Recipe 72: Roasted Peppers

So many of the recipes I am using at present have roast peppers as one of the main ingredients, so I thought I would add how to roast them in a separate entry.
Plus, roasted peppers go very well with cheese and crackers as a separate dish as well!

Roast Peppers

Capsicums

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Put the whole pepper in a baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes until the skin is wrinkled and the pepper is soft. 
2. Leave to cool for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin, stalk and seeds and chop coarsely.

Recipe 71: Chorizo, Red Pepper & Manchego Empanadas

Tonight, I was introduced to Manchego cheese. I didn't think my local supermarket would carry it, but the Hampton Park Safeway surprised me again!
What is really surprising, is that Manchego cheese is sheep cheese. It has the most odd colour, almost a clear wax like hue. But has an amazing soft taste. I would have to say it would be up there now on one of my favourite cheeses.

Recipe 71: Chorizo, Red Pepper & Manchego Empanadas

1 roasted red pepper, chopped (recipe 72)
20cm chorizo sausage finely diced
1 sheet of puff pastry
30g Manchego cheese, grated,
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp milk (egg wash)

METHOD

1. Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add the chorizo and fry, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes until it begins to shrink, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
2. On a lightly floured surface, place th sheet of pastry and cut out 12 circles, using a pastry cutter. 
3. Put the Manchego cheese, chopped roasted pepper and chorizo into a bowl and mix well. Put 1 tbsp of the mixture slightly off centre on each pastry circle. Fold the pastry over the filling, pinching the edges closed to seal.
4. Put the empanadas on a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and puffed. Serve immediately.

Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, finely chopped

8 rashers of rindless, bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine
4 tbsp double cream
2 sheets of puff pastry

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and cook for a further 3 minutes until the bacon is cooked but not crispy.
2. Add the white wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits off the base of the pan and stir well. Cook for 1 minute until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, then add the cream and cook, stirring for a further 1 minute until bubbling. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. On a lightly floured surface, cut out 24 circles from the 2 sheets of pastry, using a pastry cutter. Gently press the pastry circles into the bases of mini-muffin tins.
4. Put 1 tsp of the leek and bacon mixture in each and press down a little so it does not fall out during cooking when the pastry puffs up.
5. Bake the feuillettes for 12 minutes until puffed and lightly golden, then serve.

Recipe 69: Ham & Mushroom Calzones

Another Friday night dish I cooked up for my mate. I personally didn't like them, but three others did. The verdict is up to you.

Recipe 69: Ham & Mushroom Calzones

15g butter
150g chopped button mushrooms
80g ham, finely sliced
1/2 recipe of pizza dough (recipe 68)
80g mozzarella cheese, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the mushrooms and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until beginning to brown. 
2. Stir in the ham and remove pan from heat.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough out into approximately 36cm square and cut out 16 circles using a pastry cutter.
4. Add the mozzarella  to the cooled muchroom mixture and mix well. On each dough circle put a bit of tomato paste slightly off centre and then put 2 tsp of the mozzarella/mushroom mixture and fold in half, pressing the edges together to seal. Put the calzones on a baking sheet.
5. Brush the calsones with the oil and bake for 12 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Recipe 65: Pesto Recipe 66: Roast Pepper and Pesto Mozzarella Skewers

Friday night - girls night in. Got a scary movie, Cheeses from the local deli, wine cooling in the fridge and a few tapas from my recipe books to try so I can catch up to my target goal of 96 (hoo hum... I might be able to get to 70 recipes by the end of the night but pulling 30 out?- I am seriously behind!) by the end of this week. It doesn't make this challenge any easier when I am away for 3 weeks next week in New Zealand. Just hoping I get to try a few recipes over there - Argh.

Recipe 65: Pesto

makes a small cup

1 large handful of basil leaves, chopped
125ml oilve oil (extra may be needed)
30g pine nuts
2tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, chopped
salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Put the basil, oil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic in a food processor (or blender) and process for 2 minutes until the mixture forms a paste. If too thick, add more oil, taking care not to add too much. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer to an airtight container and leave to stand for at least 1 hr before serving.

Awesome tip about making pesto- if you do store it in an airtight container, it can be frozen for up to 2 weeks and still have the good consistency!

Recipe 66: Roast Pepper and Pesto Mozzarella Skewers

16 small bocconcini balls
1/2 recipe quantity of the pesto (above recipe)
2 red peppers (capsicum)
16 pitted black olives
1 small bunch of basil leaves coarsely chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Put the bocconcini and pesto in a bowl, mix gently to coat, then chill, covered in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the whole peppers in a baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes until the skins are wrinkled and the peppers are soft. Leave to cool for a few minutes and, when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and cut the peppers in half. Remove stalks and seeds and then slice each of the peppers into 8 thin strips about 10cm long.
3. Fold 1 pepper strip into thirds and thread it onto a skewer to form an s shape. Add 1 olive and 1 mozzarella ball. Repeat with the remaining skewers. Sprinkle with the basil leaves and serve.

I made only 8, as I doubled the amount that was on the skewers.

Recipe 56 & 57: Chicken in a Blanket and Cheese Sauce

Tonight's dinner- have never seen the husbands face so excited when he looked into the oven tonight! Easy to make and definitely a meal. Although you could make each parcel smaller by chopping the bacon and chicken into smaller bite sizes and could use it as a tapas dish.

Chicken in a Blanket

Serves 4

2 chicken breast
4 rashers of bacon (I used middle)
2 sheets puff pastry
200g ricotta cheese (or you could use cottage cheese)

METHOD

1. Slice the chicken breast in half length ways and in a hot pan seal on both sides, remove and allow to cool.
2. Cook the rashers of bacon, remove and allow to cool
3. Once the bacon and chicken are cool, cut the pastry sheets in half diagonally and place 1 slice of bacon, 1 halved chicken breast on top of the bacon and spoon 1 tbsp (50g) of ricotta over the chicken and bacon. Wrap/fold the puff pastry over the chicken and bacon mix.
4. Brush with egg wash  (beat a egg and using a basting brush, brush the pastry with the egg) and bake at 230c for 15 -20 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

50g butter
50g Flour
350ml-400ml milk
300g cheese (about 4 handfuls)

METHOD

1. In a pan, melt the butter and stir in flour - which will make a paste like structure.
2. Slowly pour the milk while stirring constantly until all combined (if you put all the milk in at once you will end up with a lumpy sauce, better to add the milk a little at a time).
3. Add the cheese, again stirring constantly. Add more milk (if needed) to receive the desired sauce consistency.

Memories from my childhood

My Childhood Summers - at Endeavour Inlet, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Every now and then I get slightly nostalgic about my past. I was blessed as a child to grow up in the country, to feel sun on my face, wind in my hair and generally the odd prickle in the foot. I have a feeling that the next few posts will be based on childhood recipes that I have grown up with - as having a child yourself makes you realise how important just those simple moments in your life are.
Many summers our family would spend either at lake Taupo (central North Island of NZ), playing tennis, swimming and generally getting into mischief, or if not at the lake we would go to the family holiday home in the Marlborough sounds (top of the south island)- which was always my favourite, as we all would climb aboard the dingy and head out fishing for the day. When my brother and I got big enough, we would kayak around the sounds chasing waves from the water taxi (only way to get in or out, unless you have a helicopter) and at night, when no one was looking, would go and raid the local mussel farms- bringing home a bucket of mussels to be enjoyed by all.
Most of my favourite recipes are from kaimoana (food from the sea)- nothing tastes as good as a freshly caught fish or freshly picked mussels.

Recipe 39 is what we used to do with the mussels as soon as we got them, subtle flavours really as you do not want to ruin the taste and recipe 40 is for the day after, when they weren't so fresh.

Recipe 39: Garlic Mussels

  Fresh Mussels - this recipe is based on about 10
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste (but if straight from the sea generally no need!)

METHOD

1. Clean and de-beard mussels using a sharp knife (de-bearding- means removing any trace of hair on the shell). Chuck out any mussels which are slightly open (as that means they are no good- especially if just picked). 
2. Melt butter in saucepan, add garlic and mussels 
3. When mussels are cooked, the shells will open. Once all open, sprinkle in lemon juice and stir in the pot so all are covered with garlic and lemon juice. (Discard any that do not open)
4. Eat as is and depending, generally 10 will serve 2 people

Recipe 40: Mussel Soup

  250g white fish fillets
4 cups water
400g can tomatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp plain flour
1/4 dry white wine
2 tsp chicken stock powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp basil
16-20 fresh cleaned mussels in shell
Salt and Pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Put fish and water into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Remove fish from the pan and flake (break down into pieces).
3. Reserve all the liquid. Drain and chop tomatoes reserving juice.
4. In another saucepan melt the butter, add curry powder and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until frothy.
5. Gradually add reserved liquid, wine, left over tomato juice and chicken stock powder. 
6. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly.
7. Add tomato paste, basil and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil.
8. Add mussels, simmer for 10 minutes or until mussels open. (Discard any which do not open)
9. Stir in the flaked fish and use salt and peper to taste. Serves 4 -6

Something a little bit flashy

Have realised that you don't need to be slogging away in the kitchen to make something that will impress. This recipe takes less than 10 minutes and I cannot believe how well it goes down with visitors. Only problem is, just like the title states of this post, it is a little bit flashy in terms of $$$. So in truth, this is something I put together when we used to be DINK's (double income, no kids).

Prosciutto sticks with grilled Pear, Honey and Walnut salsa

16 fine slices prosciutto
16 Italian breadsticks (thin sticks)
2 firm pears
1/4 cup walnuts
1 spring onion
1/4 bunch mint
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey


METHOD

1. Using a sharp knife halve the prosciutto slices lengthways. Wrap each breadstick with two prosciutto halves.
2. Heat a ribbed griddle (a pan with ridges) over a medium heat, whilst heating, peel the pears, quarter them and remove the stems and seeds. Lay the pear slices on the griddle (or pan if you don't have a griddle) and cook for 2 minutes until lightly caramelised (a nice golden brown colour).
3. Chop the walnuts, finely dice the spring onions and mint. Combine the spring onions, walnuts, mint with the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Do taste this salsa and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Lay four breadsticks on each serving plate and garnish with two pear quarters. Drizzle with honey and garnish with salsa.