Quick and Easy Chicken and Leek Pie

 Ingredients
Flaky Puff Pastry ( shop-bought is fine)

Filling

• 1.8 kg chicken (free-range preferably)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 leeks, white part and a little into the green
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon milk to glaze the pie.

Method 

1 Simmer the chicken with salt, freshly ground black pepper and bay leaf in a large saucepan of water for 1 hour or until cooked. When cool enough to handle remove flesh from chicken and discard skin and bones.

2 Strain the stock and skim fat as it rises to the surface.

3 Preheat the oven to 210 C 
4 Wash and slice the leeks and sauté in butter with the onion until tender, stir in the flour and gradually add 3 cups of the chicken stock while constantly stirring until sauce boils and thickens. Add the chicken and the cream parsley and chives.
5 Pour the filling in to the pastry shell and cover with pastry, pressing the edges together. Glaze the pastry with the egg mixture and make a few steam holes.

6 Bake in the oven until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 35 minutes.

Salmon and Red Pepper Spring Rolls

Here is a great finger food dish that you can prepare ahead of time and just do the final cook in the oven before serving. Alternatively you can make bigger rolls for a lunch dish.

Ingredients

500g fresh boneless, skinless salmon fillet

4 tsp dukkah

Zest of a lemon

2 Tbsp chopped coriander

Flesh of one large roasted red pepper cut into 8 pieces

8 spring roll wrappers

Method

1  Cut salmon into batons about 10cm x 3cm.

2  Place one baton on the centre of each spring roll wrapper. Sprinkle with half a tsp dukkah, a little lemon zest and coriander, and top with a piece of roasted pepper.

3  Fold in ends and roll up like a fat cigar. Place on a plate and chill until ready to cook. Make 8 rolls.

4  Heat oil in frypan and brown rolls over medium heat for about 2 mins each side.

5  Transfer to a 200oC oven and bake for 5 mins until golden brown and crispy.

Serve with the following dipping sauce – 3Tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp grated ginger, and juice of half a lime all mixed together.

Crushed Broadbeans on Brushetta

With new spring veges in the garden and farmers market this beautiful green treat is delicious and a delight to be seen. Motivation came from finding broadbeans at La Cigale (French Farmers Market in Parnel) and I really didn't have a recipe to follow.....but it turned out delicious!

Ingredients
1 bunch Broadbeans (or half a bag of frozen beans) cooked and double podded
Handful of grated parmesan
good pinch of rock salt
two glugs of extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove

Method
1 Add cooked broadbeans, parmesan, olive oil, salt and garlic to a mortar and pestle. Crush all ingredients together.
2 Cut a french stick or small ciabatta into slices and toast in the oven on both sides, brushed with garlic infused olive oil.
3 Load the brushetta with bean mixture and serve.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

Another great recipe from Masterchef Australia, but as usual I have adjusted it. You can always double the recipe if you want to make loads, but this recipe make about 20 - depending on how big you like them.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
1 large carrot, peeled, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 garlic cloves, crushed
200g beef mince
200g pork mince
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
I Tbsp tomato paste
! Tbsp lea and perrins
1 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 x sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed, halved
1 egg yolks, lightly whisked
sesame seeds, to garnish
tomato or BBQ sauce, to serve

Method
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C.

Step 2: Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add grated carrot and cook for until carrot starts to soften. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until very soft. Puree carrot mixture in a blender until smooth. Season to taste. Set aside to cool completely. (Puree optional)

Step 3: Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat, then add onion, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until onion has softened. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and set aside to cool completely.

Step 4: Combine minces, the carrot puree, oregano, onion mixture and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt. Divide the mince mixture into 4 portions and shape into a log the length of the past sheet. Place pastry sheet onto a floured work surface and slice each pastry sheet in half lengthways. Place the sausage log across the closest edge of a pastry sheet. Roll to enclose mixture until the two edges of the pastry meet, trim and discard excess pastry. Brush a little egg wash on the join to secure.

Step 5: Cut the rolls to the size you prefer (I cut 5 per roll) and place on a lined baking tray, brush evenly with egg yolk and sprinkle with seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Step 6:  Serve with either tomato or BBQ sauce.

Leek and Bacon Tart

A delicious tart/pie that you must try. Great for pot luck dinners and lunch with friends.

Ingredients
375g shortcrust pastry
2 Tbsp olive oil
30g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
150g bacon, chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
200g sour cream
4 Tbsp milk
6 eggs, beaten
50g parmesan cheese
large handful flat-leaf parsley

Method
1 On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry. Line 27 x 4 cm deep loose bottomed tart tin. Chill the pastry for 20 mins.
2 Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans and return to the over for 5 mins or until golden.
3 For the filling: In a large heavy-based saucepan heat the oil and butter. Add the onion, bacon and leeks and sweat until cooked and starting to caramelise.  Stir in the garlic for a further minute then remove from the heat.
4 Lightly beat together the cream, milk and eggs. Add the leek mixture, parmesan and parsley and stir. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the filling into the warm pastry case and bake for 30-35 mins until set and golden.

Serve with relish and salad.

Date and Lemon Scones

Now don't say it, scones are actually in vogue - well, according to Masterchef Australia anyway, where I got this recipe from. I must admit to being an avid watcher of Masterchef and it really did not help my exercise regime!

So here is a recipe that does not use any butter, no, no lemonade either, but cream. It is extremely simple - love that, and they come out delicious. Now if you can beat this I need to hear about it. And by the way, I actually added another tsp of baking powder to the ones I made today.

Ingredients
100ml milk
100ml cream
1 egg whisked
3 cups self-raising flour
2 Tbsp castor sugar
1 cup chopped dates
zest of 1 lemon

Method
Mix all ingredients together and don't overwork the dough. Use a milk and sugar glaze and cook at 200Celsius for 10-15 mins. To see if they are cooked, tap on the bottom of one. If the sound is hollow they are cooked. Yum!

Corn Fritters - you can't beat this recipe!

Since corn is now in season, I thought I'd use one of my old favourite recipes this weekend for brunch. You don't need to use fresh corn, as the recipe is great using canned corn as well. But, give it a try, as it really gives a fresh edge to these fritters.

Corn fritters can be served a number of ways, but this recipe, from Sydney Food, is served with roast tomatoes, rocket and bacon.

Ingredients (to serve 4)
1 x cup flour
1 x tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob
1/2 cup diced red capsicum
1/2 cup sliced spring onions
1/4 cup chopped coriander
4 Tbsp olive oil
to serve
8 halves roasted tomatoes
1 bunch rocket
4 rashers grilled bacon
olive oil

Method
1 Sift flour, baking powder, paprika and salt into a large bowl, stir in sugar and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk. Gradually add the egg mixtures to the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. The batter will be quite stiff.
2 Place corn, capsicum, spring onions and herbs in a mixing bowl and add just enough batter to lightly bind them (about 3/4 cup).
3 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick frypan on medium heat, then drop 2 Tbsps of batter per fritter and cook for 2 minutes, or until the underside of each fritter is golden.
4 Serve with roasted tomatoes (in oven with salt and olive oil, can take about 30mins to cook), bacon, and rocket. It should make two each.

Delicious and very light.