Recipes - Mains

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Tandoori Chicken with Basmati Rice & Pappadums

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 350g boneless, skinless chicken, cubed into uniform size
  • 340g mild Tandoori sauce
  • 1 tbs coriander chopped for garnishing
  • 1 cup Basmati rice
  • 4 large pappadums

Serves 4

Preparation

  • Place oil in the base of a microwave safe container and cook on High (100%) for 1 minute.
  • Add garlic and chicken and cook on High (100%) for 3 minutes stirring once.
  • Pour in Tandoori sauce and mix through.
  • Cover the container and cook on Medium High (80%) for 7 minutes, stirring once.
  • Set aside to stand in a warm place.
  • Place a cup of rice in a microwave safe plastic jug and pour over 2 cups of luke warm water.
  • Cook, uncovered on High (100%) for 10 minutes.
  • Stir, cover jug and cook a further 2 to 3 minutes on High (100%).  Set aside.
  • Place pappadums around the rim of the turn table.
  • Cook on High (100%) for 1 to 1½ minutes to puff up.
  • Serve chicken in pappadums, with a side serving of rice and garnish with coriander.

Asparagus Risotto *

Ingredients

  • 1 white onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of margarine
  • 1 cup of Arborio rice
  • 3 cups of hot chicken stock
  • 250g of chopped asparagus (or mushrooms)
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped chive
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.


Replace onion with one medium chopped fennel, red onion or well rinsed leek.
Use vegetable instead of chicken stock. Replace asparagus for other vegetables such as lightly cooked sliced zucchini, diced red capsicum, sweet potato or pumpkin. Add to rice as recipe directs. Omit parmesan cheese swirl through 2-3 tablespoons cream, grated cheddar or chopped camembert or brie. Replace chives with flat leaf parsley.

Preparation

  • Place the onion and margarine in a 2 litre microwave safe jug and cook on High (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the rice and cook on High (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Pour in the hot stock and stir through.
  • Leave uncovered and cook on High (100%) for 10 minutes.
  • Stir through the asparagus, cover and cook on High (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stand for 5 minutes then stir through the herbs and season with pepper.
  • Sprinkle with cheese to serve.

Salmon Pinwheels

Ingredients

  • Fillet of one side of salmon
  • 6 slices of smoked salmon
  • White pepper
  • Juice of ½ lime

For Garnish:

  • 2 tbsp natural (plain) yoghurt
  • 8 small basil leaves
  • 2 tsp basil flowers, all green parts removed

Serves 4-6

Preparation

  • Slice the fillet lengthwise into six strips of about 2.25cm x 15cm.
  • Sprinkle with lime juice and season with pepper.
  • Roll into pinwheels and secure with toothpicks.
  • Place pinwheels on a flat microwave safe plate in a circular configuration.
  • Cover with baking paper and cook on High (100%) for 5 minutes.
  • Serve on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves with Hollandaise sauce

Ten-Minute Thai Curry

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tsp green curry paste
  • 200 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 300 g skinless chicken fillets, sliced thinly
  • 100 g frozen beans
  • 1 (165 ml) can low-fat coconut milk

Serves 2

Preparation

Microwave (9-12 minutes)

  • Place the oil, onion and curry paste in the microwave-safe container
  • Cover and cook on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Add the pumpkin, chicken, beans and coconut milk.
  • Cover, and cook on HIGH (100%) for 4-5 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
  • Stir, and allow to stand for 4 minutes.

Conventional (25 minutes)

  • Heat the oil in the frypan over medium heat for 30 seconds.
  • Add the onion and curry paste, and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the pumpkin, chicken, beans and coconut milk, and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring twice, until the chicken is tender.
  • Allow to stand for 3 minutes.

Serve with rice.

How to cook white rice
Serves 3-4

  • 1 cup white rice of choice
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Conventional method: Use the absorption method, according to the directions on the packet.

Microwave method:

  • Place the rice, oil and water in the microwave-safe container, and position it off the centre of the turntable.
  • Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 10-12 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
  • Fluff up the rice with a fork.
  • Cover with paper towel, and allow to stand for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Variation:
• Cook white rice in stock for extra flavour.

Tip
Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or mint leaves to the curry, and garnish with 2 tbsp unsalted peanuts.
Use leftover rice to make fried rice, a salad or a pudding.
Rice freezes well.

Lemony Lamb Racks

Ingredients

  • 2 racks lamb (3 cutlets each), trimmed of all fat and sinew, and slit between each cutlet (but not right through)
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 medium-sized lemons, juiced
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Avocado Salsa

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • juice of 1 small lemon
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 dash Tabasco sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Serves 2

Preparation

Combine all the salsa ingredients in the bowl, and mash them together with a fork until evenly mixed.

Conventional (45 minutes)

  • Whisk the oil, lemon juice, herb and seasoning together in a large bowl, and add the racks.
  • Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Place the racks on the hottest part of the preheated barbecue grill and cook, fat-side down, for 8-10 minutes.
  • Turn the racks over, and cook over high heat for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with barbecue vegetables

Tip
Lamb racks cook evenly and quickly when the meat is cut down well between the bones
To cook individual cutlets: place separate marinated lamb cutlets on the hottest part of the barbecue, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper.