My perfect deluxe greek lamb souvlaki.

I just cannot stand the hit and misses you get when you buy takeaway souvlakis most misses

of course meat is too fatty too much garlic or chilli i could go on but i wont

This is my answer to all the very average ones!

Serves two

4x large lamb fillets

2x long red chillis

dried mint cumin salt pepper

1 big clove of garlic finely chopped

1 ready made tzaziki

2 pita breads (warmed)

finely sliced white onion

fresh parsley

SO

cut lamb into small bits (as in photo)

put into a bowl with olive oil 2tbspns

add 1 tspn each of all dried spices and fresh garlic and parsley mix in well with your hands

put into fridge to marinate overnight or at least 2 hours take lamb out of fridge for at least an hour before cooking.

Heat a nonstick pan to high heat then put lamb in and stirring with a wooden spoon

cook till your liking add salt pepper or more of the other spices to taste

Warm pita spread tzaziki add fresh onion and parsley

and go nuts!

The perfect greek souvlaki.

Italian Veal Saltimbocca

This is a good looking dish its very important that your eyes get something as well as your taste buds and this is one of those dishes easy to make spectacular to eat...Saltimbocca ORIGIN Italian, literally ‘leap into the mouth.’

So

veal cut to palm size pieces bash with a mallet between greaseproof paper till thin but no too thin

Then

season salt pepper to taste dust with plain flour and fry medium heat in olive oil when hot splash in some good dry white wine and burn off alcohol when browned

remove from pan(keep the pan juices) cover with a thin slice of great prosciutto try and get the naturally cured type as the latter is too salty place in a baking dish with some of the pan juices sprinkle fresh sage leaves on top drizzle with olive oil

bake 180c for 40 minutes till tender

Serve with a crisp salad (recipe to come)

Bon Apetite

Fettuccini Alfredo

This guy alfredo invented this dish in 1914 in rome no not fredo from the godfather movie but i guess that family knows this goodfellas recipe... alfredos wife didnt have an apetite so he made this butter cream parmesan all one to one melt in a pot very slowly stirring now and then and as ive always said to taste add cracked pepper then when pasta is ready toss with the creamy deluxe sauce and more cracked pepper it really works with this sauce


An offer you cant refuse!
Serve with a great red wine.

My authentic los angelino chilli

1x can pinto beans (kidney beans)
400 grams lean beef mince
1x medium onion chopped
1x can organic (if you like!) diced tomatoes
3 long green chillis sliced seeds left in pod (these are not hot they are just to give flavour)
3 long red chillis (as above)
1 teaspoon cumin powder (if you have a mortar and pestle get the whole seeds and grind)much fresher flavour than the powder!
Half a red pepper chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 small dried chillis (add to mix whole)
Tabasco Chipolte sauce add at least 3 tablespoons and add more or less to your taste This is the main flavour for this chilli!
Tabasco green hot sauce add at least 1 tablespoon more or less to your taste this sauce opens it up a bit so its not too smokey in flavour
1 medium mild chorizo diced
2 teaspoons smokey paprika powder
1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt to taste!
Beef stock... use as much as you need as the dish simmers and reduces add as you need it… add water if it starts to get too salty
    so tasting as you go is very very important…this dish is simmered for around 2 hours till a thick consistency is reached
    Ive only made this twice and fantastic both times so add the powders and sauces with care don't add too much to start add and taste!!!!

SO
olive oil in the pan cook onions slowly for 3 minutes until soft not brown add mince and brown a bit not too much just brown... turn up heat a little
and add tomatoes cook for a few minutes mod heat then add kidney beans and some beef stock to just cover dish turn heat up till its simmering well without the lid on pan stir to combine then add all chillis
powders chorizo and sauces stir to combine lower heat put lid on slighty ajar and reduce heat for a slow simmer.
Just keep watching and tasting and adding stock or water as the flavours will mature near the end… adjust all flavours to taste you'll get this recipe after a couple times i reckon this is pretty foolproof
and i know i love cooking this is a moderate dish to cook up so practice it before your big cook off! 

This list of ingredients will make a cooks pan 30cm wide around 7 cm deep
this will feed around say 8 people as a snack…so just double or triple all ingredients to suit your needs and for the beef only dish just add the extra mince
to replace the beans…..

Serving suggestion

serve in small shallow terracotta bowls with a sprinkle of coriander leaves some tasty cheese

and  organic corn chips stuck into the chilli.

Bon Apetite.

Milanese osso buco

This is a great recipe that looks harder to cook that it seems this

will have your guests droooooolin!

Ingredients for 4 persons:
4 Beef or Veal Osso Buco steaks (shanks cut 2 inches thick)
1 onion, finely chopped
50 gms butter
50 gms flour
1/2 glass of white wine
1 l beef stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the “gremolada”
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped or pressed with the garlic press
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 tbsp continental parsley, finely chopped

Method.

Put the butter in your pan and sweat the onions not too high a temp.

Cut the outer membrane off the osso buco steaks and lightly coat in flour.

Add the steaks to the pan and brown with the onions.

Add white wine and burn off alcohol then add some beef stock and increase heat to a gentle simmer you will add beef stock and water to taste (you dont want it to get too salty).

Simmer gently for at least an hour and a half to 2 hours till meat is very very tender.

Finely chop parsley lemon zest and garlic together.

Serve osso buco on mash if you like with some of the gremolada over the top.

Bon Apetite.

Southern italian puttanesca pasta

I love this dish so italian in my humble opinion the most italian of pasta sauces.

olive oil (2 tablespoons) in the small size 15cm pan followed by 3 anchovies these will melt then some capers all to taste some people dont like too many capers you will work it out to your taste i like about half a tablespoon cook gently till they are nice and soft add 1 tin organic diced tomatoes 1 small amount of tomato paste salt pepper again to taste simmer and stir gently for 40 minutes then let cool

cook your pasta add sauce with finely chopped parsley stir till heated through and serve with a crisp salad and some great shiraz..(you can add a bit of parmeson to this if you like i do!

Bon Apetite

Greek island prawns
These are so easy to make and your friends will clammer for the last one!
Get some great australian prawns and it does not matter if they have been precooked its just easier and the flavour is the same,mix olive oil oregano lemon juice and 1 small finely diced garlic clove all to taste but it should balanced ie not too oily not too acidic,pour this over the prawns place in the fridge for 1half an hour and serve after chilling in the fridge (this ones for my dad he loved his seafood)
Bon Apetite