Quality chicken stock from a whole chicken

Making stock always seems so time consuming that I have never bothered. I now realise it's worth the effort and a batch of good quality stock goes a long way.

You can freeze the stock as you're unlikely to use the whole lot at once.

I used a whole chicken as it has been recommended that this will produce a stock which is great for your immune system and well being. Also using a whole chicken means that you don't have to deal with all the messy small bones.

I made it without salt as prefer to add the desired amount of salt to whatever I'm cooking but it could be added upfront as well.

1 small free range chicken

2 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 sticks of celery

3 bay leafs

3 sprigs of thyme

Put all of the ingredients in a stock pot and bring to boil. Then turn it down to a very low heat, cover and let it simmer for 8 hours or so. You can periodically check on it from time to time and scoop off any residue that forms on the top.

Put the stock through sieve and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day you can skim off the white layer of fat and you will be left with a jelly like good quality stock.

Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup

An adapted recipe from Good Chef Bad Chef

I had mine with maple syrup for an indulgent Sunday morning breakfast.

The blueberries melt into the pancakes which will give you some seriously yummy pancakes!

Makes 8-10 pancakes

Serves 4

2 cups self-raising flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup muscovado brown sugar
2 1/2 cups of milk
1 punnet of blueberries
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
butter for cooking

To serve:
maple syrup

Sift the flour into a bowl and mix it with the eggs, milk, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until it is smooth batter without any lumps and leave to rest for half an hour.

Mix the blueberries into the batter. Put a knob of butter into a medium size pan on a low to medium heat. Ladle out the batter into the pan and cook on both sides.

Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Lamb meatball and pea curry

This is an all time favourite from I Love Curry by Anjum Anand. In her book the recipe is called 'hearty meatball pea curry' as you could make it with beef or lamb. However I have always made this with lamb and it's just perfect with some basmati rice.

I like to balance it out this meal with small side salad of chopped tomatoes, grated carrots, chopped cucumber and red onion. Dress the salad with a squeeze of lemon juice and touch of pepper and salt.

This is pretty much Anjum's original recipe with minor adaptions such as additional fresh chillies and cinnamon powder.

Serves 4-6

For meatballs

500g minced lamb
3 large sliced of bread, breadcrumbed
1 egg beaten
1 tsp salt
5g fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed

For the sauce

4 fresh tomatoes
20g fresh ginger, grated
5 cloves garlic, crushed
4tbsp mild olive oil
8 green cardamon pods
8-10 cloves
2.5cm cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
2tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 mace
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
3 handfuls of peas
large handful of coriander

Using your hands mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs until well combined. Make walnut sized meatballs from this mixture and place on a tray. You will get around 25 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan (preferably non stick). Add all the whole spices including the bay leaves and cook until aromatic (around 30 seconds). Then add the onion along with the green chillies and cook until golden brown. Add the blended tomatoes, ginger, garlic and all the powdered spices including the salt. Cook the sauce on a medium to high heat until the sauce thickens to a paste like texture.

Add 700ml of water and bring to a boil. Pop all the meatballs into the simmering curry. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes, then add the peas, and cook uncovered for further 10 minutes or until the curry has reduced down to a gravy like consistency.

Breakfast Pancakes with Mixed Berries

I love making (& eating!) these on a lazy Sunday morning. The recipe is from Bill's Basics by Bill Granger.

I serve them with mixed berries or whatever fruit I have and a generous drizzle of the good quality honey. The original recipe serves them with maple syrup instead and additional yoghurt. I hope you enjoy them with whatever you like on your pancakes!

A small pan will give you around 24 pancakes as opposed to a large pan which will make around 12 pancakes.

• 2 tbsp lemon suice
• 300ml milk
• 200g plain flour
• 3tsp baking powder
• 2tbsp caster sugar (preferably raw)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 30g butter, melted and cooled (plus some extra for cooking

To serve

• berries
• honey

Stir together the lemon juice and milk and leave for 5 minutes. Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar and eggs, melted butter and a pinch of sea salt. Stir in the milk with the lemon juice.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Use 2-3 tbsp of batter for each pancake. Cook the pancake for 2 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn over and cook for a further minute. Keep them warm on a plate until you cook the rest. Serve them with berries and/or whatever fruit you like and a drizzle of honey.

Comfort Lamb Casserole

It has been a wet weekend in Sydney but on the upside it was a good opportunity to cook this one pot lamb casserole dish; it melts in the mouth when cooked slowly. You can pretty much throw in whatever vegetables you like but the below medley works pretty well. Serve on it's own or with baby steamed potatoes which will soak up the juices nicely. The lamb can be substituted with chicken thighs if preferred.

Any left overs will taste even better the next day. Throw any any left over potatoes into casserole dish and warm through in the oven.

Preheat oven to 150c

Serves 4-6

700g diced lamb
1 leek, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 suede, cut into large cubes
3 medium carrots, sliced thick
1/4 small pumpkin, cut into large cubes
10 brussels sprouts
1 pint of lamb stock
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp chinese five spice
1-2 tsp of corn flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish on a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, wait a few seconds for them to sizzle and turn brown before adding the onions and the red chillies. Cook until the onions are slightly softened and then add the leeks and garlic. Stir for around a minute and empty all the contents of casserole dish into a bowl.

Return the casserole dish to a medium heat. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and then brown on all sides.  Add the cornflour to soak up any lamb juices. Add the onion and leek mixture back into the dish followed by the suede and carrots. Stir in the lamb stock and add the chinese five spice. Bring to a boil and pop straight into the oven.

After 30 minutes place the pumpkin cubes and brussels sprouts on the top and cook for a further 40 minutes or until the vegetables and meat are cooked to your liking.

Kidney Bean & Capsicum Fajitas

I usually make these with the Mission Multi-Grain Medium/Soft Taco Flour Tortillas but you can use any other brand you like. These are super easy to make and healthy provided you go easy on the sour cream and cheese. I especially love the taste that the coriander brings to these.

Serves 4

For the main filling:-
400g tin of kidney beans, rinsed in water
2 small onions, sliced
1 red or yellow capsicum, sliced
1 green capsicum, sliced
1/2 pack of old el paso fajita spice mix
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil

Everything else:-
12 flour tortilla wraps
1 diced tomato
avocado salsa
sour cream
1 small bowl of grated cheddar cheese
1 small bowl of shredded cos lettuce
4 tbps chopped coriander
Jalapeños


Pre-heat the oven to 180c (or as per instructions on tortilla pack)

Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan and add the onions and cook on a medium to high heat for 5 minutes. You want them to be slightly cooked but not soft. Add the garlic and fajita mix and stir through the onions for a minute. Then add the capsicums and cook for 3-5 minutes before adding the kidney beans. Leave this to cook for 3 minutes and turn off the heat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Heat the tortillas in an oven according to the instructions on tortilla pack. Put everything on the table and let people make up there own fajita. I add everything to mine!

Winter Rhubarb and Almond Crumble

I think this is best served with a generous helping of warm custard. This reminds me of school dinners when they used to be more wholesome.

Serves 4

For base:
400g cleaned rhubarb, cut into 1 inch chunks
50g raw caster sugar
1 tsp grated ginger

For crumble:
50g of raw almonds, roughly chopped
40g chilled butter, cut into small cubes
90g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon
50g raw caster sugar
1/2 tsp grounded ginger

To serve:
Custard or ice-cream or double cream

Pre-heat oven to 200c

Mix all the base ingredients of rhubarb, sugar and fresh ginger in a bowl and empty into a baking dish. Press down on the rhubarb with your hands so it is spread evenly and is a fairly compact base.

In a large bowl rub the butter and the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Using your fingers works best. Then stir in the almonds, cinnamon, sugar and grounded sugar.

Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the rhubarb and press it down firmly using your hands. Run a fork over the top of the surface.

Place in the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving with custard, ice cream or pouring cream.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this when myself and my husband were feeling a little under the weather. It tastes wonderfully fresh with all the greens and with the red chilli feels like a much needed warm hug on a cold winters day.

Serves 4
4 pak choy, shredded crossways
250g fresh egg noodle
300g shredded poached chicken (see recipe below)
2 litres of chicken stock
1 bunch of trimmed asparagus, cut in in half
90ml oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp lime juice

To serve:
coriander leaves
finely sliced red chilli
very finely sliced spring onion
lime wedges

Divide the pak choy into 4 large soup bowls. Cook the noodle according to the packet instructions. Drain and divide out equally into the 4 bowls.

Bring the stock to boil in a large pan and blanch the asparagus until bright green. This will only take approximately 40 seconds or so. You can test it with a fork if needed. Lift out the asparagus and divide out into the bowls.

Add oyster sauce, sugar and lime juice to the stock. Add in the poached chicken and warm through for 1-2 minutes. Ladle the stock with chicken into the bowls and garnish with the coriander leaves, chilli spring onion and lime wedges.

How to Poach Chicken

I recently poached chicken for the first time. Super healthy cooking method. I wish I'd learnt this years ago.

You make some stock using water and adding whatever spices and herbs you fancy. You bring this to a boil and then turn off the heat. Next you add the chicken and leave it to poach for an hour. Voila! It will be cooked and you can slice, shred or cube into chunks for making up sandwiches, salads or soups. And the meat will have lots of flavour and it will be moist. It will even keep in the fridge for a few days.

The recipe below is from Bill Granger from his Bill's Basic's book.

a handful of parsley corriander
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
2 spring onions or 1/2 onion roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sea salt
300g skinless chicken breasts

Throw all the ingredients into a large pan and fill with cold water. Bring this to the boil. Turn off the heat, add the chicken, put the lid on and leave the chicken to poach for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid.

I shredded the chicken to make a chicken noodle soup (also from the same Bill Granger book). I'll post this recipe along with a photo shortly.

Shepherd's Pie with an Indian Twist

This recipe is adapted from Delia Online. I have replaced the parsley and thyme with rosemary and increased the amount of carrot & swede. The additonal cumin seeds, chillies and garlic gives this a Indian twist.

With the extra vegetables, mince & potatoes, this will serve 6 with a generous helping of steamed greens such as brussels sprouts, green beans or broccoli. It also goes very well with steamed kale.

Serves 4-6

500g minced lamb
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 small sweded, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp of tomato puree
275 lamb stock (fresh or from stock cube)
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste

For topping:
1.1kg potatoes
50g grated mature cheddar cheese
1 medium leek, finely sliced (optional)
30g butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste

Take a lare pot and heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and brown slightly. Add the onions and chillies and cook until soft. Add the carrots and swede and cook until slightly soft. Spoon out the contents of the pan into a bowl.

Turn up the heat on the pan and add a smidgen of olive oil if pan looks dry. Add the minced lamb and fry to get it nicely browned. A wooden fork will work well to break up the mince. Season the mince with salt and pepper. Next stir in the plain flour to soak up any juice.

Now add the bowl of cumin seeds, onions, carrots, swede and chillies back into the pan. Next add the cinnamon, garlic and rosemary, tomato puree and stir through before adding the stock. Bring to boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes with the lid on.

While the meat is cooking you can make the topping. Peel the potatoes, chop into large chunks and boil until tender but not mushy. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes depending on the size of potato chunks. Preheat the oven to 200c.

Drain the potatoes when done and leave with the lid off for 5 minutes. Add, butter, salt and pepper to taste before mashing the potatoes. Using a manual potato masher works just fine.

Spoon the meat mixture into a deep casserole dish and level it out using a wooden spoon. Top the meat evenly with the mash potato, sprinkle with leeks followed by the cheese.

Cook in the top shelf of the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden.

Chapatti

Making chapattis seems like a chore but try the homemade ones and you won't regret it. You can have  these with the Tuna Curry recipe below or just about any Indian curry. I prefer to use olive oil rather than ghee/ clarified butter.

With these practice really makes perfect and don't worry if they aren't perfectly round or don't all puff up nicely. They will still taste good.

Makes 12

300g chapatti flour (or half whole-wheat and half plain flour)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

200ml hot water

Put the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the olive oil into the well followed by most of the hot water. Using your hand start to sweep all of the flour into the centre using your hand and mixing all the time. Knead to a very slightly sticky dough and add rest of the water only if needed.

Divide the dough into equal portions of 12 and roll into balls and then flatten with palm of your hand. Flour a clean work surface and roll each ball into circles of approximately 15cm.  Dust with a little more flour along the way if needed.

Heat a frying pan or tava until fairly hot and then turn it down to a medium heat. Place rolled chapatti on pan. Cook until small bubbles begin to appear on underside will be visible from top. This should take around 30 seconds, the turn. Cook this side until base has dark spots and then turn again. Let it cook for around 15 seconds before using a clean tablecloth to press gently to puff up the chapatti. Once puffed transfer to onto a plate lined with a kitchen towel.

Continue to cook the rest of the chapattis. You can cover the plate with foil to keep them warm.

Dads Delicious Tuna Curry

Growing up in our household my Mum did almost all the cooking. On the rare occasion that Dad cooked there would be bedlam in the kitchen, lots of mess, a not too pleased Mum, but a very tasty meal on the table which was gobbled up all too quickly!

This is my Dad's recipe and one of my all time favourites. And every person who hates tuna out of a can will change their mind. It has been tried and tested on my husband and brother-in-law. For anyone who decides to give it a try, I would love to hear you comments.

Serves 4
2 x 185g cans of tuna (in oil or brine is okay)
2 medium yellow onions finely chopped
2 small potatoes
2 large tomatoes, pureed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 large cinnamon stick
6-8 cloves
1tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt or to taste
handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1. Peel the potatoes, cut into small chunks and boil until soft but not mushy. Set aside and leave for later.
2. Drain the tuna, empty into a bowl and fluff it up using a fork
3. In a medium sized deep pan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat, and then add the mustard seeds. Cover and wait until the seeds have popped. Then reduce the heat to low.
4. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds and peppercorn seeds. Cook for 10-15 seconds only before adding the garlic and chilli peppers. Turn the heat back up to medium and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add onions and cook until they are soft. Add turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, chilli powder, gram masala and stir for 30 seconds
6. Stir in the tomatoes and continue to cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes
7. Stir in tuna followed by the potatoes. Add salt and stir until completely mixed. Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with coriander and serve with chapatis (preferably homemade)

Quick chicken mushroom gratin

A new creation which I'll be making again as it's super quick and also tastes just as good reheated the next day.

Serves 4
500g of chicken tenderloins
small pack of swiss brown mushrooms thickly sliced
50g grated parmesan cheese
50g of breadcrumbs
50g baby spinach leaves
5 tbsp of double or single cream
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed 
1/2 tsp of chopped thyme (fresh or dry)
1 tsp of oregano (fresh or dry)
Pinch of salt 
Pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 180c

1. Line the bottom of an oven dish with the spinach leaves and add the chicken in a single layer over the top. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for further 1-2 minutes before adding the cream. Warm the mixture through but do not bring to boil and then turn off the heat.
3. Pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken tenderloins
4. Mix the breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top
5. Pop into the oven for 30-35 minutes

Serve with some steamed new baby potatoes and asparagus or green beans. A glass of red wine wouldn't go amiss either!

Easy Avocado & Tomato on Toast

This is ideal for breakfast or brunch

Serves 2

• 4 slices of bread (any type is fine)
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes sliced
• 1 small sliced avocado
• Handful of toasted pine nuts
• 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt 
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Simply toast the bread and top with sliced avocado and tomatoes. Then sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Finish off with a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper. Delicious, healthy and oh so simple!

Dessert to die for...

Firstly let me warn you that I don't have the recipe, and if I did I probably wouldn't be capable of making it, but I can tell you that it's still on the menu at The Bathers Pavillion.

Absolutely love the way it's made to look like an egg with the yellow yoke inside. It was almost too beautiful to eat, only almost...

Mango cheesecake, pineapple cream and white meringue passionfruite gel, tropical pearls

 

Courgette, parmesan and sun-dried tomato muffins

The recipe for these wonderfully cheesy muffins is from My Daddy Cooks. Of course they are best eaten straight out of the oven but keep easily in the fridge for a week or longer in the freezer. To revive them a quick heat in the microwave is all that is needed.

After the indulgence of Christmas, I like most of the population am on a drive to eat more healthily, and these little muffins are great in the lunch box along with a generous helping of mixed greens. This is a great alternative to sandwiches which seem to have lashings of mayonnaise!

My only adaptation to the recipe is an extra courgette or zucchini as the Aussies and Americans call them. Where possible I always try to sneak in some extra veg.

I think these would also be great with feta cheese and spinach but I have yet to experiment.