The Cookbook Challenge Week 12 - Eggs - Salmon & Chickpea Frittata - 3 - $ - V

You know the old saying about needing the right tools for the job? Well I kind of didn't have the right pan for this frittata because it needs to go under the grill and I was worried about melting handles. So I plunged on and used a shallow cast iron French pan, which obviously withstood the heat under the grill but meant a little bit of stick on the bottom, despite a good oiling.

This recipe is really good! Filling, full of protein-goodness and could most definitely be served hot or cold. As a main I served it with some char-grilled asparagus and roasted tomatoes, but I would definitely serve it cold, cut into small pieces at a picnic or BBQ.

This is the second dish from the MasterChef magazine that has worked well for the Cookbook Challenge and is from Issue 4. I'd never made a frittata before and was happy with my first attempt, a non-stick pan will definitely be the go next time. The verdict on the chickpeas was varied so you have a go and make up your own mind.


Ingredients - serves 4 (I got 6 serves out of it)

2 x 200gm pieces of boneless, skinless salmon
2tbs olive oil
8 eggs
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic finely chopped/crushed
zest of 2 lemons
400gm can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
125gm fresh ricotta, crumbled into pieces
2tbs coriander leaves, plus extra to serve

Heat the pan over a high heat. Brush the salmon on both sides with 1tbs of the olive oil, season and cook for 1 minute each side or until medium-rare. Remove from pan and put aside. Wipe pan with paper towel.
Whisk together the eggs, cumin, garlic and zest and season. Stir in the chickpeas and then the ricotta and coriander. Stir gently to combine.
Heat the pan over a high heat and then add the last of the oil and swirl around the pan to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in the eggs and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until the egg is almost cooked.
Meanwhile preheat the grill to high and then flake the fish into large pieces and tuck into the frittata. Place the pan under the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until just set and golden.
Scatter with the extra coriander and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 32 & 33 - Potato & Seafood - Fish Pie - 2 - $ - (V)

In an attempt to catch up on the Cookbook Challenge I have been a little bit clever (read: cheeky) and used this recipe so that I can tick off two themes at once.

I thought I may have had to miss out on the 'potato' theme because even though I LOVE potato, my tummy does not so I don't often cook with them. But then this recipe presented itself and reminded me of the ginger version of spuds - sweet potatoes of course! Being a redhead I should never forget these guys. In fact there are a lot of orange ingredients in this pie...


Like the celeriac, I was introduced to fish pies when I lived in the UK but I've never cooked one myself. I thought this recipe from the May/June issue of Frankie Magazine sounded interesting with the cayenne and the capers.
I did change my version a little bit though; I used 300gms smoked cod and 200gms of prawns and I also I went a little heavy handed with the cheese, but never mind.
If you're having trouble finding smoked fish try your deli but if you prefer adding fresh fish my local fishmonger recommended doing a mix of rockling and whiting, so I might try that next time.



Ingredients (serves 4-6)

100gm butter
1 large white onion, finely diced (I used half a brown one)
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
3 1/2tbs flour
750ml milk (it said full cream but I used a 2% version and it worked just fine), plus an extra splash for the mash
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
1/2tsp nutmeg, freshly grated if you can get it
zest and juice of half a lemon
2tbsp capers (rinse the brine off them or they'll taste like nail polish remover)
500gm smoked fish (or a mix with fresh like I did)
850gm sweet potato (approx 3-4), peeled and roughly chopped
2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to season
handful of breadcrumbs (optional)

Smoked cod - also a redhead

Preheat oven to 220C degrees.
Put the sweet potato in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and cook the potato until mashable, approximately 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter over a medium heat and add the onion and celery. Cook stirring for about 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the flour and stir well to cook it off for about 1 minute. Pour in the milk and stir constantly until you bring the sauce to the boil. This will take a little while, don't be impatient and don't give up. Most importantly though, don't turn up the heat, it won't help!
When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat for a minute or two (no longer though or it will form a skin) and then add the seafood, capers, nutmeg and cayenne. Beware flaking smoked fish by hand - you'll have cod fingers for the rest of the night.
Your potato will be well-ready by now so add a splash of milk, season and mash until thick and creamy.
Pour the fish mixture into a well-greased baking tray and dollop the potato on top. Smooth it out as best you can to cover the entire pie, you can use a fork to fluff up the potato. Sprinkle on the cheese and crumbs and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
The recipe advised to serve on peas but we're not friends so I just had it on its own.
This is a hearty feed, good comfort food and perfect for a winter's night. It could do with some fresh parsley I think and perhaps a bay leaf in the milk while making the sauce just to give it a little bit more oomph.

Enjoy!

Prawns & Spicy Lentils - and - Rice & Seafood Soup - 1 - $

My stove blew up this week! A loud bang, a flash of the house lights and that was it - gone!
I'm secretly glad because the oven thermostat was shot and if I have to have an electric cooking appliance then I want to be able to at least choose which one - and now I can! The only downside of course is having to spend a Sunday trawling the suburban horror that is THE HOMEMAKER CENTRE (insert scary music and shudder) and forking out the required cash. So I am focusing on the positives and looking forward to all the delicate baking I can try, once I am the proud owner of an oven that knows how to behave itself and stay at the temperature that is required.

Luckily I have these recipes up my sleeve to share with you in the meantime. A few weeks ago I was poo pooing a certain magazine and then low and behold I find two cracker - albeit similar - recipes that I think are worth sharing.
So without further ado, here's some I prepared earlier!


Spanish Prawns with Spicy Lentils - Ingredients (serves 4)

1tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 chorizo sausage, chopped
1tbs harissa
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans lentils, rinsed and drained
220gm jar of roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
500gm green prawns, peeled and tails left on
chopped flat leaf parsley
crusty bread to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and chorizo and cook stirring until the onion is soft and chorizo crispy. Stir in harissa, cook for another minute and then add the tomatoes, lentils, peppers and stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often.
Season the prawns and add to the pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.


Rice & Seafood Soup - Ingredients (serves 4)

60ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chorizo sausage, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 litres chicken or fish stock (I used chicken)
1 can chopped tomatoes
75gm calasparra or aborio rice
200gm skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2cm pieces
2 squid tubes, cleaned and cut into rings (I cheated and bought a handful of calamari rings at the fish mongers)
12 green prawns, peeled with tails left on
1tsp orange zest
chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat 2 tbs of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chorizo, carrot and zest and cook for 10 minutes or until onions and carrots are soft. Add stock, tomato and rice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is al dente.
While the soup is simmering, add the remaining olive oil to a fry pan and cook the seasoned seafood in batched over a high heat for about 1 minute.
Stir the partly cooked seafood into the soup and simmer for another minute or until it's cooked through. Stir through the parsley and serve.
There's no need to have any bread with this dish as the rice fills up your tummy. And as with most dishes of this nature it's even more super tasty the next day.

Enjoy!

Cullen Skink Soup - 1 - $ & Soda Bread - 1 - $ - V

On my recent trip to the UK I spent some time in the Scottish Highlands, which were truly breathtaking and truly freezing. I mean actually freezing. The below zero kind. My cockles were in need of some serious warming and this soup was just the ticket.

The salty, smokey flavour of the fish cuts through the creaminess of the milk and the potatoes give it enough bulk to fill you up. The recipe is really simple, but as with many things, simple and fresh is best. I would put this soup up there with a classic minestrone or chicken and sweetcorn. It really is that good.
Mine was served with cheesy soda bread, so I've added Jamie's Cheesy Mustard Soda Bread recipe at the bottom if you feel so inclined.
The tricksy part of making this soup might be finding smoked haddock if you live in Australia, so ask you local fishmonger to point you in the right direction and if all else fails you could substitute with smoked cod.


Ingredients

50gm butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1200ml full cream milk
750gm potatoes, peeled and finely diced
450gm smoked haddock fillet/s (or cod if need be)
2tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to season

In a large pot melt the butter and cook the onion on a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes until it softens and becomes translucent.
Add the milk and gently bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until they are soft. Don't let them go to mash though.
Add the fish fillet/s to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the fish and flake off the flesh. Be careful to remove any bones and not burn your fingers.
Put the fish pieces back into the soup, stir well to combine and then spoon into bowls for serving. You can add some chopped parsley to pretty it up or just dig in.


Jamie's Cheesy Mustard Soda Bread Ingredients

350gm wholemeal flour
175gm plain flour
1tsp mustard powder
1tsp bi-carb soda
1/2tsp sea salt
50gm grated cheddar
350ml milk
80ml sour cream

Preheat oven to 200C degrees. Dust a baking tray with some flour and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, mustard powder, bi-carb, cheese and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon to make a wet dough. Divide the dough in half and place on the baking tray.
Put some flour on your hands and use your fingertips to push each lump of dough into discs about twenty centimetres wide. Score a cross on the top and bake for 30 minutes or until the bread is brown and crusty on top.
Cool on a wire rack and serve with your delicious Cullen Skink.

Enjoy!

Baked Whole Snapper - 1 - $

There is a certain celebrity chef who believes if you're a meat eater then at least once a year you should have to look a creature in the eye before killing it yourself.
I'm not quite ready to stare down a baby sheep (you do know that's what lamb is right?) so I thought I'd start with snapper.
I marched right up to this one at the fish mongers, looked in its clear, lifeless eye and then asked the monger, 'Can you, you know, get the bits out for me?'
You've gotta start somewhere.

This dish was inspired by the lovely Donna who cooked up one for me and proved that whole fish are easy.

Ingredients

1 whole snapper - cleaned and gutted
1 lime, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 fennel top, chopped
20gm butter, chopped into little squares

Preheat the oven to 180C degrees.
Stuff all ingredients into the cavity of the fish. Spray the outside with some olive oil and bake in a dish for 20 minutes.
Serve with salad and little roast potatoes. Watch out for the bones.

Enjoy!

BBQ Prawn Wraps - 2 - $ - !

I am not a big fan of the word fusion. Especially when it is preceded by the word jazz. So I would like to think this dish melds my Greek heritage with my love of Turkish-style kebabs and prawns.

It's easiest to do this on the BBQ, but if you don't have the facilities you can still make it, so read on.


The following quantities are for 2 serves, so add or divide as needed.

Ingredients

200gm peeled, fresh green prawns
2 large pita breads - I like the Greek-style souvalaki pita, you usually find them in the cold section at the supermarket or deli, not with the other breads
1 clove garlic, crushed
2tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
1 tomato, seeds removed and diced
Hummus
Tzatziki
Lettuce leaves, washed, dried and shredded
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Put the prawns in a bowl, cover with a good dollop of oil and add 1 tbs of parsley, the garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir well so all the prawns are coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least half an hour. Don't use a plastic bowl or you'll never get the smell out.
Combine the cucumber and tomato in a small bowl. Cover with a generous seasoning of salt. Cover and put aside. Rinse very well under cold water, just before serving; drain and stir through the remaining parsley.
Once you're ready to cook, warm the BBQ or grill on a medium-high heat. Start with the bread and begin to toast it lightly on each side. You want it a little golden, but not crunchy or you won't be able to roll it.
When the bread is almost done stir fry the prawns on the preheated BBQ plate or fry pan. If it's nice and hot, they should take around 90 seconds to cook.
Cover the bread with the hummus; add the lettuce; add the cucumber and tomato salad; top with the prawns and a dollop of tzatziki. A squeeze of lemon juice if you like it tangy and roll 'em up.

Enjoy!

Seafood Saffron Hotpot - 2 - $$

Now before you even begin to start moaning about how expensive saffron is, let me tell you that the one little box you buy for this dish will probably last you at least 6 months OR you'll get at least 4 or 5 of these hotpots out of it.
Not bad huh?



This dish will serve 6 for an entree or 4 for a main. It's nice to make some herb or garlic bread to go with it, and when I say make I don't mean take a foil covered roll out of a plastic bag and put it in the oven to thaw. You're using saffron, you can go all out and make the bread surely?

Ingredients

60ml Olive oil
1 Brown onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Small red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 tsp Paprika
Pinch of saffron
4 Fresh bay leaves
2 Sprigs of lemon thyme (regular thyme will do if you can't find the lemon variety)
2 Cans of chopped tomatoes
300ml Dry white wine
1/4 Cup chicken stock
600gm Mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
225gm Cooked prawns, peeled and heads removed
400gm Good quality marinara mix

Start with scrubbing the mussels. This might take a little while. Remember to save water and put the plug in the sink and fill it just a little bit. Only use COLD water and don't freak out if the little fellas start opening a bit.
Heat the olive oil over a low heat in a large pot and fry off the onion for 6-8 minutes, you don't want to brown them, just soften them. Add the garlic and chillies cook stirring for about a minute until they become fragrant.
Stir in the herbs, paprika and saffron and cook for another minute. Add the wine, tomatoes and stock. Season and bring to the boil. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Add the seafood, stir through to combine, cover and simmer for about another 5 minutes or until the marinara mix is cooked. Discard any unopened mussels; if they don't open it means they are no good for eating.
Serve with your hot herb or garlic bread to mop up the yummy sauce.

Enjoy!

Cheat's Spaghetti Marinara - 1 - $

This recipe is the perfect hump day quickie to help resist the mid-week takeaway urge.



Fifteen minutes from pot to plate, cross my heart!

The portions below will feed two, so double or halve as you need to.

Ingredients

Spaghetti
Olive oil
300gms good quality marinara mix (from the fish monger please, not the stupormarket)
1-2 Small red chillies, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, crushed
2tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
Juice of half a lemon
Parmesan to serve

Put the pasta on to cook as per the packet instructions.
While the pasta is doing its thing, heat a glug of olive oil in a pan on a medium/low heat and fry off the chillies and garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Increase the heat and when it really starts to sizzle add the marinara mix and white wine. Cook/stir until the fish is almost cooked (approximately 3-4 minutes).
The pasta should be nearly done, so remove your marinara from the heat and stir through the parsley and lemon juice.
Drain the pasta then put it back in the warm pot and tip your seafood in. Use tongs to toss the marinara through the spaghetti.
Serve in large pasta bowls and shave some cheese on top with some extra parsley to garnish.

Enjoy!