Lemon & Pepper Chicken Burger with Garlic Mayonnaise

Well, it is May already, hasn't the year gone fast?  I decide that I should work on a special theme each month to cook something that I always want to make or something I have never done before.  In that case, I can challenge myself as well as extending my knowledge of cooking skills.  My theme for May is "Chicken." Chicken is so versatile that it can be stewed, baked, poached, steamed, smoked, grilled, crumbled, stir-fried as well as currying, make into meatballs and patties, roasting whole or being chopped and cooked into pasta or baked in pieces into crusty pie.  This chicken burger is a low sodium recipe as lemon and pepper with garlic are enough to bring the favour for this meal.  Add some bacon if you wish.  I have never made mayonnaise before (because of the fat content I'm worrying about) and I think it's worth the effort to do it if you are having it moderately.  It tastes much better than the bottle one sell in the store.

How about my sweet dessert and cake?  It is too dangerous to talk about chocolate, caramel, cream, butter and sugar for a month, I will post some of them in between when I find some good recipes.



Lemon & Pepper Chicken Burger with Garlic Mayonnaise
(serve 4)

250g chicken mince
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 piece of stale bread
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream
4 burger buns
rocker leaves

Garlic Mayonnaise:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon garlic mince
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
extra cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl, add the onion, lemon rind, pepper and sour cream.  Soak the bread with some water and chop into pieces, add into the chicken mince and mix until thoroughly combined.  You can add a bit of salt to the mince if you want.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.
2. Heat oil in pan, pan fry the patties on both sides until cooked.  Serve the patties with buttered buns with rocket leaves and mayonnaise and extra pepper. 
3. To make the mayonnaise,  place the egg yolk, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and 1/2 of the oil in a food processor bowl.  Gradually add a bit more oil to the mixture until it reaches a thick consistency, season with sugar and salt.  If you don't eat raw egg, cook the sauce on top of a double saucepan over simmering water.  Do not allow water to touch base of bowl or top saucepan, whisk mixture constantly until it is warm enough, add more water if it becomes too thick.

Pizza with Brocconcini, Chorizo and Rocket

There is a new gourmet pizza take away opened in our town a while ago. Unlike the others, it has load of toppings and some of them are quite interesting such as pizza dressed with hollandaise sauce, pizza topped with pear, blue cheese and walnut.  I love their roasted capsicum, it makes such a different compared to the others.  The image of pizza being cheap take away has started to change and the others are following to have new menu with more gourmet ingredients to compete with the market.  Bocconcini has been a popular cheese, it has been used in TV cooking show and cooking magazines.  It is a fresh soft cheese of the Mozzarella family with 15.2g of fat and 280mg of sodium per 100g which is less than some of the other cheese.  No wonder it becomes popular!  On a lazy weekend,  why not make some pizza and get the kids to help you putting whatever toppings they like?

Pizza with Brocconini, Chorizo and Rocket 

For the pizza dough:

220g high protein plain flour, sieved

1 teaspoon dried yeast

1 teaspoon salt

160ml warm water or a little more

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the toppings:

pizza sauce (I use BBQ flavour)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

3 brocconcini, thickly sliced

1 chorizo, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

garlic minced

roasted capsicum

black olive, pitted

shredded mozzarella cheese

rocket leaves

Method:

1. Place flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Dissolve yeast in a little lukewarm water than stir in remaining water.
2. Make a the centre of the flour, place liquid into well and stir to form dough.  Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand for about 5 minutes.
3. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place (oven is a good place) until doubled in size.
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface.  Make pizza according to your liking of thickness.  I make 1 large and 1 small thin pan pizzas.
5. For the toppings: grease the pizza pan, spread the pizza sauce over the base.  Arrange the pizza with cheese, chorizo, onion, tomato, olive, capsicum, garlic then sprinkle with some mozzarella.  cheese and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in a 180c oven for about 20-25 minutes.  Top with rocket leaves before serving.

Note:  As I don't have the baker's hand in kneading dough, I put all the ingredients into the bread maker starting from the liquid ingredient to dry ingredient and putting the yeast last.  (no need to dissolve in water)  After it is kneaded and rest, I then roll out the dough to make pizza base.

Cupcakes with Dots & Bows

I wanted to try cake decoration using sugar pastry a long time ago.  Then I find this beautiful book written by Peggy Porschen, "Cake Chic" featuring step-by-step guides to decorate gorgeous mini cakes, cup cakes to stunning multi-tiered cakes.  I decide to start on small cake with half of the recipes so that I won't feel so bad if it doesn't turn out alright.  I use ready-rolled icing instead of liquid fondant and with my fingers crossed, the cakes look good, taste good.  Of course, there is still things to improve on, and I will keep trying....

These little cakes are ideal for weddings, baby showers or birthday.

Cupcakes with Dots & Bows
(make 5)

For the cake:
100g salted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
100g self-raising flour
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For lemon syrup:
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
25g sugar
1/3 tablespoon Limoncello liqeuer (I didn't put in as I hadn't got it)

For the icing:
100g ready-rolled white icing
50g ready-rolled white icing mix with a little pink colouring
silver balls

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c.
2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in an electric mixer and beat until pale and fluffy.  Add one egg at a time until the mixture is well combined and finally add in the sifted flour.
3. Fill the paper cases about two-thirds full with a spoon.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cake is cooked.  Cool for 10 minutes.
4. Prick the top of the cake with a toothpick, using a pastry brush, soak it with the syrup.  Cool cake on wire rack.
5. For lemon syrup: place the juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.  Once cool, stir in the liqueur and the flavour will develop overnight.
6. Roll the white icing onto the baking paper, sprinkle some cornflour over the rolling pin and roll out the icing until 2mm thick and cut it into 10 strips about 1.5cm wide and 10cm long.  (I divide the icing into 2x50g and roll it in two lots)  Cover any unused icing to prevent drying.
7. Take one strip at a time, pinch it together in the middle and at both ends.  Roll out some more paste to the same thickness as before and cut it into 5 strips each 1cm wide and 3cm long.  Wrap one strip around the centre of each bow. 
8. For the bow tails, pinch one strip in the centre, then fold the tails over so that they are forming a V-shape and cut the ends off the strips at an angel.  Place the bows and tails together.
9. Roll the pink icing as 6, use a round cuter that about the same size as the cup cake to cut 3 rounds. Re-roll the left-over white icing and make 2 more rounds as the pink one.
10. Place the pink icing on top of the cake, while the icing is still soft, stick on the bows and decorate with silver balls.  Use the left-over icing and roll into tiny balls for the dots. 

roll out icing

bows and tails

cake with syrup

finishing product

                                                               

Home Crumbed Fish & Chips

We had visitors recently and we took them to the fish market.  We enjoyed a day out with some fresh local seafood.  Yesterday,  I found these flatheads in my freezer that I had to get rid of.  So, I thought why not make some fish & chips!  With the kids cheering "fish & chips" at the back,  I managed to fillet 5 whole fish by myself.  My fingers were a bit sore afterward but the home crumbed fish definitely tasted much better than the pre-packaged one from the supermarket.  Then my daughter started the conversation with her brother telling him the story about her friend who went to New Zealand; she particularly go the fish & chips store because she wanted to say "fush en chups" in an New Zealand accent.......and my kids sat at the dinner table talk and talk for over an hour even the fish & chips were gone a long time ago.


Home Crumbled Fish & Chips
(serve 4)

4-5 pieces of fish fillets
1 cup breadcrumb
1 tablespoon garlic and herb salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup plain flour
10 small washed baby potato
salt and pepper
oil
lemon

Method:

1. Marinate the fish with salt and pepper for about 30 minutes.
2. Wash the potato, do not need to peel the skin.  Cut into thin strips and place onto the paper lined baking tray.  Drizzle some oil, salt and pepper then toss through the chips.  Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until it is cooked.  Toss through the chip a few times in between.  
3. Mix the garlic and herb salt to the breadcrumb.  Coat the fish with flour then egg and breadcrumb.
4. Heat enough oil in the frypan, pan fry the fish until crispy and cook.  Turn the heat down if it gets to hot to avoid burning.  Drain excess oil with kitchen paper.
5. Serve the fish with chips and your favourite sauce.

Here are the photos of what we have at the fish market....

ANZAC Biscuits

This year's ANZAC Day falls in with Easter Monday so we are having 5 days off from Easter Friday to Tuesday.  Many people have taken the opportunity to go for holidays and the weather is beautiful from where I live.  The beachside is crowded with visitors and they are enjoying our sunny and clean beaches.  ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Crops) Day is a national holiday, I usually sleep in and let the fighter jet wakes me up when it flies over my roof or I will take the kids to the ANZAC March, march with the school team early in the morning.  School kids would wear their grandparents badges, proudly waving the Aussie flags and march along the street with the war veterans and people from the local communities.  We'll ended the ceremony at the memorial park after the speeches from army officers, retired soldiers, councillor and students to show our respect for those who serve our country.  Lest not forget.  Then we'll enjoy the rest of day with some ANZAC biscuits.  During WWI,  housewives and mothers made these biscuits and sent to the soldiers in the trenches to show their support and love.  It is my favourite biscuit.    


ANZAC Biscuits

Ingredients:
125g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup almond kenels, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup sultanas (optional)

Method:

1. Melt butter and golden syrup is a saucepan over low heat.  Add the bicarbonate soda mixed with boiling water into the butter sauce.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Pour the melted mixture into the centre and mix to a moist but firm consistency.  Divide the mixture into two lots.  One lot mix with almonds and the other lot mix with sultanas.
3. Drop teaspoon full of mixture onto a paper lined baking tray.  Bake in slow oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool a few minute on baking tray before removing to a wire cooling tray. 

Chicken and Vegetable Lasagne with Warm Potato Salad

It's mid-autumn already!  I guess everyone would love to have something nice and warm for dinner.  For those people who have not made lasagne, you may wonder if you need to cook the pasta before hand.  I was one of those people until my friend, Pam taught me how to make this yummy dish.  There's still a lot of work whether you make it from fresh or instant sheet.  I prefer to use instant one before it has a long shelf life but it takes longer to cook.  Pam's original recipe uses beef only and I have changed it to chicken and adding more vegetable to fool my kids.  The kids love the cheese sauce and I make it with plain flour which takes a while to prepare. You can use cornflour instead but the texture is a bit different.  Although it's hard work to make lasagne, you always have easy meal the next day with the left over or it is a rather easy meal to serve up to 12 people at once.

     

Chicken and Vegetable Lasagne with Warm Potato Salad
(make 12)

Ingredients:
6 sheets of Instant Lasagne
550g chicken mince
700g pasta cooking sauce
1 can of 400g diced tomato
5 tablespoons tomato paste
2 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped finely
1 zucchini, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
4-5 button mushroom, finely chopped
5-6 brocoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernel
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of basil
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
3 teaspoons salt
pepper

For the Cheese Sauce:
50g butter
1 1/2 cup plain flour
6 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 teaspoon salt
pepper
extra shredded cheese
extra nutmeg

Warm Potato Salad:
(serve 4 only)

6 small washed potatoes, cut into half or quarters
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
Rocket leaves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon of mixed nuts (pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, cook chicken till it is nearly cook, break up the big lumps of mince.  Add in garlic and onion, stir for a while than add in the rest of the vegetable and keep stirring until the vegetable starts to soften.
2. Pour in the pasta sauce, tined tomato, add tomato pasta, herbs, white wine and let it simmers for 20 minutes until the sauce thicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  The sauce should be quite thick but not dry, simmer for longer if needed.
3. While the meat sauce is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce in a medium saucepan.  Heat butter in pan, add in flour into 2 lots.  Then add in a little bit of milk several time to form a rather smooth paste.  Try to remove lumps if possible.  Add in the rest of the milk, nutmeg, cheese and let it simmer until the sauce becomes heavy and thick.  Season with salt and pepper.  The sauce should thicken more once it is cooled down.  If you drop some of the sauce onto the surface with a spoon and it sits there, the sauce is thick enough.  If not, you have to add more flour to thicken the sauce.  A quick fix is to add some cornflour mix with a little water to thicken it at the stove.
4. Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce onto the baking tray, then place the lasagne sheets over the meat sauce.  Break the sheet into pieces to fill in any gaps.  The first layer is done.
5. For the second layer, spread another 1/3 of the meat sauce over the pan, then spread 1/2 of the cheese sauce over the meat sauce and cover it with another lasagne sheets.  This finishes the second layer.
6. For the last layer, spread the remaining meat sauce over the pan, then spread the rest of the white sauce over.  Sprinkle some shredded cheese and more nutmeg over the top.
7. Bake in a 180c preheat oven for about an hour.  To test if the lasagne is done, inset a knife through the pasta, if the knife gets through easily then the pasta is cooked.   
8. Let the lasagne cool for a while before serving, a hot lasagne is very meshy.  Let it cool completely before putting into the fridge or freeze.  A day old lasagne tastes better than the fresh one as the flavour develops.
9. For the salad, place the potato onto a grease lined baking tray.  Toss through with olive oil, salt and paprika.  Bake in a 180c oven for 30 minutes or until the potato is cooked.  Mix the nuts, mustard, oil and salt with the rocket leaves.  Toss through with warm potato and serve it with the lasagne.

Note: If you are using cornflour instead of plain flour, mixing some water to make a paste with a cup of cornflour then stir it into the warm milk. Keep stirring and let it simmer but not boil until it feels heavy and becomes thick.  Add more cornflour mix if needed.

first layer

                                                         second layer

                                                            top layer

                                           hot lasagne straight from the oven

White Chocolate Easter Mud Cake

Apart from Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs, I always enjoy the celebration of Easter.  Every year kids school follows the christian tradition making pan cake for Lent, 40 days before Easter, to begin the annual commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  They have mass on Ash Wednesday, the Father would made a cross onto everyone's forehand with ash and the church puts up a large cross laid with purple cloth to represent Jesus, the Royal King.  We brought palm leaves for assembly for Palm Sunday to mark Jesus entered Jerusalem and have another mass for Easter Friday before the school breaks.  The bigger kids would visit their buddies from lower grade and give them some Easter eggs for presents.  At home, kids will have Easter Bunny visiting them on Saturday night and they will find some eggs in their basket on Sunday morning.   So, a white mud cake would be a good idea to celebration this festival, don't you think?  Happy Easter!

White Chocolate Easter Mud Cake

180g white cooking chocolate, break into pieces
300g butter, chopped
2 1/4 cups caster chopped (cut down to 2 cups if you don't want it too sweet)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/3 cup plain flour
1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten

white chocolate ganache
1/2 cup cream
360g white chocolate, break into pieces

Decoration
100g dark cooking chocolate
a block of milk cooking chocolate
Easter eggs
hundred thousands

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160c/140c fan forced.  Line a deep 22cm round cake pan with baking paper.
2. Stir chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth, let cool for 15 minutes.
3. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle, whisk in 1/3 of the egg and 1/3 of the chocolate mixture.  Then repeat the process for the rest of the egg and chocolate mixture and add in vanilla essence.  Remove any lumps if possible.
4. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 2 hours.  Turn the cake onto the cake rake after 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make white chocolate ganache.  Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat; add chocolate and stir until smooth.  Refrigerate and stir occasionally until spreadable. It takes about 30 minutes.
6. When the cake is completely cooled, cut the top bit with a sharp knife to get a flat top.  Spread the ganache around the side and top of the cake.
7. For decoration, melt dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on medium heat for 40 seconds, repeat the process until the chocolate melted.  Spread the chocolate onto a piece of baking paper.  Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, then use a small round cutter to cut a few chocolate rounds.  Decorate the rounds on the edge of the cake.  You may have to put the chocolate into the fridge to harden again.
8. Use a vegetable peeler, peel the block of milk chocolate from the short edge.  Curl the chocolate strips into rounds and decorate on top of the cake.  Place the Easter eggs inside of the chocolate ring and decorate it with some little chicken.

Note:  This cake is very heavy as it is made with such an amount of butter, sugar and chocolate.  Only a small serve will satisfy your sweet tooth.  It will turn hard if you keep it in the fridge, leave it out at room temperature for about 15 minutes or wait till the cake is soft enough to serve.