Baked aubergine with poached chicken

 

Ingredients

For the poached chicken

2 chicken legs 

1 onion, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped 

1 bay leaf

2 thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves 

½ lemon, cut into quarters

250ml/9fl oz white wine

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

For the marinade

2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1–2 tbsp sumac

handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped 

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 lemon, juice only

1 orange, juice only  

 

For the aubergine                                        

1 aubergine, cut in half lengthways

3 tbsp runny honey 

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 green chilli, finely sliced

1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

 

For the garnish

150g/5½oz goats’ cheese log, sliced 

1 apple, cored and julienned 

squeeze lemon juice

few sprigs fresh coriander

 

Method

To make the chicken, place all the ingredients in a saucepan, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and poach for 1 hour. Top up with more water if it gets too dry during cooking. Leave to cool then remove the chicken, shred the meat and set aside in a bowl. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and toss the chicken in the marinade. Season with salt and pepper and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

To make the aubergine, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Slash the flesh of the aubergine halves a few times with a sharp knife. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and brush onto the aubergine flesh. Bake for 40 minutes, turning midway, until cooked through and golden. Lay the goats’ cheese slices on top of the aubergine halves and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until melting. Remove and top with the apple, lemon juice and coriander. 

Serve the aubergine with the poached chicken alongside.

 

Sunshine - carrot and pineapple - cake

I got this recipe from Australian Women’s Weekly site, having compared a few recipes that included both pineapple and carrot. It has the most carrot of any of the recipes that I found. It comes together very easily and everyone who has had it has liked it ‘not too sweet’ they say, although I think it’s quite sweet, but very tasty. You can see the shreds of carrot in it. It's lovely and nutty.

I came home with a slice

I couldn’t find crushed pineapple so I drained a can of pineapple chunks and blended them. 

This is a very large cake, so halve the ingredients and use a smaller tin if there are less than 16 of you. Or you are very greedy.

I used a lemon icing with some sour cream added into it which worked well. I have been disappointed with cream cheese frosting before now.

Ingredients

4 eggs, beaten lightly

1½ cups (330g) raw caster sugar

200 ml mild extra virgin olive oil

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1⅓ cups (200g) self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 large (750g) carrots, peeled, coarsely grated

1½ cups (150g) walnuts

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp vanilla extract

440 grams can crushed pineapple, well drained

PREP 

Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan forced). Grease and line base and sides of a 28cm round cake pan.

Method

Spread walnuts on an oven tray. Bake for 7 minutes or until fragrant and browned lightly. Chop walnuts coarsely.
Sift flours, soda and spices into a large bowl and stir in the sugar
Beat in eggs, vanilla, oil then carrot, pineapple and walnuts until well mixed
Pour cake mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn onto wire rack to cool completely.

Ice and decorate to suit

I used this citrus icing

250g icing sugar

75g unsalted butter

3 tbsp lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 1 orange

• finely grate the zest
• sift icing sugar into bowl with the zest
• cut the butter into thin slices and heat slowly, until completely melted - do not boil
• pour hot melted butter into the sifted icing sugar, beating as you pour, until it is all taken up by the sugar
• heat the juice in the pan (I use the same pan... without washing)
• pour the hot juice into the sugar/butter mixture, beating as you pour, until it is one silky mixture
• let the icing cool until it stiffens, beating it again before using it