Recipe of the Week: Granola

Why Granola?

Traditionally granola is a baked breakfast cereal, containing rolled oats, nuts and honey eaten with milk, yoghurt or fruit. However to all who have tried my granola, I am sure they will all agree that it is so much more!

Growing up, we were never a cereal eating family. As a result I have always been a little too eager to try new cereals from time to time, and being a little food and cooking obsessed decided one day to cook my own. While still not making me a cereal person, this granola, after a few alterations has become my new favourite snack.

Granola is simple to make. I think one of the reasons that I love it so much is that it allows me to play with different flavour combinations, creating the perfect snack food for whatever mood.

The recipe below is one of my favourites (as well as everyone’s’ at the restaurant) that has just come about from mixing and matching different flavours together. Feel free to add different ingredients by substituting your favourite things from nuts to fruit to even chocolate. However add the chocolate after it has cooked!

Although I can confess to loving granola I don’t think I will ever be a cereal-eating girl.

Ingredients

500g rolled oats
100g sunflower seeds
100g raw peptias
120g white sesame seeds
100g whole almonds shelled
100g walnuts
100ml apple juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
120g golden syrup
3 tablespoons honey
100 g brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 apples peeled and sliced into thin wedges

Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Mix everything except the 2 apples together in a large bowl. Spread the mixture out into 2 baking or roasting tins and bake. After 20 minutes mix the granola around with a spoon, trying to break up a few clusters here or there.
Add the apple wedges and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Mix the granola again with a spoon. The idea is to get an evenly golden colour without it toasting too much in one area. Usually at this point I turn the oven down to 90-100 degrees Celsius and leave the granola for 30 minutes or until it is completely dry. It should feel dry like muesli.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
If you want to add dry fruits or chocolate add them after the mixture is completely cold.

Serve with milk, yoghurt or fresh fruit.
Or simply eat by the handful.
Makes roughly 2.5 litres.

Bon Appetite

Recipe of the week: Grilled Lamb Cutlets with pearl Couscous

Why Lamb and Couscous?
Generally I am not a fan of couscous, having horrible memories of eating it on school camping trips and remembering that it tasted like nothing, except maybe the earth and leaves that had fallen into it while cooking. To this day it remains a food that I am more than happy to pass on. However a while ago a friend convinced me to try a larger form of couscous - known as pearl or Israeli- and to my surprise I absolutely loved it.

I think the larger the size of the couscous helped make it more appealing as it resembles pasta. The other thing that I love about pearl couscous is that it is ever so simple to cook, and the things that you can mix with your couscous are only limited by your imagination.

For me couscous is an ingredient to help carry other flavours. Generally couscous will be served at my house when I feel like having a hearty meal full of taste, but the only ingredients I have laying around somehow seem all a bit odd on there own. Couscous just helps to bring everything together.

I am not a 100% sure if the recipe below is in fact a recipe as every time I cook it I use different ingredients. I think it is more or less a guide to letting your imagination run free and sharing my love of pearl couscous.


Ingredients

8 Lamb Cutlets
1 packet of Pearl couscous (the grains will look 2 mm big but will double or triple in size when cooked)
2 corncobs, kernels cut off
200g peas
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2 inch batons
2 carrots grated
1 bunch parsley roughly chopped
1 Jar Spiced Eggplant relish, or dip (I use a Christine Manfield one)
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil
Plain yoghurt to serve
Salt and Pepper

Method
Place the lamb cutlets in a shallow bowl and allow to marinate in the pomegranate molasses.

In the mean time cook your couscous according to the instructions on the pack. Generally you need to cook it for 8 minutes of so. In the last 2 minutes of cooking add the peas and corn. Drain and add the carrot, eggplant relish and olive oil. Toss until all the pearls are coated. (If you cant find spiced eggplant relish, use a Moroccan dip such as harissa or capsicum relish.) Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Cook the asparagus1 minute per side and toss with the couscous. Continue by brushing the griddle with oil (don’t worry if it gets very smoky once the lamb goes on the smoke will stop) and cook the lamb cutlets 1-2 minutes per side.

To serve place the couscous on a plate, lay the lamb cutlets on top and sprinkle with parsley and a spoonful of yoghurt.

Serves 4
Bon appetite

Recipe of the week: Pasta with 3 Cheeses, Peas and Ham

Why Pasta with Cheese, Peas and Ham?

This is a classic pasta recipe that would have been seen on every menu in Italian restaurants 10-15 years ago. Of course the cheeses would have changed from restaurant to restaurant such as Gorgonzola, Pecorino, and even Camemberts.

I love this classic, and slightly retro pasta dish… I think it is so good that it is time for a come back!

Of course feel free to use any cheeses of your choice


Ingredients
500 grams pasta of your choice (Personally I prefer penne, or orecchiette)
50g Fontina cheese, grated
50g cheddar cheese, grated
100g Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup cream
225 grams good quality ham chopped
Salt and pepper

Method:
Place cream in a saucepan and add the fontina and cheddar and allow to heat slowly.
In the meantime cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add the peas and ham to the cheesy sauce and pour over the pasta. Toss the pasta until coated and glossy. Season with salt and plenty of pepper.

To serve sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan cheese

Serves 4-6

Bon Appetite