Turkey Kofta with Korma Sauce

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Turkey is so lean and healthy and can often be dry and tastless if not cooked properly. This recipe was so easy, it requires a little more effort but it is well worth it. The koftas are so tasty and moist. The sauce so easy to make, bursting full of flavor, kicks it up another notch. The recipe is from Catherine's Family Kitchen.

Serves 4

For the koftas
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cm fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh corriander roughly chopped
600g ground (minced) turkey breast
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Korma sauce
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1/2 tsp groud cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
Pinch of garam masala
300ml chicken stock
2 tsp tomato puree
100 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp ground almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Skewers (soaked in water) if you are going to cook on the barbecue
*Chefs note, make 3 times the sauce and freeze can use it in the following weeks to make fish or chicken korma.. GREAT IDEA!!!

To make prepare the koftas, heat a frying pan over high heat. Add sunflower oil and the onion for 7 - 8 minutes, until softened, taking care not to let it brown. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and tumeric and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the chopped coriander and cook for 1 minute more. Remove rom the heat and allow to cool.

Place the minced turkey and onion mixture in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and combine. Dampen your hands slightly and shape 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a cylinder. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the koftas in batches.

To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over a high heat. Add some oil and the onion, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, tumeric, garam masala, stock and tomato puree and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, stir in the ground almonds and simmer for a further 6 - 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

If you prepare all the ingredients in advance you may put the sauce and the mix for the koftas on at the same time and have them ready together.

No fuss Baked Butternut Sage Risotto

This recipe is just too good to be true. Risotto without all the laddling of stock and constant stirring. Delish too. Thank you Donna Hay. The more recipes I try from this book, the more I just love it...

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 sage leaves
• 400 g risotto rice, preferably arborio
• 800 g pumpkin, pelled and chopped into small pieces
• 1.25 litres chicken stock
• 30 g butter
• 40 g parmesan, finely grated
• finely grated parmesan and fried sage leaves, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2. Heat a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice, pumpkin and stock and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. The risotto will be quite liquid. Season with salt and pepper, then stir through the butter and parmesan for 2 minutes until the risotto thickens slightly. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and fried sage leaves to serve.

 

Breakfast with a Difference

                                        PASSION FRUIT SUGAR MUFFINS


I am always looking for new and different ideas. I decided to try something different for breakfast. I was inspired by a recipe in a Marie Claire cookbook. Passion fruit Sugar Muffins.Since becoming a mum, I am interested in quick delicious recipes.

Note: Passion fruit curd can be purchased at The Butlers Pantry http://www.thebutlerspantry.ie/ or Avocahttp://www.avoca.ie/home/ . If you don't have passion fruit curd you can use Lemon Curd you can get this from your local butcher or supermarket.

Recipe as follows:  MAKES 12 MUFFINS

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g butter melted and cooled
1/4 cup passion fruit curd
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 190oC / 170oC Fan.



Lightly grease 12 muffin holes, sift flour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of caster sugar. Make a well in the centre. Whisk together buttermilk. eggs and vanilla and 150g of the melted butter and pour into the well. Stir until just combined,  the mixture should still be lumpy. Half fill each muffin hole with mixture then add a generous teaspoon of passion fruit curd and then top with the remaining mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until risen and springy to touch. Miz the lemon juice and remaining butter in a bowl and spread the remaining sugar on a plate. brush the warm muffins with lemon butter and roll in the sugar. Serve and enjoy... Delish..