We’ve just had a great Australia Day BBQ lunch. Apart from the salad, we had Easy Tandoori Chicken and Texas-Rubbed Steak. I cooked the meat on the Weber using the direct method (straight over the coals, as opposed to indirect as for roasts).
Easy Tandoori Chicken
This is, well, easy. Take 500gm chicken thigh fillets and rub half a jar of Tilda Butter Chicken simmer sauce into them. Leave for 4 hours to marinate (and this probably doesn’t have too be this long, it is just the time I used today). Cook over coals. Your cooking time may vary, but on a Weber directly over the coals it took around 10 minutes - and finished incredibly juicy and tender.
Texas-Rubbed Steak
This is hardly any more trouble than the Chicken. Take 500gm of eye fillet and rub the following mixture into it then refrigerate (I left it for a couple of hours, it may not take that long).
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon Italian herb mix (containing basil, oregano, dried capsicum and pepper)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Note: I adapted this from a recipe on CD Kitchen that had a lot more sugar in it.
Following is a guest recipe posting by Bettina from Dances to the beet of her own drum.
I take 500gms of diced chicken
handful of diced bacon
cup of frozen peas and corn
1 packet of Continental Macaroni and Cheese
Stirfry the chicken and diced bacon till cooked while making up the Macaroni Cheese pasta packet, as per directions, in the microwave. Zap the frozen peas and corn in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Chuck the whole lot in together in an oven proof dish, grate over some extra cheese if desired or toss on some extra bacon bits then place in moderate oven for 20 to 30 mins.
This can be made ahead up to the chuck everything together stage and put in the fridge until needed. It freezes and reheats reasonably well too.
Easy peasy. I’ve had people ask me for the recipe and be shocked that it was thrown together from a packet mix 
This one is so totally slack it scares me
You’ll need:
- a tablespoon of olive oil,
- a kilogram of chicken legs (AKA drumsticks),
- a 400-or-so gram tin of champignons,
- a 400-or-so gram tin of mushrooms in butter sauce,
- a 400-or-so gram tin of tomatoes (diced, whole, doesn’t really matter),
- 3-4 shallots cut roughly, and
- salt/pepper/stock cubes to season
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan with a lid. Put the chicken in. When browned, empty the tins into the saucepan. Chop the shallots and add. Season. Throw lid on. Leave for an hour. Throw some pasta in with the chicken (or cook it separately if you can be bothered doing at least part of it properly) :). Serve.
Serves 4 normal people, two hogs, or one batchelor for a couple of days including lunches.
This recipe is adapted from one shown by TV chef Geoff Janz. It is the best soup that I have ever tasted, and thanks to Helen for the recipe.
You will need:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons of Madras curry paste
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped
- 1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
- 2 single chicken breasts, chopped
- 3/4 cup (180ml) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriandar leaves
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and curry paste - cook stirring until the onions are soft. Add carrot, cinnamon stick, lentils, potatoes and stock. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Discard cinnamon.
Remove half the mixture into a separate bowl and blend using a food processor or processing wand. Return the blended mixture to the pan. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked but tender. Serves 6.
This soup is suitable for freezing prior to adding the coconut milk.
