Baharat is a wonderful combination of spices from Iraq. You may find baharat at your local Middle Eastern store but check for salt before seasoning your dish. To make your own spice mix grind 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns, 1½ tablespoons of cumin seeds, ½ a teaspoon of cardamom seeds and 1 tablespoon each of coriander seeds, cassia bark and…… Continue reading lamb shanks with baharat
Tag: recipe
bread pudding
Made from ciabatta rolls (lots of crusts) this pudding was still wonderfully moist. Cut 5 large bread rolls or a large crusty loaf of white bread into small dice. Put them in a large bowl and soak for 1 hour in 5 cups of milk. In another bowl combine 4 large eggs, 1¾ cups of…… Continue reading bread pudding
braised fennel with peas
This makes an excellent accompaniment for fish and seafood or can be served as an antipasto dish. Trim and cut your fennel bulbs into even sized wedges. Put them into a wide saucepan and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Add the juice and finely grated rind of ½ a lemon and season with…… Continue reading braised fennel with peas
squid ink linguini with tomato chilli prawns
A delicious and dramatic-looking meal. Finely chop 2 or 3 brown shallots, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 long red chilli. Gently fry them in some olive oil until soft. Add ½ a cup of white wine and allow this to evaporate before adding a can of peeled chopped tomatoes and seasoning to taste. Allow to simmer…… Continue reading squid ink linguini with tomato chilli prawns
deconstructed lemon meringue pie
Vanilla ice cream, shortbread cookie crumbs and quick microwave meringues are the perfect combination to showcase home-made lemon curd. To make the lemon curd beat 4 egg yolks and ¾ of a cup of sugar until well blended. Combine in a heavy saucepan with 120ml (3 fl oz) lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of softened butter. Cook over medium-low…… Continue reading deconstructed lemon meringue pie
chick pea tagine
Although I’ve never eaten at a Christine Manfield restaurant, this recipe is so impressive in its wonderful balance of flavours that I intend to soon own some of her cook books. Soak 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight. Drain and place in a saucepan with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low…… Continue reading chick pea tagine
chargrilled chicken 2
Once again my husband has combined some wonderful flavours from HOT PLATE Asian-Inspired Barbeque, a Spirit House Restaurant and Cooking School cookbook. To make the marinade for the chicken place 6 brown shallots, 8 long red chillies, 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh turmeric (½ a teaspoon if using ground turmeric), 1 tablespoon of roasted…… Continue reading chargrilled chicken 2
super fast risotto
If you have a pressure cooker this recipe makes wonderful creamy risotto and can be adapted for different ingredients. Here’s a bacon and vegetable risotto. In your pressure cooker add a little olive oil and fry a diced onion, 2 finely diced cloves of garlic and 6 short pieces of bacon (also finely sliced) until…… Continue reading super fast risotto
two bean chilli con carne
This is not only a meal in one pot but takes chilli con carne to a new level. Especially good made a day ahead. Begin by frying a large chopped onion in some oil until it wilts then add a few finely diced cloves of garlic and a finely diced hot red chilli. Next a…… Continue reading two bean chilli con carne
almonds iberica
The Spanish are one of the world’s largest producers of almonds and they definitely know how to bring out the very best of their flavour. Almonds like these are often served as tapas. If you have almonds with skins, pour boiling water over them and wait until the skin is wrinkled. You can now pinch…… Continue reading almonds iberica
michelle picker cooks 