Recipes: From my kitchen to yours

DELICIOUS editor shows you how to make her favourites, including macadamia-crumbed chicken strips and tagliatelle with meatballs.

macadmia-crumbed chicken nov 26 taste

DELICIOUS editor shows you how to make her favourites, including macadamia-crumbed chicken strips and tagliatelle with meatballs.

"For my new book, I wanted to focus on home cooking, a subject dear to my heart. You won't find restaurant-style dishes in here  - it's all about recipes that reflect the sort of food I like to cook at home, whether it's a midweek meal for the family or something impressive when entertaining."

-- Valli Little, delicious

BEEF YAKITORI WITH JAPANESE SEASONED RICE

- Serves 4 

- Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus marinating time)

- Cooking time: 15 minutes

- Skills needed: Basic

**

1/3 cup light soy sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 lemongrass stems (inner core only), grated

1 tsp chilli oil

2 tsp loose-leaf green tea

1cm piece ginger, grated

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

600g beef fillet steak, cut into 3cm pieces

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

1/4 cup Japanese furikake seasoning

Pickled ginger and mizuna, to serve (see note)

--

Place soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, lemongrass, chilli oil, green tea, ginger and coriander in a large bowl. Add beef, stirring to coat, then place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Place 12 small wooden skewers in a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 1 hour.

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue or chargill pan over medium-high heat.

Drain the beef, then thread on to the soaked skewers. Cook the beef, turning, for about 3-4 minutes for rare or until cooked to your liking.

Toss the rice with the furikake seasoning. Serve the beef skewers with seasoned rice, pickled ginger and mizuna.

Chilli oil, furikake, pickled ginger and mizuna available from Asian food shops.

MACADAMIA-CRUMBED CHICKEN STRIPS

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)

- Cooking time: 15 minutes

- Skills needed: Intermediate

-- 

1/2 cup macadamias, roughly chopped

2 cups panko breadcrumbs (see note)

1 cup plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

12 chicken tenderloins or 4 x 170g chicken breast fillets, cut into thirds lengthways

Sunflower oil, to deep-fry

- TOMATO SALSA

4 tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 long green chilli, seeds removed, chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to serve

1 tbsp grated ginger

Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

** 

To make the tomato salsa: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, then season.

To make the chicken: Place macadamias and breadcrumbs in a food processor and whiz to fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl.

Place the flour in a separate bowl and season. Place the egg in a third bowl.

Dip the chicken first in flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg and finally in the macadamia crumbs, making sure each piece is well-coated. Chill for 20 minutes to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Half fill a large saucepan or deep-fryer with oil and heat to 190C (if you don't have a kitchen thermometer, a cube of bread dropped into the oil will turn golden after 30 seconds when the oil is hot enough).

In batches, deep-fry the crumbed chicken strips for 3-4 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pieces of chicken.

Serve chicken strips with the tomato salsa, lime wedges and extra coriander leaves. 

Panko breadcrumbs available from supermarkets and Asian food shops. Alternatively, substitute dried breadcrumbs.

TAGLIATELLE WITH CHEAT'S MEATBALLS & CHERRY TOMATOES

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 10 minutes

- Cooking time: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)

- Skills needed: Basic

** 

600g pork and herb sausages, casings removed

1 tbsp olive oil

250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped, plus extra basil leaves to serve

400g tagliatelle or other long pasta

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

-- PASTA SAUCE

1.5kg vine-ripened tomatoes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 basil sprig

Pinch of caster sugar

** 

To make the pasta sauce: Cut a cross in the base of each tomato and place in a large bowl.

Pour over enough boiling water to cover, then stand for 30 seconds. Drain, then refresh immediately in a bowl of iced water.

Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel, then cut into quarters, discarding the cores and seeds. Place the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add the tomato, basil sprig and sugar.

Reduce heat to low, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and sauce is thick. Remove basil and season.

Meanwhile, roll the sausage meat into 3cm balls, then chill for 30 minutes to firm up.

Place the oil in a deep frypan over medium heat.

Cook the meatballs, turning, for 3-4 minutes until browned. Add the pasta sauce and cherry tomatoes, season, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-6 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced and the meatballs are cooked through. Stir through the chopped basil.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain, then add to the sauce and toss well to combine. Divide the pasta and meatballs among shallow bowls.

Sprinkle over the parmesan, then serve garnished with basil leaves.

If you don't have time to make the pasta sauce, use a 600g jar good-quality pasta sauce instead.