Recipes - Mains

(Most recently added recipes display first.)

Jewelled Riz Pilaf

Ingredients

  • 2 tblsps butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1½ cups long grain rice
  • ¼ each of red, green and yellow capsicum, diced
  • ¼ cup pitted prunes, diced
  • 3 cups water, hot
  • Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
  • ½ cup pistachio nuts

Serves 4 -6 Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 200 C
  • Melt butter in a heavy based ovenproof saucepan
  • Sauté onion until softened
  • Stir in rice until it has taken on a greased appearance
  • Stir through capsicums and prunes
  • Add hot water and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
  • Bring rice to the boil, cover the pan and place into the oven for 17 – 18 minutes
  • Remove from the oven, fork through and serve garnished with nuts

Tip
Couscous maybe used in place of rice for a change

Prune and Ginger Spatchcocks with Jewelled Riz Pilaf

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pitted prunes
  • 4 spatchcocks
  • 4 tblsps oil
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 2 tblsps ginger, grated
  • 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • Oil extra

Serves 4 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • Place prunes in 2 cups of simmering water and cook for 5 minutes
  • Stand for 5 minutes
  • Remove prunes, drain and chop.
  • Reserve the liquid
  • Place spatchcocks in a shallow dish and pour prune juice over to marinate whilst preparing the stuffing.
  • Heat oil in a warm pan
  • Sauté shallots and ginger until soft over a low heat.
  • Stir in breadcrumbs, chopped prunes and thyme leaves.
  • Remove birds from marinade, season with salt and pepper and stuff
    each bird
  • Heat 2 tblsp of oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat and brown the chickens
  • Place in a large roasting pan with sprigs of thyme, drizzle with oil and cook for 25 -30 minutes, basting regularly with pan juices until cooked
  • Serve with Jewelled Riz Pilaf

Tip
Spatchcocks are cooked when juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh

Pork Fillets with Prune Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white wine
  • 125g pitted prunes
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup light cream
  • 800g pork fillets
  • 2 medium apples, quartered
  • 8 shallots, peeled
  • Sage sprigs
  • 2 tblsps oil

Serves 4. Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 250 C
  • Combine wine and prunes in a saucepan and simmer gently for 20 minutes
  • Cool and blend thoroughly
  • Return mixture to saucepan, add stock and honey and simmer for a further 5 minutes
  • Stir cream into sauce
  • Stand in a warm place
  • Place pork fillets in a single layer in a large baking dish
  • Add apples, shallots, and sage sprigs to dish and drizzle with oil
  • Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until pork is browned
  • Cover and stand for 5 minutes
  • Slice pork diagonally and serve topped with sauce together with shallots and apples

Tip
Cook Tagine the day before to allow the flavour to develop. To slow cook Tagine, place in 160 C oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Lamb & Prune Tagine

Ingredients

  • 2 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp each cinnamon, cumin and paprika
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 750g lamb fillet, cut into 2 c.m. cubes
  • ¼ cup pitted prunes, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 2 tblsps fresh coriander, chopped

Serves 4. Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preparation

  • In a warm heavy based saucepan, heat the oil 2 to 3 minutes
  • Add the spices and lamb and cook until lamb is brown
  • Remove from pan and set aside
  • Add garlic and onion to the pan and cook until soft
  • Return lamb with prunes to the pan, add stock and bring to the boil
  • Cover the saucepan, lower the heat and simmer gently stirring several times for 20 minutes or until the meat is tender
  • Garnish with coriander and serve on a bed of Riz Pilaf

Tip
Cook Tagine the day before to allow the flavour to develop. To slow cook Tagine, place in 160 C oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Two Minute Warm Noodle Salad, Nuts & Prunes

Ingredients

  • 250g Two Minute Noodles
  • 1 cup pitted prunes, cut in neat length wise pieces
  • ½ cup pecan nuts, sliced lengthwise
  • 2 tblsps lemon juice
  • 4 tblsps oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups baby spinach leaves, loosely packed.

Preparation

  • Place noodles in boiling water and cook for 2 -3 minutes stirring to loosen noodles
  • Drain and rinse
  • Place noodles in a serving bowl and stir through prunes and nuts
  • Whisk together lemon juice, oil and salt
  • Pour over noodle mixture and toss to coat
  • Fold in spinach leaves, combining well
  • Serve in individual bowls

Tip
Prunes are easily cut with lightly oiled scissors. Shredded poached chicken may be added to this salad