One-pan Greek Chicken and Risoni (Orzo)

 Greek Chicken and Risoni 

Easy, not too much prep! Can be made in advance up to the step that starts adding the risoni.

AND - it's a one pan panbake

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN

• 5–6 bone-in chicken thigh cutlets (approximately 1.2 kg/2 lb 10 oz)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

RISONI

• 1½ cups (300 g) risoni (orzo)
• 3½ cups (875 ml) hot chicken stock (see note 1)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus sliced lemon to serve
• 2 generous, firmly packed cups (100 g) baby spinach
• 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan
• Crumbled feta, to serve (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan-forced).
2. Marinate the chicken – In a large baking dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, and marinate for at least 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge for more flavour). Alternatively, cook immediately.
3. Roast – Cook in the oven for 35 minutes or until the skin is golden.
4. Baste – Remove the dish from the oven. Baste the chicken in the tray juices, spoon out any excess fat, leaving roughly 2 tablespoons.
5. Add the risoni and stock – Scatter the risoni around the chicken in an even layer. Carefully pour in the hot chicken stock and lemon juice, making sure the pasta is mostly submerged (but leave the chicken skin exposed). Return to the oven and bake for a further 18–20 minutes, or until the risoni is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. There may be a small pool of residual liquid on top of the risoni, which is normal (it gets absorbed in the next step).
6. Finish with spinach and cheese – Remove the dish from the oven. Remove the chicken from the dish and set aside on a plate. Add the baby spinach and parmesan to the risoni in the dish. Gently stir the risoni until the cheese melts and the spinach has wilted slightly. Return the chicken to the dish. Let it sit for 2–3 minutes to absorb any remaining liquid and allow the spinach to soften fully. If you still find you have excess liquid, see note 2.
7. Serve – Top with crumbled feta and extra lemon slices, if using, and drizzle with the pan juices. Serve warm, straight from the baking dish.

Tomato Salad

 It seems like tomatoes just taste as good as I remember them as a child. This salad - or dressing lifts them to a higher level of yum...and its super easy.

Ingredients

• 1 kg tomatoes (I like to use a mix of varieties)
• 1/2 small red onion peeled
• 10 g fresh basil plus extra for serving
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the smaller tomatoes into halves and the larger ones into quarters. It’s quite nice to have a mixture of different sizes here, so don’t worry about making them all perfectly even.

2. Combine the red onion, basil, garlic and a good pinch of salt and black pepper in a food processor. Blitz into a rough paste, making sure it retains a some texture. Add it to the tomatoes along with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and another big pinch of salt. Give everything a good stir, then let the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or for up to 4 hours.
3. Spoon into a serving dish, avoiding any tomato juice left at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Serve topped with an extra crack of black pepper and a few sprigs of fresh basil.

8 Hour Sourdough Bread

8 Hour Sourdough Bread - 2 loaves

This is the recipe I have settled on after trying a lot of different ones.

There is always a loaf of this on our bench and often some sliced and frozen for toast.

Credit to "Sourdough Mom"

Ingredients

• 250g active sourdough starter
• 725g warm filtered water
• 1000g unbleached flour
• 25g salt

Directions
Prepare Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, place 250g of active sourdough starter.
Zero out the scale and add 725g of warm filtered water. Mix until the starter is dissolved.
Add 1000g of flour and 25g of salt. Mix with hand until the dough is the same consistency and there
are no pockets of dry flour remaining.
Stretch and Folds:
Cover the dough and let it rest for one hour.
Perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for four rounds.
Bulk Fermentation:
After the fourth round, cover the dough and let it bulk ferment on the counter for two hours until it increases by 50%-75% in size. (This step may take longer than 2 hours.) 
Shaping:
Lightly flour the counter. Split the dough in half.
Shape the dough into a large rectangle, then fold one side toward the middle, and repeat with the
other side. Roll up your dough into a ball shape. Shape it into a round ball by pushing your dough
out in a circular motion and pulling in about 3-4 times (tucking in the underside). Let rest for 20
minutes.
Perform the final shaping by repeating the steps you did in the first shape. Place your dough upside
down (seam side up) into a floured banneton.
Proofing:
10. Cover your dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and cold-proof in the refrigerator for 2 hours
or up to 48 hours.
Baking:
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside.
Once proofed, flip the dough onto parchment paper. Score the dough.
Place the dough with parchment paper into the preheated Dutch oven.
Bake covered at 500°F (260°C) for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes at
425°F (220°C).
Remove from the oven and cool for at least one hour before slicing.

HONEY AND ALMOND HASSELBACK PUMPKIN

 

A great prepare ahead side dish. Looks really impressive.

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 1 X 1.8KG BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN (SQUASH), HALVED LENGTHWAYS, PEELED AND SEEDS REMOVED
• 1 TABLESPOON EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
  
• ½ CUP (180G) HONEY
  
• 2 TABLESPOONS MALT VINEGAR
  
• 14 BAY LEAVES
  
• ½ CUP (80G) ALMONDS, TOASTED AND CHOPPED
• SEA SALT AND CRACKED BLACK PEPPER

1. 
   
2. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place half the pumpkin, cut-side down, on a chopping board. Place a chopstick, lengthways, on each side of the pumpkin. Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice through the pumpkin to the chopsticks at 5mm intervals. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin half.
   
3. Place the pumpkin on the tray, cut-side down, and drizzle with the oil. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and roast for 1 hour. Uncover and roast for a further 20 minutes or until golden.
   
4. Place the honey, vinegar and bay leaves in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 4–5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Spoon half the honey glaze over the pumpkin and place the bay leaves in the incisions. Roast the pumpkin for a further 5–10 minutes or until tender and golden.
   
5. Sprinkle with the almonds, salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining honey glaze to serve. Serves 6

Mini Sourdough Boules

Mini sourdough boules baked in a cupcake pan are awesome! 

They are very similar to what yiuy might get in a more 'fine dining' restaurant.

Dough

100 g active sourdough starter

325 g water

500 g bread flour

10 g salt

Make as normal and let it bulk ferment as normal.

After bulk, divide the dough into small portions, about 70–75 g each, and shaped them into tight little rounds.

Placed each one into a lightly greased cupcake pan, seam-side down.

Scored the tops and gave them a good spray of water.

Bake

Oven at 450°F (230°C)

Covered the pan with another cupcake tin for 15 minutes

Uncovered and baked 10 more minutes until beautifully golden

The result?

Crispy crust on every side, super soft crumb, and perfectly portioned mini loaves. Absolute win.

Cheesy Sourdough Star Bread

 

This Cheesy Sourdough Star Bread is made with a soft dough layered with roasted garlic butter and melty mozzarella. Twisted into a star shape, it makes the perfect savory center piece for any gathering.

It takes a bit of time to make it, but it's nothing when you see the finished product!

The original recipe is here  https://countryroadssourdough.com/cheesy-sourdough-star-bread/

Ingredients 

• ▢ 300 grams milk, warmed to 100℉, 1 ¼ cup
• ▢ 55 grams butter, melted, ¼ cup
• ▢ 1 large egg, 50 grams
• ▢ 25 grams granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons
• ▢ 10 grams salt, 2 teaspoons
• ▢ 200 grams active sourdough starter, scant 1 cup
• ▢ 600 grams all-purpose flour, 4 ¼ cups

Filling

• ▢ 30-40 grams garlic, 1 small head 
• ▢ 114 grams butter, ½ cup
• ▢ 5 grams fresh parsley, ¼ cup
• ▢ 400 grams mozzarella cheese, 3 ¾ cups

Egg wash

• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon water

Instructions 

• Mix together the dough ingredients in a bowl or straight edge container until combined. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for a couple of minutes until the dough is soft and forms a smooth ball. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky to work with. Alternatively, you can knead it in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on low speed for a few minutes.

  300 grams milk, 55 grams butter, 1 large egg, 25 grams granulated sugar, 10 grams salt, 200 grams active sourdough starter, 600 grams all-purpose flour
• Set the dough in a warm spot covered, and leave to rise until the dough has doubled in size. At 80°F, it takes about 4-5 hours. 

  Alternatively, you can leave the dough to rise overnight at 68-70°F.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Roast a head of garlic by cutting off the top of the head and peel off excess skin. Wrap the garlic head in foil with a drizzle of oil on top. Roast at 400ºF for about 40 minutes or until soft. 

  30-40 grams garlic
• Once roasted, squeeze out the garlic and beat with the butter and fresh parsley.

  114 grams butter, 5 grams fresh parsley
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into four equal pieces.
• Roll out one section in a 9-inch diameter circle. I like to roll it on a round silicone mat. Repeat with the remaining three balls. 
• Place one piece of dough down on the silicone mat or on a piece of parchment paper. Spread ⅓ of the garlic butter mixture on top of the dough and sprinkle with ⅓ of the cheese.
• 

  Place a second layer of dough on top. Repeat that 2 more times, ending with dough on top.
• Place a shot glass or similar sized cup in the center of the dough. Begin by cutting the dough into 4 equal sections, stopping at the cup so the center stays intact. Then cut each section into an additional 4 equal sections. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to easily cut the dough into equal strips. Now you should have 16 cuts around the dough.
• Take 2 strips of dough and twist them in opposite directions two or three times. Squeeze the ends together. Repeat this 7 more times.
• 
• Place the star bread onto a rimmed sheet pan and cover it with a lid or foil. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1-2 hours to rise more until it looks puffy and aerated.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Make an egg wash and brush it on top of the star with a pastry brush. Bake for 40 minutes uncovered.
  
•