Mr SSG got sent on his way to work with a serve of last night’s cauliflower and prosciutto pasta. Donna Hay seems to have the touch when it comes to making over vegetables and her recipe for this pasta dish (from the current June/July 2012 issue of her magazine) is one of my favourites. The pasta tasted like cauliflower cheese for adults or if you’re a bit strange like me, a kind of winter’s Caesar Salad.
It didn’t take long at all to get the prosciutto to crisp in the fry pan and it was very easy to crumble by hand. The frying sharpened the taste and it does look more glamourously waif like than crumbled bacon.
And then the early afternoon winter sun beckoned. It’s such a magical time of the day. For me, it’s one of the best things, weather wise, about winter. It’s not too cold and you can feel the gentle sun on your face. The sun also bathes everything in a golden haze.
Because it’s the school holidays here, the foreshore was more busy and full of life than usual. Tiny bodies rolled down the embankments at speed whilst others carefully fed the ducks and made sure that each little group got their fair share of the crumbs. Barking and racing between the groups were some of the neighbourhood’s canine residents. Even as a passive observer, it’s hard not to pick up some of their energy and vigour.
Before I go, I’ve had a request for the recipe for the braised chicken from the weekend. I’ve copied it from the newspaper clipping I have from last week.
Enjoy!
Chinese Braised Chicken
Recipe by Caroline Velik
From the SMH’s Good Living supplement, June 28 2012.
Ingredients:
– 2 T plain flour
– 1 tsp five spice
– 1 size 16 jointed chicken (I used around a kilo of drumsticks)
– 60ml vegetable oil
– 1 onion finely chopped
– 4 garlic cloves, sliced
– knob of ginger, peeled and grated
– 1/2 bunch green onions, finely sliced plus extra to garnish
– 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
– 2 T brown sugar
– 3 T Chinese rice wine
– 3 T dark soy
– 500 ml chicken stock
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 2 T hoisin sauce
Method:
- Mix flour and five spice and use to coat the chicken pieces.
- Heat oil in a heavy based pot and brown chicken in batches, set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, green onion, chilli and cook for a few minutes.
- Add chicken and remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat, cover pot with lid and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is tender.
- Garnish with extra green onions and serve with steamed rice and greens if desired.