Im back... with two simple sides!

Finally I have grasped some time to blog about the recipes I have been making in the kitchen. It's been some time but now I am back!

What I have been focusing lots on in the kitchen are simple protein dishes which I like to serve up with some tasty sides... its all about the sides!!

Today my food blog will include two simple recipes for a simple roasted beetroot salad and grilled witlof. Two very different sides that work well when served with a roasted chicken or steaks!

Side 1.

Roasted Beetroot Salad
This recipe combines balsamic and herb roasted beetroots served with rocket and goats cheese. My most simple dressing is a dijon, balsamic and olive oil dressing which is slightly sweet to offset the spicy rocket salad. This is a great side to serve with grilled or roasted chicken.

Ingredients:
1. 3 large beetroots cut into quarters
2. Handful of herbs to include oregano, rosemary & sage
3. Swig of balsamic concenrate
4. Rocket for four people
5. Soft goats cheese
6.  Drizzle of Olive Oil & Balsamic
7. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:
1. Tsp dijon mustard
2. Pinch of salt
3. Olive Oil
4. Balsamic
Method:
1. Peel the beetroots, cut into quarters and place into a baking tray.

2. Roughly chop the herbs and sprinkle over the beets.

3. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic just to coat lightly.
4. Bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for 20 minutes.
5. Take the tray out of the oven, turn the beets and place back into the over for another 10 minutes.
6. Take out of oven and set aside to cool.


7. Add the rocket into a salad bowl and place the roasted beetroot on top.
8. Using your hands crumble the soft goats cheese and crushed walnuts.
6. Blend your salad dressing ingredients together and pour on top when ready to serve. 

Tip: If you do not dress the salad it can store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Add the dressing only when it is just about ready to serve.


Side 2:

Chargrilled Witlof with Anchovy dressing

Witlof is a gorgeous green that tastes amazing slightly grilled and served with a tangy dressing. I first came across this side dish at Movida in Melbourne and when I made a trip to the Prahran market recently I purchased two of these gorgeous fresh greens to make my own Italian version.

Ingredients:
1. 2 Witlofs cut into quarters
2. Olive Oil (to drizzle)
3. 1 clove garlic

Dressing:
1. 1/4 Red wine vinegar
2. 2 anchovy fillets
3. Tsp whole egg mayonaise
4. Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. Place your skillet pan on high heat
2. In a flat plate, lightly drizzle olive oil and crush your garlic over it. Crack some salt and pepper over it also

3. Lightly coat each quarter in the olive oil and place on the hot skillet pan

4. Turn each side once the lines in the skillet start to charcoal the witflof
5. Take off the pan and set aside.
6. To make the dressing, chop the anchovy into small pieces. Add the red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, pepper, mayonaise and whisk together until the dressing turns slightly thick.
7. Dress the grilled witlof with the dressing when ready to serve.

Enjoy cooking!

x Steph

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

This is a great spaghetti recipe which will take only 20 minutes to cook. Traditional Puttanesca recipes will have you chopping all the ingredients and adding them into the pan. I find that chopping all the ingredients together and adding them all into the pan at the same time will release the flavours better and assist with preparing this recipe much faster.

You may have seen my Tupperware contraction in a few of my past recipes, its the Tupperware smooth chopper and a fantastic piece of equipment to use for chopping vegetables finely. Its great when chopping onions, no more tears!

Tupperware Smooth Chopper (shown without the lid)

Ensure to use a semi-deep non-stick pan, this is what will assist you with cooking your sugo faster!

Ingredients (Enough to coat 500 grams of pasta)

1. 1/4 cup olive oil
2. 6 anchovies
3. 3 cloves garlic
4. 2 spring onions
5. 1/2 red onion
6. 2 tblsp capers
7. 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
8. 8 large pitted black kalamata olives
9. 2 sprigs of oregano fresh (or 1 tblsp dried)
10. 1 tblsp olive oil
11. 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
12. 1/2 red chilli
13. 750ml tomato passata
14. Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Add the garlic, spring onions, chilli, red onion, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and tablespoon of olive oil into a blitzer (blender or bamix or tupperware smooth chopper) and roughly chop into a paste.

2. In a hot pan add 1/4 cup of olive oil and anchovies. Stir and break down the anchovies

3. Add the roughly chopped paste to the pan, stir and cook for 2 minutes on high heat

4. Add the tomato passatta and stir through, add the sweet chilli sauce, fresh oregano, salt and pepper to season. Cook for 2 minutes on high heat.

5. Reduce the heat to medium strength, place the lid on top, slightly leaving it adjar and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes

 

6.  Whilst it cooks, prepare your spaghetti in a separate boiling pot.  

7. Your sugo should look like this when its ready. If you require an additional couple of minutes to simmer down ensure to allow this.

8. Serve with your spaghetti!

 

Enjoy 

xx Steph

Easy Eggplant Dip!

Southern Italians love eggplant, and for some time mum has been asking me to make an eggplant dip using her charcoal eggplants. Up until recently, I always said no only because I didn't really know what to add but this time I thought ok, it can't be too hard lets just try and wing it!

I thought to keep it simple with olive oil, salt, pepper, not too much garlic, parsley, basil and lemon. Keeping it simple was probably the best idea because it tasted delicious, but I must admit, this recipe will only work if you charcoal cook the eggplant. You need the smokiness in the eggplant to get the best flavor. 

 

How do you roast eggplants? 

Give them a rise and with the skin and stalk still on either place directly on a hot bbq grill or on an open flame (on the stove top) turning them every 5-10 minutes for approximately 45 minutes. After cooked place them in a plastic bag to sweat so that they are easy to peel.

You will require a mixer/ blender to make this Eggplant dip recipe.

Ingredients:
1. 3 large roasted eggplants, peeled and stalk removed
2. 8-9 basil leaves
3. Half a handful of parsley
4. Small clove of garlic
5. 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
6.1/2 teaspoon salt
7. Juice of one large lemon
8. 2 spring onions

Method:
1. Place your eggplants in a muslin cloth and place into a colander. Place a heavy weight on top to strain the water for approximately 30 minutes.
1. In an electric mixer add all the ingredients (excluding the olive oil) and turn on to blend together.

2. Slowly pour in the olive oil whilst the mixer is blending all the ingredients. This should cream the dip.

Serve with pita chips or on toasted bread.

Fantastic and healthy...

Enjoy!

xx Steph

Chilli Con Carne... Risotto Style!

We love chilli con carne, it is one of those easy one pot wonders with lots of flavor! It's a great dish to make for any Mexican themed dinner party, or just as a fun dish for lunch or dinner. It also makes a great burrito filling!

I like to make enough for left overs so that we can freeze a couple of portions for the nights we have no time to cook, easy and versatile!

My Chilli Con Carne is made the same way I would make a risotto however I will use either Jasmine or Basmati rice, it isn't as glutenous as an Italian Arborio rice.   

I purchase my spices pre-mixed from the Gewurzhaus spice shop, their chilli con carne spice mix contains chillis, cumin, garlic, pepper, lemon myrtle and oregano clove. You can either purchase the spices pre-mixed or mix your own and adjust the chilli dosage to your liking.

To make a simple Chilli Con Carne spice, just add (in order of amounts to add)...

1. Chilli powder
2. Cumin powder
3. Paprika
4. Garlic powder
5. Black Pepper
6. Salt

Tip: Make the Chilli Con Carne spice in one big batch and store it in a jar on your spice rack for whenever you want to use it again. 

For this recipe all you will need is one non-stick pan, you can use a deep pot or a fry pan no less than 10cm deep.
 
Ingredients (serves four very generous portions )

1. 500 grams beef mince (or 250grams beef mince and 250gram pork mince)
2. 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3. 2 cloves garlic diced finely
4. 1/2 red onion diced finely
5. 1/2 capsicum diced finely
6. 1 carrot grated or diced finely
7. 1 tin black beans (400 grams)
8. 1+ 1/4 cup rice
9. 1 beef stock cube (Massel)
10. 1 cup tomato puree passatta
11. A full kettle of boiled water
12. 1 Lime
13. Light sour cream

Method:

1. In a non stick pan heat 1/2 cup olive oil and add diced onion and garlic for approximately 2 minutes on medium to high heat.
2. Add the diced carrot and capsicum to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the minced meat and stir through adding 2 heaped teaspoons of your Chilli Con Carne spice mix.
4. Add the black beans.
5. Cook the mixture until the mince is no longer pink.
6. Add the rice and stir through.

7. Add the tomato passatta and cook for a minute.
8. Dilute the beef stock cube in 4 cups of boiled water and add to the pan. Stir through.
7. Lower the heat slightly (medium).

8. As the rice starts to cook and absorb the water, add additional hot water 1 cup at a time until the rice has absorbed all the water and cooked through. Ensure to stir every few minutes. The rice will take approximately 20-30 minutes to cook.  Ensure to taste the rice before you take the pan off the heat. Rice shouldn't be grainy (too hard) or too soft.

9. Serve in a bowl with a wedge of lime and spoonful of sour cream.

Easy...
Buon Appetito!

xx Steph

A Simple Chicken Saltimbocca

My chicken saltimbocca is very easy to make,  it is a simple 30 minutes recipe to prepare.
It is one of my favorites because of its simplicity, taste and truthfully, it is very difficult to get it wrong.
The chicken is tender and the buttery sage sauce compliments the crispy salty prosciutto perfectly.

To prepare  you will be required to cook the chicken in a fry pan then transfer onto a baking tray and into the grill.

For this chicken Saltimbocca recipe I have used chicken breast as it holds it shape better. You can serve it with baked potatoes and vegetables or some cous cous seasoned with some butter or olive oil.

Ingredients 
1. 2 Chicken breasts sliced horizontally, try and slice 1 - 1.5cm thickness.
2. 1 cup plain flour
3. 150 grams butter
4. 1/2 cup oil
5. 8-9 large sage leaves
6. 6 full slices of prosciutto
7. 1.5 Cups of white wine 
8. Sale & Pepper to season


Method 
1. Beat your chicken slices with a meat hammer until thinned out and place aside.
2. In a flat separate plate add your flour and season with enough salt and pepper.

3. Using a non stick fry pan, heat 100 grams of butter with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Wait for the butter to melt then boil and brown slightly.
4. In the meantime, place a slice of chicken in the flour and coat both sides heavily. Transfer into the browning butter and oil to start cooking. Repeat this procedure until you have no space available in your pan.

5. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side on medium heat. Once cooked, place the chicken slices into a side pan. Finish cooking the left over slices.
6. Place a piece of prosciutto on each cooked chicken slices.

7. Turn on your grill (or oven if your don't have a grill) set on high at 200 degrees Celsius.
8. In the same fry pan add 50 grams of butter and turn on high heat. Add 1.5 cups of white wine and  the sage. Let the alcohol sizzle and evaporate. Use a wooden spoon to de-glaze the pan during this process (scrape down the pan flour residue).

9.  Pour the sage wine sauce over the chicken.
10. Place the tray under the preheated grill for 8-9 minutes (until the prosciutto turns crispy).

Serve with some baked potatoes, vegetables or on some buttered cous cous.

Tips: 
1. Coat the chicken in the flour only as your need it. If you do it too early the flour will turn gluggy and wont coat the chicken as effectively. 
2. If you want it to be really saucy, add another 50 grams of butter and half cup of wine during the de-glazing process. 

Buon Appetito! 

x Stephanie

Almond Coconut & Amarena Cherry Flourless Biscotti

Italian almond biscuits are also know as Biscotti Di Mandorle and are a very popular sweet found in most Italian cake shops in Australia and in Italy. They are made using main ingredients almond meal, sugar, and egg whites with no flour added what so ever making them a perfect gluten free option. Traditionally these biscuits have always been made with out flour, the combination of  baked almond, sugar and egg white gives then a very soft but chewy consistency which is why I love them! 

Currently one of my most favorite ingredients is coconut and as I was lying down in bed on one Sunday morning I was thinking about how I could use it... Alas! A batch of Italian inspired almond biscotti came to mind... with a few tweaks and ingredient adds I came up with these beauties that  turned out to be a great little tasty treat for anyone that loves coconut (me! and maybe you too). The Amarena cherries can be found at any Italian grocery, the sweet and sour flavour of the cherry syrup combined with the coconut is to die for!  I was lucky to have these Amarena cherries gifted to me for my Birthday, if you find them, ensure to buy yourself a jar (taste great on top of vanilla bean ice-cream too).

Here goes!

Ingredients:
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup coconut flour
6 egg whites whisked
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup almond meal
1 Tbsp Vanilla essence
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup almond milk
Desiccated coconut to sprinkle
Amarena cherries

Method:
1. Sift almond meal, coconut flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl
2. Add desiccated coconut, sugar and mix all together
3. Whisk egg whites until they turn white with firm peaks
4. Fold egg whites into mixture and add the vanilla essence
5. Use hands to mix further until the mixture starts to come together when squeezed in your hands, add 1/2 cup of water to moisten further. The mixture needs to be firm however moist enough to hold the ingredients.
6. Using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls the size of a 50 cent piece

 

7. Place rolled balls on to a tray lined with baking paper 5 centimeters apart
8. Once all rolled, place a finger dent in the middle on each ball
9. Brush will almond milk and sprinkle with desiccated coconut
10. Place 1/2 an amarena cherry in the middle, let the syrup drip on the biscuit as you do this (adds more flavor)

11. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
12. Bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits turn a light golden brown
13. After baked set aside to cool, do not remove off the tray until cooled.

Enjoy making this recipe and the biscotti x

Happy Baking!

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Cauliflower Pizza!

If you are looking for a healthy spin on the traditional Pizza well here is the recipe for you that is simple and so easy to prepare. It is made using cauliflower and and will take approximately 30 minutes to prepare. I added a simple topping of tomato, bocconcini cheese, olives, anchovy, capers and spring onion. You can certainly top the pizza with any topping of your choice!

The consistency of the base is very similar to polenta and this will be a pizza you will need to eat using a knife and fork.

Super tasty and super healthy!

What you will need:
- Food processor or blender
- Mixing bowl
- Oven preheated at 180 degrees Celsius
- Pizza tray lined with baking paper

Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 1 cauliflower (medium sized)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp rice flower
- 3/4 cup of water
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper

 My Topping (yours can be different)
- 1/4 cup of tomato passata (puree)
- 2 tbsp parmesan
- 1/2 baby bocconcini
- 6 anchovy fillets (under oil)
- 1 cup cherry tomato sliced in half
- 3 tsp capers
- 1/2 cup black olives   
- 2 sprigs of spring onions
- Salt & pepper

Method
1. Rinse and roughly chop your cauliflower and place it into your mix master/blender. Give it a whiz until the cauliflower is chopped finely
2. Set the cauliflower aside in a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup of water set aside for a minute
3. Add your rice flour and using a metal fork mix into the cauliflower evenly
4. Beat eggs and add to the mix. Continue using the fork to mix through
5. Add olive oil, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix one last time.

At this stage, the cauliflower should be of a moist consistency.

6. Place the mix on your flat baking tray (don't forget to line it with baking paper) and pat down until you receive a thickness of 1.5(ish) centimeters
7. Place in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn a golden brown
8. Take out of the oven, let it cool and couple of minutes and add your toppings. Sauce base always goes on first, followed by cheese then other ingredients.
9. Once your pizza is topped place in the over for a further 10 minutes and until all the ingredients on top are cooked!

Healthy Benefits & Calories
As long as your do not over cook your cauliflower this 'cruciferous' vegetable contains high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin K which assists with inflammation. Cauliflower also assists with digestive support and is excellent for detoxing.
The cauliflower pizza base on its own (less the toppings) contains approximately 159 calories per serve.



Enjoy the recipe!

Buon Appetito!

x Steph 

Pasta Broccolini e Patate (baby broccoli and potato pasta)

Pasta e broccoli is a staple southern Italian easy to cook dish that tastes fresh, wholesome and can be cooked all in the same pot!
Some would have referred to Pasta e Broccoli as peasant food, however I have come to learn that peasant food is the tastiest.

For this recipe you only need 6 ingredients... pasta, broccolini (or normal tender broccoli), potato, olive oil, chilli & parmesan cheese.

I used some home made rigatoni and fusilli pasta that I had in the freezer from a previous cook up to make this meal (a mix of varieties always works great!) however you can use any type of pasta to include orecchiette, pappardelle, spaghetti or pasta of the gluten free variety in any shape or form. I'll be using gluten free pasta the next time i make this dish.

Broccolini Vs Broccoli for this dish....
Broccolini are sweeter and have delicate stalks that do not require any peeling, these are my preferred ingredient for this dish.
 
What you will need...
* One large pot filled with water and one flat teaspoon of salt
* Large colander

Ingredients 
(to serve 4)  
* 2 bunches broccolini (approx 400 grams)
* 4 medium sized potatoes
* 400 grams of pasta
* 1 small red chilli with seeds removed
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* Parmesan to sprinkle on top

How to cook your "Pasta e Broccoli"
1. Peel your potatoes and roughly cube into 1-2 cm cubes and add to a pot of boiling salted water.
2. Rinse the broccolini and chop into 4-5cm stalks and add in to the same pot.
3. Allow ingredients to boil on high heat for approximately 20-25 minutes until they soften.

4. Add your pasta into the water and let all ingredients cook together until your pasta is cooked to your liking.

5. Take the pot off the heat and strain into a colander. Keep the pot aside.
6. Add your chilli and transfer back into the pot.

7. Dress the pasta with extra virgin olive oil and mix.
8. Pasta is now read to serve. Don't forget to add the parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Tip: Over cooking your potatoes isn't a problem for this dish, the more crumblier and over cooked the better it will coat your pasta and provide an even better taste.

Counting Calories & Health Benefits?
This pasta e broccoli dish contains approximately 570 calories with zero cholesterol. Adding raw extra virgin olive oil to a balanced diet can reduce chronic disease development and increase life expectancy. Broccoli contains healthy levels of Vitamin A, C & K. It also provides a good source for fiber, zinc and phosphorous. Click for more information on the health benefits of Broccoli.


This pasta broccoli recipe is easy and one that I had to share. I hope you love it as much as we do!

If you have any questions, please post your comments.

Buon Appetito!

x Steph

Hummus... the italian version

Traditionally Hummus is made using chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. My version is just as simple however carries a bit more kick and zing!

Chickpeas can be purchased pre-cooked in a can or dried. The dried version isn't too hard to prepare and is my preference because you get a far more smoother and creamier dip compared to the canned version that can leave a grainy consistency.  

Cooking dried chickpeas...
To cook dried chickpeas just soak them in cold water over night (or for approx 6-8 hours), drain and boil in new water with a touch of salt until they turn soft and the chickpea flesh it coming apart. This might take 45 minutes to an hour.
Once boiled, the chickpeas can be drained and placed in the fridge for a couple of days until you need to use them.

For this version of chickpea hummus you will need...
A blender or mix master & mixing spoon

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked salted chickpeas
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove of garlic
1 red chilli with seeds removed
1 small bunch (handful) of parsley
50 ml lemon juice
50 ml balsamic Vinegar

1. In your blender/ or mix master add your cooked chickpeas and parsley and turn it on
2. Whilst the chickpeas are breaking down, slowly pour in half the amount of olive oil
3. As the ingredients continue to combine, add the garlic, chilli, lemon juice and balsamic
4. Add the remaining olive oil, scrape the sides down to ensure it all blends evenly and let it mix until you achieve a creamy finish.

Tip
The more olive oil you add the creamier it will become.... add more if you need it!

That's as simple as it gets! You can serve it with sliced vegies (carrots or celery) or on fresh or toasted bread, crackers... up to you!

Health Benefits
Chickpeas are a great source of protein and iron. They also carry a very low GI therefore are great for weight loss. This chickpea hummus dip also contains vitamins C, A and zero cholesterol. The garlic and chilli also carry great antiviral and antibacterial benefits to keep you healthy.


We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Enjoy!


x Steph

A Tasty Easy to Cook Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

On the weekend we got to host a little dinner party with some good friends. I wanted to cook something Italian that was gluten free as one of Sandro's friends cannot eat flour, barley or grains.

For sometime now I have been wanting to cook an Italian dish minus flour, however as many of you know, this can be very difficult for Italian cooking.  So.... I got thinking and created a recipe for a Chicken Cacciatore using the traditional ingredients however with a touch of difference....

What is Chicken Cacciatore? 
Cacciatore refers to the Italian term "hunter" and is a meal that is prepared using chicken or rabbit and other in-season vegetables, traditionally field mushrooms, tomato and peppers are added and if available red or white wine.

For this dish I use an organic coconut oil instead of olive oil, massel chicken stock which is one of the best stock available at most supermarkets (no numbers in the ingredients), an organic white wine (home made) and organic canned tomato available at Aldi (I love Aldi!). I should also mention that I use smoked alder salt (see my previous post) and paprika to give the chicken a slightly smoky taste.

For this Cacciatore recipe, the chicken will be coated in a rice flour, cooked in coconut oil and slow cooked with tomato, chicken stock, wine and other veggies for approximately 1.5 hours and will be served on brown rice.  Super healthy and delicious and you will also find that the chicken will tenderize magnificently during the cooking process.

Counting Calories & Health Benefits?
This Chicken Cacciatore isn't a low calorie dish, there is approximately 740 calories per serve if you use the full ingredients listed below... however I have allocated 1.5 chicken thigh fillets and half cup of brown rice per person, you wouldn't eat this much on a normal day, therefore the calories are over stated.  I do like to over cater because the boys generally like to eat much more and to not have enough food is a real nightmare for any Italian. Left overs are great, the meal can be frozen for future eating or left in the fridge for the next day!

There is virtually no cholesterol or trans fats in this Chicken Cacciatore dish, it is high in protein with Vitamin A, C and contains some Iron.

What you will need?
One large round non stick pan to cook on a stove top with a lid
One large mixing bowl
Paper towelettes
& your usual cooking utencils... wooden spoon, chopping boards etc
 
Ingredients...
To serve 4 people

6-7 skinless chicken thigh fillets
1.5 cups of rice flour
1 tspn Smoked Paprika
1 tspn Smoked Alder Salt (optional) OR Pink Salt
3 tblsp Coconut Oil

1 onion sliced and diced
1 large garlic clove crushed
12 medium mushrooms sliced
2 red capsicums sliced
2 tspn capers
2 sprigs of fresh oregano (or 1 tblsp of dried oregano)
Cracked pepper to season
1 can of diced tomato or 2 cups of tomato passatta (pureed tomato)
200 mls of white wine
1 chicken stock cube in 100mls of hot boiling water
100grams of black kalamata olives
2 cups of brown rice 


To Prepare...

1. Add  2 tblsp of coconut oil to pan and heat on high
2. In a seperate bowl add your rice flour, salt and smoked paprika and lightly mix
3. Coat each chicken thigh in the rice mix and place in hot pan one by one
4. Cook the chicken on each side until brown, the chicken at this stage should not be cooked through
5. Set the chicken aside on a seperate plate lined with towelettes. Keep it close on the stove to ensure it remains hot.

6. In the same pan, add 1 tblsp of coconut oil, allow it to melt
7. Add garlic and onion to the pan, ensure the heat is medium and cook until onion is transparent. Should take 1 minute.
8. To the same pan, add sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have wilted
9. Add sliced capsicums and cook for one minute on medium heat
10. Add the olives, capers, oregano and cracked pepper
11. Stir through ingredients and cook for an additional minute
13. Add you chicken pieces into the pan nicely imbedded within the vegetables
12. Add your diced OR passatta tomato and mix through without disturbing the chicken too much
13. Finally, add your chicken stock and white wine
14. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for 1.5 hours.

This is what the ingredients should look like when they have all been added together... there is ample amount of liquid that will reduce down during the 1.5 hour cooking period.

Tip: 
Ensure to watch the chicken whilst it is cooking to ensure it doesn't burn and using a wooden spoon slightly mix the ingredients from time to time. At half time, try the the saucy part of the dish and season with salt if necessary. 


15. 20 minutes before your chicken is almost ready, prepare and cook your rice.
16. After the cooking time is up, sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped parsley

As you can see in the above picture, water from the wine, tomato and stock has completely reduced down. You should be left with a thick sauce and amazing tenderised chicken that will fall apart as your ladle it onto of your rice - perfection!

Serve on a bed of rice

Please let me know how you go making this recipe if you have any questions please post :)

Buon Appetito!

x Steph

Smoked Salt

On a recent trip to Gewurzhaus (my favourite spice shop in Melbourne!) I was looking for a spice that could enhance the smokiness to my meat patties for my home made burgers. I was introduced to to this Salish Alder Smoked Sea Salt. It is sourced from the U.S and made using an old American Indian tradition where the salt is smoked over slow burning red alder wood. 

It is a very strong however moreish smokey fragrance and can be used to enhance the smokiness to salmon, trout or to chicken or beef recipes. You would use it as you would to season food with salt and large doses are not required. 

For me first experience... I was cooking the beef patties on the pan but wanted to achieve the same smoky flavor you would achieve slow cooking over BBQ coals. Whilst mixing the beef mix and before portioning each patty I added the Alder smoked salt to season. After cooking the beef patties on the skillet pan and consuming the burgers the general feed back was that the flavor was delicious (ofcourse!) and there was a hint of smokiness to the burgers... just the feedback I was hoping!

My next blog will tell of another recipe where I have added this smoked salt to a traditional Italian recipe....

Until next time, happy eating!

x Steph

Easy Toasted Sultana Date & Almond Muesli

Now that we are a little more settled in I have finally been able to focus on creating some more simple and healthy recipes.

Today's recipe is fantastic for the person on the go. The muesli can be made and baked within 20 minutes and stored in an airtight container for up to a month. It contains muesli and almonds for crunch, natural protein powder (pea to be exact), sultanas and dates for a chewy texture, organic shaved coconut and coconut oil, peanut butter and honey. We use frozen berries as they work better for texture once thawed out, but by all means if you prefer to use fresh berries they will taste just as delicious.

Protein powder isn't a must for this recipe, however I do find that it does assist with binding of all the ingredients together and provides a biscuit finish after baked.

This sultana date and almond muesli recipe also makes a great healthy dessert that is very easy to put together and takes very little time in the kitchen to prepare.

We love to use the Aldi Organic Vanilla bean yoghurt, you can see the vanilla bean and the creaminess is fantastic. However if you wish to use a yoghurt with less sweetness try the natural Greek style, there certainly is enough sweetness in the muesli already to offset the tang in a natural flavored yogurt.

What you will need...

An oven set at 200 degrees Celsius , mixing bowl , mixing/wooden spoon, and flat oven tray lined with baking paper.

Ingredients:

Frozen Berries

Yoghurt

Muesli:
2.5 cups of oats (for a large baking tray)
3 tblsp of honey
2 tblsp of light peanut butter
2 tblsp coconut oil
3 tblsp of organic coconut (shaved or desiccated)
1 tbslp of organic coconut to sprinkle 
3/4 cup of sultanas
.5 cup of pitted dates
1.5 cups of raw almonds
1.5 scoops of protein powder

Method to make the muesli:

1. Chop the almonds, sultanas, dates and coconut together roughly.

TIP... if you want to save time, get yourself one of these Tupperware choppers, will save you pulling out electrical appliances and having to chop anything by hand (great for dips, or chopping garlic and onion!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDe0n0aaSmE

2. Using a microwave or saucepan, heat the coconut oil, peanut butter and honey until melted.

3. In a separate mixing bowl place all dry ingredients (include the almonds, fruit & coconut mix) together and mix until all even.

4. Add the melted coconut oil, peanut butter and honey to the dry ingredients and mix using a mixing spoon until well blended. The mixture needs to be slightly moist therefore add additional melted coconut oil and honey if required. 

5. Lay the mixture in the lined baking tray. Using wet hands pat the mixture down flat and evenly until approx 1.5 centimeters thick. Sprinkly coconut shavings on top.

6. Turn the oven down to 180 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Once the muesli is baked ensure to set it aside to cool. Once cooled you should be able to break up the muesli into large shards and store away in an airtight container for future use. 



The final layering process.... 

Grab yourself a wide glass and place the muesli shard on the base. Add a spoonful of yoghurt, top with berries. Depending on how large you want to make your serve, you can repeat the process.

Additional Tips: 
 - I leave a cup of berries in the fridge to thaw out over night to use the next morning 
 - Muesli also tastes great served as a cereal with almond milk
 - Berries are not the only option, winter is a good time for pears and apples... great winter warmers when poached!

Delicious goodness that I hope you can get to try out for yourselves! Sandro and I treat ourselves to this healthy muesli recipe almost every day, I hope you get to enjoy it as much as we do.

Until next time....

X Steph