Cathy Leonard's Baba Ghanoush

This recipe is from my new friend and art teacher Cathy Leonard. It was so funny to hear that when Cathy was cooking Buba Ghanoush, the eggplant exploded in her oven. So beware of exploding eggplants okay. 

 

baba ghanoush



Also, Cathy is a talented artist.  She does pop art impressionist of famous people like Johnny Depp, Audrey Hepburn, David Bowie etc, and it has been really popular.  A lot of people are buying her work.  I love her work and she's an absolute gorgeous girl too.  So pleased to meet her. If you want to see her paintings she has them on Facebook, so see Cathy Leonard's FB. 

Anyway, here is her recipe. 

Buba ghanoush:

1 or 2 eggplants cooked untill very soft, either in a hot oven (pricked with a fork) or straight on the flame (Char grilled).

1 heaped tblspoon tahini

1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced (to taste, start with 1/2)

generous amount of salt an...d pepper,

Cumin 1 level teaspoon

a little extra virgin olive oil...add whilst blending to get a nice consistency.
1-2 cloves garlic

paprika to garnish.

Method:

Put the eggplant into the oven whole. Prick the skin (so it doesn't explode) and cook it in a hot oven until really soft and juices are running out and the skin gets black.  When it's done, you can put it in the fridge to cool it, and make the dip later or even... the next day if you want.

I didn't get a photo of the explosion,(embarrassing) but will post the dip it's self then.
Take off as much of the blackened skin of the eggplant as you can and put in a bowl with all ingredients except paprika and olive oil. Blend this, adding a little olive oil at a time to get a smooth consistency...up to 2 tblspoons should be enough.

adjust to taste (Lemon, salt)

then garnish with Paprika and extra oil. :))

Catie's chicken pies

Catie Ensten (Briggs) is one of the most amazing people I know.  Good hearted, full of life, intellect, kindness, organised, super mum, super teacher, super popular and super friend all in one person.  Thanks for being a rock and a vault.  Love you heaps.

Catie's chicken pies sound delicious, although there is a lot of butter in them but hey you have to splurge out sometimes don't you.  Enjoy. 

Ingredients and instructions

1 chicken breast - chop into 4 -5 pieces. Use a tenderloin.
Fry in butter, brown until nearly cooked.
Take out of the fry pan.
Another knob of butter, fry a whole heap of mushrooms and leaks, there is usually a lot of juice so fry it off a bit. 
Chop up the chicken into fine pieces.
Put into the vegetables, then cook a bit more to properly cook the chicken. 
Take out all of the ingredients and put in a bowl.
Make a white sauce in the fry pan by using a tbsp plain flour with some more butter.  Cook for 2 minutes, add 1/2 a cup of milk so it turns into a creamy sauce.
Its OK to have a thick sauce because there is quite a lot of water in the vegetables..
Add heaps of cracked pepper, then turn the heat off.
Use puff pastry in your pie maker, or in a pie tin.  Cook my pastry first in the pie maker/tin so that it is crispy on the bottom, then add your ingredients into the pie maker/tin and put some more puff pastry on the top.  Put some egg or milk wash on top.  Using a fork put some holes in the top of the pastry.
Cook until brown on top.
If cooking in an oven cook in a moderate oven about 180degrees Celsius.