Tex Mex Pulled Chicken, Christmas Finds and a little Foray around my hood. Food, Finds & Forays 10
Hey there....
So it's nearly midnight as I type this. It's been one of those weeks when you think time is your friend then boom it's Wednesday and it's all happening. My oldest son is doing some online studies a few nights a week so needed my computer right when I was in the thick of editing images for you. Anyway aside from that it's been a good week trying out a few different recipes for you which I'll share in the coming weeks.
We're jam packed with food this week. I'm sharing my recipe for Pulled Chicken which is super easy and bubbles away in the oven while you potter about doing other things.
I have some christmassy finds for you to get the silly season ball rolling which includes an extra recipe generously shared by cookbook author Aran Goyoaga which would make part of a lovely Christmas Day breakfast or even a delicious dessert, perhaps atop a pavlova.
And finally a little virtual foray for you to take around my little hood where the burbs meet the bush. I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to good things on the weekend.
Take care Sal x
Food
Once upon a time in a supermarket not too far away a mum and her ‘little boy’ wandered aimlessly around the aisles. The mum was daydreaming, staring into space imagining herself under a palm tree sipping cocktails while an invisible chef in a tropical resort worried about what to feed her family. The ‘little’ boy, who was actually six foot two and full of spunk and life, noticed his mother’s inattention and proceeded to quietly fill the trolley with items, that even at 18 his mother wouldn’t buy him. Struggling for inspiration the mother asked “What should we have for dinner?” The boy hopefully suggested ‘pulled chicken.’ Startled from her day dreaming the mother did a double take and asked “pulled chicken? What’s pulled chicken?” The boy informed his mother “it’s like pulled pork only its chicken and tastes like Mexican.” Now you can imagine cogs turning over in the mother’s mind. Snapping back into action the mother’s mind started whirring like a creaky old engine who’d been oiled and fired into working order. An idea took shape and she acquired the ingredients she thought would come together to meet the brief set by her son. And that my friends is how our Tex Mex pulled Chicken was born.
*Spoiler alert: the mother was me, I was tired, and had no clue what to make for yet another dinner and the 18 year old bean pole was my lovely ‘little boy who’s not so little anymore.”
Tex Mex Pulled Chicken
Our pulled chicken recipe can be enjoyed just like pulled pork in a delicious brioche bun or regular hamburger bun with all the trimmings. It also makes a great meal served atop a steaming baked potato or bowl of rice, is a tasty addition to nachos or perhaps even in taco shells or wraps.
Serves 6-8
Ingreditents:
1 kg chicken thigh fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil
1red/Spanish onion sliced
1 red capsicum deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp diced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 400gm can of diced tomatoes
400 ml of beef stock ( I use the tomato can to measure this)
1 Tbs of sticky quince syrup or maple syrup
1 tsp dried oregano leaves.
Method:
Preheat oven to 180c
Heat oil in ovenproof pan over high heat. Season chicken with salt flakes and black pepper and brown in batches in the pan until golden but not cooked through, around 3-5 minutes each side. Remove chicken leaving juices in the pan, keep warm.
Reduce heat to low, add onion, capsicum and garlic and cook gently until softened. Increase heat to medium and add paprika frying off briefly until fragrant. Add chipotle in adobo stirring to distribute thoroughly. Pour in tomatoes, stock, syrup and oregano, increase heat to high. Return chicken to the pan fitting snuggly so they’re submerged. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven. Immediately reduce heat to 160c and cook for 1 ½ hours or until falling apart. Remove from oven allow to cool slightly then gently pull apart with two forks and serve to your liking.
Notes:
During the oven cooking time you too should day dream about tropical resorts and cocktails.
If, unlike me, you enjoy the flavour of Coriander/Cilantro feel free to sprinkle with abandon. I on the other will run a mile at a mere whiff....yes I'm on of those people.
Sticky quince syrup is the brainchild of Sue from Singing Magpie Produce. I’m a huge fan of her products and especially love this unique offering. It’s super versatile and indeed works in both savoury and sweet dishes.
If you’re unable to get your hands on some, maple syrup will be fine though check the sweetness as you work as the two products are slightly different in their intensity.
You may want to add more sweetness if that’s to your taste. Taste at the end of cooking and slowly add more if you need. In savoury dishes sweetness can be like salt and be a very individual taste.
Finds
Ok I don’t want to alarm anyone but as of today it's six weeks and one day until Christmas Eve. After the last two years we’ve had, this year Christmas feels particularly exciting so it’s definitely been on my mind.
Ever since my kids were tiny I’ve had a little Christmas tradition for my them. When I first started this little ritual I knew it was something that would grow with them. Every year as part of their gifts I buy them a Christmas decoration and a book. The books form an interesting collection to look back on reflecting their interests over the years. The decorations too have been a nice reflection and will form a sweet little collection for them to take with them when they move out for their own Christmas trees. This year I’m hoping to support small biz and artisan makers and have so far found these beauties. Marley and Lockyer is a gorgeous Tasmanian ceramicist with a classic white style in her work reflective of her scandi/Scottish theme. Ness, the artist, creates lovely individual decorations that you can purchase as is or have the recipient's names hand inscribed. I think decorations are such a lovely gift to receive and always remind you of the gift giver each year as you hang them.
The other decorations I’ve discovered are those created by potter Shelley Panton. They’re of a more rustic style available in five designs and sold exclusively through the gorgeous Panton Store here in Melbourne and online. Both ladies also have a wide range of other beautiful gifts that might suit someone on your shopping list also.
This year we’re hosting my husband’s family for a lunch the week before Christmas and our neighbours on Christmas eve. I have quite a long dining table and find it quite hard to find a table cloth to fit and that doesn’t cost the earth. I especially love the idea of one that is festive enough to be used at Christmas but still versatile for use during the year. Recently Banjo and Co popped up in my Instagram feed. Operated by outback nurse and farmer’s wife Victoria, Banjo and Co is based in far west NSW town Walgett. She hand makes gorgeous home wares and has some beautiful tablecloths to choose from. I love the Christmas Story cloth but think I’ll go for something I can use all year this time. I’m stuck between this fun red gingham one or a more classic red stripe. Which one do you think I should buy?
Finally Christmas day brekky. After dining from, what will be a heaving Christmas Eve table I’m considering a lighter start to the day. I’m a huge fan of the small batch breakfast cereals created by food writer Flip Shelton. During the year I purchase her GF Muesli and 5 Grain porridge but she’s just released her Very Merry Muesli for the silly season which I jumped on as soon as I saw it on her socials. It’s gently spiced with all the delicious flavours of Christmas and is already on the daily menu. I think I’ll pair this with some thick Greek yoghurt and bright, vibrant ruby red Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote by book author, chef and photographer Aran Goyoaga. She has a stunning Instagram you might like to check out. Her work is in the gluten free realm, is always delicious and flavourful and easily shared with GF and non GF diners alike. She shares recipes exclusively with subscribers in her newsletter which you can sign up for here. Though I’m not gluten free I have her first two cookbooks and can’t wait to get to my hands on her next one, Canelle Et Vanille Bakes Simple which would be a brilliant Christmas present for any celiac in your life. If you need it before Christmas you can buy it here but if not you might like to purchase it here for delivery in the new year. For overseas readers you can buy here.
Aran has generously allowed me to share the recipe below in case you’d like to try it too. Since receiving this recipe in June I’ve had a batch in the fridge almost constantly. My husband loves it on ice-cream and I love it at brekky.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote:
455gm fresh rhubarab cut into 1cm chunks
1/3 cup rose wine
¼ cup honey
¼ cup coconut sugar ( I use caster )
1 vanilla bean seeds scraped ( I sometimes use 1 tsp vanilla paste )
¼ tsp salt
455 gm strawberries hulled and quartered
Combine the rhubarb, rose, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until rhubarb begins to softe, 3-5 minutes.
Add strawberries and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until you have a chunky compote. It should be a sauce like consistency but if too liquidy can be cooked for another minute or so if needed. Remember though it will thicken as it cools.
Store in jars in the fridge for up to ten days.
Forays
I live 45 minutes from the city where the urban fringe meets the beginnings of the rural fringe and the gorgeous Yarra Valley. There’s loads to do, eat and drink in the valley and no matter the season it's always delightfully scenic. With all that beyond the hills that divide the line between the two, my little home village is often overlooked as a destination but it’s a great place to visit for an easy day trip. We have wonderful café’s and restaurants, markets on the weekend, a vibrant arts scene and are a popular destination for cyclists. As a proud local I was thrilled to see Eltham featured on lifestyle tv program Postcards this weekend just gone. If you’re based in Victoria or planning a visit to our fare state you might like to check out this segment and come visit. Or maybe just have a squizz and see why we like living here so much.
