Random Recipe Challenge ~ Ricotta and Herb Baked Chicken

For this months Random Recipe Challenge, Dom decided to mix things up a little bit.  We each had to select the 18th book in our collection and select something from that to cook.  Book number 18 for me is Donna Hay's 'Simple Essentials - Chicken', oh how I wish the number had been number 17, then I would of got Donna Hay's 'Simple Essentials - Chocolate'!!!  But I wanted to do Dom's challenge justice this month seeing as I had slightly adjusted the rules last month and stuck fast to the chicken book.  Keeping true to my blog I needed to find a baked recipe and Donna did not fail ... as if she ever would!

Ricotta and Herb Baked Chicken
190g ricotta
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 x 200g chicken breast fillets
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125ml chicken stock
Extra basil leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place the ricotta, rind, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine.  Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the side of each chicken breast to create a pocket.  Spoon the ricotta mixture into the pockets.  Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish.  Add the tomatoes, garlic and stock and bake for 25 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with basil to serve.

Serves 4
Donna Hay, Simple Essentials - Chicken

We had this for dinner last Sunday night served with char grilled asparagus and some cherry tomatoes.  It was OK, not as special as I had hoped for but not a disaster either.  We would probably have this again but next time I would rather that the tomato sauce was a wee bit thicker so it could be served alongside the chicken, the vast majority of the sauce remained in the pot and was ultimately wasted because it was far too soupy to serve on a plate.  A shame but with a few tweaks here and there it has some potential ;0)

Random Recipe Challenge ~ Basil, Mascarpone and Ricotta Tart

We had friends around for dinner last night, one is a veggie, the other is a 'freedom' eater (vegetarian although he eats meat as and when he chooses, which usually tends to strikearound about the time we are at the German Christmas Market and he's had a few gluhweins!) and then there are the fussy eating habits of Hubby and I.  No pressure when planning the menu there then!

Fearing this challenge wasn't fraught with enough danger already I also decided to up the ante by taking part in Dom's  Random Recipe Challenge, and find a recipe for our main meal from one of my neglected and seldom appreciated cookbooks.  Dom's idea is to randomly selected one of your books and then randomly select a recipe from the index which you then need to make, if you've made it before then you should turn to the recipe on the next page and make that instead. 

Forgive me Dom but I cheated!  While the book was randomly selected, it was actually shortlisted from a whole host of books that I've had in my collection but either haven't used at all or I've used quite sparingly.  Then given the constraints of my dinner guests I selected a recipe from the index that was not only vegetarian but would also suit the carnivores.  But I figure the point of the challenge is to encourage everyone to use books that are often neglected and to try recipes that maybe wouldn't be considered normally, in which case I didn't cheat at all ... at least that's my excuse and I am sticking to it ;0)

Basil, Mascarpone and Ricotta Tart

1 pre-baked 26cm tart shell (another cheat!  I used store bought shortcrust to make the tart shell as I was short on time)
Filling
250g mascarpone
350g creme fraiche
370g ricotta
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 big handfuls of basil leaves (or 3-4 tbsp pesto if stuck for fresh basil)
80g freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Make the tart shell!

Then pile all the ingredients for the filling in to a food processor and whiz them until they're thoroughly mixed together, stopping to scrape down the sides once as you go.  Don't over mix or the texture can turn grainy.  Taste to see how strong the basil is and add more if required.

Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell and bake for 40-50 mins, or until the filling is wobbly set and a bit puffed.  Remove the tart from the oven and leave it to settle in the tin for a few mins.

When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the tart from the tin and slide it onto a serving plate.  Its best served warm rather than hot.

Serves 6-8
Belinda Jeffery's Tried and True Recipes

I confess to being slightly disappointed with this tart.  It was a bit luck luster really ... but now I've typed the recipe out I realise that I forgot to put the parmesan in!  Doh!  It did create some lively conversation around the dinner table though once I had stated that it seemed to be missing something.  The freedom eater thought maybe blue cheese would do the trick , I wondered if maybe parmesan would add the missing sparkle (20:20 hindsight!) ... possibly the addition of a very finely chopped semi dried tomato or two?  At lunch time I even tried it with a dollop of caramelised onion chutney, which was delicious but totally overpowered the basil in the tart.  Well ... now I know what was missing ... we'll just keep that one between us ;0)

Cherry Tomato, Parmesan and Basil Flat Bread

I've had the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook in my collection ever since it was first published.  Not only is the bakery from my homeland, the recipes speak my language.  Breads and pastries and cakes ... oh how I wish I lived a life within the Bourke Street Bakery!

This is the first recipe I've tried from the book, I made the ferment on Friday night after work and then whipped the breads up on Saturday afternoon.  They were ready for dinner and I have to admit they are probably some of the nicest loaves of bread I've ever eaten let alone made.  That said, I did make a small, teensy weensy itsy bitsy mistake.  I didn't read the recipe properly and so when I left the dough to bulk prove I didn't knock it back every 30 mins.  Oops!  The result wasn't terrible ... just some very fat looking flat breads, which is actually perfectly fine in my world.  They fit in perfectly lol.  The recipe makes enough for two loaves, which is more than enough for three hungry adults for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the weekend (not to forget tonight's dinner too!) and plenty to spare to spread with butter and run along to the hospital for my mother in law.  Job done ;0)

First or Initial Ferment
100g strong flour
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp milk
70ml water
1g dried / instant yeast (or 2g fresh)

To mix the ferment by hand put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together to combine, about 5 mins.  If you are using an electric mixer, put all of the ingredients in the bowl of the mixer on low speed for 2 mins.  Increase the speed to high and continue mixing for 5 mins, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer the dough to a container that has been sprayed with olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and rest overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Makes 180g

Olive Oil Dough
600g strong flour
7g dried / instant yeast - I actually just used what was leftover in the sachet from the ferment (or 13g fresh yeast)
400ml water
20ml extra virgin olive oil
20ml milk
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
180g ferment (optional)

To mix the olive oil dough by hand, put the flour and yeast in a large bowl and pour in the water.  Use a spoon to mix together until well combined, then set aside for 10 mins.  Add the oil, milk and salt, mixing well.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and start kneading.  Knead for 10 mins, then allow the dough to rest for 10 mins.  Add the ferment (if using) and knead for a further 10 mins.

If you are using an electric mixer (this was my preferred method!), put all of the ingredients, except the ferment, into the bowl of the mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Mix in low speed for 2 mins, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing for 5 mins.  If using the ferment break it up with your hands and scatter into the bowl.  Continue mixing on low speed for 1 min, then increase the speed to high and mix for 5 mins, or until well combined - this may take an extra couple of mins - the dough should come away from the edges of the bowl and have a silky complexion when done.

Place the dough in a container that has been sprayed with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to bulk prove for 1 1/2 hours.  Knock back the dough every 30 mins during the bulk prove - this means you will need to knock back the dough twice in total.

To knock back the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and press out into a rectangle, about 2.5cm thick.  Use your hands to fold one third back onto itself, then repeat with the remaining third.  Turn the dough ninety degrees and fold it over again into thirds.  Place the dough back into the oiled container, cover with plastic wrap, and continue to bulk prove for a further 1 hour.  Once the dough has finished to bulk prove it is ready to be divided and shaped.

Makes 1kg of dough or 2 loaves

Cherry Tomato, Parmesan and Basil Flat Bread
1kg olive oil dough
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
50g parmesan cheese, roughly chopped or grated
1 large handful basil leaves, torn
55ml extra virgin olive oil

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press down evenly with your hands, until it is a rectangle about 25 x 10cm and 2cm high.  Divide the dough into two even sized portions, about 500g each, trimming each flatbread to create a 25 x 5cm rectangular shape (I didn't worry about this, opting instead for a more 'rustic' fat flatbread!)  180g of the offcuts can be kept in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and used as the ferment for the next loaf if you like.

Place each flatbread on a baking tray lined with baking paper and use your fingers to press down into the dough and create shallow indents over the surface (my first clue should have been when the indents sprung back up!)  Set aside in a warm place to prove for 15 mins.

Next, add the topping.  Press the tomato halves and parmesan into each flatbread until half submerged.  The tomatoes look best when facing cut side up/  You can either press the basil leaves into the flatbread at this point and brush the extra virgin olive oil on top or you can put the basil in a food processor or blender with the extra virgin olive oil, and blend until just spreadable but not runny.  If using the basil oil, brush it over the flatbreads when they come out of the oven.

Set aside to prove for a further 15-20 mins.  Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place in the oven and spray the oven with water.  Bake for 25-30 mins, turning the flatbread around after 15 mins.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool until you can safely eat it,

Makes 2 loaves
Bourke Street Bakery (genius people that they are!)