That's what was in the...

Often mid-week dinners can be a chore, even for me and I don't have kids running around me or me running after them.  You know that feeling... what can I do with what I've got, that doesn't just turn into pasta alla something, or sausages and mash, or steak and salad (or 3 veg, if it's not so hot where you are).  And what can I do to make it interesting, even if just for me?  It was this kind of thinking that led me to the following two recipes.

The crumbed chicken breast looks like it has a lot of ingredients, but you can really add whatever you've got.  It doesn't matter what herbs, or what cheese, or what your breadcrumbs look like.  In my crumb tonight the breadcrumbs were half and half panko and normal, because that's what was in the cupboard.  I used thyme and parsley - that's what was in the garden.  I would have liked to use taleggio cheese, but I used bocconcini - that's what was in the fridge.  You get the picture!

And as for the tart, well that is all pantry staples too - flour, icing sugar, almond meal, butter, eggs.  I made this as the pears are in season right now.  They are so juicy and delicious and I'm eating them any which way I can.  So without any further ado...

Bocconcini and thyme stuffed chicken breast (Serves 2)
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
6 - 8 stalks fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely diced
50 - 100 g taleggio cheese, chopped (or bocconcini)
2 chicken breast
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (fresh, packet, whatever!!)
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 lemon, zested
1 egg
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Mix half the chopped parsley, all of the thyme, garlic and taleggio/bocconcini together.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast, and stuff with cheese and herb mix.  Secure with toothpicks.
4. Combine breadcrumbs, remaining parsley, parmesan and lemon zest.
5. Lightly whisk an egg and place in a shallow bowl.
6. Dip the chicken in the egg.  Then place into the breadcrumb mix and fully coat.
7. Place into a baking tray.  Scatter cherry tomatoes around and drizzle with oil.
8. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and cherry tomatoes are tender.
9. Serve with wedges of lemon (the one/s that you zested) and potato salad.

No-pastry Pear Tarts (Makes 6)
180g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
180g icing sugar
100g almond meal
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (1 - 2 lemons, depending on size)
5 eggwhites
2 poached pears sliced (or 2 fresh pears, thinly sliced, leave the skin on)
2 tablespoons flaked almonds

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Lightly grease 6 x 7cm loose-bottomed tart pans.  Line the base with paper too, if you like.
3. Melt butter over medium heat for 1 - 2 minutes, until golden brown - don't let it burn.  Allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile, sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl, and stir in almond meal, lemon zest and melted butter.
5. Lightly froth the eggwhites with a fork in a separate bowl.  Fold into other mixture.
6. Divide among tart pans and place pear slices on top.  Scatter with flaked almonds.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 200C.  Then reduce heat to 170C and bake a further 6 - 8 minutes or until golden.
8. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with cream, ice-cream or custard.

For our gluten-free friends - substitute gluten-free flour and you're in heaven!
Other variations - add a little squeeze of lemon juice to the batter, or a pinch of cinnamon or mixed spice.

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Chooka's for the New Year.

Happy New Year everyone (I know we are now in Feb, but this is my first post for 2013). Work has started back and even after 2 days we have both been a bit stuffed. Since it has been a whacky and hot Summer I thought to start the new year with a light and refreshing meal of Black pepper marinated chicken skewers with a celery and parmesan salad and Eaton Mess.

Black pepper marinated chicken skewers

2 tbs ground black pepper
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 x 200g chicken breast fillets cut into 2 cm cubes
Juice of 2 lemons

Soak wooden skewers in water in cold water for 20 minutes.
Place black pepper and half the lemon juice and 1 tbs of oil in a bowl, mix, then add chicken tossing to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Celery and parmesan salad

4 celery sticks
2 preserved lemon quarters (white pith removed and flesh removed, zest thinly sliced)
1 cup of parmesan cheese
2 tbs of chopped flat leaf parsely, plus extra to serve.

Whisk remaining lemon juice and 2 tbs of olive oil together in a bowl and season.
Place celery, preserved lemon zest, parmesan and parsely in a bowl, then tossgently with the dressing. Set aside.
Preheat barbecue or chargrill pan on medium heat. Season the chicken with salt. Grill the chicken 6-8 minutes turning for 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle CHicken with extra chopped parsely and serve with salad.

Andy's Mess

This is actually Matt Preston's Mess from his book which is actually an Eaton's Mess.

4 Egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 cup of caster sugar
500g of strawberries
1 ripe peach sliced
juice of 1 lemon
300ml of cream

Preheat oven to 120 deg C
Using a beater on high speed, whisk egg whites and salt to soft peaks. Reduce the speed to medium and slowly add the caster sugar into meringues.
WHen you've added caster sugar continue beating for a few minutes until meringues look thick and glossy.
Lightly grease a tray, line with baking paper. Dollop the meringue onto tray in generous dessertspoonfuls leaving space for spreading.
Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until turn golden and crisp on the outside. Once ready turn oven off and leave in the oven to dry out.
Hull the strwberries and blitz them with the sliced peach and half the lemon juice. Pour puree into a plastic container and place in the freezer for a couple of hours.

To serve push a bit of strawberry slush in bottom of serving bowl add a bit of meringue and a bit of cream and repeat sequence. sprinkle o few nuts on top if desired and serve.

With a twist of lemon

A friend of mine, had an audition to be on MasterChef at the end of last year.  Whilst she didn't make it through, she came back with a whole lot of stories and insights into the production and timing that goes into each show.  We now know one of the main reasons why risotto is the death dish - it has to sit for hours, getting gluggier and gluggier, before anyone tastes it, and then when they taste it it's cold!  Which leads me to the recipe below - Chicken and Mushroom Risotto.

There are two main points of contention, I think, in making risotto.  Firstly, do you add 1 - 2 ladles of warm/hot stock in and wait for it to be absorbed before adding the next, or do you add all the warm/hot stock at the beginning and let it do it's thing, or does the stock even need to be warm/hot?  Secondly, when adding vegetables to the risotto do you cook or part-cook them first then add, or do you add them raw?

On the first point, I think definitely warm stock, it helps to keep the risotto at an even temperature.  And as for when you add the stock, that depends on how many other things you have on the go at the time.  If you've got no distractions, then add it bit by bit, then you can control the 'glugginess' more easily.  If you have distractions, then add most of it and hold some back, so you can add it towards the end if the rice isn't 'al dente' yet, or the risotto is a little dry.  I've done it both ways, and ended up with the same result.

On the second point, again I've done it both ways.  It depends on what you're adding and how you want the final product to end up.  If I'm making a pumpkin risotto, I'll cut the pumpkin into 1cm cubes and add them when I add the stock.  This way as they cook they break down and become a part of the risotto.  However, with mushrooms I cook them separately and add them at the end.  Otherwise you end up with a grey risotto, which is not visually appealing to anyone, unless you're in a black and white movie.

Mushroom Risotto is a stand-by favourite of mine.  The version below also adds some chicken and the juice of a lemon, at the end, for a bit of freshness.  You'll notice this recipe doesn't have the usual 1/2 cup wine to be added to the rice and cooked off, before adding the stock.  It's not there this month, as I am participating in FebFast (no alcohol for a month).  Feel free to add it in if you prefer.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto (Serves 4)

2 cups vegetable stock
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 - 5 stalks fresh thyme, picked
Olive oil
1 cup arborio rice

2 - 3 chicken thighs, roughly chopped
100 - 200g mushrooms, sliced
1 - 2 tablespoons butter (20-40g?)
1 handful of finely grated parmesan (50-100g, depending on your hand, and to your taste)
1 lemon

1. In a saucepan, heat vegetable stock.  Leave it on a medium-low heat.
2. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, onion, garlic and most of the thyme (save some to garnish).  Cook this gently for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.  It doesn't have to be fully cooked.
3. Add the rice.  Stir with a wooden spoon to coat the rice with the oil, onion etc.  Keep stirring, so it doesn't stick and allow to cook for 2 - 3 minutes.  (After this, if you're adding 1/2 cup dry white wine, pour it in, stir, and wait till the wine is absorbed before going on to step 3.)
4. Add 1 - 2 ladles of warm stock to rice.  Stir and allow to cook.  Keep adding another 1 - 2 ladles of stock to the rice as it cooks.  It will take 15 - 20 minutes to cook, depending on the rice and the temperature of the stock.  You'll know it's done when the rice is al dente. (Remember, you can add all the stock at once if you like.  Keep a little back, in case you need to adjust at the end.  And keep having a stir every few minutes or so.
5. Whilst this is happening, in a frypan, add some olive oil and brown the chicken.  Once the chicken is almost cooked, add in the sliced mushrooms and allow them to soften.  If the pan is looking a little dry, add a bit of the stock to it.
6. When the rice is almost cooked, add the chicken and mushroom mix to it.  Stir to combine. 
7. Remove rice from heat, and add butter and grated parmesan.  Stir until butter is melted.  Taste and season with salt (if necessary) and pepper.
8. Add juice of half a lemon, stir to combine.  Taste.  Add other half if necessary, or cut remaining half of lemon into wedges and add to bowls to serve.
9. Serve risotto in warm bowls, with shaved parmesan and fresh thyme.