Anna's Version of Pollo Alla Sense

This was a very nice dish. I served it with Cauliflower which went well. I didn't have any Grappa, so used Brandy and used a Seifried Late Harvest Riesling from Marlborough. I used a Brezelmania bread for the base to mop up the sauce. I did enjoy that. I'm not sure if I'd make this again, but possibly as it is quite tasty.

Catherine's version of Moroccan Pumpkin, Chickpea and Haloumi Salad

This was quick and easy to make (apart from cutting the pumpkin which I hate!) and was ok but not great. I added quite a lot of corriander which helped, but I think it needed something else. Perhaps I'd put in some baby spinach before serving if I made it again.

Pollo Alla Senese

This recipe is from Cuisine May 2005   

Matt selected this one, and I'm not sure how I'm going to vege it yet...

8 organic chicken legs
1 cup halved pitted prunes
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
75g prosciutto, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
large pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying
50mls grappa
100mls sweet Vin Santo or other dessert wine
150mls dry white wine
250mls beef stock (I used Essential Cuisine beef stock because it is rich and thick)
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 200°C. Put the chicken and remaining ingredients apart from the beef stock and butter into a large non-reactive bowl, mix well, cover and set aside (this can be done up to 1 day in advance). Heat a frying pan with a little more oil, take the chicken out of its marinade and fry until well browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a roasting tray in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Add the marinade and the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Boil until slightly syrupy, add any juices from the chicken and stir in the butter. Serve the chicken with the sauce over the top. Serves 4-6.

Traditionally the dish is served on pieces of toasted bread for mopping up the sauce. However, it is also good with roasted potatoes.

Sarah's Version of Fondue

This was really yummy but, as Anna said, very rich as well.  I got to try out my fondue pot for the first time as well and it seemed to do the job ok.  I had bread, snowpeas and apple for dipping and Matt went the extravagant route and had steak and scallops (both previously seared off in the pan)  I didn't make the Ratatouille as the idea of eating it cold just sounded weird but I did have the green salad.

Anna's Version of Brandy and Walnut Fondue

This was a very rich dish and definitely needed the salad to go with it. We had apple, bread, frankfurters, capsicum and broccoli to dip. My fondue pot is too thin, so it was sticking to the bottom quite a lot and we had to turn the heat off before it all burnt off.

Moroccan Pumpkin, Chickpea and Haloumi Salad

30g pumpkin seeds

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

180g haloumi cut into 1cm cubes

1 onion finely sliced

750-800g pumpkin peeled and cut into 1-2cm cubes

425g can chickpeas

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika or 1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder

Large handful coriander chopped

1. In a large, dry, non-stick frying pan toast the pumpkin seeds for 2-3 mins or until some are turning golden and popping. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Heat 1tsp of the oil in the pan then add the chopped haloumi. Cook, stirring frequently until golden all over, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside on kitchen paper.

3. Add the remaining 2tsp oil to the pan. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent but not browned. Add the pumpkin and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Add the chickpeas, cumin, paprika/chilli and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over a low heat for a further 5-8 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

5. Stir in the cooked Haloumi and coriander and gently combine. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and extra coriander.

Anna's Version of Tempeh Salad

I could only find plain Tempeh. I put some ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper on it before toasting it, but there wasn't enough for me to notice the flavour. I enjoyed the salad and had it as lunch for a couple of days.