Chickpea curry

 

Have you got a vegan mate who comes around and you have no idea what to cook for them?

 

Or maybe you are just looking to add some healthy recipes or a meat-free Monday.

 

This chickpea curry is 100% vegan and tastes Oh so yummy.

 

It is the perfect meal for a weeknight in on the couch with a bottle of Raidis Riesling.

 

 

What you’ll need:

 

½ cup basmati rice

1 cup of water

2 pinch salt

2 medium onion

2 tbsp olive oil

3 clove garlic

½ lime

1-2 tsp curry paste (your favourite or a Tikka Masala curry paste would work great as well)

1 can coconut milk

1 can chickpeas

1-2 tbsp soy sauce (try one tbsp first, add another if required)

2-3 medium tomato (or handful cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 cup basil, fresh

1 tsp maple syrup (sugar is fine too)

 

Method:

 

Add the rice, water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Keep an eye on the rice - when the water is boiling put a lid on it, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 8-10 mins.

 

While this is happening chop the onions, garlic, basil and juice the lime.

 

 

Put the oil and onions into a large pan and cook on a low-medium heat until the onions start to soften and turn clear about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for a further 1 minute.

 

Add 1 tsp curry paste and the milk, stirring until the curry is dissolved. Add another pinch of salt. Taste test - if you’d like your curry a little stronger then add another tsp.

 

Throw in the drained and rinsed chickpeas (and chopped green veg if you’re using it) and soy sauce and cook on a medium heat for around 5 minutes, bringing the curry to a boil. If it starts to burn, reduce heat immediately.

 

Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, lime juice, soy sauce and gently simmer the curry for another 2 minutes. Taste test again, and if desired, add a second tbsp soy sauce and the syrup or brown sugar. Give it another stir.

 

The rice should be done by now too - fork it through to make it fluffy.

 

Serve the curry and rice together with pappadums and naan bread as optional sides.

Go Regional!

South Australians it’s time to get out and about and explore this glorious state that we live in.

 

You might be looking to go regional for a weekend or a mid-week getaway as things start to re-open and we forge a path into the new normal.

 

Not everything has the green light to be open currently though, so here are our top tips for going regional and exploring this great state.

 

Book ahead

 

If you are looking to go regional, it pays to book ahead for your accommodation and general experiences.

 

If you are looking to dine out, etc. Some venues are currently closed and the ones that are open will be working under smaller capacities to deal with social distancing. So, try to book ahead to avoid disappointment.

 

And if you book and can’t make the booking for whatever reason please be mindful and let the venue know with plenty of notice. No shows are frustrating normally but even more so when venues have a limited capacity.

 

Support local

 

Most areas would love your support, so instead of bringing in all your food and items, try and do your research before you head into a regional area and try and buy local.

 

Your favourite winery cellar door may not be open, but they might be doing takeaway wine, pizzas or platters. Look to support local where you can.

 

Make a locavore picnic

 

With so much beautiful produce in regional South Australia, you might want to shop from a few different providers and make a picnic to enjoy at the beach or taking in some country air.

 

Pick up a bottle of vino, grab some local olives or cheeses and put together a locavore platter to be enjoyed.

 

Take some home with you

 

Grab some local produce and take it home with you as well. There is nothing quite like getting your produce direct from the source. So, if you try something and love it, take some home with you, pop a review on their socials and share it with your friends.

 

Patience is key

 

If you are heading to a regional town in the next few weeks be mindful that businesses may be running at a bare minimum with staff and it may just be the business owners working.

 

If it’s busy and you have to wait that little bit longer for your coffee or food, show a little bit of kindness and patience it goes a long way.

 

Enjoy exploring SA

 

 

 

 

Morton Bay Bugs and PG Oak

 

If you are lucky to live in South Australia at the moment, you might be thinking about getting out and doing some regional travel after all the cabin fever over the last few months.

 

Maybe a trip to the coast, or a weekend getaway to a wine region. Or you might want to cook a delicious meal to celebrate those little life victories.

 

This dish is indulgent as sin, delicious and designed to be shared with good wine, friends and is one of those meals that makes you appreciate just how lucky we a really are.

 

And it pairs deliciously with our PG Oak Project.

 

Prepare to be delighted.

 

What you’ll need:

 

8 Morton Bay bugs (Bay lobster) Aim for 1 bug per person.

3 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 small red chilli, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

4 lemon wedges, to serve

Sea salt

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat a barbecue with a lid to medium-high.

 

For the herb and garlic butter, combine all ingredients in a bowl, season and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, then chill until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

Place the bugs on a tray, cut side up, then drizzle with oil and season.

 

Place bugs, shell side down, on the barbecue. Close the lid and cook for 6 minutes or until almost cooked through, then turn and cook, flesh side down, for 1 minute or until lightly charred.

 

Transfer bugs to a platter.

 

Brush some of the butter over the bug flesh. Serve bugs with remaining butter and lemon wedges on the side.

 

 

 

Spoil Mum this Mother’s Day

Mums are special; there is no doubt about it and with all the craziness that has been this year Mums deserves some extra love and attention this Mother's Day especially if they have been homeschooling!

 

So, what are some of the ways you can spoil Mum this year and get creative at home?

Here are our top tips.

 

Handmade cards

 

Mums love a handmade card. Something made with love that will make her feel special and something that she can keep for years to come.

 

Herb Garden Planter for the kitchen

 

Fill a wooden planter with individual pots packed with her most-used herbs so that she can have instant flavour within reach.

 

Cook mum a meal

 

She will love having time off to put her feet up and enjoy a vino while you prepare her something delicious. Give Mum a well-deserved break.

 

Run her a bath

 

Put on her favourite music, run a bath with some bath soaps that she loves and even light a candle. Give mum some much deserved 'me' time.

 

Pick her a bouquet

 

Pick some beautiful flowers from the garden and spoil mum with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

 

If you don't have a garden to pick from you may like to buy Mum a small poesy of flowers to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Barbecued Pork Spare Ribs

 

Autumn has well and truly kicked in, and as we all go slightly mad in iso we turn to cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

 

Barbecued pork spare ribs are oh so delicious and will be sure to win you brownie points with your significant other.

 

Paired perfectly with our Mama Goat Merlot for a good time.

 

Enjoy

 

What you’ll need:

 

500ml (2 cups) hot water

2 pork rib racks

 

Spiced BBQ Glaze

 

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 teaspoons Paprika Smoked

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Place tomato sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, vinegar, mustard, paprika, oregano and cumin in a large saucepan over low heat.

 

Stir for 2-3 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until thickened slightly (don’t let it boil). Cool.

 

Combine the hot water and 2 tbs glaze in a roasting pan. Add the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake the ribs, turning once, for 2 hours or until tender.

 

Brush ribs with remaining glaze (see tips). If the glaze is too thick to brush, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on Medium, in 30-second bursts, to thin slightly.

 

Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan on medium. Cook ribs for 4-5 minutes each side or until caramelised and slightly charred. Transfer to a chopping board.

 

Cover ribs with foil and set aside for 2-3 minutes to rest before carving. Use a large sharp knife to cut between the ribs and transfer to a serving platter.

 

 

The apple of my eye, Apple Pie

Bake, bake, bake seems to be in vogue right now as we spend more time at home indoors.

 

And with so many delicious apples around it seems only fitting that a delicious apple pie is in order.

 

What you’ll need:

 

Pie dough for the top and bottom 9-inch pie

7 to 8 apples

1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons corn-starch or use 4 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg

 

 

Method:

 

Peel, and then cut the apples in half. Remove the cores, and then slice apple halves into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick. Place the apple slices into a very large bowl.

 

Scatter both sugars, salt, and spices over the apples, and then use your hands to toss them, coating the apple slices as much as possible.

 

Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.

 

Roll out the first half of pie dough on a lightly floured work surface. To prevent the dough from sticking and to ensure uniform thickness, roll from the centre of the dough outwards and keep lifting up and turning the dough a quarter turn as you roll.

 

Check for the correct size by inverting the pie dish over the dough. The dough should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches larger than the dish.

 

Being careful not to stretch it, place the dough into the pie dish, and then trim overhanging dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish. Refrigerate while you make the pie filling.

 

Roll out the second half of dough to a similar size as before and transfer it to a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep this in the refrigerator until needed.

 

Position an oven rack towards the centre of the oven, and then heat the oven to 200C.

 

Toss corn-starch (or tapioca) with the apples. Transfer most (if not all) of the apples into the prepared bottom crust, using your hands to really pack them down into the pie.

 

Fill the pie until apples are mounded at the same height as the edge of the pie crust.

 

Pour the juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl over the apples. Cut a tablespoon of butter into 8 or so small pieces and dot them over the pie.

 

For a double-crust pie, place the second pie dough round over the filling or cut it into strips and lattice the top.

 

Trim excess dough from the top crust or lattice strips, and then fold the overhang underneath itself, forming a thick rim. Press it together or crimp it with your fingers (or use a fork).

 

Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, and then use as an egg wash by lightly brushing the top crust. This adds shine and helps the crust brown.

 

Place the prepared pie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this can be the same lined baking sheet used for chilling the top crust). Bake the pie for about 75 minutes, turning a few times for even browning.

 

If you notice that the pie crust is browning too quickly, meld a large piece of foil over a bowl that’s been placed upside down to make a foil dome.

 

Place the foil dome over the pie for the remaining bake time. This will slow the browning.

 

Apple pie is done when the juices are bubbling through the vents of the top crust or lattice. If you do not see bubbles, the pie needs more time.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Ways to support local

There is no doubt about it that people are starting to look in their own backyard more than ever now during this current COVID crisis to support local.

 

We want to help our friends and our communities get through this crisis together, and it can be hard to know how to support businesses through this time. You may be struggling yourself financially, so spending money might not be at the top of your list.

 

Here are 20 ways that you can support local during this time.

 

1. Shop small, shop local – This one is a given, but try and shop from small producers. There are a lot of great deals going around at the moment with free delivery, discounts and amazing produce on offer so shop small and local where you can.

2. Review love – Send a little Facebook, Google or a personal email or note to tell a business that you shop with regularly how much you appreciate them. It can go a long way.

3. Send kindness – If a local business in your area is still open, why not buy the owner a takeaway coffee, bake them something nice or send them a little gift. They might be going through a crap time right now and will appreciate your support.

4. Go Direct – Shop directly with wineries instead of buying your wine through big chains and online wine shops. When you shop direct, all the money goes straight to the business. 

5. Share – Share their social media posts or emails with your friends. The more people that know about a business, the more it helps.

6. Recommend – In your talks with your friends and family take some time to recommend a local business that you love. It spreads far and wide.

7. Vouchers – You might not be able to dine out, travel, etc. right now, but we will be able to do all of those things again in the future. Support a business by buying a voucher so you can use it at a later date.

8. Postpone don’t cancel – If you have a trip coming up consider postponing it instead of cancelling.

9. Join a mailing list – Join up for your favourite businesses mailing list so you can get all their updates and news.

10. Send a card – Old fashioned yes, but the sentiment can go a long way in making someone’s day.

11. Plan a trip – For when things get back to normal plan a trip local. Plan to stay in family-run accommodation, use local tour guides and shop at local restaurants, shops and wineries.

12. Gifts – We all have loved ones in our life who we want to spoil. Look to buy gifts locally.

13. Join a wine club – Find one of your favourite locally run wineries and join a wine club. Enjoy the benefits of wine delivered to your door direct from the people who produce it.

14. Choose kindness – A lot of small businesses are down to Skelton staff while they adapt to the new norm for now. If a business doesn't get back to you straight away, or the freight is taking extra time, choose kindness when dealing with staff in the business.

15. Support your friends – If you have been saying forever that you are going to buy some of your friends’ products or services, do it. Don’t just talk about it, support them.

16. Collaborate – If you run a local business, look to partner with other local businesses to increase your offering.  

17. Take a photo – If you have bought a product you love why not take a photo of you enjoying it and post it to social media or send it to the business, they will love you sharing the love.

18. Don’t forget small business – Once everything goes back to normal, continue to support small and shop local into the future. 

19. Be kind – Support those still working in customer service facing roles and be overly kind right now. You just don’t know what they might be going through.

20. Friends – If you have friends who have lost their jobs or businesses during this time, check in on them, cook them a meal and drop it off. Be that friend you would want in a time of need. Let’s look after each other.

Easter Roast Beef

 

Even though we may not be having the traditional big family Easters and long weekend getaway that we are so used to in Australia this year, it doesn’t mean that we can’t spoil those in our immediate household with a delicious meal.

 

Whether it is a roast for two or feeding your family of four, now more than ever it is essential to bring your loved ones who live in your house under one roof to the table to enjoy an Easter lunch and give thanks to all that we have and more.

 

This Roast beef recipe is a delicious addition to your Easter weekend celebrations, and the leftover meat makes excellent sandwiches for days to come.

 

What you’ll need:

 

1 X 2Kg round roast

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 240. In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Rub all over roast.

 

Place roast in roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 and roast 1 hours 45 minutes more for medium, or 2 hours for medium-well done.

 

 

Remove from oven and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken and potato pie

One of the many blessing in disguise in this COVID-19 situation is you will probably have a lot more time indoors and being able to do things around the home.

 

Take the time to do what makes your soul happy.

 

Cooking meals from scratch can be just what the doctor ordered, and this Chicken and potato pie is a delicious isolation dish.

 

What you’ll need:

 

750g Potatoes

130g Unsalted Butter

3 Shallots, finely chopped

2tbsp tarragon Leaves

2tbsp Chopped Chives

4 Large Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into thin strips

800g Puff Pastry

Flour for dusting

2 Egg Yolks

240ml Double Cream

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

 

Method:

 

Put the potatoes and half the butter into a pan and heat gently, turning from time to time, until they are just tender but not brown. Transfer them to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

 

Meanwhile, soften the shallots in the remaining butter. Add the herbs and chicken, turning the mixture over a steady heat for a few minutes until the meat is partially cooked.

 

Add to the bowl of potatoes, mix carefully and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

 

Place half the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a circle about 30cm wide. Transfer it to a lightly buttered baking sheet. Brush the perimeter of the pastry with beaten egg yolk, then pile the chicken mixture in the middle.

 

Roll the remaining pastry into a circle about 36cm wide and place it over the filling, sealing and crimping the edges. Cut a circle about 10cm wide in the top, but leave it in place: this will act as a lid. Brush the whole surface with the remaining egg yolk. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C.

 

When the pie is ready, heat the cream until boiling then season with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the pastry lid from the pie and pour in the cream, lifting the mixture gently to allow it to circulate. Put the lid back on and return the pie to the oven for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

How to take the edge off self-isolation

 

Had you ever heard the term self-isolation before recent times??? Us neither, but now it is daily talk these days. We are longing for the days when we can sit back around a table, with a cheese platter and chink glasses with our Billy Goat crew…

 

And while working from home and being housebound might seem nice at first… inevitably then boredom sets in, and you need a good stack of things to keep the time passing, some self-care and keeping your mind active.

 

So here they are… Our top self-isolating tips!

 

Read all those books sitting on your bedside table collecting dust

You know who you are… the hoarder of books over there in the far corner. Well now is your time to enjoy the slowdown and get reading…

 

Plant a veggie patch

Now more than ever, sustainable living should be a focus for all. So, it’s high time that you plant that veggie patch and watch your garden grow.

 

Eat good food

Now is the time to be giving your immune system a fighting chance, so try and eat good food where and when you can. Get into the kitchen and cook your meals from scratch, and maybe even host a virtual dinner party.

 

Paint

Have you ever wanted to take up painting, photography or some other creative hobby? Well now might be your time to get into that creative hobby that you can do at home.

 

Organise

Time to organise that cellar, spare room or cupboard that you stuff things into… now is your time to get it done. We suggest doing it with a good glass of vino in hand for good measure. And when you’ve organised the cellar and realise you need more vino, give us a call.

 

Sleep

Sounds simple right, but most of us are really sleep-deprived, so if you can fit in a few extra hours of shut-eye, then do so. Take this time to slow down and enjoy some self-care time.

 

Join us for our live stream wine tasting this Friday!

You know you want too, join us for some fun, hilarity and wine tasting this Friday from 5:30 pm. Just jump on our Facebook page and enjoy the magic.