The Best Recipes

Maple & Mustard Glazed Salmon (3 Ingredients)

2009-06-29T10:34:00.004+02:00

This is the easiest and most simple recipe to make and tastes wonderful. I tagged this one from a chef I have made a few recipes from in the past and I have never been disappointed, she has some great ones. Whilst this recipe was fab as is, I think next time I make this I would like to add some lemon juice and also some minced garlic. I served ours with seasoned roasted potatoes and snow peas with tomatoes. To view more photos of this recipe or read more reviews please click here. Please be sure to view more great recipes by this chef while you are there.

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Ingredients

4 Salmon fillets, with skin on
2 Tablespoons coarse grain mustard
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

I think some lemon juice and minced garlic would be a nice addition to the glaze as well. I used the same amounts listed above for 2 fillets but mine were quite large weighing just over 300g each fillet.

Method

1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Mix together the mustard and maple syrup.

3. Place the salmon fillets (skin side down) in a baking dish or on a shallow tray that has been lined with aluminium foil.

4. Spread the mustard and maple mixture evenly over the tops of the salmon fillets.

5. Grill/Broil for 10 minutes or until cooked through. The time taken will depend on the size of the fish. (Make sure fillets are as equally sized as possible to ensure the same cooking time for all.)

To Serve: Serve fillets with a salad or green vegetables. I served ours with seasoned roasted potatoes and snow peas with tomatoes.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Marinated Steaks with a Tangy Butter

2009-06-03T09:47:00.007+02:00

This is a very easy steak recipe to make and it is good for anything from a Sunday BBQ, to a dinner party. We love the butter that goes with these steaks and it so easy to prepare and makes for something a little different from the usual Cafe De Paris butter that is more expected. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love Cafe De Paris butter and it is possibly my favourite of all butters to make, but this one tastes great and is not so labour intensive. I marinated our steaks in the morning before work and then cooked them in the evening, but they could easily be done the night before and this would be much better if cooking for a lunchtime BBQ the next day, to allow enough marinating time.

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Ingredients

4 Beef fillets or your favourite cut

Marinade

1 Small onion, sliced
2 Bay leaves
4 Cloves garlic, roughly chopped
11/2 Teaspoons black peppercorns
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
1 Cup red wine

Butter

100g Butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 Stick celery, finely chopped
2 Green onions, chopped finely
1 Teaspoon capers, chopped
1 Tablespoon horseradish (I did quite a generous one)
1 Teaspoon sugar

Method

Butter

1. Combine all butter ingredients in a bowl, make sure you mix well.

2. Spoon butter into some foil, roll butter to form a log shape, twist ends of foil so you have what looks like a mini Christmas cracker.

3. Refrigerate until firm.

Steaks

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, add steaks, cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

2. Remove steaks, discard marinade, grill, BBQ or pan fry steaks until cooked as desired. Allow steaks to rest before serving.

Note: I slice the butter and place it on top of steaks while they are resting on a board so they are still hot enough to start to melt the butter.

Serve steaks topped with a slice of butter and mash or roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Sun-Dried Tomato Lamb Shanks

2009-05-30T17:08:00.005+02:00

I came up with this one the other night just experimenting with ingredients and both my hubby and I really enjoyed it. It is easy to throw together and then you just leave it to cook on the stove. I served ours of mashed potato but you can serve it with whatever you like.

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Ingredients

Oilve oil
4 Lamb shanks
2 Medium red onions, sliced thinly
250g Mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Cup red wine
1/2 Cup port
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
11/2 Cups water
1 Teaspoon dried rosemary
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
8 Sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
2-3 Teaspoons beef stock granules (depending on brand and personal taste)
1 Teaspoon dijon mustard
2-3 Tablespoons cornflour
Parsley

Method

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large fry pan, add shanks and brown all over. Remove shanks and wipe pan clean.

2. Heat a little more oil in pan add onion, mushrooms and garlic, cook stirring until onion softens and mushrooms brown slightly.

3. In a large saucepan add onion mix and all the other ingredients, except cornflour and parsley, return shanks to pan.

4. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook covered about 4 hours or until lamb is falling off the bone. My shanks were quite meaty so time will vary depending on sizes of shanks.

5. Remove shanks and cover with foil to keep warm.

6. Mix a little water with the cornflour and add to liquid, bring to the boil and stir until mixture thickens. (It will not be super thick just a nice gravy consistency.)

To Serve: Place a mound of mash on a plate, top with a shanks and pour sauce all over, garnish with parsley if desired.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Beef Steak With Avocado Sauce

2009-05-29T09:59:00.005+02:00

This is a great recipe for steaks, although a combination I never would have thought of, but everything works so well from the spice rub to the avocado sauce. This is another of my team mates recipes I chose to try for the swap I am in this month and I am so glad I did as we thoroughly enjoyed it. I made ours with two very thick cut steak fillets and served over mixed vegetables with roast potatoes for a truly delicious meal.To read more reviews on this recipe or to view more photos please click here. While your there be sure to check out some of her other fantastic recipes, I have made several now and never been disappointed.

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Ingredients

2 (12 ounce) Rib eye steaks or top sirloin steaks, cut 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1/2 Teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
8 Ounces fresh tomatillos, husked and quartered
1/4 Cup water
2 Ounces cream cheese
1 Avocado, halved,seeded,peeled,and cut up
1/4 Cup sliced green onion
1/2 Teaspoon salt
10-12 Green onions, trimmed to 6 inch lengths
4-6 Jalapeno peppers
1 Large tomato, chopped (Optional)

Method

1. Trim fat from around the edges of beef rib-eye steaks.

2. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper.

3. Pat onto both sides of the steaks.

4. Let steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile for sauce, in a small saucepan combine the quartered tomatillos and water, bring to boiling; reduce heat.

6. Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft.

7. Stir the cream cheese into tomatillo mixture until melted; cool mixture slightly.

8. In a food processor bowl or blender container combine the tomatillo mixture, the avocado, sliced green onions, and salt, cover and process or blend until sauce mixture is smooth. Store n fridge until ready to use.

10. Prepare charcoal grill or preheat gas grill.

11. Grill steaks on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals to desired doneness, turning halfway through.

12. Allow 14 to 18 minutes for medium rare and 18 to 22 minutes for medium.

13. If desired, brush the whole green onions and jalapenos lightly with oil; grill jalapenos about 10 minutes or untiil soft and lightly charred, turning occasionally.

Serve with sauce, grilled jalapenos, and green onions and chopped tomato is desired.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Chicken Paprika

2009-05-27T17:31:00.005+02:00

This was a recipe I tagged in a game that I am involved in on Recipezaar, I shall place a link below. The original recipe did call for chicken breasts with skin on and bone in, as I can not get those here I made with spatchcocks (baby chickens). I used 2 tablespoons of butter and 4 cloves of garlic for 2 chickens. It was way piggy, but when it came time to cut into the birds they just oozed garlic butter which was awesome. The chicken was beautifully moist and tender and the garlic flavour was gorgeous with every bite. This is such a super simple easy recipe to make and it tastes fabulous. To read more reviews of this recipe or to view more photos please click here.

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Ingredients

4 Chicken breast halves (with skin on)
4 Teaspoons butter
2 Garlic cloves (crushed, in garlic press or minced)
Paprika

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.

2. Mix butter and garlic together.

3. Gently pull skin back on the chicken breast but do not remove. Spread 1/4 of butter/garlic mixture over meat.

4. Pull skin back over, sprinkle paprika on the top of the skin, then place breasts on a baking tray lined with baking paper (don't need baking paper if using breasts on the bone).

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with other 3 breasts.

6. Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes (35 to 40 if on the bone).

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Beef Steaks with Capsicum Relish

2009-05-26T09:56:00.005+02:00

This is a really easy way to prepare steak for something a little bit different, with hardly any effort. I used beef fillet cut in this recipe, but rib-eye or sirloin could be used instead. The relish can also be made a day ahead of time, stored in the fridge and reheated just before serving. I have listed the amounts for the veg I chose to serve with this but feel free to serve with what you want.

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Ingredients

Olive oil
3 Beef fillet steaks (see note above)
2 Red capsicums, quartered, seeds and membranes removed
1 Large onion, sliced thinly
4 Cloves garlic, crushed
2 Red chilies, finely chopped (I leave a few seeds in.)
50ml Balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Corn cobs, trimmed and chopped coarsley
300g Red potatoes, halved and quartered, depending on size
100g Snow peas
150g Asparagus spears
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Roast capsicum skin side up, under grill, until skin blisters and blackens. Stand for 5 min's to cool, peel away skin and slice thinly.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan, cook onion and garlic, stirring until soft.

3. Add chillies, vinegar, sugar and capsicum, cook, stirring about 8 Min's.

4. Meanwhile cook steaks, on an oiled grill plate, or grill or BBQ, until browned on both sides and cooked as desired.

5. Boil, steam or microwave vegetables, until just tender.

6. You can either do the same with potato and just boil or do as I did, which was to only par boil them, drain, sprinkle with paprika and garlic powder and finally roast in pre-heated oven of 180 degrees celsius, until browned and crisp, so take your pick.

To Serve: Place vegetables on plate, place steaks on veg and top each steak with capsicum relish, sprinkle with parsley.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Spinach Dip

2009-05-25T18:15:00.005+02:00

I chose this recipe as a second one to make for one of my team mates in our monthly recipes swaps. This is a super easy dip to make and it has a wonderful end result. I made this on the weekend for a BBQ were I was having 30 people over. It got rave reviews and lots of requests for the recipe. I made it the night before to allow all the flavours to come through and served it with bread, chips and lots of veggies to dip in it. I am the first one to review this and the only change I made was not to add water chestnuts as I did not have any and am not a big fan. To view the original recipe please click here.

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Ingredients

10 Ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 7/8 Ounces Knorr vegetable soup mix
Water chestnut, canned, drained and chopped
3 Green onions, chopped
1 Loaf bread, round

Method

1. Squeeze spinach until dry.

2. In medium bowl stir in spinach, sour cream, mayo, soup mix, chestnuts and onion.

3. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

4. Hollow out bread and put dip in center.

Serve with bread, chips and veggies to dip.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Ginger Truffles

2009-05-21T09:53:00.005+02:00

I have never made home made chocolates before and I found this recipe from one of my team mates in the recipe swap I'm in this month. It immediately caught my eye as it is good for people who can not take a lot of dairy as my brother, so I thought I would try it. Well my whole family love ginger and this has an absolutely wonderful gingery kick to it. I used very expensive swiss chocolate for both mixing with the ginger and also for coating, so they were extra gourmet and totally indulgent. To read more reviews on this recipe please click here. I will say when processing the ginger mix, do not over process, I did and thought they would have been much better with some more small ginger chunks in them.

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Ingredients

250g Ginger biscuits
400g Crystallized ginger
100g Chocolate (I used creamy milk chocolate)
300g Chocolate, for coating. (I used dark chocolate)

Method

1. Pulverize the biscuits in your food processor until fine crumbs.

2. Add the ginger and process 30 seconds, re-arrange and process another 30 seconds.

3. Add the chocolate, broken into small pieces, and process until it all comes together in a tacky ball.

4. Spread on a tray and refrigerate until you can easily roll it into small balls.

5. Put the balls on baking paper, and return to fridge overnight.

6. Melt the extra chocolate and dip each ginger ball to coat, refrigerate until hardened.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Lemon Pepper Lamb

2009-05-20T18:48:00.004+02:00

This is a great way to prepare lamb, from the seasoning used on the lamb, to the sauce served with it, it is really delicious. The recipe does call for lamb chops but I had some backstraps (fillets) to use up so made it with these instead. The lamb was beautifully tender and we loved the lemon pepper seasoning on them. I served ours over couscous and poured the sauce over the lamb and it was enjoyed by all. I have made several recipes from this chef before and I am never disappointed and this one is no exception. I loved how easy these was to prepare as well a really great recipe that I am sure you will enjoy. To read more reviews on this recipe or to see more photos please click here.

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Ingredients

8 Lamb loin chops
4 Teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Clove garlic, crushed
60ml Dry white wine
180ml Chicken stock
4 Teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 Cup roughly chopped fresh chives
Fresh ground pepper

Method

1. Sprinkle the lamb with the seasoning.

2. Heat the oil in a fry pan and cook the lamb until it is browned on both sides and cooked through.

3. Remove from the pan and cover and keep warm.

4. Add the garlic and wine to the frying pan and bring to the boil.

5. Add the stock and the juice, and bring to the boil again.

6. Boil uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half.

7. Stir in the chives and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Salmon with Coriander/Cilantro Mango Salsa

2009-05-19T09:37:00.005+02:00

This is very versatile it can be served as a main course with a salad for a light, healthy summer time meal or it can be served as a appetizer, or as part of a buffet style meal along with other dishes. I have made this a few times now both as a main and also as part of a BBQ when I had 40 people over, it is always received well. I have listed the weight below as 1kg and I feel this would serve 4-5 as a main with a nice green salad and some crusty bread and about 10 as an appetizer or as part of a buffet style meal.

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Ingredients

Salmon

Cooking spray or olive oil
1kg Salmon fillet
1/2 Lemon, juice of
1 Tablespoon olive oil, extra
Ground sea salt
Ground black pepper
Coriander sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Lemon wedges or spirals, for garnish (optional)

Coriander/Cilantro Mango Salsa

1 Mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 Large avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 Cup finely diced red pepper
1 Red onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons finely chopped coriander/cilantro
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 Tablespoon honey

Method

1. Make salsa first by combining lemon juice, dressing and honey in a screw top jar, shake to combine.

2. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients in a glass bowl, refrigerate until needed. Salsa can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Salmon

1. Pre-Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

2. Place salmon in an oven proof dish, that has been lightly greased with either cooking spray or oil.

3. Brush salmon with olive oil, squeeze lemon over salmon, Sprinkle with ground sea salt and pepper.

4. Bake for 30-35 Min's or until fish flakes easily, cooking time will vary depending on thickness of the salmon.

5. Remove salmon from pan, allow to cool for 15 minutes. Either serve now, lukewarm, or refirgerate salmon for at least 2 hours to chill. Will last longer but chill no more than 24 hours. (I have done both and both are equally nice.)

To Serve: Place salmon on a serving platter, Spoon small amounts of salsa over, garnish with lemon and coriander sprigs. Serve remaining salsa in a bowl on the side.

All photo taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Stuffed Leg of Lamb

2009-05-14T19:16:00.008+02:00

This was an experiment I did for Easter this year and it turned out very well. I bought the lamb already off the bone and cut it myself before stuffing. But you can ask your butcher to do this for you,he will even cut it ready for stuffing and rolling to make it easier. I made 2 stuffed pork loins as well to serve 10 of us, my lamb was 1.1kg in weight I think it would serve 4-6 people if not making with other meats, along with sides. Just so you know the way I cut my lamb I will explain this here. Mine was already looking like a mini log, I turned it over so it was skin side down on my chopping board. I cut the lamb down the center, leaving about a half inch of meat uncut. I then cut through each half, cutting through the center of each, again not going all the way through. Then I opened it out and pounded it with a meat mallet to even out thickness before spreading stuffing over and rolling back up before securing with kitchen string.

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Ingredients

1.1kg Leg lamb, de-boned and sliced open ready to stuff
1/2 Packet sage and onion stuffing mix, made up
1 Shallot, chopped finely
5 Cloves garlic, 3 crushed, 2 sliced thinly
1 Tablespoon rosemary, chopped finely
8 Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, garlic powder and paprika (For sprinkling over top of lamb)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Open out lamb leg, I pounded with a meat mallet to even out thickness. (Read note above about cutting leg for stuffing.)

3. Heat a little oil in a pan, add crushed garlic, and shallot and cook until shallot has softened.

4. In a bowl combine stuffing mix, garlic/shallot mix, rosemary and tomatoes, spread stuffing evenly over lamb, carefully roll lamb up to form a log roll, secure with kitchen string.

5. Slice slits into top of lamb at intervals, push sliced garlic into slits, sprinkle top with listed herbs.

6. Place in an ovenproof dish and roast for about 1hr 30-45 Min's or until cooked as desired.

Let meat stand before slicing.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Toblerone Chocolate Mousse

2009-05-13T09:51:00.004+02:00

This mousse is so very rich and so very good. I tagged this one to make about a week ago and just got round to it on the weekend to take to a family BBQ. It is a truly sinful dessert and totally indulgent, but worth every bite. My whole family thought it was very yummy although all said it is not something you could eat to much of as it is very rich. I am the first person to make and review this recipe but did not change a thing. I have never made mousse before so followed the instructions to the tee which were very easy to follow in fact the whole recipe was easy peasy to make. To view the original recipe please click here. Tisme the chef of this one has some great recipes ans I have tried several, so I would definitely check out more of hers, if you go look at this one.

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Ingredients

125g Cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup caster sugar
1 Cup cream
2 Eggs, separated
1 Teaspoon gelatine dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
200g Dark chocolate, melted
100g Toblerone chocolate, chopped finely
1/2 Tablespoon brandy
Chocolate, and cream for decoration

Method

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and cream until smooth.

2. Add egg yolks, gelatine mixture and melted chocolate, mix until all ingredients are well combined.

3. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold into chocolate mixture with Toblerone, add brandy.

4. Pour into small dishes and chill for 4 hours.

Decorate with extra chocolate and cream if desired.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-05-12T10:30:00.004+02:00

This a very simple recipe to throw together and it tastes delicious. I just served ours over a salad but it would also work sliced over pasta with a sauce.

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Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts
4 Sun-Dried tomatoes, sliced in half
3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
80-100g Feta cheese, sliced (depending on size of breasts)
4-6 Slices prosciutto, to secure chicken (depending on the width of each slice)

Method

1. Pre-Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Slice breasts and open out, using a meat mallet pound breasts, until of approximate even thickness.

3. Spread pesto down center of each breast, place sliced sun-dried tomato down the center, top with feta, roll chicken breasts up and secure with prosciutto slices.

4. Place breasts in an oven proof dish, drizzle olive oil over breasts and bake for about 30-35 Min's or until cooked through.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Apricot Pork With Herb Crust

2009-05-12T09:54:00.005+02:00

I tagged this recipe to make as it sounded really yummy but I did not have any pork cutlets on hand so I made this with a pork loin which was delicious. I spread the jam over the loin and then topped it with the crumb mixture, placed it in an oven proof dish and poured the chicken stock in pan. I baked it for about 35 Min's at 180 degrees C and it came out beautifully moist and tender. I loved the combination of the apricot jam with the crunchy topping for the pork and will look forward to trying this again with cutlets. To view original recipes please click here. I have made a few recipes by this chef and I have enjoyed them all so give it go.

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Ingredients

2 Teaspoons olive oil
4 Pork cutlets, trimmed
1/4 Cup apricot jam
2/3 Cup fresh multigrain breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 Cup reduced-salt chicken stock
4 Corn, cobettes (85g each, steamed)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place, in a single layer, in an ovenproof dish.

2. Spread the top of the pork with jam. Combine breadcrumbs and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle over jam. Pour stock into base of dish.

3. Bake, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until pork is cooked through and breadcrumbs are light golden.

To Serve: Drizzle dish juices over and serve with corn.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Orange Rosemary Roasted Chicken

2009-05-11T09:48:00.005+02:00

I made this one a few weeks ago now but am just posting it now, this was an excellent roast chicken recipe. I have made a few recipes of this chefs before and have not been disappointed and this one was no exception. I especially loved the marmalade glaze used to finish it off. The chicken itself was full of flavour and came out so moist and tender. To view more photos and read more reviews of this recipe please click here.

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Ingredients

1 (3 lb) Whole roasting chickens
1 Tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
2 Cloves garlic (I used 5, 2 in the chicken and three in the juice)
1 Large orange, peeled and quartered
1/2 Cup orange juice
1/2-1 Teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 Teaspoon pepper (I use freshly ground black pepper)
1/2 Teaspoon dried rosemary

Glaze

3 Tablespoons orange marmalade
1/2 Teaspoon dried rosemary, to taste

Method

1. Wash chicken and pat dry.

2. Brush chicken with melted butter,season both inside and out with salt and pepper and rosemary, placing one clove garlic inside chicken.

3. Place in roaster with the orange juice, quartered orange, and remaining clove of garlic.

4. Roast uncovered in 350 oven until chicken is well browned, fork tender, and juices run clear when pierced with a fork about (1 1/2 to 2 hours).

5. Make glaze by mixing marmalade and dry rosemary, brush onto chicken and bake for another 10 minutes.

I served mine with roast potatoes, corn on the cob, mixed vegetables and yorkshire pudding.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Horseradish Dill Sauce

2009-05-09T09:58:00.004+02:00

This recipe is by the same chef as the salmon and asparagus salad that I made and posted yesterday, I had tagged 2 of her recipes to try and this was the second one. I loved this sauce, I served it with a mix of seafood, but I think it would also be good with roast beef, or as a spread to spice up a sandwich. I had too much sauce so I saved the rest and ate it with some smoked salmon for breakfast the nest day. The only thing I did different here was to add some more horseradish just because I love it. To view the original recipe please click here.

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted, Eco friendly camphor laurel chopping, cheese boards and Mezzaluna Boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon horseradish (I used more just my preference)
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 Teaspoon dried dill
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 Teaspoon no salt all purpose seasoning (I used Don's Flavor Enhancer With Very Low Sodium)
1/8 Teaspoon seasoning salt

Method

1. Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving. (It is best if left 24 hours for flavors to truly come together).

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Salad

2009-05-07T19:15:00.000+02:00

I tagged this recipe to make and I am so glad I did the maple dijon dressing is awesome and we really enjoyed the whole dish. I love salmon and asparagus so for us this was a great combination. I am the first person to review this recipe but I did not change a thing to what is listed below apart from throwing in some avocado as well. To view the original please click here.

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Ingredients

Maple-Dijon Dressing

1/3 Cup maple-flavored syrup
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salad

1 lb Salmon fillet (1/2 inch thick)
1 lb Fresh asparagus spear
4 Cups baby greens
1 Cup shredded carrot (about 1 1/2 medium)
1 Hard-cooked egg, cut into 8 wedges
Fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat gas or charcoal grill.

2. In small bowl, mix all Maple-Dijon Dressing ingredients with wire whisk.

3. Cut salmon crosswise into 4 pieces. Brush salmon with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. In large bowl, toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Place asparagus in grill basket (grill “wok”).

4. When grill is heated, place asparagus and salmon, skin side down, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook asparagus 7 to 10 minutes and salmon 10 to 15 minutes, shaking grill basket or turning asparagus occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender and salmon flakes easily with fork.

5. Slide pancake turner between salmon and skin to remove each piece from skin. On 4 plates, divide salad greens, carrots and egg. Top with asparagus then the salmon. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve with remaining dressing.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Chicken Salad

2009-05-06T10:21:00.004+02:00

This is yet another recipe I have made for the swap I am in this month and is yet another recipe that I have rally enjoyed, It is a really simple and tasty chicken salad to put together. I cooked a seasoned chicken breast per person because I had to use them up, but using a BBQ chook would make this so quick to throw together and that perfect after work meal. I also served our salad greens on the side, as my hubby is not the biggest salad lover and ends up leaving most of the greens. I doubled the dressing too as I was making this for 3 people. I will look forward to making this one again this summer as it is really healthy, light and refreshing salad. To see more photos of this recipe or to read more reviews please click here.

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Ingredients

Leftover barbecued chicken (torn or cut into bite sized bits)
Sliced avocado or mango (I used both)
1-2 chopped shallots, finely sliced or 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
Lettuce (I used a mixed bag of salad greens which I served in a bowl on the side.)

Dressing : enough for two chicken breasts
(I doubled this)

1/2 Large lemon, juice of
1 Teaspoon grainy mustard
1 Tablespoon warmed honey

Method

1. Put lettuce leaves in serving bowl, throw in everything else.

2. To make dressing: place all ingredients a in screw top jar, and shake till well mixed, pour over salad about 30 minutes before serving time.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Parsley Peppercorn Ground Beef Steaks

2009-05-04T18:36:00.004+02:00

This is a great way to turn ordinary ground beef into a gourmet meal, the sauce is delicious and would also go really well with a steak, but if your on a budget and watching the pennies you can't beat this one. This was the second recipe I made for Sharon123 who is is my group for the recipe swap this month and I am so glad I chose this one. I did a mix of beef broth and brandy in the sauce and I also doubled it, I also had some mushrooms to use up so I added them as well. If you would like to read more reviews on this and view more photos please click here.

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted, Eco friendly camphor laurel chopping, cheese, platter boards and mezzaluna boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

Meat Mixture

1 1/4 lbs Ground beef round
1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 Cup finely chopped parsley
2 Teaspoons very coarsely cracked black peppercorns
1/4 Teaspoon salt, preferably coarse

Cream Sauce

I doubled the sauce
1/3 Cup beef broth or brandy (I did a mix of both)
1/4 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

1. Mix meat mixture ingredients until well blended.

2. Shape into four 1 1/4-inch thick patties, press pepper into flat sides and let stand 15 minutes.

3. Lightly sprinkle salt over bottom of a large nonstick skillet, place over medium high heat until hot.

4. Add patties and cook until well browned on both sides and no longer pink in centers, about 15 minutes.

If not making the sauce, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

1. If serving with sauce, remove patties to warm plates.

2. Remove any excess fat in skillet, leaving brown (not burned;) bits.

3. Add brandy or broth and cook and stir until reduced to about 2 Tbls.

4. Add cream and butter, stir over high heat until reduced to 3 Tbls.

To Serve: Spoon sauce over meat and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Tuna Teriyaki

2009-05-04T12:07:00.005+02:00

This is another one I made this weekend from my group recipe swap. I loved the marinade and the flavours were so yummy and paired well with the tuna. I did cook my tuna in a pan for a few minutes each side rather than than under the grill. The tuna was full of flavour and had a lovely pink center. To read more reviews on this recipe or to view more photos please click here.

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted camphor laurel chopping, cheese boards and Mezzaluna Boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

4 (6 ounce) Tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
2 Scallions, thinly sliced,to garnish

Marinade

3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon japanese rice wine or sweet sherry
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Method

1. Make the marinade: put the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, garlic, sugar, and ginger into a nonmetallic dish.

2. Add the tuna steaks to the marinade and turn to coat.

3. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

4. Reserve the marinade.

5. Cook the steaks under the broiler, 3" from the heat, brushing with the marinade, for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve immediately, garnished with scallions.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Slow Cooker Chili

2009-05-04T10:26:00.005+02:00

I have been cooking up a storm this weekend as I have started a new recipe swap again this month so I have been making lots of yummy recipes from my team mates. I still have quite a few more of my own recipes to post that I made over the Easter holidays and I will be posting the rest soon. I thought for now I would share some of these other recipes with you as they really good. This first one is so easy to make, as you can just throw it all together and then just leave it to cook. My hubby is the chili lover in our family so whenever I try a new recipe I always rate according to what he says. He loved this one and I found it very good it had just the right amount of heat and was totally delicious. I am the first to rate this one and made as is including adding the jalapeno pepper and I loved the addition of the hot sausage. I served ours topped with sour cream and cheese and it was yummo. To view the original recipe by the chef click here.

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Ingredients

8 Ounces bulk hot sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
24 Ounces ground chuck (or ground round may be used)
1 (28 ounce) Can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) Can tomato sauce
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
1 Teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoons chili powder (can use less)
1 1/2 Teaspoons cumin
1 Teaspoons oregano
1 (30 ounce) Can hot chili beans, undrained (can use mild)
Corn chips (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Method

1. In large skillet, brown meat. Drain.

2. In slow cooker, combine browned meat and remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans. Stir well.

3. Cook on high setting for 1 hour. Reduce to low and cook 3 hours to allow flavors to blend. You can also let mixture cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

4. Add chili beans. Cook on low setting for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

I served ours topped with cheese and sour cream, MMmmm delicious!!!

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Bourbon Chicken

2009-05-01T09:34:00.004+02:00

This is a really easy, yummy meal to make, it is a great one to do when you get in late from work and want a no fuss meal on the table in around 35-40 Min's. You can make this with just chicken if you prefer but I add in vegetables to make it a more complete meal for us.

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Ingredients

Olive oil
4 Chicken breasts, chopped into chunks
1 Red pepper, sliced thunly (about 200g)
1 Carrot, cut into sticks
250g Broccoli florets
2 Green onions, sliced thinly
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Teaspoon ginger, grated
1/2-1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes (add to your personal taste.)
80ml Apple juice (just over a 1/4 cup)
1/2 Cup Bourbon
1/2 Cup water
1/3 Cup soy sauce
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon cornflour

Method

1. Heat a little oil in a pan, cook chicken in batches, until browned all over, set chicken to one side.

2. Heat a little more oil in the same pan, add pepper, garlic and ginger, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring.

3. Add red pepper flakes, juice, bourbon, water, soy, sugar, ketchup and vinegar, stir to combine, bring to the boil.

4. Return chicken to pan with carrot and broccoli, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 Min's.

5. Mix a little water with the cornflour, add to sauce and stir until mixture thickens.

Serve over rive and sprinkle with green onions.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Crispy Skinned Duck Breast with a Tangy Asian Sauce

2009-04-29T10:32:00.004+02:00

We love duck in my family and this is just another quick recipe to make with duck. I served ours over stir-fried vegetables with noddles, it would also be good over rice as well. I have listed it below just for 2 as that is what I served it for, but the sauce amount would probably stretch to 3 or 4 depending on what it was served with and how much sauce you prefer.

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Ingredients

2 Duck Breasts
100ml Hoisin sauce
100ml Water
1/4 Teaspoon five spice
2 Star anise
2 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1/2 Teaspoon chili flakes
11/2 Tablespoons chinese rice wine (I use Shao Xing)
1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce

Method

1. Cook duck breast skin side down in a pan to render fat and crisp up skin, drain carefully from time to time. Cook about 8-10 Min's.

2. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, place duck, breast side down, on wire rack in a baking dish. Cook for about 20-25 Min's further in oven depending on size of breasts. (This will give you a pink center.)

Note: I turn the grill on for the last few Min's of cooking to really crisp up the skin.

3. While duck is cooking make sauce. Blend all sauce ingredients in a pan and heat until hot.

Serve duck over vegetables and noodles as I did or with rice, drizzle with sauce.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Thai Duck Red Curry

2009-04-28T10:34:00.007+02:00

This is a great curry recipe and one that I will be making again for sure. I have never used duck in a curry before and this was a wonderful way to prepare it. I did ours with whole duck breasts, which I cooked skin side down first to render the fat and then finished them off breast side down in the sauce and they were cooked perfectly. I sliced the breasts and served over rice topped with the wonderful curry sauce. I am the first person to review this recipe and I have not made any changes to the original recipe but to view this recipe please click here.

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted, Eco friendly camphor laurel chopping, cheese, platter boards and mezzaluna boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
70g Red curry paste
400ml Coconut cream
180ml Water
70g Pineapple, diced (I used half of a medium pineapple)
5 Grapes (preferably black, and large if possible)(I added extra)
2 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I added a few more)
2 kaffir lime leaves
250g roasted duck breasts, sliced (I cooked 1 whole breast each)
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 chili, sliced
5g fresh basil

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in sauce pan, and add red curry paste.

2. Stir fry until an aroma develops, and then lower the heat.

3. Add coconut cream and 180 ml of water.

4. Bring to the boil.

5. Add pineapple, grapes, cherry tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves, and sliced duck breast.

6. Add fish sauce and sugar.

7. Simmer until cooked through.

8. Garnish with chilli and fresh basil.

Serve over basmati rice.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Salmon Burgers/Patties With a Herb Sauce

2009-04-24T14:50:00.006+02:00

I made these the other night as I had some salmon to use up and served them over salad it made for a delicious meal. I also made a sour cream herb sauce to accompany them using up some fresh herbs on my fridge. I cooked these on the stove top in a pan but they would also work on the BBQ just as well. You could also serve them in burger buns with some lettuce tomato and avocado.

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Ingredients

800g Fresh salmon
1/2 Cup celery, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped finely
1 Teaspoon paprika
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon liquid garlic seasoning
Good pinch cayenne pepper
3 Green onions, chopped finely
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Cup corn kernels
1 Large egg
1/2-3/4 Cup breadcrumbs

Herb Sauce

100ml Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon mint sauce
Pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil some salted water in a large pan, add salmon add cook until salmon flakes easily, drain water.

2. Remove skin from salmon and break up into chunks into a large mixing bowl.

3. Add all other ingredients except sauce ingredients, mix well shape into patties, 8 large and about 15-20 if you want to serve these as finger foods, refrigerate until needed.

4. Mix all sauce ingredients and again place in the fridge until ready to use.

5. Heat some oil in a large fry pan, cook patties either side until nicely browned.

To Serve: Either serve over salad as I did or serve in burger buns.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.