Friday 26 / April / 2024
MINT GINGER LEMONADE
Combine 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint leaves, 1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger, and 1/3 cup honey in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Let steep 30 minutes. Strain into 4-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Add 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups (about) cold water to measure 4 cups total. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Fill glasses with ice cubes. Add lemonade. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices and serve.
MINT SAUCE
Place 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, finely chopped in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup boiling water, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until sugar is dissolved. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes, then serve immediately with grilled chicken or lamb chops.
MINT ICE TEA
Bring 1 litre water to a boil. Add 7 tea bags (the minute the water comes to a boil remove from heat and put in tea bags). Set aside to steep for 7-8 minutes, remove tea bags. Fill 1.8 litres of cold water in a big container. To cold water add 1 small can frozen lemonade and 1 small can frozen limeade. Mix thoroughly, add 1 cup sugar to taste. Stir until dissolved. Taste. Add fresh mint.
GREEN CORIANDER RICE
Take 1 large green capsicum, roughly chopped and seeds removed, 1 onion, roughly chopped, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 1/4 cup fresh coriander, leaves only and 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley in a food processor. Blend to a fine paste. Set aside. In a saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon butter and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add 1 cup long-grain white rice and fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the grains become translucent. Quickly stir the herb paste into the rice. Continue to cook over heat for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in 600ml boiling chicken stock or vegetable stock and season with fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed. Remove from heat and leave to stand, with the lid covered for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves or sprigs.
CHICKEN A LA ORANGE WITH MINT
Grate rind of 1 orange and squeeze the juice from that orange over 1.5kg cut up pieces of chicken. Thinly slice another orange and set aside. Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Roll chicken pieces in flour mixture. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a pan. Brown chicken on both sides in oil. Remove to a baking pan allowing space between chicken pieces. Sprinkle chicken with grated orange rind. Pour 1 cup chicken broth around chicken in pan. Top with sliced orange and 3 sprigs fresh mint. Bake, uncovered, at 190C degrees until chicken is tender.
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