gently poached chicken with basil mayonaise, with fennel and orange salad for a person who has been on a plane for 24 hrs

This is a very special meal. Make it for someone you love. I made it for mum on her return from Greece. It is delicious.

For the Poached Chicken

1 free range chicken

250mL verjuice

2 carrots, roughly chopped

3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

3 small onions, cut into quarters

1 head of garlic, cut in half

3 dried bay leaves, crumbled

Small handful of fresh thyme

Small handful of sage

Handful of basil stalks

Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients into a large stockpot. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 mintues. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the water until cool. Remove the chicken from the stock. Drain the vegies from the water and keep the stock for another use.

Basil Mayonaise

2 cups of basil, tightly packed

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

200mL olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Blanch the basil for 30 seconds in boiling, salted water. Drain, refresh in cold water, drain well, squeeze out excess water. Pulse the basil in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the egg yolks and red wine vinegar and pulse again. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a very thin, steady stream until all incorporated. Season well with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator.

Fennel and Orange Salad

3 fennels, cut into wedges

Juice of half a lemon

2 oranges, zested, segmented, juice squeezed out of remaining pith and reserved

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp verjuice

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the fennel in a roasting tray, drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 mins or until tender and lightly golden.

In a small pan, gently heat the oil. Add the zest and garlic and cook until the garlic colours gently. Remove from the heat and add the orange segments, juice, vinegar and verjuice. Pour over the fennel. Decorate with torn mint leaves.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Very delicious greek-style roasted tomato salad

Thanks for Gourmet Traveller. This salad was pretty delicious. Roast tomatoes with lemon, garlic, oregano, crushed almonds, feta, raisins.... wow

Salty feta, sour lemons, sweet raisins and beautiful tomatoes.

We had it with steak and a crisp green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.

8 beautifully ripe tomatoes

6 cloves of garlic, skins left on and bruised

7 strips of lemon peel

Large handful of oregano, bruised in your hand

3/4 cup raisins

3 bay leaves, crumbled

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed roughly in the mortar and pestle

Large handful of feta cheese, crumbled roughly

Juice of half a lemon

2 tbsp roughly crushed roasted almonds

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the tomatoes into a baking dish that gives them a nice snug fit. Tuck the garlic, herbs, lemon peel and raisins underneath and in the gaps between the tomatoes. Any herbs or raisins sticking up will get quite crisp so try to tuck them away. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle over the fennel seeds and season generously with salt and pepper.

Put in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes are starting to collapse and smell beautiful. Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Crush the garlic out of the skins and mash into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the tomatoes and then sprinkle with almonds, feta and the juice of half a lemon.

These would be good with crusty sourdough bread and salad for lunch.

baby poo (mexican corn) soup with chunky guacamole

this looks like baby poo - hence the name

it tastes pretty amazing

shame about the colour (and texture!)

try to ignore it

this is worth it

yummy smoky chilli delicious goodness

I have no idea why the cobs are cooked in the soup then removed. try it?

5 yellow or red banana capsicum, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

4 long red chillies, cut in half lengthwise, seeds kept in

1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally

1 spanish onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander

1.2kg corn kernels (cut from about six juicy con cobs), reserve cobs

1L good chicken stock

Preheat the grill to high. Place capsicum, chilli and garlic, cut side up on a baking tray. Drizzle with about 1tbsp olive oil. Grill until starting to blacken, turn and drizzle with more oil as necessary and grill until second side is also black. You may need to remove different things at different times. Leave until cool enough to handle and peel capsicum and chilli, squeeze garlic from its skins and roughly chop.

In a large saucepan heat about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute until very tender (5-6 mins) but not golden. Add spices, saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add corn (save 2 cups for later), stock, reserved cobs, garlic, capsicum and chilli and 2 cups of water. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until corn is tender (15-20 mins).

Remove cobs and discard. Puree mixture until very smooth, then cool to room temperature. In the meantime cook the reserved corn in a bowl in the microwave for 2-3 mins or until tender. Return to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature with a big dollop of the chunky guacamole and some tortillas/corn chips and maybe even some natural yoghurt or sour cream.

Guacamole

Combine 2 golden shallots, finely sliced and 2 tbsp lime juice in a small bowl. Leave to macerate for 5-10 mins or until the onion is no longer acrid. Add 2 avocadoes, coarsely chopped and mash well. Mix in 1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered, 1/2 cup chopped coriander. Season well to taste with salt and pepper and for lime.

free-form pumpkin pie/tart

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

The pastry is amazing. Flaky, almost like puff pastry. Try it.

Add a simple salad of spicy rocket leaves with salt, pepper, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The freshness and pepperiness of the salad is perfect with the buttery, rich tart.

It would generously serve 4 for lunch or dinner. It could serve 6 as an entree.

Pastry

1 1/4 cups plain flour

a generous pinch of salt

150g butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

a good squeeze of lemon juice from half a lemon

1/4 cup iced sparkling water (substitute with iced tap water)

In a food processor combine all ingredients for the pastry except the water. mix until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the soda water in a stream until the pastry comes together in a ball. Do not overmix. Pour onto plastic wrap, push into a rough disc shape, wrap up well and refrigerate for an hour or up to a day or two.

Filling

1 small butternut pumpkin

1-2 tbsp butter

2 medium onions, sliced in half circles

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground nutmeg

good pinch of ground chilli

1/4 tsp smoky papria

3/4 cup gouda cheese, grated

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

For the pumpkin.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel, then cut the pumpkin into 1.5cm dice. Mix with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until cooked, and getting dark golden around the edges. Remove from the oven. This can be stored at room temperature for a few hours, or refrigerate for a day until ready to assemble.

For the onion.

Put the butter into a small pan. Add the onion, salt and sugar. Cook gently for 10-20 mins or until the onion is soft and starting to brown gently. Do not cook over high heat. Stir in the paprika, nutmeg and chilli. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Roll the pastry out to make a 40cm round. Mix together the pumpkin, onion, cheese and sage. Season to taste with plenty of pepper and salt as required. Place the pastry onto the baking sheet then pile the pumpkin mix in the middle, leaving a 3-5cm border around each edge. Fold up the edges to semi-enclose the filling. This pastry does not need glazing - it goes lovely and brown without it.

Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden brown.

Serve with a crisp fresh salad and enjoy.

yum!

My favourite Green Pea and Lettuce Soup

Sounds weird. Tastes delicious. Plenty of black pepper and lemon juice are essential ingredients.

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

2 medium sliced potatoes

2 medium brown onions, sliced

1 iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped

750mL of good strong chicken stock

1 bunch chives, chopped, plus extra to serve

300mL cream

Juice of 1-2 lemons

Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients up to and including the chives in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins or until the potato is tender.

Puree with a stick blender until smooth. Add the cream off the heat. Season very well and carefully with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Taste continually until extra lemony and delicious.

Sprinkle with chopped chives and extra pepper to serve.

Is it possible to make Canneloni look nice?

This may not look neat and 'restaurant-y' but it was really good! I found the recipe while at BEGA (Aboriginal medical service) this morning waiting for the doctor. Thanks better homes and gardens! I had to (I think it is a compulsion of mine) change the recipe - changing their cream sauce to a can of tomatoes - much nicer and lighter for a week-night meal. I made some mint pesto the other night so chucked some of that in to give extra flavour. I think if I didn't have this I would add instead a good handful of chopped mint leaves, toasted pine nuts - a handful, and about 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.

1 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes (they can be pretty rough)

250g salami, cut into pieces

250g tub of ricotta

1 egg

2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg - please go out and buy whole nutmegs and grate them yourself! the flavour is far superior to pre-grated nutmeg, it is one of my favourites

Large handful of chopped soft herbs including mint and basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cans chopped tomatoes, or a large bottle of tomato passata

Fresh lasagna sheets

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

While you chop the pumpkin preheat the oven to 180C. Put the pumpkin on a baking tray in one layer, then mix with enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft. Add the salami to the pan and return to the oven for a further 5-10 mins or until the salami is crisp. Remove from the oven. Leave the oven on while you make the canneloni.

In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, egg, herbs, pine nuts, first lot of parmesan cheese and pumpkin and salami. All pumpkins are different sizes so use your judgement. I didn't use my whole pumpkin - I have saved some for a salad tomorrow. Mix well. Season generously with pepper and a bit of salt - keep in mind there is cheese in it which is salty.

Find a large casserole dish. Pour enough tomatoes on the bottom to cover in a thin layer of sauce. Cut the lasagna sheet in half. Place a generous spoon of mixture at one end of the sheet and roll up. Place in the baking dish. Continue until you have used up all the filling. Layer with the rest of the tomatoes. Then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Pumpkin Curry

This recipe is an adaption of one featured in the August Issue of 'Delicious' Magazine, Australia. The original is by celebrity chef Ben O'Donoghue. The original recipe called for the pumpkin to be boiled whole. I love the flavour of roasted pumpkin, so roasted it instead.

This basic tomato sauce is a good base for any vegetables or even meat. It would be nice to stir through some nice grilled chicken.

1.2 kg butternut pumpkin

1 onion, sliced

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 small bunch coriander, roots and leaves chopped separately

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

3 large tomatoes, chopped

Juice of one lime

Yoghurt, basmati rice and indian breads to serve

Preheat the oven to 190C. Chop the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces - leave the skin on. Place the pumpkin on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft and golden around the edges.

Fry the onion gently for 3-4 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the coriander roots, chilli and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water or enough to moisten. Simmer gently until the sauce is thick and the tomatoes have broken down - about 10 minutes.

Add the pumpkin to the tomato sauce along with the lime and coriander leaves.

Serve with yoghurt, rice and indian breads.

Borscht

Recipe from Food Safari - Fantastic!!

This is one of the most beautiful soups you can imagine - the pink of the beetroots is amazing. It is also really delicious

1 kg beetroot, topped and tailed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 litres of chicken stock
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large bunch of fresh dill roughly chopped,
3-4 cups water
1 tbsp sugar
Pepper
2 tsp salt
Sour cream or yoghurt (about 1 dessertspoonful per person)

Peel the beetroots and place them whole into a large pot. Pour over the juice of half a lemon and add water (or stock) to cover. Place the pot over a medium heat and cook for 40 minutes until the beetroot is tender. The beetroot is cooked when the flesh is tender enough for a knife to cut through to the other side without getting stuck.

Remove the beetroot from the liquid and cut into small pieces.

Put the cut beetroot into a large saucepan with the potato, onion and dill. Add sugar and juice of lemon to taste. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt and add three to four cups of water.

Cover and return to the stove. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20-30 mins.

Blend the mixture. Taste again and adjust to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

To serve
Chill until icy cold and serve with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill, or serve hot with a steaming hot boiled potato added to each person’s bowl.

Crusty bread is a must

We ate it hot with sour cream for dinner - fantastic

cold with sour cream for lunch - almost better

Beware of beetroot stains on your clothes!!

Vegetable Bake

6 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup SR flour, sifted

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup pumpkin cut into 1cm cubes

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1/2 cup chopped soft mixed herbs - parsley, basil, mint, oregano, thyme

Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease and breadcrumb a 20cm square baking dish.

Whisk eggs, oil and salt and pepper together in a jug. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add egg mixture. Stir to combine.

Spoon into prepared dish. Smooth surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and set. Stand for 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Dahl

200g red lentils

1 tomato, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

4 cups water

4 cm ginger, sliced into 4 pieces

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 onion, chopped

Pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1/3 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp fresh coriander

Place lentils, tomato, chilli, water, ginger, turmeric in a saucepan. Simmer, covered for 1 hour, stirring frequently

Remove ginger, add salt.

Fry garlic and onion until golden. Add remaining spices and cook for two minutes. Add to lentils.

Serve with fresh coriander

Old-trusty Pumpkin Soup

Greta Anna Pumpkin Soup - Always delicious!

Serves 8

Zest and flesh of two oranges, making sure to get no bitter white pith.

1.5kg pumpkin

1 large potato

Salt and pepper

60g butter

2 tsp nutmeg

6 tsp raw sugar

1.25L very strong chicken stock

300mL cream

Sour cream

Chives

Place all ingredients up to and including the stock into a large saucepan. Cook until the pumpkin and potato are tender.

Remove from heat and puree. Add the cream.

To serve reheat to boiling point. Serve each with a dollop of sour cream and 1 tsp of chopped chives.