#blog12daysxmas Day 6 Μπριζόλες χοιρινές

Or in other words Greek pork chops. I love Greek grilled meat: souvlakia, chops,  meatballs. Usually I just prepare the meat by flinging it in some olive oil and oregano, maybe some garlic too. It sits for a while and it goes on the grill.

However, this year for Christmas someone gave me some Creaming Seeds Spice Co. Greek Seasoning. This consists of oregano, rosemary, garlic, sea salt, black peppercorns, onion, marjoram and lemon myrtle. So the flavour is a bit more complicated than my normal Greek grills. 

I tried it out with some pork chops and the result was delicious. I ate mine with salad and potatoes and ate the remainder cold for lunch over the next few days.

Ingredients

4 pork chops

2 tsp Greek seasoning

Olive oil

Mode

Sprinkle chops with Greek seasoning and splash on some olive oil

Leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes (or longer)

Heat the grill

Place the chops on the grill

Baste with the marinade

Grill both sides until cooked basting with the marinade from time to time

Enjoy with salad and potatoes

#blog12daysxmas Day 5 Vera's shortbread

This year was our second Christmas after my mother's death and just before Christmas I suddenly thought it would be nice to cook the shortbread she had always made and give some to my siblings.  

In the weeks leading up to Christmas every year my mother's kitchen was always a frenzy as she churned out Christmas cakes, mince tarts and shortbread for the three of us and our workplaces and friends and relatives. 

I was using her recipe which she had written down years ago when she had an old gas oven with no thermostat and her recipe didn't include many details such as how long the shortbread needed to be cooked. The critical things were the ingredients as she knew exactly what she was doing and how long it would take. 

I had made the recipe before, both with my mother and also by myself, but as I pondered how to write out enough details for someone else to understand the recipe so that I could blog it, I also fell to wondering if, as I thought I remembered, it had been her mother's recipe. I certainly remembered eating my grandmother's version of the shortbread.  Or it had been passed from even further back in the family?

Who would know? There was really only one place I could look. I have in my possession part of a hand-written recipe book that belonged to my grandmother's aunt, Lucy Agnes Collie. Would she have cooked shortbread using the same recipe and, more importantly, would it be in the part of her recipe book that survived?

Indeed the recipe was in Auntie Luce's recipe book and giving more detail than my mother's recipe did. But the interesting thing about the recipe was the name: "Vera's Shortbread". So it had not come down from generations ago but was a recipe from a generation after Auntie Luce from her niece Vera. Vera Hall was my maternal grandmother's sister. I am sure that my grandmother had also cooked this same shortbread as I remember having it. But she must have got it from her sister. So it was a recipe shared around the family at that time and like many others handwritten out in their recipe books.

I am sure the story is mainly of interest to the family, but I made a couple of batches of shortbread and how to make it came back to me once I started! I enjoyed making it and exploring its origins. You too can make "Vera's Shortbread" if you wish.

Ingredients

4 oz caster sugar

8 oz butter

14 oz plain flour 

Mode

Pre-heat oven to 150c

Cream the sugar and butter

Fold in the flour gradually

Butter baking tray

Turn out mixture onto floured surface

Roll like a roly-poly

Cut slices about 1/2 inches

Place leaving space between on the buttered tray

Press fork into surface to decorate

Cook in oven until just starting to change colour (15-20 minutes)

They should still be soft but will harden while cooling

Remove from oven and place to cool on wire racks

Lemon and orange chicken

Last week when with the help of a friend I was cleaning out and sorting a high kitchen cupboard where I store preserves I discovered I had a jar with some syrup from a jar of Stephanie's Spiced Oranges.  I have used it in the past for basting roast chicken and talked of doing that again.  However, this time I chose to cook some chicken Maryland individual pieces rather than a whole chicken.  And the result was delicious!

Ingredients

2 portions of chicken Maryland
1 dessertspoon citron salt
6 dessertspoons of spiced oranges syrup


Mode

Preheat oven to 210c.
Arrange the chicken in a baking dish
Sprinkle with citron salt
Roast for 30 minutes
Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon over the spiced orange syrup
Return to oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

Chicken balls with ginger and Vietnamese mint

These gingery chicken balls with the added flavours of Vietnamese mint and lemongrass are easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients
700 gr minced chicken
2 cloves garlic
4 tsp minced ginger
Handful Vietnamese mint
1 tsp lemongrass paste
1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek
Dry fine bread crumbs
Olive oil
250 gr ready made tomato sauce
Water
Steamed rice or noodles
Shaved Parmesan

Mode

Crush garlic and ginger
Chop Vietnamese mint roughly
Add chicken, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, Sambal Oelek and Vietnamese mint to a bowl
Combine ingredients thoroughly with hands
Using a heaped soup spoon of mixture form meatballs
Coat lightly in bread crumbs
Place tomato sauce in large pan to heat 
Heat olive oil in pan on stove top
Add the meatballs in batches and quickly seal on both sides
Add sealed meatballs to the tomato sauce
Simmer on the top of the stove for 20-30 minutes
Serve on a bed of rice or rice noodles
Top with shaved Parmesan

Lamb balls in tomato sauce

These meatballs arose because I felt I wanted something Lebanese-tasting to go with my turnip pickles. I was out late at a meeting so I grabbed a bottle of ready made sauce at a shop on the way home but you could make your own tomato sauce for the simmering.

I ate the meatballs in sauce with rice noodles and some shaved parmesan, but you could also serve with rice or pasta or any type of noodles. If you are one of my "evil carbs" friends, you can leave out the pomegranate molasses and serve the dish without the rice or pasta accompaniment.

Ingredients

 750 gr minced lamb
1 tsp sumac
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp all spice
2 large handfuls coriander
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Tomato sauce (already prepared)
Pasta/rice/noodles (accompaniment)
Shaved parmesan

Mode

Heat the tomato sauce in a pan on stovetop and simmer
Chop the coriander roughly
Crush the garlic
Place lamb, coriander, garlic, sumac, all spice, cumin, and pomegranate molasses in a mixing bowl
Mix thoroughly using hands to ensure that all ingredients are blended
Using a dessertspoon and hands form meatballs of whatever size desired
Heat olive oil in frying pan
Seal the meatballs in batches and transfer to the tomato sauce
Simmer the meatballs in the tomato sauce for about 30 minutes
Meanwhile prepare rice, noodles or pasta for accompaniment
Serve with rice, noodles or pasta with shaved parmesan.

Pickled turnips

A couple of weeks ago I was ordering a meal in a Lebanese place in Montréal. In  order to answer my question about a French word I didn't understand on the menu, the young woman serving us whipped out her phone to get a translation.  It was "turnips" and, of course, they were the pinkish pickled turnips that I have often eaten in Lebanese restaurants though I had not really thought about how they were produced.

Once home, I pulled out my Middle Eastern authorities, Claudia Roden and Abla Amad, and read up about Middle Eastern pickling of vegetables. This is mainly achieved with vinegar and water and sometimes salt.  Beetroot or red cabbage are the agents used to colour other vegetables.  Sometimes other elements such as celery or garlic are added for additional flavour.

I decided to go for the simple: turnips, beetroot, white wine vinegar, water and salt. I just peeled and chopped and put them in the jars making sure that there was beetroot in both.  You could slice the beetroot finely and build the vegetables up in layers and achieve a nicer visual outcome.

The photo at the top of the post was taken just after I bottled them, and the other taken the morning after already shows the colour of the beetroot taking affect. Now it's a waiting game as they won't be ready for 7-10 days.

Ingredients

4 medium white turnips
1 medium beetroot
3 dessertspoons salt
White wine vinegar
Water


Mode

Cut the tops and bottoms of the turnips and peel
Slice into chunks in whatever shape you like
Cut the top and bottom off the beetroot
Cut into slices
Place the turnip pieces and the beetroot slices into a bowl
Add salt and mix
Place the turnip and beetroot into glass jars
Pour white wine vinegar into the jars until they are about one third full
Add water to the jars making sure the vegetables are covered
Seal the jars and put aside for 7-10 days when the turnips should be ready
These will last about six months kept in the vinegar and water solution.

Ginger chicken balls

I always feel like meatballs - of whatever flavour. These ones combine some of my favourite flavours: ginger, garlic, Thai basil, chicken, and spring onion and are simmered in tomato sauce and served on a bed of basmati rice. I used a Dolmio spicy pepper sauce which went well with the other flavours, but you could make your own or use a different sort of ready made sauce. However, the meatballs could also be cooked and eaten without sauce, or with sauce served with noodles or pasta. Meatballs are very flexible! I cooked these on the top of the stove but they can be baked in the oven at 160c for 45 minutes.

Ingredients
600 gr minced chicken
2 spring onions
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
8 gr Thai basil
Dry fine bread crumbs
Olive oil
250 gr ready made tomato sauce
Water
Steamed rice or noodles
Shaved Parmesan

Mode
Slice spring onions finely
Crush garlic and ginger
Chop Thai basil fairly finely
Add chicken, spring onions, garlic, ginger and Thai basil to a bowl
Combine ingredients thoroughly with hands
Using a heaped soup spoon of mixture form meatballs
Coat lightly in bread crumbs
Place tomato sauce in large pan to heat 
Heat olive oil in pan on stove top
Add the meatballs in batches and quickly seal on both sides
Add sealed meatballs to the tomato sauce
Simmer on the top of the stove for 20-30 minutes
Serve on a bed of rice or rice noodles
Top with shaved Parmesan

Pomegranate and citrus chicken

 

A couple of weekends ago, in between viewing the Gertrude Street Projections with my friend Karen, we ate at a yummy Spanish restaurant in Gertrude Street. To hit our thirst initially we had a refreshing drink which included lemon, lime and pomegranate.  Well, I pondered on the walk home, those flavours would be a nice combination with chicken.And they certainly are!

This recipe is a variant on Abla's Chicken Wings in Garlic. I used chicken drumettes instead of wings, and citron salt (thanks for the present, Bast!), and where she uses lemon juice, I used lemon juice, lime juice, and pomegranate molasses.  However, the cooking method is the tried and true Abla one.

 

Ingredients

730 gr chicken drumettes
1 dessertspoon citron salt
A total of 200 ml made up from:
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 limes
Pomegranate molasses
1.5 tbs of minced garlic

Mode

Preheat oven to 210c.
Arrange the chicken drumettes in a baking dish
Sprinkle with citron salt
Roast for 30 minutes
Meanwhile squeeze the lime and lemons
Add pomegranate molasses to citrus juice
Add minced garlic to the citrus and pomegranate and stir thoroughly
Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the garlic, citrus and pomegranate mixture over
Return to oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

Pork and coriander stirfry with black rice

Black rice is packed with nutrients and adds a great favour to salads or stirfries. This is a simple stirfry with the added pleasure of black rice. I like cooking up black rice and freezing individual portions (50 gr) so that I have them ready for a quick meal when I have been at a meeting late. This recipe serves one and can be prepared very quickly so it provides a quick and nutritious meal if you come home late (1862 kJ).

Ingredients

1/2 cup broccoli flowerets
30 gr pak choi
1/2 red capsicum
1 baby carrot
1 pork butterfly steak (175 gr)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp sambal oelek
1/2 bunch fresh coriander
50g (raw measurement) cooked black rice
Olive oil

Mode

Quickly seal the pork on the grill basting with a little olive oil
Meanwhile chop the broccoli, pak choi, capsicum, carrot and coriander
Crush the garlic
Heat oil in a wok
Cut the pork into thin slices
Add vegetables, pork, coriander, garlic, ginger, and chilli to the wok
Stir fry quickly to desired crunchiness
Stir though the black rice until heated

Lentil and egg salad

The hot Melbourne summer this year called for lots of fresh, crisp salads.  This is one that I made for lunch one day.  I love the combination of the lentils, hard-boiled eggs and crisp vegetables.  There are so many lovely textures and colours. I often soak dry lentils overnight before I cook them but it is not strictly necessary.  They will just need cooking for longer. If you don't want to cook lentils, you can easily add canned lentils to the mix.  When I buy fresh basil leaves, I always seem to have some over.  I hang them to dry and enjoy the intense taste of them in salads or when grilling meat.

Ingredients

100gr French style lentils (puy)
12 red and yellow cherry tomatoes
1 Lebanese cucumber
1/2 red capsicum
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 clove Garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Dried basil leaves


Mode

Soak the lentils in a saucepan of water overnight
Remove water and rinse lentils
Add fresh water to the lentils and boil until tender
Boil the eggs
Cool the eggs
Strain lentils and add to a salad bowl
Peel and roughly chop eggs
Half cherry tomatoes
Roughly chop cucumber and red capsicum
Add egg and vegetables to the lentils
Add dried basil leaves to taste
Add crushed garlic, ginger, and olive oil
Toss all ingredients
Eat for lunch with a crusty loaf of bread

Almond chia pudding with raspberries

It is probably a misnomer to call this a pudding as that implies a bit more effort going into the making.  But it is a pudding. I am a chia seed novice and bought some for the first time this week.  So this is really playing.  I have seen people with fabulous chia breakfasts and that's what I wanted too.  It was yummy.  I'll be continuing to experiment.

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk
3 tbs chia seeds
1/4 cup raw almonds
45 gr frozen raspberries
Cinnamon


Mode

Add chia seeds to almond milk in a bowl
Put in the refrigerator overnight to allow the seeds to absorb the almond milk
In the morning remove from the refrigerator
Add almonds and frozen raspberries
Sprinkle with cinnamon
Enjoy!

Berry and yoghurt icy poles

I have had several people asking me recently when I was going to post here again!  It is good to know that I have readers who are hanging out for one of my recipes! Thanks for your interest.

During the long hot we have been having in Melbourne this summer, several times I have purchased fruit with the idea that I would make some healthy, no-sugar icy poles. But I have always eaten up the fruit before I made them.  This time was no different.

On Saturday when I was hunkered down at home on a 40c day, @kimtairi posted a photo on Instagram of a raspberry, lime and yoghurt icy pole that she had made and was eating. I was reminded that yet again I hadn't made any and had eaten the fresh fruit. But I had yoghurt and I had frozen berries!  This time, envious of Kim's snack I hopped to and got on with it immediately.  This is the end result.  I have been enjoying them since and they were especially refreshing on Sunday which was another 40c day.

This recipe makes about six icy poles, but the size of your mould will obviously have an impact.  If you prefer sweeter icy poles, you can add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture. Don't have icy pole moulds?  You can make them in muffin trays or patty pans or make bars in foil.  I am not sure if they still have them, but I got my moulds at Daiso a while ago and you can probably guess the price!

Ingredients

400 gr light Greek yoghurt
1 cup frozen berries


Mode

Place yoghurt and berries in food processor
Blend until combined and as smooth as you wish
Spoon into icy pole moulds
Place into freezer for 10 minutes without sticks
Remove from freezer and insert sticks/lids
Return to freezer
Freeze for at least five hours or until solid (overnight is good)
Loosen from mould by holding under warm water