Sticky lemon chicken with champ (mashed potato)

This is the first time that I am cooking a Gordon Ramsey recipe and I was surprised by how easy it was. I was intrigued by the fact that it was served with 'champ' and immediately googled this unique name that judging by the ingredients seemed to be mashed potatoes. (Sorry 'Josef' for taking your role). I was thinking that it would be something terribly fancy and there would be a very French reason behind the name but the origin of the dish is actually Irish and is mashed potato with spring onion.

The end result is a sweet and tangy chicken with a slightly bitter taste (from the lemon rind) but it really works well.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumsticks no skin (recipe calls for skin and it would be much better with skin but I thought not using chicken breast was enough of a compromise for me)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 head of garlic halved horizontally
• few sprigs Thyme
• a good splash of sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 2 tbs dark soy sauce
• 3 tbs honey
• 1 lemon finely sliced (I used a mandolin)

Champ

• 1kg floury potatoes, peeled
• salt and pepper
• tbs butter
• spring onion (6-8) chopped finely both white and green parts (I used a food processor and it turns into a fine greeny mess)
• 150ml milk

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and heat the olive oil in a large fry pan. Brown the chicken pieces (I did this in batches so they brown properly) over a high heat with the garlic and thyme in the pan alongside the chicken. This will take approx 2-3 minutes on each side. 

Add the sherry vinegar and bubble away until the sherry reduces approximately by half (3-4 min). 

Drizzle over the soy sauce and the honey, and shake the pan to mix. 

Pour in a good splash of hot water and add the lemon slices. Let the liquid bubble and reduce down until syrupy, it should take approximately 10 minutes. Turn the chicken at least once during the process. 

To make the champ, cut the potatoes into similar sized chunks and boil in salted water for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well. 

Mash the potatoes while they are still hot and stir through the spring onions and butter. 

Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil (turning off as soon as it boils). 

Gradually pour into the potatoes, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with chicken. 

Jamie Oliver's Crab and fennel risotto

Definitely comfort food, this risotto is deliciously creamy without using any cream and the crab suprisingly blends into the dish rather than being an overpowering component. Don't be turned of by the thought of having to peel and cook crabs, I purchased fresh crab meat already picked and packaged and the whole dish takes 30 minutes from start to finish. So delicious and simple. This is a must try.

Enough for 4 people

Ingredients
1 fennel bulb
1 red onion
2 sticks of celery
300g crab meat
1tbs butter
300g risotto rice
1/2 small bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 bunch basil
800ml vegetable broth (I had frozen fish stock that I used)
200ml white wine
1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Slice the onion, celery and the fennel bulb as finely as you can. (I used a mandolin). Reserve half the fennel for later. 
2. You can do this step whenever you like during the cooking process, but i will put it in the beginning. Take half the fennel,  basil and the parsley leaves and combine with olive oil and juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper. You will use this salad on top of the risotto at the end. 
3. Place a large saucepan on a low to medium heat. Add the butter, a splash of olive oil to the pan with the onion, celery and fennel. After a minute add a splash of water. You want the mixture to soften but not brown so mix and keep adding water as you go. 
4. In a separate pan bring the broth to th boil, then turn heat to low once boiled. 
5. Once the mixture is very soft add the rice to the pan and stir until the rice is translucent (about a minute). Then add the wine. 
6. Add a ladle full of hot broth to the rice and stir until absorbed. Keep doing this until you have used about two-thirds of the broth. The key is to keep stirring. Be patient, it really only takes 15 minutes. 
7. Add the crab meat to the rice at this stage then keep adding the broth until the rice is just cooked and the risotto has a nice oozy consistency. If you run out of broth and the rice is not cooked just use boiling water. 
8. Take the pan of risotto off the heat and stir in the juice of half the lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 
9. Serve the risotto with the parsley salad on top. 

Greek - Style Cannellini and Vegetables

Sorry for not posting for a couple of days but this week dinner consisted of eating out and on the nights that we didn't eat out it was crackers and Margarita's. Sometimes you just have to go with what you feel like!

So as penance I made this super healthy and delicious vegetarian bean dish. This is even better the second day around and the orzo makes it super hearty and filling. This recipe easily serves 8 with leftovers, but it is the kind of dish that if you are going to the effort you may as well make enough to feed an army. 

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 3 carrots diced
• 1 red or green pepper diced
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint (1 tsp dried)
• 1 tbs minced fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 2 cups of cooked cannellini beans
• 2 cups Italian tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• red wine vinegar

1. Soak the cannellini beans overnight. 

2. Rinse the beans in a colander. 

3. In a large pot that will fit the beans and vegetables heat some olive oil and add onion, carrot, pepper and garlic. Stir for about 5 minutes over a medium low heat until onion and carrot begins to soften but not brown. 

4. Add the beans, tomatoes and an additional 2 cups of water. 

5. Cover and simmer for approximately 45 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. 

6. While the beans are simmering in a separate pot boil some water and cook the orzo. (As you would any pasta). 

7. Add chopped zucchini,  mint, dill and orzo to bean mixture and cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. 

8. Taste the beans to make sure they are cooked. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a little vinegar on the side. 

You may need to add a little water as you cook, use your judgement. It should be a thick saucy consistency. 

Rosmary scallops with green pea mash

At first I was hesitant to make scallops for a main meal. I am not sure why but they are always something that I associate with as a starter. But I was inspired by the beautiful warm Sydney weather to cook something light. This is by far the easiest and most simple dish that I have made to date. It is so fast and the pea scallop combination is a marriage made in heaven.

Ingredients
14 scallops (the scallops I got were pretty big, so 6 per person was enough)
salt and pepper
corn flour (for dusting the scallops)
rosemary spring
garlic clove
olive oil
frozen green peas

I know, I know I need to work on my presentation

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the frozen peas and bring back to the boil then drain and mash!
2. While the peas are boiling, heat olive oil in a fry pan with the garlic and rosemary (you will later discard these).
3. Dust the scallops in corn flour, salt and pepper.
4. Once the oil is heated gently fry the scallops for approximately 2 minutes on each side. (Don't move them around the fry pan so they have a chance to caramelise.
5. Serve!

Spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary and ginger

Let me start by thanking my friend Tom for this recipe. I was telling him that I am preserving some lemons at home and he kindly brought in this book called Tagine, spicy stews from Morocco. At least every second recipe in here calls for preserved lemons. So in about a month when they are finally ready I will be able to test some of them out.

Also, despite the name of the book and the recipe you don't need a tagine. A heavy cast iron pan is perfect.

Luckily this recipe doesn't call for preserved lemons!

Ingredients

• 2tbs olive oil and a knob of butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 sprigs of rosemary (1 sprig chopped the rest cut in half)
• 40g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 chicken breast pieces (recipe calls for thigh)
• 175g  dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
• sea salt and pepper
• small bunch of fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy based casserole or a tagine (good for you if you have a tagine). Stir in the onion, chopped rosemary, ginger and chillies and saute until the onion begins to soften. About 5 minutes.
2. Add the halved rosemary sprigs and the cinnamon sticks.
3. Add the chicken breast and brown on both sides (move aside the onion mixture if you have to so you have room to brown the chicken.
4. Toss in the apricots and honey, then stir in the can of tomatoes + another can of water.
5. Bring liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
The recipe didn't do this part but I think it really adds to the overall dish.
6. Remove the chicken, rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
7. Add another tin of water and bring to the boil.
8. Add 2 cups of couscous, stir then turn off and cover for 5 minutes. Season with salt.
9. Serve the chicken over the couscous with shredded basil on top.

Yum, easy and delicious!

Meatballs with Spinach and chickpeas (meatballs optional)

I am tempted to rename this dish to delicious and nutritious!

Ok, I know that it is a little weird that I suggest that the meatballs are optional, but the spinach and chickpea combination provides such a delicious and simple and hearty combination that the meatballs seemed unnecessary. I am not even going to tell you how simple this dish is, the ingredients list alone will tell you this.

Serves 2 with some leftovers
Ingredients

• 500g lean mince (beef or veal)
• onion
• salt and pepper

For spinach and chickpeas

• 500g frozen spinach
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 can chickpeas
• salt and pepper

1. Chop the onion very finely and combine with the mince, season with plenty of salt and pepper. Form walnut size (the shell not the nut) size balls and fry lightly in a fry pan until brown crust forms on each side (1-2 minutes a side).

2. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out excess water, put in  pan with a little butter, heat through and add chick peas, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. That is it! How easy is that.

3. If using the meatballs add them at this point with a little water (approx 1/3 cup) and cook for 15 minutes.

Hainiese Chicken with rice and dipping sauce

This is a pretty simple dish and health dish, but requires a fair amount of effort and patience. It is more a weekend dish. Having said that, it is worth it and the rice is to die for. I will definitely be cooking rice in this way in the very near future. I am not cooking tonight and all I can think about is going home and having the leftovers! Please don't be discouraged  by the ingredients list, alot of the ingredients are repeated (ginger, spring onion, garlic). I promise the end result is worth it.

Ingredients:4 chicken breasts
400g jasmine rice, washed until water runs clear
2 spring onions , sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 iceberg lettuce leaf, shredded
Coriander and thinly sliced red chilli, to garnish
master stock
3 litres water
125ml shao xing wine (I used dry Sherry)
4 spring onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4cm piece ginger, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons salt
chicken stock
2 litres of chicken stock
bunch of spring onions, halved
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2cm piece ginger, chopped
1 litres water
Salt and pepper, to taste
spring onion dipping sauce
2 spring onions, white part only, chopped finely
1cm piece ginger, chopped finely
1/2 bunch coriander roots, stem and leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot peanut oil
chilli sauce
2 long red chillies
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chicken stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
sweet soy sauce to serve

Mine didn't look as pretty as this one.....

Method:1. To make master stock, bring all ingredients to a boil in a stock pot. Simmer gently for 40 minutes. Add chicken pieces. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes exactly. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, to make chicken stock, bring all ingredients to a boil in a large stockpot. Simmer until reduced to 2 litres. Strain and discard solids. Season stock.
3. To make spring onion dipping sauce, combine onions, ginger and coriander in a bowl. Season with salt.
5. To make chilli sauce, process all ingredients in a small processor until combined. Season.
6. Place 750ml of the stock in a saucepan with rice. Simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes or until stock has been absorbed and rice is tender. ( I did this in the microwave and it was perfect)
7. Place remaining stock in a small saucepan with spring onions and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Stir through lettuce.
8. To assemble, remove chicken from master stock. Pour over sweet soy. Garnish with coriander and chilli, pouring over hot peanut oil to scald. Divide stock and lettuce mixture among separate serving bowls. Serve with rice, spring onion and chilli sauces.
Tip:
- Sauce and stocks can be made several hours in advance.