The childhood flavours of chicken paprikash...

This recipe is from my childhood and conjurs up memories of cold days and familiar  flavours.  The flavour combination of this dish usually gets a run during winter in our household along with seafood and/or meat versions.

Chicken paprikash

•  1 kg chicken pieces (thigh fillets are good)
•  2 brown onions, finely chopped
•  2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•  1 red capsicum, chopped
•  2 tablespoons olive oil 
•  3 teaspoons sweet paprika (or smoked paprika) 
• ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
•  salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  200ml dry white wine
•  50g sour cream
• Italian parsley, chopped for garnish

Place some olive oil in a heavy based saucepan and saute the onions until soft before adding the garlic and capsicum and saute until softened.

Add the paprika, caraway seeds, chilli flakes and salt and ground black pepper and mix through.

Add the chicken in three batches and cook until the juices are released and it browns a little.

Add the wine, some water and the bay leaves and let it simmer gently for about 50 minutes or more.

Before serving stir in the sour cream and when served onto the plates top with parsley.

We served this with a lovely green salad from Marion, crusty bread and a glass of rose.  

June 2018 - Karmen's place

Marg's soup kitchen in May.....

 "Pay attention now, this is how it's done"!

 'The concentration'

Naan bread

A sunny May day with Marg showing us her version of naan bread using kefir instead of yoghurt.  

Start with adding the yeast along with one teaspoon of flour to the water and leave the mix to sour and bubble for about 15 minutes. (There are many recipes of naan bread on the Net)
Rather than on a bench, Marg places the flour, kefir and oil in a large bowl, mixing the ingredients well and then placing in a warm spot to prove. The sunny kitchen bench worked beautifully with the dough doubling in size in time.

With floured hands, pat the mix into small flat breads and fry gently in garlicky butter. Place the bread in a warm oven until ready to serve.

With winter just around the corner Marg inspired us with three varieties of hearty soup -
ham hock and lentil, chicken and vegetable and vegetable and tomato.


May 2017 - Marg's place

Annabel inspiration for our autumn afternoon tea....

 A beautiful table setting under the grapevine for our afternoon tea with a gorgeous selection of homemade cakes.  Rarely do you experience these flavours when eating out!

Chocaholic heaven with these delightful Chocolate butterfly cakes from Marg made even tastier using brown sugar and Dutch process cocoa.

A classic Apple streusel cake from Annie ably assisted by her grand daughter with the grated streusel topping made by chilling the mixture.  Delish!

Christine's lovely, decadent tasting Raspberry and dark chocolate tea cake topped with flaked almonds and dusted with icing sugar and served with cream.

Marion's sublime Coconut dream cake with lime and served with berries - fit for a wedding feast!

Fig jam and ricotta torta, a classic Italian inspired cake making use of local figs in season came from Karmen.  Can be served as a dessert or in the afternoon with an amaro or espresso.

The all time favourite Carrot cake from Gina is how carrot cake should taste with lots of walnuts and made especially moist by the addition of a banana.

March 2017 - Gina's place

Torta della casa for afternoon tea...

 

 

 

 

Torta della casa (homemade cake)

A classic Italian dessert that is lovely for afternoon tea or the finale of a long lunch.  This version of the cake was made with Granita biscuits as the base but can also be made using a shortcrust pastry.

The base

• 140g melted butter
• 500g Granita biscuits

Melt the butter.  Process the biscuits and place in a bowl with the butter and stir to combine.

Line a tin with removable base with greased baking paper and press into the tin with the back of a wooden spoon.

Note: the above quantity makes about one 20cm tart case and 5 small tins so adjust accordingly.

Custard filling

• 4 cups full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla paste
• 1 cup sugar (for the egg mix)
• 1 cup sugar in the milk
• 12 egg yolks
• 6 level tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 250g cream cheese or mascarpone
• the rind of a lemon
• pine nuts for the topping (see photo) 

Note:  This recipe can be halved as this made a huge amount of custard. 

Raspberry coulis

• 2 cups raspberries
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Cointreau or other white spirit

Heat oven to 160 degrees fan forced.

TIP  soak pine nuts in water to prevent burning.  Just before you're ready to bake the cake drain the pine nuts and place on a paper towel and pat dry.
 
Beat eggs and one cup of the sugar until pale.  Add the cornflour and plain flour to the egg mixture and mix to combine.

Heat the milk and vanilla until hot but not boiling.  Pour about half a cup of the milk into the egg mix and then pour that mix back into the milk mixture.  Stir the custard with a whisk and slowly heat until it thickens.

When the custard has thickened, strain it into a heat proof bowl and cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming.  Place in the fridge.

When the custard has cooled place it in a food processor along with the cream cheese and the rind of a lemon.

Place an icing bag (from the Kitchen Shop in Lincoln) into a jug and spoon in the custard mixture. 
Remove the icing bag and carefully cut an opening at the base and then pipe the mixture into the tart case or cases.

Scatter the dried pine nuts on top of the cake and cook for about 15 minutes.  As soon as you see the cake rising turn the oven off and let it cool slowly - about 10 minutes and this should prevent it from 'sinking'.

Put the cake in the fridge for the final 'set'.

While the cake is setting, place the raspberries, sugar, water and spirit into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy.  Strain if you like or blend the mixture.

Serve the raspberry coulis with the cake.

Thank you to Nada for sharing this recipe.

Buon appetito!




June 2016 -Gina's place with Nada at the helm

Cold roll calling.....

 

Asian style cold rolls

• 2 chicken breast fillets, cooked 
• rice vermicelli
• 1 continental cucumber
• cabbage, finely sliced
• carrots, sliced into julienne 
• red and green chillies, sliced
• fresh coriander leaves
• Vietnamese mint
• mint
• Vietnamese rice paper spring roll wrappers

Peanut sauce

• 4 red shallots
• ginger (a large thumb sized piece)
• coriander roots
• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 270ml can coconut cream
• sweet chilli sauce
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 2 limes

(adjust the quantities above to suit)

Cook the rice vermicelli as per packet instructions and quantity to however many rolls your are making.

Slice the chicken breast into long pieces to fit into the rolls. 

Finely slice the cabbage.  Grate or slice the carrots. Remove the seeds from the chillies and slice into long thin pieces.

Remove the leaves from the coriander and mints.

To make the peanut sauce, chop the shallots and ginger very finely (minced really) and then saute in a frying pan in olive oil until soft and fragrant.  Add some chilli sauce (to taste) and then the peanut butter and the coconut cream and stir continuously to combine while the mixture simmers.

Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and chopped coriander roots and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.  If the sauce separates either add more lime juice or rice wine vinegar.  Place the mixture in a heatproof dish to cool.

Place the rice paper wrappers, one at a time, in a large dish of lukewarm water to soften.  Once they are ready place them on a dinner plate ready to assemble starting with a line of peanut sauce and then small amounts of the herbs, chicken, carrot, cucumber, cabbage and noodles.  Bring the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides and roll up as tightly as you can without the rice paper splitting.  Place on a serving plate seam side down.  Voila!

Tip from Marion:  It is easier and really tasty to have the peanut sauce spread inside the rolls than people dipping continuously into a bowl.   The peanut sauce also keeps well in the fridge.  Also a great way to have a meal with everyone making their own rolls.

A fabulous summer afternoon under Gina's gorgeous grapevine and thank you Marion.

 January 2016 - Gina's place with Marion at the helm.

 

Edible art on a winter's afternoon

A 'lemon basket' in the making.

Gorgeous lemon baskets filled with Italian parsley, chervil and celery leaves.  Perfect as they are as a garnish or top with a seafood or beef tartare or maybe even the 70's classic prawn cocktail!

The fine motors skills being tested making 'carrot flower' garnishes.  Finely slit carrot - like you're making paper lanterns but with the two outer slices slit to make the spikey bit.  Then open into a circle and place a toothpick to hold the shape and place into iced water to set.  Make three of these and then join together with a toothpick.  Also cut out a round piece of carrot to place in the middle of the flower. I think you need to see this being made - a bit difficult to explain!

Another test - lilies made from finely sliced turnip rounds, wrapped around a spring onion stem and then tied with a piece of steamed, softened spring onion.  You need time on your hands and plenty of patience for this one - but oh so gorgeous when you get it!

The creations - including beans wrapped with spring onions.

A piece of finely sliced zucchini then chopped finely and wrapped around an olive!

 

The apple creations taking shape.

 The apple flowers would look fantastic on a cheese platter.

A lovely afternoon spent creating something new to us in edible art.  Thank you Marion.






Marion's place - September 2015