Smoked Chicken And Pickled Cherry Salad

Like many people, I guess you too have been talking about the weather.  It's crazy, isn't it?  Floods up north, bushfires down south, drought in the middle, and endless days of heat without any of the storms we normally get in summer.  And if you live in the U.S., you may have been suffering the reverse with extreme cold and snow lately.

Hubby's niece lives in Townsville where they released the local dam's floodgates over the weekend.  This has meant that a lot of water has been let loose.  Hundreds of people evacuated, or being rescued.  The Army, Police and Emergency crews out, doorknocking and saving people.  Fortunately, our niece is safe, and though her backyard is inundated, her house hasn't been flooded.  

salad for a sultry night

So the weather is lending itself to cold meals like salads, and lots of icy drinks.  Did anyone say bourbon on the rocks?  And I thought I'd give quinoa another go.  It's a bit of a weird, almost flavourless grain (seed in fact), but adds a gentle crunch to a salad.  So here is my chicken and cherry salad, with that ancient grain/seed giving you a good dose of added vitamins and protein. 


Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a side salad:

Recipe by Sherry's Pickings:

ingredients:


1 baby Gem or Cos lettuce, leaves separated and torn by hand

400g. of honey smoked chicken breasts, cut into chunks

80g. of walnuts, toasted

1.5 cups of cooked red or white quinoa

1 French shallot or 2-3 spring onions, finely chopped/sliced

2 big tbs pickled cherries

1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks

60g. (2 oz.) of fetta, diced

a really big handful of fresh raspberries

40g. (3/8 cup) of parmesan cheese, shaved or grated

lots of herbs of your choice (snipped):  I used chives and parsley

salt and pepper to taste



Dressing:


8 fresh raspberries, squished with a fork in a small bowl

juice of 1 lime (or lemon)

2-3 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste


Method:


Well, this is pretty darn easy.  Throw all the salad ingredients into a large bowl

Whisk the dressing ingredients together well

Pour the dressing over the salad, and give it a really thorough (but gentle) toss

Scatter over some extra walnuts and/or parmesan if you desire


Notes:


Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions.  I made a large amount and will use the rest in other dishes

Toast the walnuts at 180C for about 8 minutes - keep an eye on them, as they tend to burn quickly towards the end.  I know 'cos i ruined 2 lots!  Mr P. bravely said he would eat them anyway, so he's eating them with his cereal

gather the ingredients

whisk up the dressing

salad ready for dressing

pour it on! and toss - gently

Serves 4 (with some crusty bread) as a main, or as an entrée for 6.  The sweet and tangy flavours perk up the appetite on a hot night!


   

  raspberry artwork by Sherry's Pickings 

In My Kitchen - February 2019

So, we're all back to it, then?  Work, school, real life ...  And blogging :-)  I hope you all had a lovely break and festive season.  We did, even though it has been one of the hottest summers on record.  The air con has been working overtime, and our water tank is only 1/3 full.  Bats are falling dead out of the trees, and feral horses are dying in the outback due to the heat and lack of water.  Sad days indeed.  And there are bushfires down south too ...    

I told you I'd have a lot to show you this month, and I do.  These things accrued over a couple of months just FYI :-)  Here we go:

a fair bit of mustard

Every summer I make a batch of sun-dried tomato and basil mustard for Mr P.  He is a big fan, and loves to smother his lunchtime sangers (sandwiches) in it.  I'm more of a sweet mustard pickle gal myself.  Oddly I've never made pickles so I must give that a try one of these days.  I learned to enjoy mustard while travelling in Britain years ago, where we would buy Marks & Spencer's (the department store) ham sandwiches, which came with a liberal dose of dark brown mustard.

my annual delivery of bio-dynamic garlic 

Also every summer, I rush to buy a box of Patrice Newell's garlic, as it is snapped up quickly by restaurateurs and canny cooks from all over the country.  I divvy up the cloves, and freeze them, skin and all for the rest of the year, hopefully.  Sometimes I run out!

as per the label

And I make mango chutney every Christmas break too.  I recently discovered frozen 100% mango chunks at the stores so I often use them when I'm in a hurry.  I know, I know, it's crazy when fresh mangoes are around, but it is so quick and easy ... sorry to all the purists out there :-)  

my new sauerkraut crock

Our friend Miss B. made this for me.  She forgot to glaze and fire the weights so I'm still waiting on those before I can make some sauerkraut.  Plus I think Winter is probably a better time to make and eat it anyway.

a Christmas gift

Haven't tried this one yet but looking forward to it.  I think it would be marvellous on bacon.  We were in Yosemite National Park one time, and not able to get dinner due to not having evening wear with us (in a National Park!  Those crazy Americans!), so breakfast the next day was a most marvellous, fabulous thing. Overlooking the redwood trees, we ate lashings of bacon and eggs and maple syrup.  The best ever!  I have been a huge fan of the combo ever since.

my homemade Irish Cream liqueur

I always make this at Christmas, giving away a bottle if I'm feeling generous.  It is very rich and moreish.  And absolutely has to be made with Irish whiskey.  I've tried others and it's just not the same.

dare I say?  yes another wooden spoon  

This is a little sweetie I bought over the Christmas break, up in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast when visiting friends who were staying up there.  Yep, it had to come home with me.

another cookbook (and a Snow Gromit in the background) 

There are lots of fab recipes in this book.  I've never been much of a Donna Hay fan, but there looks to be many interesting recipes to try ... so hang onto your horses, you will be seeing some luscious bakes soon on the blog.


And last but definitely not least:  here is my great-niece Lolly, all dressed-up appropriately in her lolly-strewn costume for her recent first birthday party.  I call this her Frida Kahlo look:-)  She's sitting here on her granddad's knee, delighting in a cherry tomato.  What is she thinking? :-)  Tomatoes - eek!

the great, the magnificent Lolly

Permission kindly granted by her mum (my niece) for this photo to go out into the IMK world.


I won't overload you with more stuff this month, my friends.  But please feel free to join in with your IMK post too.  Everyone is welcome!  Here's how to add your post to the IMK link:


1. Adding via the link button at the bottom of this post.  Instructions can be found on the sidebar of this page,   under Add your IMK link

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Sherrys Pickings

Moroccan Meatballs With Apricots

Who doesn't love a meatball?  Obviously all the vegos and vegans, but apart from them :=)  And this has fruit so it has to be good for you, don't you think?  And best of all, it's baked rather than fried.  Yippee!  Me and frying are not friends.  Or is that frying and I?  As regular readers know, I get hubby to do any necessary frying - on the back deck, and sitting on layers of newspaper!

I discovered on making this recipe that the author had been very circumspect with his flavourings.  Mr P. and I found this somewhat bland so I have upped the spices, etc for more oomph.  Maybe my tastebuds have gone on holidays, but I seem to need/like more oomph in my food these days.  Adjust according to your tastes, my friends.  

just a few meatballs!

Recipe adapted and re-written by Sherry's Pickings: original recipe - chef Rob Kelly, as written by Sharnee Rawson

Makes many:-)


ingredients:



1 cup (150g.) cooked couscous - see notes below

750g. beef or lamb mince

2 brown (or red) onions, diced

2 tbs fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp turmeric powder

3-4 tsp cummin powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mLs) chicken stock, cooled

1 cup (180g.) fresh apricots, diced - you need 3-4 large apricots

3/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped

juice of 1 lemon

1/2-1 tsp sesame seed oil

1½ cups (210g.) sesame seeds


Dressing:


1 cup (250 mLs) Greek yoghurt

1/2 tsp harissa paste or chilli paste of your choice

1 small Lebanese cucumber, finely diced

1 tsp minced ginger (optional)

1 tbs parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp sumac (optional)

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

about a dozen grinds of black pepper

2-3 tsp lime or lemon juice



Method:


Cook the couscous as per packet instructions - usually add one cup of boiling water to one cup couscous, leave for 5 minutes then fluff up with a fork

Place all the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl, EXCEPT the sesame seeds

Give it a good stir, then use your hands to make large walnut-sized balls

Roll them in the sesame seeds

Bake on a lined baking tray at 190C for about 20 minutes, till cooked through

Stir the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, and serve with the meatballs

Serve with a chopped salad if desired - I used the rest of the couscous with tomato/cucumber/chickpeas/fetta and black olives



Notes:


I made up 1 cup (190g.) of uncooked couscous with 1 cup (250 mLs) boiling water = 2¾ cups cooked couscous

I zapped the onions in my wee food processor - so easy

I had a large piece of ginger, so I threw the whole lot (chopped into large chunks) into my processor, and froze the rest for later

zap or dice your onions 

couscous ready

ready for mixing and shaping

nearly finished the rolling!

dressing ready for stirring 

ready for eating

apricot artwork by Sherry's Pickings

Huskk Café - Review

The eating place formerly known as Brew Masters - home of burgers and beer, has now morphed into Huskk café.  Previously a bit gloomy and unprepossessing, it is now a bright, light space, which welcomes you in.  The new owners bring an ethos of fresh, seasonal food sourced locally, and made with care.   

looking inside from the deck

Hubby and I headed here for lunch not long after it had opened.  Ever keen to find a great milkshake, Mr P. had a strawberry one (surprise!), while I went for an iced mocha.  Sadly his drink was not icy cold like a good milkshake should be, but mine had lots of ice to cool it down, and a good flavour.

strawberry milkshake $5

       

iced mocha $5

I went for the steak sandwich special of the day, while hubby chose the slow cooked garlic mushrooms.  I loved the toasted Turkish bread topped with seeds, but the steak oddly was cooked rare-ish and yet it was very hard to chew.  Sadly I left quite a bit of the meat on the plate.  The chips were fabulous though - crispy outside, soft inside.  The accompanying aioli was thick and lush but had little (no?) garlic that we could discern.  I wish that cafés would trust the eater with that wonderful rich garlic flavour, but I guess it's not to be.  Maybe they could serve aioli and aioli lite? :-)  The onion jam however had a good sweetness, which went well with the steak. 

steak sandwich special of the day $25

Mr P.'s mushroom dish with asparagus was a winner.  The seared asparagus was a bit crunchy still (a good thing), the polenta chips were golden and crunchy on the outside, with a soft centre. The tangy mushrooms came with a truffle cream and slow-cooked garlic.  He was a happy man.   

garlic mushrooms $20

  
Hubby couldn't resist some chips for himself, so he ordered a side of golden, crunchy chips with that (sorry to say) bland aioli.  He hoovered them down without a problem though.

chips with aioli $6

Friends just happened to be lunching at a restaurant next door so they stopped by to say hi.  Miss M. grabbed herself a takeaway coffee; the beans for which come from Bear Bones in Fortitude Valley, a nearby coffee roasting house.  

$4 or $5? - I didn't ask her :-) 

Service was friendly and prompt, as was delivery of the meals.  Even though the café fronts a busy road, we didn't feel overwhelmed by it at all.  The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing, and we enjoyed our lunchtime break.

casual array of cutlery and paper napkins

I tootled down there again for lunch a few weeks later, with my blogging friend Sandra (yes, she of the coconut candy fame.)  I chose a replenishing Blood Bank, made on betroots, ginger, cucumber, lime and green apple.  It tasted earthy and fresh, but as it came out of a bottle, it was not quite as fresh as I'd hoped.  I had assumed they would juice it freshly in-house - my bad.

Blood Bank $7

Sandra's iced coffee was icy and made of coffee, so all good.:-) 

iced coffee $5

I ordered the potato and leek hash, which came with Bangalow pancetta and poached organic eggs.  I added mushrooms for $4 extra.  The pancetta was crispy, and the mushrooms were plentiful.  I enjoyed the potato hash, though it was more like mashed potato than the grated potato I always assume it should be.  (Is it just me, or is $19 a fair whack for that hash without the added mushies?)   

potato and leek hash $19 with mushrooms +$4 

Sandra chose the Reuben but asked for a white bread rather than the rye bread on the menu.  They were happy to oblige.  It's filled with pulled corned beef, Russian dressing and sauerkraut.  And cheese (?) by the look of it.  It was thick and chunky, and she was happy with this one.

Reuben sanga $17

All in all, we had a pleasant and relaxing lunch.  And I am planning to go back to try the Eggs Benny and the corn fritters.  I would love to see freshly-made juices, (and icy cold milkshakes), but in the main, Huskk is a fine addition to the local food scene.  They are open daily for breakfast and lunch.

looking out to the side deck

8 Days Rd., Grange 4051
Ph: 07 3356 7702
Open 7 days a week

Vanilla Apple Lattice Pie

This dish is from our mate Mel's recipe book. Mel moved from South Africa (where she also had a cooking school) to Brisbane in 2011. She opened up Vanilla Zulu in Wilston, but has recently moved to nearby Teneriffe. To celebrate the new premises, she has just published her book of recipes, tips and hacks: Culinary Quickies. 

Mel asked me to write a review for her website, which you can read at the bottom of this post.  My only proviso after using one of her recipes is that she really needed a good editor!  (Sorry Mel; and I'm available.)  I also like to see recipes that have the list of ingredients in order of use, but that is a small quibble.  I had to do a bit of guesswork to fathom this recipe out, and I made a couple of very slight changes, but it's pretty much Mel's dish as per her book.
  

our mate Ms PP holding up her piece of pie (cute toes)

Here is my ever-so-slightly adapted version of Mel's recipe:


Serves 8:

ingredients:


2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (or make your own - now stop that cackling, folks)

3 tbs apricot jam

250 mLs really thick custard

70g. almond meal

1 tsp vanilla extract

100 mLs of thickened cream

2 large apples, sliced thinly - or use stone fruit of your choice

a pinch of cinnamon (optional)

50 mLs milk - to brush the pastry

2 tbs granulated (white) sugar - to cast over the top of the pie


Icing:

1 cup (125g.) of icing sugar

about 1 tbs hot water - maybe a bit more, or a bit less

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cocoa powder



Method:


Place one sheet of the thawed pastry onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper

Spread the apricot jam over the pastry, leaving a 2cm. border on all sides

Whisk the custard, almond meal, vanilla and cream together - it should be really thick; you don't want it to seep out the sides

Now spoon this mixture on top of the jam and spread it out

Place the apple slices neatly over the custard mixture, and throw on the cinnamon if using

Fold the second piece of pastry in half lengthwise and slice on the fold to make a lattice pattern, leaving a border of 2cm.

Brush around the custard and apple filling with milk, then place the second piece of pastry over the whole shebang (after gently unfolding it so you have one large piece again)

Press down the edges, and brush the pie with the rest of the milk

Sprinkle the sugar over the top, and bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes or till golden

Take the pie out of the oven and cool for a few minutes while you beat the icing ingredients together EXCEPT the cocoa powder

Reserve 2-3 tbs of the icing and mix the cocoa into it

Now drizzle all the white icing over the pie, then the reserved cocoa icing for contrast

Delicious hot or cold, with cream or icecream or nude (tee hee)




Notes:


You can buy 'thick custard' at the supermarket, or make your own, ensuring it is very thick - Mel says 'thick enough to bounce off a wall'

Try hazelnut meal for a change

Use red or green apples, as you wish - I used Royal Gala (red) 

spread the apricot jam over the pastry

stir the custard mixture together 

spread the custard over the jam

slice the unpeeled apples thinly

cut the lattice pattern into the fold of the pastry (Mr P. did it for me) 

layer the apple slices over the jam and custard  (with the pinch of cinnamon)

place the pastry over the filling and sprinkle on the sugar 

pour the icing over the pie

never mind the burnt bits :-)

golden and crunchy on top (well, just a bit burnt)

This pie went down well with everybody.  It was crunchy and golden on top, with a sweet, soft filling inside.  The apples had cooked perfectly, and the icing added an even sweeter dollop to the whole affair.  Yep, we had it with cream.  Well, why not gild the lily when you can? :-) 

red apple artwork by Sherry's Pickings

My review:

The book is written in her endearing and quirky style, but provides solid information and tips for the confident cook and the culinary novice. You'll find dozens of quickie recipes, and innovative ideas for meals. The recipe for Magical Moroccan Mince with pistachios and date gravel inspired this reviewer to take the brave step of letting the mince do its own thing without stirring and on a high heat, until the meat became brown and luscious - which kind of goes against your instincts but actually works. I now find myself using this technique often when cooking a protein, as does hubby.

Mel’s book gives you starters, sides and mains, plus desserts and cakes. Her Little Black Book of Culinary Bling is included in this book, giving you even more ideas to brighten up your plates. There is nothing pretentious about her recipes, just good, honest food that is easy to make, and will appeal to your family and friends. I first encountered this dessert in one of Mel’s cooking classes - Vanilla Apple Lattice Pie: puff pastry, apple slices, custard and cream and sugar, all baked to perfection and glazed with a vanilla and icing sugar paste.

There are plenty of illustrations, and a guide called How to Shop which gives the basics for your pantry items. I like the fact that there are no apologies for using shortcuts like bought puff pastry. We all know the home cook is rarely, if ever, going to make her/his own! This is a handy and cheerful book, allowing you to try new recipes with confidence. You too will be able to cook fish with crispy skin, or end up with the perfect steak. As Mel says in her introduction: “you can almost have me right by your side guiding you all the way.” And yes, I think that’s exactly how you will feel! And while it’s not a huge tome, it is a useful and practical addition to your kitchen library.

In My Kitchen - January 2019

Happy New Year, dear blogger friends.  Hope you had a fabulous Christmas/Holiday break.  This is IMK Lite for January, so let's make it short and sweet.  I most likely won't get a chance to check out your posts till mid-month, just FYI :-)  Our Christmas was small and serene, and full of food and drink and friends.  I hope yours was too!


So, let's get cracking.  Here in my kitchen:

coconut candy

This was kindly given to me by Sandra from Please Pass the Recipe, after her recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.  Chewy but tasty.  Yep, the candy not Sandra.  It's made in Vietnam, from coconut milk and coconut cream.  I'm saying candy 'cos that's what's on the label!  But you know we don't use that term in Australia very often, if at all.  

as per the label ... :-) 

I love this little gadget!  I have a drawer full of gadgets (yes you, garlic wheel) that I don't often use, but this is such a cute implement.  I actually have it in the freezer right now, with parsley in it.  You just push it down as per the photo, and then grate off the herbs with a microplaner.  Not really a necessity, but a bit of fun now and then.  So just keep it for the occasional turn.  After all, you've paid a million dollars for your chef's knife already, haven't you? :-) 

another book about food for my shelves

This is not a cookbook as such; here Ruby is discussing food and how and what to eat.  She quit her job writing food columns with the Guardian newpaper mid-year of 2018, as she felt the food world was cynical, elitist and toxic.  Strong stuff!  I am looking forward to reading this one.

yep, more ceramics from Miss B., and a wooden spoon 

Miss B. gave me the pink mug and the green tumbler, and my sister gave me the wooden spoon.  I can hear you chuckling, Tiffin Fiona!  But you can never have too many spoons.  I think it comes from our childhood, where mum only had one (one I tell you!!) wooden spoon in her kitchen, and for all purposes - sweet and savoury.  In fact, my sister quizzically told me recently that her oldest daughter has separate wooden spoons for sweet and savoury.  I just looked at her, and at my two huge utensil jars full of spoons, one lot for sweet and one lot for savoury .... 

Well, that's it for this month.  I've been succinct I think :-)  But I'm saving the best for February.  Hope to see some of you here this month though.  Happy New Year, chums!



Options for linking:


1. Adding via the link button at the bottom of this post.  Instructions can be found on the sidebar of this page, under Add your IMK link

2. Comment on this post, providing a link to your post so I can add it to the linky list below   (with your email address, please)

3. Email me: sherrym1au@gmail.com, with your link or any queries about the link process  




   

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Sherrys Pickings