[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKWgmx0kc1A&NR=1]

Once again incredibly easy and everyone loved it. If you can, let it marinade for 24 hours. I couldn’t find any thigh cuts with the skin on and it did work without but I know it would have tasted so much better with the skin and that’s why I’m making it again for my friends this saturday.

Glazed Honey & Soy Chicken

Serves 4

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons shaosing wine or dry sherry

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped

4 chicken Marylands (leg quarters), cut into 2 pieces between thigh and drumstick

To serve

Cucumber slices

Fresh coriander

Lime or lemon wedges

Steamed jasmine rice

Sweet chilli sauce (below)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Stir all the ingredients, except the chicken, together in a small bowl.

Place the chicken in a bowl or flat dish, pour the marinade over and mix with your hands to coat.

Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place, skin side up, in a roasting tin.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink, frequently turning the drumsticks over as they brown and basting the chicken every 15 minutes with extra marinade. Use a clever to cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

Serve with cucumber, coriander, lime, rice and sweet chilli sauce on the side.

Sweet Chilli Sauce

3 large chillies

1 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 sugar

1 garlic clove, chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens to a slightly consistency.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Steamed Jasmine Rice

Serves 4

500g jasmine rice

Put the rice in a small saucepan and rinse a few times by running cold water over it to cover, then pouring the water out. This rinses of excess starch powder and any broken rice that will make the cooked rice mushy.

Add just enough water – about 750ml – to cover the top of the rice by 1cm. A good trick is to touch the top of your rice with your middle finger. The water level should be just below the first joint of your finger.

Cover the pan with the lid, place over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce to a low heat.

Simmer, uncovered, or until the water has evaporated.

Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit, covered, for at least 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork before serving.

Holy Fuck! – Lovely Allen (zSHARE)

I made this a few weeks ago and it was really great, incredibly rich and moist and simply delicious – perfect rainy day food. Although I ate most of it, my housemate really enjoyed it too and it only lasted two days. I was at my mum’s last week and didn’t have this recipe and used one from Jamie’s Dinners instead, Neil Perry’s recipe tasted better and was easier. I also used dried dates and it turned out well, if anything I think they give it more flavour.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

10 fresh dates, 230g, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

100g unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted

thick double cream, to serve

Sauce

500ml thick double cream

1/2 cup demerara sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Grease a 27 x 15 x 6cm deep loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Place the dates and 1 cup of water into a pan and bring to the boil over medium heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda – the mixture will begin to bubble up. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

Fold the flour and date mixture alternatively into the butter mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Combine the cream, sugar and golden syrup in a small pan and stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, stir occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.

Turn the warm pudding out onto a platter and drizzle with half the sauce.

Cut the pudding into thick slices.

Serve with the remaining sauce and thick cream.

Little Joy – Keep Me In Mind

This is a really simple and delicious curry recipe – the gravy is so full of flavour. I recommend you use Kara coconut milk in a carton if you can find it.

Rendang Of Beef

800g topside beef, cubed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

150g rendang curry paste (below)

600ml coconut milk

1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste

6 kaffir lime leaves, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar, grated

salt

Rendang Curry Paste (makes about 400g)

15g shrimp paste

1 red onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

12 long red chillies, seeded and chopped

1 lemongrass stem, white part only, chopped

40g galangal, peeled and chopped

40g ginger, peeled and chopped

1 Lime, finely zested

5g fresh turmeric, grated, or 1 teaspoon ground

Wrap shrimp paste in foil and roast for about 10 minutes in a medium oven until fragrant.

Process all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a pan or wok.

Add the curry paste and fry for 3 minutes – this will release a very strong chilli fragrance.

Add the beef, coconut milk, tamarind paste and kaffir lime leaves.

Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently so the coconut milk doesn’t stick for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the gravy has thickened.

Add the palm sugar and salt to taste.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a wedge of lime.

Soft Shock – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (zSHARE)

I saw Jamie Oliver make these on tv a few weeks ago and then yesterday a family friend gave me some from her dad’s garden. They were great. The filling was delicious and the batter was light, I used soda water. Here’s the recipe.

Goldfrapp – Fly Me Away (zSHARE)

Kylie Kwong’s Jelly Cakes

1 cup boiling water

1 x 85 g (3 oz) packet strawberry or raspberry jelly crystals

3/4 cup cold water

125 g (4 oz) butter

1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

Pour boiling water into a large heatproof jug.

Sprinkle jelly crystals into jug, stir until crystals are dissolved, then stir in cold water.

Pour jelly mixture into a large, shallow dish, about 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 in), cover and refrigerate for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until jelly is just starting to set. (It is important that the jelly is used at the right consistency; if it is too firm it will not stick to the cakes.)

Lightly grease 3 x 12-hole shallow patty-pan tins (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity) and preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat until just combined.

Add flour, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Spoon tablespoons of the mixture into prepared tins.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

When a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean they’re ready.

Remove cakes from tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Remove jelly from refrigerator and quickly roll a cake in the jelly, coating it evenly.

Toss the jelly-covered cake in coconut until it’s coated all over.

Repeat with remaining cakes and arrange on a platter to serve.

Raspberry, Chilli & Mint Vodka Cocktail

Bugs

Buffalo Mozzarella with Crème Fraîche, Chili & Lemon Zest

Apple & Thyme Stuffed Pork

Grilled Squid & Pomelo Salad

Summer Pudding, Chocolate Pavola

“Reese’s” Peanut Butter Cups

Goldfrapp – Winter Wonderland (zSHARE)

Sufjan Stevens – That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! (zSHARE)

Coldplay – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (zSHARE)

So we didn’t do much. We slept, planned to go ice skating, visited the sites of ‘The Third Man’, ate Chinese food and smily faced sausages.