Summer is here! Stinking hot days, muggy evenings followed by cooling thunderstorms and all in one day! One thing about living in Dubai that you could be fairly sure about was what the weather was showing for the morning would pretty much remain for the day (I miss that). Sure there was the odd sandstorm and rain (yes), but you generally always knew it was going to be perfect (winter months, like now), hot, very hot, and unimaginably hot. It was reliable, which is anything but what Sydney weather has shown us since our return. I’m adjusting….
S is for Salmon
I’m almost a whole year behind schedule. I am a finisher, so rather than abandon the plan to complete an alphabet of ingredient posts by the years end, I’ve just altered the year in which it will be completed! I feel a bit rusty on writing the posts, and so much has happened in our lives since the last post, but I’ll try to keep it simple….
O is for Oranges
This recipe is a simple one. It is a bit retro and I remember my mum making these back in the day, and it was quite something. Its amazing that such a basic recipe and a simple drizzle of toffee over fresh orange completely transforms the orange from yum to absolute decadence. I’ve added my twist of a pinch of cinnamon to the toffee, possibly a nod to Moroccan flavours.
I love making a whole orange (flourless) cake, I LOVE chocolate and orange (channelling Terrys Chocolate Oranges – we can get them in Dubai!), I mean who doesn’t love a Jaffa Cake. Orange segments in an asian salad or seafood dish create a new dimension of sweetness and balance.
Reminiscing about our recent trip to Spain, specifically Mallorca, we stayed in a villa that had it’s own vineyards, olive groves and orchards that guests were welcome to when staying. Every morning, we picked fresh juicy oranges for juice, and also for freezing quarters for afternoon tea by the pool. The kids loved it and it was so great to be able to show them exactly where fresh produce came from, other than the bright lights of the supermarkets.
Back to the caramelised oranges. Make sure this is enjoyed within a few hours, otherwise the toffee melts into the orange, and make sure the oranges are the best you can find and super cold! I found super juicy, richly coloured Navel oranges from Australia.
Caramelised Oranges with Cinnamon
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PS Feel free to omit the cinnamon, use cardamom instead
Author: Edwina Stuart
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 4 large navel oranges
- 250g caster sugar
- 125ml water
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel the oranges with a knife so there is no white pith.
- Slice the oranges in 5mm circles and arrange on a platter in one layer
- In a saucepan, place the sugar, water and cinnamon on a high heat.
- Bring to the boil and don't stir the mixture at all, swirl only, if you must.
- When the toffee is golden amber colour it is ready. Too pale will have no flavour, too dark is bitter.
- Carefully drizzle the toffee in a thin layer over the top of the oranges.
- Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- A good dollop of tangy greek yoghurt will cut through the sweetness nicely.
N is for Nectarine
I love finding recipes, especially reliable cake recipes that can be stored and adapted to use whatever feature ingredient you have on hand.
I found this cake recipe on a couple of other blogs that has been directly copied and adapted from Smitten Kitchen. All recipes used different fruits or flavours….
M is for Mackerel
I love fish is every form; baked, grilled, fried, raw and also smoked. I especially like hot smoked fish. Its rich, oily and packed full of flavour.
On our trip to Spain, we had arrived hot and starving in Seville and stumbled across this little tavern close to our hotel. It served simple tapas style bar food and we ordered a plate of mixed smoked fish open sandwiches. Consumed with an ice cold cerveza, it was heaven….
L is for Lavender
I know its not lamb, or lentils or liquorice, but instead chose a slightly different but not uncommon cooking ingredient; Lavender.
We all know this purple fragrant flower to feature heavily in soaps, perfumes, little bags in grandma’s drawer of smalls. It is used in aromatherapy, known for its calming qualities and the flowers make for a very pretty, rustic posy on the kitchen table.
Lavender is over 2500 years old and there are apparently 39 species known around the world.
My mum has been visiting us and in her many bags of goodies, brought me 2 different samples of dried lavender, lavender oil and also a bunch of fresh lavender from her garden. Coming from the Mint family, it grows just as abundantly.
I was going to bake something with Lavender, and a sprinkle of this floral herb in your shortbread mix would be lovely. But I thought about tackling a savoury dish and while it pairs beautifully with lamb and rosemary, I have instead chosen a more delicate dish from Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Cookbook. It combines lavender with thyme, lemon and honey to create a surprisingly subtle and tasty roast chicken dish with a lovely sauce.
As she advises, go easy on the lavender, less is best in this instance to avoid the dish tasting like a Loccitane hand cream ! But served with a few potatoes and a green salad is ideal and what’s more it is so so simple to prepare.
We have survived the first few weeks of school and we know get to enjoy a 4 day weekend to celebrate Eid Al Adha.
Eid Mubarak!
Chicken with Lavender, Lemon and Honey
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P S This would be just as delicious with a couple of different herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or oregano if you can't get a hold of the lavender
Author: adapted from Rachel Khoo
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 chicken supremes or enough chicken pieces skin on, bone in to feed 4
- 1 tablespoon lavender, slightly crushed with a mortar and pestle
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- grated zest and juice of one lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- generous pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees
- Prepare the chicken in advance.
- In a small bowl, prepare the marinade by combining the lavender, honey, thyme, lemon juice and zest and oil.
- In a baking dish just big enough to snuggly fit the chicken pieces in a single layer, place the chicken in the dish and cover with the marinade.
- Cover and set aside for minimum 4 hours, possibly overnight
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown, sticky and saucy
- Serve with greens and potatoes, boiled or roasted
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