Cook, by Allyson Gofton

Allyson Gofton's latest book, Cook, shares over 130 recipes with us that would be perfect for summer and the bbq season. The book is divided in to sections like barbecues, afternoon tea, celebrations and large gatherings. Peppered with tips for some of the recipes and hints on making a recipe more kid-friendly, this book is a great addition to the bookshelf as a reference for everyday meals and entertaining at home.

I am definitely going to try out some of the recipes in the barbecue section, there's some great ideas to try out. Below is a recipe from this section that caught my eye.

Moghul chicken kebabs

serves 6
preparation time 15 minutes
marinating time 4 hours / cooking time 15 minutes

8 boneless chicken thighs
1 cup thick plain unsweetened yoghurt
2 tablespoons curry powder or curry paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander, optional
1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
about 20 fresh or dry bay leaves
1 egg
cashew nut & pilaf rice
fresh tomato salsa, optional

These chunky kebabs benefit from being marinated for 4 hours. The flavours can easily be changed by using different curry pastes or curry powders. Cut the chicken thighs into quarters and place in a bowl with the yoghurt, curry powder or curry paste, and coriander and cumin, if using. Stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Thread the chicken pieces evenly onto 6 metal skewers, placing a bay leaf at regular intervals. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the yoghurt mix.

Barbecue the kebabs over a moderately hot grill or hot-plate, turning occasionally until almost cooked - about 10 minutes.

Beat the egg with the reserved yoghurt mix and brush this onto the kebabs 2-3 times and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, or until the kebabs are well done.

Serve with cashew nut & pilaf rice salad (see below) and fresh tomato salsa, if wished.

Variations

• For a sweeter, more fragrant curry mix, add 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cardamom with the curry powder or curry paste, or use a Thai curry paste.
• In place of bay leaves, use wedges of red onion.

Fresh tomato salsa

serves 6
preparation time 15 minutes
cooking time 45 minutes

For an easy salsa, chop 2 large juicy tomatoes finely. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of chopped onion (spring, red or brown), about 1 teaspoon of minced ginger and a dash of oil and vinegar.

Allyson's tips

• The flavour of bay leaves improves on drying, softening any bitter notes in the fresh leaves. Dry bay leaves should have a deep green colour and not be khaki - these are old and relatively flavourless and need to be binned.
  
  For the kids

• Alternate the chicken on the skewers with chunkily cut vegetables, like courgette and tomato, and brush excess marinade off the chicken before cooking. Omit the egg and marinade step.
• Don't forget the crispy poppadoms - kids love them.

Cashew nut & pilaf rice salad

serves 6
preparation time 10 minutes
cooking time 35 minutes

1 cup long-grain brown rice
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder or curry paste
1 cinnamon stick, optional
1/2 cup red lentils
1 orange
1 red onion, trimmed and finely sliced
70-gram packet (3/4 cup)
cashew nuts, toasted
1/4 cup fresh coriander or parsley leaves
1/2 cup your favourite vinaigrette

Brown rice gives this pilaf salad a chewy texture and nutty taste. White rice can be substituted.

Bring 8 cups of salted water to the boil and add the brown rice and boil rapidly for 15 minutes. Drain well.

Cook the onion in a good knob of butter in a deep saucepan over a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until tender but not too brown. Stir regularly. Add the curry powder or paste and cinnamon stick, if using, and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour over the lentils and then top with the partially cooked rice. Do not stir. Pour in 1 cup of water and cover. Bring to the boil, then turn to your lowest setting for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Stand for 5 minutes before lifting the lid and fluffing with a fork. Allow to cool.

Grate the rind from the orange and set aside. Cut away the bitter white pith and discard. Chop the flesh into 1-cm dice.

Toss the orange rind and flesh, red onion, cashew nuts, coriander or parsley leaves and vinaigrette into the rice and lentils. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle before serving.

Variations

• Brown lentils can be used in place of red lentils. They will need to be par-boiled for 5 minutes and drained well before adding to the saucepan.
• Replace cashew nuts with pistachios or toasted almonds.
• Add a few cardamom pods or seeds when cooking the rice for a sweeter spice flavour.

An extract from Cook by Allyson Gofton with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group (NZ). RRP $45.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide. Copyright © Allyson Gofton, 2009.

Competition

What is your favourite thing to throw on the bbq?

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