Five minute baby cherry pies
25 November 2011

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes

baking time: 20

Ingredients

  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 1 410g can pitted cherries, drained
  • 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
  • 250ml (1 cup) milk
  • 115g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
  • 60g butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease four 250ml (1-cup) ramekins or ovenproof dishes with melted butter. Divide cherries evenly into greased ramekins.
 
Place the flour, milk, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla essence in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the cherries.
 
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Caribbean Chicken with Spiced yoghurt
18 November 2011

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs, legs or breasts
  • Bunch each of coriander and Italian parsley
  • 1 tbsp French mustard
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 small chilies
  • Juice of 1 Lemon and 1 orange
  • Splash of soy sauce
  • Cracked black pepper and salt to taste
  • 150ml Low Fat Natural yoghurt
  • Ground cumin and coriander

Instructions

Blend herbs, mustard, allspice, garlic, chilies, juices and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
 
Rub into chicken pieces and leave for 10 minutes or so.
 
Mix yoghurt with ground cumin and coriander to taste and set aside.
 
Roast chicken in a very hot oven or on a barbecue.
 
Blend yoghurt, ground cumin and coriander. Serve with chicken either sprinkled over the top or to the side.

Egg nog pann cotta
12 November 2011

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) cold water
  • 20g (2 sachets) powdered gelatine
  • 2 1/2 cups (600ml) cream
  • 1 1/4 cups (300ml) store-bought ready-made custard (I know, I know but just do it and have a vino with the saved time..)
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) brandy
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice powder
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture, sifted

 

Peach and cherry compote

  • 2 cups (500ml) water
  • 1 cup (220g) sugar
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 yellow peaches, cut into wedges
  • 2 white peaches, cut into wedges
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, extra
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh
  • cherries

Instructions

Place water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and set aside for 5 minutes or until gelatine has set and is spongy.
 
Place the cream, custard, brandy, mixed spice and icing sugar mixture in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture is well combined. Whisk if any lumps form.
 
Once the custard mixture is hot (but not boiling), slowly add the gelatine mixture. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until the gelatine has fully dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour into a greased rectangular (5-cup capacity) tin. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours or until set.
 
To make syrup:
Place the water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the peaches. Simmer for 1-2 minutes then remove the peaches with a slotted spoon. Set aside to cool slightly, then peel away the skin (reserve skin).
 
Sprinkle peaches with extra lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Meanwhile, return the syrup to the heat, add the peach skins and increase heat to high. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the syrup has reduced and thickened slightly. Cover and chill completely.
 
To serve, turn the chilled panna cotta on to a large serving platter. Top with the peaches and cherries and drizzle with a little syrup.

Brown Rice Risotto with Lamb
11 November 2011

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time 8hrs

Ingredients

  • 1kg (boneless) lamb shoulder roast
  • 1tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups hot-style vegetable juice
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped green capsicum

Instructions

 

Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a slow cooker (or baking dish with lid). Coat an unheated large nonstick pan with vegetable oil.
 
Preheat the pan over medium heat. Cook meat until browned, turning to brown evenly. Drain off fat. In the slow cooker/ dish, combine vegetable juice, uncooked brown rice, curry powder  and cumin, and salt. Top with carrots. Place meat on carrots.
 
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours. In a dish set to 150 and 4-5 hrs will be fine, check regualrly it may need topping up with water.
 
Add the capsicum to the slow cooker. Cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until capsicum is tender. Makes 8 servings.

 

Peach Slaw
11 November 2011

Serves:6
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • half small red cabbage
  • 2 peaches
  • 1/2 punnet blackberries (optional)
  • 50g coarsely crumbled blue cheese 
  • Snipped fresh chives, parsley, basil and/or tarragon

Instructions

For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and the 1 tbsp chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

Shred cabbage and place in a large bowl. Halve, pit, and thinly slice peaches and add to bowl with cabbage.
 
Gently toss to combine.
 
Drizzle with about half of the dressing; toss to coat. Top with blackberries and crumbled cheese. Sprinkle with herbs pass remaining dressing.