Delicious Pork Chop - Pinching Ideas from Jamie

A couple of Posts ago, was one in my series, 'Taking on Jamie'  the Golden Chicken with Braised Greens and Potato Gratin. Whoops that's a bit arrogant, calling it My Series but
I am working my way though his 15 minute Meal Idea.
Haven't been that successful with completing the meals in 15 minutes... but there has been some very yummy meals out of this exercise

I decided to adapt the technique of cooking  the chicken breast, a la Golden Chicken, to a pork chop.
It worked very well

All it takes is a Good Pork Chop, per person
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
10-12 sage leaves chopped
Olive oil

Lemon juice

Accompany this with Oven Fried Chips
and a favourite, Peas

Of course you could cook the Braised greens and Potato Gratin. 
Check that out.

Pre-heat oven to 180C

First score some notches in the skin side of the pork chop with a sharp knife
This helps the fat to cook in the fairly short time it takes to cook the chop
Don't salt the meat until just about to cook as it will extract juice from the meat.
The aim of this dish is to keep that Pork Chop really juicy and delicious

Lay a piece of baking paper on the bench
Drizzle over some olive oil
Grind some pepper and sprinkle with sage leaves 
Place the chop on top and turn over so the whole chop is smothered with the tasty oil

Cover with the other side of the paper and let sit for about an hour or so just to let the flavours meld

Heat an oven proof pan to medium to hot
Season the chop with sea salt
Add to pan
Cook about 2 -3 minutes to get a nice colour

Turn and place in oven for about 4 minutes

Remove and set aside to rest for about 5 minutes

The chop should be just cooked and beautiful and juicy
Add juice of a lemon to the pan to make a little gravy
Pour over the cooked chop

Serve with whatever you like
Mashed potatoes and peas would be good but the chips and peas went down very well in our house

Decadent Date and Ginger Chocolate Slice - Divine

I remember when as a kid we made homemade chocolate, which consisted of melting Kremalta
(vegetable shortening) with cocoa and sugar
Mix with Rice Bubbles and you got Chocolate Crackles

Children's Dream

My friend Elsje gave me this recipe... I'm not sure where it came from, but I just had to share it

So here is a grown up version. Absolutely Decadent,
Flavoured with soft date and ginger
Crunchy with the cornflakes
Instead of Cocoa and sugar you use the best Drinking Chocolate
That makes the most delightful Chocolate Topping
You must make this.


The Base
155 gm pitted dates sliced
125 gm unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
60 gm preserved ginger chopped
3 cups cornflakes


Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper

Add to a saucepan
Dates, butter, sugar and chopped ginger  in saucepan ,
Stir over low heat until dates soft
Add cornflakes
Press into prepared tin

Chocolate Topping
240 gm Kremelta
2 cups Best Drinking Chocolate Powder

Melt Kremelta over low heat 
Add Drinking Chocolate
Turn into bowl

Place in Fridge until it reaches soft spreading consistency .
Spread
Set

Tidy up the edges.
Cooks treat!
Cut into squares
Eat

I made this for an afternnon tea that I was invited to
out int he country

What a spread, Just a close up of my contribution

One piece should be enough as it is so rich
But I have forced down 2 pieces and I wasn't sick!!!
Just Divine

Taking On Jamie - #5 - Golden Chicken with Braised Greens and Potato Gratin

 I liked this dish so much, I made it for friends that came for dinner last week
As seen above

It appears to be very rich, but really there is only 100 mls cream and 30 gms cheese

Of course it took a lot longer cooking for 9, I didn’t race the clock then

Didn't time it

But it seems when I did it for 4, the "15 minute" version

15 minutes was too hard

By the way 

This is a great way to cook chicken breasts

You know how easily they dry out

Well they were tender and moist  

 In fact I liked the method of seasoning and bashing so much,

 I carried through this prep and bread crumbed the breasts and the Children had a wonderful Chicken and Chips dinner on Tuesday

They loved it

As I don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, 

I used the tube of Rosemary Paste, 

warning this has wheat in it so not Gluten Free, so to be Gluten free use fresh herbs

Gather your ingredients

Olive Oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Large Sheet Baking paper

200 gms Frozen Peas

1 x Leek washed and sliced

200 gms Baby Spinach

4 x 120 gm  Skinless Chicken breasts

Few sprigs of fresh Rosemary or Rosemary paste

2 rashers of middle Bacon

8oo gms Potatoes  sliced

3 Onions  peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon chicken stock powder

1/2 bunch sage leaves

100 mls cream

30 gms grated parmesan

For the “15 minutes” version

Get everything ready

Kettle filled with boiling water

Oven Grill on high

Food Processor (thin slicer ) rearing to go

Medium lidded pot on high heat

Larger High sided roasting  pan on high heat

Large frying pan on high heat

Let’s go

Put the potatoes through the slicer

Throw into hot pot

Pour over boiling water from kettle

Add salt

Lid on and bring to boil, let simmer

Slice onions

Into roasting pan add 2 tablespoon olive oil

Throw in onions

Season with S & P

Tear in sage leaves

Stir regularly adding a little water if they start to catch

Lay out baking paper

Toss the chicken with S & P and rosemary

Fold the paper over and bash the chicken with a rolling pin till flattened about 1.5 cms

Cook in frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil

Turning after 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through

Remove and set aside

Add chopped bacon and toss around till cooked

Drain potatoes which should be fork tender in colander

Add to onions in pan

Spread into a flat layer

Pour cream over

And sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top

Into oven under grill

Grill till golden about 4-5 minutes

Meanwhile in the empty potato pan

Still on high heat

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil

Throw in prepared leeks

Toss around till just tender

Add peas and spinach

Stir till spinach wilted and peas tender

Pile on platter

Place Chicken breast and bacon on top

Remove Potatoes from oven

Serve
Delicious Food
 

Swinging Sydney- Certainly Turns on Great Food and Good Times

Swinging Sydney is a bit of an old fashioned term...probably showing my age. But this City does Rock.
It has turned on lovely sunny days the whole time we have been here.
Dale and his friend Paz take advantage of the sun

Bit chilly morning and night, but our place os residence is very warm and cosy. As are our hosts. Yvonne and Stu.

We have been well spoilt.
Yvonne made a spectacular dinner for us and our friends Neil and Glenys
Even the table setting is superb

 Filet of Beef with Stuffed Mushrooms and Lots of Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest

Accompanied by a Cous Cous ball stuffed with Salad
Quite the Centrepiece

Here is the cross section, You can't say Cous Cous is boring when presented like that
Yum

The next day we went to The Balmoral Boat House for lunch

Dale and Stu strolling up to meet us

Great food
Dale and Stu had Fish and Chips

I had the BBQ Prawn and Salad Stuffed Brioche

Yvonne had the Smoked Trout Platter

All washed down with some Excellent Aussie Wine
Below: Our Hosts

And of course. Your Truly and Spouse

Highly recommended to Visitors to Sydney
Situated on Balmoral Beach

In the Mosman Village there are some great Cafes and Restaurants
Of course Il Perugino mentioned in my previous post. All set up and ready for Service

Next door is The Classic Cupcake, They did a Special Red White and Blue Cake for  the New Prince George

We have Taken Out

And eaten in.

AND next door to that Testoni, specialising in Italian Sandwiches and Pastries etc
Had a go at that one too

But back to the Home Cooking
Ms Yvonne presented us with a delightful Roast Chook and Vege

Who wants to eat out after that?