Italian roast drumsticks.

Mother nature may have made chicken drumsticks perfect to eat with your hands

Marinate chicken in juice of one large lemon plus its rind skin only just grate it

add 1 tbsn olive oil 1tbsn dry white wine 2 garlic cloves grated into marinade

then 1tspn of each mixed herbs chilli flakes cracked pepper salt

cut 4 slits into each drumstick for marinade to penetrate

put chicken into a glad bag pour in marinade close up bag squeezing out as much air as you can and this is important squish the chicken with your hands through the glad bag for a while dont be scared just squish it!  marinate in fridge for not more than 2 hours 

roast uncovered in oven at 200c for half an hour then turn the oven down to 160c and turn drumsticks continue to roast till almost falling of the bone (so it looks like my photo!) 

this is for 4 big drumsticks.  

Bon Apetite.

Japanese sticky teriyaki chicken.

get some good teriyaki sauce (glaze) ive used the Ayam branded one

so 1 cup teriyaki one tbsn honey half tspn rice wine vinegar and a tspn wasabi

mix this concoction together slit drumstick 3 times for marinate to penetrate place drumsticks in a plastic or ceramic container where they can sit together tightly so the marinate covers them.

Marinate in fridge for at least 3-4 hours but not overnight

remove from marinade but reserve the marinade as you may need some for basting

oven 200c uncovered for 25mins then turn heat down to 160c and cook till ready check every now and then basting and turning them at least once say after an hour

serve with a crisp japanese beer and a salad

bon apetite!

Tuna patty mmmmm!

this will make 2 big serves

Big potato or 2 medium ones boiled till al dente when ready plunge into cold water and cool add drained olive oil tuna 200 grams and a handful of chopped fresh dill salt pepper (add scallions fine chop if you like) and an egg to bind, mix squisy with hands till well combined put into fridge to cool for at least 2 hours shape into a 9cm patty cook in shallow veg oil till golden serve warm with a dill lemon mayo sauce and crispy simple salad

enjoy!

My easy parmeson cracked pepper scrambled eggs.

learnt this easy way to make scrambled eggs from Rick Stien.. then i made it my own with black pepper and really good italian parmeson.

slow heat a non stick pan with butter when warm crack 3 eggs straight into pan (non of the ol bother of a bowl first) i love texture in my eggs and this is perfect as its not so scrambled and i think tastes and has a better mouth feel than eggs that have been whipped a frenzy in a bowl.

When the eggs are half ready add 2 tbsn parmeson mix through when eggs are ready and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper if you like they should look like my photo sorta scrambled with bits of the yolk coming through

serve with buttered toast and finely chopped parsley.

BON APETITE!   

My spicy olive tapenade.

Add to your morter pitted great kalamata olives try to get good deli ones so there not too salty the capers will look after that taste add olive oil capers fresh chilli garlic and anchovies you experiment with amounts to suit your palate,try these amounts first

5 tbsns olive oil 1 big red chilli chopped keep the seeds 1 tbsn red wine vinegar 8 large olives 1 tbsn really good capers (rinsed)

4 fillets of anchovies pound all of these together to a rough paste (i like texture)

spread onto crusy bread or serve with meats or part of a mezze!

Enjoy!  

italian pollo (chicken) pepperonata.

This is just a beautiful flavoured chicken dish!

and easy saute your chicken breast in olive oil till golden remove from pan add a touch more oil to the pan add garlic onions (sliced)and some red and green capsicum (sliced) and saute for a minute till pan is hot then add some dry white wine to pan with peppers etc add 1 tbsn tomato paste as well with wine and cook out alcohol till you get a nice sauce return chicken to pan and heat all through with all other ingredients salt and pepper to taste serve with crusty bread

spanish type albigondas (spicy spicy meatballs)

hello at last im back guys so here is an amazing dish that ive sorta made my own as i add very special ingredients to the meatballs the tomato based sauce is simply garlic onions sauted in olive oil just as you would the start of a simple pasta sauce then passatta is added then cumin smoky paprika chilli powder all to taste it should be hot and smokey with a good hint of cumin

THE ALBIGONDAS

these little gems are beef mince not too lean though leave a bit of fat in them fat is flavour

put 300grams mince into a bowl big enough to get your hands all squishy as you mix the mix

add a tbsn organic tomato sauce 1 small egg one handful fresh mint and parsley cut together then toast slightly

1and a half tspn of whole cumin and again the same amount of whole caraway seeds when cooled put the seeds into a morter and pestle and just give a small grind so the seeds have a bit of texture add these to the mix as well as half tbsn dried oregano and 2 slices of white bread crusts removed soaked quickly in some water then squeezed to remove most of the water ad  d this to the mix and mix with you hands till everything is combined to a smooth mix (this is important!)

your sauce should have been on a slight simmer for at least an hour and the albigondas have been in the fridge for at least 2 hours so they firm up,remove meatballs from fridge shape into small balls say just a bit smaller than a golfball slip them one by one into the slow simmering sauce and simmer away till ready.

serve with fresh parsley crusty bread a crisp salad

more to come guys!    

garlic and pepper fillet with rocket.

get yourself some great beef fillet slice to an inch and a half thick then bash with a kitchen mallet coarse side down till about 1cm thick this will help keep steaks tender for a very quick cook must be pink in the middle of a very thin steak heat a griddle pan non stick if you have one sprinkle steaks with a little olive oil and rub in well crack some pepper over both sides and grate a clove of garlic and rub this paste well into steaks make sure steaks are at room temp place steaks in hot griddle and sear quickly for about 30 seconds each side turn steak over 4 times to get a nice griddle pattern on fillets

remove to warm plate serve with a simple rocket salad with olive oil white wine vinegar (to your taste) and a touch of pepper to bring out the peppery taste of the rocket you can add some spinach or watercress to the rocket

season steaks with salt to taste and enjoy this is a wonderfully easy dish.

bon apetite!

Goan spicy potato dry curry

love this dish you can make it with cauliflour any hardy veg cut to small sizes

or you can make it with lamb as well for a carnivorous dish

heat 2tbsns veg oil in pan heat till moderate heat add 1tspn of each ground coriander whole caraway seeds 

whole cumin and mustard seeds fresh crushed garlic and curry leaves ginger fry mildly till aromatic throw in potatoes cut to say 2cm cubes from one big potato fry quickly add some water and 2tbsns tomato puree then go nuts and stir away till all combined this is sort of like you cook a rissotto cooking adding liquids as you reduce so keep doing this because the potatoes have to be firm but tender add 1tspn or more garam masala salt pepper after the initial adding of liquids and you have fried up the dry herbs, all to taste add more tomato or water to pan, it just depends if you like it to be more tomato in base or not

again taste and season to your taste

cover and simmer till tender!

add some fresh coriander and chilli, rice and yogurt on the side spiced with a bit of cardamon

serves 2 as a side dish

Bon apetite.

french bistro open baked garlic bread

cut some great baguettes into 1 inch slices heat some olive oil in a non stick pan and toast till golden

put into a baking tray topped with finely chopped garlic a small knob o butter for each slice lots o cracked pepper and cheese of your choice ive used a mild tasty cheddar, bake uncovered for whatever it takes to be gooey and golden sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the top if you like for a fresh dash of flavour
yes very fatty bumba but enjoy all in moderation i loved it when the all seeing doctors told us red wine is great for you thanks guys and now eat more chocolate darker the better is good for us life is getting better indeed next week smoke more ciggies good for your heart who knows ha ha ha!

bon apetite

sicilian garlic parsley mushrooms/porcini on golden bread

heat some butter in a pan depending on how many mushrooms this will determine size of pan

saute gently sliced mushrooms add some finely diced garlic and when almost done add some fresh parsley

a dash of white wine vinegar and heat through (again all to taste make it over and over and make this dish your own) top crusty baguettes that have been toasted in a pan high heat with olive oil brushed onto the slices

add cracked pepper if you like pepper goes very well with mushrooms/ceps/porcinis whatever you like to call these fungi delights this is fantastic with parmeson scrambled eggs

My great open steak sandwich with smokey flavour. 

Get a couple o great porterhouse steaks trim all the fat, Jennifer Paterson is rolling in her grave but im going to add some great flavours to make up for the loss of sat fats!

leave steaks to room temp bash with a mallet spikey side down both sides till about 1cm thin

season with salt pepper heat a little olive oil in pan add some natural hickory smoke to it and cook steak both sides till browned and a bit bloooody just like Uma liked it at 'jack rabbit slims'

add very fine sliced orga tommys and red onion and pan juices to a half sliced and slightly toasted turkish bread

top with the onion add a few more small splashes of the liquid smoke top with your fave cheese i like a bit of vintage tasty cheddar and then some rocket you can eat it as is but i like to grill it first and then add cold rocket....yummo!
serves two lovely people.

Pan cooked King George Whiting.

This is one expensive fish up there with sea bass at nearly $50 aud per kilo so you have to cook this right

no baking or steaming for this fine fishy!

this is a simple dish that will reward with the sweet taste and the crispy crispy skin

heat olive oil(not much at all say 2mm deep) in a wide non stick pan, add fillets to seasoned flour (sea salt/ crackedpepper)

cover with flour a thin coating both sides

they said king george went mad i guess if he had eaten more fish the healthy oils may have saved him!

lay into hot oil flesh side down for 2 minutes then flip and finish off skin side down for say 7 minutes or less check check check with some tongs to see if skin is golden serve on plates skin side up with extra salt splash of fresh lemon juice serve with a crispy salad

this is truly one of my faves

Bon Apetite.

my fabbo poached pears with amaretto double cream.

get some sorta large and still firm pears cut in half and try to keep the stem top for looks on one of the halves remove the cores put into pan snug fit is best cover with a very good semi sweet white wine add caster sugar to taste should be a bit sweet, taste taste taste as ive always said add a few cloves some honey grated nutmeg and half a stick of cinnamon bring to boil then simmer gently till soft but firm

put some great double cream into a bowl at room temp and add drop by drop amaretto also at room temp whilst stirring furiously with a whisk drop by drop otherwise the cream will curdle

serve pear warm with a swirl of amaretto cream poaching liquid and chunks of really good 70% dark chocolata.

mmmmmmm!

 tapas idea #7659

roast a red capsicum or two in the oven 180c till slightly charred remove

let cool for a few minutes then peel skin off slice remove most of the seeds and stem

put into a bowl when still hot (as the peppers will take in more flavour) add olive oil white wine vinegar a touch of balsamic

and finely chopped garlic all to taste but should just be well balanced with the vinegar

not too acidic then heat a non stick pan with a touch of olive oil spray to a medium high heat and just place 2cm slices of a great french crusty baguette and keep watching and turning them put your exhaust fan on for this one but its painless and pretty quick or just toast them i like this way as its a bit more rustic looking

leave peppers till room temp even better a few days later

serve with the charred french baguette slices and maybe some fresh parsley
bon apetite!

french bistro potatoes

boil small potatoes till soft but firm

remove from water cool for about a half hour heat a small amount of olive oil garlic clove crushed and butter together

in a  shallow pan toss potatoes with sea salt and black pepper 
heat to high and just roll the pan gently till

  sorta crispy serve with juices and crusty french bread

this is a great accompaniment to a thick garlic pepper steak serve with a crispy salad

french bistro pan cooked fish.

mmmm a wonderful fave of mine and o so healthy

you can use bream fillets or rockling for this, a hardy fish is needed for the furious high heat sear needed for great charring so marinate fish in olive oil  salt pepper for an hour then heat nonstick pan to high heat add fillets and sear till slightly golden as in pic

meanwhile add some butter white wine to a small pan and simmer with a broken garlic clove fresh dill and a pinch of salt till hot and reduced by half, all to taste as ive always said!
but it should lean to the lemony side but not too much 

pour sauce over fish serve with crispy salad and crusty french bread to sop up all of the wonderful juices

bon apetite.

thai 'nam tok' beef salad.

i love this dish so healthy so clean and fresh

sear a lean piece of porterhouse in a very hot cast pan till charred but still pink in the middle a slighty chilled meat will help with this the texture its important... let steak cool meanwhile chop handful of mint and coriander leaves half a small red onion finely sliced and halfed, 1 or 2 if you love it hot small red chillis seeds an all but as ive always said to taste to taste!

in a small ramekin or bowl mix 1 tspn caster sugar 2 tblsns lime juice 2 tspns fish sauce

half tspn ground hot chilli

NOW

taste taste taste and get the flavour as you like it! i like it totally balanced but some may like it on the sweet side where i like everything balanced its up to your own taste

toss all ingredients in a bowl chill for 20 minutes in the cooler

serve with a fresh sprinkle of ground chilli

and toasted ground rice if you like that nutty overtone.

im droolin typing this as i just made it and im going to eat it after i finish this post so enjoy!

sunset from my terrace.

i know what to taste with a sunset like this my greek summer prawns and a chilly pinot grigio

this was photographed about a week ago by me
check me out as a photographer if you like
www.chrisioannou.com.au

french bistro mushroom chicken with white wine fresh herbs and cheese

cut breast into a medallion flatten season salt pepper you know the drill add a tbspn butter to non stick pan tspn olive oil cook till slightly golden both sides this is gonna cook fully in the oven

saute sliced fresh portobellos in some tyme cracked pepper and butter till hot add a splash o white wino

simmer that till sorta dry then cool in the pan

so then you

add breast to a small baking dish as pictured pour over mushroom mixture top with you fave tasty cheese this dish is sorta healthy goodness lifes too short 'enjoy' as 

jennifer patterson used to say... what a life she had

oven 180c 20 minutes check check check must be a gooey melt
serve with red wine and a crisp salad 

my easy peasy winter lamb shanks in white wine with fresh veg and herbs

Winter is upon us yes dread o dread i love the cold months hearty meals like this but most of them are so time consuming this takes 30 minutes to prepare and then you just cook in oven till ready

4 small potatoes skin on cut in half 1 medium brown onion thickly sliced 6 big cloves of garlic just smashed with your hand/fist and husk off 1 medium carrot thickly sliced

1 tblsn fresh tyme and rosemary add salt cracked pepper to these

season shanks with salt pepper lay all of these into baking dish splash a bit of dry white wine

and olive oil cover with at least 2 layers of foil heat oven to max when really hot add dish for 20 minutes then lower oven to 180c cook for 2 hours check check check turn oven OFF leave in for another hour!

serve with your drooooolin mouth or gob as we sometimes say here in oz!
salt pepper again to suit your personal taste
enjoy as jennifer says!

mexico city grilled rockling.

this is my recipe get a great fresh bit o thick fish i like rockling for this
the picture is an ungrilled one i want you to see it as it should be before grilling in a pan

mix 2 tbsn olive oil with fresh coriander leaves 1 clove garlic finely chopped

add green tabasco to taste salt pepper 1 tspn smoky paprika and some funky lime or lemon zest thin slices

spread all over fish i cut some slits on top of the great thick steak so marinate will go through

leave covered room temp for an hour no more

heat pan till high heat sear both sides till slightly golden never ever over cook fish

never!

serve with a crisp salad

my secret thai roughly diced fish paste.

i love a coconut thai curry but i love leaving the milk! out sort of like malay cooking much more dry a curry hence less coconut milk i love it this way well heres a thai fish dish with no coconut milk at all its very spicy easy to make sorta but very easy to cook so a bit of karma

2 large cloves garlic a bit of ginger thats about as big as a biggish clove of garlic

2 small birds eye chillis seeds half removed 1 big red chilli finley diced 3 big kafirr leaves (thanks janice from her garden) a tight handful of coriander leaves and roots if you like and very very finely chopped lemongrass 2 tspns

finely chop these all together to the rough thai paste pictured

in between a blender and a morter/pestle try it its a fantastic texture that goes with the fish so well

add some peanut oil (1 tablespoon) water (2 tablespoons) fish sauce (1 teaspoon or to taste) well everything in fact also add a sprinkle of ground white pepper and 1 tspn of really good sweet chilli sauce

spoon over you fave fish i like flathead tails cover with foil bake 180c for 20 minutes or so check check check

make this dish your own

also makes your bench a mess but its worth it!

tapas idea #7,891

any idea you get in your head for an easy snack make it

TAPAS

invent away my foodie professors great baguette from a frenchy place

tuna slices with the oil it comes with top with chilled avocado spanish onions finely sliced

add some fruity chilli sauce like my fave 'encona west indian hot pepper sauce'

BEWARE

this sauce is hot but o so fruity not sweet but fruity use with caution!
if you cant find this sauce green tabasco works well with this

just a few drops all to taste as ive always said

top with fresh parsley

and enjoy.

old fashion british style lamb chops very yum yum!

get some lovely lamb chops but not too thin 1 inch thickness is best for this recipe as you can sear them fast and it still remains pink and juicy in the middle

leave chops till room temp add pepper salt heat olive oil in pan till hot add chops sear both sides till golden then add 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce to hot pan and turn chops once or twice while reducing sauce boil off till chops are glossy but a bit dry not too much check with my photo its very accurate as it should look add more salt pepper if you like all to taste

as jennifer from the 2 fat ladies says nobody knows your taste than yourself

make this dish your own!

easy but exotic nachos!

who does not love a nachos this is my speedy gonzales dish for a wonderful but easy snack to make you can add homemade avocado dip (recipe pending) sour cream fresh chillis your fave hot chilli sauces etc as ive always said make this dish your own this is the start of the idea!

layer natural corn chips you know what i mean not flavoured ones

add your favourite tasty cheese (full fat please as jennifer would have insisted upon)

sprinkle with some smoky paprika and ground chillis to taste add some finely sliced shallots

oven bake covered 180c heat till still gooey dont let the cheese dry out so check after 15 mins

serve with some chilled spanish onion bread and a crispy salada

you know speedy gonzales was a carpet layer hence his cry 'underlay underlay'

bad joke i know.

Bon Apetite

TAPAS IDEA #769a

this is my tapas idea and you can dream up any tapas you like the flavors must work together!

slice a great baguette into one inch slices drop into a pan with olive oil turn turn turn till crispy

add great cheese of your choice i like italian provalone its close to spanish cheeses

let melt add at the last turn of the bread cracked pepper and if you are feeling hungry a bit of shaved parma ham on top with a little drizzle of warm olive oil lemon juice diced capers and parsley

more to come i love tapas so easy and a smorgasboard of tastes

where does that word smorgas well you know the one come from?

smorgasbord |ˈsmôrgəsˌbôrd|
noun
a buffet offering a variety of hot and cold meats, salads, hors d'oeuvres, etc.
• figurative a wide range of something; a variety : the album is a smorgasbord of different musical styles.
ORIGIN Swedish, from smörgås ‘(slice of) bread and butter’ (from smör ‘butter’ + gås ‘goose, lump of butter’ ) + bord ‘table.’

there you go!

spanish pan grilled prawns 'la plancha style'

TAPAS IDEA #578

only kidding there are so many tapas ideas ill start with #578 idea

'la plancha a spanish term means to cook with very little oil over high heat in a heavy pan'

SO

lovely raw fresh australian king prawns leave heads on

marinate in olive oil lemon juice and garlic for an hour

heat olive oil with crushed garlic and some smoky paprika and ground black pepper all to taste

cook cook cook till a bit blackend and the poor ol buggers are crispy

sprinkle with parsley and some lemon juice serve with crusty bread and more tapas ideas to come

grilled prawns and crisp white wine under the moon?

the view from my terrace

yes i dont know what is the most romantic dish to have under the moon yet so ive backed it up a bit to the sunset before i shot the big cheese in the sky this was 2 days ago to help gimme a think 

hhmmm
most romantic dish to have under the moonlit night sky
?????

my vietnamese spicy pork noodle soup

cannot believe i could not get this anywhere i cant buy this so make it... rice noodles cook to packs directions get some great bbq pork from your asian butcher or victoria street viet supermarkets mint coriander vegies of your choice shallots onion bean sprouts

THE STOCK

beef stock watered down a bit to taste add onions white pepper black pepper chilli oil pickled chilli and lemon juice

this all too taste you may have to make this once to get it but as ive always said taste taste taste when making anything but of course a wonderful asian stock like this and this is the easy version its gotta look good must have red colour and all those bits of oh i dont know what floating in it to give that great look that makes you want to dive in like you were back in the fantastico vietnamese/thai street stalls!

SO

 add bbq pork all prepared noodles herbs and vegetables into bowls boil stock till super hot and pour over 

 serve right away

the romance of the moon for foodies all over the world

ever seen that movie moonstruck great romance cooking italian familys going through life that big moon in the sky makes you feel younger and makes me want to cook so the next story is the most romantic dish you can have under the big cheese in the sky! Hmmm what shall it be?

this is my shot by the way yes i can take photos of food and the majesties above
moon burger hmmm
saturn chilli ring burger (think about it!)

french bistro cheese pepper and butter cooked chicken medallion

take an organic breast remove tenderloin save for a curry or whatever... slice in half bash with your lower fist each of them between some grease proof paper till flatter and wider but not too thin

season salt pepper to taste heat your fave butter in pan gently add chicken and saute till golden on both sides put into a roasting pan a cozy size (such as pictured)

then tasty cheese with lots o cracked black pepper out of a mill

cover put into oven pre heated to 180 for 30 mins or so dont over heat check check check

should be wonderfully gooey and flowing just as pictured.

watching the two fat ladies yes an old show but a mould breaker for tv cooking shows to this day i kid you not... they would have loved this simple but very indulgent dish god love jennifer rest her soul she was so funny and wonderful!

Bon Apetite.

Thai garlic chilli pepper chicken with white pepper rice

i like it hot so im guessing you might as well this is my easy but excellent version of this dish which is a beauty as you can prepare the night before and marinate overnight in all of the superb flavours

400 grams organic chicken breast cut into bite size bits add to a bowl then add 

half a medium onion cut to quarters

1 large garlic clove finely chopped

half a small capsicum(red) sliced and quarted

2 birds eye chillis seeds an all finely sliced (these are really hot so to taste)

1 tablespoon pickled chilli

2 teaspoons fish sauce 

2 teaspoons Maggie seasoning (get it at an asian store)

3 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)

mix all ingredients in bowl cover and into fridge till dinner the next day...
but and a big butt no your butt will not get big eating this you can marinate for 1 or 2 hours no problem at all
remove from the fridge for at least 1 hour then

cook your rice as usual but put 1/2 a tablespoon of ground white pepper to the water and stir then cook as usual.

heat wok till high heat add 1 and a half tablespoons of peanut oil add chicken mix from bowl and stir fast till cooked well through serve with pepper rice add soy if you like its pretty tasty though.

I remember Robin Williams line from Good Morning Vietnam when offered fishball soup

He says 'i didnt know fish had Balls!
Bon Apetite!

Classic napolitana pizza (easy version)

itsa luigi here to let you know owa easy thisa isa

pizza is easy for you allo ofa my friendsa!

im going to make this easy so try to get a certain pita bread which ive found to make a great base

its not the thin 2 layer job this pita is one layer fluffy and light its called? ill get back to you on that and

 you can get it from? 
so use what you like at the moment
oil your base with a touch of good olive oil
add some passata thats been reduced  with salt pepper and a few basil leaves
heat oven to the max if you have a pizza stone put into the oven cold and heat from cold this is so important never ever put a cold stone into a hot oven very dangerous!!!
no pizza stone then a non stick pizza pan sorta ok you can get ones with tiny holes in them to help the pizza base crisp! (pictured with a non stick pan)
(if using one of these max oven temp 170c) it will take longer to cook but a pizza stone is best
 after adding sauce add great mozzarella cheese anchovies kalamata olives (halfed and pitted) oregano
all to taste capers if you like and even crushed garlic if you like!
put into searing oven (max heat for a stone base!) for about 8 to 12 minutes just keep a watch on it!
make this pizza your own.

butter cooked chicken with easy mushroom pepper gravy

mmm mmm mmm as sam jackson says in pulp fiction mm mmm

and in jackie brown you get it if you know the flicks

there is nothing better than crispy butter cooked chicken with a a gravy sauce not the mango sauce chef wanted on the boat guess the movie its a biggie heres a clue 'gasoline'

chook breast remove the tenderloins you can use those for a curry or thai dish

cut breast in half then make a slice in the middle open up and bash into a medallion

cook in butter swishing around so as not to burn the butter when golden add mushroom gravy

ok ok ok (i sound like joe pesci) so yeah no gravy recipe so here it comes saute 3 big portobello mushrooms(chopped) in butter 1 big tablespoon... add a bit o salt and pepper when softened add some ready made gravy you get at the super markets why do they call them that they are not super at all!

serve with crispo salad as usual for a dish like this

Bon Apetite