Sunday Brunch - Pumpkin & Feta Muffins

Morning everyone. I've been out in the garden bright and early this gorgeous Sunday morning tending to my tomato plants - which in time I hope are going to deliver crops of delicious, home grown tomatoes. I didn't have a lot of luck with them last year - they were sad and scraggy looking, and I lost some to a leaf spot thing that attacks the plants and makes the fruit drop. However this year I decided I would read up about tomato growing in my area, to educate myself on what will make happy plants and lots of fruit. I also decided on four very different varieties (two of them heirloom) as a bit of an experiment to see which ones like my backyard. So far they are all going beautifully, looking strong and healthy and already sporting plenty of flowers that will turn into fruit. This morning they got a good watering and a dose of potash, which they seem to love. Fingers crossed I will have some great tomatoes to show you and to eat very soon. The bees are also loving the new flowers, and anything that brings them into the garden is a good thing.

So, as I was out pottering in the garden, I was thinking about what to make for Sunday breakfast/brunch. I noticed that my herbs were looking particularly lush, so I decided whatever it was, it had to include a handful of fresh herbs. I always like to use what I have on hand, so I checked out the fridge to see what might give me some ideas for this morning's breakfast. Today's inspiration was - pumpkin, feta cheese and natural yoghurt. I decided to bake a batch of savoury muffins, full of the sweetness of pumpkin, the tang of the yoghurt and cheese and the freshness of herbs just picked from the garden.

As well as a great breakfast idea, these would also be ideal picnic food, or as an accompaniment for a bowl of soup or a salad anytime. These also freeze well, so it would be worth making a couple of batches and keeping some for whenever you fancy something savoury and delicious. As with most of my recipes, you can tailor make these muffins to include whatever flavours you like, or what you have on hand - olives, spring onion, corn kernels, extra cooked vegetables or whatever herbs you have in the garden - the basic recipe will work regardless. These muffins are lovely and moist, as well as being packed with flavour. You can eat them warm or cold, with or without a little butter. Personally, I think they are delicious warm, without anything at all!

Pumpkin and Feta Muffins

You will need: 3 cups raw pumpkin cut into small cubes, 1 diced Spanish onion, Splash of olive oil, 2 cups self raising flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 cup unsweetened natural yoghurt, 1/2 cup milk, 2 free range eggs, Pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (I used a combination of thyme, parsley and chives), 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 200C.

Combine the pumpkin, onion, a splash of olive oil and a very generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Mix together until well coated. Bake on a tray (I line mine with baking paper for easy clean up) for about 25-30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, yoghurt, cayenne and oil. Whisk together thoroughly.

In another large bowl, put the flour, both the cheeses, herbs and pumpkin/onion mixture. Season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands, very gently combine these ingredients - you don't want to smash up the soft components too much, but you want to ensure that they are evenly combined.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture until just combined. Remember the golden rule with muffins - don't over mix. The mixture should just barely hold together.

Spoon into a greased or oiled muffin pan and sprinkle with the poppy seeds.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to sit in the pan for a few minutes, before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

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Weeknight Entertaining

This week, as well as preparing for our Tasmania trip (more on that later) we caught up with our friends Dan and Louise, who are back in town after months of travelling around Australia on a mega road trip. We decided we would entertain at home and give them a home cooked meal instead of heading out to a restaurant. I thought they would appreciate it after living out of a four wheel drive for such a long time! I wanted to serve something rustic and easy to put together - who has time for fussy courses and lengthy preparation when you have just got in from a day at work? Entertaining mid week when you work full time can be a bit of a challenge, and given how bats-crazy-busy the last few weeks have been, I went for something low maintenance, but with lots of flavour. I also wanted to use what I had on hand, to help clear out the fridge before we leave for our holidays.

I pretty much did a variation on a family roast, but played around with the flavours a little. I baked a free range chicken, stuffed with a mixture of fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, spring onion, garlic, fresh lemon thyme, parsley and oregano from our garden, a couple of teaspoons of finely chopped preserved lemon (the skin only), seasoned it well with salt and pepper and bound it all together with a fresh free range egg.

I added some thickly sliced onion, fennel and fresh lemon to the roasting pan, with a splash of olive oil, salt and some extra lemon thyme and baked the chicken for about an hour and fifteen minutes. For a bit of richness to contrast with the lemon flavours, I basted it a few times with a little melted unsalted butter.

 Ready for the oven - Free range chicken with lemon and pine nut stuffing

Baked with fresh lemons, fennel, thyme and red onion

 

 

I served the chicken with the vegetables we happened to have on hand - some French beans, fresh sweet corn on the cob and a batch of crispy golden roasted potatoes. I used the delicious Dutch Cream potato - a variety I really love. Grocers are starting to stock them now and they are worth grabbing if you see them. They have a wonderful texture and a beautiful yellow tint to the flesh.

For the sauce, I made a basic gravy, but enhanced the flavour with a little wholegrain mustard, a touch of honey, fresh parsley and a small amount of balsamic vinegar. I used a mixture of chicken stock and a little milk to achieve a slightly creamy sauce. The result was a dish that was easy to put together, but that was perfect to share with guests.

 

Ready to serve - Golden Stuffed Roasted Chicken

Served with Dutch Cream potatoes, corn and French beans.

Sauce - herb and mustard gravy.

I hadn't thought about an entree or a dessert, but my resourceful husband headed off to the fabulous Bourke Street Bakery during the day and picked up some of their delicious bite sized tarts - ginger crème brulee and chocolate and raspberry. They were a lovely sweet finish to the meal. He also arrived home with a nice selection of cheese, olives and Italian style bread - suddenly, we had a starter, just right to have with a glass of wine while we waited for the chicken to cook and caught up with Dan and Louise's adventures. So, the lesson for today is that mid week entertaining doesn't have to be hard. Choosing something rustic you can pretty much whack in the oven and forget about certainly helps!

Our household is now in pre Tasmanian holiday preparation mode, with lists made and the dining table currently covered in clothes and assorted stuff as we start to pack. It is going to be cold where we are going, so thermals are at the top of the pile, along with wool scarves, gloves and fluffy socks. We fly into Hobart on Saturday morning and I couldn't be happier about that. Tasmania is one of the real treasures of this country, with it's magnificent natural landscape, wildlife, incredible art (if you are ever in Hobart a visit to MONA is a must - the most exciting and engaging gallery you will ever see) and the magnificent Tasmanian produce. Think artisan cheese, seafood from the cold, pristine waters, bakers and producers who put love and artistry into their hand made creations and a real pride in local produce. I am in the midst of a complete love affair with the place - a place we will make home one day, complete with our own land where we can grow our own food. Yes, the whole deal - vegetable garden, fruit trees, chooks, beehives, a few pigs and cows.

That is a few years off however, so in the meantime - it's holidays and exploring Tasmania whenever we get the chance. I am hoping to do some updates during our trip - there is plenty of great food to report back on - so watch this space!

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Char! Char! Char!

I love the flavour of BBQ or char grilled food. Something about that smoky flavour and caramelised character really adds another dimension of flavour and texture to the food. Today's recipe uses this technique, along with delicious fresh herbs and the lovely rich citrus kick of preserved lemons to make a very special roasted chicken. I cooked the chicken on the Weber - over the coals with the lid on - and I flattened the chicken, Portugese style to speed up  the cooking time and maximise the exposure of the meat to all those lovely coals. You can of course cook the chicken in the oven or on a standard hooded BBQ if you aren't able to do the coals thing. I teamed the chicken with a very simple char grilled vegetable salad and ate it with some lovely rustic sourdough bread.

If you haven't used preserved lemon before, I have included instructions for how to prepare it for cooking in the recipe below. You use only the rind - the rest of the preserved lemon will be very salty and inedible. You will find preserved lemon at middle eastern grocery stores and gourmet food shops. It is very easy to make your own preserved lemons, but they take about a month to be ready for use. Make them when lemons are in season and at their best. I just wash the lemons well and slice a deep cross into the top of them (they should open up like a flower but still be in one piece) Then I pack them into sterilised jars to which I add a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, a few cloves and a stick of cinnamon. Then I pack them in salt and top them up with lemon juice. They then go into a dark place for about a month. I turn the jars every few days to keep everything well mixed. The lemons should be completely covered, so you may need to add more lemon juice and salt as you go. Choose jars with airtight lids - you don't want the air getting in to your lemons and spoiling them.

All of the herbs that I used in my recipe were picked fresh right from our garden. I am getting so much pleasure from having some outside space and growing herbs and veges. I currently have 13 different herbs, along with baby Cos lettuce, Roma tomatoes, chillies, beetroot, capsicums and french radishes. I will add to this as time progresses. I am really new to the whole garden thing and it is pretty much trial and error - with advice from friends and some online info. I am blessed with a sunny yard so things seem to be growing very fast. I am looking forward to when the vegetable crops mature and I can take them straight from the garden to the table. We recently aquired a compost bin so we will be recycling our scraps too, to add to the already rich soil that we have. There are lots of worms in the ground and the plants look happy - so far, so good!

Hope that you enjoy this different take on the basic roast chicken....

Lemony Herbed Chicken with Char Grilled Vegetable Salad

You will need: 1 whole chicken
(for the chicken marinade) 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon thyme (I used lemon thyme for an extra lemony kick), 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon, 1 tablespoon chopped continental parsley, 1 teaspoon minced red chilli, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons pureed preserved lemon*see note, salt and pepper.

(for the char grilled vegetable salad) 1 medium eggplant, 2 medium zucchini, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped continental parsley, 2 medium tomatoes - diced with seeds removed, salt and pepper, extra olive oil.

Method:
(for the chicken) Combine all of the chicken marinade ingredients and set aside.

Wash the chicken with cold water and dry inside and out with paper towels. Lay the chicken on a chopping board breast down. Now, with a sharp knife cut down either side of the backbone. This will remove the backbone/tail in one piece - disguard this backbone. If there is any offal attached to the remaining chicken, trim it off.
Next, turn the chicken over so that it is breast up. With the palm of your hand, push down firmly to flatten the chicken out. Now that the backbone is removed, this will be quite simple to do. You now have one flat chicken!
 
Rub about 2/3 of the marinade mixture over the chicken, including under the skin as much as you can. This should be easy now that the backbone has been removed. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
 
Cook the chicken on a BBQ with a hood, or a Weber (preferably over coals if you can, the flavour is even better this way) breast down to start with - for about 40 minutes. Turn frequently and baste with the remaining marinade. Allow the chicken to rest, covered in foil for 15 minutes before serving.
 
(for the salad) Slice the eggplant into pieces about 1cm thick. Cut the eggplant into long or diagonal slices (whatever is easy for you)
 
While the chicken is resting, splash some olive oil on the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the BBQ a few minutes each side, until they are tender and you have nice grill marks on the vegetables.
 
Remove from the heat and just before serving, toss through the tomato, parsley, balsamic, olive oil and season generously. Serve with the chicken.

*To prepare the preserved lemon: With a teaspoon, gently scrape the flesh and the soft pith away from the rind - it will come away very easily. Disgard this. Rinse the remaining lemon rind with water to remove the salt that it has been preserved in. Chop the rind very small and then using the flat side of your knife, squash the rind until it is a smooth puree.
 

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GG's outdoor odyssey

Now that I have an outdoor space and a garden to enjoy, I have started thinking about outdoor cooking. Having access to both a standard BBQ and a Weber gives a lot of options and I plan on doing quite a bit of entertaining as the weather warms up, centered around BBQ and grill style food. There is nothing more delicious than a freshly BBQ'd sausage on a roll as far as I'm concerned, but I'm looking forward to experimenting with taking things a bit further and going beyond your basic chops and sausages.

I am a huge fan of seafood cooked over coals and I think my up and coming food experiments will centre around different seafood dishes (watch this space) but last night I thought I would start my outdoor cooking odyssey with American style pork ribs. The ribs go through two cooking processes - first poached in a liquid flavoured with herbs and spices and then cooked over coals and basted with a delicious sticky BBQ glaze.

The glaze is flavoured primarily with by smoky paprika, garlic, chilli, fresh thyme and maple syrup. It is absolutely delicious and enhances the flavour of the pork beautifully. The pork ribs are great served with corn on the cob and jacket potatoes with sour cream and chives. The recipe below serves 2-4 people depending on how much you want to indulge. If you don't have a BBQ, I have included an alternative cooking method below. The glaze would also work well on chicken wings or skewered prawns, if you aren't a pork fan or if you want a meal that is a bit lighter.

So, here is last night's dinner - and my first attempt at cooking in the GGG (Gourmet Goddess garden) Hope you are inspired to give them a try.

 Twice Cooked Pork Ribs

With smoky chilli maple glaze

You will need: 1kg pork ribs

For the poaching liquid: 2 Bay leaves, 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 small peeled roughly chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves garlic, water.

For the glaze: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon smoky paprika, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dry chilli flakes, 2 teaspoons thyme leaves (I used fresh), a few dashes of Tabasco sauce (ok, I used a bit more than a few dashes because I like my chilli!), 2 tablespoons reserved liquid from the poaching process.

Method: First, place all of the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a large saucepan. Add the pork ribs and cover with water, Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the liquid (you will need this for the glaze).

Remove the pork ribs and allow them to drain and cool.

Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Preheat your BBQ. Place the ribs on the rack/grill section of your BBQ (I used the Weber for this - cooking over coals really adds to the flavour) Cook the ribs for 5 minutes each side without applying any of the glaze.

Now baste the ribs with the glaze and cook for about another 15 minutes, turning and basting often. Watch that the ribs don't burn - move them to a slightly cooler spot on the BBQ if they seem to be darkening too quickly.

Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle any remaining glaze over the ribs.

*Alternative cooking method: If you don't want to do the BBQ thing, the ribs will work well in the oven. After the initial poaching process, you can bake the ribs in a moderate to hot oven for 25 minutes, basting and turning regularly.

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You say tomato... I say bruschetta!

I came across some particularly gorgeous looking baby Roma tomatoes when I was at the greengrocer the other day and they were the inspiration for today's recipe. Very simple but just so delicious -  and perfect for a light lunch, an entree or finger food (if you want to scale it down to smaller pieces). Try to have your tomatoes at room temperature for this dish (or any dish for that matter) as the natural flavour and sweetness of the fruit is much more pronounced. If you don't believe me, try eating a tomato right out of the fridge and then one that has been sitting in the fruit bowl for an hour and you will see what I mean.

This bruschetta is made extra delicious with the addition of Fontina cheese, slices of proscuitto and fresh thyme. Use any cheese you like - even some crumbled feta or soft goat cheese would work well. Don't even consider making this unless the tomatoes are fabulous. I find that often the small cherry tomato are tastier than a lot of the larger tomatoes in supermarkets, so if the larger ones don't inspire you, then check out the smaller varieties. And if you are lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes, then you are well and truly sorted!

Roma tomato bruschetta with proscuitto and fontina cheese

So, what did I do?
I'm not bothering too much with precise measurements here - just use as much bread and tomatoes as you need for the number of people you want to feed and taste as you go. Easy.

Chop the tomatoes and combine with a handful of fresh parsley. Add some fresh thyme (remove the woody stalks so there are soft leaves only), a splash of good extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more salt and pepper if required. (Try not to add too much oil or vinegar - you don't want the tomato mixture to have too much moisture)

Now, in a cup,  mix some fresh thyme and a couple of cloves of minced garlic with olive oil. Lightly toast sliced rustic style bread - sourdough or ciabiatta is ideal. Then, brush both sides of the bread with the oil. Top with a slice of the cheese and a slice of proscuitto. Pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese has just melted. (I prefer it when the cheese is not browned, but do whatever you prefer)

Top with the tomato mixture, freshly ground pepper and a little extra fresh thyme. Serve right away. Delicious!

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A new GG Winter creation

Regular readers will recall that when I was Paris recently, I had the opportunity to cook rabbit - a meat I really love and one that I think is overlooked and underused in Australia. The meat is very lean, beautifully tasty and really lends itself to a flavoursome and comforting winter dish. I came up with this recipe a couple of weekends ago when I was spending the weekend on the Central Coast of New South Wales and purchased a wild rabbit. I decided to create something new that satisfied my desire for comfort food. What I came up with was this slow braised rabbit, flavoured with herbs, mushrooms, eschallots, bacon and proscuitto - and given a bit of zing with a touch Dijon mustard and a splash of dry vermouth. The result was just delicious - the sauce is to die for. Don't waste it - I served the dish with super creamy potato mash so that we got every last drop.

Look, if you are a bit skittish about eating rabbit (and I know many people are) you could easily do this with skinless chicken pieces as a substitute. But - if you have never eaten rabbit, this would be a great way to give it a try. I have used wild rabbit in my recipe - it tends to have a stronger flavour - but you will mostly find that rabbits sold in Australia are farmed and will have milder tasting flesh. Check with your butcher who will be able to tell you whether yours is the farmed kind of one of the wild ones. I bought my rabbit skinless, gutted and whole (with the kidneys left in) - I preferred to butcher it myself now that I know how, after learning when I was in France - but your butcher can do it for you if you would rather not.

I made my own Bouquet Garni to flavour this recipe (instructions below) but if you really can't be bothered, you can buy Bouquet Garni sachets from the supermarket - although I can't promise that the herbal flavour will be as nice as using the fresh product, it should still be ok.

This style of dish is even better if you make it the day before you want to serve it - it allows the flavours to develop further and is perfect for entertaining. Make it when you have time and then just reheat when your guests arrive. This will freeze well too. I used a heavy cast iron/enamel pan to cook my rabbit dish - something that can go from stovetop to oven is ideal. Who wants to fiddle around with extra pots? I don't. So here it is, served with buttery mash....

GG slow braised rabbit with mushrooms, bacon and proscuitto

You will need: 1 whole rabbit (I used a wild one for this recipe but most that you buy these days will be farmed), 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced carrot, 1 cup sliced leeks, 10-15 whole peeled eschallots, 10-15 button mushrooms, 4 slices roughly chopped proscuitto, 3 slices roughly chopped streaky bacon with the rind removed, 3 or 4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, 6-8 sprigs parsley(with stalks), kitchen twine (to tie up the herbs with), a square of muslin or cheesecloth about 12cm square, 1L chicken stock, 1/3 cup dry Vermouth, 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, a generous splash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper.

Method:
First, you will need to cut the rabbit into 6 pieces. Remove the front and back legs (with the thigh attached) and set them aside. Now remove the large fleshy part that remains at the back end of the rabbit (this is the "saddle"). Cut this into two halves. The rest of the rabbit/bones can be frozen for use in making stock another time - it will have very little meat on it. Before you do though, have a look inside the cavity - if your butcher has left the kidneys attached, gently cut them off and dice them finely. They will add to the lovely layers of flavour in the dish. If they have already been removed, no problem - the dish will still work well. And of course, if the thought of trying to butcher a rabbit is a bit much - ask your butcher to do it for you!

Now, make the Bouquet Garni - take the parsley, thyme and bay leaves, place them in the cloth and tie them up in a bundle securely with a piece of kitchen twine.

Season the rabbit pieces with pepper and a bit of salt. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in the pan and brown the rabbit pieces in batches of 3. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon and proscuitto, chopped kidneys (if used) leeks, carrots, celery and escallots to the pan and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Now add the garlic and Bouquet Garni and cook for another 5 minutes. Splash in the Vermouth and allow it to bubble up, realising all those lovely precious caramelised bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the stock and stir it in well. Cover the pan and bake in a moderate oven for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every half an hour or so. If the dish is drying out too much, add a bit of water to the pan.

Add the mushrooms, Dijon mustard and butter and allow to cook for at least another 1/2 hour. to 45mins. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with creamy mash and a sprig of fresh thyme.

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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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