Oh dear....

We woke to a bit of a shock on Saturday when I was up quite early, standing at the kitchen sink and saw what seemed to be a very large dog with something the colour of a chicken in its mouth.  Tana was beside me so on second look it was not at all good....

It seemed that the fox had ripped the side off the chicken coop off and taken all the chickens.  We spent Saturday getting over the shock and Nick repaired the damage, strengthened the coop and bought new chickens.  Apparently you just have to get over it and get on with it out here.  Good thing we didn’t name the chickens or it might have been a bit more personal.

Unfortunately all the chickens had just settled and started to lay regularly so we are back to square one with frightened layers who will take a couple of weeks to settle into a routine.  So no eggs!  

The good news, cheer yourself up with food. I found some great quality barramundi ….

Fish and Zucchini Chips

Finely slice 1 ½ zucchini per person and lay in a single layer onto a sheet of baking paper on an oven tray (you’ll need a couple.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake in a hot oven 200c till golden brown and crisp.

Mean while lightly coat the fish in a little seasoned flour and pan frie in a little oil.

Serve the chips with the fish and a dollop of Aioli, a slice of lemon and maybe a salad.  We had some fresh snow peas.  Its tasty and is a much healthier choice than fries.

Love

Mary

Spring really has sprung

There is so much happening outside, not only is the grass over a foot high after just a couple of weeks but everything is growing.  The lettuce 2^nd life (after rabbit) has them only days away from eating, there are buds on the zucchini, flowers on the tomato plants and all the trees on the property are green with new leaves. 

We have enjoyed fabulous blossom and spectacular flowers that I clearly have no idea what to call except beautiful.

A little like my naming of the helicopter bird (apparently its a crested pigeon) due to the manner in which it takes off straight up into the air.  Very entertaining.

I’m hoping someone can tell me what this tree is…..

Last weekend we had almost summer weather on Saturday and that didn’t stop Martin request I teach him how to make Yorkshire pudding – which in turn meant we needed to have a full roast beef.  No problem, just a little warm.  Remind me to keep the oven off for the next few months will you.

He did a great job – the pudding was great as you can see and I added gravy that you might want to try.

Here are the recipes for both.

Yorkshire Pudding

300ml milk

4 eggs

250g plain flour

Mix all ingredients, except the flour, with pepper and ½ a teaspoon of salt, beating them well together.  Le the ingredients stand for 15 minutes and then whisk in the flour.

Meanwhile put a pan, I use patty pans but you can cook as one piece if you prefer, with 1 tablespoon or so of whatever fat you are using (I used vegetable oil) in a very hot oven.  Into this intensely hot pan, pour the batter and cook undisturbed for 15 – 20 minutes and serve immediately.

This is obviously a Man's portion!

The Gravy

15g butter

1 onion chopped finely

Pinch of brown sugar

1 teaspoon flour

300ml beef stock

2 teaspoons of Marsala

Melt the butter and cook the onion very slowly, stirring often.  When the onion is soft add the sugar and Marsala and let it caramelise.  Cover with foil, putting the foil as near to the bottom of the pan as possible and continue to cook, still on a very low flam, fort about 10 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook a further 2 minutes.

Stir in the stock, bring to the boil then reduce to low and cook for a further 20 minutes.  Puree or strain and add any meat juices.

This can be prepared a day early if your going to be pushed for time and can also be made with chicken stock and served with roast chicken.

Enjoy,

Love Mary

Week night fast food

Week night fast food

We are definitely fast food, one dish, mid week eaters but still like tasty and healthy dishes.

This week we had a flying visit to Sydney where we both did a little work but really it was all about Leonard Cohen, wow what an amazing concert.  It had to be hands down the best thing I’ve ever seen.  If you get the chance go…and thanks Nick it was a fabulous surprise.

But travelling to Sydney in the week leaves little time for cooking so this week we had one of our current favourites.  It sounds a little unusual but believe me if you haven’t started eating roasted cauliflower you will want to after trying this.

The other key ingredient in this dish is Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wa' or 'kin-wah') is native to the upper Andes of Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.  The most surprising feature of quinoa is its high protein content of 12-18% which is higher than meat.
It's also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It has a low GI, is gluten free and high in dietary fibre.

With all of these great features it is unsurprising that the Incas called it the 'mother of all grain'.  If you haven’t yet discovered this it’s a great option in salads, use it like couscous and if you’re trying to cut down your evening intake of carbs this is a great find.

It’s easy to prepare, just simmer it in stock or water to cover, top it up as necessary till you see the seeds open and all the liquid is absorbed.  Or follow the instructions on the packet.  I can now buy this in the organic section of our local Woolworths, it comes in three different colors’ so please try it.   I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

I found the following recipe in one of our national weekend magazines and have addapted it slightly.  

Roasted Cauliflower with Quinoa

1 whole cauliflower

½ cup Quinoa

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Cheese, use goats, feta or Labanne or even a good quality yogurt will work what ever suits your taste or is in the fridge.  My choice this week is Labanne. 

Oive oil, salt and Pepper

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and toss in a little olive oil in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper.  Place in a hot oven 180C.  Turn a couple of times and cook till golden brown.

Meanwhile cook the Quinoa in the chicken stock.

Combine all ingredients except the cheese, season and add a little fresh olive oil to taste.

Serve with a dollop of Labanne, or a sprinkle of your chosen cheese.

You will love it believe me!

Mary

The generosity of friends and chickens

Many years ago I was lucky enough to meet a lady called Pam who owns a catering company (onsight@indigo.net.au ) at the time specialised in catering functions on boats.  These days she caters mostly for land based functions and continues to produce some fabulous fish dishes amongst her great repertoire. 

This recipe she generously shared with me after serving the dish to my staff one Christmas.  I have since been producing this fish for my family most Christmases since.  But don’t keep it just for Christmas, any reason to cook it will do.  A whole fish looks grand as a centrepiece and isn’t difficult at all.  You just require something big enough to cook it in. 

Honey Baked Salmon

For 10 people

2.5 to 3 kg Salmon or Ocean Trout, Scaled, gutted and cleaned

100ml Honey

¼ cup white Miso from your Asian food store

1 ½ tablespoon sesame oil

1 bunch fresh coriander

Wash and wipe salmon with paper towel.  Using a sharp knife, cut 3 slits on both sides of the salmon and place on a large sheet of oiled foil in a baking dish or large tray.

Combine honey, miso, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth.  Spoon ½ honey mixture into the fish cavity with 3 sprigs of coriander.  Pour remaining mixture over the salmon.  Wrap foil loosely around the fish and fold edges together to seal.

Bake at 180c for 45 to 60 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Or pop a sure through the foil into the fish and if the tip comes out warm the fish is cooked. 

We have cooked this fish on the barbecue as a standard oven can be too small to take a whole fish, just make sure the base of the tray doesn’t catch with the direct heat, either turn the fish once or place the tray on a pizza stone or terracotta tile.

Strain pan juices and drizzle over salmon, then sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Serve the fish either warm or at room temperature.

In answer to your questions about the still un named chickens – yes they are laying, although it seems one lays every day, one lays every second day and the third (if I knew which one that was) is heading for the pot.  So we are getting more than enough eggs for our use but still not enough to bring to our Sydney friends.. but they are working on it!

Love

Mary

Mary, Mary quite contrary...

Look Mum we are growing potatoes!

Amazing what you can do with an old tire, some potatoes and a bit of chicken poo….

I’m very proud of this photo and hope we will be eating home grown potatoes this Christmas or possibly before.  Never thought I could get so much pleasure out of the spud.

We also have lettuce which our family of rabbits are really enjoying, lots of herbs which we are already eating, tomatoes, capsicum, aubergine that are still a long way off.  We have some seedlings of pimento sitting on the office window ledge – currently with just 5 tiny leaves popping through the soil.

We also have zucchini, pumpkins and watermelon.   I’ll let you know how it all goes and who gets to sample our food first, other than the rabbits we are competing with the chickens, Tana of course and all the wonderful wild birds in the back yard let alone the small predators and then of course the possums over the fence.  Competition on….

Love Mary

ps...this is the last of the blossom

A weekend at home

We where to have friends this weekend but with a last minute cancellation we where left to spend the weekend with no plan….nothing better.

We spent Friday night at home eating a simple and very healthy Teriyaki stir fry of Pork, Sugar snap peas and broccoli served over Japanese noodles. It felt like we where having a take-out bit I’m not aware of Japanese in Orange.

Saturday lunch was good, Nick commented that he never thought he would rave over anything with lentils but oh how his tastes have changed.

So out of the pantry comes my Beetroot and Lentil Salad

1 tin beetroot, cut to bite size

1 tin of Puy lentils – drained many times to avoid the obvious pitfall of tinned lentils (do I need to go into details?!)

2 finely chopped eschalot’s

½ bunch chopped chives

Some lettuce leaves or rocket would be nice

1 tablespoon per person of Labanne (yogurt cheese)

Mix all ingredients except the lettuce with a splash of good oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop the leaves on a plate, add the lentil mix and top with a spoon of Labanne and another grind of pepper.  Easy and very, very good.

Saturday dinner and Nick has offered to cook for me!

My choice, prawns of the barbecue…

He took 700g of prawns, took the head off and split the prawns long ways removing the back track.

He then pounded in the mortar and pestle a handful of Parsley, Mint, Chives, the rind of a lemon, a little olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes and some salt.

This then spread this over the prepared prawns and let them marinade for an hour before booking on a hot barbecue for just a minute either side.

He served this with some grilled vegetables and a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.  A bottle of Tasmanian Pinot and I was feeling very spoilt indeed.

Today is Sunday and we are heading off for lunch in a local vineyard, I hope everyone’s weekend is going as well as ours, have fun.

Love Mary

Feeding the crowd

A friend was asking recently what I do to feed a crowd at home, when you are cooking for over 10 or 20 people it can be a bit daunting but its also a fun way to spend a day with everyone around you.

I take the following philosophy, ‘keep it simple, less is more but have plenty of it’, does that make any sense at all?

Keep it simple, I mean a few dishes

Less is more, I mean a few fresh and simple ingredients

Plenty of it, I mean those dishes need to be of generous proportion, don’t measure 1 potato each,  serve too much…

I start with the protein plan, will it be a whole fish baked on the Barbecue, maybe a Tasmanian Ocean Trout or a Shoulder of Pork – slow roasted with loads of fennel seeds, chili and garlic or possibly a Ham that glistens with the home made glaze you have generously dealt it. 

It could be as easy as a Leg of Lamb butterfly style and covered in garlic, lemon and rosemary cooked pink .  A few chickens you have roasted stuffed with lemon and herbs or even bought from the rotisserie man down the road.  Maybe a barbecue, possibly the Grilled Chicken with Pepper Lime Dip recipe I have already given you. 

Think big proportions that will look spectacular on a platter in the middle of the table to share.

Then you need consider the vegetable, here is a couple of options you might want to try even in smaller potions.

I took this straight from my sister, everyone loves it and there is never enough.

Geraldine’s Potato salad

1 KG chat potatoes scrubbed cut in two and boiled till done but still firm.

While the potatoes are cooking chop a big bunch (say half a cup of each at least) of parsley, chives, mint, basil and mint (or any combination) along with a bunch of spring onions or 1 red onion very finely chopped.  Mix this with some mayonnaise (about 3 tablespoons should do it) that you have either made prior of purchased from the local deli, whole egg or don’t bother. 

Combine the mayo and herbs with the potato while they are still warm.  Heap onto a big plate or bowl and on to the table.

Then you need some green stuff…

My asparagus, green bean and mint salad

The photo above is beans and peas - that will work but the following is best

4 bunches of asparagus

400g green beans

½ bunch mint leaves

¼ cup currents

¼ cup port

Olive oil

Soak the currents in the port for a minimum 2 hours.

Snap and discard the asparagus ends.  Cook the asparagus whole in well salted water, refresh in cold water. Prepare beans and cook in salted water (with the lid off). Combine asparagus and beans with a light dressing of olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place green veg on a platter, sprinkle with the currents and mint leaves and serve.

I like all this as it can all be prepared pre guests, you can even stun them with a platter of fresh bread a couple of easy dips, a few olives or whatever you can find at the deli, I’d guess you have your favourites and for desert cook them our Orange cake and serve it with lashings of cream or ice cream.  Simple entertaining. And all prepared in advance so you too can enjoy the day.

Love Mary

Eat it while it’s fresh….

This season’s asparagus and peas are available now and we love them. 

We also have eggs from our chooks who we have been scolded for not naming but right now they still all look the same to me.  But I am pleased with the eggs!

So with eggs, asparagus and great fresh pea’s it has to be salad time.

Here are a few combinations we have been trying recently.  Think short cooking times, leave the lid off when you are cooking your greens and keep them bright.  Three to five ingredients on the plate is all you will need.

New potatoes steamed – not too soft, mixed while still warm with finely sliced eschalots and a small dollop of mayonnaise (home made is best otherwise the best you can buy).  A handful of baby spinach leaves and steamed fresh peas with a small amount of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and freshly ground black pepper.  This photo says it all.  With the barbeque going you really don’t need much more than a good glass of something.

Poach an egg to have with buttered peas, quality (tined is fine) tuna and new potatoes.

Rub asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and flash grill on a barbeque or in a pan.  Serve with new seasons goat cheese or shaved parmesan and a drizzle of really good oil (olive is great and walnut even better).

Fry haloumi slices and serve with steamed spring greens – say a mix of asparagus, sugar snap peas or little green beans and zucchini simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Or if you are not in the salad mood today…

Stir fry sugar snap peas and asparagus with calamari, or fish or chicken and slivers of garlic and ginger then serve with steamed rice.

Have fun and remember to buy fresh because unlike you and I fresh veg doesn’t improve with age.

Love Mary