Greek lemon chicken with potatoes...

 hey viewers i found this absolutely delicious recipe on instagram. seeing i had a whole chicken in my freezer i thought i would make dinner. it was also a make up dinner for my tasmanian travel companion and bestie. seeing i made her do most of the driving it was the least i could do. and considering her heritage i thought this recipe would add to my grovel factor and presto it worked like magic. i also invited mali sestra ( little sista) for some culinary feedback. you know these professionals who slave away all day in the kitchen and then come home to exclaim...i am not cooking tonight. who could blame them? add son number 2 to the dinner mix and rest assured i can guarantee there will no left overs.

this dish is actually very simple to make but you have to be prepared to wait. just add a fab green salad as your side dish and you will enjoy the most delicious lemony, mustard chicken and potatoes. yes this recipe calls for an added kick by adding mustard...supposedly this is not the done thing but i can assure you it does elevate this dish to tasty heights and will be your go to recipe.

ps: i also cheated by using garlic which my sister calls jarlic, outta the jar. yes shame on me but i was feeling rather lazy and not in the mood to be peeling cloves of garlic myself. if you care to do the same just keep this dirty little culinary secret to yourself. my sista also suggested subbing out the water for white wine which mm...i believe will make it even more tasty. i would still add a dash of water though.

so here you go viewers a recipe that one can use to impress a greek or cypriot mother in law or potential one. well any potential mother in law. and if you have your eye on someone special and food is their weakness then i highly recommend this recipe too...hee,hee!

pps: have some fresh crusty bread on hand so you can sop up the lemony sauce at the end

ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces

1 kg of potatoes peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup of water...also add a few splashes of white wine if you have it

sauce...place ingredients into a jar, make sure it comes with a lid

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

juice of 2 and a half lemons...might as well make it 3

5 cloves of garlic chopped or if you want to use jarlic be my guest

2 tablespoons of djon mustard

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

1 teaspoon of vegeta...another one of my extra touches

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

method

preheat oven to 180 celsius

in a baking dish layer the quartered potatoes, sprinkle with some salt and pepper

place chicken pieces, skin side up on top of potatoes

mix sauce ingredients and give a good shake, pour evenly over chicken and potatoes

add the water and wine to jar and give another good shale, add to chicken and potatoes

cover with baking paper and then seal with foil

bake at 180 for 1 hour and 20 mins

then remove, foil and paper and bake for another 40 mins, you could increase temp to 200 for first 10 mins, set timer and baste very 10 mins

remove from oven, it will be pretty hot, serve warm with a salad and that is it...enjoy viewers, you won't regret it and may find this a new favourite to add to your culinary repertoire!

BEST cinnamon apple cake...

 

hey viewers today i am sharing an apple cinnamon cake recipe which i made and brought along for australia’s greatest morning tea. this is one of two apple cake recipes i have tested in my kitchen, both delicious and with slightly different flavour profiles but this one is quicker to bake in the oven and minus the sugar glaze simply delish. in my culinary opinion the sugar glaze is not necessary as it is sweet enough. son number two verified this by commenting…mum it’s too sweet and i have to agree. the cinnamon sugar sand is more than enough and of course i am the classic tweaker so my only variations were to ditch the sugar glaze and use two good sized apples which is more than a cup.

this recipe was discovered via insta from the sweetest menu and is titled the BEST cinnamon apple cake and you know what i think it could very well be. if you need a delish home-made cake and you don’t have hours to spare, then add this to your baking list. it was devoured, all gone and a blog request, so here it is.

click on the link for the original recipe or follow my slight variation. mm serve it with some thick cream or vanilla ice-cream if you really want to have a double dose of dessert.

https://www.sweetestmenu.com/cinnamon-apple-cake/

 

INGREDIENTS

Apple cake

·         210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         150 grams caster sugar

·         2 apples, peeled and roughly chopped

·         2 large eggs

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil

·         120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt

Cinnamon topping

·         50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar 

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 tablespoon butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8 inch (20cm) round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.

2.   In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add chopped apple and stir briefly to combine.

3.   In a separate bowl, add eggs, vanilla, oil and yoghurt. Whisk briefly just to break up the egg yolks.

4.   Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon until combined – but be careful not to over mix. Spoon batter into prepared tin.

5.   To make cinnamon topping, combine cinnamon, sugar and butter. Mix together until lumpy and wet. Sprinkle over cake batter.

6.   Bake cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

iraqi tbeet...baked chicken and rice

 

i follow many foodies on insta and have been collecting recipes for a while now. recently this dish caught my attention…iraqi tbeet by sivans kitchen. it is her grandmother’s recipe and she gives the 3-hour version. you can watch her make it via this link.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C569DlCv1kG/?igsh=MTdzamoxcmRndGpxNA==

i followed it but with a little tweak, i used chicken stock plus 1 cup of water instead of 5 cups of water. i bought the date syrup from woolworths. you will find it in the international food’s aisle in the middle eastern section. i say this feeds 6-8 people but if they are of the big appetite variety then 6 generously. i also used chicken thighs and legs. chicken has become a staple in our household because we all like it, it is versatile and does not break the food budget. this is the first time i have made a dish from Iraq and it was absolutely delicious, absolutely easy to make, you just need to be patient as it takes 2 and a 1/2 hours in the oven. i put it on at 3 and lovie was here after the footy ended in a draw and joined us for dinner. i also sent her home with left overs.

Ok so foodie viewers here is the recipe with a few tweaks. i only had 8 chicken pieces and being a public holiday, i wasn’t about to go out hunting for a few extra pieces. i also used the left-over fresh cherry tomatoes and i sliced my onions finely rather than dice them. i used my oven proof deep bacarrat dish which is one of my favourites from my assortment of pots and pans but a decent sized baking dish or tray is good, enough to fit 3 cups of basmati rice which will expand with liquid.

ingredients

10 pieces of chicken…6 legs, 4 thighs

3 large onions cut in half and finely sliced

2 punnets of cherry tomatoes cut in halves or 4 large tomatoes diced

2 tablespoons of sweet paprika

2 tablespoons of salt

1 tablespoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of cardamom powder

¼ cup of date syrup

1 litre of chicken stock plus 1 cup of water

1/3 cup of olive oil

preheat oven to 180 celsius

method

brown chicken in olive oil until they are nice and golden, put aside, add the onions and sauté and then add tomatoes and do the same, then add spices and sauté further. add 3 cups of washed basmati rice and mix everything through. add the chicken pieces on top and ¼ cup of date syrup and then add stock and water. bring to the boil, make sure chicken is nestled into rice, turn off heat, cover with a layer of parchment paper and then foil to seal. place into oven and bake for 2 hours and then uncover and bake for a further 30 mins. serve with a simple salad of lettuce, cucumber, lemon, pepper and olive oil.  

 

qetoe fettucine seafood marinara...is it better than the real deal?

 ok culinary peeps...the time has arrived to test the claims of qetoe organic low carb fettuccini. it's gluten free, high in protein, much lower in carbs and claims  to be like pasta, only better. mm...well i dare them to say that to a nonna or a member of the mob. i can tell you what might happen, the nonna will take off her slipper(sooshi mango style) and beat you senseless. and well the mob, let's just say, use your imagination, it won't be pretty. i am fairly sure they may consider that claim a heinous culinary crime.

i will clarify that i don't receive anything for this post, considering the number of followers i have, if i did it would most likely amount to a 30 cent discount, lol. first up let me say it is not exactly terrible and i was seduced by the insta ad spruiking the wonders of this miracle pasta alternative. being prone to diabetes and curious, i thought i would trial it and give you my verdict. but before you get excited and think this is the answer to your pasta dreams, go down to drakes and buy yourself a box before you invest your time and money, by purchasing online. a box of fettuccini set me back $6.55 which is considerably more than a generic brand or even a more recognised brand of pasta. i also thought being another gluten free alternative, some of my coeliac friends might consider it (but unlikely) after they finish reading my post, hee-hee.

however, there is definitely a nutritional difference between the two...so here is the comparison between 150 gram cooked portions

qetoe fettucini per 150gms contains 157 calories

18.6 gms of protein, 3.0 gms of fat, 9.3 gms of carbohydrates, 9.0 gms of fibre and 6mg of sodium

average nutritional analysis of cooked fettuccini per 150gms contains 196 calories

7.72 gms of protein, 1.58 gms of fat, 37.4 gms of carbohydrates and 9.0 gms of sodium, there was no fibre content listed

so there you have it viewers when you do the nutritional comparison, qetoe does appear superior. however, it is made from non GMO soybeans and that could be another nutritional debate but i am not here to argue about that, just deliver my verdict. and unbeknown to Lovie she is going to be my unsuspecting food guinea pig later on...

you can decide what you would like to serve with the qetoe fettuccini. i went for a tried and tested simple seafood marinara sauce, made with just one extra teaspoon of olive oil, to keep the fat and sugar content down.

i cooked the fettuccini according to the box instructions but for 4 mins instead of 5. i tasted it unflavored and it had a springy like texture, perhaps more of a nutty like flavour. it certainly was not terrible by any means ( and definitely better than those konjac noodles) but in my opinion if it ain't broke don't fix it. however, as an alternative for those who must adhere to a far more strict dietary regime and are happy to spend some extra dollars, then by all means try it and see what you think. this product did not affect my blood sugars at all. so a good reason to consider it.

my suggestion would be to cook half a box at a time, use the fettuccini as a noodle  or pasta substitute for two meals and save one meal for the next day. and for that unsuspecting Lovie? she tried it, said it was nice, definitely passable but you gotta remember she is a pensioner...HOW MUCH ??? 😂

the qetoe range comes in spaghetti, noodles and rice. they can be purchased on line at qetoefoods.com.au

so it is up to you peeps whether you feel it is worth an investment but if your blood sugar levels are normal and you are not a chubarella addicted to sugar then i would just stick to a normal serve of pasta and don't be a guts and go for seconds. i am not a fan of an incessant need to replace foods with their imposter alternatives. we live in a world where the diet/food industry makes billions of dollars making us believe there is magic. the magic is in the marketing designed to sell a ton of products to the consumer. out of curiosity and sometimes desperation i have tried many but for me it is not quite the same. give me some 70% dark chocolate anytime to the sugar free versions...

motherfodder teriyaki sauce

 

welcome to 2024 viewers. have you over indulged? helped yourself to 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th helpings? are you dare i say it in need of a health awakening? yes i am being kind, basically it is code for have you become a fat motherfodder? whether consciously or unconsciously? and  if you have women (predominantly) in your family circle who make master chef look like amateurs, well of course that is understandable. you know what? i don’t give a fud. you do you and i will do me, but 2024 involves no resolutions, just simple commitments and mine is to utilise my favourite drug of choice food against those aunties, mothers, grandmothers and whoever the fud else attacks you with a 5000-calorie bomb, designed to annihilate your resistance. rumour has it that the stara baba’s are the worst…and giving in to a friend’s suggestion i have gone for motherfodder instead of what i originally had in mind. besides fodder also means food and anyone who knows me, also knows that i am partial to infusing some colourful language into my vocabulary. apparently, it is a sign of high intelligence, so I’ll take it.

to begin the year i will be researching and investigating alternatives and actually also creating my own recipes for the blood sugar challenged, the gluten intolerant. but also, there will be no complete ban on sugar itself. those recipes will be more of hey i need a cake for a girl's catch up gossip session or something just too irresistible not to share. in fact, i have already found one for a lemon curd cake, mm…anything lemon or dark chocolate i am a complete food hostage but i shall save that for later…

so here we go viewers, first recipe off the rank is one that i found for a gluten free teriyaki sauce. i also made this sugar free using lakanto brown sugar replacement, it doesn’t affect one’s blood sugar and is derived from monk fruit. but if you prefer to use sugar then be my guest. and if you are not bothered by gluten free well consider yourself fortunate that you are not in the section of population that has to be seriously mindful. and if you have a visual intolerance, yes apparently that is a thing, then don’t bother, for fud’s sake just get over it or confine yourself to eating cardboard for the rest of your culinary life.

this recipe comes from onelovelylife.com under homemade teriyaki sauce. the taste is good but way too much corn flour as it congeals in the fridge. this can be offset by warming it up or loosening it with some hot water. next time I shall go for 1-2 tspns gluten free corn starch because i think that will work. it makes a good plus cupful and can be refrigerated for up to a week. my recommendation would be to use it to marinate chicken tenderloins which i did to make into chunk size chicken kebabs which is a fraction of the cost of those store-bought ones. an excellent protein snack that can be added to sandwiches, wraps, stir fry’s, salads, or just eaten on its own. i also used it to marinate my salmon chunks to test the viral salmon sushi cups that were all the culinary rage last year. yes, they look good, seaweed comes out crisp but not sure i am a fan of eating these warm. i suspect letting them cool will cause the seaweed to become soft. personally, i would use the sauce for the salmon again and the chicken and make regular sushi or alternatively salmon or chicken bowls.

3 of these salmon cups will set you back roughly and i say this as i am not going to be making any exact analysis. it's pretty simple, you eat too much and your guchas(undies) will know about it and constrict your blood flow. not good for blokes i suspect, hee-hee but some wives might consider that a bonus if one is to be believe the married sex myth. i will do my best where i can but roughly 30 gms of protein, 26gms of fat, 5gms of carbs and 375 calories. not bad for a lunch. i would just make a salmon rice bowl and add some veggies to it for added fibre and that will still make a relatively low carb and gluten free tasty option.

recipe (homemade teriyaki sauce based upon onelovelylife.com)

·         1/3 cup low-sodium gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)

·         2/3 cup water

·         3 Tablespoons Lakanto brown sugar replacement (available from Coles) or brown sugar if you are not going SF

·         1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

·         1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

·         1 clove garlic

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

·         2 tspns gluten free corn starch (or arrowroot, for paleo) + 1  Tablespoon water to make into a paste

·         Optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

 

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

1.   In a small saucepan, combine tamari, water, sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, 1/2 tsp. pepper and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.

2.   In a small bowl, whisk together corn starch and. water. Pour this slurry into the pan with the teriyaki sauce ingredients.

3.   Stir, cooking over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir 1-2 minutes, or until stir-fry sauce has thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, if using.

4.   Remove sauce from heat and enjoy! Pour over stir-fried veggies, brush onto chicken or salmon, or stir into rice.

5.   Storage Note: Sauce will thicken significantly in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it up before using any leftovers. Teriyaki sauce will keep 1 week in the fridge.

Use as desired, as a stir-fry add to your ingredients towards the end to coat all veggie’s and proteins, as a marinade, let marinate for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

sushi salmon cups, just follow the photo and bake at 200 degrees celsius for 15 mins ( cut sushi sheets into 4, add rice and press into a regular muffin tin)

Vietnamese coffee no churn ice-cream...

this recipe should be banned!!! the ease with which it can be made and the result is nothing short of a fabulous taste sensation. i stumbled across this recipe while co-baking with lovie. to be honest i was completely skeptical. would it really turn out or would it just be a disappointing lump of icicles resembling a mini coffee iceberg?

i for one love coffee, make that strong coffee. the best coffee ice-cream i have ever experienced was in san francisco. yes i know, ice-cream experience dropping but that was some time ago. and it was so damn good along with my second scoop of black sesame that i considered going back for seconds and risk missing my plane. maybe one day i will return, but in the mean time i will settle for the el cheapo option and make it myself. and that is exactly what lovie and i did while also contemplating how we might make an ice-cream cake but i shall leave that for a future post. 4 simple ingredients viewers and about minus 20 mins prep and you are done.

so if curiosity gets the better of you as it did lovie and myself just go ahead and make it for yourself and enjoy this delectable creamy concoction i used expresso coffee granules as i prefer a stronger coffee taste and used 4 generous tablespoons. seriously you will have no ice-cream regrets just regrets of eating the whole lot and sending your cholesterol levels into the stratosphere!!!

ps this recipe came from sbs food, cook up with adam liew

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp instant dark espresso, to taste
• ¼ cup (60 ml) boiling water
• 1 can (395 g) condensed milk
• ¼ cup (60 ml) Irish cream liqueur
• 600 ml thickened cream, whipped

Freezing time: 5 hours minimum 

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the instant coffee powder with the boiling water and whisk well to combine, until the powder is completely dissolved.

2. Stir through the condensed milk, Irish cream liqueur, then place in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the chilled mixture from the freezer, then gently fold through the whipped cream in three batches into the coffee mixture.

4. Transfer to a freezer-friendly container with a lid, then freeze for 5 hours. Serve.

African chicken curry from recipe tin...kuku-paka

 

hey viewers, i really enjoy cooking and baking which may seem rather obvious. i also enjoy testing out recipes that i come across and follow various food bloggers, some of my faves are nagi from recipe tin and marion’s kitchen. jamie oliver’s recipes are great and of course there is always google. can certainly understand the need to save pennies as prices have gone up, interest rates have gone up. don’t know how anyone with a substantial mortgage is coping with the shock of the rates rises. i am certainly feeling the pinch and have gone back to an old-fashioned budgeting system where cash is king. once it’s gone, it’s gone. it certainly makes you think twice. and no I didn’t need those tim tams but they were half price and besides i took them into school for my work buddies. and guess what? this year you are getting home made culinary gifts, don’t worry you won’t be disappointed, we sekulic ladies are renowned for our goodies.

so back to budget cuts. chicken drumsticks/legs are definitely a budget friendly option. you can buy them in various packs. i usually go for the pack closest to a dozen which works perfectly for the following recipe. being an absolute tweaker, i learnt this essential skill from lovie, i usually add my touches here and there. for this recipe just follow it for about 11-12 chicken drumsticks. the first time I made it i also added in peas and potatoes but this time i omitted those ingredients and it will just be served with rice and maybe a side salad. spicy factor…in my books mild.

PS i also cook this a lot longer, very slowly until the chicken is almost falling off the bone.

https://www.recipetineats.com/african-chicken-curry-kuku-paka/