Chicken thighs with lemon and garlic

Chicken thighs with lemon and garlic

 

Preparation Time: 1 hour to marinade 1 hour to cook in oven

Serves 4 approx

6-8 chicken thighs (free range) 8 maximum

1/4 cup of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of organic honey

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves of garlic chopped

olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Lemon wedges

Parsley sprigs to decorate when served

Prepare the marinade in one glass pouring cup.  Lemon juice,honey,brown sugar,Worcestershire and garlic.  Place the chicken in a marinade bowl and pour this marinade over the chicken and cover in fridge for approx one hour.

After one hour or two remove chicken (reserve marinade) and place into a roasting tray with some olive oil.  Pour the marinade over the chicken in the roasting tray and add the salt and pepper all over.

Bake in oven around 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes then open oven and spoon marinade over chicken and keep cooking for another 30 minutes or until cooked and browned.

Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley.



Spaghetti with meatballs and sauce

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Serves: 4
Preparation: 45 mins

400g beef mince
olive oil for cooking
1 tablespoon oregano
1 spring onion or quarter a white onion chopped finely
750g quality tomato passata
1/2 beef stock cube
1 teaspoon of wostershire sauce
1 egg
1 small teaspoon of chopped italian parsley
approx 1/2 cup bread crumbs (not too dry preferable)

200g spaghetti

Place your tomato passata into a large saucepan and slowly heat. Add a little salt and half a beef stock cube. Let heat up to a simmer.

In a separate bowl prepare the meatballs by placing meat,oregano, parsley,onion,wostershire sauce,egg and breadcrumbs together. Mix up evenly and form small little balls placing them one by one into a frypan with some olive oil.

Cook them until they are brown on the outside.  Then place the balls into the simmering sauce.

Let them cook in the sauce with a lid on slightly ajar while in another pot cook the spaghetti as per pack instructions.

Strain pasta when ready and combine with sauce and balls



Tomato Osso Bucco

Tomato Osso Bucco

Serves : 3  (3 fit in an average fry pan)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2.5 hours for perfection

1 Bouquet garni which is made by bundling herbs together. I used fresh parsley (italian), thyme, celery leaves and bay leaf. Twine together with the thyme or parsley ends.

3 pieces of the Veal shank from the butcher cut into 1 1/2 thick pieces
1 cup of plain all purpose flour in a bowl seasoned with salt and pepper (OR for Gluten free use gluten free flour)
60ml olive oil
50grams of butter
1 garlic clove whole or 1 teaspoon crushed
1 small carrot chopped finely
1 large onion chopped finely
1/2 celery stalk chopped finely
1 1/2 cups of home style chicken stock (see my blog recipe)
1 cup of dry white wine
800ml chopped tomatoes or passata
1 cup of chopped mushrooms if you like?



Prepare your Bouquet garni first which is very important as it adds the flavour to this dish.
Place each piece of veal carefully one at a time into the flour to dust.  Heat your oil in a heavy frypan with the butter and garlic and in single layers place the veal and cook until browned on both sides (approx 15 minutes).  Discard the garlic after this (unless you use crushed then its ok). Set the veal pieces aside in a large cast iron baker.

 Using the same frypan (with the juices of the meat) add your carrot then add celery and onion and cook without browning until it is going soft.  Increase the heat and add the wine cooking for approx 5 minutes.  Then you can add your stock with the tomatoes and bouquet garni on top.  Season with some salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce into the baker with the meat. Add mushrooms into sauce if desired.  Cover baker with a little foil and place in your oven for approx 2 hours at 180 degrees (i prefer this method instead of on the stovetop) . 

The meat should be tender after this time. Check every 30 mins the sauce is halfway up the baker.  Test meat is ready by poking it with a fork to see if it melts into it. 

Best served with my cheesy polenta!
http://deliciouscookingwithmandy.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/baked-polenta-with-three-cheeses.html