TASTY EUROPEAN DISHES

                

 

 

                                                 GREEK LEMON CHICKEN

8 small (250 g each) chicken thigh fillets

300 g (10 oz) potatoes, peeled cut into 2.5 cm (0.8 in) pieces 

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, cut into strips

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock

2 medium lemons

250 g ( ½ lb) cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped basil

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Place chicken in a large baking tin and arrange potatoes, onion, capsicum and garlic around the chicken.  Pour over the stock. Finely grate 1 lemon and squeeze out the juice, cut remaining lemon into wedges.  Add lemon juice and lemon wedges to the tin and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Roast for 15 minutes until chicken begins to brown, reduce temperature, and roast for 25 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives and roast for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tomatoes are starting to collapse.

 

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and basil and reserved grated lemon rind and enjoy.

 

 

                                   ITALIAN MEATBALLS AND PASTA SOUP

375 gr lean Italian sausages

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium red capsicum, chopped

1 cube chicken stock

500 g ( ½ lb) tin, chopped tomatoes

1 sprig of basil, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup small pasta

300 g (10 oz) broccoli, cut into florets

Finely grated Parmesan cheese

 

Squeeze meat from the sausages and roll heaped teaspoons meat into balls.

 

Sauté the onion and capsicum in olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add the chicken cube, tomato, and 5 cups of cold water.  Bring to the boil and add the meatballs and pasta.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add the broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes until the pasta is tender and the meatballs cooked through.

 

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

 

  

                                         PORTUGUESE CHICKEN WRAPS

2 (400 g) chicken fillets

Salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon to taste

2 tsp lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

Tortillas

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish lined with parchment, combine lemon juice, seasonings, and 1 tbsp olive oil, pour over the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and ice for 20 minutes.

 

Sauté the chicken in olive oil, 2 minutes on each side, until golden.  Transfer chicken to the prepared dish and bake until thoroughly cooked.

 

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce, and chopped coriander leaves and place in a bowl.  Add shredded lettuce, coriander, and thinly sliced cucumber.

 

Wrap the chicken and vegetable filling with the tortillas and serve with shredded lettuce, coriander, cucumber and mayonnaise.       

 

        

 

                                        FRENCH BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

 

6 rashers bacon cut into lardons

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ kg (3 lb) beef of brisket, fat discarded, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 large carrot, scraped and thickly sliced

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp plain flour

12 small pearl onions, peeled

3 cups red wine, Merlot or Pinot Noir

2-3 cups beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 beef bouillon cube, crushed

1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

500 g (1 lb) white or brown mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 tbsp butter

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Sauté the bacon in ½ the olive oil for about 3  minutes until brown and crisp and transfer to a large dish, with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

 

Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and sear in batches until browned on all sides and place next to the bacon.  Sauté the carrots and the diced onion in the remaining oil for 3 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Discard the excess fat (only 1 tbsp in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pan and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.

 

Add the pearl onions and pour in the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.  Then add the tomato paste, bouillon, and herbs and bring to a gentle simmer on the stove. Cover and transfer to the lower part of the oven and simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat is thoroughly tender.

 

In the last 5 minutes of the cooking period, heat the butter, and when the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Then add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to coat with butter. Season to taste and set aside.

 

Place a colander over a large pot.  Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander, you want to collect the sauce only, discard the herbs.  Return the beef mixture back into the saucepan and add the mushrooms over the meat

Remove any fat from the sauce and simmer for a minute or two. You should be left with 2 ½ cups of sauce, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly.  If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If it is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes to reduce it to the desired consistency.   

 

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles and sprinkle with chopped parsley.     

                                                GERMAN APFELKUCHEN

 4 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced

½ cup butter at room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

3 eggs

1 ½ cups self-rising flour

2 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

Icing sugar

Sweetened whipped cream

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease the bottom and the sides of a 30 cm (12 in) round spring-form tin with a little butter.

 

Beat remaining butter until creamy, add the sugar, and whip until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

 

Add the eggs, one at a time, and whip for 30 seconds after each addition.  Add the vanilla and lemon juice and whip until combined.

 

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the flour, then 1 tbsp of milk then the remaining flour, and the remaining milk.  Do not overmix! 

 

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.  Arrange the apple slices over with the sliced sides on top.

 

Bake in the lower third of the oven, until light brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

 

Cool on a rack and remove the spring-form ring. Allow the cake to cool at the bottom of the spring-form pan to room temperature.

 

Serve sprinkled with icing sugar and sweetened whipped cream.           

 

 PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO BE INOCULATED AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS SO THAT YOU AND YOUR BELOVED FAMILIES REMAIN SAFE