Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

This photo really doesn’t do this recipe justice but to be honest the beef was eaten so quickly I only got the one shot!

I’ve taken the principles of using a rub with herbs and spices to coat the meat and then allowing it to sit for 12-24 hours in the fridge. Then, instead of using the BBQ, the slow cooker has stepped in and worked its magic! Finally, I take the meat out and pop it in a hot oven just to crisp up the fatty bits for a fab tortilla filling or serve with lots of salads to cut through the richness of the meat.

Serves 8-10. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, freeze well and are very popular in wraps for school with my boys.

Ingredients

2.2kg beef brisket, cut into 8-10 large pieces

5 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika

3 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon ground all spice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons salt

Pepper

375mls passata

100mls gluten free Worcestershire sauce

100g brown sugar

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Method

I leave the fat on the top of the brisket, cut it into large chunks, around 5-8cm square. Take a sharp knife and score the fat to create a crisscross pattern.

Combine the spice rub in a bowl.

Tip the meat into the rub and cover completely.

Place the meat and any excess rub into a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. 24 hours is better if you can!

Tip the meat into your slow cooker, I use a 6.5l Cooker.

Add the wet ingredients and sugar and using your hands massage the sauce all over the meat.

Turn the cooker on and set to nine hours on low.

After nine hours the meat should be falling apart a little if you push it with the back of a spoon.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Gently spoon the meat into a roasting tray, scored fat side up, and slide it into the oven, roast for 30-45 minutes to let the fat crisp up.

Pull the meat apart with forks to serve so everyone gets a little of the crispy fat as well as the delicious, sticky sauce covered meat.

Greek Meatballs

What’s not to love with these meatballs, sneaking veggies into the kids, they freeze really well for dinner another night, baked, not fried and dinner served in a pitta, flat bread or roll is always a winner in our house!

If you are in barbcueing season, lucky you! These cook well on a BBQ, squeeze them onto skewers to make your own kofta or flatten them to make delicious patties.

Makes 28-30 balls. Serves 6.

Ingredients

70g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

500g minced lamb

280g baby spinach

3 garlic cloves, peeled

15g fresh parsley leaves

100g spring onions/scallions/green onions

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

If you have time, make the meatball mix a few hours before cooking but if not just carry on!

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Centigrade, line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Cook the spinach until just wilted, I use the microwave. Allow to cool enough to handle it and then squeeze the water out of it.

Blitz the bread in a food processor. Tip into a large bowl.

Now add the cooked spinach, garlic, parsley and spring onions to the processor and blitz again, tip into the breadcrumbs.

Now grate the lemon over the spinach, add the lamb and season well.

Using your hands, combine all of the ingredients really really well.

Form into small walnut sized balls. Lay on the prepared baking tray.

Slide into the oven and turn the heat down to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the outside has coloured and the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with salad and fried haloumi in wraps, pittas or rolls or allow to cool, pour them into a zip lock bag and freeze for another day.

Molasses Glazed Bacon and Cheese Meatloaf

Meatloaf is very popular in our house and to make it gluten free I cheat and use crushed gluten free corn chips instead of hunting around looking for gluten free breadcrumbs in the freezer!

As the chipotle chilli goes in the food processor to be chopped I do try to remove most of the seeds so that it isn’t too spicy for the younger taste buds around our table but feel free to keep the seeds in if you like a little extra heat.

Makes 1 large meatloaf which feeds 6. I normally double the recipe and bake two at a time on seperate baking sheets and freeze one for a later date, this meatloaf freezes brilliantly. If you do have any leftovers they are lovely in a sandwich the next day.

Ingredients

150g full flavoured Cheddar cheese

100g corn chips, gluten free

200g bacon, smoked if possible, rind removed

2 eggs

175g brown onions, peeled and quartered

1 chipotle chilli in Adobe sauce, seeds removed

500g minced pork

1 tablespoon molasses

2 teaspoons dried oregano

freshly ground pepper

GLAZE

50mls gluten free Worcestershire sauce

100mls tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon molasses

Method

In a food processor, grate the cheese, pour into a large bowl and change the grater blade to the regular blade.

Now whizz the bacon and egg until finely chopped, tip onto the cheese.

Finally whizz the onion and chipotle chilli until roughly chopped. Tip this onto the cheese mix. Add some pepper.

Add the minced pork to the bowl along with the molasses and oregano, use your hands to combine the meat very well.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade, line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Form the meat into a long fat sausage, around 30cm long and 5-6cm diameter.

Combine the glaze ingredients and brush over the meatloaf. Keep the leftover glaze.

Bake the meatloaf for 60 minutes, regularly brush the glaze over every 15 minutes. Glaze more frequently towards the end of cooking but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!

 

 

Roast Chicken With Herb And Garlic Butter

As I suspect you know by now, I’m a fan of butterflied chicken and one pot wonders!

Normally cooking the chicken this way speeds up the cooking process but this time I cover it and cook it for longer which really helps develop the flavour. By throwing the carrots in your veggies are cooked at the same time and to be honest I do baked or jacket potatoes at the same time too while the oven is on.

As you can see in the photo, I throw the removed spine into the pan to roast too as all of the bones go into the stock pot afterwards to make a heavenly garlicky herby stock, perfect for soup or I used this stock for a mushroom risotto to add loads of flavour.

This chicken is lovely cold too so any leftovers are great for sandwiches, wraps and salads. You can also make this chicken ahead of time, I have popped the butter under the skin and left the chicken in the fridge over night before cooking and the taste was possibly even more amazing!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1.4 kg chicken

120g butter, softened at room temperature

20g parsley leaves and young fresh stalks

20g basil leaves

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

salt and pepper

1kg carrots, peeled and cut in half or thirds

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

Take the chicken and flip it onto its front to let you access the back. With poultry shears, cut up either side of the spine to remove it and giblets if attached. Lay the spine in your roasting tin and flip he chicken over again, breast side up. Squish down on the breasts to flatten them and then run your finger under the skin of the breasts, thighs and legs to make a space to squeeze the butter in to.

Using a food processor, process the butter, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until creamed and well combined.

Using your hands, take small amounts, around a table spoon at a time, of the butter and gently insert under the skin, then massage down to cover all of the chicken, continue until most of the butter has been used.

With the remainder, rub all over the outside of the chicken.

Add the carrots to the pan and then top with the prepared chicken.

Cover well with foil.

Pop into the oven and bake for one hour.

After 1 hour, remove the foil and baste, bake for a further 40-45 minutes, basting regularly.

Once fully cooked and golden, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10minutes.

Cajun Chicken Schnitzel

These are so popular, I could only take this fleeting photo before they were all eaten!

I use fresh gluten free breadcrumbs that I make myself with GF bread rolls, I never cut off crusts as the dark crumbs help to  give you a darker colour and the bread is so expensive I can’t handle any waste!

This recipe makes 12 schnitzel, you can freeze them uncooked, layered between baking parchment to save them sticking. Cooked leftovers are a treat the next day in a gluten free wrap with salad.

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts, cut into four chunks

180g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Zest of one lime

salt and pepper

oil to fry

Method

Line your chopping board with baking parchment, place a piece of chicken on top, cover with another piece of baking parchment and whack it with the flat side of a meat tenderiser until thinner than 0.5mm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne, herbs,  onion powder, garlic powder, lime zest, salt and pepper, mix well.

Dip the chicken into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat until all of the chicken is done.

Heat a frying pan with the oil and shallow fry the chicken in batches.

Serve hot with a wedge of lime.

Cheesy Pockets

Now, I know that they don’t look all that impressive but these are a fab way of elevating a bowl of humble soup or and afternoon snack to magnificent!

I use the thinnest bread I can find, this is mountain bread, nearly paper thin. Gluten free wraps work well too but I tend to warm them in the microwave to make them a little more malleable, if you are using tortillas, again warm them a little so they don’t split when you fold them.

I pop these on the barbecue to cook but you can use an oven, preheat it to 200 degrees Centigrade and then bake for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 8.

Ingredients

8 sundried tomato halves, drained

2 garlic cloves

200g feta

25g parsley leaves

8 thin flatbreads or tortillas

freshly ground pepper

Method

Process the tomatoes, garlic, feta, parsley and pepper to form a paste.

Take a flatbread and spread one eighth of the paste in the centre and fold up carefully to seal.

Wrap in foil and continue with the remaining flatbreads until you have eight parcels.

Preheat your barbecue and once it’s hot, place the parcels on and cook for 10 minutes, turning once after 5 minutes.

Caramelised Onion Focaccia

Soup seems to take on a stellar level in our house when it’s served with home made bread.

I tend to cook up an enormous pan of onions and then store the caramelised onions in the sterilised jars in the fridge for moments like this!

The smoked salt flakes are not essential, but salt sprinkled over the top does add a lovely flavour.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

400g plain flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

180g caramelised onions

175mls warm water

fresh thyme leaves

smoked salt flakes

Method

In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast, salt, onions and water, bring together to form a dough.

Knead on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes, place in a floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Set aside, somewhere warm for an hour. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Gently remove the dough from the bowl, using a rolling pin, gently roll out to fit your baking tray.

Lift the dough onto the prepared tray and using your fingertips, press indentations all over the bread.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over some time leaves and salt.

Leave the bread somewhere warm to rise again. While it rises, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Once the bread has risen again, pop in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool a little  on a wire rack before cutting.

Pork Fillet Parcels

So simple and so effective, perfect for making ahead of time and popping in the oven when you need them, these little parcels have tons of flavour thanks to the whole grain mustard and sage.

If you have any leftovers, slice thinly and use them as sandwich fillings!

Serves 6.

Ingredients

800g pork fillet, two large fillets

75g whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon fresh finely chopped sage

2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped parsley

freshly ground pepper

10 large slices of prosciutto

Method

Cut the fillets into large thick slices, around 16-18 pieces.

In a bowl, combine the mustard, sage, parsley and pepper.

Cut the prosciutto slices in half, let the shape of the slices dictate whether you go lengthwise or width wise. They need to fit around and under the pork to seal.

Take a piece of pork, smear a little mustard mixture over one cut side and then wrap in half a slice of prosciutto, set aside, mustard side up and repeat.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

Spread the parcels over the baking sheets, try not to over crowd the tray.

Pop in the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on the thickness, try not to over cook them as they dry out so remove thinner slices and keep warm while thicker slices finish cooking.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

These are cracking, even if I do say so myself!

Crispy baked gluten free nuggets at their best, happily munched on by the boys for years with no one realising that they are gluten free.

Gluten free bread is very expensive here so I tend to buy up big when it is on special! Due to the cost, I don’t bother removing crusts and in fact the nuggets in the photo used GF bread rolls, crusts and all!

Leftovers freeze well or the boys get them in their lunch boxes as a wee treat.

Serves 8.

Ingredients

1.2kg chicken breast, boned and skin off

3 eggs, beaten

240g gluten free breadcrumbs

225g freshly grated Parmesan

freshly ground pepper

a little salt

3 tablespoons mixed herbs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade.

Line four baking sheets with baking parchment.

Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, pepper, salt and herbs in a large bowl.

Beat the eggs in another bowl.

Slice the chicken into thin, 0.5cm thickness pieces and then depending on the size of the breasts, half the slices, especially if your cooking for younger children, less waste!

Using only one hand, because you know the phone will ring if you get both hands dirty, take a piece of chicken, dip into the egg and then coat with the breadcrumb mix.

Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Bake for 15 minutes and then turn and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the coating is crispy.

Quinoa, Broad Bean And Herb Salad

This is a lovely fresh salad that goes so well with the whole grain mustard dressing I think.

Broad beans are in season again as we head into spring in Western Australia and I really don’t mind shelling and skinning them, it’s rather therapeutic when you have the time!

I like to make this salad ahead of time to allow the flavours to develop and for sheer convenience!

Leftover salad is great in wraps.

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

175g quinoa

500mls water

500g shelled broad beans

3 spring onions, finely sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped roughly fresh dill

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

saltand freshly ground pepper

Method

Bring the quinoa and water up to the boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Let the quinoa sit with the lid still in place until cool.

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water up to the boil and cook the broad beans, 2-3 minutes.

Drain into a sieve and then cool under running water.

Once the beans are cool enough to handle, slip off the outer skins.

In a large bowl combine the cooled quinoa, skinned beans, spring onions, mint and dill.

Combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad, mix through.