Archive for » April 5th, 2010«

05
Apr
Lemon Semolina Cake

Photography by Ben Dearnley

Ingredients:

(serves 10)

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½  cup semolina
  • 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted  OR plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder

Lemon syrup:

  • ¼  cup icing sugar
  • ½  cup lemon juice, strained
  • ½  cup water

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm round (base) spring form cake pan.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, lemon rind and sugar on high speed until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in semolina and flour.
  3. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  4. Meanwhile, make lemon syrup: mix sugar, lemon juice and ½  cup cold water stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over baked cake. Stand for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a plate. Serve with lemon or fruity yoghurt.

Notes: Semolina is the heart of the durum wheat kernel, separated during processing. Most good-quality pasta, gnocchi and couscous is made from semolina. It’s also popular for puddings, cakes, porridge, pancakes and desserts. This is Dairy Free recipe!

Category: Desserts, Vegetarian  Tags: , , , ,  Comments off
05
Apr
Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, juiced

1 1/4 cups plain yogurt

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red sweet paprika

2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, paprika and chili powder. Mix until smooth. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

Notes: This dish can also be baked in a hot oven (230 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes (or until done).

This is an authentic recipe for Tandoori chicken. Serve with long grain Basmati rice, cucumber salad, grilled veggies, roasted corn on the cob and finish off the meal with some sweet dessert.

Category: Indian, Mains  Tags: , ,  One Comment
05
Apr
Kachumber (Indian Salad)

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large tomatoes, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1/4th cup red onion, finely diced

1 Green chili, finely chopped

20 sprigs of coriander leaves minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4th teaspoon salt

3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber and onion together.

2. Add the green chili, coriander leaves, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and mix well.

3. Serve chilled.

Note: Serves as a great accompaniment with curries and Indian meats.

Category: Indian, Salads, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  One Comment
05
Apr
Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

400 g sweet short pastry

Filling:

½ custard powder

1 cup sugar

4 tsp grated lemon rind

1 cup lemon juice

1cup water

50 g butter

6 egg yolks

Meringue:

6egg whites

¾ cup sugar

Method:

Roll pastry on a lightly floured board to a 4mm thickness and line the base and sides of 24 cm pie dish. Bake blind at 190 degrees Celsius until slightly golden.

Mix custard powder, sugar, lemon rind in a saucepan. Add water and lemon juice, mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add in butter and egg yolks by constant stirring, then return to heat and cook foe additional minute until thickens.

Pour filling into pastry shell.

Beat egg whites and sugar together until glossy and thick.

Cover the pie with meringue and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Note: This is my favourite recipe that never fails and is often on the table during lemon season. And it is Dairy Free!

Category: Desserts, Vegetarian  Tags: , , , ,  One Comment
05
Apr
Partridge with Blackberries and Soft Sage Polenta

(Photograph: Linda Nylind)

Ingredients:

(Serves two)

2 partridges, cleaned and gutted

Few sprigs of thyme

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Splash of olive oil

120g polenta

Small bunch of sage, half roughly chopped and half whole leaf

60g butter, plus a couple of knobs for inside the birds

1 cup milk

Punnet of good blackberries

Tumbler of red wine

1½ tbsp redcurrant jelly

Splash of sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.

Choose a smallish thick-bottomed pan to make the polenta in. If it’s slow-cooking then you need to get it on first. Melt half the butter until just fizzling, then gently fry the chopped sage in it for a minute or two. There will be instructions for the amount of liquid you need to use, so just scale down for the quantity of polenta in this recipe, and where they generally advise water, we will be using half milk and half water.

Once the sage has released its aroma, pour in the milk and water. When steaming, but not boiling, slowly pour in the polenta while whisking it. Turn the heat right down and let the grains cook in the liquid, stirring regularly, which could take anything from 12-30 minutes, depending on the kind of polenta used.

If it starts to go cementy, a hefty splash of milk followed by vigorous whisking will restore the creaminess. Season with salt and pepper. When your polenta is 20 minutes away from being ready, stuff the thyme, garlic and a knob of butter inside each bird, and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put an oven-proof frying pan on a high heat and melt the rest of the butter with a splash of plain olive oil.

Once hot, put the birds in the pan, breast side down. Brown them well on both breasts, then turn them over and pop them in the oven. After 15 minutes take the pan out, put it over a medium heat on the hob, and remove the birds, resting them breast side down covered with foil on a plate for the five minutes it takes to finish the sauce.

Fry the whole sage leaves in the pan for just a minute, then take them out and put next to the birds. Pour in the wine and a splash of sherry vinegar followed by the blackberries.

Give the berries a good roll around as the wine reduces to a saucy consistency, then stir in the redcurrant jelly until it melts.

Turn the heat off, season the sauce, give your polenta one last taste and consistency check, restoring it to full creamy potential with a splash of milk if necessary and serve on big, warmed plates: first the beautiful soft polenta, bird on top, sauce and berries all around and the sage leaves to finish.

(recipe by Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of the fast-food chain, Leon)

Category: Mains  Tags: , ,  One Comment
05
Apr
Goat Feta, Baby Spinach and Pumpkin Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 pumpkin

Small ball fresh baby spinach leaves

2 spring onions chopped

1 clove garlic crushed and chopped

100 g goat feta cheese cubed

Cracked pepper and salt to taste

1tbs olive oil

1tbs balsamic vinegar

Method:

Roast the pumpkin half in an oven on 220 degrees Celsius until skin is brown, but not overcooked. Peel the pumpkin half, remove seeds, slice and cut into 2-3 cm cubes.

Put the pumpkin cubes into serving bowl; add spring onions, garlic, feta and baby spinach.

Season and toss gently. Serve cold with selection of breads as appetizer or as salad with roasted meat.

Category: Appetisers, Salads, Side Dishes  Tags: , ,  One Comment