Pompino Lemon Chicken

This is my slant on a recipe I got from www.viewauckland.co.nz

• Slice schnitzels from skinned boned chicken breasts - I can get 3 pieces/breast
• Place in the middle of each schnitzel 1 sundried tomato stuffed with goat's feta
• Roll up & roll in flour
• Add to a hot pan with olive oil, making sure the seal is face down to seal
• Pan fry for 2-3 minutes each side until lightly brown

• Then add to the pan ~1 cup white wine (half covered chicken rolls), freshly chopped parsley (Italian preferably), clove of crushed garlic, juice of 1-1/2 lemons
• Cover & simmer for 5 minutes

Serve with natural (greek) yoghurt seasoned with 1/2 lemon & lemon pepper.

Scrumy - chicken is very succulent & the lemon flavour is not overstated.

Le lasagna - le bellismo!!

WOW Italian cooking started tonight with a stand in tutor The Merchant of Venice - Antonio Gasperini & wow he's great. This lasagna is not like any I've made before.

Il soffritto (vegetables): Dice 1 large carrot, 1 large onion & 1 large celery stick. Cook in about 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. When the veges are softish add a decent dash of red wine. Continue cooking for about 20-30 minutes. Add a few ladles/small can tomato paste.

Whilst this is cooking prepare the il ragu (AKA la Bolognese). Bring to a simmer 1 cup full fat milk with 3-4 bay leaves. Simmer gently for about 5 mins then add ~500g prime mince & ~500g pork mince. This removes acidity from the meat. Continue simmering gently for about 20-30 mins then add to il soffrito/vegetables. Continue cooking for ~ another half hour, add extra water if needed.

La napolitana (tomato) sauce: crush 2-3 cloves garlic with rock salt, add to 4 Tbsp hot olive oil, add a decent dash of red wine to stop cooking. Add 3 cans of crushed Italian peeled tomatoes.

La besciamella (bechamel) sauce: melt ~50g butter on a VERY GENTLE HEAT! Add approx. 1 tsp ground nutmeg & 1 tsp ground black pepper, remove from heat. Add 1 Tbsp of flour & whisk, continue adding 1 Tbsp amounts of flour until resembles a paste. Add a small amount of full fat milk & whisk over a gentle heat, slowly increase heat to Medium & should take approx. 1-1/2 L of milk to make sauce.

Season all sauces with salt & pepper at the finish of cooking - approx. 1-2tsp of rock salt to meat & tomato sauces & 1 tsp to the bechamel sauce plus black pepper.

Constructing the lasgana start off with tomato sauce then fresh pasta sheets then il ragu then bechamel (can add a bit of grated tasty cheese over bechamel). Last layer smother pasta with tomato sauce & then parmesean cheese & tasty cheese, big handful of oregano & a sprig of rosemary (provides perfume whilst cooking).

bake moderate oven ~12-15 minutes.

Quickie sauce for ravioli

Shock horror turned up for the start of my Italian cooking class this week & NO TUTOR - tutor is still AWOL, I hope he hasn't been in an accident. The first night was supposed to be a demo & once you have your mind set on pasta seemed to hard to budge.

This is a quick & easy special sauce with a few deli ingredients.

Chop up some boneless chicken (to about the same size as the ravioli/tortellini). When the water is boiling for the ravioli cook the chicken in a frying pan, when cooked add a few Tbsp of pesto, sliced sundried tomatoes, chopped fresh Italian parsley & a dash of cream. Mix through cooked ravioli. Serve with parmesean.

Well tutor still MIA but a replacement has been found - so ciao for now.

Pork Satay and Peanut Sauce (Microwave)

NOTE: This is an old recipe based on a 650-700W oven.

• 500g pork rump steak - cut into cubes

Marinade:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add cubed pieces & marinade for at least 30 minutes.
2. Thread meat on bamboo skewers.
3. Microwave on 3/4 (Medium) power for 10 minutes.

Peanut Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 4 Tbsp peanut butter (extra crunchy if possible)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice

1. Place oil, onion & garlic in a microwave jug & microwave on FULL power for 3 minutes.
2. Add chilli powder, brown sugar, salt, peanut butter & water.
3. Microwave on FULL power for 3 minutes.
4. Add the lemon juice & serve with pork satay sticks.
   

Megan's Lemon Shortcake

This is my scrapbooking consultant's yummy recipe. I love it as it's quick & easy to whip up for dessert or in my case afternoon tea at my Spring Mini Launch AKA Tart & Tangy - so thought this was an appropriate offering.

In a food processor pop in:

• 1 cup flour
• 100g butter
• 1/4 cup icing sugar

Mix until crumbly; don't wait for it to combine.
Press into a loose based flan tin.
Fan bake 180oC 15 mins.

Mix in a separate bowl:

• 1 cup castor sugar
• 3 Tbsp flour

Add:

• Rind of 1-2 lemons; grated fine
  
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 3 beaten eggs

Pour over pre-cooked base in the oven (word of warning don't move the base or the lemon/egg mix will drip out) & fan bake at 180oC for another 15 mins.

Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.