Roman Chicken (Pollo alla Romana)

Cooking in Rome has very old traditions and is based on simple and inexpensive ingredients. The poor Roman, living in cramped quarters, often ate in the streets, which later transformed into eating out while seated, and the great trattorias and osterias of Rome burgeoned. These were small family-run restaurants that served perfectly cooked, but simple dishes. These home cooks set the tone, not only for Roman cooking, but also for Roman hospitality.

The traditional osterie of Roma, which were family-run, simple, where everybody sat down at common tables, a sheet of paper under the plate, where you could order spaghetti all'amatriciana and a few other things cooked with honest simplicity is slowly disappearing. However, not all is lost. The Castelli just outside Rome still live in their old traditions.

Serves 4
recipe from TasteItalia

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 red peppers, seeds removed, cut into strips
2 green peppers, seeds removed, cut into strips
100ml olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
pinch of dried chili flakes
100ml white wine
400g can peeled plum tomatoes, drained
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Trim the chicken of any fat, then heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onion until soft and translucent, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the chicken until golden. Put the onions back in the pan and add the garlic and chili. Stir for 1 minute. Add the wine to the pan and reduce by half, then add the peppers and stir well. Add the tomatoes after 5 minutes. Lower heat and season to taste. Cover and simmer gently for around 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are soft. Stir in the parsley and serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Just a hint of heat coming from the chilies and the chicken was oh so tender! I can't wait to find my own trattoria or osteria when we're in Rome in July! Cheers!

Halloumi wrapped in Red Pepper

Yesterday's Formula One Grand Prix race in Bahrain was exciting to watch. My husband has been following F1 for many years and the lucky boy actually got to see the Melbourne Grand Prix live! He never misses one unless it happens that the race is well past his bedtime (time zones). Anyway, I usually make some sort of appetizer for hubby to munch on whilst watching the race. Halloumi is a white cheese made from goat's and sheep's milk. It has a distinctive layered texture, similar to mozzarella, and has a salty flavor. This is an easy snack to make not to mention delicious!

Serves 4 (as a side)
recipe from Olive magazine

200g halloumi, sliced into 4
4 red bell peppers
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 red chili, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
4 black or green olives, sliced or chopped

Grill or roast peppers until they soften (enough to be able to wrap around the cheese). Remove from heat and cover with plastic warp. After the peppers have cooled, remove skin. Open each pepper and trim insides and tops. Place a slice of halloumi in the center. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice. Divide chili, oregano and olives between the peppers. Tie with damp kitchen string and flatten slightly. Grill on BBQ on both sides for 5 minutes or until the peppers begin to char.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I love all the flavors happening in this little bundle! The lemon softens the saltiness of the cheese while the chili gives the peppers a bit of a bite, but not too much to overpower.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Paella is a family favorite but I don't always have the time to prepare or the recipe feeds more than 4 people. However, this dish is easy to make plus it's the right size for my family. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (green vegetables, meat, snails, beans and seasoning), seafood paella (seafood with no beans and green vegetables) and mixed paella (free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans).

Serves 4
recipe from Delicious magazine

110g cured chorizo, sliced
1 large Spanish onion, sliced
1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless cut into chunks
300g paella or risotto rice
1 litre of hot chicken stock
1 red bell pepper, sliced
handful green beans, halved
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
handful of chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Heat a large pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the chorizo until it is golden and the oil is released. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes then stir in the paprikas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat a knob of butter in the same pan and stir in the rice, then add the hot chicken stock, stir well and cook for 10 minutes. Return chorizo, chicken and onion to the pan with red pepper, green beans and tomatoes. Season and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: This was a delicious meal packed with flavor. Don't worry if you don't have a proper paella pan as I just used my wok.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta

I love dinners that are easy on the budget and delicious! The ingredients are simple in this dish but when all combined, the taste is amazing! Mark Twain said that cauliflower was "cabbage with a college education," and, indeed, it is a member of the cabbage family. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin K and folate.

Serves 4
recipe from Delicious magazine

400g pasta such as penne, bow tie pasta
1 medium cauliflower, broken in florets
1 tablespoon olive oil and a knob of butter
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
30g grated Parmesan
50g grated mature Cheddar cheese
handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Meanwhile, blanch cauliflower until tender and drain. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a large pan and fry onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and the rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for a few minutes until golden. Add a ladleful of the pasta water and simmer until water evaporates. Drain the pasta, add to the cauliflower mixture and toss with the cheeses. Then add the parsley. To serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The rosemary really takes this dish up a notch in the flavor factor so much so that my daughter said she really liked it and wanted more. Ah, music to a mother's ears!

Stuffed Aubergine (Eggplant) Steaks

This looked and sounded good so I thought I'd try this recipe. As much as my family loves Indian food, I have to say that I only own two Indian cookbooks: The Food of India and Indian Essence. The Food of India was my first cookbook and I would highly recommend it as gives the reader a thumbnail sketch into the ethos of Indian food, spices used, cooking methods and, of course, the legendary Indian hospitality. Aubergine (also known as eggplant) are native to the general Southeast Asian region of India and modern day Pakistan and was first domesticated there over 4000 years ago. Eggplant has been vastly under-used but thanks to Asian and Southern European influences in today's cooking, it is finding its way into more and more dishes. It is a good meat substitute which also makes it attractive to vegetarians. Eggplant is bland in flavor, but it soaks up flavors of accompanying foods, herbs, and spices like a sponge, much like tofu.

Serves 4 (as an appetizer)
recipe from Indian Essence

400g aubergine (eggplant)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stuffing:
200g potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus extra to shallow fry
pinch of asafoetida
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 green chili, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
50g carrots, grated
50g cauliflower, grated
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Cut 4 steaks from the widest part of the aubergine, each 2cm thick. Cut out the pulp from the centers, leaving a 1cm border intact. Sprinkle with the salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces and par-boil in salted water for 5-7 minutes. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then grate finely.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a saute pan, wok or kadhai. Add the asafoetida and, as it sizzles, add the chopped garlic, green chili and cumin seeds. Sauté for a minute or two until the garlic is light brown in color and the cumin seeds crackle. Add the grated carrots and cauliflower and sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the ground coriander, chili powder and turmeric. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add the grated potatoes, sugar, ginger and salt, and cook well for 12 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves then remove from heat and set aside.

Rinse the aubergine steaks carefully under cold running water and dry with paper towel. Place on a board and spoon the stuffing into the centers. Heat a thin film of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Using a fish slice (or metal spatula), lift the aubergine steaks into the pan and fry for about 2 minutes each side until golden. Remove and place on paper towel. Serve warm, garnished with coriander sprigs and accompanied by mustard yogurt chutney.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Lovely flavors and textures happening in this dish! Cumin is one of my favorite spices and its nutty peppery flavor packs a punch especially when paired with chili.

Lasagne with Meatballs (Lasagne con Polpette)

It seems to be a bit of an Italian week of meals for the Culinary Chase household! I love lasagna and meatballs but I've never had the two together in one dish. There are oodles of meatball recipes from different countries. Check out In Mommas Kitchen for the list. Lasagna has been around for ages but there was a bit of a dispute as to whether it hails from Italy or Britain! Yes, you read correctly. While researching historically accurate meals for a medieval banquet to be staged at Berkeley Castle, Maurice Bacon and his team found a recipe for 'loseyns' in an 'old' cookbook. (The text in question, the Forme of Cury, is often cited as the world's oldest surviving recipe book, having been commissioned by Britain's Richard II c.1390). More on this, click here.

Serves 6-8
recipe from TasteItalia magazine

275g minced beef
275g minced pork
1 large egg
50g fresh white breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons Parmesan or Grana Padano, grated
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 x 400g cans of chopped Italian plum tomatoes
150ml water
2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or basil
6-8 no bake lasagne sheets

For the Bechamel Sauce:
700ml milk
1 bay leaf and 1 sprig of thyme
50g unsalted butter
50g Italian '00' flour or plain flour

Put 175g of each of the beef and pork in a bowl. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, half the parsley and half the garlic. Mix together, then using your hand knead the mixture until smooth. Roll small pieces of the mixture with you hand to create 30 balls. Place on a baking tray and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the bechamel sauce put the milk in a saucepan. Add the bay and thyme and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse.

Make the meat sauce: heat half the oil in saucepan, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, then stir over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining meats and cook for 10 minutes. Season, then add the tomatoes, water, parsley and oregano. Stir, cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, cook the meatballs 5-8 minutes until browned all over. Preheat oven to 180c (350f). Strain the milk to remove the bay and thyme. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and stir in the flour; heat 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the milk gradually. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low, stirring until thick. Remove from heat.

Spread one third of the meat sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Add half the meatballs, spread with one third of the bechamel and cover with half of the lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers,then top with the remaining meat sauce and bechamel. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Make sure the dish you use to cook the lasagne in is deep enough to accommodate the two levels of meatballs. Mine turned out a bit messy but flavors were amazing. Two of my favorite Italian dishes combined....delicious! Great as a leftover the next day. Enjoy!

Cannelloni with Saffron Sauce (Cannelloni allo Zafferano)

If you've been following my blog you know I'm usually highlighting recipes that are relatively fast and easy to make and I mention a bit of history or nutritional notes, too. But, there are times when I just want a meal that's sinfully delicious, full of calories and always leaves me wanting more. This dish is exactly that! Very scrumptious but definitely not for those who are watching their calorie intake. Saffron is a spice derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus. Saffron is widely used in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Turkish and Cornish cuisines.

Serves 2
recipe from TasteItalia

4 sheets of lasagne
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 canned artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped
50g mozzarella, chopped
115g ricotta
50g dolcelatte
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped

For the Sauce:
15g unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
large pinch of saffron strands
1 tablespoon white wine
125g mascarpone cheese

Preheat the oven to 180c (350f). Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, and cook the lasagna sheets separately for 1-2 minutes (enough so that you can roll them up). Remove from water and drain. To make the filling, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and fry until soft, then add the chopped artichokes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mozzarella, ricotta, dolcelatte and rosemary. Season and mix together well (remove from heat and set aside).

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and saffron and heat gently. Add the wine and mascarpone. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes. To assemble the dish, place some filling lengthways down the center of each pasta sheet. Moisten the edges with warm water and roll each rectangle up to form a thick tube. Arrange the cannelloni in a greased ovenproof dish, pour the sauce over the top and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I used a small jar of marinated artichokes to add to the filling as the canned ones can be on the bland side especially with the dolcelatte competing for flavors. The dolcelatte is an Italian blue veined soft cheese and I actually would not add as much as the recipe indicates as this will make a happy balance between the artichoke and cheese. Also, I placed the filling alongside the edge of the lasagne sheet and rolled up from there. This makes it easier to keep the ingredients from leaking out. Sinfully delicious!

Artichoke, Lemon & Parmesan Pasta

'Quick dinners' was the heading in the food magazine which was all that was needed to catch my eye. I love making meals that are quick, nutritious and taste great. This recipe fits all three and with a vote of confidence from my family saying they want to eat this again, this has to be a good thing! The globe artichoke is the only true artichoke (Jerusalem artichokes are unrelated). Artichokes may range in color from dark violet to pale green, and in size from a golf ball to a softball. Baby artichokes are a bit more tender than globe and do not need to be trimmed. Artichokes are an excellent source of vitamin C and folate. It is also a good source of magnesium and potassium. For more recipes on artichokes, click here.

Serves 2
recipe from BBC Australian Good Food

150g spaghetti
100g marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
juice and rind of 1 lemon
25g (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan
small bunch of basil, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook pasta according to packet directions. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, season well and mix together. Drain pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid. Toss to combine water with all ingredients and serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The only thing I added was chopped garlic. Delicious!

Waldorf Salad

A Waldorf salad consists of finely sliced apple, celery, chopped walnuts, grapes, and mayonnaise or a mayonnaise-based dressing. It was first created around 1893 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City (the precursor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel which opened in 1931). The original version of this salad contained only apples, celery and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts later became an integral part of the dish and is usually served on top of a bed of lettuce.

Serves 4
recipe from BBC Australian Good Food

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 red delicious apples, sliced into thin wedges
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon snipped chives
225g (3/4 cup) whole egg mayonnaise
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

Place lemon juice in a large bowl with apple slices and toss. This will help repvent apples from browning. Add remaining ingredients, toss lightly and season to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Serve with salmon or smoked trout.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Out of all the salads I have ever made, I've never made this one. I substituted fennel slices for the celery. You can toss them in with the apple as I find the lemon juice helps to soften the fennel. You can also try using a mixture of half mayonnaise and half yogurt. A delicious light salad that would go quite easily with salmon or smoked trout.

Chicken with Coriander Pilaf

It's been a while since I've cooked any Indian food. My husband and I along with some friends ate at a lovely Indian restaurant, Hazara, on Saturday night so this post is an easy introduction to Indian cooking. Pilaf is a dish in which a grain (such as rice or cracked wheat), is cooked in oil, and then cooked in a seasoned broth. Depending on the local cuisine, it may also contain a variety of meat and vegetables. Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian, East African, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines. Cardamom is one of the world’s very ancient spices. It is used as flavorings in both food and drink and the ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds as a tooth cleaner; the Greeks and Romans used it as a perfume. A delightful recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. Does it get any easier than this?

Serves 4
recipe from BBC Australian Good Food

300g natural yogurt
2 tablespoons madras or other Indian curry paste
4 x 180g chicken breast fillets
20g butter
1 onion, halved and sliced
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 1/2 cups (300g) basmati rice
2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
1 red chili, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 bunch of coriander, chopped

Combine yogurt and curry paste in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Set aside. Heat butter in a wide shallow frying pan on medium-high. Cook onion and cardamom for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add rice, stock and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, until stock is absorbed and rice is tender (add a bit more water of needed). Meanwhile, preheat a grill on medium. Cook chicken for 4 minutes each side, until golden and cooked through. Set aside. Stir almond, chili and coriander through rice. Slice chicken and arrange over rice to serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The one thing I've learned from my Indian friends on how to prepare rice is that it's important to first rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, drain well and then add to the pan. This removes the starch and helps to make the rice nice and fluffy. When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and place a tea towel over the top of the pot, cover with lid. This also helps to absorb any moisture or condensation that will build up.

Polenta Fries with Pesto Mayonnaise

I've been meaning to try out a new recipe for polenta fries and yesterday I had a craving for a burger so I figured the polenta fries would be a nice change. My daughter loved them so I'm sure I'll be serving these again. Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal and can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired. Polenta was originally a peasant food. However, since the late 20th century, polenta has become a premium product. Click here for more recipes on polenta.

Serves 4 (as an appetizer)

1 litre vegetable stock (or use chicken stock)
250g instant polenta
50g butter
50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make the pesto mayonnaise, add 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of pesto (more if desired). Combine until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bring 1 litre of stock to a boil in a pot and pour in polenta. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmesan. Spread this mixture out onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil. Smooth the polenta to the edges and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 200c (400f). By now the polenta is firm enough to cut into french fry slices. Arrange on cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

The Culinary Chase's Note: You can always add a tablespoon of natural unsweetened yogurt to the mayonnaise to dilute it if it's too thick. Just remember to use a good quality mayo and pesto for optimum flavor.