a large baking dish. Lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes or until meatballs have browned.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, paste, garlic and capers in a bowl.

Add tomato mixture to meatballs and stir to combine. Top with bocconcini and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and meatballs are cooked through.

Serve sprinkled with basil.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Sticky Chinese Chicken Tray Bake

Is it me or are the clocks ticking faster then normal already this year?  At the moment I no sooner get up, go to work, come home, cook dinner then go to bed - whammo another day gone. And I already feeling tired and it's only 18 days into the New Year.  I have so many things I need to get done and want to do around the house, with the family, with my studies but my daily/weekly "To Do List" is starting to become my "Wish To Do List - I actually do not feel I am achieving that much at all.  

Needless to say, I have been looking for quick fix dinners and weeknight wonders to at least ensure that we are all still eating well.  It's so easy to say "let's get takeaway" when in reality by the time our family decide what food we are getting, choose items of the menu, make the phone call something can literally be in a pot cooking!   I am sure you can all agree with this?

What's your favourite weeknight wonder?  We have quite a few that frequent our table for a quite dinner including Chicken Taco Bake (which is stupidly easy), Devilled Sausages, Beef Keema with Cumin and Currant Pulao, and Penne Boscaiola just to name a few.

Obviously I am always on the lookout for new quick and easy dishes that I can add to our collection and I recently came across this one which instantly appealed to my taste buds - sometimes I wish I could smell and lick my computer screen!  Don't you?  How good would that be?

I think it took me 5 minutes tops to marinate the chicken (which I did the night before) , 5 minutes to put it in a casserole dish and place in the oven.  Super easy!  Already a winner in my books. While it baked I prepped a Crunchy Asian Salad and steamed some rice - perfect partners for what was an amazing dish.

Melt in your mouth chicken pieces laced with a perfect balance of hoisin sauce, honey and Chinese five-spice was delicious.  The crunchiness of the cashew nuts complimented the chicken and there was also the right amount of sauce once cooked.  I don't like dry chicken and this wasn't.

This one-pan chicken dish makes a cheap and easy midweek family meal and we will be definitely having it again.

Sticky Chinese Chicken Tray Bake

(Recipe adapted from BBC Goodfood)

Serves: 8

SmartPoints per Serve: 7

8 chicken chops or thighs, skin removed

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons clear honey

11/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 bunch spring onions, cut into 3 cm lenghts

50 grams cashew nuts, toasted

Slash the skin 2-3 times on each thigh and place in a large snap lock bag or casserole dish.

Mix together the hoisin, sesame oil, honey, five-spice, ginger, garlic and some seasoning. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat.  Marinate the chicken for 2 hrs, or overnight if you have time.

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Arrange the chicken thighs in a large roasting tin in a single layer.  Cook for 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, basting at least once.

Stir through the cashew nuts and sprinkle the spring onions over the chicken. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice and Crunchy Asian Salad, if desired.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Well I definitely surprised myself while menu planning this week!  Not because we planned a full week of super quick and easy meals to get us to Friday as we have a busy week but I was surprised, actually stunned, that I hadn't blogged this gem of a recipe!  And I cannot even begin to think why?

My mam had a variety of homestyle dishes that she cooked as staples when we were growing up as did everyone's mothers.  Ours always had a British twist as although we were living in Australia my parents were born and raised in Wales.  So we had Shepherds Pie, Bangers and Mash with Onion Gray, Lamb Stew, Curry Pie, Toad in the Hole and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.  These were the meals that were regularly on the table and we all enjoyed them.  I can tell you that there were never any leftovers when these went on our table.  In fact I still get a little excited if I know any of these dishes are what we are having for dinner.

However, my kids, have had to deal with me creating my own list of family favourite dinners.  As easy go to meals especially during the working week items that can be found on the menu planner can include Hamburgers, Taco's, Penne Boscaiola, Devilled Sausages, homemade pizza (your choice of topping), Chicken Parmagiana, Echidna Meatballs and of course, Eggs Beans and Chips.

I understand many of you may have or not had any of the dishes I have just mentioned so just for the record Toad in the Hole does not contain any toads, Porcupine Meatballs do not contain any porcupine meat and Echidna Meatballs definitely do not contain any Echidna meat.  Are we clear?  I am happy now that we have that sorted!

Firstly this recipe is based on Porcupine Meatballs, an American dish that has apparently been a staple for generations.  As we live in Australia I changed the name to Echidna meatballs based on the fact that we don't have Porcupines down under.  The Echidna, or Spiny Anteater, is the equivalent to it's Northern Hemisphere counterpart.

So what is an Echidna meatball?  Basically its a beef meatball with raw white rice added during the mixing stage.  Once the meatballs start cooking the rice starts protruding from the meat.  This resembles a Echidna or a Porcupine.  It's quite a groovy cooking technique and look pretty cool, especially if you are a kid.

Echidna meatballs are a very comforting and easy dish to make. The tender meatballs flavoured with herbs are cooked in a delicious tomato sauce.  There is no need to brown up the meatballs prior as they keep their shape well.  Note there is not a lot of stirring required during cooking so please do not be tempted to continually stir as you will ruin the effectiveness of the rice poking from the meatball.

Like with most hand me down recipes, googles or cookbook searches you will find a multitude of different versions all claiming to the best.  This recipe is nice, tasty and very easy but is it the best?  We think so but I am unsure.  Many use canned tomato soup but we find that using a can of condensed soup seems to make the sauce very sweet.  We prefer to add some diced fresh tomatoes along with canned and passata.  Add some chilli flakes if you wish to spice up the tomato sauce or even some different herbs.  Its a great recipe to experiment with also.

This is a perfect one pot weeknight wonder, even more so for me tonight as the man of the house, Noel, cooked dinner.  It was wonderful to come home from work and smell the deliciousness as I opened the front door.

Serve with mashed potato or plain pasta and I am sure your family will love them.

Echidna Meatballs aka Porcupine Meatballs

Serves: 4

SmartPoints per Serve: 7

500 grams lean beef mince

1/3 cup raw long grain rice

1 teaspoon beef stock powder

salt

ground black pepper

1 egg white 

4 fresh truss tomatoes, diced

350 ml Italian passata

1 x 440g can diced tomatoes

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup water

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder 

2 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chilli flakes (optional)

In a mixing bowl add mince, rice, stock powder and egg white. Season with salt and pepper.  Using your hand, mix all ingredients together until combined.  Shape into twelve even sized meatballs.

Place the tomatoes, passata, canned tomatoes, onion, water, chicken stock powder, garlic, oregano and chilli, if using, in a flameproof casserole dish or heavy based frying pan (with a lid). Mix well and bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Gently place meatballs in tomato sauce.

Put lid on casserole dish and gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring occassionally, until meatballs are cooked and rice is protruding.

Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta (add SP as required).

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon, Fresh Herbs and Veg

What a really easy delicious Roast Chicken Dinner this was.  And a mid week treat that's for sure. 

 

Normally our Roast Chicken is very traditional - being a Classic Roast Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing but today I thought I needed something also full of flavour but easy to prepare - you know minimal fuss.  Now my good friend, Mr Jamie Oliver, provides a bevvy of these kind of meals so I went straight to his website and never doubting him, he came up with the goods and this recipe was on the screen for all the world to see... oh well me as I was the only one looking at the screen.

 

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon, Fresh Herbs and Veg - it was decided!!!  That's how are chicken would be sacrificed tonight - well a few tweaks here and there - but it was sorted.

 

No stuffing this time - no need.  Filling the cavity with fresh herbs and whole lemon gave the chicken the same if not better flavours and aromas of a full herby breadcrumb stuffing plus with a lot less fuss.  The vegetables were perfect - taking on the flavours of the chicken and one dish later - it was all done.  Except for the saucepan to make the gravy of course.

 

The chook we served up tonight was perfectly cooked - juicy, tender with a yummy crispy skin.....

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon, Fresh Herbs and Veg

(recipe adapted from jamieoliver.com)

 

Serves: 6

ProPoints per Serve: 12

 

1.6 kg whole chicken

6 medium potatoes, halved

2 medium onions, quartered

4 carrots, large slices

2 bulbs garlic, halved

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup water

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

1 small bunch fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or a mixture

2 tablespoons Chicken Gravy powder

2 tablespoons cold water

Take your chicken out of the fridge 1 hour before it goes into the oven.   Remove packaging, rinse and drain.  Pat dry with paper towel. 

Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Celsius.

Pile all the vegetables and garlic into the middle of a large roasting dish and drizzle with half of the olive oil.  Pour in 1 cup of water.

Drizzle the chicken with remaining olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife or a skewer. Put the lemon inside the chicken's cavity, with the bunch of herbs.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting dish and put it into the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200 degrees Celsius.  Cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add some more water to the roasting tray to stop them burning.

Check to ensure chicken is cooked by poking with a skewer through the thickest point - it's cooked if the juices run clear.  take the dish out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside.

Transfer pan juices to a small saucepan leaving vegetables in the roasting dish.   Return vegetables to the oven to keep warm and crisp up. 

 

Mix gravy powder with water and stir through pan juices in the saucepan.  Place saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil and cook until slightly thickened, stirring continuously.  Place in jug or gravy boat.

 

Cut chicken into pieces. Remove vegetables from the oven and place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.  Serve with the gravy and extra ProPoint free vegetables, if desired.

 

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Lebanese Pork and Veal Meatballs

This was an interesting recipe not only by name but by the way that you cook part of the actual recipe.  I have to say I was very intrigued and felt compelled to try it out.

Meatballs are a winner at any time as far as I am concerned - small mouthfuls of tender melt in your mouth bites are always enjoyed but these that are Middle Eastern infused topped the list.

The Lebanese rice was very different but was one of the conversation highlights.... really rice and pasta? Who would have thought?  But both these combined, cooked in the stock until tender, really made this dish as they both enveloped the flavours and made the meal complete.

If you are after some different and want a one pot wonder this perfectly fits the bill. 

Lebanese Pork and Veal Meatballs

(recipe adapted from WW Slow Cooking Cookbook)

 

Serves: 8

ProPoints per Serve: 10

 

400 grams lean pork mince

400 grams lean veal mince

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 white onions, thinly sliced

4 cups veal or chicken stock

1 cup long grain white rice

100 grams angel hair pasta

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup fresh coriander leaves

Combine mince, garlic, egg, cumin, coriander and cardamom in a medium bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Roll level tablespoons of mixture into 32 meatballs.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook meatballs, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned.  Transfer to a plate.

Reheat same pan over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add meatballs and stock, bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.

Add rice and cook for 5 minutes.  Add pasta and cook for 10 - 12 minutes or until rice and pasta are tender and liquid has been absorbed.

Serve topped with tomato and coriander.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Creamy Potato and Bacon Bake

We have been buying some really nice pieces of steak of late so nothing better than it being chargrilled and served with some yummy accompaniments. 

 

Potato Bakes, are a perfect side dish, one that so many people enjoy.  There are many variations, one of our favourites is a non creamy potato bake with also has carrot as a layer, Potato Carrot and Onion Bake which my mam used to make when I was a child and I still make to this day.

 

This Creamy Potato and Bacon Bake sounds sings comfort food.  Right down to the last morish mouthful of soft potatoes mixed with bacon and onions enveloped in a thick creamy sauce this dish is a legend in it's own casserole dish. 

 

Creamy Potato and Bacon Bake

Serves: 8

ProPoints per serve: 5

cooking spray

175 grams Weight Watchers Bacon, diced

6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 brown onion, diced

300 mls reduced fat thickened cream

1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

freshly ground black pepper
60 grams grated reduced fat tasy cheese

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook bacon for 2 - 3 minutes until slight crisp.  Remove from heat and drain on paper towel.

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.

Combine potatoes, onions and bacon in a large bowl.  Place mixture into casserole dish.

In a small jug combine cream, mustard, stock powder, thyme and pepper to taste.  Pour over potato mixture.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for a further 20 - 30 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and golden on top.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Creamy Chicken Casserole

Dinner tonight - courtesy of my hubby Noel cooking it while I was working late.  The house has a yummy aroma the moment I opened the front door.

This dish was really yummy - a nice thick sauce full of vegetables and tender chicken who could ask for more?  Me - I could have eaten seconds and thirds.

The flavour was impressive - the meatiness of the chicken, the vegetables and the tarragon all in every mouthful brought back memories of food my mother used to cook.... mmmmm!

Served with crunchy bread this was a perfect mid week dinner that was enjoyed by all.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

(recipe sourced from WW Food You'll Love Cookbook)

 

Serves: 4

ProPoints per Serve: 9

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 teaspoons mustard powder

500 grams lean chicken thigh fillets, fat trimmed, thickly sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced

125 grams Weight Watchers Bacon, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 carrots, thickly sliced

600 grams potatoes, cut into 2 cm pieces

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons reduced fat thickened cream

2 cups baby spinach leaves

Heat half the oil in a laege heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.  Combine flour and mustard powder in a small bowl.  Add chicken to the flour mixture and toss to coat, shaking off the ecess.  Cook chicken, in batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned.  Transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan.  Add leek and bacon and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek has softened.  Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Return chicken to the pan with carrot, potato, tarragon and stock and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 - 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. 

Add cream and spinach and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted.  Serve.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Roast Pork Cutlets with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Another one I created earlier.... LOL!!

These juicy pork cutlets are paired with an irresistible creamy mustard sauce which went down a treat.  The creamy mustard sauce was smooth and not over powering.  The vegetables soft and the pork cutlets were just mouthwatering.

I wasn't quite sure on the actual outcome - I had never roasted my potatoes with a sauce as such but I am really glad that I gave this recipe a go.  It was delicious and everything was tender.  Not to mention this dish was on the table with minimal fuss and minimal mess.

Roast Pork Cutlets with Creamy Mustard Sauce

(recipe adapted Super Food Ideas Magazine August 2005) 

Serves 4

ProPoints per Serve: 10

800g Desiree potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges

5 carrots, peeled, thickly sliced

2 green capsicum, deseeded, thickly sliced
250 grams button mushrooms

1/4 cup wholegrain mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup chicken stock

4 rindless pork loin cutlets

1/2 cup thickened low fat cream

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Place potatoes, carrots, capsicum and mushrooms in a large roasting pan. Combine mustard, oil, stock and salt and pepper in a jug. Pour over vegetables. Toss to combine.

Place pork cutlets on top of vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until pork is just cooked through. Transfer pork to a plate. Cover with foil and stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add cream and parsley to vegetables in pan. Stir to combine.Return to oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Place vegetables and pork onto plates. Spoon over creamy mustard sauce. Serve.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Braised Chicken with Tomato and Rosemary

As winter is settling and the nights are definitely becoming cooler (if not freezing) rustic, home cooking, comfort food is starting to creep onto my menu planner. Tonight's meal was no exception and went down a treat.

Best of all, very easy to put together and on the table in 30 minutes. Just what's needed for a week night. Everyone enjoyed the robust Italian flavours, what's not to like about tomatoes and rosemary? The capers added their own little distinctive flavour with each mouthful also. We served this with plain cooked pasta spirals and some additional steamed vegetables but I imagine it would be deliscious served with anything especially fresh crusty bread to mop up the juice.

Braised Chicken with Tomato and Rosemary

Serves: 4

Points per serve: 6

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 chicken thigh fillets, all visible fat removed

1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped

1 red onion, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

400gram can chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup dry red wine

salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra rosemary sprigs to garnish

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the chicken for 3 - 4 minutes each side or until browned all over. Add half the choped rosemary and stir to combine. Transfer chicken to a plate.

To the same pan cook onion for 3 - 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and remaining rosemary. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, capers and wine. Bring to the boil and return chicken to the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter over extra rosemary.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Lamb Stew

This would have to be one of the best ways to use up Roast Lamb besides lamb sandwiches with fresh white bread of course!! Everyone in our family loves this, the flavour is amazing and for a one dish dinner is sure is a crowd pleaser!

You can make this without having roasted lamb, just used diced lamb, chops or even an uncooked leg.

This is only my version, everyone makes it differently. The vegetables can be varied to suit, whichever way it's an easy yet hearty meal that brings joy and comfort! Especially when served with a french stick to pull apart and soak into the yummy stew.

Lamb Stew

Serves: 8

Points per serve: 5

500 grams leftover roast lamb on the bone

1 brown onion, largely chopped

water

freshly ground black pepper

1 kilogram potatoes, peeled and halved

1 swede, peeled and diced

1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

2 sticks celery, finely sliced

1/2 cup green peas

2 packets Spring Vegetable soup mix

1 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place lamb leg in a stock pot or large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover, at least 4 litres would be perfect. Add onion and freshly ground pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 - 3 hours. Allow to cool. Once cooled remove the set fat from the top of the stock. Drain stock through a colander into another stockpot or large saucepan. Remove meat from the colander, discard any fat or bone pieces that are visible and return onions to the stock. Remove all the meat from the bone and shred or chop. Return meat to the stock.

Add all the vegetables and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer. Combine soup mix with water and stir through stew. Allow to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Fragrant Pork Meatball and Rice One Pot

Not only do I have an obsession with purchasing cookbooks, but I have the same healthy obsession with purchasing cooking magazines. My new all time favourite being "BBC Australian Good Food" which never fails every month to be crammed full of great recipes. Of course July's issue is no different. After reading it several times, cover to cover, I have dog eared the pages containing recipes that I am definitely testing on my family.

The first recipe that caught my attention is this one, Fragrant Pork Meatball and Rice One-Pot. To give you an idea of how good I find this magazine the other recipes on my "to cook list" are Cajun-spiced Chicken with Beans, Glazed Meatloaf, Ross Dobson's Steak and Onion Casserole, Creamy Ham and Mushroom Bake, and Kylie Kwong's Braised Chicken Wings with Tamari, just to name a few.

The concept of this dish and making the meatballs could not be any easier. In fact I was impressed and somewhat surprise as it's a technique that I have never used before. The simple act of taking a sausage and squeezing the insides out to form small meatballs was terrific. This recipe called for pork sausages but I am sure any flavour sausage would work just as well.

Fragrant Pork Meatball and Rice One Pot was quick to prepare, easy to cook and went down a treat. The house was definitely fragrant during the dish being cooked and the taste was smooth yet full of flavour. I did make some minor changes, as usual for me. I didn't have thick pork sausages (4) that the recipe called for so I used thin Italian Style pork sausages and also added some carrot, capsicum and zucchini to the recipe to bulk it up and ensure that we were getting our intake of vegetable also. I don't think these changes or additions made any drastic change in the outcome of the dish. Next time however I will use a low fat style of sausage in an attempt to make this dish more weight loss friendly.

The main thing overall, the kids loved it and once again I can "cook it again"! Even though once again I am showing you a really bad photo of the dish.

Fragrant Pork Meatball and Rice One-Pot

(recipe adapted from BBC Australian Good Food)

Serves: 4

8 thin Italian pork sausages

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 small carrot, finely diced

1/2 red capsicum, finely diced

1 zucchini, grated

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

3/4 cup long grain rice

3 1/2 cups salt reduced vegetable stock

1 x 400g can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander

Cut one end off each sausage. Squeeze sausage meat from skins and roll into small balls.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook meatballs, turning frequently, for 5 - 6 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to low and cook onion, garlic and carrot for 3 minutes or until softened. Add capsicum, zucchini, cumin and coriander, stirring for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in rice and cook for a further 1 minute.

Pour in stock and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Return cooked meatballs to the pan and season to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with coriander and serve with crusty bread, if you like.

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole

This dish has never failed me whether it is for a tasty supper, for a special dinner party, an impromptu get together or even for when you are in want of something "tasty". Dinner can be on the table in as little as an hour. I have cooked this for family, friends and even work colleagues and it always gets an applause especially from me. Not bragging but even my kids love it.
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I serve with some nice fresh crusty bread and a bowl of steamed greens but honestly it is nice just by itself.
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The early preparation is a little time consuming but trust me, it is well worth it. Even with very minimal ingredients this casserole is bursting with flavour and I am sure your guests will ask you for this recipe!
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Mediterranean Chicken Casserole

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Serves 6

Points per serve: 6.5

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1 tbs olive oil
6 small (about 600g) chicken drumsticks, skin on
6 (about 1.5kg) chicken thigh cutlets, skin on
1kg chat potatoes, halved, skin on
4 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
95g kalamata olives
1 head of garlic, seperated and skin removed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
125ml dry white wine
Sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a 3L (12-cup capacity) flameproof, ovenproof baking dish over medium heat. Add the chicken drumsticks and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the chicken thigh cutlets.
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Add the potato to the dish and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat. Return the chicken to the dish and gently mix through the potatoes. Top with tomato, olives and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with rosemary. Pour over the wine. Season with salt and pepper.
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Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and potato is tender. Serve immediately.
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