Trade Recipes

In the mornings, I place my oats and milk in the microwave with dried apple and cook for the suggested time (obviously depends on the type of your oats!) and then drizzle with honey. The apple plumps up in the warm milk and tastes just delicious. I would imagine that you could use any dried fruit - it’s a really delicious breakfast!!!

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This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients 

• 1 small lamb backstrap
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• zest from one lemon
• 1 tbs olive oil

• 1/2 small Kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, washed
• handful of green beans, topped and tailed
• couple of handfuls of baby spinach
• couscous, to serve
• plain yoghurt, to serve

Directions

1. Combine first set of spices, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Place lamb into the marinade and set aside.
2. Place pumpkin, olive oil and the second batch of spices in a bowl and coat pumpkin well. Place on a baking tray and put in an oven preheated to 220C for about 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, add the punnet of cherry tomatoes to the tray and continue to cook.
3. Meanwhile, blanch the beans in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes and then refresh under cold water.
4. When the tomatoes go into the oven, begin to cook the lamb backstrap on a preheated BBQ plate until done to your liking. Remove and set aside to rest.
5. Combine the pumpkin, tomatoes, beans and baby spinach in a bowl and serve with the lamb and couscous with a dollop of yoghurt.

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I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. I have just been snowed under with study commitments which hasn’t left me much time for posting on here. I am going to rectify that from now on so you can expect more regular recipe posts from here on!!!

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This was a recipe I made up last night with what I had on hand. It was really delicious served with steamed vegetables and hot crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Ingredients

• 8 drumsticks
• 4 rashers of bacon, sliced
• 250g mushrooms, cleaned
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, cut into eight
• 6 -8 baby potatoes, cut in half
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbs cornflour
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Place potatoes, onion and mushrooms in the base of a large oven proof dish which has a lid. Add a bit of salt and pepper and the rosemary and thyme.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a fry pan and cook chicken until brown. Add bacon and cook for a couple of minutes until browned slightly, then add garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
4. Pour in one cup of wine and drink the other. Pour in the chicken stock, add tomato paste and cornflour and stir. Cook until it has reduced slightly.
5. Place drumsticks on top of the potato mixture, then pour over sauce.
6. Cover and place in an oven and cook for about 1.5 hours, or until potatoes are tender and chicken cooked through.

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Ingredients

• 80g butter, melted
• 1 frozen sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 2 Jonathan aples, cored and halved
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250C. Brush 4 9.5cm diameter rammikins with a little melted butter. Cut out 4 pastry disks the same size as the rammekins and place on a plate in the fridge.
2. Place an apple half, cut side up into the bottom of each ramekin. Sprinkle 2 tbs of sugar over each apple and drizzle each with 1 tbs of melted butter.
3. Place ramekins on a baking tray and then in the oven for about 15 minutes or until sugar begins to caramelise. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 230C.
4. Place a pastry disk over each ramekin and press down over the apple to cover it completely. Return to the oven and bake for about 6 minutes until pastry is crisp and golden.
5. Turn out ramekins onto an individual serving plate and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

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Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 small brown onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 anchovies, chopped
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp malt vinegar
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• any pasta
• Mozarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a fry pan and cook chicken until sealed, but not cooked through. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add a bit more oil if necessary and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for a couple of minutes. Next, stir in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar and allow to thicken slightly. Lastly add the olives.
3. Place chicken in an oven proof dish and cover with the tomato sauce and sprinkle mozarella cheese. Cook chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  While the chicken is in the oven, cook the pasta as per packet directions. Serve with steamed vegetables or salad.

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Stuart made these last night (with only a few instructions!) and they were really easy, quick and delicious. Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 salmon pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 5mm rounds
• 1 leek, washed and sliced into 5mm rounds
• 1 zucchini, washed and sliced into 5mm rounds
• Kipfler potatoes, washed and sliced into 5mm rounds
• Cream
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 fresh bayleaves (if you have them)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Cook the potatoes in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften slightly.
2. On a large piece of alfoil, place the one piece of fish and scatter with half of the vegetables. Add a couple of teaspoons of cream, salt and pepper, nutmeg and 1 bayleaf. Repeat for the other piece of salmon.
3. Wrap portions in a way which will not allow the juices to escape. Place on a baking tray and in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and fish cooked. Delicious served with a bit of lemon or dijon mustard.

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Ingredients

• 1 625g packet ricotta and spinach agnolotti
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 5 slices proscuitto, cut into strips (approximately)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red onion, halved, sliced
• 60g marinated roasted capsicum, cut into thin strips (could substitute semi dried tomatoes)
• 3/4 cup thickened cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup shredded basil
• couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves, shredded
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook agnolotti as per packet directions. When cooked, drain and return to pan and then cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and cook the proscuitto, onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes or until proscuitto is crisp. Add the capsicum and cook for a further minute. Pour in the cream and stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce and simmer, uncovered for about 2 minutes. Add the sauce, basil and baby spinach to the pasta and toss to combine. Season well with salt and pepper and serve.

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Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 5mm discs
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper

Alternatively replace the tasty cheese with:

• 50g blue cheese (use more if you like)
• 4 anchovies, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Place a layer of onion in the bottom of an oven proof dish and cover with a layer of potato, followed by cheese, a sprinkle of flour, salt and pepper. Continue layering until you finish your ingredients, ensuring you leave enough cheese to sprinkle on the top.
2. Pour the milk over the top and cover with foil. Place in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and then remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes to brown the top.

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Super quick and full of flavour. The marinated vegetables can be substituted for whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 250g spaghetti, tagliatelle or fettucine
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 280g marinated artichoke pieces, drained
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted, chopped
• 1/2 cup drained sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbs capers, drained, chopped (can substitute a couple of anchovies if desired)
• 250g feta, crumbled
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• Couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves, sliced thinly (optional)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta as per packet directions. Drain and return to pan.
2. Maenwhile, heat oil in frying pan and cook onion and garlic until the onion softens slightly. Add the artichoke pieces, olives, sundried tomatoes and capers and cook for about 2 minutes until warmed through. Add the artichoke mixture, feta and basil to the pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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