Poulet aux Champignon

French Inspired Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

This dish was created in the teeny-weeny kitchenette in the back of our campervan on the outskirts of a little medieval town in the Dordogne region in France. I had one little gas cooker, one pot and one frying pan and utensils of course…and that was it! It’s so lovely getting back to basics and cooking everything in one pan. I had been thinking about creating a mushroom sauce for a few days, and the ingredients had been swimming around in my head until they were solidified in my basket at the supermarket. It’s so simple, it seems almost silly…but I tell you, the flavours are wonderful and rich. If I can cook this outside in a campervan, you can cook it and cook it really well. I didn’t use any corn flour to thicken the sauce as I didn’t have any, but by reducing the wine and adding dijon mustard, it works as a wonderful emulsifier. When you eat this, pretend you are sitting in the French country side…sip some white wine thoughtfully, take a mouthful and thank the French for all they have done for the wonderful world of gastronomy.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast escalopes or 1 chicken breast sliced in half to make 2 thin pieces
200g button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 chicken stock cube (or to taste)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. Season the chicken breast well with salt and pepper and cook in a frying pan in a little olive oil until golden on each side. (It doesn’t have to be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the mushroom sauce). Put aside.
2. In the same pan, add 1.5 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium to high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and half of the garlic and thyme. Cook until golden on each side, transfer to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms (Doing it in two batches ensures that the mushrooms are fried and browned rather then stewed).
3. Add the all mushrooms back into the pan and pour in the white wine. Reduce by half, then add the dijon mustard and chicken stock cube with a little splash of boiling water. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens and the alcohol taste has cooked out of the sauce. Check the seasoning and add any salt or pepper if needed.
4. Add the chicken breast to the sauce, and simmer until cooked through. Sprinkle on some fresh thyme.
5. Serve each chicken breast on a bed of mashed potato, with mushrooms piled on top and a side of steamed vegetables.

Serves 2

Button mushrooms and fresh thyme

Chicken cooked a fragrant mushroom sauce

Please ignore the tacky green camping plate…serve it on a beautiful, large white plate with fresh thyme for an aesthetically pleasing meal.

Bonappetite!

Mr McDonald’s remark: “A wonderfully French dinner. Serve with a fresh baguette to mop up all of the tasty juices and a bottle of 1664 French lager”.

Road-tripping around South France…

Highlights

14 days road-tripping in the South of France

1. Vieux Lyon and Moire

When travelling around Europe, sometimes big cities can seemingly merge with similarity. Similar apartment blocks with quaint shutters, a boulangerie on every corner, seedy French or Italian men loitering in smokey cafes. Not Lyon…well at least not Vieux Lyon. It is the essence of ‘old’ France with gorgeous cobbled streets and authentic cafes and bars serving food fit for Kings and Queens…because as you must know, Lyon is the gastronomical centre  of France….perhaps the world. It is a place where the image of horse drawn carriages and ladies dressed in lace and long swishy skirts is vivid in your mind…you can almost hear the sound of horses hooves clinking on the stone, echoing through the narrow streets. It is one of my favourite cities in Europe, and consequently has, in my opinion, the most beautiful Basilica (cathedral) in the world. It is situated  on the hill with the most spectacular view over Lyon. When the autumn leaves shine bright hues of red, orange and yellow…the view is simply breathtaking. We had a sublime dinner in Vieux Lyon on our first night consisting of and entrée of two salads, one with steamed potatoes and a creamy sauce of garlic and herbs, the other a Lyonnaise speciality with salade, lardons, croutons  et oeuf poché  ( lettuce, bacon, croutons and poached egg). The mains were barvette a l’échalotte (steak with shallots) and Le délice du Villon (sausage and mushrooms baked in a 4 cheese bechamel sauce). Simply delicious….the French certainly know how to cook! We enjoyed exploring the rest of the city, namely the Roman amphitheatre ruins and markets along the Saone river.

View from Basilica, Lyon

Basilica, Lyon

View from our accommodation, Vieux Lyon

Roman amphitheatre ruins, Lyon

Vieux Lyon

Moiré is a little village proudly perched on a hill, about 40 min north west of Lyon. This lovely place is where I spent the better part of 8 months in 2009 working as an aupair.  I must say that being back there made me very nostalgic and brought back a myriad  of fond memories. The wonderful family I lived with had alas, moved on, but it was just great to wander through the streets, admire the panorama of vine yards and the cute clusters of villages nestled into the country side. After travelling quite extensively throughout Europe, I think Moiré, and the surrounding towns to be one of the most charming and breathtakingly beautiful places in the world. It was an absolute treat taking Owen back to my past..I think he loves it almost as much as I do now. I was fortunate enough to meet up with a dear friend Dawn, and her family and catch up on the last 4 years…such lovely and hospitable people.

Moiré, where I lived in 2009

Oignt, near Moire

Wine grapes, Oingt

Oingt village

Le Bois d’Oingt

2. Campervan quirks

When we picked up the campervan, we were like school children riding on  bus for the first time. Owen played with all the buttons and I craned my neck out the window to look at everything as it flew by. One of my highlights with the van was the first of many, food shops. If you haven’t experienced a European super…and I mean SUPER market…then you have been missing out big time!

They certainly have their priorities right….at least 3-4 aisles dedicated to cheese, a plethora of fresh fruit and vegies not to mention every type of creature from the sea displayed tantalisingly on fresh ice, and look-a-like fishermen in thick aprons and gumboots serving customers with a cheery smile. Who in Australia would go to that much trouble? The last seafood deli experience I had in Sydney, the lady didn’t even eat fish!! Forget the exchange rate for a moment, and you’ll soon see, that food is much cheaper to buy in France. Or at least thats how I justified purchasing all the wonderful food we ate…

3. Alp d’Heuz

Laura’s perspective:

The village is abuzz with cycling fanatics. Men proudly ponce around in their oh so tight cycling attire. Owen’s eyes are wide with boyish excitement. All those hours sitting watching the Tour de France have contributed to this moment of bliss. He looks up at the mountain with such admiration, as if it were an old friend. Scores of pelotons fly by, each man with the same look, the same boyish grin.

I’ve never understood this craze, although I fully support the idea of exercise in any measure. I felt fatigued just driving up the windy, steep as anything mountain road. I stopped a few times to wait for Owen to pass to make sure he was ok and took the liberty of taking some cracking shots of des alps and the town below. Each time Owen passed, he was as sweaty as a pig and puffing like a steam train BUT that ‘look’ never left his eyes. He was determined to press on, regardless of the great difficulty and steep terrain, he kept going. And for this I will always admire his strength and perseverance. I on the other hand I had quite a lot of fun chuffing up the alp in the campervan…this thing has a whole lot of get-up-and-go! Owen tells me the number of hair pin turns are 21 in total but it felt like much more.The sun is shining brightly and warming the cockles of me heart, the air is crisp and fresh, the view is spectacular and Owen just finished the ride and triumphantly held his bike in the air…Owen, King of Alpe d’Huez! What a wonderful achievement, what a wonderful day.

Owen’s perspective:

Bike, check… helmet, check… camera to record my crusade, check…. months of preparation and training… Oh well, I’ll do this one on sheer will power!

The Alps

Owen before he rode up Alp d’Huez

He made it to the top! Alp d’Huez, France

Lakes on top off Alp d’Huez, France

Alp d’Huez

The Alps

4. Top camping spots

Something that pleasantly surprised us was the vast array of free campsites in France, ranging from simple rest areas in car parks to sublime spots by rivers or on the edge of cliffs overlooking the sea. The app was called park4night and it was one of the most valuable downloads of the trip.

Here are some of our favourite campsites on the trip…

Camping in The Alps

Camping by the lake, near St Chamas, The Mediterranian Coast

Camping on the Spanish Border, Bagyuls sur Mer

We woke up to this view from our boot, Bagyuls sur Mer

Bagyuls sur Mer

Camping, Dordogne

Medieval village, Dordogne

Beynac castle, Dordogne

Beynac castle, Dordogne

5. Cassis and the Mediterranean

Cassis is another of my favourite spots, and for good reason. I’ve been there three times now, and each time has been wonderful in a new way. Cassis is a little seaside village that until a few years ago, was completely unspoilt by hoards of eager, photo taking, cafe sitting, sandal clad tourists. We do not class ourselves as that ‘type’ of tourist…we try our hardest to blend in with the locals and certainly do not wear sandals. We stayed in the caravan park which was only really good for a hot shower and a loo. How fortunate we were to stumble into the town’s marvellous market day, where all the best saucisson (like mild salami), fromage (cheese) and only-picked-this-very-morning vegetables and fruits of the best quality were on display. We went a bit ballistic buying 10 euros worth of saucisson which turned out great as we got to share it with friends later on.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the surrounding areas and came back to Cassis for a lip-smacking dinner of mussels and local fish stew..

Cassis

Cassis

Sete

Fresh food markets in every town

Near St Chamas

6. Food

This trip has been a whirlwind for our tastebuds. French food at its utmost simplicity is to die for. Simple things like melon with jambon cru (rockmelon and prosciutto)…the fragrance of the melon fills your nostrils with the sweet smell of summer. We often prepared lunches of bits and pieces, a bit of prosciutto or saucisson for saltiness, some mini pickles for acidity, some brie or smoked cheese for creaminess, sun dried tomato pesto and kalamata olives for an explosion of flavour, and of course….fresh baguette. French bread is something everyone has to experience. The best baguette is crunchy on the outside and fluffy yet slightly dense in the middle. It is so good, that it usually doesn’t make it halfway home as it is eaten on the way…without jams or spreads…just el’ natural. Such simplicity, such grace.

I also had great fun cooking on the little stove in the back of our camper. We got sick of eating out for every meal in Asia so it was such a relief to be able to cook again. Idea’s would formulate in my head, the ingredients finally selected at the supermarket  would be create these to the best of my ability, with the limited culinary resources I had a my disposable. I also bought a cookbook with all the French essentials…reading the ingredients in French was fine, it was the method that required google translator.

Lunch most days

Cooking in the back of the campervan

Fragrant tomatoes

7. Visiting Friends

A road trip isn’t complete without dropping in on some old friends! Cait and Zippa are about as ‘old’ as they come, and it was a delight to share a few nights with them in Pau.  Their elegant flat is nestled at the top of a classic old french hotel not a few minutes walk from the centre of town, where the lady of the house was kind enough to show us a few of her favourite places.

If we had spent more time exploring the place, Pau could have been one of our favourite destinations  in France! But to be honest, that wasn’t the point of this stop. It was just lovely to relax in the one place for a while with top notch company without feeling to need to photojournalise our experience of the town. The point of this stop was to share some love and break some bread so to speak.

The highlights of Pau for me will be the wine shared with life long friends, deep conversations accompanied by cheese plates and Nutella smothered on baguette after baguette, delicious coffee sipped in a cosy kitchen, and oddly to feel completely at home in a foreign country. This is the greatest compliment I could give to our fantabulous hosts. It was the rest and recharge we were in need of after an extremely adventurous month of relentless travelling.

– Owen

In Pau with our friends Caitlin and Afusipa

Beauitful Pau

 We are now on a farmstay in Normandy for two weeks where we will be immersing ourselves into French and farm culture. We’ve been away for 4 weeks now, how fast time flies when you’re having fun!

Until next time, we say  au revoir!

Panang Chicken Curry (PaNang)

 This is traditionally a mild curry that is creamy and delicious. If you like your curry with more heat, add more chillies.

Chicken Panang Curry (PaNang)

Curry Paste:

8 large dried red chillies, soaked and chopped

2 teaspoons coriander seed, roasted

4 shallots, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

4 thumb sized pieces of fresh turmeric

4 thumb sized pieces of galangal (or ginger)

2 teaspoon kaffir lime leaves  (fresh if possible)

2 pieces of lemongrass

2 pieces of gingseng

1 cup roasted peanuts (add at the end)

Method:

1. Place all dry spices into a mortar and grind them until they turn into powder form.

2. Add chilli and pound until it becomes a paste.

3. Finally, add the remaining ingredients including the peanuts and pound until the texture is smooth.

Panang Curry Ingredients:

500g chicken breast, sliced

2 cups coconut milk

2 tablespoons Panang curry paste

2 teaspoons palm sugar

4 teaspoon fish sauce

2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely

1 large red chilli, thinly sliced

Method:

1. Boil 2 tablespoons coconut milk in a wok over low heat until oil appears on the surface.

2. Add curry paste and stir until incorporated, then add the chicken and cook until it turns white. Add remaining coconut milk and bring to the boil.

3. Add palm sugar and fish sauce (add more to taste if needed) and leave it to boil until it thickens.

4. Remove from heat. Add kaffir lime leaves and red chillies on top and serve with boiled rice.

Serves 4-6

TIPS:

1. Don’t buy coconut milk as they dilute it too much making it weak. Buy coconut cream and dilute it by half. Eg. If the recipe calls for 1 cup coconut milk use 1/2 cup of coconut cream and 1/2 cup water.

2. Dried chillies are more mild and fresh chillies have more heat. Green curry uses fresh green chillies making it quite ferocious, where as Red curry and Panang use dried red chillies making it a more palatable dish.

3. Use good quality ingredients and reputable Asian brands.

4. When making the curry pastes, you can cheat by using a food processor or bar mixer. While this may reduce the time and effort of making the paste, it will also reduce the flavour as it’s important to crush the ingredients in a mortar and pestle.

5. Panang is just Red curry with added peanuts.

6. When reducing the sauce, it’s important not to stir or agitate the liquid. Just leave it to reduce and it will thicken nicely.

7. Start the curry off with a low to medium heat so as not to burn the spices. Once all the ingredients are in, you can turn up the heat to reduce the water content and thicken the sauce.

8. You can make a large quantity of curry paste and freeze it in little bags or in icecube trays for up to 3 months.

Beautiful fresh ingredients

Curry Pastes: Green, Panang and Red

Rice sold at the local market

Meang Kum- Traditional Thai Snack

We had the privilage of attending an all day cooking course in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. For both Owen and I, this was one of the highlights of our Asia trip. We had a fantastic cooking guide named Mr A who measured our sexiness by the heat of the chilllies in our dish. Owen was by far the ‘sexiest’ in our group as he loves everything hot and spicy. We got to choose 6 dishes each, and we cooked them at our own stations. Thai cooking is surprisingly easy and straight foward. Everything is cooked at a high heat and really quickly to keep everything fresh. Here are some of our favourite recipes.

 

Meang Kum

 

A traditional Thai ‘welcome to my home’ snack…

 

Ingredients:

Roasted peanuts

Toasted coconut

Ginger, diced

Shallots, chopped finely

Chilli, chopped finely

Lime, sliced

Betel leaves (You can substitute lettuce or spinach leaves)

Sweet syrup (Agave, honey or maple syrup)

 

How to eat:

1. Fold the betel leaf in half lengthways, then fold it in half the other way. Place your finger inside and gently move around to form a cup

2. Put a little of each ingredient into the betel leaf cup, top with sweet syrup and pop the whole thing in your mouth.

3. Chew slowly and thoughtfully, feeling all the flavours mingle and tingle in your mouth.

 

South East Asia Shenanigans

A taste of our trip…

1. Bangkok

The humid air causes beads of sweat to roll down every vertical surface on our bodies. Everything is sticky, warm and probably crawling with all sorts of devilish bacteria and foreign diseases that would make even the most immune die a long, slow death. The rain appeared suddenly out of no-where in the bustling city causing market holders to spring into action to conserve their precious items and bystanders dash for cover under leaky tin roofs. Skinny cats flee to find shelter and sit licking their fur, congratulating themselves on a lucky escape. Children scream with excitement as the rain pours down, drenching them from head to toe. Motorbikes carrying whole families of helmet-less passengers continue to weave stealthily in and out of traffic. Tuk Tuk’s toot their horns cheekily. We sit in our air conditioned room gazing out at this world through rain stained windows…it is all so unfamiliar and yet vastly intriguing. We are in Bangkok.

Temple, Bangkok

Owen in a tuk tuk

Roof tops, Bangkok

Siam Centre in all its extravagance, Bangkok

2. Pattaya- Koh Larn Island

We spent a day on the beautiful island of Koh Larn, which is about 12km off the coast of Pattaya city. We hired a motor bike and spent the day riding around the island stopping at beaches and swimming at our leisure.

Our Hotel view at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya

Floating Market, Pattaya

Floating Market Street Food, Pattaya

Koh Larn Island, Pattaya

Dynamic clouds, Koh Larn Island

Getting around on a motor bike, Koh Larn

Owen enjoyed the bike immensely!

3. Overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Ever since I was a little girl, I had read Richard Scary’s book “What do people do all day” and wanted to go on an overnight train. The pig family all take an overnight train somewhere exciting, have bundles of fun and get pancakes in the morning (that consequently go flying outside as the chef didn’t close the window..haha). You must be careful not to imagine real life experiences as they are played out in children’s story books. Our experience on an overnight train was not wonderful, but it was an experience and for that I’m glad that we did it.

We slept little, woke very early in the morning, ate a very average breakfast and sat watching the unfamiliar but extraordinary lush green foliage race by on our way to Chiang Mai.

O/N train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Owen and I watched amazed as the Carriage Matron magically (or at least, very efficiently) turned our table and chairs into a bunk bed!

4. Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a wonderful city in north Thailand. The atmosphere here is polar opposite from the chaos of Bangkok. People move slowly, meandering along the quiet leafy streets…it’s a city of day dreamers. We are surrounded by mountains and this causes an afternoon shower that is refreshing and therefore welcome. There are lots of trendy cafes selling great coffee and food and a plethora of second hand book shops where Owen and I bought a few novels to get us through the 3 day slow boat trip to Luang Probang. We did a full day cooking course on a farm which was wonderful and learnt all about ethical farming and cooked 6 different Thai meals each. We also hired a motor bike and rode up a very windy and steep mountain to a temple over looking the city. A highlight of the whole trip was on the way back down the mountain, it absolutely bucketed down…it poured and poured. We had a blast weaving through traffic, splashing through the puddles on the road that were quickly becoming rivers and getting completely drenched.

Temple Ornaments, Chiang Mai

Rice at the local market, Chiang Mai

Fresh Produce, Chiang Mai

Thai Cooking Class, Chiang Mai

Left: Owen showing of his beautiful spring rolls. Top Right: Home made curry pastes. Bottom Left: Owen’s Chicken Panang Curry

5. Slow Boat trip from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

I’m writing this sitting on the slow boat from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang as it putts along, hemmed in by lush green mountain ranges on either side. The Mekong river is a large, brown water way with dangerous boulders lurking below, deceptively out of sight. Their only giveaway is the whirlpools of rubbish and debris that circle around these rocks, notify the driver and keep us out of danger. The mountain ranges on either side of us are completely captivating in that they resemble a rather jagged patchwork design. Although incredibly steep, there are patches of short grass, thick jungle like vines, banana plantations and what looks like corn crops. All shades of green with a spattering of yellow here and orange earth there. This place is incredibly remote and the only signs of life are the little villages that are scattered haphazardly along the river or mountains. The little tracks they use are very evident as the earth is a bright orange colour and it shows in great contrast to the ever green hillside. Our trip will take 3 days, it will be long and tedious yet the cool breeze and incredible view just seem to make it all worthwhile.

The boats are very long and narrow, but have a really comfortable seats.

Gorgeous scenery on the slow boat

Little villages, almost camouflaged, dotted along the river side.

6. Luang Prabang

Luang Probang is a city in Northern Laos. It’s is our favourite place so far actually. It’s on old french colonial town on the edge of the Mekong. More great coffee, beer (Beer Lao is very tasty and it comes in a long neck… always), and has delicious french patisseries. Laos is a little more expensive than Thailand as everything has to be imported and the roads in Laos are only just beginning to improve. We took advantage of the wonderful variety of cafes and restaurants while we were here, trying local favourites like herbed fish in a banana leaf and sour pork with tamarind sauce. We also had a great Korean BBQ style meal where we got to cook all our own meats, seafood and vegetables on hot coals. And we had the tastiest Buffalo burger from Lao Lao Garden and a fresh coconut shake to wash it down. All in all a wonderful gastronomical experience to say in the least. We went out to Kuang Si Falls in a tuk tuk with a group of friends for an afternoon, hired a motor bike and explored the city, drove 1 hour to the Pak Ou Caves which are filled with over 4000 Buddha statues and just spent lots of time relaxing and enjoying the quiet, friendly city.

View over Luang Prabang

Every day at 6am, the monks come out in their hundreds to collect ‘alms’ or sticky rice from the local residence. It’s a very old and quaint tradition.

A young monk on his way to the temple

Top 3 photos: Kuang Si Falls, Luang Probang

Top 4 photos: Our adventure to Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang

And that concludes the adventure that was South East Asia. The next leg of our journey will take 40 hours, 4 countries, 3 planes, 3 trains, 2 buses and a tuk tuk, landing us very much in need of a shower in the old city of Lyon, in the south of France. It is from here we launch our EUROPE ‘escapades’. We’ll update the blog again in a month as we fly from Paris to Florence to embark on our second of three farm stays, living with locals and immersing ourselves in the culture. Till then…

Delicious Lemon Curd Tarts

This is a beautiful recipe that I stumbled upon on another food blog. I have recently had a reactivation of glandular fever and I am on a strict diet to try and help me get my energy levels back. I am always looking for healthy alternatives to the normal sugar filled, fat enforced, wheat laden, dairy moo cowed desserts that give you type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, pudge in unwanted places, heart attacks and subsequent death. Well, that is a bit dramatic…I admit. But I must say that I have been doing some research into the negative affects of sugar, fat and our nation wide generally unhealthy diet. I have found fantastic alternatives to sugar; namely Stevia, Rice Malt Syrup and Agave. All these natural sweeteners help to regulate your blood glucose levels instead of sending them through the roof. I have found all of these products in my local IGA, Coles or Wollies. The rustic crumbly almond base compliments the zingy-zesty, smooth as custard lemon filling. I guarantee this dessert will knock your socks off and send you into a whirl-wind of delight and heavenly pleasure. And the best bit is…it won’t add to your already bulging bits. IT’S COMLETELY GUILT FREE!!!

 

 

 

Lemon Curd Tarts

 

Base

2 cups almond meal

2 Tbs coconut oil

1 Tbs honey

2 Tbs water – warm

1 tsp vanilla essence

pinch of salt

Filling

6 egg yolks (save the whites for other recipes)

¾ cup lemon juice

rind from one lemon – grated

½ cup honey (I used Rice Malt Syrup. You could also use Agave)

½ cup grapeseed oil (I used Rice Bran Oil)

Method

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C/300°F

2. Place almond meal and salt into a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil, honey, water and vanilla essence. When the ingredients have all dissolved, pour into the almond meal, mix together and knead into a dough. If the dough is too sticky, add some almond meal and knead to incorporate.

(Note: this dough will not resemble a ‘normal flour’ dough. It will be more coarse and darker. Make sure it has the right consistency so it will hold together).

Refrigerate for at least 30min.

3. Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave (if solid) and grease a flan dish with the oil and dust lightly with gluten free flour.

4. Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll out evenly to about 3mm. Take a small flan dish and using a larger bowl or cutter, cut out circles and press the dough into the flan dish evenly. Continue until all the dough is used up.

5. Place a piece of baking paper into each flan and put a tablespoon of rice on top. Blind bake at 150°C  for 8 minutes on the middle rack. Remove paper/rice and continue to bake for 5min. Then remove from the oven and let cool.

6. Place the egg yolk, lemon juice, rind and honey into a glass bowl. Fill a pot ¼ way up with water and bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl over the pot, so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. With a whisk or electric blender, whisk the egg yolks until they thicken. This can take up to ten minutes.

7. Once the mixture is thicker and quite fluffy, transfer to a food processor

with the mixing blade in or a mix-master with a whisk attachment. Slowly drizzle the oil into the egg yolk whilst mixing until all the oil has been incorporated.

It should resemble a thick custard like appearance.

8. Pour the lemon-egg mixture into the flan crust and bake for 15 minutes in the oven until set. Let it cool and then place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.

Serve with berries and ice cream if desired. Enjoy!

Tip: If you have any left over base dough, use a muffin tray to make mini lemon curd tarts.

Mr McDonald’s remarks: “I really like it. The pastry crumbled in your mouth and complimented the tanginess of the lemon”.

Mrs McDonald– “Would you have known that it was Dairy, Wheat and Sugar free?”

Mr McDonald– “No. I wouldn’t have known…. (then)… my arm hurts.”

Mrs McDonald’s thoughts: “I think I’ve lost him…haha.”

Delicious Smoked Chicken, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

This recipe is adapted from a beautiful cookbook by Pippa Kendrick called ‘the intolerant gourmet’. It has a plethora of allergy friendly meals that have all the gumption, flavour and poise of any good cookbook. This salad ought to serve on a cold winters day to warm the cockles of your heart. The garlicky, thyme infused, oven roasted sweet potato is just glorious. The succulent chicken, delicious roasted pine nuts and earthy lentils sing in your mouth. I didn’t have any smoked chicken when I first made this, so I used the breasts from a free-range BBQ chicken that I shredded into bit-sized pieces. You could alternatively use a seasoned, cooked chicken breast too.

Delicious Smoked Chicken, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

700g sweet potatoes

1 x smoked chicken breast (or 2 x BBQ chicken breasts)

4 cloves of garlic

A bunch of thyme

3 tablespoons olive oil

50g pine nuts

1 x 400g can of lentils

½ chicken stock cube

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons agave syrup or 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7

2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1cm sized pieces. Crush the garlic and finely chop the thyme. Place chopped sweet potato, garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Place a piece of baking on a roasting tray and tip on the seasoned sweet potatoes.

Bake for 35 min or until softened on the inside and crispy on the inside. Once cooked, remove from oven and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, scatter the pine nuts in a fry pan on a low heat and cook until golden brown. Watch the pine nuts the entire time as they can burn quickly!

4. Drain the lentils, rinse and place in a saucepan. Pour over just enough water to cover add ½ a chicken stock cube, 1 whole clove of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme. Simmer gently.

5. Next, make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together in a jar or bowl with a whisk, seasoning with salt and pepper to amalgamate the flavours.

6. Drain the lentils and place in a serving bowl. Pour over the dressing, season to taste and add more olive oil if you think it needs it. Tip in the roasted sweet potato, chicken, and toasted pine nuts and toss carefully to mix together.

Serve warm.

Tip: You can serve this on a bed of rocket or watercress for a bit of extra bite.

Mr McDonald’s remarks: “Yum…this is really tasty. Love the bite of the pine nuts. This is a really good winter salad”.

 

Rombo alle erbette e Funghi Ripieni (Baked Fish with Stuffed Mushrooms)

This delightful recipe is an amalgamation from two cookbooks of mine. I have made the baked fish before with snapper and it was beautiful. I have however always wanted to cook stuffed mushrooms. When shopping, I would browse among the mushroom shelves admiring the larger portobello mushrooms and dreaming of ways to stuff and cook them. I’m sad to admit that the first time I did this in fact was when they were reduced price on the shelf and I thought “What a bargain…I must finally make these”. And so I have. Enjoy!

Rombo alle erbette (Baked fish)

2 fillets of fish 150-200g (flounder, salmon, trout, snapper)

1 tablespoon plain flour, for dusting the fish

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon water

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon each of finely chopped fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, sage, mint and thyme (or any that you have).

1 teaspoon of butter

Funghi Ripieni (Stuffed mushrooms)

4 large mushrooms (I used Portobello)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 spring onions finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon each of parsley, oregano and thyme

2 pieces of shortcut bacon, finely diced

1 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon butter

Method:

 Preheat oven to 200°C.

1. To make mushroom stuffing: remove and chop mushroom stems finely. Heat olive oil in a fry-pan and add diced bacon and cook until crispy. Add garlic, spring onions and mushroom stems and cook until garlic is just fragrant. Stir in breadcrumbs and fry for 2-3min until crisp. Turn off heat and add herbs, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

2. Lightly oil the bottom of a shallow ovenproof dish, add butter and arrange mushrooms cup sides up, in a single layer in dish. Spoon the filling into each mushroom and drizzle liberally with oil. Cover loosely with greaseproof paper.

3. To prepare fish: season each side and lightly dust each side with flour. Put a piece of greaseproof paper on the other side of dish next to separate the fish from the mushrooms. Add the fish, wine and water. Scatter the garlic and herbs onto the fish and spoon over some of the liquid. Dot with the butter.

4. Place the dish into the oven for 15-20min, or until the fish is just cooked.

Serve with steamed broccoli, asparagus or your favourite vegetables.

Serves 2

Mr McDonald’s remark: “This is all so tasty! Yummm!!! There is so much flavour in everything”.

Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls

Autumn has creep up very suddenly and any hope of wearing summery dresses and bare feet have now become a thing of the past… well, until next summer swings around. Bring out the dusty boxes marked ‘Winter Clothes’ and for the next 5-6 months our wardrobes will be filled with smart winter jackets, jeans and lovely boots. I must say I really do prefer summer, but I don’t mind the cosiness of winter. The soul warming soups, roast dinners and many a cup of tea. Yes, the colder months bring wonderful feasts and treats. Here is a recipe for some scrumptious pork and fennel sausage rolls by Andy Allen, the Masterchef winner from last year. Simple, delicious food that will warm you all over and make you jump about with excitement watching the puff pastry rise in the oven and become all brown and crispy.

Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls

6 cloves garlic, chopped finely

6 green shallots, chopped

1 red chilli, chopped finely

1 small fennel bulb, chopped into ½ cm cubes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

¼ cup fennel seeds

4 thyme sprigs, leaves removed

1 apple, preferably granny smith, grated

1 carrot, grated

1kg pork mince

Salt and pepper

40g fresh breadcrumbs

4-5 sheets ready made puff pastry

1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Makes approx. 30 little ones

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C

2. Take pastry out of freezer, separate the sheets and thaw.

3. In a large frying pan, sauté garlic, shallots, chilli and fennel in oil over a medium heat for 3-4min. Add 2 tablespoons of the fennel seeds and thyme leaves. Stir for one minute until aromatic.

4. Add the apple and carrot and cook for a further 3 minutes. Allow mixture to cool.

5. Place the pork mince in a large bowl and add the cooled vegetable mixture. Add salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Using your hands, mix ingredients thoroughly for about 3 minutes to combine the mixture. Divide the mixture into eight pieces.

6. For small sausage rolls, cut each piece of pastry in half and turn one of the eight pieces into a log shape, and place in the middle of the pastry piece. For large sausage rolls, use a whole piece of pastry and roll two of the eight pieces together to make a log shape. Place in the middle of the pastry.

7. Brush along one edge of the pastry with egg wash, lift up the non-washed edge and roll it firmly over the filling and join with the egg wash underneath.

8. Place smooth side up and brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with remaining fennel seeds.

9. For small sausage rolls, cut the log into 4 pieces, and for large sausage rolls, cut in half. Place on a baking tray with baking paper to prevent sticking.

10. Bake for 25-30min or until golden brown.

   

 

Little sausage rolls for a snack or finger food…

Or a large sausage roll for a meal. Serve with salad.

Tip: Freeze any extra, uncooked sausage rolls in freezer bags. When ready to use, place frozen sausage rolls on a tray and cook as normal.

Mr McDonald’s remarks: “Mmm…I really like these. Fennel is a flavour worth trying!”.

Crispy skin duck with wilted spinach, port reduction and wild mushroom spelt ravioli.

I have had a hankering for crispy skin duck for the last couple of weeks. I must have seen it in a cookbook or on a cooking show and it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I seem to have a knack for craving foods, of all different types, and by rule of thumb, my cooking seems to be mysteriously better when I cook the very thing I am craving….strange ay!? This is a little (or slightly more complicated them I originally intended) recipe that Owen and I came up with tonight. With a little help from google, and a few old tricks we have come up with what we think is a ripper of a dish. I must warn you that it is very rich in flavour and you’d have to be rich to afford it every night. BUT for a very special occasion, a romantic night in or just a very special meal midweek….this is a delicious dinner to serve with your best smile. And let me tell you…the amalgamation of flavours, the earthiness of the mushrooms and spinach and that crisp, succulent duck…its enough to keep me drooling until next time.

 

Crispy skin duck with wilted spinach, port reduction and wild mushroom spelt ravioli.

 

Duck

2 duck breasts

salt and pepper

 

Wilted spinach

8-10 large spinach leaves

1 tablespoon butter

Splash of olive oil

salt and pepper

 

Port reduction

¾ cup porcini broth (leftover)

2 tablespoons port

½ cube beef stock

1 clove of garlic

1 teaspoon butter

 

Ravioli mushroom mix

200g mixed mushrooms, chopped coarsely (swiss brown, button etc)

¼ cup dried porchini mushrooms (rehydrated in 1 cup warm water for 20min [liquid referred to as porcini broth in the recipe]), then chopped coarsely

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

3 garlic cloves, chopped finely

3 shallots, chopped finely

½  tablespoon butter

Handful of rocket

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼  cup porcini broth (leftover)

Salt and pepper

 

Extra butter

Extra thyme leaves

 

Spelt pasta

145g white spelt flour

2 eggs

Pinch of salt

 

Method

1. Ravioli: Place flour on working surface, making a well in the middle. Crack 2 eggs and add the salt into the well and begin to mix in the flour with a fork, slowly gathering the flour from the sides of the well and being careful not to break the walls of flour. Mix until the dough begins to come together then work the dough by hand, adding flour as needed, until the dough is smooth. Form into a ball and wrap in gladwrap. Let rest at least one hour in the fridge.

2. Make ravioli mushroom mixture: Heat a saucepan on medium-high, add a spash of olive oil and the mushrooms and cook until they are golden. Reduce the heat and the garlic, thyme and shallots and cook for a further 5min or so. Add the red wine vinegar, porcini broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the rocket leaves and butter and cook until wilted. Allow to cool fully before using in the ravioli.

3. Port reduction: Place porcini broth, port, whole garlic clove and beef stock cube in a medium heat pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15-20min until reduced. Add butter at the end.

4. Ravioli: After resting the dough, cut the ball into 2 pieces, flattening each by hand slightly. Using a pasta machine, manual or electric powered, roll the pasta into sheets to your desired thickness. To do this, set the rollers of the pasta machine to the widest setting to start and feed the dough through with one hand while guiding it out with the other. Once it is through, flour the dough lightly, fold it in thirds and feed it through the roller again. Continue to feed the dough through the rollers, setting the rollers closer together on each pass until you reach your desired thickness.

Make 2 rectangular dough sheets about 12 inches long by 6 inches wide. Place scoops of filling on top of the first dough sheet at intervals about 2 inches apart. Top with the second sheet of dough, covering the filling gently, using your fingers and palm, create a circle around the mixture and push out any air. Then cut the ravioli out by cutting ‘pillow’ circles with the rim of a glass.

5. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt

6. Duck: Season duck breasts with salt and pepper and place skin side down into a hot pan. Cook for 6-8min to render the fat, then turn over and cook for another 5min. Duck is best eaten medium rare…still pink in the middle. Rest in foil for 5min before serving to allow the meat to rest.

7. Wilted spinach: Meanwhile melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan on a low heat, add spinach, salt and pepper and using tongs, move around until wilted. Set aside in foil until serving.

8. Ravioli: Cook the ravioli in a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water. Drop them gently into the water and watch carefully, as fresh pasta cooks quickly. When the ravioli is cooked, it will rise to the surface (This takes about 2-3min, but will depend on the thickness of the pasta). Remove using a slotted spoon and drain in a colander.

Heat the pan that had the wilted spinach in it and add a tablespoon of butter, some fresh thyme leaves and any left over mushroom mixture. Place cooked ravioli gently in the pan and heat through for a min or so.

9. Plate up: Divide the wilted spinach between 4 plates, slice the duck on an angle and place half a breast on top of the spinach. Spoon some port reduction over the duck. Place the ravioli over lapping slightly on the plate, spoon over remaining butter and mushroom sauce and top with fresh thyme springs.

 

Tip: Use any left over pasta as lasagne sheets or use pasta machine to cut into spaghetti or fettuccini. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for later on.

 

Mr McDonald’s remarks: “This is bloomin’ delicious! This is the sort of thing that you’d get at a restaurant and actually be happy to pay for”.

Ps. I’m secretly over the moon when Mr McDonald makes this sort of remark 🙂

Pps. Some of these pictures aren’t mine as I was too busy cooking and forgot to take photos along the way. I hope you’ll excuse it….just this once…