Tri coloured slaw with prawns, goat’s cheese, and basil and lemon dressing

Serves 4

You could use a dry coleslaw mix (without dressing) from the supermarket to make it quicker.

Ingredients

200g grams each of pumpkin, beetroot and green cabbage, beetroot and pumpkin peeled and grated, cabbage finely sliced. It’s easier to use the 2 attachments on a food processor

400g raw green prawns

100g goats cheese or other feta, you can leave out if you want dairy free

1 bunch of broccolini ends trimmed, you can use a small head of broccoli

Basil dressing

15 g basil leaves about 1 cup loosely packed

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin/avocado oil

Method for dressing

Blend altogether in food processor or similar, season with salt.

Method for prawns

Put the broccolini in a steamer or pot of boiling water. Put a large pan on with  1 tbsp ghee/coconut oil, when hot stir fry your prawns for about a minute, they will turn pink and will be white all the way through. They cook very quickly. Season with salt and pepper. You can either mix the dressing through your slaw, or you can drizzle over the top of your prawns. To serve this put your slaw down, then your cooked prawns, scatter over your cheese, broccolini on the side.

Lemon, honey & ginger chicken stir fry

Ingredients

500g chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly

2 tbsp tapioca flour

1 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce

Lemon sauce

100ml lemon juice- about 2-3 lemons, take the zest off and freeze for future use

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp minced ginger/4 garlic cloves, crushed, mix together

3/4   cup chicken stock

1 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce

Use your favourite vegetables, or use what I used:

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 bunch baby bok choy, wash and leaves separated

1 red capsicum, sliced

2 bunches of asparagus, ends trimmed then cut into 3

Method

Trim the excess fat and slice the chicken thinly, add your 1 tbsp tamari and add half of your garlic/ginger mix to your chicken and set aside. (You can marinate this overnight if you want) Add the other half of your ginger/garlic to your sauce mix. Put all you sauce ingredients in a jug and set aside.

Just before you cook mix your 2 tbsp tapioca flour with your chicken. Mixing flour with the chicken makes it moist and tender, you can leave the flour out if you prefer. In a wok or large pan heat 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil/ghee and stir fry your chicken for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and cooked. Take it out and set aside. Put another 1 ½ tbsp. oil in your wok/pan and stir fry your asparagus and carrot for 3-4 minutes, then add your capsicum and stir fry another 2 minutes, then add your chicken back in and add your sauce mix, this will be thin so sprinkle over 1 tbsp tapioca flour at a time until the sauce thickness is to your liking. If you don’t want to use flour to thicken you can just use less stock in your sauce mix. Then lastly add your bok choy and just cook until wilted, mix everything through as you go. Serve up and enjoy!

Slow cooked chicken, vegetables, lemon & herbs

I

 Ingredients

1 whole chicken
1 lemon
4-5 cloves of garlic, leave whole or roughly chopped
2 carrot 2 zucchinis, 2 potatoes, all cut in half
1 cup of wine, you can use stock or water
a few springs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme







Method

Halve the lemon and put lemon halves in the cavity of the chicken. You can put some butter under the skin of the breast side of you want.
Put in the veg, wine and herbs and chicken in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours

Babaganoush & Pickled turnips

Ingredients

 2 eggplants

3 tablespoons tahini

120ml lemon juice I like a lot of lemon, you can use less if you want.

1 clove garlic

Extra virgin olive oil/salt

Method

 

Get a fork and pierce all over the eggplant. You can bbq these if you want, cook until collapsed and soft, about 15-20 minutes. I do it inside, I use a big stabbing instrument like a carving fork then I do it over the open gas flame on the cook top, turning regularly until soft. This gives it a beautiful smokiness which is what this dish is all about.

When eggplant is done throw everything in the blender, and then drizzle in the olive oil until you have the consistency you want. Then season with salt.

Pickled Turnips

Ingredients :
1 kg white turnips
1 x beetroot, peeled and sliced
3 clove garlic (optional)
1 litre water
275 ml vinegar
4 tbs salt
Method :
* Peel and wash turnips. Cut into quarters and pack into jars, adding pieces of the beetroot. Add the garlic, if desired.
* Dissolve the salt in the vinegar and water. Fill each jar until the turnips are covered. Seal tightly. The pickles will be ready in about five days.

Roast Chicken with feta, lemon and herbs

1 whole chicken

75 g feta cheese

2 Tbsp of chopped fresh herbs, parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, whatever you have handy

1 lemon/plus the zest

Melted butter to brush over the chicken

Method

Preheat oven to 180C

Crumble feta into a bowl, add your chopped herbs. Zest your lemon (make sure it is very fine) Mix the feta, zest and herbs in a bowl. Place the lemon in the cavity of the chicken after you have taken the zest off. Push the feta mix in between the breast and the skin and press some down into the legs. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and brush on some melted butter.

Roast in a tray for 1 hr 20 mins, breast side up. The juices should run clear if you check the thickest part of the chicken (the leg) Take out and cover with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes, this relaxes the meat so the juices don’t run everywhere. You can use the juices that come out for gravy. Pour into a pot and reduce down until it thickens up or you can sprinkle over a little flour until it is the thickness you want.

Serve with your favourite roast vegetables.

Garlic Sauce

I love garlic sauce and there are lots of versions around but this is how I make it, it is worth the effort of peeling all the garlic cloves, it lasts a long time in the fridge, but it probably won't last too long cause its delish! It is so versatile, use it for garlic bread, add to  for aioli stirfries, as a dipping sauce, salad dressings, use with cooked meats, casseroles...pretty much anywhere you would use garlic. I used this last night with olive oil and loads of butter, loads of garlic sauce for garlic prawns and a big greek salad :) I used it again today to heat with the leftover pulled pork, so yum!

The lemon, salt and amount of olive oil is personal preference, so be sure to taste as you go!

4 whole heads of garlic, separate cloves and peel

juice of 2-3 lemons (120-150ml)

1 tsp salt, approx

100-200ml olive oil

Put everything in food processor except oil. Blend up and slowly add oil, until very smooth and creamy, taste and adjust with more lemon, salt or oil. Store in fridge.