Beautiful Roast Rosemary Chicken

We’re deep into Australian “winter” right now, which means time for plenty of baking, roasting, and Christmas in July celebrations (which we’re celebrating this weekend—I’m already making cookies!). But, this recipe would be great year-round with some gorgeous fresh veggies and herbs, should you have a rainy weekend and a desire for a quick roast.

Originally this was a Donna Hay “Fast 50″ recipe, but I’ve altered it rather beyond recognition. What makes this dish lovely is using chicken thighs still on the bone (also a somewhat cheaper option at the butcher), plenty of rosemary, and a liberal smattering of smoked paprika. You could use any woody herb here; sage or thyme both work great with chicken, or you could use a combination.

I’m also pleased to announce that my kitchen just gained a slow cooker—so you can look forward to a few more recipes that take so little effort!

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Edited: July 13th, 2011

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

The weather here in Australia is blessedly taking a turn for the cool. The days are still wonderfully warm and beach-worthy, but evenings are beginning to beg for warm soups and casseroles again. Or at least, it doesn’t feel like such a heinous crime to want to turn my stove on! On the other hand though, we’ve recently moved house and are currently without reliable internet, so my posting has been a bit lax the last little while. Sorry guys!

So, until I’m able to properly update again, this is a recipe from the Three Cheeses Free Christmas Cooking eBook—chicken noodle soup is great for leftover chicken or turkey at Christmas, but of course we all know it as a great kind of comfort food any time of the year. You can use last night’s leftovers or roast a chicken or simply buy a barbecued chicken from your local grocery store on your way home from work. Whatever your method, this soup is sure to satisfy.

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Edited: March 7th, 2011

Baked Chicken + Fresh Vegetable Parcels

My siblings-in-law-to-be (try saying that five times fast) knew exactly what I wanted for my birthday this year—a subscription to Donna Hay’s cooking magazine. It’s a glorious thing, my friends. So many recipes and ideas and so little time to try them in. I can guarantee a few more Donna Hay-inspired recipes after this one!

I was inspired to try this chicken and vegetable dish for both its tastiness and simplicity for elegance. I was a bit wary of baking with baking paper packages until I saw our friend Kelli serve up an amazing halibut feast for us a few weekends back (Kelli’s got a special kitchen talent all her own, which you’ll be reading about soon in an upcoming Christmas surprise! Join the mailing list to find out more). The virtues of baking paper parcels should not go un-extolled; the meat comes out juicy and tender, the vegetables steamed and mouth-watering, and let’s not even get into the virtues of easy plating and clean-up!

Be sure to try this recipe for your next dinner party or special occasion. Yum!

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Edited: December 12th, 2010

Dathipa’s Sweet & Sour Chicken

At my previous job in Sydney, I had the extreme good fortune of working in a multi-cultural store, and every day something new would come up about someone’s home—I guess standing around at the registers on a quiet day makes for good conversation! If you were really lucky, you’d walk into the tea room just in time to smell someone’s amazing home made lunch, and if you were even more lucky, you’d be able to wrangle the recipe from them.

This recipe therefore comes to you courtesy of Dathipa (aka Pins), who was very gracious to write it down for me! Though perhaps she was just trying to make me stop drooling over her lunch. Heh heh heh. It happens, guys! Pins is Thai, so you can even call this an authentic Thai sweet & sour dish. Enjoy!

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Edited: October 27th, 2010