House full of blokes

Pasta is a family staple.  It provides us with some quick, easy, tasty meals.  This dish is light, healthy and delicious.  It keeps really well for a fabulous 'left over' lunch the next day. Ingredients 1 kg skinless chicken breast or thighs flour for dusting (approx 1/2 cup) 1 cup kalamata olives (pitted if you can get them) 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 cup white wine 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1-2tsp dried) 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano (or 1-2 tsp dried) 200g green beans (chopped into 2-3cm pieces) 2-3 handfuls of spinach leaves 2/3 sour cream pack of pasta of your choice Method Preheat oven to 180C Coat chicken pieces in flour and brown for about 2 minutes on each side in a hot pan with a little olive oil.  Use a pan you can put in the oven or transfer the chicken into an oven proof dish. Put herbs, olives, chicken stock and wine in with the chicken, cover with foil and place in the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Salmon for dinner always looks and feels like a special occasion meal.  This recipe has a great balance of hot, sweet and sour without taking away from the flavour of the salmon.  The salmon has great eye appeal when it is served with the spring onion, coriander and lemon zest and is great for a family meal or if you want to impress someone. For 4 people Preheat the oven to 200C 4 evenly sized salmon fillets To Coat the Salmon 2 teaspoons soy sauce Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons honey 1 clove garlic crushed 2 Tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger 1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or dry sherry) 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon chilli (dry flakes or from a jar or 1 de-seeded chopped fresh chilli) Method Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Brush onto the skin side of salmon fillets and place them in an oiled baking dish.  Brush sauce over the salmon and pour any remaining in, over and around the salmon.  Place in the hot oven and bake fo

Even in households full of blokes there are occasions when a ladies lunch is called for.  The opportunity to be one of @annabellangbein 's free range foodies with an advance copy of 'Annabel Langbein - a free range life', the senior bloke off on a trail ride on his bike and Cromwell being in 'petrol head' heaven with the Highlands motor sport park inaugural meet - gave an excellent excuse for inviting the lovely ladies I work with from Goldfields Primary school for a lunch.  The date was set a few weeks ago - a life with teenagers is busy and within the time frame for being a free range foodie this was the one-and-only weekend that was going to work, but was also a difficult week and some people were unable to attend with family commitments and bereavement, meaning that their time and energy was needed elsewhere.  Special thoughts go to Jac - all our thoughts are with you on your father's passing, we missed you at this event, but we are sure we will have many mo