Baked Ricotta with Pita Toasts

This easy fabulous dish is always a winner. We had a big family birthday dinner here last night for 12 and I served this with drinks beforehand. I made some pita toasts and grilled some eggplant and zucchini and threw some sun dried tomatoes on the plate as well. Very tasty but light enough not to spoil the main meal. The ricotta can be made a day ahead and keeps for a couple of days, well covered of course!
The pita toasts always get people talking! What are these ? How do you make them?  I will let you in on the secret, for those who don't already know! I have been making them forever and prefer them to most biscuits on a cheese or anti pasta platter. They are also great with soups and dips, or just by themselves. Years ago some food companies were making them and selling them in very appealing packaging...... but I have to say, not quite the same! They are so inexpensive as well, just be sure you are spending time in the kitchen when you set about baking them. The slightest distraction and you can   end up throwing trays of burnt toasts in the garbage ! These can also be made well ahead, as long as everyone doesn't eat them beforehand!!


Baked Ricotta


750 grams Ricotta cheese
3 egg yolks
150 grams grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cups freshly mixed chopped herbs like basil, parsley and chives are always good and easily found
You may also use fresh oregano, lemon thyme, or sage
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Rylstone olive oil to drizzle over the top


Place the ricotta in a bowl and mix in the egg yolks and parmesan, until combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste
Line an 8" round cake tin with glad bake , bottom and sides.
Place half the ricotta mixture in the cake tin and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Scatter the mixed herbs over the top and then layer the remaining ricotta over the herbs smoothing the surface. Sprinkle with the ground cumin and drizzle with the olive oil.
Boil some water.
Place the cake tin in a baking tray and fill with the boiled water to half way up the sides of the tin.
Bake in a 160C oven for 50 minutes.


Pita Toasts

1 packet large Lebanese pita bread with pockets
butter for spreading
salt
the topping is entirely up to you experiment
examples
dried tarragon or oregano, thyme
Herbies, Masterfood , McCormick's all do an amazing array of blended spices, like Family Friendly, All Purpose Seasoning, Moroccan, Lemon Pepper. I also use a Merquen seasoning which my good friend Louise brings me from Santiago. Slightly spicy it is on most tables in South America as a condiment as we would have salt and pepper! Basically there are no rules, experiment and see what you like. It must not be too much, to overpower the accompaniments you are serving it with.


Preheat oven to 175C.
Tear the pita pockets at the join so each pocket is now two pieces. Butter the pieces and sprinkle with your preferred seasoning, if you are using dried herbs spread them into the pita with the butter as they will fall off once baked. Sprinkle with salt and cut into small wedges, as you would a cake. I layer them, cut in half, then quarters, then eights. Don't worry if they are uneven in size or slightly ripped and torn. This all adds to their charm.
Place as many as can fit on oven trays and place multiple trays in the oven if you have a fan forced and cook for 6 minutes. Do not leave the kitchen and put a timer on! Store in well sealed plastic containers until ready to serve.

Chicken and Leek Pie and Happy Mothers Day

I have just read an article in the paper by Richard Glover, about mothers and all the things we say to our children and I did have a chuckle. I am sure I've said everything he wrote including, ' Eat your greens they will make you big and strong " which really means, if you don't eat your greens you will eat biscuits and go totally hyper at about 8.25pm when I want to watch my show on TV. It did make me ponder the silly things I've said to my children over the years, in relation to food. ( and lots of other subjects )
At 25, 23 and 19 years old, my children like to remind me of these sayings and just quietly,I still say them !
"DON'T open those biscuits you will eat them ! ( looking at me askance, well isn't that why you bought them ? )  DON'T finish all the meat, your brother will want some when he gets home..... (well he isn't here now so too bad ! ) DON'T open that dip I am saving it in case the girls come over for a drink ( No one comes and the dip has to be thrown out 1 month later ) DON'T eat leftover pizza for breakfast it's not good for you ( why was it good for me last night, when you were going out and didn't want to cook ?) there are so many  more and we do have a laugh, I am sure you all have a lot more funny sayings ( would love to hear them ?? )

For all those gorgeous children,who may want to cook for their Mum for a change, this is an easy dish to prepare and she will be so impressed ! Happy Mothers Day to all X


6 chicken thigh fillets
1 large leek
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 bacon rashers
Butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4  - 1/2 cup cream
Fresh thyme, salt and pepper
Ready made puff pastry or homemade
Sesame seeds for decoration if desired
1 beaten egg for the wash

Preheat oven to 180 C
Wash  and chop the leek finely. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
Chop the bacon coarsely.
In a fry pan, saute the bacon first, for a minute or two, stirring constantly, add the leeks and garlic and continue stirring for another minute. remove from the pan and set aside . Add the chicken pieces and cook until white and just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside with the bacon and leeks, same dish is fine.
Add some butter, approx a tablespoon, allow to melt and stir in the flour and mix to a paste, add the stock and blend. Return chicken, bacon, leeks and garlic mix to the pan , add the cream and seasonings and simmer gently for a minute or two. You may add more stock at this point, if you feel the mixture is too dry, or alternatively, cook it for a little longer if you feel it is too wet. This will probably be different each time you cook it depending on the size of the thighs. Allow the mixture to cool completely before assembling the pie.
Arrange the defrosted pastry on the bottom of a greased pie dish or any oven proof dish and fill it with the chicken mixture. Top the mixture with a second sheet, making sure you seal the edges. Brush the top of the pie with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds,if using. Cook for 30-40 minutes until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with mash and vegetables or a salad !

Easy Entertaining Boned Marinated Grilled Lamb

The weather is glorious at the moment and getting a little cooler. Perfect for some outdoor entertaining over the Easter break. Try this very easy and adaptable lamb recipe for the barbeque, or if the weather turns nasty it can be done in the oven. It can be prepared the day or night before and is very yummy and sure to be a family favourite.
We like it with a couscous salad and when the crowd is a little bigger some crunchy wedges are also a hit and make the meal go a little further. If you are feeling lazy, buy frozen wedges, but real wedges aren't that hard to do in the oven. Par boil the wedges before popping them in the oven to roast, to finish sprinkle with some Maldon Sea Salt mmmm.

Tunnel Boned Leg of Lamb, Marinated & Grilled

A trim lamb tunnel boned leg, opened out flat. Serves 6-8

Lamb cutlets, or back strap may be used if having less than this or alternatively more people.

Devilish Marinade:

Worcestershire sauce

Hot English mustard

Tomato sauce or chilli sauce

3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Ketjap Manis sweet soy sauce

Light olive oil

Make about a cup of the devilish marinade, balanced to your taste. I use approx 30-50 ml of each of the liquids with 3-4 teaspoons of hot English mustard. Place the meat in a double layer plastic bag or a ceramic covered dish and set aside (preferably overnight).

Save a generous amount for pouring over at serving time.  Preheat the BBQ grill and brush with oil. You may thread skewers through the lamb to hold its shape. Grill with the skin side down first, brushing with the marinade. Lower the heat and cook until the first side is browned, painting the surface at least 2 - 3 times. Turn over and cook the other side. This should take approx 45mins. At this stage the thinner parts of the lamb will be well cooked but the thicker parts should still be pink in the middle generating the most taste.

This lamb can also be cooked in the oven after first searing both sides on the grill. Be careful with the heat as it can get quite blackened on the outside from the marinade.

To serve cut longish thick slices across the grain. Drizzle with heated marinade set aside earlier. Serve with a couscous salad.

Cous Cous Salad: (This can be made hours before serving)

Small onion

Coriander

Toasted Almonds (approx. 100g)

Raisins 75g
Lemon or Preserved lemon

I love the new Gourmet Pearl Couscous (but you can use regular couscous, if using regular couscous simply put into a bowl pour over the hot stock and leave, fluff with a fork when stock is absorbed).Chicken Stock (see below)

Olive Oil

Chop 1 onion and sauté in olive oil approx 2 tablespoons, add couscous to pan. Cover in chicken stock, if using 1 ½ cups of couscous use 2 ½ of boiling stock and simmer on gentle heat for 8-10 mins stirring every few minutes until cooked. Add raisins in the last minutes of cooking. The stock shoudl totally absorbed, when cooked.

Add toasted almonds, finely sliced lemon rind or preserved lemon rind and chopped coriander. Serve warm or at room temperature (dress accordingly).