Muffins! Fruit muffins!

I've been looking at ways to get the kids to eat more fruit, so when I found a simple fruit muffin recipe, I figured I'd give it a go.
I found the recipe too dry, so I've ended up adding in an extra 1/2 cup milk, and I really do think they benefit from a spice and/or herb.

• 2 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fruit

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, leaving a well in the middle.

Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. 

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until only just mixed.

Fold the fruit in.

Cook in preheated moderate (180C/350F) oven in muffin trays for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

If you want chocolate muffins, use 1/2 cup cocoa in place of 1/2 cup of self raising flour, and the fruit for choc chips.

A light soup

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of soups, especially in summer. But, today, when the InfoxicatedMan said he wanted chicken for tonights dinner, I cringed. I had to ask a friend, Quentin, what he could suggest. And he suggested something light, with chili and green onions. And from there, I thought "Hmm... I could do with a Thai inspired soup..."
So, here's my take. And please note, the chicken was leftovers from a roast I did, stuffed with 2 lemons and garlic. It doesn't have measurements.

1 chicken (approximately), pre-cooked and still on the bone
Green onions, whole
2 stalks lemon grass (you will need to bash this to help release the flavours)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
2 birds-eye (small red) chilis, seeds removed
3 generous tablespoons fish sauce
water to cover
1 wombok
snow peas

Throw all ingredients into a large saucepan, bring to boil, simmer for at least an hour.
Drain the broth into a large bowl, and strip the chicken off the bone. Place chicken and broth back into the saucepan with 2 cups of good chicken stock.
Add a generous handful of snow peas and some shredded wombok, and stir through well.

And here it is (OMG! A photo!)

A revisit...

A while back, I posted a recipe for Russian Friendship Tea. Since then, I've looked for instant tea, and the only type I can find is instant iced tea (such as Nestea).
I'm thinking I may buy some so I can try it. I'm thinking combining the amount for the instant tea and instant lemonade mix, and using the Nestea stuff.

Salmon cakes

Many years ago, I cooked a family recipe for fish cakes. It had onions, garlic, eggs, bread (cubed and soaked in milk), and ground coriander (spice), then crumbed (flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs) and shallow fried.
As much as I like the simplicity of that recipe, I wanted something different. I wanted something I could eat without needing to crumb and fry, if I had to. So I developed this recipe.

• 1kg potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed and then mashed
• 400g tinned red salmon
• 3 spring onions, diced finely
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (herb, aka cilantro)
• Bread crumbs

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients, adding a dash of milk if too dry and they won't hold together well
2. Crumb lightly
3. Fry until golden

You can eat this without crumbing and frying, as a simple spread for a sandwich.

I make these salmon cakes and serve them as a fish burger.

A lazy Saturday...

A few weeks back, I put down some limoncello starter. That is, I bought vodka and a few lemons, peeled the lemons and soaked them in the vodka (seriously, a jar filled with peels and vodka just covering it) for 4 or so weeks. Today, I finished making it, as per my mandarincello recipe. And just in time - I'm almost out of cider ;)

But, while I was at it, I figured I may as well make some creamed rice. My friend, Julia sent me the Donna Hay recipe, which I've since adapted slightly. So, here's my version.

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 4 cups full cream milk
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1. Place all ingredients in a large saucepan.
2. Bring to boil
3. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally 

Enjoy hot or cold

Chicken "cacciatore"

So, cacciatore apparently means hunter in Italian, so this is Hunter's Chicken. 
Actually, it isn't so much cacciatore, but it is my version of it.
It's what I call a "meat plus wet" recipe - That is, meat, plus liquid (a tin of soup, some wine, some stock or similar) over heat or in the oven for an hour or so makes dinner. Of course, the longer you leave it, the better it tastes.


So, this recipe is for 4 adults, but since its me and the girls at home tonight, I'll still be making the same amount.

• 1 large onion - sliced
• 1 clove of garlic - minced
• 4 chicken marylands
• 2 tins (410 g each) of whole tomatoes
• black olives to season (that's your salt, peoples)

1. Cook down the onions in a large, heavy based saucepan until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
2. Push the onion garlic mixture aside, and brown the chicken.
3. Pour in the tomatoes, and a few olives to season.
4. Simmer for at least 1 hour, or as long as you desire.

Serve with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.

Anniversary dinner

For those of you who've been living under a rock, it was my wedding anniversary yesterday.
So, last night, I decided to make mustard crusted rack of lamb, hasselback potatoes and roasted asparagus. This is significant for a reason - the dinner at our wedding reception was mustard crusted rack of lamb. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember what the sides for it were, but I do remember the lamb. And last nights was pretty damned close, if slightly over cooked.

Hasselback potatoes

• garlic - 1 clove per person
• butter - 1 tablespoon for 2 people
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large potato per person

1. Make a garlic butter from softened butter and minced garlic. Season well
2. Peel each potato. Cut in half lengthways. 
3. Place flattened side of the potato on the chopping board. Along the length of the potato, cut into the potato to around 3mm from the base, around 3mm apart.
4. Rub the garlic butter into the top of the potatoes, attempting to get the butter into cuts.
5. Bake for ~45 minutes in a moderate (180C or 350F) oven.

Mustard crusted rack of lamb

• 1 lamb rack - 4 bones for on each - per person
• 1 tablespoon of English mustard per rack
• bread crumbs
• Olive oil for cooking
• Salt and pepper to season

1. For each person, prepare a 4 rib rack of lamb. These should be Frenched. Season well, and brown fat side first in a large oven proof frying pan (I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan).
2. Remove the racks from the frying pan, rub English mustard over the now browned fat. Pat breadcumbs onto the mustard.
3. Return to pan, and place on the top shelf of the oven.
4. Cook until the potatoes are also done

Baked asparagus

• 4 fresh asparagus spears per person
• oil
• salt to taste

1. Place asparagus into an oven proof dish or frying pan (again, I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan - this time, the medium sized one)
2. Coat well with olive oil (I used a lemon infused one) and season
3. Place on bottom shelf of oven for the last ten minutes of cooking time