As well as columnist for The Australian Women’s Weekly (plus radio and TV host, mum-of-three, podcaster and much more) Chrissie Swan is now a cookbook author.
She’s also the cover star of the December issue of The Weekly.
Chrissie Swan’s new cookbook The Shortcut Queen is full of delicious recipes and hints for time-poor cooks. “I’ve made dinner for my family every single night for the past 6,205 nights. That’s why this book exists,” writes Chrissie in The Shortcut Queen ($29, Amazon).
The result is a collection of no-fuss recipes and practical tips that Chrissie relies on in her own kitchen. These are the dishes she turns to when life gets busy, and they’re about to become your new weeknight saviours. Including cake tin chicken with the clever equipment hack of using two loaf tins to roast chicken for wraps, salads and chicken shawarmas.
Here Chrissie shares four of her favourite easy recipes from The Shortcut Queen.
The panzarese
A cross between panzanella and Caprese!
“A while ago I noticed that every time I made a salad with croutons in it – a salad of any description – the croutons would go first,” says Chrissie. “So, I deduced that croutons are good in salads. And the only thing better than a good Caprese salad is a Caprese with bread. And that’s what this is. It’s like a bruschetta in a different form. I always have these ingredients on hand, and we eat this ALL the time.”
INGREDIENTS
4 left-over slices of bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic clove, halved
3 truss tomatoes, cut into large chunks
2 punnets baby Roma tomatoes, halved
½ bunch basil, leaves picked
2 x 220g tubs bocconcini, drained and halved
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
METHOD
- Crisp up the leftover slices of bread in a sandwich press. Drizzle the press with olive oil, place the bread on top, add more oil on the slices, then close the press. Toast until the bread is crispy and golden. Remove from the press and, while the toast is still hot, rub with the cut sides of the garlic clove until fragrant. With a large knife, cut the bread into crouton-sized squares and set aside.
- Combine the tomatoes, basil and bocconcini in a serving bowl.
- Drizzle with the extra oil and the balsamic glaze and top with the garlic croutons. Toss the croutons through at the last minute before serving. (Otherwise: Soggy.)
Chrissie’s shortcut
I keep any leftovers of the tomatoes, bocconcini and basil in a freezer bag and throw it into the next gnocchi bake or spaghetti sauce I make.
Vietnamese chicken salad
SERVES 4-6
PREP TIME 30 MINUTES
“There’s a chicken salad at Sisterfields in Bali that I just love, but it’s far too fancy to make at home,” says Chrissie. “This one hits all the herby goals and uses a good old roast chook. You can poach your own chicken, of course, but I prefer to just open a bag from the supermarket, give the skin to Murphy the dog and get on with it.”
INGREDIENTS
1 large carrot, julienned
600g cabbage, shredded (I like a mix of green, white, red and wombok)
½ roasted chook or barbecued chicken, shredded
½ bunch coriander, leaves picked (save the roots for the dressing)
Vietnamese dressing (see below)
½ bunch mint, leaves picked
10g (½ cup) Vietnamese mint leaves
80g (½ cup) roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped
crispy-fried shallots, to serve
QUICK PICKLED ONION
1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 small red onion, finely sliced
METHOD
- For the quick pickled onion, combine vinegar, sugar and sea salt flakes in a bowl and stir until dissolved. Add red onion and mix well to coat. Set aside for 10–15 minutes or until onion is pickled and changed in colour. Drain.
- Combine the pickled onion with the carrot, cabbage, chicken and herbs in a large serving bowl.
- Just before serving, add dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with nuts and shallots and serve.
VIETNAMESE DRESSING
MAKES ABOUT 200ML
PREP TIME 10 MINUTES
1 lemongrass stem, white part only, sliced
2 coriander roots, cleaned
3 tablespoons rice bran oil or peanut oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce
pinch of dried chili flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 2 teaspoons jarred garlic)
1½ tablespoons brown or caster sugar
- Place everything in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Chrissie’s shortcut
Pick up a roast chook at the supermarket, use a food processor to shred the veg, make your dressing in advance and you’ve got dinner on table before you know it.
Cake tin chicken
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 15 MINUTES (+ 2-6 HOURS , OR OVERNIGHT, MARINATING)
COOK TIME 45 MINUTES
“This is such a great way to cook chicken for wraps, salads and chicken shawarmas,” says Chrissie. “Don’t overload the tin or you may have raw layers in the middle and you’ll have to faff about frying off the centre pieces while everyone is watching you with starving eyes. You’re better off doing it in two tins, if you need to. That way, you get twice the delicious bits on top, too!”
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed (or 6 teaspoons jarred garlic)
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
½ tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tablespoon sumac
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1.5kg chicken thigh fillets
TO SERVE
pickles of your choice
warm pita bread
plain yoghurt
flat-leaf parsley leaves or whatever you’ve got
METHOD
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to completely coat the chicken.
- Tightly pack the marinated chicken thighs into one or two loaf tins (24cm x 14cm x 7cm). Refrigerate for 2-6 hours to marinate – or overnight if time permits.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced.
- Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and carefully drain the excess liquid from the tin. Allow the chicken to rest in the tin for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a board and slicing into pieces. Serve.
Chrissie’s shortcut
“Make the chicken the night before. Then grab some pickles and pita bread on the way home from work, rustle up some herbs and yoghurt from the fridge and you’ve got a delicious meal ready to go.
Julie’s chicken & cream
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME 20-30 MINUTES
“By her own admission, former politician Julie Bishop only knows how to cook two dishes,” shares Chrissie. “This is one of them. The other one involves prawns, from memory. Anyway, she cooked this chicken on The Circle. It was delicious then, but I have made it even more delicious over the years. It will always be Julie’s recipe, but I’ve given it the full fat-and-flavour explosion treatment.”
Ingredients
75g (½ cup) plain flour
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
4 chicken breast fillets, bashed out a bit with a mallet
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons oregano leaves
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
600ml cooking cream
100g (1 cup) finely grated parmesan
TO SERVE
rice pilaf
steamed broccolini
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a baking dish with butter.
- Place the flour, sea salt flakes, white pepper and chicken in a large ziplock bag and shake to coat the chicken.
- Remove chicken, shaking off any excess flour, and sprinkle with herbs. Pour cream over the top to completely cover the chicken, then season with freshly ground black pepper and top with the parmesan.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts, or until cooked through. I like to serve this with a rice pilaf and steamed broccolini.
Where to buy Chrissie Swan’s cookbook
Just in time for Christmas shopping, Chrissie Swan’s cookbook makes a great gift for anyone who wants more stress-free cooking in their lives.
