Country Scones Rock....again

I don't think scones are a summer or a winter treat, they are one of those wonderful, easy recipes that can be whipped up at anytime of the year for just about any type of reason, or no reason at all.

We have just got back from a glorious two-week holiday at the beach in Victoria where we ate like kings for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, pre-dinner nibbles, dinner and dessert EVERY DAY!
I am not going to beat myself up about the extra 5 kg I have hanging around my waist because a lot of yummy food was consumed over these Christmas holidays and that also means wonderful memories, so beating myself up about 6 courses a day really doesn't make for good memories.......it just means I need to blow the dust of my trainers!

Anyway, we arrived home from holidays and after the usual b'fast and lunch, 3pm rolled around to  cries from the family of 'what's to eat??' We were all still in holiday mode and weren't quite ready to go cold turkey (meaning 3 meals a day) this week, so I went for something that I could whip up in a matter of minutes and be ready to eat with our cups of tea at 3.30pm.

I have blogged about these scones before, when first introduced to this recipe. The recipe comes from a friend of mine who use to work with me a few years ago. Jess grew up in country Victoria and often talked of the food she missed from home. I can't remember how it came up in conversation but scones were the topic and, of course, it went down the road of 'who has the best scone recipe'.
When Jess came into work with her gran's recipe and a batch of her scones, it was declared they were the best ever!

I have a recipe for scones that make 40 in one batch and I use it often for work, but if I am to make a batch of scones at home for a handful of people then Jess's gran's recipe is the one I reach for.
The texture is so short, rich and delicious I dare anyone to disagree.

If you do go ahead and give it a go then there are a couple of things you must take into consideration
- the mixture is very wet but DO NOT mix it with a wooden spoon, always cut through it with a butter knife until it just starts to form a dough
- knead it lightly with floured hands so it doesn't stick to you
-bake it as a 'loaf' shape and make your cutting markings with a floured butter knife so it is easy to separate when hot.
Just a few tips but if you get it right then you'll have a little bit of country Victoria in your kitchen. Click on the link and it will take you back a few years when I first published this recipe.

Drunken Chicken- family favourite

Ouch! I was just looking at my stats and realised September didn't even get a look in!!
I feel guilty and sad that I haven't been able to keep up with my blogging and, as I scroll through my favourite bloggers work and see they are in top form as always I wonder if this is the month I stop for good?

Before I make such a big decision like that, I just want to share with you a recipe I have been really enjoying this past month. It is from one of my favourite cookbooks 'Cocina de la familia' by Marilyn Tausend with Miguel Ravago.
This was a fabulous buy and am pleased to say I have used many recipes from it over the years- I highly recommend it to everyone.
The recipe I want to share with you is the drunken chicken recipe. When I first made it I followed the recipe to the T and it was wonderful. Since then I have added extra bits and pieces or had to make do with what was in the cupboards, but, whatever I do I always get the big thumbs up from my boys- it's a family favourite. I have cooked if for quite a few people and always get the same reaction "delicious!"

So, to redeem myself I hope you will try this one on family and friends and see if you agree with me. I couldn't help but serve it with fresh corn smothered in butter and some black beans, however, I have served it with beans, broccoli, rice pilaf, potatoes.....the list goes on!

Enjoy!

 Drunken chicken (Pollo Borracho)

2 Tablespoons oil

3 chicken breasts and 2 thighs (or 4 breasts) skin on, cut into 3 pieces

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

 1 tin whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 cup of beer (I tend to take a good swig and then use the rest)

preferably an amber ale

2 sprigs of oregano

3 pickled jalapenos, sliced

2 tablespoons vinegar from the chilies

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Use a cast iron pot with a lid or a good quality pot with a lid.

Warm oil in the pot on med-high heat, season the chicken with salt and pepper then saute the chicken pieces until browned (you will need to do in batches).

Once the chicken browns, remove to a tray and set aside.

Add the onion to the still hot pot and cook until quite soft and brown (about 4 min).

Add garlic and tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Return chicken (skin side up) back to the pot with onions and tomato, lower the heat to medium and add beer, oregano, jalapenos, their vinegar, salt and pepper.

Stir to combine then leave, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve it with fresh oregano and avocado for best results.

Egg and bacon pies are always delish

I got a text from my hairdresser a couple of days ago telling me she was looking forward to seeing me this Friday as it had been too long between cuts. It's the kind of text you love to receive because somebody is actually looking forward to seeing you!
My 6 weekly hair experience is always a pleasurable one. Teneil, my hairdresser is a gorgeous lively fun 20 something who always has plenty to talk about. After we get the pleasantries out of the way it is not long before I hear what she has been creating in the kitchen for herself and partner. She is stick thin but LOVES food, cooking and eating....how could I not like her?

I once told her about my favourite meal Nic cooks (stir fry beef with red cabbage and coriander), she got so excited, she went home and made it that night and loved it so much she took a photo and sent it to me!
She made me feel special, (always a warm fuzzy feeling) so I decided to make a yummy little something to take to my 10am appointment. I made one of my all time favourite snacks- egg and bacon pies.
It takes all of about 5 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes to cook and 2 minutes to eat- delicious!!!

I flavoured these little beauties with basil and goat's feta to give them a bit of a "I didn't really use up the only things left in my fridge feel" and it worked a treat.
My three top tips when whipping these up are:
a) hot oven, about 200 degrees
b) use a 'butter' puff pastry, the flavour is ten times better. The butter puff is usually only used for desserts but it is fab with these.
c) I also find that extra cracked pepper works a treat with the egg and bacon pies.

If all else fails and you don't have the time to make these then pop on over to www.camillabaker.com.au and I'll whip you up a batch myself.

Spicy Chicken Wings

I bought some chicken drumsticks and wings last weekend with the intention of making something really yummy. On Monday I had a feeling the week wasn't going to be a relaxed one so I popped them in the freezer for later on. On Wednesday I pulled them out again and last night (Saturday) I finally got inspired to make them into tasty morsals.  We usually eat Saturday night dinners separately from the boys so we can eat flavours Nic and I really enjoy and ones that the boys aren't quite ready for. Nic usually whips up a delicious and hot eggplant and potato curry or I'll make a stir fry with plenty of chilli and greens. Saturday is a night of no arguments at the dinner table because we all get to eat the foods we like and no one has to rush off anywhere!

The boys have the same reaction to chicken wings and legs as Nic and I do and I knew they would be gutted if they missed out so I marinated their chicken bits in a soy, garlic, black vinegar, curry powder (Keen's) and brown sugar mariande. Sadly I only had about an hour to let them marinate, however, that didn't seem to matter as they ate them with their noodles and veggies at rapid speed.

Once I had their chicken marinating I started on ours. Garlic, chilli and ginger were always going to be main contenders but I hadn't yet worked out the rest. I made a rub that was inspired by Vietnamese street stalls last year and it was a wonderful flavour with peppercorns being one of the main ingredients so I decided to try another version, also adding lime leaves to this equasion. Once I had pounded about 4 garlic cloves, a good size piece of ginger, 2 birds eye chillies and a pinch of salt together with the whole peppercorns, I then added the chopped lime leaf and about 2 tablespoons of rice bran oil to combine the flavours which will also make it easier to rub into the chicken wings.

The aroma was delicious as was the thought of combing them on the grill with the smokey BBQ flavour. They would be a wonderful snack if your sitting around watching the football, for a cocktail party or to eat with a big bowl of veggies and noodles as we did.
The wings crispen up on the bbq and are incredibly morish. Max had one of the leftover ones for lunch today and said he really enjoyed the flavour and that he likes chilli now....but the ones he had last night were yummy too. I guess we will be all eating dinner together on Saturday nights if the boys are enjoying our leftovers so much.......maybe we need to feed them a bit of leftover eggplant curry to deter them, after all we all need our relaxed meal times at least once a week.

Potato and Tuscan cabbage soup

The long weekend has proven to be wet and cold. When it rains in Sydney is seems to have these constant downpours that go on for days. We are in day two of non stop rain. I miss the rainy days of the tropics when I was a kid.
You'd be on your bike cruisin' the streets with your mates when you saw the black clouds rolling in off the ocean. Sometimes they would just blow out to sea and you were annoyed the burst of rain did not come to release the dry heat in the day. Or, on more that one occasion you'd look up at the sky and quickly try to calculate whether to make a bolt for home or to wait it out under the closest shelter.
The Darwin rain storms I remember were intense, noisy with thunder and over within minutes. I have fond memories of trying to beat a storm when I was about 10-11 years old. I belted around two blocks with the dark sky trying to catch me, however, my legs were like pistons and I hovered inches in front of the darkening sky. I was about 5 metres from home when the sky opened up and dumped what felt like a swimming pool of rain drops on me as I stared at the dry veranda of my home.

It's funny, I don't have a lot of clear memories from my childhood but I can still remember the annoyed feeling of defeat combined with the rich smell of rain when this memory floats into my mind.

Alas, I do not live in the tropics any more and the weather this far south east of Darwin is much colder and incredibly wet, the kind of weather you sit at home and start craving warm, wholesome food. Luckily I stocked the fridge well on Friday so I could have a play in the kitchen this weekend.

I learnt to love Tuscan cabbage or cavalo nero when we were living in Florence a few years ago and living in cold....very cold climates. It is a deep green vegetable that loves to be gently braised and has a rich earthy flavour. Every time I eat it, I just feel better. However, it is a vegetable you have to learn to love when you're one of my kids.
I had some leftover pancetta in the fridge that need to be used up so I slowly started sauteing onions then adding about 5 cloves of smashed garlic and roughly chopped pancetta. Once the fat of the pancetta started to go transparent I added a bunch of roughly chopped Tuscan cabbage with salt and pepper. So all the flavour stays in the vegetable I placed a lid on top, while it wilted down and absorbed the flavours of the pancetta and garlic.

Diced carrots were added to the soup base and then 4-5 large potatoes roughly cut. I leave the skins on, of course you can peel them for a smoother texture. After sauteing the base for a further 5 minutes I then added a couple pieces of parmesan skin (always save that last bit of rind when you've grated all the cheese for just such occasions) and then topped the soup pot up with cold water. Once you bring it to a boil with the lid off, skim the top, reduce the heat to a medium-to-low and leave it to reduce down.

When the potatoes have broken down and the smell is rich and wholesome turn off your soup and leave to steep for about 10 minutes before you serve. To make our lunch even more exciting I had some raclette cheese in the fridge from a previous dinner party. That combined with cheddar cheese and then melted on Turkish bread was the absolute perfect rainy, damp and cold long weekend holiday lunch!

I have to be honest and tell you the boys were not impressed with the dark green leaves in the soup. Max dared to try it and actually enjoyed it, Alex however, refused to like it (without even tasting it!) and then tried to pick out all the potato while asking why we didn't just have noodles for lunch? I think a few more bowls of this soup over winter should set him straight......or make him really hungry and stubborn. I'll just have to wait and see but one thing was certain, the melted cheesy toast was a big hit!

TVSN recipes

It was a fabulous show today on TVSN and I won't be surprised if they have a sellout show again.

 I know there were a few viewers wondering where they could find recipes for the dishes cooked today, so I thought I'd better post them here for all the new Circulon Contempo buyers (and of course for everyone else!). If you didn't catch the show, I was showing how quick and easy it is to make yummy meals in a very short amount of time. Below are the recipes I cooked today. 

I didn't get a chance to pull out the pizza I made on set, however, I did make another one for my boys' dinner tonight and I have to say the baking tray would have to make the best crust I have made....a big call I know but I stand behind it! You'll find the dough recipe I used here.

Seared salmon with orange and chilli glazed bok choy

1 salmon fillet skin on

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of one orange

1/2 bunch bok choy with base cut off

Method:

• Heat pan without oil for 3-4 minutes.
• Once hot season salmon pieces, add oil to pan and place salmon in skin side down. Leave to crisp up for 4-5 minutes giving it a light push with tongs making sure the whole of the skin is searing onto the frying pan
• Once you see the colour change up the side of your salmon pieces, turn over.
• Add sugar to your frying pan and caramelize, stirring until dissolved (about a minute).
• Add juice of the orange, chilli pieces a pinch of salt and keep stirring. Once you have a syrup, add your boy choy and wilt.
• Remove salmon piece (if you have a thin piece of salmon you may need to remove before you put your bok choy in), toss your greens around in glaze then place on a serving plate with your piece of salmon and drizzle over your orange glaze.

Chicken pie

1 tablespoon olive oil

700g chicken breast, medium diced

salt and pepper

100g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic glove chopped

½ cup plain flour

2.5 cups milk

1 diced red capsicum

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper then sear the meat. When lightly coloured, remove from the pan and keep to the side.
• In the same pot, melt butter and then add onions and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
• Add flour and stir through to form a thick paste, cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in milk, stirring continually to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is added, whisk until smooth then add chopped red capsicum. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add seared chicken pieces and simmer for about 2-3 minutes for flavours to combine.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a pie dish.
• Cut out a lid of puff pastry and place on top of your pie mixture making sure the pastry lid is slightly larger than the dish.
• Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with black pepper and place the pie on a large oven tray then pop it in the oven on the middle rack.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes then leave to cool for 5 minutes before eating, as they will be very hot.

Braised lamb chops

6 lamb chops

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 fresh tomato, roughly diced

1 brown onion, chopped

2 lge potatoes, par boiled and diced

white wine

1/2 cup peas (frozen are perfect)

50g butter

Method:

• In a large frying pan with high sides, season your chops with salt and pepper then sear the chops.
• Once seared add garlic pieces, onion and tomato. Stir making sure everything touches the base of the pan.
• After 3-4 minutes add potatoes and about 1-2 cups of white wine (enough to just cover chops) and bring to the boil.
• When boiled sprinkle over peas and add butter. Place a lid on top, bring to the boil again then reduce the temperature to LOW and leave for 30 minutes so it is lightly simmering.
• After 30 minutes, break up the potato pieces with your tongs to thicken your sauce then serve with fresh slabs of bread.

For the raspberry pancakes I used this recipe but instead of blueberries I added frozen raspberries.

Happy Cooking 

Easter lamb with yummy greens

In our house, it really doesn't feel like Easter unless we have lamb and go camping. Sadly last years camping trip ended at 1am Easter Sunday with us packing up the boys and our drenched tent, then driving through the night back to Sydney.

Even though it has rained every Easter since we have been back in Australia we still love packing up the tent, esky and loads of food to go and hang out in the bush or by the ocean somewhere and just enjoy our beautiful country. This year is a little different.

We threw our sodden tent in the bin when we arrived home from last years camping trip because it was the second year it let us down and we haven't gotten around to buying another one.
At first I was really devistated we were staying in Sydney but then I remembered the coast is but an hour away and we can still relax and enjoy the weekend and maybe I might be able to whip up a batch of hot cross buns tomorrow?

Anyway enough about that!

I got a bit ahead of myself last week and bought a beautiful leg of lamb at my new favourite butcher down in Glebe- Glenmore Meats. It was the second time I'd visited and picked up a 2.2kg leg of lamb for $20!! It was a bargin and tasted fantastic.

I love lamb on the BBQ, the smokey flavour mixed with my favourite herbs and spices rubbed all over it (dried thyme, cracked pepper, cumin, smoked paprika and salt) then spike the leg with big pieces of garlic- YUM!
Once the BBQ is at medium temp place the leg in a tray that is heavly layered with thickly sliced onion and eggplant, pop the leg on top then lower the lid on the BBQ and cook for about 2 hours depending on the size of leg and your barbie.

To serve the leg I whipped up some very simple beans and asparagus cooked with one roughly diced tomato and a squeeze of lemon (and yes, that is half a lemon in the with the beans, gives it more of a citrus flavour), salt and pepper. A very light and easy side dish that compliments the lamb beautifully and if you have any left over they go really well on an antipasto platter.

Delicious Corn Fritters

One of the most versatile fritters on earth! Like lamingtons and roast chicken; there is more than one way to whip up a batch.....not to mention in a matter of minutes. I'm not to sure why I threw this combo together, I think I was low on time and energy and the buttermilk was the first thing I saw in the fridge if the truth be told!

One of the best secret high fives I gave myself was serving these to the kids and watching them eat every last bite. They didn't even notice the mushrooms until I told them of my trickery after Alex swallowed his last mouthful. Max shrugged his shoulders and told me he actually likes mushrooms, while Alex sat in disbelief and then tried to tell me he didn't really like them as much as he thought he did- Ha!

Whatever the case, I loved how these fritters puffed up when cooked and tasted light and fluffy- perfect for a canape perhaps? or remove the mushrooms and make a corn and crab fritter with lashings of lemon aioli on the side........or add grated zucchini instead of bacon for a delicious veggie option- the list is endless. Whatever you decide to do with them, you won't be disappointed at the taste and speed when whipping up a batch of your own, even for the fussiest eater.

Yummy Corn Fritters  
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped spring onions
1/2 cup chopped Swiss brown mushrooms (or any other variety)
5 rashers of bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh is great and gives the fritters a sweet crunch)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl add the above ingredients in order of list. Be generous with your seasoning.
Stir to combine and then fold so you thoroughly coat the kernels in the batter.

Once mixed, heat a frying pan on medium heat.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and drop in 2 heaped tablespoon size fritter mix (about 4 in a large frying pan).
Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove from frying pan and place on kitchen paper until needed.
Serve with a delicious seasonal salad, as a base for smoked salmon canapes, smothered in butter or a la natural.

Recipe makes 12 large fritters

Blueberry pikelets- an after school favourite

It doesn't get any easier than this people! It has been raining all day, the kids are starving, cold and a bit whingy.....me too. It wasn't a day to hang around the play ground and make small talk while the boys ran their pants off.
This afternoon was all about feeding, keeping the feet dry and warming the belly.
Pikelets are seriously easy, quick and almost 100% guaranteed satisfaction with the fussiest of eaters.
One batch produces about 30 mini pikelets so what they don't eat today goes in the freezer and pulled out when needed.

Alex came up with the idea to pop in some frozen blueberries, while Max pleaded the case for Nutella on top. Of course I could of said no, but instead I obediently grabbed the jar of Nutella and started spreading.

Yummy, yummo! With bellies filled, the boys did their homework in record time and there seems to be a calmness about the house......hm mm.

Blueberry pikelets with nutella ROCK!.......but only on occasion otherwise they might loose their calming power, so it's back to crackers and Vegemite tomorrow boys!

Pikelets- An after school snack

The kids came out of school today with rumbling tummies. It is true, they always seems to be rumbling after the school bell rings but today Max was particularly grumpy and broody. I was contemplating a sticky bun at the bakery but didn't have the energy to walk up and down the big hill and I also didn't have the head space for all the huffing and puffing I would of had to listen to on the way down the hill!

I give them popcorn at least three days a week and thought maybe I should try something else for a change. Alex was in the mood to help out while Max lay on the couch with a book in his hand and a rumbly tummy- the world did not look good in his eyes!

As Alex and I were sifting flour and cracking eggs, I realised I was short on milk. I put it to the boys as to what added flavour they would prefer- apple or orange juice? Apple it was for the last 1/4 cup of liquid and with that said our batter was whipped up in a matter of seconds (no really, it took all of 3 minutes to make!).


The boys were munching their way through the first batch in no time. Alex pulled down every spread he could think of while Max just stood in the kitchen and ate (he is not even into double digits and he is eating me out of house and home!)
A regular batch makes about 35 pikelets so I'll be able to keep some for tomorrows after school feasting. Now I have to go and be the big meanie who makes them do homework and trumpet practice...if only they realised I hate homework time as much as them!

Pikelets
2 cups self raising flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice (if you run out of milk!)

Sift flour into a bowl then stir in the sugar.
Drop in the egg (unbeaten) and then mix in the liquid until you have a thick batter, beat for a few minutes.
Heat frying pan or griddle, drop in a tablespoon of mixture and wait for bubbles to appear before turning.

Once bubbles appear, flip and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and spread with jam, peanut butter, nutella or what ever else tickles your fancy.

Snack time for the kids

I'm sure you all get the same looks as I do when you go and pick the kids up from school. The grumpy face stares up at you like it was all your fault the school bell didn't chime an hour ago.

"Hello boys!" is 9 times out of 10 met with....

'Ohhh I am soooo hungry, did you bring anything to eat?' where the answer is always 'no, but I'm sure there is something at home'.

It's when we get home I then realise there really isn't anything amazing to eat (surprise, surprise because if there was, I would of polished off a piece before I picked them up!).

Yesterday was a little different and I am wondering if it was a good or bad thing to do?

The cupboards were open then closed and then reopened in search of food. I looked in the fridge and declared I might have something. I pulled some bread out (thankfully Nic baked the day before) at the same time Alex found the leftover lemon curd. We decided to put them together and finish with slices of strawberries (I think that was my 'healthy' contribution).

I'm not to sure if it's a good school snack or not but one thing I do know, it kept them quiet for the rest of the afternoon and that can't be to much of a bad thing....right?

Father's Day waffles!

Firstly I have to send a big Happy Father's Day greeting to my dad.

 I let the weeks go by and never got to the post office...... Not only did I not send a card, my sister the more organised one out of his daughters actually got him a card/present but thought it was the following Sunday. Poor dad had to wake up this morning with nothing from his daughters except a couple of phone calls and excuses. So I am terribly sorry dad and l promise to make it up to you with yummy food when you come for Christmas this year. As you can see, my dad is of the adventurous variety so something tells me he'll have a fabulous day no matter what!

Actually, when you look at your life as you grow older, there are quite a few patterns forming without you really realizing the similarities of your childhood versus adult life.
 Strong childhood memories for me are food and music. When I was growing up there was always music in our house. The weekends were for dad to play his records all day long (or was it just the mornings?) while mum always seemed to have something brewing in the kitchen.
To this day whenever I hear a Fleetwood Mac tune or Doctor Hook song it takes me back to the green carpet of our one-time living room in Tiwi (a suburb of Darwin) and dad drumming his fingers and thumbs on anything and everything around. Memories of a few decades ago mirror the scene of today.

What to get Nic for Father's Day? Music was on top of the boys list, along with a Doctor Who iPhone case (not quite the same as Doctor Hook!) and a book, not to mention a 'special' breakfast. Max pointed it out that Nic should choose breakfast seeing as it was fathers day.

"What do you think boys?" was Nic's reply and without a moment of hesitation the three of them in unison yelled out

WAFFLES!!!

Nic was very happy with his itunes gift card and instead of Doctor Hook playing on the record player we had The Killers humming out of itunes while I made a batch of waffles in the kitchen. A scene that felt perfectly comfortable and natural....as if I had been doing it all my life, when in fact I was only watching all those years ago without even realizing the enjoyment I had of such an everyday moment.

Basic waffle mix
2 cups plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
pinch salt
4 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs (separated)
100grams melted butter
21/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and leave until needed. (you will have to tip the w/m husks back into the mix)
Separate egg and place the yolks into the centre of the dry ingredients.
Whisk the whites in a medium bowl until peaks just start to stiffen.
Gradually pour in the milk and melted butter into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Your batter will be lumpy and that is all good.
Add vanilla essence and egg whites then fold until combined.
Heat up your waffle iron and begin cooking!

Pulled pork from the neck of the beast

I was at the butcher the other day asking for something inspiring. The lovely Aaron just looked at me, muttered something about indecisive cougars and told me to just pick something.

'What did you say? back up the truck my friend, you called me a what??!'

After a tongue lashing from me and stating a few facts (being number one that I am NOT yet in my forties so out of cougar range and secondly happily married so strike two buddy boy!).
Aaron is a lovable 20 something lad with a devilish twinkle in his eye; a tongue lashing from a regular is just what he needs, mind you I have got to find a way to stop him calling me mum in front of other customers...he's ageing me terribly with the locals!

I walked away that day with a lovely piece of pork neck so I forgave Aaron and promised to make something delicious that he may taste if he stops calling me mum!

 Pork neck isn't really a popular piece of meat; maybe it is the name that puts people off or the fact that it isn't a common cut used in recipes. It is a pity because it is a beautiful, flavoursome cut perfect for pulled pork or cut into steaks and BBQed! The piece I had was frozen, reserved for mincing which is the norm.

Of course I really wanted to do BBQ pulled pork, however, when the day finally came for me to start cooking I was short of hickory chips for the BBQ and time- I am always short on time! With this thought in mind I decided to dust off my slow cooker once more and put it to use.
This recipe was made up with two different ideas in my head. I was still wanting to BBQ the slab of meat because I wanted that lovely smoky flavour but I also had a lot of fennel seeds in my pantry and love the combination of pork and fennel. Finally I decided to combine ideas I picked up from other bloggers and see how that turned out.
Most rubs I looked at had brown sugar in them which is totally fine but the problem I had was I knew I wanted to sear off the piece of pork before adding it to the slow cooker and if I rubbed in the brown sugar it would of burnt before I could get a nice colouring on the meat. In the recipe you will see I added the sugar at the end as this dish really needs the depth of sweetness to really pull it together.

Slow cookers are perfect for slabs of meat (I have never been a fan of cooking smaller cuts in the slow cooker as I find it overcooks the meat and it has a funny after taste to it). Arriving home after a big day out to a fantastic smell of braising meat is pure heaven!

What's even better is pulling the pork apart while still warm then reducing the sauce slightly (with added sugar) before pouring the juices all over the meat and having heavenly soft tacos for lunch the following day. Especially since we spent the morning at the footy field watching Max's team play a great game of football on a sunny winter's morning here in Sydney.

OK so I didn't quite manage to make the BBQ version, however, if you're after a delicious braised pork dish and don't have hours to hang about the house- pull out the slow cooker!

Braised pork neck
1 kg piece of pork neck (your local butcher should have this cut, however, it maybe in the freezer so just ask)
3 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt flakes
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
For the dry rub: place whole peppercorns and fennel seeds into a mortar and pound into a powder or pop in a spice grinder to blend.
Add remaining spices together then pour on to your piece of meat and rub it into the flesh and fatty bits until evenly coated.
Leave outside on the kitchen bench for 1 hour.

For the braising liquid:

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup red wine (I used Shiraz)

1 tin whole peeled tomatoes (strained)

1 cup chicken stock

2 large cloves garlic, smashed

1/3 cup brown sugar

Putting it all together:
Turn on your slow cooker to HIGH and add bay leaves, wine, tomatoes, stock and garlic and leave to warm.
Heat up a frying pan to sear the pork neck. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of salt and rub in 2 tablespoons of rice bran oil then sear until all sides are nicely browned.
Place pork neck into your slow cooker, pop the lid on and leave for 5 hours.

After you've gone out for a lovely day, come home lift off the lid, gently pull out the piece of pork neck and it should look like the picture below.

While it is still hot, get two forks and begin pulling the meat apart. While you are doing this, add the brown sugar to your sauce and put in on a medium heat to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it slightly thickens. Strain the juices over your pulled pork while it is still hot and cool the meat in the sauce for best results.

Mini beef and basil meatballs

It was swimming night tonight for my boys. It used to be a half hour of sitting pool side breathing in heavy chlorinated air while watching the boys swim laps of the pool but then somehow that changed.

Somewhere along the path I must of had a conversation with the head swim teacher about Max's advancement. I think in this little chat, I wasn't really listening.......or it was never mentioned (?) that the next level up for Max was squad and that is another 30 minutes of poolside fun. For the past 3 terms, I have had to coax Max into returning to the pool. It's not that he doesn't like the water, he just isn't really into the lessons (surprise, surprise). In all honesty I wanted the boys to be able to swim confidently so I didn't have to freak out or go into panic attacks every time we were around water and that was it. Squad didn't enter my mind.

I am happy to say in Max's case, I have accomplished this with hours of poolside waiting (Alex is still in the throws). I was not, however, really ready or prepared to sit poolside for an hour of more laps! Call me a bad mum, I don't care, but an hour of sitting, waiting and getting a little dizzy on chlorine fumes isn't high on my agenda and apparently Max's either. As we were driving home tonight while I was wondering what to cook for dinner Max interrupted my thoughts with,

"Mum, do I have to do squad next term? It's a bit boring.....it's just not really my thing"

Music to my ears! I held back my excitement and did my usual "....are you sure? you might really enjoy it next term?"

His answer was short and to the point, it was the first time I was happy to hear a sullen "NO" come out of his mouth. Of course as soon as we pull into the garage, my smile fades and I am bombarded with the crys of:
"What's for dinner?"
"I'm soooo hungry, when am I going to eat dinner (whimper, whimper)"
"Where's dad? why isn't he cooking dinner....mummmm what can we eat???"

This is when I run a bath and make them wash their hair. Apparently this is a torturous request I ask of the boys, so they sit in their quietly hoping I'll forget they are there. Little do they know I do it simply for some piece and quiet while I make dinner.

I had some pasta in the fridge but wasn't sure what to put with it.  I picked up the remaining beef mince I had left after making pasties for the weekend and thought I'd be pushing it to feed the four of us. I searched a little more then had an idea. Running with the thought of mini meat balls I pulled out a bunch of basil, spring onions and started chopping.

I was delighted with the end result. The cherry tomatoes were a great base to compliment the fresh flavours of spring onion and basil packed into the meatballs. Sweet little tomatoes simmering with garlic...what could be yummier?

These would be great on their own as a pre dinner, mezze plate bite or as I did, mixed with ravioli or any type of pasta. Actually, if there were any left over I'm sure the boys would of loved them for lunch in a wrap smothered with hummus and lettuce.

Hair was washed (you know I had to use the mummy voice and my eagle eye to get that done), bowls were licked and bellies were full all round.
A great idea if you have a little less meat than you would really like. Making the meatballs smaller, makes it look bigger and appeals to big and little mouths- defiantly worth a try, just don't expect leftovers!



Beef and basil meatballs
1-2 tablespoons Rice Bran oil (or vegetable)
400g - 500g beef mince
2 large spring onions, chopped finely
6-8 basil leaves, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
salt and pepper to taste
2 punnets cherry tomoates
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
5cm piece of parmesan rind

In a medium bowl mix together beef, spring onions, chopped basil, garam masala and salt and pepper.
When very well combined, roll into teaspoon sized balls and put to one side.
Make sure your tomatoes are cut in half and the garlic is sliced before starting to cook
Heat a large frying pan on high heat. When hot, add oil, swirl around the pan quickly then drop in meat balls and brown.
When brown on one side, turn and brown the other. Make sure you do not cook all the way through (see picture to the right).
Remove balls from the frying pan and leave to rest.
Place frying pan back on the heat and toss in chopped tomatoes with a good pinch of salt.
Saute for 2 minutes then add the garlic slices and saute for a further few minutes.
Pop in your parmesan rind then place meat balls back in.
Turn heat to a low simmer, place a lid on and cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove lid, give the pan a little shake to loosen the sauce and cook for a further 5-8 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with pasta or cool and serve as you would like with shaved parmesan cheese.

Pasta pie by my mother-in-law

Nic has been off across the other side of the world this week while the boys and I were lucky enough to have Pam, Nic's mum offer to help us with the day to day runnings of our family. Nic was giving papers on 16th Century Italians in Montreal, the jist of the paper I believe was about a donkey!?

 I know, some people have all the fun jobs!

With my leg still in the boot and the boys still wanting to eat (funny that), it was Pam who came to the rescue and did 99% of the cooking this week. I guess this is why I have been a little vacant in the bloggers sphere.....that and some ridiculously early morning starts that I don't wish to remember!!

My favourite dish of Pam's was a pork fillet cooked on the barbie, however, today's blog I will turn to the boys favourite meal of the week and also our dinner tonight seeing as she made enough for two dinners. Tonight also being Nic's first dinner back in the country. Does this make me a bad wife, leaving his first home cooked meal to his mum to make for him instead of his wife?

Pam gave me this recipe a few years ago. She plucked it out of one of her favourite magazines and told me it was a must for a growing family and I agree whole heartily. I was teaching a class when she served this to the boys last night (funnily enough it was a vegetarian class). I am not surprised they are in fits of excitement, the meal is a lasagna made with spaghetti instead of lasagna sheets. It is reheating while I type and I am salivating!

If you need any more convincing this is a kids favourtite- when I pulled it from the fridge to bring to room temp, the boys just got back from their swimming lessons. When they rounded the courner into the kitchen Alex pumps the air with his fist and says "yeah, yeah I LOVE this mum, you should learn to make it"
Learn I will Alex, but for now, lets all enjoy Grammies leftovers; thanks for a great week Pam!


Pastitso (macaroni and meat pie)
 Serves 6-8

500g long macaroni (or spaghetti)
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper
3 eggs- lightly beaten.

Meat sauce
1 large onion
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tbsp butter
750 g (1 1/2 lbs) ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp sugar
s and p

Cream sauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 egg lightly beaten

Cook macaroni until just tender. Drain. Pour melted butter over it in pan plus other ingredients except eggs. Add them when cool. Toss
 Cook meat sauce for 20 mins
 Make cream sauce.
 Add 1/2 cup of this sauce to meat sauce.
 Assemble in buttered oven dish (13 by 9 by3 ins).
Place half macaroni on base. Top with meat sauce. Cover with rest of macaroni. Pour over cream sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 50 min until golden.
Rest for 10 min.

Grilling pork ball skewers

I was flicking through one of my favourite books the other day and noticed a great picture of  Vietnamese pork balls, grilled on a skewer. The picture was really appetizing and the thought of anything Vietnamese sounded delicious, so I flipped through the ingredients quickly, made a mental note to remind Nic to pick up some pork mince while shopping and kept this recipe filed for a meal this week.

Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffery Alford and Naomi Duguid, is one of my most favourite cookbooks. I love the stories they tell of their travels with food, family and cultures visited. All their books have the most wonderful photography and last but by no means least, their recipes are fantastic. Straight to the point and very easy to follow.

Revisiting the recipe I found for pork balls was interesting. When it finally came time for me to actually READ the recipe I was in for a surprise, you see I had a time limit of 40 minutes to get dinner made and on the table and after reading their recipe I discovered I was about 30 minutes out of time with half the ingredients missing! Not to feel beaten, I decided to follow the flavour pallet of the dish, but do it in a Western way- speed it up, use the ingredients at hand and hope for the best. (I also made a promise to myself to make the real recipe soon seeing as I was very impressed with my slap dash version- I can only salivate at what the real recipe tastes like!).

Super quick grilled pork balls on skewers

3 sprigs of spring onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves, peeled and cut in half (I used big cloves)

1 tablespoon fish sauce (I used Thai but if you have Vietnamese even better)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground cracked pepper

1 lime leaf, stem removed and sliced

500 grams pork mince (try to get some with extra fat for excellent results)

pinch salt (optional)

In a food processor add spring onion, garlic and fish sauce then blend until roughly chopped.

Add sugar, pepper and shredded lime leaf then blend for about 10 seconds until it turns into a wet paste.

Remove lid and add pork mince with a pinch of salt then process until well combined, approx 8 seconds.

OK that's it, mix is made!

Now wet your hands with a little water and begin rolling balls, about a heaped teaspoon of mix per ball.

Once you have all the balls rolled ( I think I ended up with about 25-30 ), place 4-5 per skewer and line them up so the meatballs are touching each other. You want to use the fat of the pork to infuse the balls together so they don't spin around and fall off your stick!

At this stage I popped them in the freezer for 15 minutes so they wouldn't fall off the stick (meat is very soft). When I pulled them out of the freezer, they were firm and much easier to handle.

So, while the skewers where cooling off in the freezer I pre lit my BBQ and by the time it was ready to sizzle so were my skewers.

Spray your pork balls with oil and then place them on your grill while it is on a medium high temperature. You want to get grill marks but you don't want to char the little fellas!

Cooking time was about 10 minutes.

Once they were ready I ran out of time to make a wonderful sauce to serve with them (you know how it is, chasing the boys to get their school work done, running the bath etc....), so while the meat was resting I whipped up some udon noodles and veggies and served the pork ball skewers on top.

End result- delicious!

Alex was very upset he only got one skewer and this is coming from the boy who never finishes his meat serving, meanwhile Nic and Max were to busy devouring theirs to comment. I feel I didn't do the Alford/Duguid recipe justice, but I have to say these were so quick, easy and moreish that I'll defiantly be making them again.