Rhubarb and Walnut Chutney

This is a recipe my sister passed on to me years ago. I made it for my next door neighbour after he gave me some of his home grown rhubarb. I thought of it last night when Val presented me with a jar of her home made rhubarb chutney.

Rhubarb Chutney
5-6 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tbs lemon zest
1 stick cinnamon
1 inch grated fresh ginger
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, vinegar, lemon zest in saucepan over low heat until dissolved. Add rhubarb, cinnamon and ginger and cook stirring frequently for about 15 mins. Add nuts and raisins and cook 3-4 minutes. Place into sterilised jars while still hot.

Chicken Pie

When a new foodie entered our circle, her Chicken Pies were all the talk. (Who me, threatened?) Not to be outdone, after a reasonable amount of time had passed, in order that the hype die down, I decided to embark on making Chicken Pies. Without the much coveted recipe in hand, I chanced a reasonable replica in the June 2011 issue of Delicious magazine. Without my number one critic not home for dinner, and my fellow blogger invited for dinner, I set out to make a chicken pie. I think it was mighty fine. Other critics hailed Helen the ongoing champion.

Chicken Pie
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 handfuls chestnut mushrooms
6 small carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Leeks, sliced
1 bulb garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme
½ bunch rosemary
150ml white wine
1.6 kg whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
Knobs butter
300-400 ml chicken stick
3 heaped tbs crème fraiche
handful grated parmesan
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
375 g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 200C. Place potato, mushroom, carrot and leek in roasting pan. Scatter with garlic, bay leaves, half of the thyme and rosemary. Pour over the wine, then place chicken on top. Place lemon halves, remaining thyme and rosemary in cavity. Score the legs, dot the bird with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes. Remove foil from pan and drain off the juice (reserving), then bake a further 45 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken from pan and rest. Then shred meat from bones. Pick out garlic skin and herbs from vegetables. Add stock and reserved juices to roasting pan. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in crème fraiche and parmesan. Add parsley then chicken and season. Leave to cool. Place in pie dish/dishes. Cover with pastry and cut a steam vent. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 200C for 30-45 minutes depending on pie size, or until golden and puffed.

Tiani's Rhubarb Chutney

I met Tiani on a trip to Launceston earlier this year and on tasting her fabulous chutney, was keen to get therecipe.  Tiani explained that it was a family recipe (hence the measurements in pounds) and here is the recipe faithfully reproduced and attributed to Tiani.

Ingredients

2lb rhubarb
4 large onions

2 1/2 lb sugar (I used raw sugar)

2 1/2 dsp curry powder

1 cup white vinegar

2 tbs salt

2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tbs ground ginger or finely grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic crushed

Method

Roughly chop rhubarb and onions. Simmer all ingredients for an hour. Bottle when hot.

Delicious with cheese and cold meats.

Taxiboat - Review

Taxiboat is a little restaurant at 94 High Street, Westgarth in Melbourne, opposite the Westgarth Theatre. I ventured there with a friend earlier this month, looking forward to a good natter, nice glass of wine and of course some zingy asian food.

This place is a little pearler!! Very much on the petite side but with quick attentive service and fresh flavoured pan asian dishes.

We choose assorted dim sum and chicken san choi bau for starters followed by mongolian beef, rockling in sweet sake with rice and roti.

Each dish, served on beautiful asian crockery, was fresh and bursting with authentic balanced flavours.  

We rounded it off with a sticky date pud to share (great sauce!), and for less than $50 each which included a glass of  very quaffable sav blanc.  What a find - I'll definitely be back :)

Saucy spices - review

A while ago a workmate gave a rave review for a curry (a Rogan Josh I think) made with a spice mix from The Saucy Spice Co (http://www.saucyspice.com.au/ ).  So a group of us went for a bulk order of a 'favourite six' spice blend pack each which included Butter Chicken, Rangoon Lime Chicken, Beef Rendang, Afghani Lamb, Lamb Korma and Beef Massaman. The spice mixes all come with the recipe and what you need to add (nothing too complicated), and the results have been uniformly authentic tasting and delicious.

What followed has included a curry party and many memorable meals. All the curries have been a winner with the standouts for me being the Butter Chicken and the Afghani Lamb. 

Made the Afghani Lamb curry last night and added some baby spinach for some greenery.  It went very nicely with some Aghani garlic bread on the side.

I'll be ordering some more of those Saucy Spices!

Pear and Rocket Salad

Everyone asks me for this recipe. I'll add a photo at some stage. You can use baby spinach instead of rocket. It was a recipe from Victors Food.

Rocket with Spicy Pecans, Pears, & Walnut Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients
2 tsp butter
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp water
½ cup pecans
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp raspberry wine vinegar
pinch salt
good pinch cracked black pepper
2 tbsp walnut oil
2 tbsp olive oil
150 gm rocket leaves
50 gm goat cheese, crumbled (or feta)
2 pears, thinly sliced

Method
Spicy Glazed Pecans
1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed fry pan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water. Cook until the mixture is bubbling.
3. Add the pecans and stir constantly until the pecans are well coated and the sugar has begun to caramelise, about 5 minutes. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet to cool completely. Try not to eat them.....

Walnut Vinaigrette
4. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the walnut and olive oils and whisk until blended.
Salad
5. Wash and dry the rocket leaves. Transfer immediately to a large bowl and toss with the walnut vinaigrette and sliced pears.
6. Arrange on a large platter, sprinkle with the cheese and pecans.

Oatmeal Cookies

I’ve been making these cookies for years. The recipes is from one of Margaret Fulton’s cookbooks from the eighties. I like the fact they have rolled oats in them. I regularly substitute the nuts and raisins for combinations of choc chips, and today some dried blueberries. I also have reduced the sugar so I feel better about putting them in the lunch boxes. I used ¾ of both sugars without noticing much difference. Don’t skimp on the cinnamon! And to make them even healthier today, I substiturted half a cup of the oats for one of the latest superfoods: Goodness Superfoods Quick Barley & Oats.

Oatmeal Cookies
250g butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp Vanilla
¼ cup water
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins
2 ½ cups rolled oats

Cream butter with sugars, egg and vanilla until fluffly. Beat in water. Sift in dry ingredients and stir in nuts raisisns and oats. Drop heaped teaspoons of mixture onto trays lined with baking paper. Leave 5cm between each cookie. Press lightly. Bake at 190 C for 12=15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.