Fabulous fish stew recipe February, 12, 08

 

I’m not eating meat for 40 days in observance of Lent. I’m trying new recipes that don’t have any meat, chicken or prosciutto (my favorite). I have wanted to try a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s new cook book “Cook with Jamie – My guide to making you a better cook”. I was supposed to give his cook book to a friend for a present but after flicking through the pages I decided not to gift it.

My first foray with Jamie was an amazing success. I can’t believe how easy and simple the recipe was. I have adjusted the recipe to include the fish I was able to find, and the portion size.

Beignets January, 22, 08

 

Once a year my aunty would make us beignets, just as quickly as she would fry them they would be gobbled up by the long line of both adults and children waiting for them. I have modified her recipe slightly — warm lightly fried beignets smothered with confectioner’s sugar and drizzled with maple syrup made my friends fight over the last remaining piece — just like it was when we were ten!

Homemade Kahlua January, 22, 08

 

What a great idea! Homemade Kahlua.  Vodka, coffee and vanilla combined makes this an amazingly comforting after dinner drink. I served this last night with beignets. Oh my, it was such a great hit. It was a wonderful addition to the rainy weather. I used regular coffee, feel free to replace the coffee with decaf. I did receive a few messages from friends this morning that the coffee did keep them up for several hours after the dinner party ended.

Leftovers: Lamb chops with eggs, and arugula Recipe January, 22, 08

 

I made a rack of lamb a couple of days ago, which was amazing.. click here for the recipe.  I had a couple of pieces left over. I created a beautiful and healthy lunch with arugula, carrots and a fried egg.

Cabbage Rolls Recipe January, 14, 08

 

Ingredients:

1 large cabbage
1/2 pound minced meat
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Peeled head of garlic
1-2 lemons
8 slices of prosciutto

Directions:

Heat large pot of water

Cut cabbage in half,  peel off each layer of cabbage slowly

Blanche cabbage leaves in boiling water, adding 3- 4 leaves at a time

Leaves are done when the cabbage turns to a deep green color (3 mins)

Continue until all cabbage leaves are blanched, place the leaves  in a colander    
Mix meat, rice, melted butter, salt and pepper        
Add spoonful of mixture onto cabbage and roll    
Place 2-3 slices of prosciutto in bottom of pot        
Add cabbage rolls to pot, then once layer is complete, add layer of prosciutto, and tuck in 3-4 garlic cloves per row 

Continue until all cabbage leaves are rolled, if there is any left over mixture, freeze it for next time!     

 Add water to pot ensuring cabbage rolls are immersed.

Place a small plate on top of the cabbage, this keeps the cabbage cooking evenly, place lid

Cook for 30 to 45 minutes on medium low

Cabbage rolls are done when the rice is cooked through

When done, switch the stove off, and add 2 squeezed lemons to the pot, let sit for 5 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Chicken Gravy Recipe January, 11, 08

 

 This is a simple and luxurious edition to the roast chicken. Juices from the chicken are used with flour and chicken stock to make a rich and velvety gravy.

Tabouleh Recipe January, 10, 08

 

My heritage is Lebanese, we ate tabouleh at least 3 times a week. We had parsley growing in the backyard at home in Sydney. This is my mum’s famous recipe. Friends would come over asking her to make it.

Fresh ingredients of parsley, mint, scallions, squeezed lemon juice and ripe tomatoes delivers a bright and healthy start to any meal.

Rustic Potatoes and Corn with Rosemary Recipe January, 10, 08

Sweet corn and golden potatoes with rosemary sprigs makes this a great comfort dish. Lightly coated with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper then baked  at 425 degrees gives this a crispy ending.

Roast Chicken Recipe January, 9, 08

This is my favorite roast chicken recipe. Simple ingredients of olive oil, salt and pepper are used to coat the chicken. On the inside pancetta, parsley, lemon zest and onion stuffing infuses flavor that creates a dazzling roast that keeps you asking for seconds

Roast Chicken Stuffing with Pancetta Recipe January, 9, 08

A combination of pancetta, onions, parsley, lemon zest and a dash of hot sauce to makes this a mouth watering stuffing. Its a crowd pleaser.