Wednesday, September 25, 2013

EAT IN

Eat In (Murdoch Books - NZ$49.99) is probably best described as a collection of accessible and inspiring recipes with organisational tips to balance the busy lives of modern families.

Note publication is 1 October.

As a host on Australian Junior MasterChef and host of Great Australian Bake-Off, Anna Gare knows a thing or two about balancing busy days with eating well. In her new book, Eat In, she brings together her favourite collection of recipes. Anna gives plenty of hints and tips for shopping, meal planning and store cupboard standbys-her mantra is you deserve to eat well and, with just a little thought and preparation, you can. Anna's down-to-earth advice on preparing healthy and tasty food will be welcomed by busy and hungry people everywhere.

Anna Gare is one of Australia's brightest new TV cookery stars; as a hugely popular host of Channel Ten's Junior Masterchef and also hosting along side Shane Jacobson on Channel Nine's brand new series The Great Australian Bake Off. Anna also developed her own highly successful cooking shows, The Best in Australia and Quickies in my Kitchen for the Lifestyle Food Channel.

Before deciding to devote her life to good food Anna spent her late teens singing in an all girl band called (rather presciently) The Jam Tarts. The band toured both Australia and the UK developing a devoted following but even then Anna's passion for food was never far from her thoughts. She poached asparagus in hotel kettles, ironed salmon (until medium rare) on dressing room ironing tables and wilted spinach with her hair drier before gigs, very rock n' roll!

After leaving the band Anna set up her own catering business the highly innovative Deluxe catering which became one of West Australia's most successful and sought after catering businesses. It wasn't long, however, before Anna's passion for food and her love of performing combined, leading her to her new and busy career in TV.

Anna says her greatest joy is to create new recipes and food ideas. Hence Eat In, which has been" a lifetime in the oven".


The publishers have kindly agreed to letting me publish a recipe from the book which I made with great success last Saturday night. I warmly recommend this recipe, and the book.


Chicken lovely legs puttanesca on risoni
Serves 4-6
There was nothing I loved more than watching my young babies' faces as I introduced them to new tastes and textures. Scoffed down or spat out, the response was pretty clear! Encourage your kids to experiment with food from a young age and you may just expand their taste buds. This family favourite gently introduces them to robust ingredients and flavours with gusto.

Ingredients
125 ml (½ cup) olive oil
1 brown onion
1 leek, white part only
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
50 g (¼ cup) tiny capers
95 g (½ cup) kalamata olives
1 small red chilli (optional)
4 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
125 ml (½ cup) of water
8 anchovy fillets, thinly sliced
2 fresh bay leaves
12 plump chicken drumsticks (free-range or organic, if you can), ends removed
75 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
250ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500 g risoni (orzo)


Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat half of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over low-medium heat.
Finely dice the onion, thinly slice the leek and add to the pan with the garlic, sage leaves, rosemary and oregano and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion and leek have softened.
Rinse the capers, pit and halve the olives and finely chop the chilli (if using). Add those ingredients to the pan with the tomatoes, water, anchovies and bay leaves then simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, generously coat the chicken drumsticks in flour and heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook until golden all over, then transfer to the sauce.
Deglaze the frying pan with the wine, then tip the pan juices into the casserole dish and cover.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
Stir through the parsley and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Cook the risoni according to packet directions.
Serve the chicken with the risoni.

Copyright - Eat in by Anna Gare - Murdoch Books, 2013.


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