Yes, this recipe is just for ” Garlic Fiends “! This recipe results in the most amazing chicken I’ve ever eaten ~ juicy & moist & flavoursome. My parents wouldn’t stop talking about this chicken for a month after they ate it for lunch with us!
Serves 4-8
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken
- 2 – 2.5 kgs chicken
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juice of
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
Dipping Sauce
- 1 large egg, free range (& salmonella vaccinated if possible)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I use fairly large cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch sumac, ground
- 1-2 tablespoon vinegar (I use malt)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups sunflower oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Grind garlic & salt to a paste in mortar or small food processor. Work olive oil, sumac & lemon to create creamy consistency – similar to mayo.
- Make plenty of deep cuts in the chicken pieces - right down to the bone.
- Place the chicken pieces & garlic sauce in a large ziploc bag. Close the bag massage the chicken for a few minutes before placing in the fridge overnight.
- Grill the chicken pieces over a medium heat until the juices run totally clear, 12 – 15 minutes per side. I often grill it on my griddle / grill pan then transfer to the oven on 200 C for 15 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside to rest & make the sauce.
- In a blender, food processor, or a jug with an immersion / stick blender (I use a Kenwood Wizzard), whizz the egg, salt, sumac & garlic.
- Once they are completely blended, slowly add the oil in as thin a stream as you can manage. I find it easiest to pour the oil from a jug with a small spout. Pulse until the mayo thickens to your desired consistency – usually after 1 3/4 to 2 cups oil has been added. You can thin with a little extra oil if you wish.
- Add the vinegar to taste & mix well with a spoon – add one tbsp & taste then add more if you wish.
TIPS:
- Use you favourite chicken pieces for this, I like thighs & bone-in breast etc.
- For the best bbq you’ve ever had, use this chicken & cook until done!
I recently had to make a lot of ‘petit four’ type sweets for a celebration & needed to come up with some new & exciting varieties – this is one of them…which happens to be my favourite! These are simple to make but very beautiful & receive a lot of compliments.
Makes approx 22-24
INGREDIENTS:
- 350g golden marzipan (almond paste)
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole almonds
- 1 small tube of green ‘writing icing’
- 40-50g white ‘ready roll icing’
- Nutella chocolate & hazelnut spread, as needed
- silver balls / dragees
- corn flour for dusting
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the almonds in a food processor & pulse until coarsly ground.
- Add a little Nutella at a time, until you have a firm, almost paste-like filling (but with the almonds still a little coarse in texture)
- Roll the marzipan into 2 20cm long sausages, use the corn flour to dust the worksurface to prevent the marzipan from sticking.
- Gently press each sausage & roll out so that each is approximately 6cm wide by 20 cm long.
- Now gather the filling together. Split into 2 equal peices. Roll each piece until it is 20cm long.
- Place each sausage so that it is running the length of each roll of marzipan.
- Roll the marzipan over the filling so that the filling is completely encased.
- Slice into 1″ pieces at a slight angle so that you get a ‘lozenge’ / diamond like shape.
- Roll out the icing to about 3mm in thickness. Cut out flower shapes using a 1 – 1.5cm metal cutter. Press a silver ball or dragee into the centre of each flower.
- Attach 1 flower to the top of each marzipan fancy, using a tiny drop of the green icing. Next pipe a small swirl of the green icing on either side of the flower.
- Allow the icing to dry, then serve or store in an airtight container for 7-10 days.
TIPS:
- Use a natural / white marzipan instead of the yellow, and use a pastel coloured ready roll icing in place of the white.
- You could also use store bought icing decorations instead of rolling & cutting your own.
- For a very pretty effect, perfect for special events, why not sprinkle a little edible glitter over the tops of the marzipan fancies.
This is a delicious pasta dish which highlights the fresh bell pepper, courgette & carrot used. I have a huge pot of basil in my kitchen & make sure that I give this dish a very generous serving! In case you’re not familiar with it, conchigliette is tiny shell pasta
Serves 4-5
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups ground chicken
- 2 cups wholewheat conchigliette pasta, uncooked
- 500 ml water
- 400 g canned tomatoes, liquidized with own juice
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated (sharp)
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium courgette, grated
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 3-5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon schwartz Season-All
- 1 teaspoon schwartz italian seasoning
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Gently fry the onion & the chicken in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. After 10 minutes, add the rest of the chopped / grated veggies & the seasoning, fry for a further 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the liquidized tomato , miced garlic & the water. Cover & simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Whilst the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until soft.
- When you have a thick sauce, remove from the heat & stir in the cheese & the basil. Mix well then stir in the pasta. Cover & allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, this way the pasta is the right temperature for the family to eat & the pasta will have taken on the flavours of the sauce.
- Serve any kids first, then adjust the seasoning for adults if required.
TIPS:
- Ground turkey or ground beef work equally as well in this dish.
- Replace the conchigliette with your favourite pasta variety.
I came up with this fun (& relatively healthy) cookie to use up some pantry items and keep my kids happy. These cookies are a ‘not-too-sweet’ cookie which will keep the kids & adults happy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 180g margarine, room temperature
- 80g Horlicks Malted Drink Powder, Original
- 200g Self Raising Flour
- 25g corn flour (aka cornstarch)
- 15g dried skimmed milk powder
- 20g icing sugar (aka confectioners sugar)
- drop of vanilla extract
- chocolate chips, Nestle Cookie Crisp Cereal & chocolate strands to decorate
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 140C.
- Beat the margarine, vanilla extract & the Horlicks together until creamy & light.
- Gently fold the flour, milk powder, icing sugar & corn flour into the creamed margarine. Mix well until you have formed a smooth but firm dough.
- Take 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time & mould in your hands to make a rough ball shape.
- Press 1 piece of Cookie Crisp cereal on each side at the top of the ball shape ~ to look like ears.
- Next press a chocolate chip into the ball for a nose & 2 chocoate strands to make eyes. You can also add another chocolate strand for a mouth too.
- Place on a cookie sheet lined with greaseproof paper & bake on the middle shelf for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until the base is coloured & the cookie is cooked through, resulting in a slightly crunchy texture.
TIPS:
- If you can’t find Horlicks use any malted milk drink powder, such as Ovaltine etc.
- You can omit the milk powder & use the Horliks or alternative in it’s place/
- To make puppies instead of teddies, use Nestle Kaptain Krunch cereal in place of the Cookie Crisp cereal & continue as usual.
- For a chocolate cookie, use a tablespoon of cocoa powder, you could also replace the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips.
The influence is Greek and it’s a good influence indeed. It contains vinegars that may be cut back or omitted if you like but the tang is a very nice change from the usual daily soup. It has the usual veggies for good nutrition and flavor plus artichoke hearts that are both interesting and tasty.
MAKES: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lg boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large bites
- 3 large potatoes, roughly diced
- 1 1/4 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 2 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
- 1 cup white wine (optional)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
DIRECTIONS:
- Place all ingredients in a crock pot.
- Cook 1 hour on high, then 5 hours on low or 7 hours on low, if you are not available to switch crock pot from high to low.
- If you don’t have a crock pot, soup can just as easily be simmered for a long time on the stove, until the chicken is falling apart, about 3 hours.
- Before serving, taste and adjust any seasoning if you feel it’s needed.
The flavors in this are great, a real change from the usual and will be welcome at any season. The mix of ingredients are a bit unusual but they really come together to make a great tasting and uncommon meal. This is healthy too.
MAKES: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb dry fusilli, or any twisty shape pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (more if needed)
- 1 1/2 lbs frozen uncooked large shrimp, with or without tails peeled and deveined, thawed (26-30 shrimp per pound count)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
- 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to pan to keep warm.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Add shrimp to hot oil and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque.
- Remove shrimp from skillet; keep warm.
Peas:
- Add peas, broth, and garlic to skillet and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes, remove from heat.
- In a food processor or blender, add pea mixture, mint, butter, and remaining salt.
- Cover and process/blend until smooth.
- Add vinegar; pulse to combine.
- Pour pesto over pasta and toss gently to combine.
- Top with shrimp.
- Serve immediately.
This is great. I used the small, one or two bite size, Yukon Gold’s cut in half for bite sized pieces they are crisp and flavorful on the outside while soft and almost creamy on the inside. You can, if you prefer, use regular sized potatoes and cut them into wedges for Crummy Wedgies. Use them with roast beef or chicken or as a side for hot sandwich’s. They are really quite simple to make and can be roasting while you are finishing up the stove top elements of the meal. Be sure not to keep them waiting once they are out of the oven just put them onto the plated or in a bowl and serve at once.
MAKES: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, (baby potatoes cut in half, large ones wedged)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry fine breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Wash and dry potatoes and cut either in half or into wedges.
- In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in another small bowl and sprinkle over potatoes and toss to coat.
- Arrange potatoes in a single layer pan coated with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 min or until tender, turning once.
If you would love to have something “meaty” without the meat (for whatever reason) this will surely hit the spot. It boasts great flavors and a texture to please.
MAKES: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 loaf French bread
- 3/4 lb veggie crumbles “hamburger”
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt and pepper (optional)
- 8 ounces salsa (or more to taste)
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- grated mozzarella cheese (to taste)
- grated cheddar cheese (to taste)
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut French bread in half lengthwise.
Hollow out both halves of loaf, leaving about a 1-inch shell.
Lightly brown veggie crumbles and onion in skillet with oil.
Add salt, pepper, salsa, green chilies and tomato sauce to crumble/onion mixture.
Heat through until it has thickened somewhat.
Spoon evenly into both loaf halves.
Top with both grated cheeses.
Wrap in foil and place on cookie sheet and heat in oven until cheese melts (about 10-15 minutes).
Slice loaf halves cross-wise into 2-inch wide sections.
Note: Depending on the size of the French bread, number of servings will vary.
TIP:
If a loaf of French bread is more than you need you can reduce the filling by half and stuff a baguette. Thats what I did.
Excellent flavor is really delivered for being so quick to make. If you have a can of beans on the pantry shelf you can have soup in 15 mins. Anyone else remember when bean soup started with soaking the dried beans overnight? Well, you can still do it that way of course but if it’s not for Christmas dinner this simple recipe will do the job quick and easy. It makes a perfect Fall lunch.
MAKES: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can vegetable broth
- 1 (19 ounce) can beans (any kind will do so use what you like best), undrained
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (don’t skip, it really makes a big difference in flavor)
- coarse salt and pepper, optional
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium.
- Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until scallions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in broth and beans; cook until heated through, about 4 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the soup.
- Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan.
- To store, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to three days.
You may look at them and see biscuits or scones but which ever of those you choose to call them you’ll also call them yummy. They are lovely with coffee, tea or a glass of milk. The molasses makes them perfect for Fall with it’s rich earthy flavor.
MAKES: 12 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon mace
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup molasses, liquid and easy pouring (warm it if needed so it will mix in easily)
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar (for sprinkling on top)
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oven to 400F.
- In a medium bowl place all of the dry ingredients.
Work in margarine with pastry knife.
- Add in wet ingredients (minus 1 tbsp of egg white) and stir with spoon
.
- Knead 20 times.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet place the dough and pat it into a circle 1 to 1 1/2 inches high.
- Brush the top with the egg white and sprinkle it with the sugar.
- Bake for 15 mins or until a tester comes out clean.
TIP:
- If you have a smaller family or don’t want to use it all right away then use a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter to make smaller rounds that can easily be frozen.
