Getting your goat...

Goat meat is the most widely consumed meat in the world and until now, although I had eaten it a number of times, I had never actually cooked it myself. It seems to be a lot more common in butcher shops these days and I even saw hindquarters of goat being sold in Woolworths recently. I suspect that its inclusion as an ingredient in the hugely popular Masterchef program has created a bit of a mainstream demand for this super lean and versatile meat.

Goat is a traditional meat throughout many regions of the world including the Middle East, Mediterranean, parts of Africa, the Caribbean and throughout South-East Asia. If you are purchasing goat meat, be aware that it is also sold as Capretto or Chevon - it won't always be labelled "goat".

I decided to take a hindquarter leg of goat (the bone was already removed when I bought it) and then marinate it, before slow cooking it in the oven. The result was super tender meat with a lovely caramelised crust. I used a citrusy mariande to contrast the richness of the meat.

Because goat meat is very lean, it will dry out very easily, so you will need to make sure that you add moisture to the dish - I used water to ensure that the goat meat was always sitting in a moist environment as it cooked.

I was happy with my first attempt at cooking goat meat - I bought a whole hindquarter of the meat, so I have some in the freezer which I think I will make into a curry at some point. I will post it when I do. In the meantime, here is my recipe for roasted goat meat. I think the flavours would also work well with lamb, so if you can't source any goat, then you can substitute.

Marinated Roasted Goat with Fennel and Kipfler Potatoes

You will need:

(For the dish) 1 small leg of goat (I used a hindquarter leg with the bone removed and tied it up with string to hold it together for cooking), 1 bulb fennel sliced into thick rings, 2 large onions,

4-6 Kipfler potatoes halved, Olive oil, 1 cup water.

(For the marinade) 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 2 cloves garlic, juice and rind of 1 lemon, 1or 2 small red chillies (I used two), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon honey, salt and pepper.

Method: Combine the marinade ingredients well in a bowl big enough to hold the goat. Add the goat and coat it well in the marinade. Let it rest, covered in the fridge for an hour or more.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and brown the goat on all sides. Transfer the goat to a heavy based casserole dish with a lid. Add the onions, a splash of olive oil, a cup of water. Place the goat on top and cook in a moderate oven for an hour and a half with the lid on. Give the dish a stir occasionally and add more water if the dish gets dry. You should try to maintain a layer of liquid on the bottom of the pot at all times.

After an hour and a half, add the potatoes and the fennel. Season well and cook with the lid on for another 30 minutes. Remove the goat and wrap it in foil to rest. Give the potatoes and fennel another 10-15 mins in the oven before serving.

Serve with green vegetables and fresh sliced lemon.

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Zing! Zing!

The weather has really warmed up in the last few days (despite it supposedly being winter!) so last night I was really in the mood for something that was light and fresh, instead of the heavier winter food that I have been eating lately. I was also in a seafood mood so I stopped by the fishmonger on the way home to see what was on offer. He had some beautiful fresh whole calamari as well as scallops (my favourite) and some ocean caught prawns. I used these as the basis for today's recipe - a light seafood pasta dish, flavoured with chilli, lime, mint and fetta. This is quick and simple, with lovely zingy flavours that work well with the fresh seafood. Don't be bound by the amounts I have given in the recipe - feel free to use as much or as little seafood as you like. It is a very forgiving dish, so do it your way. Enjoy!

Zingy Seafood Spaghetti with Lime,Chilli, Mint and Fetta

You will need: Spaghetti, 2 tomatoes de-seeded and diced finely, 1-2 hot chillies finely chopped, 1 tablespoon each of fresh mint and continental parsley chopped finely, Juice of 1 fresh lime plus extra lime wedges to serve (Please don't even think about using anything but fresh lime for this - say NO to the one in a plastic container off the supermarket shelf!!!) , 1/3 cup crumbled Fetta cheese, olive oil (I used a good fruity extra virgin one) 100g scallops, 6 large prawns shelled and deveined, 1 large or 2 smallish calamari - cleaned and cut into rings. (Don't throw out the tenatcles - use them too), 1 tablespoon plain flour, salt, pepper, A few drops of Tabasco or hot sauce (optional), A few tablespoons vegetable oil for frying.

Method: Combine the tomatoes, chilli, mint, lime juice and parsley in a bowl with a generous splash of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put your spaghetti on to cook in plenty of salted boiling water. While the spaghetti is cooking, move your attention to the seafood. Place your seafood in a bowl, season well with salt, pepper, tabasco and sprinkle with the flour. Mix it through well.

Heat the vegetable oil in a hot frypan and cook the seafood in batches till golden. Be careful not to overcook it, it will only take a very short time to be ready. Set the seafood aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then return it to the pot. Add the tomato mixture, seafood, a generous splash of olive oil and Fetta cheese - combine well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if required.

Serve right away with extra lime wedges. Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are!

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Veg-A-Rama!!

I've had some really bad, tasteless vege burgers in my time. Do people think that because you are choosing the vegetarian option that you have also had your tastebuds removed and have lost your culinary will to live??? No people! Mashing a cup of lentils and making them burger shaped does not a vege burger make!!! There are so many other great ingredients that you can include that will give your vege burger bucketloads of flavour and make it delicious.

My recipe includes lovely creamy sweet potato, lentils, chickpeas and plenty of other seasonal vegetables and is served with a delicious and easy to throw together beetroot relish. I make a batch and then freeze the burger patties individually. Heat them in the microwave for a minute or two and you are ready to go. I do not fry my burgers - I find that doing them in the oven is a lot less hassle and you don't have to worry about the burgers breaking up, which can happen if you cook them in the frypan. The oven option also means that these burgers are very low in fat, so this recipe makes a ridiculously healthy, great tasting lunch or dinner.

This recipe makes about 12 burgers and the relish recipe will make two jars. Store the relish in the fridge and use within a couple of weeks. The relish also goes beautifully with grilled meat.

Gourmet Goddess Vege Burgers with Beetroot Relish

You will need:
(For the burgers- makes 12) 1 x rinsed and drained can of chickpeas, 1 x rinsed and drained can of lentils, 4 cups mashed sweet potato, 2 grated zucchini, 1 grated carrot, About 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 small red chillies, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup chopped continental parsley, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, pepper.

(For the relish - makes 2 jars) 3 large sliced onions, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 x 400g tins drained sliced beetroot, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup water.

Method: First, make the burgers. Put the chickpeas, garlic and chillies in the food processor with a couple of tablespoons of water. Blend until the chickpeas have broken down. Don't blend too much - you want to have a bit of texture to them, so don't make the mixture too smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpea mixture, lentils, mashed sweet potato and all of the other ingredients. Using your hands is best for this. The mixture should be quite soft, but still hold together. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too soft.

Using wet hands, form the mixture into generous sized burgers and place them on a baking tray that is lined with baking paper. (I find that because they are soft, they stick if you don't use the baking paper) Bake them in a moderate oven for 30-40 mins. They will start to brown slightly.
Cool the burgers on the trays before using an egg slice to remove them.

While the burgers are cooking, it's time to make the Beetroot Relish. Place the beetroot in the food processor and blend until the mixture is quite fine (you don't want massive chunks of beetroot)

Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and beetroot. Cook the mixture for a couple of minutes. Add the balsamic, salt, pepper and water and let the mixture simmer until most of the moisture is absorbed. Allow the relish to cool and put in jars.

Serve your burgers in a crusty roll with salad and beetoot relish.
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Hawker Heaven

I learned to make today's dish on one of my cooking trips to Singapore, where I ate it at one of the many Hawker stalls you will find throughout the city. I got chatting to the man who ran the stall after complimenting him on how much I enjoyed his dish - a fragrant curry of beef and pineapple. (Ok, it was so good I contemplated licking the plate!) Like many of the stalls, it had been run by generations of the one family - his father and his father before him. They specialised in 3 or 4 dishes and it had been this way for many years - family recipes that were passed down and perfected. I loved his curry - it had a lovely complexity of flavours with a perfect balance of hot, sweet, sour and salt. The meat was meltingly tender and the pineapple added a contrasting freshness to the earthiness of the spices.

Like every local I met in Singapore, he was full of passion for food and eager to talk about it. I took notes as we talked about the spices he used, how he prepared them and how he put the dish together and the next day I headed to the market to buy spices and ingredients to try my hand at my own version of the dish. (If you are ever in Singapore, head to Tekka Market in Little India for a jaw dropping array of produce, spices, meat and seafood) I don't flatter myself by thinking for a moment I would replicate what I ate at that stall exactly, but I figured I had a starting point and I would go from there. I was really delighted with the resulting dish and it is a real crowd pleaser when I serve it to friends. And every time I make it I still think of that Hawker stall in Singapore :)

You will probably not find ingredients such as Belacan (shrimp paste) and Candlenuts at your regular supermarket, you will need to head to an Asian grocer/supermarket. They will be really easy to get there as they are staples in many Asian cuisines. And finally, don't be daunted by the fact that you need to make the extra effort to get the proper ingredients or the fact that you are making the spice paste from scratch - it is really easy and the result is a really authentic tasting dish that you will make again and again. The little bit of extra effort is worth it, I swear!

Beef and Pineapple Hawker Curry

A note about the ingredients:
Belacan (shrimp paste) - smells awful, tastes amazing. This dense paste adds a wonderful richness to curries and I promise that the smell will disappear as it cooks. It is usually sold in blocks or in screw topped containers. I go the container option as it is less messy and keeps the aroma under wraps when it is stored. It lasts for a long time and a small amount goes a long way. Once you use it, it will become a regular addition to any curry you make.

Candlenuts - These oily nuts look a lot like Macadamias and are grated and used in Asian cooking as a thickening agent. Despite their resemblance to Macadamias, do not eat them raw. The oils in them will make you sick unless they are cooked.

Palm Sugar - This can be sold in 1 large block, or in packs of small ones. It ranges from a light golden colour to a dense dark brown. I prefer to use the kind that is darker in colour and I have found that the varieties from Indonesia have a superior flavour. A lot of palm sugar also comes from Thailand and whilst this is completely fine to use, I really recommend the Indonesian product if you can get it. Just check the label to find out where it is from. And one last hint - If your palm sugar is very hard, grating it will make it easier to handle.

You will need:
(For the spice paste) 8 long dried red chillies soaked for 15 mins in water, 3 fresh red chillies, 8 eschallots, 3 cloves garlic, 3cm piece ginger, 2cm piece galangal (it tends to be pretty hard, so instead of chopping it, I recommend grating it finely), 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1/2 tablespoon cumin seed, 8 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon white peppercorns, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/3 cup warm water.

(For the curry) 1 kg diced beef shin (gravy beef), 1/2 fresh pineapple - core and skin removed and cut into chunks the same size as the beef, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons shrimp paste (Belacan), 3 diced tomatoes, 400ml coconut milk (I use the light version - it still gives the rich flavour without the humungous amount of fat that is usually contained in coconut milk), 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla), 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar, 3 grated candlenuts, 1 cup water, 1 bunch fresh coriander roughly chopped.

Method: First, make your spice paste. In a dry pan, add the peppercorns, coriander seed, cumin seed and the cloves. Toast them gently until they begin to darken slightly and release their fragrance. Be very careful not to burn them - if you do, start again. If they are burnt you will end up with a bitter and unpalatable dish.

In the food processor, put the roughly chopped ginger, eschallots, roughly chopped fresh and dried chillies, chopped garlic, grated galangal, toasted spices and the warm water. Blend for a minute or two until it forms a paste. It will not be super dense or ultra smooth like commercial spice pastes - this is normal. (You can also use a mortar and pestle for this step if you have the time and upper body strength!)

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy based pot (I use my cast iron/enamel casserole dish for this). Add the spice paste and cook it gently until it starts to darken slightly. Add the shrimp paste and cook for another minute. Add the beef and combine with the spice mixture. Allow the beef to cook for a few mintues.

Add the tomatoes, palm sugar, fish sauce and half of the coconut milk. Mix well and simmer for a minute or two. Add the rest of the coconut milk, pineapple and the water. Simmer on a very low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After one hour, add the grated candlenuts. Stir thoroughly and cook for another hour. When the meat is super tender and you are ready to serve, stir through the fresh coriander.

Serve with rice or noodles.

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Comfort - Italian Style

Nothing says comfort food to me like a bowl of pasta in whatever form - whether it is good old Spaghetti Bolognaise, a delicious Lasagne or one of my faves, the beautiful rolled pasta dish - Cannelloni. Usually I make a vegetarian Cannelloni but I decided to try something a bit different this time - inspired by some fantastic spicy Italian sausages that I had in the fridge. The result was a really lovely flavoursome dish that also made plenty of leftovers to freeze. I have not included a recipe for the tomato sauce on the top. I figure we all have our own version of Nepolitana sauce, so use your own version or a good quality bought one. The pasta I used was fresh flat lasagne sheets which you will find easily in the fridge section at the supermarket. I didn't want the filling to be too heavy but wanted plenty of flavour, so I have added Ricotta and plenty of vegetables to the mix. This dish will serve 8 people.

Italian Sausage Cannelloni with Ricotta

You will need: 6 Italian/Continental style sausages, 1 pack fresh lasagne sheets (cut each sheet into 3 pieces), 2 cups Ricotta cheese, 1 bunch English spinach chopped finely, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, Half a teaspoon dried chilli flakes, Splash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons chopped capers, 1 tablespoon chopped black olives, salt and pepper, 3 cups Nepolitana sauce, 1 cup grated Mozzerella cheese, 2 tablespoons continental parsley.

Method: Split the sausages lengthwise and squeeze out the filling. Disgard the sausage skins. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and cook the sausage meat until it starts to brown. Break it up with a spoon as you go so it looks like minced meat. Add the chilli, capers, olives and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir it through until it wilts. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan and then the sausage mixture. Mix it really well and season generously. I find using my hands is the best way to ensure a good thorough mix.

Take the filling and lay a spoonful along the length of the pasta and roll it up to form the Cannelloni. Lay in them a baking pan (I line the pan with baking paper to make cleaning up easier later on) Continue until you have used all of the mixture.

Top with the Nepolitana sauce and bake for about 40 minutes in a hot oven. Remove the Cannelloin from the oven and top with the cheese. Return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Top with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

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