Crispy Skin Salmon w/ Spinach and Ricotta Arancini

Crispy Skin Salmon w/ Spinach and Ricotta Arancini

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets skin on

Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon myrtle EV olive oil
salt and pepper
350g Ricotta Cheese
2 free range egg yollks
approx 500g english or baby spinach leaves
150g Pecorino Pepato
plain flour for dusting
homemade basil  pesto
1.5 cups wholegrain breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Method:

Blanche the spinach in boiling water for 4 minutes then in cold water.

Squeeze out excess water and chop finely.

Lightly mix ricotta, egg yolks, and 3 tbsp of grated pecorino pepato. Season and add spinach and mix.

Roll into little pyramids using heaped tablespoons in a bowl filled with breadcrumbs.

Place in fridge for 10 minutes while you cook the Salmon.

Preheat the oven to 180 celcius. Season the salmon on both sides and rub the lemon zest in with the oil. Set aside. Heat a heavy based frypan for the Salmon.

Place the arancini in the oven on a tray sprayed with olive oil.

Place the salmon skin side down onto the hot frypan and cook until the sides appear to be whitening and small bits of white (cooked fat) seep out and harden along the edges of the Salmon. We want it cooked so that the centre is still rare but warm. Allow the skin to crisp up - about 5 minutes - this depends on your stove heat. Turn over and cook for approx 4 minutes on other side. Place in oven with Arancini for 10 minutes.
Arrange Arancini on plates with Salmon and dot of homeade basil pesto.

I served this with some sweet potato, french eschallots, carrots (which I put in the oven at the same time) and steamed green beans.

Chocolate Rum Balls

Chocolate Rum Balls

Ingredients:
1 packet shredded wheatmeal biscuits
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp cocoa
2 shots smooth Bundaberg Red Rum
1 cup dessicated or shredded coconut
cocoa to dust

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls.
Coat with cocoa and place in mini muffin cups in fridge to set.
Serve with tea and coffee after dinner.

Big Cheese Souffle'

Breakfast before the girls head back to Sydney.

The recipe I used is here:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11125/basic+cheese+souffle

Christmas in July

Geoffs Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.

Trent and Geoff preparing the ham

Jen preparing her slow cooked self saucing pudding

Trent carving

Clockwise from front head of table: Miranda, April, Peter, Debbie, Marita,

Jen, Jess, Geoff, Trent, Peter, Dan, Reuben, and Rachel (photographer).

Jens Double Chocolate Dessert

Miranda made a delicious chocolate pavlova with cream and berries, yet I was too busy getting myself a piece that I forgot to get a photo, then it was all getting eaten! This photo is one I found that mose closely resembles Mirandas. Ill be trying to make one of these soon.

Jess handing out presents

 Many funny DVDs



Thanks Geoff and Jess for a great night.

Dubbo Markets - Winter

Down by the Macquarie River among big old River Red Gums

Newtown Providores Coffee Van

Dave makes wonderful Jam, including native Australian Quandong Jam

Cheese from Mudgee Leaning Oak - they make excellent light goats fetta that is marinated in pesto and olive oil. They also make goats brie and washed rind blue from a mix of cows and goats milk.

I tasted and bought both...yum

Manuka met his new friend Milo, Tim and Suzies Black Lab puppy the same age.

 Potatoes and Oranges from local farmers are, as usual, way better than woolies.

This man backs his ute in each winter and sells his oranges for $2 a 2kg bag and they sell out fast! 



Roast Chicken with Mushroom and Pine Nut Stuffing

For the recipe look up Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals

The stuffing is placed between the skin and the chicken breasts so that the skin crisps up.

The leftover stuffing is made into these crunchy dumpling like balls which go so well with the chicken - a nice change from the usual soggy stuffing.

I served this with roast beetroot, parsnip, carrot and potatoes.

Spiced Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone

Spiced Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone

Mum cooked this for Dad and I and it was wonderful and not too sweet. The pears were like marinated meat - the flavours and spices absorbed into the flesh during the hour of cooking.

Ingredients:
500ml (2 cups) dry red wine

70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
2 whole star anise
2 x 7cm cinnamon sticks
1 tsp vanilla bean extract
4 just-ripe packham pears, peeled
1 x 250g ctn mascarpone
2 tbs icing sugar mixture
1 tsp vanilla bean extract

Method:
Combine the wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add the pears and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, turning occasionally, for 1 hour or until pears are tender. Remove pears and set aside.

Increase heat to high and bring the syrup to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Pour over the pears.

Place the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

Transfer the pears to a serving dish and drizzle with syrup. Serve with mascarpone.