Chicken Peri-Peri Marinade

No photo here, just a recipe for my own reference to make a 'Nando's'-like marinate for chicken breasts.  Very tasty indeed and very much like a Nando's chicken breast when popped into a Hamburger bun with sliced iceberg lettuce and tomato...

We found this recipe via the Internet in a Yahoo discussion site.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tbs cider (or white wine) vinegar

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp angostura bitters

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 dried hot red chili (I omitted this)

1 fresh red chili

2 cloves garlic

Chicken Breasts

Method

Combine the lime juice, vinegar, paprika, bitters and hot pepper sauce in a glass baking dish.

Wearing kitchen gloves, split the dried chili with a sharp paring knife and remove the seeds.  Do the same with the fresh pepper.  Mash the peppers with the garlic into a smooth paste using a mortar and pestle.  Add the paste to the lime mixture in the baking dish and combine.

Toss the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are completely coated.  Cover and let marinate several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

BBQ or grill, basting regularly until cooked through.

Steak Baguette with Rocket and Mustardy Mayo

These were very nice and pretty filling. We cooked the steak on the BBQ (because we can) and I actually cheated and didn't make the mustardy mayo, as I had dijonnaise in the fridge and used that instead. The shame, I know...

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites', published 2007*

Ingredients
3 tbs olive oil, plus extra for frying
1 red onion, sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp thyme
1 tbs Dijon mustard
3 tbs mayonnaise
100g rocket
500g beef fillet, cut into 4 thin slices
2 thick baguettes, cut in half, or 8 thick slices of bread
2 tomatoes, sliced

Method
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and cook very slowly, with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not brown. Remove the lid, add the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and just browned. Remove the pan off the stove and stir in the thyme.

Meanwhile, make the mustardy mayo by mixing together well the mustard and the mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Drizzle the rocket leaves with the remaining olive oil and season.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra oil in a frying pan over high heat and cook the steaks for 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Season to taste.

To serve, put out the bread, along with separate bowls containing the onion, mustardy mayo, rocket leaves, steak and sliced tomatoes. Let everyone make their own baguette.

Serves 4

Orange Sweet Potato and Ditalini Patties

These were really tasty, besides the fact that for the life of me, I could not find any ditalini pasta anywhere. Instead I used tiny little star shaped pasta, I don't think there is any need to actually use the pasta specified, but what ever pasta you use, make sure it is tiny. I served mine on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves and a big dollop of creamy mayonnaise.

*Taken from 'Fast Food', a Murdoch publication Book, 2002*

Ingredients

2 orange sweet potatoes (about 800g in total)

1/2 cup (90g) ditalini

30g toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tbs finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan

1/3 cup (35g) dry breadcrumbs

plain flour, for dusting

olive oil, for shallow-frying

Method

Preheat the oven to very hot 250C. Pierce the whole sweet potatoes several times with a fork, then place in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour, or until soft. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under running water.

Peel the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a potato masher or fork, then add the pine nuts, garlic, basil, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and the pasta and combine. Season.

Shape the mixture into eight even patties (about 1.5cm thick) with floured hands, then lightly dust the patties with flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the patties in batches over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, or until golden and heated through. Drain on crumpled paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. Great with a fresh green salad.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Burgers

Simple to make and nice to eat...

*Taken from Murdoch Book's 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

1 large red capsicum

500g lamb mince

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 small onion, grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs pine nuts, chopped

1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint

1 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chilli sauce (I used sweet chilli)

1 tbs olive oil

4 Turkish or pide bread rolls

1 cup (220g) ready-made hummus

100g baby rocket

1 small Lebanese cucumber, cut into ribbons

chilli sauce, to serve (optional) (I used sweet chilli)

Method

Cut the capsicum into large pieces, removing the seeds and membrane. Place, skin-side-up, under a hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool in a plastic bag, then peel and cut into thick strips.

Combine the mince, egg, onion, garlic, pine nuts, fresh herbs, cumin and chilli sauce in a large bowl. Mix with your hands and roll into four even-sized balls. Press the balls into large patties about 9cm in diameter.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the patties over medium heat for 6 minutes each side, or until well browned and cooked through, then drain on paper towels.

Halve the rolls and toast both sides. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with hummus, then lay rocket leaves, roasted capsicum and cucumber ribbons over the base. Place a patty on the salad and top with the other half of the roll. Serve with chilli sauce.

Serves 4

Melody's Gourmet Lamb Burgers

Unfortunately there is no photo to go along with this recipe as I actually forgot. I was too busy thinking about actually eating it than taking a photo of the finished cooked product! Uh-oh.

I made this recipe up a few years ago and they always go down well. You can add other ingredients that you like (maybe olives, capers) or delete ones that you don't like. I usually serve them in a bun (tonight's was Turkish Bread Rolls), along with fresh baby spinach leaves, cheese and either tomato relish or tomato sauce.

I don't record exact weights and measures in this particular recipe. Just add as much (or as little) as you like, or what you've got floating around in the fridge. They'll turn out fine.

Ingredients
Lamb mince (to make about 5 patties, use 500gms)
Red onion, chopped
Semi-Sun dried Tomatoes, chopped
Marinated fetta, crumbled
Pine nuts, toasted
Baby spinach leaves, shredded
Fresh basil, chopped
Garlic clove, finely chopped
Fresh Bread crumbs
Dash of extra-virgin Olive Oil

Method
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix by hand. Divide the mixture into hand-size patties and flatten out.

Cook. (Either on the BBQ or in a frying pan with a dash of olive oil on the hot plate.)

Yes, they are that easy!! Hehe...