easy tuesday vietnamese chicken

1 chicken thigh per person

Salad ingredients
Cucumber chopped into ribbons
250g vermicelli noodles
Mint
Chilli

Marinade/dressing
3 Tb fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 chopped chillies (add more if you like it hot)
3 cloves garlic
Whisk together and reserve half for the dressing

Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.  Heat oil in a pan and cook chicken until it's brown and crispy.  You can put a pan on top to weigh the chicken down and make it extra crispy.

Soak vermicelli noodles (250g) in boiling water.  Add cucumber, mint, chilli and dressing.

Slice chicken to serve.

delicious zucchini soup Stefanie's mum made

2 shallots
400g zucchini
30g Parmesan cheese
1 sp olive oil
.8 L chicken stock
2 eggs

Fry shallots
Add zucchini
Pulse
Add stock
Beat eggs with cheese and add

Jamie's Fish Steamed with Couscous

2 people, 15 minutes, easy peasy and delicious!

The fish is steamed on top of the couscous in this dish so all the lovely cooking juices are soaked up making the couscous extra tasty.

1 handful couscous
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 red chiles, seeds removed, 1 chopped and 1 finely sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 by 2.5cm (1-inch) piece cinnamon
Knob unsalted butter
1 large bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely sliced
Handful of clams
Enough fish for 2 people - use a firm white fish eg swordfish, cut into chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, 1 cut in 1/2 and 1 cut into wedges, for serving
3 tablespoons creme fraiche


Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. It will soften and double in size.

Heat a medium-sized saucepan on a low heat, and saute the onion, garlic and chopped chiles in oil. Pound in the mortar the salt, fennel and cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cinnamon. Add to the onion with the butter, then once melted add the finely sliced coriander stalks and the couscous. Break it up with your spoon.

Turn the heat down to a very low heat, and add the fish, skin side up. Drizzle with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper and throw in the lemon, cut in halves. Cover with some wet greaseproof paper, and cook for 15 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with the coriander leaves and sliced chile; squeeze the lemon halves, dollop on some creme fraiche and drizzle with olive oil.

Have you ever looked a beetroot in the eye?

I have never cooked beetroot before...but I do love it in a burger. (actually that is a big fat lie I have roasted them in the oven)

But today I tried a new method - baking in the oven.  Rub beetroot with oil and salt and wrap in foil.  Bake in 200 degree C oven for 45 mins.  Take out, peel and slice. Salt and pepper and serve hot or cold.

Easy peasy yummy thai chicken skewers

Mix in a bowl:
100g yoghurt
tsp crushed coriander seeds
chopped fresh coriander
juice of 1 lime
salt

Slice 4 chicken breasts and marinate in the above mixture for around 4 hours.

Thread onto skewers and cook on the bbq.

Yum! The yoghurt keeps the chicken deliciously moist mmmm

Hannah's Birthday Butter Cream Cupcakes

We made 24 minis and 26 bigs

• 200g butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (370g) caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups (405g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk

• Butter frosting

• 200g butter, softened
• 6 cups (900g) icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 24 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pans with patty cases.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined. Add the flour and milk in alternate batches and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Spoon mixture evenly among the patty cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until very pale. Gradually add the icing sugar while beating. Add the milk and beat until well combined.
5. Divide frosting into small bowls and colour. Use a small palette knife or round-bladed knife to spread the icing.

tapas and wine

more tapas and wine....little place in granada

nothing like a 19 euro steak

this was the most beautiful steak - it is the item on the menu 'solomillo'. dan asked for his medium and strangely they cut it into 3 pieces so he didn't get a beautiful round like i did...he kept asking to try mine hehehehehehee

we actually went to the restaurant because it's in the top floor of this building dan wanted to see and we could only get up there if we had lunch. well, if it's educational...

but check out the building - it is incredible - no beams! and so so skinny. and beautiful beautiful views

cheese blocks

Stephen Hill uses these little wood blocks when he is making his guitars...i like them because they look like cheese

juicer

brekky in la herradura

yum love the breakfasts here

for 80 cents you get a 'tostada con tomate' - half a baguette, toasted, served with a little bowl of muddled fresh tomato and olive oil. spread it on, drizzle with a little extra oil and enjoy with a cafe con leche

Alpendre, Alfama

Dessert...mmm

The BEST seafood risotto

DJ

Alpendre - in Alfama district, Lisbon
Rua augusto rosa, 32/4
Phone: 218 862 421

Dan and i have been 2 nights in a row. first night we had arroz de marisco - seafood risotto - filled with prawns, crab, fish, clams mmm

Last night we had the mixed grill for 2 - all kinds of delicious meat - pork, steaks etc

Bill is usually around 25 euro for all you can eat and drink including dessert

Lunch at Snoopys, Porto

Across the road from Casa da Musica. Delicious meat falling apart on your fork, melt in your mouth! Grand total of about 12 euro for the meal plus a bottle of wine

Breakfast at the Pastelaria in Cordoba

yummy pies filled with chicken and roast veges...mmm. washed down with a cafe con leche

The Medieval festival, Cordoba

More winners from Taberna coloniales, Seville

Manjar blanco - chicken with bacon, cheese and almond sauce. This is, as you can see, a HUGE dish and only cost about 2.90 euros. Crazy!

My favourite - Crujiente de brerejas con salmorejo = eggplant with salmorejo - salmorejo is a delicious light tomato sauce/puree.

One of the daily specials - a stack of potato, tomato, cheese, prawns etc mmmm

Another winner from Bar Alfalfa, Seville

Yum! Cheese, pesto, tomato, rocket, drizzled with olive oil. The goods!

Chocolate y churros!

Taberna Coloniales, Seville

DELICIOUS tapas and lots of fun to sit at the bar.

Tortilla de camarones - tortilla with shrimp

Huevos de cordoniz con jamon - delicious little bites of toast with quail eggs and serrano ham

Punta de solomillo a la castellana - prime cut meat with castellana - a sort of gravy with onions, served with potatoes

MORE Magnums!!!

In Spain they have heaps of Magnums we don't get. Here is the strawberry white choc mmmm mum would love this! My favourite is Stracciatella Sandwich - it's half giant sandwich, half choc-chip magnum - genius!

Bar Alfalfa, Seville

Check out the bowl of melted cheese!!! mmmmm

La Bodega, Seville

chorizo picante y crema de queso - delicious roll with spicy chorizo and creamiest goats cheese, toasted

espinacas con garbanzos = spinach and chickpeas

fabe = white beans, bacon and sausage

Casinha do Petisco, Lagos

Stuffed squid

O'Sobreiro, Evora

• Migras a Alentejana - regional bread - a weird massive plate of breadcrumbs with pork meat
• Delicious chick peas with lemon, cod and garlic

hard rock burgers - always a winner!

chocolate cups filed with cherry liquer

specialty of sintra

pasteis de belem!

delicious custard tarts with a creme brulee style caramelised crust on top!

Wendy's Lime Mint Icecream

Make a syrup with 2 cups of caster sugar and two cups of water.  After sugar has dissolved, allow to boil, unstirred, for 12 minutes.

When cool, add half a cup of lemon juice and 50 roughly chopped mint leaves. 
Whizz in a blender till mint is as fine as possible.

Lightly mix with big spoon, 2 cups of Greek yoghurt and 1/2 cup of thickened cream.  Add the cool/cold mint syrup, and mix  thoroughly.

Pour into two old icecream containers and put in freezer till about 3-5 centimetres around the edges has frozen.   This will take around 3-4 hours.  Turn out into a bowl and beat till all smooth again.  Refreeze and repeat this process as many times as you like, at least 2 or 3.

Tastes great with macerated strawberries (chop and soak a punnet of berries in a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar, couple of tablespoons of lemon juice, about 4 tablespoons  or more of orange liquer.  I use peach schnapps.  YUM! YUM!

jenny's japanese fish

I always love the fish Jenny makes - she gets really nice pink snapper from sealanes, rolls it around in flour and then egg mix and then crumbs it with those japanese breadcrumbs. Fry and then serve with a yummy coleslaw or that crunchy asian salad.

MMmmm!

Coconut Rice

1. Serves 4
   • 
     
   • 1 1/2 cups water
   • 1 cup coconut milk
   • 1 1/4 cups jasmine or long-grain rice

1. Place water and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Add the rice, return to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and stir well.
3. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain and fluff with a fork.
4. Grublover comment
5. Coconut rice is delicious served with a thai curry.

Coconut Ice Cream

Makes 1 big tub of icecream - serves 6+

4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

2 cups whipping cream (500 ml. container)

2 cups thick (good-quality) coconut milk

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

2 tsp. coconut flavoring

Prepare a container with a lid in which to freeze the ice cream. I used a large rectangular tupperware container.

Place the eggs and sugar in a food processor, mixer, or blender. Process about 1.5 to 2 minutes.

Pour this mixture into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy (it should look like custard). Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Measure out 2 cups coconut milk (approx. 1 can) and set aside. If there are any lumps, use a fork or whisk to break them up and create a smooth milk.

Pour 2 cups whipping cream into your food processor, blender, or mixer. Process until cream becomes very thick and stiff peaks form (approximately 1 minute). Scoop this whipped cream into a large mixing bowl.

Fold the coconut milk into the whipped cream, stirring to combine.

Now add the cooked egg/sugar mixture from the refrigerator. Also add the flavorings (vanilla and coconut), gently stirring everything together by hand. You should end up with a thick, ivory-white batter-like mixture.

Pour the ice cream mixture into your prepared container(s). Set in the freezer and allow to freeze at least 8 hours, or overnight. Note: You can leave the ice cream cake or plain ice cream uncovered until frozen. Be sure to cover it thereafter.

To serve, dip an ice cream scoop in water and scoop the ice cream into bowls. For extra coconutty flavor, top with a little toasted coconut. You can also add ice magic or chocolate sauce mmmmmmm.

Grublover comment

This icecream is really easy to make and you don't need an icecream maker. It is really good served with a thai meal (I served it as a dessert after a green curry). The icecream is only good that day so don't save any for the next day (the texture goes all funny).

When you are cooking the egg mixture it will start all runny and then bubble up at which point you will think 'aaargh this doesn't look like custard'. But it will suddenly all sink down and thicken up so just keep stirring!

I gave the icecream a few stirs while it was in the freezer - I don't know what difference this made but I have heard it's a good idea.

Pear and hazelnut torta

Serves 6

100g toasted hazelnuts, skin removed

1/2 cup caster sugar, plus 2 tsp extra

1/3 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

80g unsalted butter, melted, cooled, plus 20g extra chilled butter

2 ripe pears (eg beurre bosc)

icing sugar, to dust

Melt the butter down and let cool.

Preheat oven to 170 C and grease a 26cm round loose-bottomed tart pan.

Blitz the hazelnuts, caster sugar, 1 Tb flour in a food processor until the nuts are quite finely ground (be careful not to wizz for too long because the nuts will release oil and form a paste). Tip the mixture into a large bowl.

Sift remaining flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the nut mixture. Whisk together for 30 seconds until well combined.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl until just frothy (whisk is ok). Then whisk in the milk, vanilla and melted butter.

Pour the egg mixture into the nut mixture and stir together until well combined. Pour into the baking dish and spread evenly.

Peel, quarter and core the pears. Slice each quarter into 5mm thick slices. Fan the slices slightly by pressing on top of them with the palm of your hand. Transfer it to the top of the batter (around 6 slices per fan). Repeat with the remaining pears in a higgeldy-piggeldy pattern.

Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar over the pears and dollop with the little chunks of chilled butter.

Bake the torta for 25-30 minutes until the batter is slightly puffed and golden - time will vary a bit.

Transfer to a wire rack and sift a thickish layer of icing sugar over the top. Allow to cool to lukewarm, then dust with more icing sugar (if needed).

Serve with cream or icecream.

Rustic osso bucco pasta

Serves 4-6

1kg osso bucco

plain flour (for dusting)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 brown onion, thickly sliced

3 cloves garlic

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups beef stock

1 cup water

4 bay leaves

2 Tb tomato paste

1 Tb caster sugar

400g caserecci

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1/2 cup oregano leaves

finely grated parmesan, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Dust veal with flour and shake off any excess. Brown in a pan over high heat - cook for 2-3 minutes each side in some olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to low. Add the oil, onion, garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes or until soft and golden. increase the heat to high and gradually add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until reduced by half.

Add the stock, water, bay leaves, tomato paste and sugar and stir to combine. Return the veal to the pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook in the oven for 1.5 hours.

Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Remove the veal from the pan and shred the meat from the bones, discarding bones.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, return to the pan and add the veal, sauce, salt, pepper and oregano. Toss to combine and serve with parmesan.

Grublover comment

This meal is delicious and rich and so fabulous for a cold rainy night.

Don't worry if the sauce is too liquidy - it will all get stirred through and coat the pasta - don't try to thicken it up.

Serve with a fresh garden salad. If you cannot get caserecci use a pasta that will catch the sauce eg shells.

meatballs!

Yummy Chocolate Brownies

115 g butter
200 g white sugar
2 eggs
5 ml vanilla extract
30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
60 g all-purpose flour
2 g salt
1 g baking powder
Icing and Maltesers to decorate

Icing:
125g icing sugar
2 tsp cocoa
1 Tbsp horlicks or malted milk powder
60g softened butter
1 Tbsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 175C. Grease and line with baking paper a 20x20cm square tin.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until still slightly gooey in the centre.

Cool in the pan then ice with malteser icing and decorate with maltesers.

For the icing: Mix together all ingredients except the water in a bowl. Gradually add the boiling water until desired consistency is reached.

Slow cooking activity with Kelly and Tim

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Yield: 6-8 servings

3 rashers of thick cut bacon
3 pounds beef chuck cubed
1 bottle red wine
1 pound onions chopped
1 pound celery chopped
1 pound carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Brown the beef and bacon in batches in a frying pan and add to the
slow cooker. Discard the fat from the pan. Deglaze the pan with some
red wine and put in the slow cooker.

Add vegetables and enough wine to cover the everything in the slow
cooker. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8
hours.

We served it on top of thick, wide flat pasta. (YUM)

Grublover comment
Also try: BEER BRAISED PORK AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

For St Pat's day Tim is making GUINNESS STOUT BEEF STEW

Let us know how it goes Tim! Happy St Pat's day!!

Chicken in red wine and tomato sauce...recipe by Winsome

Serves 4


















olive oil
4 skinless chicken thighs, bone in
2 brown onions, cut into six wedges
8-10 cloves of garlic, peeled
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Dust the chicken with salt and pepper.
Brown the chicken on all sides in olive oil in a pan big enough to take all the ingredients. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Turn down the heat and then add the onions and garlic and saute until golden.
Return the chicken to the pan and turn up to high.

Pour in the red wine vinegar and let it sizzle until reduced by at least half.

Add the stock and tomatoes. Make sure the chicken is fully covered by liquid, if not add a bit more stock or water. Bring back to a simmer.

Put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 mins or until the chicken pulls away from the bone. If the sauce is looking a bit thin, remove the lid for part of the cooking time.

Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley and salt and pepper to serve.

Serve with mashed potato/rice/pasta and a green vegetable or salad - delicious.

Grublover comment
This is an adapted stephanie alexander recipe from her much loved book - The Cook's Companion.
I made this for the first time tonight, and it was simple and easy.
Most people would have these ingredients in the cupboard - so all you would need to buy is some chicken. Feel free to use different parts of the chicken, or a whole chicken, jointed. My favourite part is always the thigh, so that is why i used it here. It always gives a tender and juicy result, without much fuss about cooking times

Spiced lamb racks

1 Tbs fennel seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black peppercorns

1/3 cup greek style natural yoghurt

4 x 4 cutlet french trimmed lamb chops

Pound spices in p&m until ground.  Combine with yoghurt.

Season lamb racks with salt and coat with yoghurt mixture.  Chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Prehead oven to 200 C.  Heat oil in a large frypan and seal the lamb for 2 minutes each side.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes for medium.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with a crisp salad.

Strawberries and cream cheesecake

Serves 6-8

Begin this recipe a day ahead

250g shortbread biscuits

100g unsalted butter

4 gold-strength gelatine sheets

500g cream cheese

395g can sweetened condensed milk

300ml thickened cream

200g white chocolate, melted, cooled

2x250g punnets strawberries

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped

Grease and line a 23cm springform cake pan.  Place the biscuits in a food processor and process to fine crumbs.  Add the melted butter and process to combine.   Press into the base of the pan and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes (check packet instructions).  

Process cream cheese and condensed milk in food processor until smooth.

Heat 100ml cream in a saucepan over low heat.  Squeeze gelatine leaves to remove excess water, then add to the warmed cream.  Stir off the heat until the gelatine dissolves.

Stir cream mixture into cheese mixture.

Beat remaining cream with electric mixers to form soft peaks.  Fold into the cream cheese mixture with the cooled chocolate.  

Pour over the base.  Chill overnight until set.

Hull and halve the berries.  Place sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, 1/3 cup water in a heavy based saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Simmer, without stirring for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.  Add berries and cook for a further 1 minute.  

Cool completely, then pour over cheesecake just before serving.

Delicious and really easy beer bread...recipe by Winsome

3 cups SR flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
450mL beer
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 200C. Grease and line a loaf tin.

Mix together flour, sugar, salt. Slowly add beer. Mix together gently, being careful not to overmix.

Pour into loaf tin then sprinkle over cheese then sunflower seeds. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Enjoy!!!! We are having it tonight with carrot soup.

Weekend of love...

So I haven't written a review for a lonnng time but was inspired this weekend when I got absolutely spoilt rotten by Dan who obviously knows that the way to my heart is through my tum tum.

Saturday morning after a leisurely sleep in I was treated to breakfast at the Urban Bean.  I have always had my reservations about this place...I thought of it as too "Perth" to be in Margaret River (silly how we make these judgments).  Well I am truly a convert.  The coffee was so delicious - strong, but with a sweet caramel crema.  Yum! And perfect drinking temperature straight up.  I love that!

Breakfast was the usual - soft poached eggs with bacon.  Cooked to perfection and served with sourdough and lots of butter.  Sensational.  No need for tomato sauce (I can feel you cringe but I like it ok?)  

So that was a real pleasure, and we did it all again Sunday morning.  

Dinner for valentines day was a real treat.  Went to my very very favourite restaurant, Winos.  I love starting the evening at Winos having a chat with the wine guy, and then enjoying the lovely red he recommends in the bar.  Unfortunately this time it was cut short by a really rude waitress who said to us "Would you like to come to your table" and I said "No we would like to finish our drink" and then she made us go anyway! hahahah I felt so bullied.  But it didn't matter.  We ordered some bread and anchovy oil to start, and some arancini yum!  They had a curry spice I can't put my finger on.  

Dinner we both had the scotch fillet (hoping for the trusty waygu but the fillet did not in any way disappoint).  The fillet was just as good as the waygu, cooked to perfection, drizzled with a garlic "foam", interesting twist, and served with mash and mushies.  Yum!!!

Finished with a glass of red on the lounge, Dan and I chatted and relaxed, mirrored with our hands behind our heads like a head rest, way too full.  Next time we are going to try really hard to just order mains, otherwise it is way way too much (but we can never resist the entree!)

Corn Chowder...recipe by Winsome

1 tbsp olive oil

3 rashers bacon, chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 large potatoes, diced

1.5L chicken stock (i used the liquid stock from the supermarket)

3 cups corn kernels (i used frozen)

coriander leaves - to serve

finely sliced spring onion - to serve (i didn't use this and it was still delicious)

Fry the bacon rashers in olive oil in the pan you are going to make the soup in until crispy.

Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Fry the onion with freshly ground salt and pepper, until the onion is soft but not coloured - approximately 5-6 minutes.

Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes or until the potato and the corn are both tender.

Puree half of the soup and return to the pan.

Bring back to the boil, and serve scattered with coriander and spring onions.

Grublover comment
This was so delicious!! my photo doesn't really do it justice, but it is great. Really light, but definitely filling because of the potato. It is a nice hearty soup for a summer night (it is probably still 30 degrees here and was up to 38 today).

Moroccan Chicken with Orange

(serves 4)

1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground cumin
4 tbs sultanas
4 tbs pine nuts
40ml (2 tbs) olive oil
800g chicken fillets, cut into thin strips
1 orange, halved, sliced
4 tbs freshly chopped mint

Place chilli, chilli flakes, garlic, lemon juice, cinnamon, cumin, sultanas, pine nuts, half the olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well. Add chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frypan. Add the chicken pieces and cook on one side for 1-2 minutes or until golden.

Turn over, add the orange slices and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Stir through the mint.

Serve with couscous and some low-fat yoghurt.

Grublover comment
I haven't tried this recipe yet - found it on taste this morning and am keen to try it. Let me know if you get in first and tell me what it's like! Looks delicious. Some people have suggested adding some natural yoghurt to the marinade - I might try that...

lazy bones balsamic chicken

It is really hard to get motivated to hit the shops after a long day at work. Today I just couldn't face it, so scratched around at home and came up with this scrumptious dish. Enjoy it on a Tuesday night.

Serves 4 (or in our case, a big helping for Dan and leftovers for lunch)

4 chicken thighs, diced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tb sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups couscous (dry)
2 1/4 cups boiling chicken stock
60g butter
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tb thyme

Combine the balsamic, stock, sugar and garlic. Rub into chicken and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Place the couscous in a bowl and pour in the boiling stock. Cover with glad wrap and allow to stand for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 3 minutes or until garlic is soft, but not brown. Add the couscous and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Heat an oiled fry-pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the pan, cooking 3-4 minutes. Add the marinade to the pan and cook for another 1 minutes or two until the chicken is cooked through and marinade is thicker.

Serve the chicken on the couscous and drizzle the jus over the meal. Serve with steamed green beans.

Grublover comment
Yum! This recipe is from Marie Claire's 'Fresh'. It is so easy and the best thing is everything you need is in the cupboard.
I used thighs because they are juicier and its a lot quicker to cook diced chicken. You can substitute for breast if you prefer - leave the breasts whole and cook 3-4 minutes each side.

It's in the bag!

I have been cooking lots of chicken in a bag lately...the flavours are so delicious and the best thing is that the chicken stays nice and moist. Try these simple recipes out:

Rogan josh in the bag
Combine 1 clove garlic, 1 red chilli, 1/2 an onion and 1 Tb grated ginger.
Add 1 tin whole tomatoes and 1/3 jar rogan josh curry paste. Stir until combined.
Add 500g diced chicken thighs. Rub the mixture into the chicken.

Tip the whole mix into a parcel made with baking paper.

Put on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes at 180 Celcius.
Serve with boiled rice, chutney and pappadums.

Greek chicken in the bag
Combine 500g chicken breasts, 20 pitted kalamata olives, a handful of oregano, 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tb olive oil and rind of 1 lemon in a large bowl. Cover with glad wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to develop the flavours.

Divide the 1 bunch english spinach, 16 cherry tomatoes, 100g feta and the chicken mixture among four 50cm lengths of non-stick baking paper. Fold long sides over to enclose filling and tuck short ends under the parcels to secure.

Place parcels in a large metal steaming pan or bamboo steamer over a saucepan or wok of simmering water. Steam, covered, for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Divide the parcels among plates and serve immediately. Alternatively, bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Netty's Easy Peasy Scones

1 small tub (300 ml) whipping cream
3 cups SR flour
pinch salt

Fold the flour and salt through the cream.

Gently flatten mixture into around 3/4 inch batter.

Cut scones with round glass.

Put on tray dusted with flour. Arrange scones so they will be touching when they expand (this ensures they are soft and not all dry on the outside).

Bake in hot oven (200C) until golden (should be around 15 mins).

Enjoy with jam and cream. I love a good rasberry jam. Mmm

Grublover comment
My aunt Netty made these for my family when enjoying gracetown on the Australia Day weekend. They are great for weekends away because you don't need many ingredients or jazzy tools.
Jazz them up by adding extra flavours.
Some ideas:
- savoury: add fetta and spinach
- sweet: add raisins

Choc-Bananzacs.....recipe by Claire Hollingsworth

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (regular oatmeal) uncooked
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
100 grams of choc chips (milk or dark, or a mix)
1 banana (cut into small chunks, or mashed)
2 tbsp golden syrup (or honey)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to 180 celcius.

Combine the flour (sifted), oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl.

Melt the butter and Golden Syrup in a saucepan over a low heat.

Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the water and add to the butter and Golden Syrup.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix well, add banana and choc chips.

Dollop onto tray and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.

Grublover comment (Today's Grublover = Claire)
This is a variation on an old war time Aussie favourite treat- Anzacs. The only reason I added banana and chocolate was because I thought it'd be cool name - "choc-bananzac"...turns out they taste pretty good! Next time I'll add peanut butter - choc-peanut-buttanzacs, for kel and ange

Kelly is doing some slow cooking

Message from my pal Kelly Gillespie:




Hey,
we just got a slow cooker, do you have one? i'm going to back a black bean and beer braised pork dish... i'll let you know how it goes.





I am still waiting to hear how it went...I'll keep you posted!