Spring Chicken

The whole stuffed chicken breast thing is a bit old fashioned and retro I know, but I wanted something more than just a plain old grilled chicken breast for dinner last night. I put together a simple but really tasty filling of ricotta and italian flavours and served it with some beautiful green peas and beans jazzed up with mint and fetta for a fresh side dish. The result was a dish that felt very spring.

Chicken breast is always the least flavoursome of the various cuts of chicken, and it is always a challenge to cook it through whilst keeping it moist and succulent. I can't count the number of times I've been served overcooked, dry and tasteless chicken! The technique I used for this recipe is a great way to ensure that your chicken breast stays moist and retains as much flavour as possible. Sear first, then bake in the oven and be sure to rest it before serving for a tender result.

I made this dish up as I went along last night, but I think I will be cooking it again. The lightness of the dish and the lovely fresh flavours were really enjoyable. It would make a great do-ahead dinner party dish - just prepare the chicken a few hours ahead up to the searing stage and refrigerate until you are ready to cook it. The side dish only takes a few minutes, so you could have everything done in under half an hour. Anyway, here it is......

Ricotta, olive and tomato filled breast of chicken

with minted beans and fetta

You will need: For the chicken (Per person)1 skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon ricotta, 1 teaspoon chopped black olives, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon semi dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon finely chopped spring onion, salt and pepper, olive oil.

For the side dish:(Serves up to 4) 1 cup peas, 1/2 cup sliced green beans, 1/2 cup peeled broad beans, 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh mint, 2 tablespoons crumbled fetta, pepper, salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon (plus some extra lemon slices to serve), extra virgin olive oil.

Method: Combine the ricotta, olives, parmesan semi dried tomatoes, spring onion and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Carefully cut a deep pocket in the chicken breast/s. Gently fill the cavity with the stuffing. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a frypan/grill pan and sear the chicken till golden on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 mins. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To prepare the veges - steam the green beans, peas and broad beans. When cooked, toss through the mint, fetta, salt and pepper and a generous splash of olive oil. Serve with the chicken and some extra lemon and be sure to pour any juices from the chicken over the dish.

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The Great Muffin Experiment

I was in the mood for baking this morning and as many of you would know I'm not a big sweet fan, so I thought I would experiment with savoury muffins. I decided on vegetable based ones, full of zucchini and flavoured with cheese, spring onion, olives and sundried tomatoes. The result was a lovely light and flavoursome muffin that would make a great breakfast or brunch, perfect with a bowl of soup or a nice addition to a picnic.

These will freeze really well, so it's worth making a couple of batches if you have freezer space. Alas I don't, so I will be taking these to work to give to my favourite geeks in the I.T department tomorrow. I make sure that they always get the results of my muffin experiments -I tell them it is a form of bribery - it always pays to have the tech guys on your side! I was happy with the recipe today, particularly the lightness of the texture. I was worried they might be a bit heavy, but they were quite the opposite. I think I will use this recipe for the basis of other savoury muffins in the future. I am already having ideas for other varieties. Watch this space...

Cheesy Zucchini Muffins with sundried tomato and olives

You will need: 3 cups plain flour, 6 teaspoons baking powder, 2 large grated zucchini, 1 cup finely chopped spring onion, 2 tablespoons chopped olives, 2 tablespoons finely chopped sundried tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a non stick muffin pan with paper patty cases.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a generous sized bowl. Add the olives, zucchini, sundried tomato, spring onion, parmesan and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese. (You will save this for the top of the muffins later) Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined with you hands. Do not overmix or your muffins will be very flat and heavy.

Fill the prepared muffin pans with the mixture and sprinkle the leftover cheese and poppy seeds over the top of the muffins. Cook for 25-30 mins. Let them cool in the pan for about 10mins before taking them out and letting them cool further on a wire rack.

Makes about 20 muffins.

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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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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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