Tag Archives: simple

Feijoa and Apple Compote

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I got given a huge bag of Feijoa from a lovely young lady at work and the recipes are starting to roll in this is a simple Feijoa and apple compote perfect served with yoghurt or ice-cream as a dessert treat. On your fave muesli in the morning or  baked into cakes or muffins. It a very versatile recipe that has more than just one purpose, you can freeze it down and bring it out when you need it.

Feijoa and Apple Compote

Ingredients:
10-12 medium feijoas, flesh removed
1 large green apple, 2cm dice
1/2 cup water

Method:

  1. Combine feijoas, apple and water in a pot over a medium heat and simmer for 18minutes.
  2. Stir occasionally to avoid it catching.
  3. Cool and enjoy

Makes: 2 cups

Baked Chicken and Mushroom Risotto with Fennel

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Wanting to keep dinner pretty simple tonight and made a one dish wonder! Only had to brown a few things in a hot pan and the oven did the rest. Baked risotto rice with creamy chicken breast, mushroom, fennel, spinach and tarragon turned about to be a winner! You could serve alongside some steamed vegetables if you wanted but we kept it simple and just had the risotto bake! Could make it vegetarian and use big chunks of pumpkin for a meatless dinner.

One Dish Baked Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Risotto with Fennel

Ingredients:
250gm. button mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 brown onion, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, core removed and sliced
1 tbsp. dried tarragon
3 tbsp. oil
1/4 leek, sliced
2 cups. baby spinach
1 cup. Arborio or short grain rice
2 cup. chicken stock, warm
3/4 cup. cream
1/4 cup. white wine (optional)
Salt and Pepper
700 gm chicken breast or thigh

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven 180 degrees fan-bake.
  2. In large oven proof dish slice mushrooms and scatter over the base followed by rice and half the spinach.
  3. Heat fry pan over high heat add half the oil, onion, garlic, tarragon and fennel with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sautee until browned add leek and cook for 2 minutes then pour in wine to deglaze the pan. I also chopped about 1 tbsp. of top of the fennel and added to the fry pan.
  4. Add to baking dish followed by remaining spinach.
  5. Add remaining oil to fry pan and season your chicken I used breast, add to hot pan and brown both sides around 2-3 minutes per side,
  6. Add to baking dish with hot stock and cream.
  7. Cover and bake for 30 minutes then remove cover and bake for a further 15 minutes until rice is tender.
  8. Serve as is or with a side of steamed vegetables.

Serves: 4-5

Lemonade Scones

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Lemonade scones are the most simple scone recipe I have ever come across simply 3 ingredients and you can’t really go wrong.  Light and fluffy perfect spread with butter and topped with homemade plum jam and a sneaky topping of whipped cream. They could even be topped with cheese for a savory version or add 1/2 cup chopped dates to the mixture.

Lemonade Scones

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cup self-raising flour
300ml lemonade
300ml cream

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees fan bake.
  2. In large bowl combine  flour, cream and lemonade.
  3. Mix until dough has formed, sprinkle bench with light dusting of flour and turn dough out, knead slightly until smooth.
  4. Flatten slight around  3-4 cm thick and cut scones.
  5. Dust your cutter with flour after each cut as the dough is so soft.
  6. Place on a lined baking tray and brush with milk.
  7. Bake for 26 minutes until lightly golden.
  8. Serve warm with butter, homemade plum jam and a sneaky dollop of whipped cream.

Serves: 10

Summer Time Apricots

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Apricots are very cheap at the moment here in New Zealand, especially the ones suitable for jams and preserving. I got some Central Otago apricots last week which cost $1.89 a kilo and what a bargain.  I spent a small amount of time looking through them to avoid picking the really unusable ones. Here is a super simple crunchy tart apricot crumble sponge pudding with hokey pokey ice-cream is a summer stunner pudding! I strongly suggest serving with hokey pokey ice-cream but vanilla would be just as good and a sneaky pour of cream.

This crumble sponge pudding would also be suitable for berries, stewed pear, apples or even a lemon curd filling. Change it up or keep it as an apricot one.

Apricot Crumble Sponge Pudding

Ingredients:
8-9 ripe apricots, halved and stone removed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Sponge:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup canola oil
1x egg
3/4 cup milk
Crumble:
1 1/2 cup oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
100g butter, soften
1/4 cup brown sugar

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven 180 degrees.
  2. Grease the edges of the pie dish  with the first amount of butter and lay down halved apricots so the bottom of the dish is completely covered and sprinkle with cinnamon.
  3. In medium bowl combine self-raising flour, sugar and whisk in egg, milk, oil and vanilla until smooth and no lumps. Pour over the apricots.
  4. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and oats in another bowl and rub in softened butter. Crumble this over the sponge filling evenly
  5. Bake for 55 minutes, check sponge with knife and it should come out clean , if not continue to cook. for a further 5-10 minutes.
  6. Serve hot with hokey pokey ice-cream.

Serves: 6

Easy 7 Step Dessert

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Strawberry Bliss 

Great way to enjoy fresh produce is by keeping it simple.

Creamy yoghurt with crunchy ginger nuts and fresh strawberries with bursts of mint and lemon. Perfect light dessert even the kids could make!!

Ingredients:

1/2 packet ginger nuts
2 cups berry yoghurt
1 punet strawberries, roughly diced
1/2 juice lemon
1 tbsp. icing sugar
3 mint leaves, thinly shredded

Method:

Blitz half a packet of ginger nuts in the food processor.

1. Blitz half a packet of ginger nuts in the food processor.

Roughly slice 1 punet of fresh strawberries.

2. Roughly slice 1 punet of fresh strawberries.

Add juice of half a lemon.

3. Add juice of half a lemon.

Followed by 1 tbsp. icing sugar, stir to combine.

4. Followed by 1 tbsp. icing sugar, stir to combine.

Add 3 shredded mint leaves and stir to combine.

5. Add 3 shredded mint leaves and stir to combine.

Layer strawberries, ginger crumb and yoghurt and repeat.

6. Layer stawberries, ginger crumb and yoghurt and repeat.

Finish with ginger crumb and enjoy!

7. Finish with ginger crumb and enjoy!

Best Brunch Ever

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Made the most delicious breakfast/brunch/lunch using these beautiful baked Portobello mushrooms see the link below;
Asian spinach omelette with thyme and pepper baked Portobello mushrooms, baked streak bacon and Wattie’s NZ New 5 Beans in rich tomato sauce. This was the best meal on this snowy wet raining little bit of everything Dunedin day!

So all you need to make this delicious breakfast is:

1 Can Watties 5 Beans in Rich Tomato Sauce

6 pieces Baked Streaky Bacon

Thyme and Black Pepper Baked Portobello Mushrooms

Asian Spinach Omelette 

Now go ahead, treat yourself and make this for either breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Great side to any curry

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As requested here is the recipe for Mint and Lime Yoghurt and Garlic Sautéed Silver beat, featured with lightly spiced butter chicken and brown rice and red quinoa. Perfect sides to accompany any curry.

I used Sun Rise’s Brown Rice and Red Quinoa mix and followed the recipe on the back of the packet. Be sure to rinse your quinoa and brown rice before cooking as this removes some of the bitterness and starch.

Mint and Lime Yoghurt

5 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1 lime zest and juice
3 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 heaped dessert spoons of plain unsweetened yoghurt
Salt and pepper
 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl season with salt and pepper, taste adjust seasoning.
This side sauce is great served with a spices curry, spooned over meat on salad and folded through couscous.

 

Garlic Sautéed Sliver Beat

4 large sliver beat leaves rinsed, thick slice
1 clove of garlic, fine dice
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
 

Heat fry pan over a medium heat, add olive oil and sauté garlic for 1- 2 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.
Add rinsed sliver beat, cook for 3 minutes until wilted and shiny. (The water left from rinsing will steam sauté your silver beat.)

Great side dish for curry or any mid-week dinner, tasty way to incorporate greens into any meal.