Christmas Eggnog

Christmas Eggnog

Makes about 4 cups (Damien usually doubles it)

3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup thickened cream, whipped
Ground nutmeg to serve

Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft
peaks form. Add yolks and sugar, beat until sugar is dissolved.

Fold in milk, rum and essenece. Cover; refrigerate for about 2 hours,
or until cold.

Just before serving, fold in cream. Divide between glasses; sprinkle
with ground nutmeg.


Enjoy,
Cate

Macadamia Crusted Chicken Tenderloins

Chicken Tenderloins (for your family size)
1 cup each of fresh breadcrumbs and finely chopped macadamias
(less or more depending on number of tenderloins)
1-2 eggs, beaten
Seasoned flour

Coat tenderloins in flour, dredge through eggs, and coat with breadcrumb and macadamia mix.

Deep or shallow fry until golden brown.

Can be served as part of a warm salad, or as a dipper with mango chilli salsa – will send recipe for that another time. I’ve also served it with a fried rice – it seems to be fairly versatile.

Enjoy.

Cate

Chicken & Mushroom Crepes

The quantities in this will vary according to how many you are cooking for. I used premade gluten free crepes available by Marcel.

I made it for three and this is what I used:

1 Tbspn olive oil

1 heaped tspn freshly chopped garlic

1 large chicken thigh – diced (1cm cubed or smaller)

8 moderately large button mushrooms

1 Tbspn slivered almonds

Stripped leaves of 2 sticks of thyme

Cracked pepper to taste

1 cup of roux based white sauce with freshly ground nutmeg

3 GF crepes

Heat oil in heavy based frying pan, add garlic before the pan gets too hot. As the garlic starts to sizzle, add chicken and lightly brown. Add roughly chopped mushrooms and cracked (or freshly ground) pepper and continue to stir. Add Thyme leaves, almonds and ¾ of the white sauce and stir through. Turn off heat.

Warm up crepes, put 1/3 of the mix in each crepe and roll up. Put white sauce back onto low heat, add extra milk to thin it and then pour over the crepes. Serve with fresh crisply cooked vegetables.

Bon Appetit!!

Cate

Baked Moroccan Chicken

I thought I’d share it, cos it is so yummy. I really like to use the “Moroccan Chermoulah” made by Zest rubs on the chicken. Makes it really yummy.

Baked Moroccan Chicken

* serves: 4
* yield: 4 servings
* ready in: 55 mins (20 mins Prep - 35 mins Cook)

Chicken & couscous ingredients

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* I teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* Salt
* 4 skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves (250g each)
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 cup couscous
* 11/2 cups boiling chicken stock
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or parsley
* 1/4 cup chopped dates or raisins
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Chicken & couscous preparation method

1. Combine the cumin, ground coriander, ginger, cinnamon, pepper and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture onto the chicken.

2. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over moderate heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the couscous and boiling stock; stir, cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir in the chopped coriander and dates with a fork.

4. Make 4 mounds of the couscous mixture in a 23 x 33 cm baking dish and place a chicken breast half on each mound. Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice, cover with foil, then bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve each person a mound of couscous topped with a sliced chicken breast half. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Cate Maguire

Mini Roasted vegetable frittatas - Cate

Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 40 mins (makes 48)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 French shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 slender eggplants, sliced lengthways into 5mm slices
2 zucchinis, sliced lengthways into 5mm slices
2 red capsicums, seeded and cut into 2-3 flat pieces
2 T finely chopped fresh mint
½ cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
8 eggs
½ cup cream
Pinch ground nutmeg
¼ cup grated parmesan
Fresh parsley, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to mod-hot 200C. Lightly grease 48 non-stick mini muffin holes. Heat the oil, shallots and garlic together in a small saucepan over low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until just soft. Remove from the heat.
2. Place the eggplant and zucchini slices in a single layer on a baking tray and brush both sides with hot oil. Roast the vegetables for about 10 mins, then turn and cook for further 10 mins until golden.
3. Meanwhile, place the capsicum strips, skin side up, under a hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool in a plastic bag, then peel away the skin. Cut into 2cm x 1cm stirps, then transfer to a bowl.
4. Remove vegetables from the oven. Reduce the temperature to 180C. Slice the veges into 2cm x 1cm strips and add to the bowl. Add the herbs, season and mix well.
5. Beat the eggs, cream, nutmeg and parmesan together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill each muffin hole a third full with assorted pieces of vege mixture.
Carefully pour the egg mixture in just short of the top. Distribute the remaining vegetables among the holes, pressing the pieces into the egg. Use the remaining egg mixture to top up the levels to equal heights. Place a small piece of parsley leaf on top of each.. transfer to oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golen and set. The frittatas will rise a lot while cooking, but will sink once out of the oven. Cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Plan ahead: these frittatas can be made 2 days early and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temp before serving.

Caramelised Red onion and feta tartlets - Cate

Prep time: 20 mins, Cook time: 45 mins (makes 24)

1½ T olive oil

2 lge red onions, finely chopped

2 t chopped fresh thyme

3 sheets ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (I made a really yummy gluten free pastry for this)

70g feta, crumbled

2 eggs lightly beaten

½ cup cream



1. Preheat oven to 180C. Heat the oil in a frying pan (do not use non-stick or onion won’t caramelise). Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, or until dark gold. Add the thyme, stir well and transfer to a bowl to cool.

2. Grease 24 shallow patty tin holes. Using an 8cm cutter, cut out 24 pastry rounds and line the tins with the rounds.

3. Divide the onion among the patty cases, then spoon the feta over the onion. Combine the eggs with the cream, season and pour into the pastry cases. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

It says these can be made a day ahead, but I’m planning to freeze them for a party I’m having in a month or so, when defrosted, reheat in a slow oven for 10 minutes before serving. These are really yummy!!! The kids loved them.

A variation for creamy herb tartlets. Make pastry cases as above. Mix together 2 beaten eggs, 2 T milk, ½ cup cream, 2 t chopped fresh chives and 1 t each of chopped fresh dill, thyme and parsley. Pour into pastry cases and sprinkle with grated Parmesan, using only about 2 T all up. Cook as above.