Pumpkin pasta with fennel sausage, pine nuts, chevre and parmesan croutons.

 

This is a fun variation on pasta with garlic bread.  With bread and pasta combined, it won't win any fans among the carbohydrate police, but hell, if you eat like this you'll be twice their size so won't have any problem bouncing their miserable bony arses clean off your front verandah.  Now, if you're a really clever pumpkin and follow the method in the same order as below, you can get away with using one frying pan for this – provided it can be used on the stove top and oven.

 

Don't sweat about co-ordinating the cooking times here – the pumpkin is just as happy at room temperature as it is baking hot.  The only thing you need to get right is the pasta and sausage.  There's really no right or wrong to this recipe.  Use quantities that please your eye and the pasta you like best.

 

50 grams full-bodied bread such as ciabatta or Turkish

2 tablespoons (50ml) parmigiano reggiano, grated

2 cups diced pumpkin

1 good quality fennel pork sausage or 2 slices pancetta (or both if you're really naughty)

2 tablespoons (50ml) pine nuts

1 or 2 pieces of marinated chevre cheese or fetta

Penne or other pasta

Lemon

Olive oil

 

1. 1.      Toast pine nuts on stove top in frying pan over moderate heat until lightly browned, tossing frequently.  Remove from frying pan to a plate immediately, otherwise they'll keep toasting (read burning) and will be bitter.  Wipe out frying pan with paper towel.
2. 2.      If using crusty bread, remove crust then slice into little toasts or square croutons, whatever you prefer, but try for a fairly uniform size for even browning.  Toss through a splash of olive oil and the parmesan, taking care not to break up bread.  Pop into frying pan and toast in moderate oven until nicely browned, turning once and watching carefully.  These take around 10mins.  If you overdo them, they won't be worth eating.  Remove from oven and onto plate.
3. 3.      Toss pumpkin in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in a moderate-hot oven until just tender, around 15mins.  Using a slotted spoon, remove pumpkin from pan onto plate (an interesting thing about pumpkin cooked like this: if you leave it in the cooking pan it will absorb all of the oil.  Then the carb police really will be pissed off with you – particularly in light of the sausage and cheese you're about to get involved with next.)
4. 4.      Bring a pot of water to the boil.  Add salt.
5. 5.      Add a little more olive oil to pan if necessary.  Squeeze sausage from casing into warm frying pan.  Cook over moderate heat until nicely browned.  Just before serving, squeeze over a dash of fresh lemon juice.
6. 6.      Cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain.  Toss through pumpkin, pine nuts, sausage (or pancetta) and parmesan croutons.  Plate, then scatter over crumbled pieces of chevre or fetta.
   
   Serves 1–2, which means it serves one of me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Wine Ragu

If anyone suggests to you that it's okay to use cheap wine in cooking, shoot them.  They're a waste of the earth's oxygen and there isn't a snowflake's chance in hell that any jury acquainted with ragu made from good wine will convict you.  

When cooking with red wine, common is the reluctance to simmer the wine until reduced to almost nothing, but the greater the reduction, the more intense the flavour – and therein lies the rub – good wine will reward you with intensely good flavour; crap wine will repay you in kind, so please, please do not be tempted to use one of those evil Clarsacs lurking behind every supermarket bottle shop counter; your tastebuds will kill themselves in protest, yelping all the while.

Rice, pasta, fondant or sauteed rosemary potatoes and steamed seasonal vegetables all go wonderfully with this gloriously cheap and simple, long-simmered, deeply satisfying winter comfort food.  Why eat mince when you can have red wine ragu?  Like all slow-cooked dishes, this one will not only stand up to a reheating but will thank you for it.  Make enough to reprise mid week and take the night off cooking. Reward your foresight and wisdom with a good glass in front of a good movie, then sink into the warm embrace of your winter bed. 

Red Wine Ragu

• 2 large pieces blade steak or other casserole beef (don't be a food snob; cheap is best)
• 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 1-2 cups good (read home made) vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons (40ml) parmigiano reggiano, grated,
• 2 tablespoons (40ml) assorted chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley
• 1/2 cup quality red wine, such as Wild Dog pinot noir
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
• Kitchen string or toothpicks
• Olive oil.

1. Pound out steak thinly and cut into four pieces.  Sprinkle with chopped herbs and grated parmesan.  Roll up individual pieces, securing each roll with kitchen string or toothpicks.  (If you prefer, use 800 grams diced beef; adding the herbs to the frying vegetables and the parmesan to the finished dish.)  Season chopping board with salt and pepper, lightly pushing beef rolls back and forth through seasoning.
2. Heat oil in a heavy based pan.  Fry beef rolls, turning, until browned.  Remove from pan.
3. Gently fry onion, celery and carrot for a few minutes, until onion is transparent.  Add garlic and fry for a further minute, until fragrant.
4. Return meat to pan.  Add red wine, increase heat to a lively simmer and, turning meat occasionally, cook until wine is reduced to about two tablespoons – around fifteen minutes.
5. Add tinned tomatoes and 1 cup of stock (or water), sugar, salt and black pepper.  Partially cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is meltingly tender, adding more stock if sauce becomes too thick and tasting for seasoning as you go.  Remember to remove toothpicks before serving.

Parmesan Toasts with Chevre, Fennel Sausage & Olives

I readily confess this is a plagiarised version of the Tarago plate from Warragul's Chamber's Restaurant.  Like the best food experiences, once you taste the combination of creamy goat's cheese, zingy fennel sausage and fruity olives, you'll wake up thinking about this one again and again. 

The alternative ingredients provide a variety of flavours to choose from; sweet olive jam against fruity lemon infused olives, while the Meredith chevre with dill is a tangy contrast to the creamy Tarago cheese.  Try a combination or simply go for the original sausage with olives and Tarago goat's cheese.  The lemon infused olive oil is my personal touch and it picks up the fennel accent in the sausage beautifully, even if I do say so myself.  For an express version, feel free to omit the parmesan toasts and simply use the sausage as a plate – finger food at its best.

Parmesan Toasts with Chevre, Fennel Sausage & Olives
Ciabatta or other gutsy bread
2 Gypsy Pig fennel free range organic pork sausages
Tarago olives or Tarago Olive Jam
Tarago marinated goats cheese, Gippsland Cheese Company marinated chevre, Meredith Dairy chevre with dill or an assortment of the three
3 tablespoons (60ml) parmigiano reggiano, grated
Lemon infused olive oil (40ml)
Plain olive oil

Drain olives, remove stones and pour over lemon infused olive oil.  Refrigerate overnight if time permits.

Cut ciabatta into desired size.  Pour a little olive oil onto a plate.  Lightly dip both sides into oil, sprinkle with parmesan then place on an oven sheet lined with baking paper.  Place in a moderate oven for around 15 minutes, watching carefully and turning once, until golden brown.

Fry sausages in a little olive oil, until lightly browned all over but not fully cooked.  Remove from pan, slice on the diagonal and fry slices until nicely browned on each side.  Drain on kitchen pap

Spread toasts with cheese, top with sliced fennel sausages and olives, drizzling a little of the lemon infused oil over the top.

Enjoy as a weekend brunch or entrée – with a good wine, of course.


Chocolate Coconut Self-Saucing Pudding

Simple though it is, this chocolate coconut self-saucing pudding is my favourite dessert on the face of this earth, probably because it comes from that most prolific of chefs: Mum.  Though these days, it seems I'm expected to make it for myself – I'm not quite sure why, maybe it's because I turned 46 on my last birthday, but that's no excuse for a mother to slack off…

Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Batter
2 ounces/60 grams unsalted butter
Three quarters cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon quality vanilla extract
(125ml) self-raising flour
Half cup (125ml) plain flour
Pinch salt
1 cup (250ml) desiccated coconut
Three quarters cup of milk 

Sauce
Three quarters cup of brown sugar (I prefer rich dark), firmly packed
1 tablespoon (20ml) butter
1 tablespoon (20ml) the best quality cocoa you can lay your hot little hands on
One and three quarter cups of boiling water

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and vanilla.

Combine coconut with sifted flours and salt, fold into creamed mixture alternately with milk.  Spoon into greased 1.5 or 2 litre ovenproof dish (round or small diameter is better: I used a 20 x 15cm rectangular). Pour sauce over.  Bake in moderate conventional oven 45-50 minutes or fan forced around 30 minutes - until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Sauce: Combine brown sugar, butter and sifted cocoa in a bowl, pour boiling water over, stir to dissolve.

Honestly, one of the best puds you'll ever have.

Sultana Lamb Curry

This is the best damned curry I've ever made – even if I do say so myself, which I do, because when you can cook as well as this, you can swagger all you like.  Please do not be tempted to change the recipe without first trying it; everything has its purpose.  The whole peeled tomatoes are much juicier than diced; the sweet, treacly sultanas balance the tangy tomatoes; the whole spices freshly ground really do another dimension.

Now that the cooler weather is upon us, it's time for slow cooking.  Curries are marvellous for the busy cook because not only will they stand a reheating, they'll thank you for it.  I like to make enough to freeze in one portion serves; delicious takeaway for busy days, straight from my freezer.

Tip: if you're serving this with rice, add the zest from an orange to the cooking water.  Trust me, it's wonderful.

Sultana Lamb Curry

• 800g diced lamb
• 2 tablespoons (40 ml) oil
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup (125ml) plain yoghurt (I used Meredith Dairy Sheep's Milk Yoghurt)
• 1 cup (250ml) sultanas
• 1 tablespoon (20ml) whole coriander,
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin,
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom pods,
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves,
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1 x 2.5 cm cinnamon stick (preferably canela)
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds,
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed,
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (30ml) grated fresh ginger
• Sea salt flakes (I used 6 teaspoons)
• 2 x 400 g cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 cup (250ml) water

Heat oil in a deep, heavy based pot or pan.  Add onion and slowly cook without browning, stirring occasionally, until transparent (around 10 minutes). 

Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the coriander, cumin, cardamom pods, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds, and two teaspoons of the sea salt.  Add to the pan along with the turmeric and chilli powder, garlic and ginger.  Stir through for a minute, until aromatic.

Add lamb and yoghurt to pan, stirring through thoroughly to coat in the yoghurt and spices.

Add tomatoes, sultanas, bay leaf and water.

Simmer very slowly, partially covered, for about 2 and 1/2 hours (adjusting seasoning) until lamb is tender and sauce thickened.  Serve topped with toasted almond slivers.

There you go.  Ranjeet's your uncle.

 

Maple Lime Summer Berry Puddings

Luscious though these may be, do not give into the temptation to eat them on the day they are made. They are so much tastier reheated the next day. Serve with ice-cream, creme fraiche or custard.

Good Old-Fashioned Fishcakes

The thing I love about fishcakes is that you can fudge on cooking with a clear conscience.  Those nights when you really don't want to cook or can't face several pots and pans, you are fully entitled to have a couple of fishcakes with bread and butter in front of the telly and still flip your doctor the bird when they ask for a cholesterol test.  The great thing is they freeze beautifully.  When I'm tired I love nothing better than to slip some healthy takeaway out of the freezer and kill the health factor dead with several glasses of wine.  Enjoy.

Good old-fashioned fishcakes

440g can tuna
600g desiree potatoes
4 spring onion bulbs, sliced
zest and juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I used lemon thyme)
salt and pepper
2 eggs
plain flour
breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Cook potatoes in salted water until tender.  Steam dry for a few minutes, mash and set aside to cool.

Combine potatoes with drained tuna, spring onion, lemon juice and zest, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1 beaten egg. 

Shape into patties.

Dip in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs.

Refrigerate for an hour or two to allow mixture to firm up.

Shallow fry in a light oil such as vegetable or sunflower.  Serve with bread and butter.


Glazed Rack of Lamb Bendigo

Something I love about living in the country is that butchers leave fat on meat.  I firmly believe in having something less often but having it as it's intended to be.  While I don't eat the fat on meat I still say certain cuts have to be cooked with the fat on, and rack of lamb is one of them.  For years I cooked this dish and it was delicious and picture perfect every time, then suddenly one day, it wasn't working out anymore.  For the life of me I couldn't work out where I was going wrong.  Eventually I realised it was because these days lamb rack is trimmed almost completely of fat.  The meat is too lean to be cooked without it.

You can also cook this on the stove top using lamb cutlets.  It would lend itself equally well to the far less expensive lamb backstrap.  However you make this, the challenge can be to get the meat cooked to your liking and glazed as it should be at the same time.  Over years of changing ovens and dish sizes, I've had disasters where the meat is cooked before it's glazed.  Keep going until it's glazed and of course the meat turns into leather, so, unless you're cooking the full quantity as stated in the recipe in a full size roasting pan, I'd recommend starting off with less sauce in the pan, adding more as you go along if necessary.  It's really important to baste this very regularly as that's how the glaze is created, and keep a very close eye on it toward the end as the sauce reduces into glaze.  Baste the meat every few minutes at that stage, because that's the difference between your meat or the pan you cooked it in become beautifully glazed, and you can't eat the pan. 

If your meat is cooked before the sauce is properly reduced, remove and rest it, place the sauce on the cook top and reduce it until it's thickened.  Technically not a glaze, but it will still taste fabulous.

 

Glazed Rack of Lamb Bendigo

1 rack of lamb with 8 chops

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 clove garlic, chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon brown sugar (I use rich, dark brown sugar)

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup chicken stock

 

Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the simmer.  Simmer until slightly reduced – about 10 minutes.  Place lamb in a baking dish, fat side up.  Pour sauce over lamb and bake in a preheated moderate oven for 1 hour, or until lamb is nicely glazed and cooked to your liking.  Baste with pan juices while cooking, adding sauce (or extra stock if you run out of sauce) as needed.

I used roughly half the sauce for a lamb rack with 5 chops on it, and found that 40 mins in a fan forced oven cooked the meat to well done.

* This recipe originally hailed from Australia The Beautiful Cookbook, which sadly is no longer in print.  I altered the quantity of ginger from a teaspoon to a tablespoon.

 

Greek Lamb Cutlets with Dressed Minted Couscous and Rosemary Potato Wedges


This is a an update on the Greek Lamb Cutlet recipe I posted earlier (see below).  The minted couscous is a refreshing accompaniment.

Dressed Minted Couscous with Chevre or Feta
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 boiling water
Handful of fresh mint, rinsed and chopped

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pour boiling water over couscous, cover and allow to stand for a few minutes.  Whisk together dressing ingredients.  Fluff up couscous with a fork, pour over dressing, add mint and stir through.  Taste for seasoning.  While lamb cutlets are cooking, arrange on a plate and scatter pieces of chevre or feta over the top.  Serves 2.

Rosemary Potato Wedges
Desiree Potatoes
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Olive Oil

As most of the nutrition is in the skin, I didn't peel the potatoes on this occasion.  That can be a bit tricky as the skin will brown before the rest of the spud, so timing's important. 

Using long-ish evenly sized potatoes, cut into four wedges.  Drop into boiling salted water and simmer for 8 minutes.  Remove.  Allow to steam dry for a few minutes.   Pull leaves from rosemary springs.  Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt and rosemary, and place in a moderate oven for 20-30 mins, turning occasionally, until evenly browned.

Please note: time is for a fan-forced oven.

Clever Pumpkin's Pumpkin Arancini


I didn't know that arancini is basically left over risotto rolled into a ball, crumbed then fried.  When I found out I nearly cried.  All those years I tossed out left over risotto!  Ahhhhh!  This was my first crack at arancini, and wow it's simple and absolutely scrumptious.  I didn't use the traditional mozaraella in the middle as my risotto has quite a lot of parmesan in it which to my mind would render mozarella bland.  So I used a beautiful Gippsland chevre instead.  Now, the recipe I consulted called for deep frying in 5cm of oil.  As I'm a deep frying coward and as I also don't like it for the amounf of oil it wastes (either that or you have to find a place to store a pot of oil in your cupboards) I used about 2cm of oil instead to see what would happen.  As you can see, it worked out perfectly. 

Pumpkin Arancini
Left over risotto (see below)
4 eggs (2 for the mixture and 2 for coating in breadcrumbs.)
Plain flour
Breadcrumbs
Light oil such as vegetable or canola for frying

Quantity and ingredient notes: I had nearly the full quantity of risotto yielded from the recipe below, as there's only one of me and so there was a lot left over from my dinner the night before.  (It yielded eight large arancini).   I presume if you're using less, you might like to reduce the number of eggs that go into the mixture.  I'd tread carefully though, as I have visions of the arancini falling apart in the hot oil.  I used panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) which these days are available in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets.  I use panko in everything by default.  You can use whatever you like, but you don't need me to tell you that.

Mix two beaten eggs into cooled (in my case refigerated overnight) risotto mixture.  A recipe I consulted advised refrigerating the risotto for 2-3 hours.  Shape into balls, then press your thumb into the middle to create an indent.  Place some cheese into the indent then mould risotto mixture around the cheese to enclose. 

Dip in flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs.  Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.

Heat oil to 190C over medium-high heat (a cube of bread should brown in 10 seconds).  Cook arancini in batches until golden and heated through.

Best Ever Pumpkin Risotto by... well, Clever Pumpkin


Once upon a time risotto didn't appeal to me.  To me, it just looked like gluggy rice.  Eventually I made it for love (what won't we do for love, hey?) as my former partner was very fond of risotto ~ and wow, one taste and I was an immediate convert.  But, coming, as I do, from the Mexican school of cookery, something about risotto recipes perplexed me.  Why were so many ingredients added at the end of cooking, simply stirred through the rice, rather than at the beginning to allow the rice to soak up the flavours as it cooked?  It seemed to me that most risottos would taste the same, simply rice cooked in chicken stock.  That's how you make pasta, not rice, so I experimented with adding the pumpkin at the beginning of cooking, and we greatly preferred it.

Here's a tip for people like me who loathe peeling pumpkin and cutting into pieces.  Bung it in a moderate oven and cook until fork tender (about an hour), let it cool slightly then scoop out the flesh.  Recipes that call for you to bugger around peeling, dicing and roasting pumpkin only to blend it into puree make no sense to me whatsover.  Bake it in the skin.  It's easier and more flavoursome.


Now that my former partner isn't around to eat his share I'll always have plenty of risotto left over to make arancini (See above.)  So, if I made risotto for love, I suppose arancini must be for... revenge!

Best Ever Pumpkin Risotto
50 g unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
Half a butternut pumpkin
Zest of 1 lemon
1tbs chopped thyme leaves (I used lemon thyme because I grow it.)
100ml dry white whine
900ml quality chicken or vegetable stock
250g risotto rice (I use carnaroli)
1/2 frozen peas
1/2 cup grated reggiano parmesan

A couple of notes: I appreciate that the weight and subsequent yield of half a butternut pumpkin can vary greatly.  I've never found that more can be too much.  The only difference through having more is that the risotto may not mound as it's supposed to do.  On this occasion, my half pumpkin yielded about 200grams, and the risotto mounded perfectly.  To be honest, I prefer it with more pumpkin and less presentation.  The amount of lemon zest above makes for quite a lemony risotto.  You might prefer to halve it.

Okay.  Bung your pumpkin in a moderate oven and let it rip for about an hour, until fork tender.  Prick your garlic cloves thoroughly and roast (unpeeled) alongside your pumpkin for about ten minutes until squishy.  (Don't skip the pricking.  There's nothing worse than exploding garlic.  Your oven will look like something out of the movie Alien.)  When cool enough to handle, scoop out pumpkin flesh and squeeze roasted garlic from skin.

Melt butter in a pot or saute pan and add chopped onion.  Leave it to caramelise, about 20 minutes, stiring occasionally.  Measure out frozen peas, grate parmesan, lemon zest and chop thyme.  Bring stock to the boil.

When onion is nicely caramelized, add rinsed and drained rice to the pan, turning it to coat in the butter and heating thoroughly for a few minutes.  Add HALF the lemon zest, HALF the thyme and all of the wine to pan, and here we go with the stirring, stirring, stirring (if only I were ambidextrous, I could stir the risotto and wash the preparation dishes at the same time, but as I'm not, I use my other hand for drinking wine with.)  Once the wine is absorbed (by the rice, not by me) add a ladleful of stock and the roasted pumpkin and garlic.   Once the stock is absorbed, add another ladleful and stir again until absorbed.  Keep adding stock gradually and stirring until the rice is al dente.  You may not use all of the stock, and the process will take at least twenty minutes.  The heat should be low and your risotto should never rise above a simmer.

When you have a ladle or two of stock to go, taste the rice and start adding seasoning, allowing for the saltiness of the parmesan you will add at the end.

When rice is almost cooked, stir through frozen peas, allowing a few minutes for them to heat.  When rice is cooked, stir through parmesan and remaning lemon zest and thyme.  Serve immediately.  Save left overs for arancini.

Cheryl's Blueberry Slice


This recipe orginally appeared on the SMH website three years ago, credited to Bridgitte Hafner from her book Summer.  It was called Prue's Blueberry Bake.  I've renamed it in honour of Cheryl Mishio who sent me so lovely a gift last week.

Cheryl's Blueberry Bake
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 whole eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
200ml sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
250g blueberries, or raspberries, or a mixture of berries
1/2 cup chopped wulnuts

Icing
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
About 2 tbsp hot water* (I changed this to lemon juice.  Cold, not hot.)

Preheat oven to 175C.*  Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale.  Then slowly whisk in the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.

Sift together the flour, bicarb soda and baking powder into a bowl, then fold into the butter mixture, alternating the sour cream and lemon juice until you have a smooth batter.

Pour into a lined lamington tin (30cm x 21cm) and sprinkle over the blueberries and walnuts.  They will sit on top for now but as the cake bakes will sink in.  

Bake for 50-60* minutes, or until golden on top.  To check, insert a skewer in the middle; it should come out clean.  Cool in tin.

** Regarding the oven temperature and cooking time, the recipe doesn't state whether this is for a conventional or fan-forced oven.  I only know that if I had cooked it for that long and at that temperature in my fan-focred oven it would have been crucified.  I cooked it for 30 mins at 160C with a sheet of alfoil over the top for the last ten minutes to prevent it browning too much.

For the icing

Put icing sugar in a small bowl.  Gradually pour in the hot water (or lemon juice) mixing with a spoon until you have a thick, smoth pourable consistency.  Mix in vanilla.  Drizzle over cooled cake.





Rosemary Sauteed Potatoes

Ah Christmas.  You spend a week in the kitchen preparing for it only to have everyone start whingeing about eating leftovers from Boxing Day.  The trick to using up all of those beautiful meats ~ ham, turkey, chicken, pork ~ is to mix things up a little bit but with a minimum of effort.  Everyone likes cold meat with hot potatoes, so coming up to Christmas we'll be featuring some simple yet winning ways with spuds to help you out. 

Rosemary Sauteed Potatoes

One of the many things I love about this recipe is that the potatoes are sauteed, or shallow-fried, meaning you don't have find space to store a stock pot filled with oil somewhere in your kitchen cupboard.  As you can see, these were cooked in a deep frying pan.  The quantities listed will serve two amply; if you are catering for more, you can add another potato without increasing the oil.

Ingredients
300g desiree potatoes
1 cup light oil such as sunflower or canola
5 springs of rosemary (about a tablespoon when chopped)
Sea salt
Water for soaking

  

Peel and cut the potatoes into evenly sized chunks, at least as even as you can practically get them.  If some of your pieces are substantially smaller than others, then they'll burn.

Soak potatoes pieces in enough water to cover them for twenty minutes.  This helps reduce starch and in turn helps make them crisp when cooked.  Heat oil over medium-strong heat.  When oil is hot, drain and rinse potatoes, drain again then carefully pat dry in a paper or tea towel.  Add to hot oil gradually to keep temperature even.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning at least once to brown evenly. 

About 5 minutes before the end of cooking time, add chopped rosemary and sea salt to oil.  This is tremendous fun as the oil bubbles happily and when the rosemary hits the hot oil, your kitchen will smell fantastic. 

Remove with slotted spoon, drain on paper towel and serve with cold meat.   They won't even know they're eating ham again.




Simple Chicken Parma

Every so often I get a craving for chicken parma but I don't favour the usual fare of a fried slab of chicken topped with a slab of ham over which a half a block of cheese is melted.  It makes no sense to me, and I'm talking about taste, not health, although it doesn't make a lot of sense in that regard either.  This very simple chicken parma is also delightfully tasty.  Try it some time.  I think you'll be pleased.

Chicken Parma

Per crumbed chicken schnitzel (I think thinnest is best)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (that's concentrate, not passata)
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons freshly grated reggiano parmesan cheese

Preheat grill.   Fry chicken schnitzel in a little oil (I think a light oil like sunflower is best here) both sides until chicken is cooked and nicely browned.  Dilute tomato paste with water and mix thoroughly.  Spread over chicken schnitzel (be careful of spatter if it goes over the side into the cooking oil) and top with grated reggiano parmesan.  Flash under a hot grill to melt the parmesan.  Serve with simple steamed vegetables.  Enjoy.


Curried Orange Rice Salad & Mum's Potato Salad


Now that the weather's warming up, it's time for some salad recipes.  This curried rice salad is truly delicious.  Don't be alarmed by the amount of curry that goes into the cooking water.  The flavour is suprisingly subtle and is balanced beautifully by the orange rind, which is simmered in boiling water to bring out the flavour.  The more days this spends in the fridge, the more the orange flavour comes to the fore.  Delicious.

Curried Orange Rice Salad

1. 1 cup of long grain rice
2. 1 tablespoon quality curry powder
3. 1 teaspoon turmeric
4. 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked
5. 1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked
6. 5 shallot (spring onion) stems, bottom part only, sliced
7. 1 carrot, grated
8. 1 small red capsicum, chopped
9. 1 small tin pineapple in juice, RESERVE JUICE FOR DRESSING
10. 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
    

Dressing

1. 1/4 cup French dressing
2. 1 teaspoon curry powder
3. 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
4. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
5. Rind of one orange

Cook rice in boiling water, to which curry turmeric and salt has been added, until tender.  Drain and rinse BRIEFLY with cool water.  Set aside to cool a little.

Bring a small pot of water to the boil.  Using a zester, peel long strips of rind from orange and add to boiling water.  Simmer for at least five minutes.  Drain.

Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Combine all salad ingredients with the cooled rice, stir through orange rind and dressing.  Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavours to combine.

Mum's Potato Salad

This recipe is a bit of a departure for me in that it relies on a couple of specific store-bought ingredients: Kraft Miracle Whip and Masterfoods "Seasoning" Seasoned Salt (which used to be called Season All, and be careful which one you pick up, as it comes in different flavours/heats.)

While I can appreciate a properly made mayonnaise, I can't say that I like it very much, or most other mayonnaise for that matter.  For that reason I don't like most potato salads either.  This, my mother's recipe, is the exception.

750g desiree potatoes
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Kraft Miracle Whip
5 Spring onions (scallions) bottom part only, sliced
Masterfoods Seasoning to taste
Salt flakes

Peel and chop the potatoes into largish chunks.  Be careful not to dice them too finely or they'll boil down and you'll end up with mash potatoes.  Cook in plenty of boiling salted water until tender.  Drain and cool.

Place 1/2 a cup of Miracle Whip in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the sliced spring onions and a good sprinkle of Masterfoods Seasoning.  Fold in the potato and taste, adding more Seasoning and Miracle Whip to taste.  Finish with a sprinkle of Seasoning.  Refrigerate for several hours to cool. 
 

Cafe Vibez French Toast


This week at Lakes Entrance I had the very good fortune to stumble across Cafe Vibez, a place that serves food so good you wake up thinking about it.  It was the best food I've eaten for ages.  Having had breakfast there I went back for lunch, then asked if they opened for dinner.  I could have cried when they said 'no'.  They served a truly inspired French Toast, infused with vanilla, and accompanied by strawberries, grilled banana, maple syrup ~ and wait for it ~ creme fraiche.  Now, I'm a complete demon for creme fraiche, so I had to have it.  My guilt at having creme fraiche for breakfast was somewhat alleviated by the ice-cream I'd had for breakfast the day before with my French Toast at the cafe next door (Six Sisters & A Pigeon.)  I reasoned creme fraiche is healthier than ice cream (the hell it is) and at least I was having fruit for breakfast by way of the strawberries and grilled banana.  Remember ~ berries renew your DNA, which is vitally important if your diet includes creme fraiche.  Anway, when I got home I had a bash at Cafe Vibez French Toast by adding some good vanilla extract to the egg, and OH BOY was it good.  I used cinammon fruit bread.  Try adding some good vanilla to your egg the next time you make French Toast, and see what you think.


Italian Special
                     

Italian Special

This is one of those incredibly simple, incredibly good recipes. Don't be fooled by its simplicity; try it once and you'll be hooked.  Its 'proper' name is Italian Beef Noodle Bake, but in my family we always called it Italian Special.  I've been eating this since I was a kid, so it's officially an antique.  Last night when I was making it, I got to thinking about how things have changed.  The first time my mother made chicken cacciatore, she had a devil of a time finding a supermarket that stocked canned tomatoes.  Back then, the more a recipe claimed to be Genuine Chinese Style Chicken or Authentic Chinese Style, the more likely it was to call for something like Vegemite.  And spice equalled salt.  Want more genuine?  Add more salt.  Want more authentic?  Yep.  More salt. 

Twenty odd years ago I was put on an elimination diet for allergies which called for pure olive oil.  I couldn't find it anywhere.  The supermarket had olive oil blends, but nothing pure.  It was only through a Greek friend of the family whose cousin had a market stall that I got it, and even then my Greek friend (who was not known to be tight with money) brought the smallest bottle home because it was just so expensive.  Not knowing what I was doing, I tried to use it to make chips, deep frying sweet potato (I wasn't allowed to have potato) which promptly disintegrated.  I wasted my precious cache of olive oil and went hungry.

And back then, my family would sometimes refer to this dish as Itai Special.  Yep, things change all right, and we can be grateful for that, even if one has to get old in the process.

Italian Special

1. 1 tablespoon (20ml) butter or margarine
2. 500 grams minced beef
3. 425 gram tin tomatoes (I prefer whole tomatoes)
4. 2 tablespoons (40ml) tomato paste
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 1 clove garlic, crushed
7. 2 teaspoons salt
8. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
9. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10. 1 tablespoon (20ml) flour
11. 5 teaspoons (25ml) cold water
12. 250 grams small shell shaped noodles
13. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
14. 250grams grated mozzarella cheese

Melt butter or margarine and brown meat quickly.  Add undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic and seasoning.  Cover and simmer gently about an hour, stirring occasionally.  Blend flour with water.  (This should have a liquid consistency as, if it is too much of a paste, it will form clumps when you add it to the sauce instead of thickening it.)  Taste sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary, then add the flour/water blend.  Simmer a further ten minutes, stirring to make sure thickened sauce doesn't catch.  Cook noodles in boiling, salted water.  Drain when al dente.  Place half of the cooked noodles in a greased ovenproof dish and sprinkle them with half the parmesan.  Pour over the meat sauce (fishing out the bay leaf), then sprinkle the meat sauce with the remaining parmesan.  Top with the remaining noodles then the mozzarella cheese (you may prefer to use less than the recipe calls for.)  Bake in a moderate oven until the cheese is nicely browned and the sauce bubbling - around 30-45 minutes.

Simplicity itself, and oh so delicious. 

 
Here's a recipe I thought up this week.  I'm not sure whether to call it Italian Moussaka or Italian Sausage and Tomato Bake with Caramelized Zucchini and Crunchy Parmesan Potatoes.  The former is less of a mouthful, the latter more mouth watering.  Let me know what you think.  (Hey, maybe even Italian Shepherd's Pie?)  Here comes the recipe, but first, a photo:

              


Yeah, `round about now you're wishing you lived in my house, hey?

Using flavoursome sausages means using fewer other ingredients which in turn means less work for you.  Of course you can add more ingredients if you choose.  I added a coarsely chopped onion and a clove of garlic to the browning meat but I'm not really sure I needed it.  Sometimes simple really is better.  The other great thing is you can make this in parts – i.e. the sauce, which pretty much cooks itself – one night, then the other bits the next.  I've separated the layers to make it easier for you. And just like moussaka, any leftovers will be even tastier reheated the next day.  Can't lose!  Here we go:

Clever Pumpkin's (Easy As) Italian Thing
Serves two generously

Sauce
300g excellent quality Italian sausages
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
½ cup good red wine
2tbsp tomato paste
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Bottom Layer
Around 500g zucchini
Salt
A tablespoon or two of freshly grated parmesan
Note: zucchini requires an hour's advance preparation.

Top Layer
Around 600g potatoes
A half cup of freshly grated parmesan
1 tablespoon margarine or butter

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan.  Pinch sausage meat out of casing, add to the hot oil and break up with a spoon.  Fry until browned.  Add canned tomatoes and red wine.  Simmer gently for an hour partially covered, stirring to break up tomatoes and adding a little water if necessary (it wasn't for me.)  About halfway through, check for seasoning.  Please be very careful here, as the sausages are likely to be thoroughly salted as is.  I added a teaspoon of dark brown sugar to balance the tangy tomatoes, and a mere pinch of salt and pepper.

Caramelized zucchini base: cut zucchini (trimming the ends) into 1cm thick slices on the diagonal, sprinkle with salt, put in a colander and leave for an hour to let the salt draw the juices out.  Shake off moisture then pat dry.  This is very important as otherwise the juices will interact badly with the hot oil.  Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan, then cook the zucchini on a very low heat.  Remember the object here is to caramelize, not to fry.  Also, the zucchini will release juices as it cooks.  If your oil is too hot, then it will spatter ferociously and you don't want that.  It took about 30mins for me to thoroughly brown the zucchini on both sides.

Crunchy parmesan potato topping:  Place potatoes (I halved the kipfler potatoes I used) in cold water then bring to the boil, adding two teaspoons of salt to the boiling water.  Cook until just tender, drain, then allow to steam dry for a few minutes.  Roughly break potatoes into chunks with a fork, then, while still warm, add margarine (or butter) and parmesan.  Gently toss until the margarine and parmesan are evenly distributed.

Assemble in a greased ovenproof dish: zucchini sprinkled by a tablespoon or so of parmesan, the meat sauce, followed by the parmesan potatoes.  Bake in a moderate over for about half an hour, or until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes are beautifully browned.

Ingredient notes:

It really is vitally important to use the best quality Italian sausages you can lay your hot little hands on, because the sauce relies heavily on the sausages for its flavour.  I used spicy Italian pork sausages from The Gypsy Pig.  I bet fennel pork sausages would be fabulous too.  I used kipfler potatoes, but you can use any potato suitable for baking.  Whole canned tomatoes are far richer than diced. I use reggiano parmesan.

Baked Stuffed Potatoes with Clever Pumpkin's To Die For Anytime Salad

We're all supposed to be eating less meat, and these baked stuffed potatoes are the perfect alternative.  Don't be fooled by this (almost) vegetarian dish.  It is divinely tasty and just as filling –  perfect comfort food for the middle of winter.  In fact the salad – which is so good I wake up thinking about it – with its walnuts and parmesan croutons, is so filling I often just eat it on its own. 

You could also use the baked potatoes as finger food for parties.  Just use smaller potatoes and halve them so they present as a little dish or 'pie'. 

Ingredient notes: In my humble opinionated opinion, the sour cream used makes a tremendous difference to the outcome.  I greatly prefer crème fraiche (and King Island Dairy crème fraiche at that), but as the drought put paid to its production (and I think we can safely assume the drought to be over by the various houses, farm animals and trucks floating past) I had to find an alternative.  Pura Lite Sour Cream worked best for me as it has a subtle flavour, which is what we're after.  As always, nothing compares to reggiano cheese.  Here we go:

Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients (per potato)

1 Desiree potato – the biggest you can lay your hot little hands on (usually around 300grams)
3 spring onions (scallions) bulb end only (around 10cm), sliced
3 slices pancetta, sliced
3 tablespoons (60ml) freshly grated reggiano cheese (to taste)
1 tablespoon crème fraiche or sour cream (to taste)
Salt

Wash and dry your spud.  Prick it all over to prevent KABOOM, wrap it in foil then pop in a pre-heated moderate oven for about an hour.  It should be yielding/springy when tested by squeezing.  Open foil, leave until cool enough to handle. 

Brown pancetta in a good dollop of olive oil (the olive oil forms part of the dish.)  When it is nearly browned, add sliced spring onions for a couple of minutes or so to soften. 

Slice off top of potato (or halve potato) and carefully scoop out, leaving a shell intact.  Place scooped potato in a bowl, mash roughly with a fork, add about a teaspoon of salt.

Add browned pancetta & spring onion to the potato, along with the oil these were cooked in, and crème fraiche (or sour cream) and grated reggiano.  Taste.  It should make you go mmmmm.  If it doesn't make you go mmmmm then adjust the seasonings.  This will usually (for me) mean adding more reggiano. 

Using a teaspoon (very important) pile it back into the potato shell, using the spoon to press down the mixture as you go.  It won't all fit back in.  That's okay – pile it up nice and high on top of the potato.  Pop in a moderate oven and cook until hot and nicely browned.

Clever Pumpkin's To Die For Anytime Salad.

Ingredients:

80g mixed, washed salad leaves
Heaped ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (40ml) good, salad quality olive oil
1 tablespoon (20ml) tarragon vinegar
1 French/Dutch shallot, finely diced, or the bulb (10cm) of a spring onion/scallion sliced
½ cup walnuts, toasted

Croutons

4 slices bread, crust removed, sliced on the diagonal and again to make little triangles
3 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil
3 tablespoons (60ml) grated reggiano

Note: It is very important to get your bread triangles (or croutons) as close to the same size as possible, or else some will burn and be bitter before all are cooked.  It is also extremely important to keep an eagle eye on these in the oven, because the difference between done to perfection and burnt to buggery is about a minute.

Place bread triangles in a bowl with grated cheese, pour over a tablespoon of oil, mix lightly, add another tablespoon of oil, mix lightly again, then add the last of the oil, and mix thoroughly with a very light hand until bread is nicely coated.  You don't want your bread breaking up as these will lead to uneven sized croutons i.e. incinerated croutons.

Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, collecting any remnants of cheese from the bowl and distribute evenly over the croutons.  Pop in a moderate oven for about eight minutes (time it!) and keep watching them.  Croutons are ready when nicely golden and crisp to the touch.  That's golden and crisp, not brown and hard.  Leave aside to cool. 

Toast walnuts in a small frying pan over moderate heat.  Be careful not to overdo it as they will become bitter.  You'll know they're toasted when you eat one to find it tastes toasted.  Leave aside to cool.

Place salad leaves in a bowl along with cooled croutons and walnuts.

Whisk together shallot (or spring onion), tarragon vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil until emulsified (see picture). 

 

Pour over leaves, nuts and croutons, making sure you get a lot on the croutons – trust me, once the parmesan croutons have soaked up this dressing they are absolutely to die for.  Toss thoroughly, making sure everything gets a nice coating.  Then serve the whole glorious tousled tasty mess up with one of my famous baked potatoes.

*          These baked potatoes are based on a Delicious recipe I modified to suit myself.
*          The parmesan croutons were originally Delia Smith's idea.

Vegetables Even the Kids Will Love: Brussel Sprouts & Cauliflower in Maple Syrup


I know a lot of people don't like brussel sprouts.  I'm one of those weirdos who do.  (The trick, like with all vegetables, is to buy them in season.  Choose nice small ones with tight leaves.  Preferably they should look good and frosty.)  Cauliflower, however, is a vegetable I have a difficult relationship with.  I want  to like cauliflower, I really do, particularly now, in July, at the height of its season.  Every week I look at it in the fruit shop; it's so fresh and white and appealing and every week I buy it and bring some home, brimming with good intentions, and every week it seems to go into making vegetable stock.  So, when I heard about brussel sprouts in maple syrup, I decided to throw some cauliflower into the mix to see if I liked it any better cooked this way and oh boy did I.  The cauliflower really took up all the flavours, far more than the brussel sprouts (which I think I still prefer plain.) 

I see all sorts of exciting possibilities for this recipe.  For those nights you don't want the tedium of several pots and dishes, try preparing a mix of seasonal vegetables and roasting them all in one dish with this glaze (increasing the quantity as necessary.)  My bet is they'd go an absolute treat with roast beef, the sweetness of the maple syrup contrasting deliciously with a deeply flavoursome, well made beef gravy.  You could use broccoli instead.  I've got my suspicions that  a tablespoon of dry sherry could add something to this recipe.  The next time I make paella, I'm going to prepare my vegetables this way.  I'll let you know how I get on. 

Now, if only I can remember what I did:

Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts in Maple Syrup

Ingredients (for a single serving)
7 brussel sprouts (washed and trimmed)
7 cauliflower florets (washed and trimmed to an even size)
1 tablespoon (20ml) maple syrup (best quality, not imitation)
1 tablespoon (20ml) dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (20ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (20ml) butter
1 tablespoon (20ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Pre-heat a fan forced oven to moderate.  Place all glaze ingredients in an ovenproof dish, pop in the oven for a few minutes to melt the butter, then give the glaze a bit of a whisk.  Add vegetables, giving them a nice turn and basting them with the glaze, then into the oven they go.

Basting and turning frequently so that vegetables are nicely covered in glaze, cook until tender - around 20 to 30 minutes.

I served mine with Clever Pumpkin's Man's Fry meatballs.

Pasta with Sausage, Lemon and Nutmeg

This is one of my absolute favourites.  As this is a Jill Dupleix recipe, I won't post it as such as I'm not sure if doing so would trounce on Jill's copyright.  Instead, I'll include a link to the recipe: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article515483.ece
My version of it differs in that Jill calls for 6 slices of pancetta and 1/4 cup/60ml of thin cream.  I like fennel sausages.  Now that I'm living in Gippsland, I use Gypsy Pig rare breed sausages.  When I was still living in Melbourne, I used fennel sausages from Ian's Quality Meats at the Prahran Market.

Mother-In-Law Tuna Casserole

This is one of those typical stand-by recipes one turns to for whatever reason - the day hasn't worked out as you planned, it's late, you've only got a few vegetables and a can of tuna on hand - but you'd still really rather have a home-made meal rather than dial for a pizza.  I'm calling it Mother-In-Law Tuna Casserole because it was my former mother-in-law's default 'emergency' meal (although my former partner and I never married so technically she wasn't really my mother-in-law but that's probably more than you want or need to know about me.)  It's a plain recipe, but sometimes for whatever reason, that has its appeal.  There's just times I know I need to eat this, whether it's because my body's sending me messages about needing fish for maintenance or whether it's for the memories, I really don't know.  I just know sometimes I have to have it. 

The recipe calls for it to be cooked in a pot, then finished in the oven with a topping.  I often skip the second step and just serve it after the pot stage (it is a funky day recipe, after all.)  Although we always had it with boiled rice and buttered quartered toast, I sometimes skip the boiled rice too (although never the toast - that's mandatory, for the memories.)  Occasionally, I'll add some reggiano parmesan to the white sauce for a bit more flavour.  This dish always, ALWAYS seems to need a good dose of salt on the plate.

Ingredients (serves two generously)
1 medium (or 2 small) cans of tuna
1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium diced potato

Boil carrot and potato until tender, adding frozen peas for a few minutes toward the end.

Fry onion in two tablespoons of margarine, until transparent.  Added one heaped tablespoon of plain flour (or flower as I see my darling former other wrote when copying the recipe for me.)  Let bubble for a minute or two.  Gradually add 250 milk and bring to the boil.  You should have a thick white sauce.

Drain tuna and flake it.  Add tuna to white sauce and then add vegetables.   Add salt.

Optional: Add breadcrumbs and margarine to top and place in hot oven until browned.


Friday Night Hamburgers


Okay, so this is not the best picture of a hamburger you've ever seen.  It was late, I was dead on my feet, and I really wanted to eat my dinner, not take a bloody photo of it, so stop complaining particularly as I am about to give you my recipe for hamburger patties, which will most assuredly be one of the best you've ever had and given that I've held it close to my chest for years, I'm giving it away really really begrudgingly so stop bitching about the pic, okay?

My Hamburgers.  Now Your Hamburgers.  I'm Still Not Sure I'm Happy About That Hamburgers.

Per patty
100 grams mince beef
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon corn relish
1/4 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon sundried tomato chutney*

The sundried tomato chutney is a recent addition.  For many years I made them only with the mustard, corn relish and horseradish.  The sundried tomato chutney is quite strong, so you may want to try these with and without it.  I don't use an egg to bind the mixture, as I find the addition of the condiments is sufficient binding. 

God it hurts to give this recipe away.  Only one thing for it: thieve someone else's.  See below.

Plagiarist's French Toast


Having moved to the country a year ago, if there's one thing I miss terribly about city life, it's the food.  No more can I pop around the corner for great Greek or hop a tram to succulent ragu, and I have to confess I'm starting to suffer for the want of it.  On the other hand,  I can buy the freshest fruit and vegetables I've ever had in my life.  It's so fresh, it makes the produce sold at city markets look stale.   Gaffney's fruit shop in Warragul smells more like a garden than a fruit shop.  Sometimes as I walk through I wonder if the vegetables have woken up to the fact that they're not growing anymore, so recently have they been pulled from the ground.  And cheap!  The first time I shopped I nearly died.  I filled four - count `em four - green canvas bags with more produce than I could carry - for the princely sum of $30.00.  Yes, I am trying to make city foodies weep.  Cop it sweet.  But I envy you your city restaurants.

So, on a recent trip back (I go back to have my hair done every six weeks by the fabulous Suzanne of Basin Cut Hairdressing, Malvern), I took the opportunity to have a feed at George's in Camberwell, where I had, for the first time, French toast made with cinammon fruit bread and doused with maple syrup.  They also served it with a generous dollop of whipped cream and strawberries so ripe they belied the season.  I wouldn't normally eat something sweetish around breakfast time but oh boy did I love this.  So when I got home I promptly set about plagiarising the recipe.  I didn't quite pull it off.  George's version was sweeter.  I've got my suspicions that they may have mixed some maple syrup in with softened butter, and fried the cinammon fruit bread in that.  Anyway, try it some time with a cinammon fruit loaf.  It's a new favourite of mine.


Greek Lamb Cutlets

This is one of my all time favourite funky day recipes.  I used to look forward to waking up too depressed to decide what to cook for dinner so I could fall back on this, my favourite default meal.  Usually I have it with lemon/oregano/garlic potatoes and salad, which I sometimes dress with walnut oil and orange juice (by the way, try adding some mandarins to your salad now, while they're in season.)  On this occasion, I had another crack at Dips 'cream cheese potatoes' - a dish Dips restaurant in Malvern Road, Glen Iris used to serve and which I've been trying to replicate/plagiarise for more years than I care to remember.  I've tried it every which way but I just can't get it the same.  Recently when I was trying to do something else, quite by accident I came the closest I ever had.  I thought voila! I think I've got it! and had another crack at it some months later.  Nope.  Didn't got it at all.  I'll stick with giving you the Greek lamb recipe instead.

Greek Lamb Cutlets
It's hard to go wrong with this recipe.  Fresh herbs do make quite a difference, but half the time I make it with dried oregano (it is a funky day, recipe after all.)  Similarly, the marinating time: every celebrity chef will say you must absolutely marinate overnight where possible.  Over the years of experimenting I often found I preferred to marinate on the same day as this seemed to accentuate the lemon more (for which I am an absolute demon) over the olive oil, which dominates with overnight marination.  Sometimes I've crushed garlic, other times I add a couple of halved cloves to the marinade which I discard before cooking, resulting in more lemon flavour.  Sometimes I use whole sprigs of herbs, others, I chop them.  I may or may not include rosemary. Sometimes I use lemon myrtle salt; others, I'll add some grated zest to the marinade.  I've been known to add a teaspoon of Greek or Australian Rainforest honey.  All of these things will make a difference and it's pleasant to vary them from time to time.  So while this is not an absolute 'recipe', I'll share what I did on this occasion as it worked out rather nicely.

4 lamb cutlets
1 large lemon (and one for serving)
good slosh olive oil
fresh sprigs of rosemary, oregano, lemon thyme (I used about two tablespoons each of rosemary and oregano leaves, and about one tablespoon of lemon thyme  leaves - that tablespoon measurement is before they were chopped.  If using dried oregano, use about two teaspoons.)
About 1/2 teaspoon paprika, either sweet or smoky.  I used sweet this time.
Salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved.

Juice lemon and chop herbs.  Mix with remaining marinade ingredients, give it a nice swirl to combine, then add chops.  Cover and refrigerate, marinating between four hours to a day, turning occasionally to marinate evenly.   Discard garlic cloves when cooking.

As to cooking, I used to have a very particular method of oven baking these propped up in a terracotta dish.  Standing them up allowed the marinade and fat to drain away, helping them to brown.  I don't know why but the terracotta dish made a big difference to these.

However, since moving house I'm now at the mercy of a fan forced oven and I find it difficult to get these really brown in the oven without rendering them inedible.  Truth is, you can cook them however you like; char-grilled, pan fried, oven baked, on the barbecue.