Recipes

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto with Coriander Pesto

I had a big bunch of coriander and after a quick search around for a simple recipe I came across this one and it turned out fantastic!

Ingredients

1 litre chicken stock (or vegetable)
1 chicken thigh filet
10g dried shitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
2 cups 'Aborio' rice
¼ cup grated parmesan

Pesto
1 cup coriander leaves
50g parmesan, grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
50g peanuts, toasted
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
100 mls olive oil


Method

In a food processor combine coriander, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice. Pour olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running.

Bring stock to the boil with the dried mushrooms. Remove mushrooms when soft and slice. In a heavy based saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the chicken, leek and garlic and fry until soft. Add the Swiss brown mushrooms and shitakes and cook until soft. Stir rice into pan to coat.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add stock 1 cup at a time stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente. Stir through parmesan, season to taste and serve with a dollop of the coriander pesto.

Mexican Tortilla Pie

Ingredients (serves 4)

* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 large red onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 500g beef mince
* 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped (4 'large' ones from the garden)
* 125g can corn kernels, drained, rinsed
* 2 teaspoons Mexican chilli powder (used 2 fresh chillies from the garden)
* 415g can diced tomatoes (used 3 large tomatoes from the garden)
* 1/2 cup torn fresh coriander leaves (from the garden)
* 1/4 cup chopped flat parsley: not in original recipe (from the garden)
* 4 salsa-flavoured tortillas (used plain ones from work)
* 1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
* 1 large tomato, deseeded, finely chopped (from the garden)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Reserve 2 tablespoons onion. Add garlic and remaining onion to pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add mince. Cook, breaking up mince with a wooden spoon, for 8 minutes or until browned.

2. Add capsicum, corn and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until capsicum is just tender. Stir in diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture is thick. Add half the coriander and half the parsley. Season with salt. Stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

3. Place a 6cm-deep, 20cm round springform pan on a baking tray. Place 1 tortilla in base of pan. Spread one-third of the mince mixture over tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice with remaining tortillas, mince mixture and cheese, finishing with 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden. Set aside for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

5. Meanwhile, combine chopped tomato, reserved onion, coriander and parsley in a bowl. Serve pie with tomato mixture.

Pesto Salmon Fettuccine

This is a great dish of you have some left-over salmon steaks in the fridge, or a very cheap family meal if you use canned salmon.

Ingredients

2 grilled salmon steaks or 1 400g of pink salmon
Fettuccine
Basil pesto (see here for pesto recipe http://kantan-cooking-sp8.blogspot.com/2010/01/creamy-pesto-chicken-penne-pasta.html)
1 cup of full cream
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Spring Onions

Method

If using salmon steaks: cook steak and remove skin and bones from salmon and gently break into large pieces.
If using canned salmon: drain salmon, remove bones and gently break into large pieces.
Cook the fettuccine al dente in salted boiling water
Whisk together the cream, sour cream, and pesto in a large saucepan.
Heat on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
Stir in salmon pieces and chopped spring onions and continue heating until the mixture starts to simmer.
Drain the fettuccine when cooked and add to the salmon mixture with half of the cheese.
Return to heat and toss the mixture with tongs until fettuccine is coated and the mixture is thoroughly heated.
Serve with remaining Parmesan cheese, black pepper and some cut seaweed sheets.

Beef Lasagne

Ingredients

250g Packet of Lasagne sheets
1 1/2 cups of shredded tasty cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

Bolognese Sauce
1 tbsp of olive oil
500g of lean minced beef
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of crushed garlic
800g of diced tomatoes
100g of tomato paste
200g of choppes mushrooms
A handful of torn oregano leaves (or 2 tsp of dried oregano)
A handful of torn basil leaves (or 2 tsp of dried basil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce
60g of butter
1/3 cup (50g) of plain flour
3 cups (750ml) of milk
1 cup of shredded tasty cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bolognese Sauce
Heat oil in a large saucepan
Add mince, onion and garlic
Cook stiring for several minutes over high heat until meat is browned
Add remaining ingredients
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes stirring occasionally

Cheese Sauce
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat
Stir in four and cook gently for 1 min
Add milk and bring to simmering point stiring constantly
Use a small meshed strainer and a wooden spoon to smoothen out lumps
Add cheese and stir over heat until it melts

Preparation
Spray a rectangular baking dish (approx. 23cm x 33cm x 6cm deep) with cooking oil
Arrange 3 lasagne sheets over the base
Spoon 1/3 of the bolognese sauce evenly over the pasta
Spoon 1/3 of the cheese sauce evenly over the bolognese sauce
Repeat sheets and sauce addition twice more
Top with a layer of the shredded cheeses
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180^oC until cheese is golden brown (approx 15 minutes)
Cover with foil and bake for a further 25-30 minutes
Stand for 10 minutes before serving

Serve with a fresh salad or with potato chips.

Making Pasta Sauce

After giving away about 20 tomatoes I still had about 30 left over from my Reggae Roma plant so I decided to make up a couple of batches of pasta sauce to freeze.

I decided on making 4 types of sauce using around 450g of tomatoes for each lot, these being:

1. Tomato and Chilli.

2. Tomato and Basil.

3. Tomato, Parsley and Chives.

4. Tomato and Mini Capsicum.

METHOD

• Cut a shallow cross on the bottom of tomatoes.
• Blanched tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute.
• Chilled tomatoes in iced water for about 1 minute.
• Skinned tomatoes.
• Diced tomatoes.
• Put diced tomatoes, other ingredients into a saucepan.
• Mashed ingredients.
• Seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Brought saucepan mix up to the boil and then simmered for 2 minutes.
• Chilled saucepan in a cold water bath for 2 minutes.
• Poured sauce into labelled plastic storage container.
• Bunged into the freezer.

Pasta sauces destined for the freezer 25 July 2009

The end results!

Tomato and Basil (It was so good that I made up another batch of the next day).

Tomato and Chilli (a nice little kick although it would be better a little hotter).

Simple Tuna Bruschetta

Ingredients
* 1 loaf crusty baguette
* Garlic clove halved.
* 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
* Splash of Balsamic vinegar.
* 2 medium-sized tomatoes diced (from the garden)
* 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped, extra whole leaves for garnish (from the garden)
* 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped, extra whole leaves for garnish (from the garden)
* 1/4 cup fresh flat parsley leaves chopped, extra whole leaves for garnish (from the garden).
* 1/2 cup of red onion, diced
* Small tin of flavoured tuna. We use 'Japanese style' which has wasabi and soy sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Slice the baguette into ½ inch rounds, cut on the diagonal.
2. Brush both sides of bread slices with olive oil.
3. Grill bread for about 2 minutes per side, until browned but still soft inside.
4. Rub one side of each bread slice with the garlic.
5. Combine and mix tomatoes, basil, coriander, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, tuna and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.
6. Divide the mixture between the bread slices, garlic side up, and garnish with extra basil, coriander or parsley leaves if desired.


Herb Mashed Potato

It doesn't get much easier than this for a quick recipe to make mashed potato a bit more interesting!

Gather a few bunches of you favourite herbs, I've found parsley and chives are a good combination.

Use a food processor (or equivalent) to blend down your herbs into the consistency of a chunky paste.

Cook your mashed potato as you normally would and just fold through the herb paste before serving.

Here it's served with beef and a side salad of rocket, roma tomato and an egg.

If only I had enough room for a few cows and a couple of chickens on my balcony!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne Pasta

A quick and easy pesto pasta dish to make use of all of that basil you are growing!

Making Pesto
I'm not going to put in any specific quantities as I find it's best to add things in amounts to your own taste.

Ingredients
Parmesan cheese
Garlic cloves
Pinenuts or walnuts
Fresh Basil leaves (lots)
Fresh Parsley leaves (a few)
Good quality virgin olive oil
(you can also add a bit of sour cream if desired).

Method
Blend all ingredients in a food processor adding the oil a bit at a time until thickened and combined. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl several times during processing.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne Pasta

Ingredients
Penne Pasta
Barbequed chicken or chicken thigh fillets
Chicken stock
Mushrooms
Pesto
Parmesan cheese
Cream
Salt and pepper

Method
Cook pasta until al dente
Cut chicken into small pieces (brown in a pan if using thighs)
Add chicken, mushrooms and stock into a pan and bring to a simmer
Stir through pesto until combined
Add cream and return to simmer
Stir through parmesan (simmer until chicken is cooked for thighs)
Combine pasta and sauce to serve
Season with salt and pepper
Serve with additional parmesan

From start to finish takes only about 40 minutes!

Mentaiko Pasta

This is a very simple, fast and tasty dish, as long as you don’t mind eating fish eggs! In saying that though the taste is very subtle and if you weren’t told what it was I bet you wouldn’t have the slightest clue.

Any decent Asian supermarket (particularly Japanese stores) will stock mentaiko.

Ingredients
Butter
Mentaiko (Cod Roe)
Lemon
Spaghetti
Some leafy greens: Rocket works best and I throw in a bit of Ruby Chard for some extra colour.


Method
While the spaghetti is cooking:
Wash and dry your leafy greens
Defrost the mentaiko (1 ovary will do for 2 serves)
Put some butter and mentaiko on a plate
Top with drained spaghetti and leafy greens
Squeeze on some lemon juice
Toss well to mix through the lemon juice, butter and mentaiko

Rocket and Ruby Chard

Mentaiko

Butter and Mentaiko

Ready to Serve

Ready to Eat

Creamy Smoked Salmon and Caper Pasta.

Ingredients

Pasta of choice
Spring Onions.
Extra-virgin olive oil.
Garlic cloves, crushed.
Pure cream.
Lemon.
Young Rocket, Swiss Chard or Spinach leaves etc.
Salted Capers, rinsed.
Parmesan Cheese, grated.
Smoked Salmon, cut into strips.

Method

- Cook Pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water.
- Drain Pasta and return to saucepan.
- Heat Oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add Garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add Cream, Capers and Spring Onions.
- Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cream is slightly reduced.
- Add Cream mixture and Parmesan Cheese to pasta. Toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with Smoked Salmon and young Rocket, Swiss Chard or Spinach leaves.
- Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan Cheese.
- Add a generous squeeze of Lemon.
- Lightly toss to combine.