Lemon Cream Linguine

1 (375g) box of linguine or fettuccine
Dash of olive oil for the pasta
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
1 bunch of roughly chopped Italian parsley
I lemon, juiced and the rind finely grated
125 ml cream
1/2 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
200g smoked salmon (optional)


Boil water for pasta to which a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt has been added. Cook till al dente-approx 10-12 minutes.

Put the garlic, butter and cream in a small pot and heat till just hot and the butter is melted.

Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, rind, salt and pepper and heat through, then turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta and return to its pot. Mix in the cream sauce and serve immediately.

Serve with parmesan. If adding the smoked salmon stir in lightly into the individual bowls just before serving.

Serves 4

Linguine with pan-fried salmon

400 g salmon fillet, skinned
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
350 g linguine
250 g carrots, cut into thin sticks
250 g zucchini, cut into thin sticks
1 tsp canola oil
⅓ cup (85 g) plain low-fat yogurt
salt and pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Cut the salmon into chunks and place in a dish. Add the lemon zest and juice and the dill. Turn the chunks of salmon to coat them evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

Cook the linguine in boiling water for 10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Add the carrots to the pasta after 8 minutes cooking, then add the zucchini 1 minute later.

Meanwhile, brush a non-stick or heavy-based frying pan with the oil and heat thoroughly. Drain the salmon, reserving the lemon juice marinade. Add the salmon to the hot pan and cook, turning the pieces occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until the fish is firm and just cooked.

Add the reserved marinade and the yogurt to the salmon and cook for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in seasoning to taste.

Drain the pasta and vegetables and transfer them to a serving dish or to individual plates. Add the salmon mixture and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Tomato Chicken

1 chicken breast fillet
2 tin of tomatoes
3/4 spoons of tomatoe puree
chopped pepper
mixed herbs
garlic
handful of grated white cheese

Place the chicken in an oven dish and pour the chopped tomatoes over the top.

Mix the tomato puree into the dish, add the chopped pepper, herbs and garlic and cover with a lid.

Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.When cooked, serve the chicken on your plate and pour a layer of tomatoes and sauce from your dish over the top, add the cheese, then more of the tomatoes and sauce on top of the cheese.

Serve with pasta, rice, chips, potatoes or salad.

Serves 6

Spinach-stuffed chicken breasts

250g frozen spinach, thawed, drained
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup (30g) grated tasty cheese
6 chicken breast fillets
rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
baby spinach leaves, lemon wedges, to serve

1. Combine spinach, pine nuts and cheese in a bowl. Season to taste. Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Fill with spinach mixture.

2. Combine lemon rind and juice, thyme, garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil in a jug. Season well. Place chicken in a shallow dish. Pour lemon mixture over chicken. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

3. Heat remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan on high. Cook chicken breasts for 5 minutes each side. Pour over marinade, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for another 10 minutes, until cooked through.

4. Slice chicken and drizzle with pan juices. Serve with baby spinach and lemon wedges.

Serves 6

Chicken with lemon and capers

15g butter
12 (750g) chicken tenderloins
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup (125ml) water
¼ cup capers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat butter in a frying pan on medium.

Cook chicken in batches for 3-5 minutes, turning once, until golden.

Remove and keep warm.Add lemon rind and juice to pan with water, scraping base of pan.

Cook until mixture has reduced by half. Stir in capers and parsley.

Return chicken to pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until heated through. Season to taste. Serve.

Serves 4

Lemon chicken with spaghetti

2 lemons
8 lemon thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons leaves
4 small chicken breast fillets, skin on
½ cup (125ml) white wine
400g spaghetti1
50g baby spinach

Cut one lemon into thin slices. Grate rind and squeeze juice of remaining lemon. Place 2 or 3 lemon slices with 2 sprigs of thyme beneath skin of each chicken breast.

Heat a lightly oiled, non-stick frying pan on medium. Cook chicken, skin side down first, for 5 minutes each side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add wine to pan and bring to boil, stirring to pick up crusty pieces from base of pan. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water according to packet directions. Drain, return to pan with lemon thyme leaves, lemon rind and juice and baby spinach. Toss on high heat to warm through.

Serve chicken with spaghetti and drizzle with pan sauce.

Serves 4

Vietnamese Chicken Porridge

1 chicken
2.5 litre water
1 cup of short-grain rice
Bunch coriander leaves (chopped)
Spring onions (chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash chicken well and put it in a pot with water and some salt
Bring to boil and simmer gently with lid on
Simmer till chicken is cooked and tender
Remove, set aside
When flesh is cooled, shred chicken with hand
Set aside a little of the shredded chicken (to put on top of porridge)
Wash rice till water runs clear
Bring chicken stock back to boil and cook rice over very low heat
Cook for 1 1/2 hours till you get soft porridge
Serve in individual bowls garnished with shredded chicken, chopped coriander and spring onions and twist of pepper

Serves 2

Chicken parmigiana

4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg½ cup milk
2/3 cup flour, approx
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup passata or sugo (Italian tomato sauce)
1/2 cup Australian parmesan, grated
1/2 cup Australian mozzarella, grated

Slice chicken breast in half horizontally; using a meat mallet, bash out gently.

Lightly beat eggs with milk and flour in a large bowl.

Dip chicken into egg mixture; drain and coat in bread crumbs.

Heat oil and butter in large frying pan.

Cook crumbed chicken until golden brown on both sides.

Spread passata on chicken, sprinkle with both cheeses and grill until cheese has melted.

Serves 4

Chicken campagnola

2 chicken breast fillets
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 tomatoes, thickly sliced
250g mozzarella, thickly sliced
baby spinach, basil leaves, to serve

1. Cut each chicken breast through centre, so that you have 2 escalopes. Place each between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with a rolling pin or mallet.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium. Add capers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden. Pour over lemon juice and simmer for 30 seconds. Top each piece of chicken with tomato slices and mozzarella.

3. Place frying pan under a preheated grill and cook for 1 minute, until cheese is bubbling. Serve with baby spinach and basil salad.

Serves 4

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 medium chicken breasts
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
4 slices prosciutto, chopped coarsely
1 cup grated mozzarella
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup packaged breadcrumbs¼ cup (60ml)
olive oil

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally, leaving one side intact.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of go-between or baking paper. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin; bash out to approx 5mm thick.

Season each chicken breast with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Divide prosciutto and mozzarella between chicken breast, fold each breast in half to enclose filling. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate large shallow bowls. Season flour with salt and pepper.Carefully dust breasts with flour, then dip into egg and then breadcrumbs. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until crumbing is "set".

Repeat crumbing process, omitting the flour stage. Refrigerate again to "set" the crumbing.Heat oil in large non-stick frying pan. Fry chicken breasts 5 minutes each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Serves 4

thai prawn cakes

750g green prawn meat, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1 large lemongrass stem (pale part only), very finely chopped
1 large spring onion, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to garnish
1/2 kaffir lime leaf, very finely chopped
1/4 cup finely shredded Thai basil
3tsp caster sugar
1tbs sweet chilli sauce, plus extra to serve
2tbs fish sauce
1tsp red curry paste (or your favourite Thai curry paste)
2tbs coconut cream
3 eggwhites
light olive oil, to shallow fry
lime wedges and betel leaves to serve

Thoroughly mix the prawns, garlifc, ginger, lemongrass, spring onion, chilli, coriander, lime leaf, sugar, basil, sauces, curry paste, coconut cream and eggwhite together in a bowl. Don't worry if mixture is wet as long as it holds together.

Heat 5mm oil in a large frypan over low heat. In batches, drop a heaped desertspoonful of mixture into the pan for each cake, flattening slightly with the back of the spoon so they're about 1cm thick. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Keep an eye on the oil and make sure it doesn't get too hot, the coconut cream tends to make the cakes brown quickly.

As the cakes are ready, trasnfer them to paper towel to drain. Keep warm. When all the cakes are done, place them on a platter, either on betel leaves, or garnished with an extra coriander leaf on top. Serve with lime wedges and sweet chilli sauce.

Makes about 30

pan fried snapper with lentil, zucchini, tomato and tarragon salad

50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle
6 zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
1 cup (200g) whle green lentils (Puy-style), rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 cups rocket leaves
1tbs oil
4x180g snapper fillets (with skin on)

Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium heat. Add zucchini, season and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, reduce heat to low, then cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until zucchini is soft and almost falling apart. Keep heat low so zucchini doesn't colour or catch on the bottom. Stir in tarragon, adjust seasoning then allow to cool.

Meanwhile, place lentils in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to boil over medium heat. (You can flavour the water with a few sprigs of parsley, a little thyme and a ripe tomato cut in half.) Reduce heat to meium-low and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until lentils are just tender but still have a slight bite. Drain, and dress while still warm with remaining extra virgin olive oil, a little lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Gently toss zucchini and lentils in a bowl. Add tomato and rocket and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning, it may need more oil and a squeeze of lemon. Set aside.

Divide lentil mixture among plates, top with fish and drizzle with extra oil.

Serves 4

grilled fish with lime, fresh coconut and avocado relish

2 tbs olive oil
4x180g blue-eye fillets with skin (or other firm white fish)
steamed rice, to serve

lime, coconut and avocado relish
1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve
80g coarsely grated fresh coconut
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 small avocado, flesh chopped
5cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 cup coriander leaves
1tbs fish sauce
1tsp sugar

Relish: Segment the lime. Cut off the skin and white pith, then holding the fruit in your hanfd over a bowl to capture the juice, cut each segment away from the membrane with a small sharp knife. Roughly chop the flesh, then add to the bowl with the coconut, chilli, avocado, ginger, coriander leaves, fish sauce and sugar. Season the relish to taste with sea salt.

Heat thee olive oil in a large non-stick frypan over high heat. Slash the skin of the fish fillets a few times, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the fish fillets to the hot pan, skin-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden. Turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through.

Divide the steamed rice among four serving plates, top with the fish fillets and spoon over the relish. Serve with the lime wedges.

Serves 4

chargrilled salmon with asparagus in lime vinaigrette

500g chat potatoes, halved
4x175g salmon fillets (with skin on)
olive oil spray
250g asparagus, woody ends trimmed, halved lengthways, cut into 3 cm lengths
gratefd zest and juice of 1/2 lime
2tbs drained capers, chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs finely chopped tarragon

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes. Drain, then return to pan and keep warm.

Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue to medium high. Spray the fish with oil and season. Cook fish skin-side down for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Turn and cook for 2-3 minutes until a little rare in centre.

Meanwhile, cook asparagus in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, rinse in cold water, then toss with remaining ingredients. Season.

Place fish on plates, top with asparagus mix and serve with potatoes.

Serves 4

balsamic chicken

1/2 cup (125ml) balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbs olive oil
sea salt and cracked pepper
2x200g chicken breast fillets, trimmed

Place vinegar, lime juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir to combine. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat a large non stick frying pan over medium heat, add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Add reserved marinade and cook for a further 1-2 minutes orf until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.

Serves 2

salmon and prawns in spicy coconut broth

2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tbs laksa paste
400ml can coconut milk
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
1 tbs brown sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 x 125g salmon fillets
400g cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs fish sauce
100g snow peas, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes and drained
coriander leaves to garnish

Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok or large, deep frfying pan over medium-high heat. Add paste, stir for 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, stock, sugar and lime leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a non-stick frypan over medium high heat. Season fish. Fry for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked but still pink in the centre. Add prawns to pan andd heat through for 1 minute.

Add juice and sauce to broth, then remove from heat. Divide seafood and snow peas among shallow bowls, pour over broth and top with coriander.

Serves 4

pasta with zucchini, prosciutto and lemon

6 thin prosciutto slices
100g Ligurian or other small black olives
zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbs juice
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup (80ml) mild extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
300g linguine or other thin dried pasta
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced into half moons
good handful of wild rocket
grated parmesan, to serve

Tear proscuitto into rags, lightly toss with olives, lemon zest and thyme leaves in a large bowl.

In a second bowl, whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, adding zucchini for the final minute of cooking time.

Drain pasta and zucchini well, and immediately add to the bowl with the proscuitto and olives. Pour over the lemon dressing, add rocket and lightly toss. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with grated parmesan.

Serves 4