tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91008920857522150092024-02-21T00:43:23.034+10:00What's Bron Cooking?BRON'S RECIPES, COOKING TIPS AND WHAT HAVE YOUUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-37999833868751593632021-01-07T12:08:00.004+10:002021-01-07T14:35:47.397+10:00Chicken mango and avocado salad<p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPn8cfvU3nV6DaL59BbHTkWC4Xgh893E7uZmIjiFD4EKMsqB4TKyYrKYTsnGsTTDpss3xuwzAz3G4oMcUtbOWw57kxTBP6CqDxNKe6vtq1o21bam34TcoyO0It24iEtxr_-VNCdN44zA/s649/salad+2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="518" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPn8cfvU3nV6DaL59BbHTkWC4Xgh893E7uZmIjiFD4EKMsqB4TKyYrKYTsnGsTTDpss3xuwzAz3G4oMcUtbOWw57kxTBP6CqDxNKe6vtq1o21bam34TcoyO0It24iEtxr_-VNCdN44zA/s320/salad+2.JPG" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>It's summer in Brisbane. Hot days, balmy nights and endless days in the pool. These are the times you don't want anything hot happening in your kitchen. Even the air fryer. Even the outdoor BBQ. You want cold food, that's fresh and vibrant and full of flavour. You also want food that's quick and easy to assemble so you can get back to the pool. Or your margarita. This meal ticks every single box. </b><br /><br />Serves 6-8 depending on appetites. </span><p></p><p><b>Ingredients for the salad</b></p><p>One bbq chicken from Woolies (or Coles, if you swing that way)<br />Two ripe mangoes (or two cans of tinned mangoes if you can't find fresh)<br />One large ripe avocado<br />One punnet of cherry tomatoes <br />One lebanese cucumber<br />One red onion<br />One bag of mixed leaves (from Woolies, or Coles if you swing that way)<br />One bunch of coriander<br />One packet of slivered almonds - for topping<br /><br /><b>Ingredients for the dressing</b><br /><br />½ cup extra virgin olive oil<br />3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar<br />2 teaspoons dijon mustard<br />3 teaspoons honey<br />3 garlic clovers, minced<br />Salt and pepper to taste</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRmiBcvF-5oUHlBOnwiUrii1fAIITNQK7bzaLHPP7h5KzD_aMr66MPIlIaNhAPfZ7N6Yfk7Y90aZP87IxkJ9D7a5UJIEaQthN3uM0yTSMEk24oMUnMi55CLtKfGvqUbJiuMXEBfCGlv4/s680/salad+1.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="575" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRmiBcvF-5oUHlBOnwiUrii1fAIITNQK7bzaLHPP7h5KzD_aMr66MPIlIaNhAPfZ7N6Yfk7Y90aZP87IxkJ9D7a5UJIEaQthN3uM0yTSMEk24oMUnMi55CLtKfGvqUbJiuMXEBfCGlv4/w169-h200/salad+1.JPG" width="169" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Method</b></p><p>Start chopping. Get the hubs or the kids involved. Or your mother-in-law if she's with you, might shut up her nagging for a while. <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Shred the chicken, snack on the skin, you want it to be in reasonably small bite-sized pieces</li><li>Dice the mangoes to about 1cm square. Make sure you chew on the seed.</li><li>Dice the avocado to about 1cm square. Don't chew on the seed. </li><li>Quarter the cherry tomatoes - or halve them if you're feeling lazy</li><li>Slice then quarter the cucumber</li><li>Chop the onion in half (after you remove the outer skin idiot) and thinly slice</li><li>Chop up the coriander, or if you prefer, pick the leaves</li><li>Toast the slivered almonds (heat a fry pan to moderate, add the almonds - no oil - and kinda toss them around like you're a professional chef until they brown and smell amazing)</li></ul><p></p><p>Now, start building. I put half the leaves down, then chicken, then half of everything (not the almonds) then do it again. Like a trifle. Just keep moving things around so the colours are evenly spread and the whole bloody thing looks amazing. Top with coriander and toasted almonds. <br /><br />For the dressing, put all ingredients in a mason jar and shake. Adjust to suit. I usually end up adding more mustard and honey. Side note - any leftover dressing doesn't need to be refrigerated. <br /><br />Serve the dressing on the side. This way, if there's leftovers, they won't get all odd and soggy, but will rise again for a snack the next day. <br /><br />Enjoy with a margarita. <br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-52305432218360692332019-08-17T09:36:00.000+10:002019-08-17T09:47:19.858+10:00Creamy chicken and tarragon stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mkN-X5g24tpYoVBcUhKWCiVIy-6zGnMLCuBOGXmdtgkJmOYJpLTzd8b_oQ0apEG-cQKh4ef08WjlrUghrIvk1l5eoCScwNJZYqB05fgfS5gHIaPL7fGhdOnxOL_FlRSSThmk2dbBDxQ/s1600/WW.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1126" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mkN-X5g24tpYoVBcUhKWCiVIy-6zGnMLCuBOGXmdtgkJmOYJpLTzd8b_oQ0apEG-cQKh4ef08WjlrUghrIvk1l5eoCScwNJZYqB05fgfS5gHIaPL7fGhdOnxOL_FlRSSThmk2dbBDxQ/s320/WW.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
So the ridiculous thing about this recipe is that it heralds from the good folk at Weight Watchers, or WW as they now prefer, except I then went and fatted it. (Made that word up but you know what I mean.) WW is a stalwart. This mob has out-survived most competitors in the diet industry. They promote their brand in such a way that it makes you feel like you need to lose weight or you're missing out on some fun. Like another 10 years of life or wearing your size 10 jeans.<br />
<br />
I own a veritable library of their recipe books and dip in and out of their online space all the time, because I, too, wouldn't mind another 10 years and even though the smallest size jeans I've ever owned are a 12, I still harbour fantasy I'll wear them again.<br />
<br />
I like their recipes because they're simple to make (great for mid-week), use heaps of veggies (tick tick tick) and the flavour is pretty ok. The secret is to stick to their exact list of ingredients. Do not add an extra teaspoon of oil or an extra cup of double cream. Don't do what I do. Or, do what I do and wear whatever size jeans feel comfy.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
500g chicken thighs, chopped to about 2cm pieces<br />
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced<br />
4 bacon rashers, diced (not too small, you want to be able to see them)<br />
2 garlic cloves, squashed and diced finelh<br />
Cornflour or plain flour - a few tablespoons<br />
Mustard powder - a few tablespoons<br />
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut kinda thickly<br />
500g or so of potatoes, cut into large chunks<br />
Fresh tarragon leaves (strip them off the stem but don't cut them)<br />
3-4 cups chicken stock<br />
Spinach leaves - heaps<br />
Cream - the quantity is up to you (I used half a cup but you can omit it if you're a WW slave)<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
(If you're smart, you would have noticed that I made you do all the chopping in the ingredients section.)<br />
<br />
Bonus: this meal can be cooked on the stove in one pot, so use a big one with a lid.<br />
<br />
Add the chicken, flour and mustard powder to a plastic bag and shake (or just put them all in a bowl and mix)<br />
<br />
Cook the chicken in batches and remove from the heat. Add the bacon, leek and garlic and cook it for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
Return the chicken to the pan and add the potato, carrot and tarragon. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer (lid off) for about 45-50 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the spinach and the optional cream and stir until the spinach has wilted.<br />
<br />
Believe me it's way better with the cream. Don't tell WW.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-91870651263208280312018-08-24T21:31:00.000+10:002018-08-27T09:00:19.355+10:00Spicy miso pork ramen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB_6c8ejRgwCv-TLmzPGwuKZPKTnxGDwXRv0GurLzx-HyUBFHvmolC8erdfT4taBqX9NsERCrjL1dFH4dFnyxz_iQllLfANmMvgePwDh_VBXIOpAj-4dWnFpVKnNN456odtohscX16BM/s1600/japanese-spicy-miso-pork-ramen-49051-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="759" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB_6c8ejRgwCv-TLmzPGwuKZPKTnxGDwXRv0GurLzx-HyUBFHvmolC8erdfT4taBqX9NsERCrjL1dFH4dFnyxz_iQllLfANmMvgePwDh_VBXIOpAj-4dWnFpVKnNN456odtohscX16BM/s320/japanese-spicy-miso-pork-ramen-49051-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>I need to find a way to make you want to make this. I can offer taste tests, evidenced-based reviews and margaritas. It's a Jamie Oliver recipe and if you're not a fan of him, I beg you to put that to one side and give this a crack. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Its beauty lies in its simplicity. And cleverness. The ability to create such depth of flavour with so little expended effort. And so few ingredients. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Now I'm a fan of the complicated. Hard to find ingredients where I need to walk down a side alley in Fortitude Valley and knock a secret code on a door to have a parcel of obscure spices slipped out. Or drive upwards of 50km in a north, south, east or westerly direction (well not really east because that would land me in Moreton Bay but you get my enthusiasm) to garner one of the six available black truffles. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Everything on this list I could bang together at my local Woolies at Morningside. And I truly believe that if I stretch it, I could find identical ingredients at Woolies at Cannon Hill and Woolies at Wynnum Plaza. I'm not too sure about Capalaba. Or Logan. But these days you never know. If you're a Brisbane eastern suburbs local, you'll be nodding by now. Happy to hear feedback from Kallangur and Morayfield. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Measurements have never really been my thing so take what I provide as a guide and use your instinct. And bloody keep tasting it ok. That's one thing Manu gets right in his world with too much affected accent and colourful jackets. He repeatedly tells cooks to taste. Bloody taste. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Best you make it before the daytime temp starts hovering around 30 or save it for next winter. It's not really a summer dish. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNLeTvJy3kn7A3L5XkATQSMsSX6rGiADMjter-Yax8e-GA5NxLiswoVzRdT2pJnigE3EHxTutSyiyaXQ5nSIppxTtieuA1CwMLheOXq3oItcHnVD8n1w74_p5mXl9XDmcx7j9xweui7Q/s1600/ramen.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="172" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNLeTvJy3kn7A3L5XkATQSMsSX6rGiADMjter-Yax8e-GA5NxLiswoVzRdT2pJnigE3EHxTutSyiyaXQ5nSIppxTtieuA1CwMLheOXq3oItcHnVD8n1w74_p5mXl9XDmcx7j9xweui7Q/s320/ramen.PNG" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>You can buy these from Woolies</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
Serves 4. Or 2. Depending on how hungry you are.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
Oil (rice bran, sunflower, vege, whatever)<br />
2-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I've been known to use 7 hence the wide arc)<br />
3-6cm piece of ginger, grated<br />
250g pork mince<br />
¼ cup mirin<br />
2 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
¼ cup red miso paste<br />
1 tablespoon chilli paste (I used that sambal olek - see pic - and it was magnificent)<br />
1 litre chicken stock (Campbells is fine but don't get salt-reduced)<br />
2 eggs<br />
Ramen noodles (use the whole three bunches, fuck it)<br />
2 bunches pak choy or bok choy<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Heat oil in a frypan over medium to high heat. Now this can be on the stove, or you can use your electric wok.<br />
<br />
Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until that fabulous aroma fills your kitchen and your heart.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVhsfcJti9XqboM_XABJfL-0O7U9GWCT8z5YxmxzakETtR4nwa7G4SwOtPBaIyszG-IjQLl1iB7jgtTsDse_lMEl-93NjVwKXo_yeSmikMC-_oO184MRP9zFw7BJviF_WXuWRXiE8KNY/s1600/201050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVhsfcJti9XqboM_XABJfL-0O7U9GWCT8z5YxmxzakETtR4nwa7G4SwOtPBaIyszG-IjQLl1iB7jgtTsDse_lMEl-93NjVwKXo_yeSmikMC-_oO184MRP9zFw7BJviF_WXuWRXiE8KNY/s1600/201050.jpg" /></a><br />
Now you need a bit of commitment for this next bit. Consider a soothing beverage to keep you company.<br />
<br />
Add the mince and continually stir, breaking it up and getting it brown all over.<br />
<br />
Combine the mirin, soy, miso and chilli in a bowl then pour it over the nicely browned pork. Keep with it, on a reasonably high heat, stirring and turning, stirring and turning, until the mince is a really rich brown and has started to caramelise. When that happens cook it for another 1-2 minutes despite your instincts telling you to get it the fuck off the stove. Now you can take it off the heat.<br />
<br />
Please listen to me. It may take a few minutes to work with this mince but trust me when I say it will be worth it. Just keep the heat to it and keep turning it. You can certainly do other things while you're chained to the stove - watch Netflix, scream at children, drink wine, scroll through Instagram. Better still, post a pic to Insta. Tag me.<br />
<br />
Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring it to the boil then it can simmer patiently until it's needed.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile (back at the ranch) boil some water in a saucepan so you can cook the eggs - if possible, you want the eggs to be at room temperature before you put them in the water. Once they're in the water, cook them for four minutes and not a second longer. When the buzzer goes (because I am assuming you have set the timer on your iPhone X), get them out, and plunge them into some ice cold water that you just happened to have on standby. This stops the cooking process. It's like face-palming the egg.<br />
<br />
To cook the noodles, I boil a full kettle, pour the water into a glass or ceramic bowl, add the noodles and let them do their thing for 3-5 minutes, then I strain them in a colander and give them a quick rinse.<br />
<br />
Chop the ends off the pak/bok choy, microwave for a minute.<br />
<br />
Now is the time to build.<br />
<br />
Put noodles in the bottom of the bowl. Put the pak/bok choy on top. Then divide the mince between the 2 or 3 or 4 bowls. Pour over the hot stock. Peel and halve the eggs and pop on top of it all. Wait about 2-3 minutes and then watch how the stock takes on the properties of the chilli and becomes rich and dark and so full of intense flavour.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaE3l2_XlG0JXeTKwzQf7-PR9lWI04pVqOyMBaqzv_wVEFm7pt2MVXatZ2JwGdI8ZWjdDqojoOBOugmOFdZsMBxO30Gri6mlt_FRHWNHgNjh8vg2kW-ub0WepNL9EwNOv45twPIsDBFo/s1600/97110__57198.1501079004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="407" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaE3l2_XlG0JXeTKwzQf7-PR9lWI04pVqOyMBaqzv_wVEFm7pt2MVXatZ2JwGdI8ZWjdDqojoOBOugmOFdZsMBxO30Gri6mlt_FRHWNHgNjh8vg2kW-ub0WepNL9EwNOv45twPIsDBFo/s200/97110__57198.1501079004.jpg" width="200" /></a>Thank you Jamie. Sometimes you annoy me. This is not one of those times.<br />
<br />
You want to be eating this baby with chopsticks and one of those fabulous Asian spoons.<br />
<br />
Jamie suggests topping it with bamboo shoots, spring onion, sesame seeds etc. I couldn't be fucked but you go right ahead.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-12065953771281444872018-08-21T20:55:00.001+10:002018-08-21T20:55:50.608+10:00Salmon poke bowls<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c1snPBWFQRNmlblYf-CSPY-Fe2iISd3HU7CmUYY3PByyD371_ru6f9cgqc_JbC1jOnmO8uYksSnyJSk_PzZ4CMebYSPJTbx8r6b5OY-siCihd4FbZkxPBdeYti8ZOLAN7l_qwKSUW_I/s1600/poke1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c1snPBWFQRNmlblYf-CSPY-Fe2iISd3HU7CmUYY3PByyD371_ru6f9cgqc_JbC1jOnmO8uYksSnyJSk_PzZ4CMebYSPJTbx8r6b5OY-siCihd4FbZkxPBdeYti8ZOLAN7l_qwKSUW_I/s320/poke1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the one I made last week</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Now I quietly think the Japanese pinched this idea from me. Despite this blog eulogising my adoration to food, food prep and all things gourmet, I secretly have a penchant for chucking random stuff in a bowl. Usually this random stuff is left over, on its last legs or was something I forgot I had. I've thrown strawberries and sultanas in with left over curry and topped the lot with avocado and ricotta. That sort of thing. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">My daughter loves to eat this way too and thinks we should co-author a recipe book called "Chuck Shit In". I think it would walk off the shelves and make all those Masterchef wannabes a little nervous. Plus I love books with swear words in the title. The Subtle Art etc. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFnlTo7VlK154M5LN5_luB3Jw-bwQZU5cfa6WWASvXlt4jlgeWAgjDLE3P2hHzWWJVnpwrDZRzNERpAgLR4hEFT9AfhZP_3y1WnVtLo_sOw90oCI8JZhuNknMqvUHTYBHCL8cHmkwMI8/s1600/poke3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFnlTo7VlK154M5LN5_luB3Jw-bwQZU5cfa6WWASvXlt4jlgeWAgjDLE3P2hHzWWJVnpwrDZRzNERpAgLR4hEFT9AfhZP_3y1WnVtLo_sOw90oCI8JZhuNknMqvUHTYBHCL8cHmkwMI8/s1600/poke3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wakame - Japanese seaweed salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">Anyway these little puddles of gorgeousness are my absolute favourite thing to make. They can be brunch, lunch, dinner or all three. The best part is they need very little cooking and you can go a little rogue on what you put with the salmon. The colours are captivating. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: purple;"></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">But always eat them with chopsticks. It's way more fun. Just nick some from Sushi Station. </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ingredients (Now, remember I said you had options with what you put with it? Well, I'm putting down what I use but don't be led by me. You too have an imagination.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sashimi grade salmon (I live close to the Fish Factory on Lytton Rd which is an excellent stockist of sashimi products) (If there's two of us, I use one fillet. If there's more of you, you'll need to do some maths.)<br />
2 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
2 teaspoons sesame oil<br />
2 teaspoons mirin<br />
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger<br />
Brown rice (go on, be lazy, buy the tub you heat for 40 seconds)<br />
Edamame (shelled, cooked, cooled)<br />
Wakame (the fancy name for that fabulous Japanese seaweed salad)<br />
Cherry tomatoes, quartered<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yva1jmis6fPzWOmnL_MHrK_4SrhEsKO0yOaST97Y0lWWok-FrPQ7Bqydk9R1btbQd667QCgI4MQjcRrMTpi29Hxdq2Qkp0D0tn1Wcxo5xxgpVWyMZATO2yihdWJACPqg_AH0I_Dw_GM/s1600/poke2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yva1jmis6fPzWOmnL_MHrK_4SrhEsKO0yOaST97Y0lWWok-FrPQ7Bqydk9R1btbQd667QCgI4MQjcRrMTpi29Hxdq2Qkp0D0tn1Wcxo5xxgpVWyMZATO2yihdWJACPqg_AH0I_Dw_GM/s320/poke2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a pic I got from the internet and it's fabulous</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Avocado, cubed<br />
Cucumber, sliced then quartered<br />
Grated carrot<br />
Corn kernels<br />
Pickled ginger (out of the jar or nick some from Sushi Station)<br />
One boiled egg, halved (nice if the centre still a bit soft and runny)<br />
Toasted sesame seeds<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Cut the salmon into 2cm cubes, or thereabouts.<br />
<br />
Which the soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and ginger in a bowl then toss through the salmon.<br />
<br />
Heat the rice, or cook it if you're being good, and put it in a noodle bowl.<br />
<br />
Decorate around the top of the rice with the edamame, wakame, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, carrot and corn.<br />
<br />
Heap the salmon on top, you don't need to drain the liquid. Top with the ginger, egg and sesame seeds.<br />
<br />
Serve with green tea.<br />
<br />
YUM! <br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-23388772198313163312018-08-04T09:44:00.000+10:002018-08-22T10:41:33.372+10:00Soba noodles with tofu & miso dressing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e7F71VUkqwfF4zBNOouaxloIQhy-9VXXvCuWQb1XrVHNVqkjvOlX4UUKMtOl1wpqKJqSrcbBZIQ0hWPuVKlrDRHSkBOf3iBiBPVC9V5kuAqDodQbljXnQyiRsFpZrpmjZe9fDe8-sBg/s1600/1803-soba-noodles-with-tofu-and-miso-dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e7F71VUkqwfF4zBNOouaxloIQhy-9VXXvCuWQb1XrVHNVqkjvOlX4UUKMtOl1wpqKJqSrcbBZIQ0hWPuVKlrDRHSkBOf3iBiBPVC9V5kuAqDodQbljXnQyiRsFpZrpmjZe9fDe8-sBg/s320/1803-soba-noodles-with-tofu-and-miso-dressing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>To me, this dish is like that pathetic friend we all had one of at school, where they'd do anything for you just to hang with your group. They'd buy you your lunch, give you their lunch, carry your bag and feed you compliments, as long as they were with your group. To paraphrase <a href="https://www.ft.com/veep" target="_blank">Selina Meyer</a>, they'd be happy if you shot them in the face. That's the best analogy I can give you about this.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>It's not quite a salad, yet you could have it as a stand-alone meal. It's not quite a side, but you could put it with some rare roast beef and some steamed greens. Or slice some salmon sashimi and plonk this on top. You can have it cold straight from the fridge, or warm it up a bit. Take it to work for lunch and if you get a better offer, it will still be happy to see you the next day. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>It takes longer to poo than it does to make this, that's if you take your phone in with you. For fuck's sake, the directions only have two steps! Enjoy, it's nice to be back xo</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
270g dried soba noodles (that whole packet of three)<br />
2/3 cup frozen peas (I used edamame as well)<br />
150g snow peas, halved diagonally<br />
¼ cup lemon juice<br />
¼ cup white miso paste<br />
1 tbs horseradish cream<br />
¼ cup rice bran oil<br />
2 cups firmly packed rocket<br />
1 carrot, coarsely grated<br />
3 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally<br />
200g packet Japanese marinated firm tofu, cut into thick strips (get this from Woolies)<br />
some dried nori, shredded<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Cook noodles in boiling water according to packet instructions, adding peas and snow peas for the last minute of cooking time. Drain. Refresh under cold water. Drain.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, whisk juice, miso, horseradish, 1 tbs water and oil in a large bowl until combined. Add noodles, peas, rocket, carrot and onions and toss to coat. Serve salad topped with tofu and scattered with nori.<br />
<br />
(I keep forgetting to take a pic of mine so this is the one from the <a href="https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/recipedetail/7379/soba-noodles-with-tofu-miso-dressing" target="_blank">Woolies </a>website, where I found this recipe. Mine looks a lot sloppier than this pic, so if yours does too, don't worry.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-83917572328584098932016-05-06T13:25:00.000+10:002016-05-09T08:10:01.795+10:00Oxtail ragu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6kMc3tMlyl-2S7JM8uEVL7DCK0XBlWdveX_pJtescsu3ouVaq-MGOOCy06PYwhYOVJoQCbBpdTKlNbpDhwqAXuK6f3I8GOjs1_DtAQwtMVUaCT-vRXIlY7P9tmDxyE7B47VdouExS28K/s1600/oxtail+ragu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6kMc3tMlyl-2S7JM8uEVL7DCK0XBlWdveX_pJtescsu3ouVaq-MGOOCy06PYwhYOVJoQCbBpdTKlNbpDhwqAXuK6f3I8GOjs1_DtAQwtMVUaCT-vRXIlY7P9tmDxyE7B47VdouExS28K/s320/oxtail+ragu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: purple;">It's all old-school at Cook Castle NZ today. We're going back to my childhood. My mum regularly made oxtail when we were kids, circa 1968-1981. Her method was to boil the living soul out of it in a pressure cooker and serve it with some mashed spuds and green beans. I remember dad raving on about marrow and heartiness, but when you're 11, food is just that thing you have to abide until such time as you can be "excused".</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I've never been brave enough to get a pressure cooker. That's because once, during the time-span nominated above, my mother didn't wait the requisite time period for the pressure cooker to de-pressurise. The result being that whatever she was making exploded across the walls and ceiling of the kitchen, and somehow my brothers and I had to clean it up. Like it was our fault.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">It's put me off them for life.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I left home at 18, and this is the first time I've cooked oxtail. So you do the math as to how long it's been between drinks. But the Coles-equivalent over here, New World, had some big fat bits that screamed 1975 and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/god-the-stupid-things-ive-done-20130603-2nkn2.html" target="_blank">Molly Meldrum</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countdown_(Australian_TV_series)" target="_blank">Countdown</a> so I bought them and got straight onto <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver</a>, figuring that out of all the chefs I love, he would be the safest bet.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">So here's what Jamie and I did with the oxtail. You should do it too.</span></b><br />
<br />
Serves heaps<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_cNBOo4o63S1o0V_uTwuvi4A5JbxyXk0wxI8K3Fczv2-gqKMb7IXuXURRqophfcFqZj4qadNYQ3jDZmzDSC6zpw6mbNoKterQymdr2xnFPDtRo4TASGsj9-6lLK2IK8DIhJK0dVipd7a/s1600/oxtail+ragu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_cNBOo4o63S1o0V_uTwuvi4A5JbxyXk0wxI8K3Fczv2-gqKMb7IXuXURRqophfcFqZj4qadNYQ3jDZmzDSC6zpw6mbNoKterQymdr2xnFPDtRo4TASGsj9-6lLK2IK8DIhJK0dVipd7a/s320/oxtail+ragu1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what oxtail looks like when raw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2 kg oxtails, in chunks<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Olive oil or rice bran oil<br />
350 ml white wine (thereabouts)<br />
2 carrots, chopped quite small<br />
2 onions, chopped quite small<br />
2 celery stalks, chopped quite small<br />
2 bay leaves (to be honest I used 4)<br />
4 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1 teaspoon each, dried sage, dried thyme, dried basil<br />
Pinch of dried chilli flakes<br />
2 tins crushed tomatoes<br />
To serve: Gnocchi, grated parmesan, chopped parsley<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Heat oven to about 200.<br />
<br />
Heat up your fry pan, season with oxtails with the salt and pepper, and get them really browned off.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-9DoylrV1JeFc_9ANKKgxsy-T27SYjzf6IihrqouQtuW_ke2SylwVFEEtj9VU4xHKR9mPXVn-H77HgIveQ6bvOSx36orXWyMjnxEWbeEnH15JsADIyfuAcSiFU2OcWQQFMrMviJSbX-G/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-9DoylrV1JeFc_9ANKKgxsy-T27SYjzf6IihrqouQtuW_ke2SylwVFEEtj9VU4xHKR9mPXVn-H77HgIveQ6bvOSx36orXWyMjnxEWbeEnH15JsADIyfuAcSiFU2OcWQQFMrMviJSbX-G/s320/IMG_0452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what my browned oxtail looked like</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Pop them into an oven-proof dish. I used the one I make lasagne in because it is massive.<br />
<br />
Next, into that lovely messy frypan, pour the wine. Boil it up for a while, then transfer it to a separate dish.<br />
<br />
Pour a little oil to the pan and add the vegies, bay leaves, herbs and garic. Stir, stir, stir until it all softens and plays happily.<br />
<br />
Pour this mixture over the oxtail, then pour over the wine liquid, then add enough water to pretty much cover the oxtail.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIkKz2PJirktMKYSx8wCfA6vXq1WdaXF74mSSrbjg3ONYXmDbGyg8QOdUeHrgS5RqQceQjzTj5JuZE1dvkofrZ8Uyxst21UCG_X2hxDA5v-wNwUfoipj6KX-ZeOqmd7kytClUbBmcXvLN/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIkKz2PJirktMKYSx8wCfA6vXq1WdaXF74mSSrbjg3ONYXmDbGyg8QOdUeHrgS5RqQceQjzTj5JuZE1dvkofrZ8Uyxst21UCG_X2hxDA5v-wNwUfoipj6KX-ZeOqmd7kytClUbBmcXvLN/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are my vegies cooking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Cover tightly with alfoil, or if you're using another dish that has a lid, pop on the lid. Into the oven for at least two hours, but if you can stretch it out, make it three.<br />
<br />
Take it out of the oven, let it cool so you can handle it, then strip all the meat from the bones. This is a disgusting job but, like making rissoles, it's so much better if you use your hands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Once you've done that, tip that lovely goodness back into something that can go on the stove, or if you've used a dish that is both oven and stove friendly, skip this step. The liquid should be quite thick but if it's not, tip some of it out and discard, but keep the vegies.<br />
<br />
Get it all hot again, then add two tins of tomatoes. Bring it to the boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add the meat and simmer for another 15 or so minutes. You want it to get all thick and rich, like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.<br />
<br />
Serve on top of gnocchi with sprinkle liberally with grated parmesean, chopped parsley and plenty of salt and pepper. Eat it while you watch "That 70s Show" or "The Six Million Dollar Man".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FzQrO5tR955VB45LWCO1yyPqMXCBhbA3JOzSLlafBj7pEVevmPDXkTP1lSDuIRu5ISI7-Kd-SIy4IkrA5tNlfpketVvIxlCWmWje2V0c23xpqPaA-pOmiSOV4-eIagD5F22wLGn5hW51/s1600/1001_6_1438004333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FzQrO5tR955VB45LWCO1yyPqMXCBhbA3JOzSLlafBj7pEVevmPDXkTP1lSDuIRu5ISI7-Kd-SIy4IkrA5tNlfpketVvIxlCWmWje2V0c23xpqPaA-pOmiSOV4-eIagD5F22wLGn5hW51/s400/1001_6_1438004333.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Jamie's pic of his oxtail ragu, from his website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-62418317045519182982016-04-19T14:11:00.000+10:002016-05-09T08:10:34.758+10:00Salmon, eggplant and goat's cheese stacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoze86oz7KkeSPJ9oatQc6ZKLZhX1dL1GQHT16CGZdxtTRGZQHEyJ-lUoM5e5J54MQtQUCKvX1oQbxE2lbaYHPtzwq6APuTg5t_3dB56pXaNGInrF3aQJA62nqRSDrV9uK5F3-c-P1HDXL/s1600/stacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoze86oz7KkeSPJ9oatQc6ZKLZhX1dL1GQHT16CGZdxtTRGZQHEyJ-lUoM5e5J54MQtQUCKvX1oQbxE2lbaYHPtzwq6APuTg5t_3dB56pXaNGInrF3aQJA62nqRSDrV9uK5F3-c-P1HDXL/s320/stacks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>So over here in the Land of the Long White Cloud is not only the world's best Sauvignon Blanc, but also the best hot-smoked salmon. I'm talking big fat oily slices of salmon that have been smoked gently and fragrantly so it falls apart when you smile at it. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Best part is you can buy top quality smoked salmon in the supermarket which I do when I'm pressed for time. But I prefer to pop out to Petone (for the uneducated like me, it's not pronounced Pet-One, like a pet shop or a Kardashian offspring, but the rather more refined "Pee-Tony" like a pretend Italian). </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><a href="http://www.johnsfish.co.nz/" target="_blank">John's Fish Market</a>, right on the esplanade, is not much chop inside, but it really does have some gorgeous fresh seafood. I like to buy sashimi salmon from him. When he sees me come in, he pops out to the back fridge, and brings me half a salmon and tells me it was caught just a few hours ago. Totally yum. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>I must admit I miss seeing the acres of green and cooked prawns that I was so accustomed to in Brisbane. But the array of salmon, fish like gurnard and tarahiki, and of course oysters, make up for it. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>We have a fantastic view of Wellington Harbour from our lounge/dining room so it makes sense to have people over, cook something fabulous, open a bottle of something, and enjoy. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Here's what we did recently. This is from Marie Claire's "Lunch". </b></span><br />
<br />
Serves 4<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 big fat purple eggplant<br />
Olive oil, for brushing<br />
Packet of fresh lasagne sheets<br />
1-2 fillets of hot smoked salmon (or trout, I guess)<br />
200g goat's cheese (or one packet)<br />
150g sun-dried tomatoes<br />
<br />
<i>For the sauce:</i><br />
50g butter<br />
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used curly)<br />
1 cup chicken stock<br />
3 tablespoons lime juice<br />
ground pepper<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
Cut the eggplant into thick slices, say 1cm. Lightly brush with olive oil and grill both sides until golden brown.<br />
<br />
Cut the lasagne sheets into 12 8cm squares. Cook in batches in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well.<br />
<br />
Put one sheet of lasagna on the center of each plate.<br />
<br />
Top with a slice of smoked salmon, a slice of eggplant, and a slice (or crumble) of goat cheese.<br />
<br />
Top with another sheet of lasagna and layer as before.<br />
<br />
Finish with a bit of smoked salmon, a crumble of goat cheese, and a sprinkling of sun-dried tomato.<br />
<br />
(It's usually a good idea to drain the sun-dried tomatoes on some paper towels first, it gets rid of a lot of the oil.)<br />
<br />
To make the sauce: heat the butter, parsley, stock, lime juice, and some cracked black pepper in a saucepan. Drizzle over the stacks.<br />
<br />
You can easily make this for two people by using the same quantity of ingredients and only put out two plates.<br />
<br />
Now get yourself some friends and a harbour view. Although it is worth noting that this recipe works just as well when you're on your own and watching tv. Sometimes that's a good enough view too.<br />
<br />
Enjoy xo<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrgtyxWbpOrn-Y4xbatGgU0U-TmJHqvWbky0rTh_G6L6-uLhF1H8CBY1x7E2cM6gtOSN_U0IBdfRxMfqBWOaBctM8xUnDI3ZN2tEUf-sEw1r7or-8F06L2DSUhb5jeOkjEofDW_tVOTsD/s1600/whar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrgtyxWbpOrn-Y4xbatGgU0U-TmJHqvWbky0rTh_G6L6-uLhF1H8CBY1x7E2cM6gtOSN_U0IBdfRxMfqBWOaBctM8xUnDI3ZN2tEUf-sEw1r7or-8F06L2DSUhb5jeOkjEofDW_tVOTsD/s400/whar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our view. I know.<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMOq1UycO0csRHdBPBGcR10phTBm4TN5fi_FnJiZ19_lNfmeAgdMEuYTMFHT7LkSukjsnuyOCVtx820-1WHMxId3pg1PxWe0iofwc0XJmHTHec4YoIxbvTuHhcDZAgCNdwbXlSzpXeyDR/s1600/whar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMOq1UycO0csRHdBPBGcR10phTBm4TN5fi_FnJiZ19_lNfmeAgdMEuYTMFHT7LkSukjsnuyOCVtx820-1WHMxId3pg1PxWe0iofwc0XJmHTHec4YoIxbvTuHhcDZAgCNdwbXlSzpXeyDR/s400/whar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our view at night. I know. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-33038139890828633002016-04-02T18:34:00.000+10:002016-05-09T08:11:48.882+10:00Peas, beans & feta <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOs7CjvCR37vAqv2f7DkYA3J84CVMfTwNufM8ADgoK1c-_MDbJ018SvPdbxr-nbI0IeTfqcWoMtTH5jkkQyuh3ciNLfAaEms7g-2YhuZoudU7I5IAWQOTAcvqucS9quDeJ_dCM29X0jHR/s1600/BillsKitchenNottingHillPeasLemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOs7CjvCR37vAqv2f7DkYA3J84CVMfTwNufM8ADgoK1c-_MDbJ018SvPdbxr-nbI0IeTfqcWoMtTH5jkkQyuh3ciNLfAaEms7g-2YhuZoudU7I5IAWQOTAcvqucS9quDeJ_dCM29X0jHR/s320/BillsKitchenNottingHillPeasLemon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: purple;">This is so incredibly easy that it's almost boring. It is also so incredibly fresh and tasty that it's the opposite of boring. It's the ideal thing when you're looking for something kind of healthy and kind of fantastic to put with your steak and potato. I reckon you should ditch the potato, and just do the steak (just medium rare) with this groover on the side.</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
1 leek, sliced (white part only)<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
250g asparagus, halved both down and across<br />
1 cup shelled edamame<br />
1 cup frozen baby peas<br />
75ml vegetable stock<br />
100g feta cheese, crumbled (I use Danish, it's so creamy)<br />
Handful of mint leaves, chopped<br />
½ lemon, zested<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOhHU5njP-uL6HgmXK0dSif1AWCWpNI3tiqXafL-z3db44kWunqQHkHEwfAl1tm3nS94eeTrv_1oh1na9Ob7bpC81WA9f2KSptuUNaZ8xe7Le34RrteAk0sohy7F2lWtPDfUDxXqDQpNE/s1600/BillsKitchenNottingHillPeasLemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOhHU5njP-uL6HgmXK0dSif1AWCWpNI3tiqXafL-z3db44kWunqQHkHEwfAl1tm3nS94eeTrv_1oh1na9Ob7bpC81WA9f2KSptuUNaZ8xe7Le34RrteAk0sohy7F2lWtPDfUDxXqDQpNE/s1600/BillsKitchenNottingHillPeasLemon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bill Granger, Australian chef and my future husband</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and asparagus, season with sea salt and cook for 5 minutes to soften.<br />
<br />
Add the beans and peas, pour in the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and the stock has reduced.<br />
<br />
Serve topped with the feta, mint and lemon zest and a grind of black pepper.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-2897601712618651372016-03-17T18:13:00.000+10:002016-05-09T08:12:26.264+10:00Sweet potato, zucchini & feta mini muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVkD8UNMdvTlljEByGyu9sAwFEY_vAo24_8fq2XYN7nTBxIu35PtiiuvsrhD342JkueLpXWMTq6fEgFKCgW1ptwrX0gJbrLgnwujhNFnF6kawLqGo-ncPGafe5-0K0Yd8RiI2DjSGPXwv/s1600/muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVkD8UNMdvTlljEByGyu9sAwFEY_vAo24_8fq2XYN7nTBxIu35PtiiuvsrhD342JkueLpXWMTq6fEgFKCgW1ptwrX0gJbrLgnwujhNFnF6kawLqGo-ncPGafe5-0K0Yd8RiI2DjSGPXwv/s320/muffins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: purple;">Found this delight on Facebook. I was scrolling through my newsfeed and my gorgeous friend L, who sadly isn't well, reposted this recipe from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NutritionForWLS/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Nutrition for Weight Loss Surgery</a> page. The good news is that I don't think you have to wait until you're having weight loss surgery to eat them. I quietly believe that if you eat healthy snacks like this, you probably will never need to have weight loss surgery.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I'm more savoury than sweet when it comes to treats (cheese platter anyone?) so this sort of snack is right up my unblocked heart valve. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I haven't cooked this yet, only just saw it, but the ingredients looks super simple and I think we're all smart enough to adjust as needed. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">Happy weekend x </span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Makes 30 mini muffins</i><br />
<br />
1 medium sweet potato, grated<br />
1 medium zucchini, grated<br />
1 medium red onion, grated<br />
½ cup cheese, grated<br />
100g feta, crumbled<br />
⅓ cup spelt or wholemeal flour<br />
4 eggs<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients and spoon into mini muffin trays (tip, use silicon trays to stop muffins sticking).<br />
<br />
Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Freezes well.<br />
<br />
Here's something I try not give out, nutrition information<br />
Per 2 muffins: 70cals, 4.5g protein, 4g carbs, 4g fat<br />
<br />
At that price, you can have four!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-36693845993224758272016-02-27T10:38:00.000+10:002016-05-09T08:12:57.286+10:00Penne with fresh tuna, tomato, olive and basil <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kEOx8k6wFjCTvPzyArFQUsWO7MZYB8X5NymTQZJRXiPrQuf0VdD5Aw_mnuycqc8dyDp09dRa1xp2egnARHdCfPvnJATpdRa9X7SSI5tJxuCREEXrFdczNNrmUyenDoas7yO-p_HPOMCZ/s1600/tuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kEOx8k6wFjCTvPzyArFQUsWO7MZYB8X5NymTQZJRXiPrQuf0VdD5Aw_mnuycqc8dyDp09dRa1xp2egnARHdCfPvnJATpdRa9X7SSI5tJxuCREEXrFdczNNrmUyenDoas7yO-p_HPOMCZ/s320/tuna.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Oh blimey could this colourful little number be any easier to make? Doubt it. And for once, I made it up instead of doing my usual bit of wading through one of my million recipe books or worse, piecing together two or three recipes to pass off as an original. Although if I'm completely honest, I have probably come across it in my wanders and shoved it into some distant recess of my memory. So whoever made this one up, please accept my thanks. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Fresh tuna is more widely available here than I found in Brisbane. Local supermarket New World routinely stocks it along with fresh Bluff salmon and a lot of fish whose names I am unable to pronounce. I usually just point and say, "Is that the same as barramundi?" and try to avoid the terse look of the shop assistant. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>I bought the tuna on a whim without really thinking through what I'd do with it. It looked all fresh and plump and red and, as a tuna lover from way back when, I snapped it up. And here's what happened when it got into my kitchen...</b></span><br />
<br />
Serves 4<br />
<br />
<b>Ingrdients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Penne pasta (I used Barilla wholemeal)<br />
Two fresh tuna fillets<br />
Four tomatoes<br />
1-2 red onions<br />
12 black olives (get the pitted ones, it's more elegant)<br />
12 stuffed green olives (straight from the jar)<br />
1 tablespoon baby capers<br />
4-6 mushrooms<br />
fresh basil leaves (you'll need heaps, and leave them whole)<br />
olive oil, salt and ground black pepper<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Cook pasta in lots of boiling salted water. When it's done, drain and then return the pasta to the hot saucepan and stir through some olive oil. Leave it covered.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnuMwZrb_Ps7Dj5dpABJj2o6vI-YIYPWX4aUYZGQk1vwpn2WkUSzVw4JmnUt2DcsheeGSl3W39VaXwsY_1ArM_PksuOZmjf22nxIgVnV173i1CpqcS8HDX4eqGBX-9GkGlqovv16nyUpV/s1600/barilla-whole-grain-pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnuMwZrb_Ps7Dj5dpABJj2o6vI-YIYPWX4aUYZGQk1vwpn2WkUSzVw4JmnUt2DcsheeGSl3W39VaXwsY_1ArM_PksuOZmjf22nxIgVnV173i1CpqcS8HDX4eqGBX-9GkGlqovv16nyUpV/s200/barilla-whole-grain-pasta.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
While the pasta is cooking, throw the tomatoes and some oil into a large pot and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the skin is easy to peel. It may get a bit black in spots but don't worry about that. Peel off the skin and chuck it out, then chop up the tomatoes.<br />
<br />
Slice the red onions and cook them up in the same pot as the tomatoes. Check to see if you need a bit more oil.<br />
<br />
Once the onion in done, throw the tomatoes back in, along with the pasta, olives, capers and mushrooms and let them all get friendly and warm.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZpmBxNWGr2aSBSIIj-QYloF0oopaMOC1ocNepT5vmeUTa18bh75gzLTO53C2Tff3wVkzo-Pem_YN8dhXfnRo3tABUTap34FcyS_7u_jistonSWaDuvybsYpbE860rQvJi81raqMESRlM/s1600/ING-fresh-tuna_sql.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZpmBxNWGr2aSBSIIj-QYloF0oopaMOC1ocNepT5vmeUTa18bh75gzLTO53C2Tff3wVkzo-Pem_YN8dhXfnRo3tABUTap34FcyS_7u_jistonSWaDuvybsYpbE860rQvJi81raqMESRlM/s200/ING-fresh-tuna_sql.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Now for the tuna. It only needs to be cooked for as long as you can hold your breath, even if you're a smoker. Heat up a fry pan till it's pretty warm and then pop in the tuna. I didn't use any oil but that's your call. Set the timer on your phone or your microwave, you only want to cook those bad boys for 30-40 seconds on one side, then 20-30 seconds on the other. Remove from pan and rest them on paper towels for 10 minutes then slice and mix in with the pasta mixture. Stir for a few seconds then dish it out, and cover liberally with fresh basil leaves, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Add salt to your liking.<br />
<br />
Keep any leftovers for lunch the next day, you can eat it cold.<br />
<br />
Hope you love it as much as we did xoUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-61255834737499023792016-01-07T17:28:00.000+10:002016-01-07T17:30:21.141+10:00Pork belly and chorizo stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG-E_sTWUQy5ylfDi0xwYJLrFO9tUm83MUzduuDgXYjOLEEOUSVojf3kKED_w6thIlaUAmaQATz8xcEgsz9TEX_jq6T3NFpMqg0-Tyfv46ViMIr-Mk7IfuVYVcM7_lamua7072D_yjPif/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG-E_sTWUQy5ylfDi0xwYJLrFO9tUm83MUzduuDgXYjOLEEOUSVojf3kKED_w6thIlaUAmaQATz8xcEgsz9TEX_jq6T3NFpMqg0-Tyfv46ViMIr-Mk7IfuVYVcM7_lamua7072D_yjPif/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Seriously, what with all that Christmas cooking and New Year party preparations and mum coming over and having to make like you're Nigella or similar, and then friends coming to stay and you want to cook with the skill of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heston_Blumenthal" target="_blank">Heston Blumenthal</a> and entertain with the grace of Audrey Hepburn while drinking to the heights of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vruJVx5CNvo" target="_blank">Arthur Dunger</a>, what you really need is a meal that you can literally throw together in one pot, isn't technical or complicated, and tastes the bomb. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Meet this stew. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>OK, so a few of you whom I know and love - my darling Marc instantly comes to mind - will shudder at the concept of chopping off the pork belly rind but in order to make it super simple, there's no time to create crackling. And it didn't need it, honestly. The tenderness of all that pork belly belly-ness more than makes up. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Here's the best bit. We are all aiming to not have so much grog in January. Well, I am. This number calls for a cup of red wine, which means you can finish off the rest of the bottle guilt-free because you don't want it to go to waste, and you can comfort yourself in the knowledge that it wasn't the whole bottle. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>And what's not to love about a bit of fried chorizo! Thanks to a centuries-old Women's Weekly cookbook for this recipe. </b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Serves 4<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLFIcVUzjKClw_bsnQiJTqkjaA0Uh0COKreICEWjd7e3qnUYBQzZybL6J9-4lYWKtOQchNSjMUHSHHq8pEWiNUroTyJTK-60jiAzfyD4SDDBrSje2LL98hvO64227R6AWCSDDUCx37av0/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLFIcVUzjKClw_bsnQiJTqkjaA0Uh0COKreICEWjd7e3qnUYBQzZybL6J9-4lYWKtOQchNSjMUHSHHq8pEWiNUroTyJTK-60jiAzfyD4SDDBrSje2LL98hvO64227R6AWCSDDUCx37av0/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
2 chorizo<br />
600g piece of pork belly<br />
1 massive onion, finely chopped<br />
2-3 gloves of garlic, crushed and all that<br />
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (sweet, like you)<br />
1 large red capsicum, diced<br />
1 can chopped tomatoes<br />
1 cup red wine (recipe said half this but recipes can be wrong)<br />
150 ml water<br />
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained<br />
chopped parsley to serve, but if you've used it all on your cheese platters, don't worry<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Slice the rind off your pork belly, have a weep then throw it out. You don't need it. Trust me here. Then cut the pork into 3cm pieces.<br />
<br />
Slice the chorizo quite finely but don't stress about it, just do your best.<br />
<b><br /></b>
Now, to cook. So you want a fairly big pot. I've got an <a href="https://www.anolon.com/" target="_blank">Analon</a> one that is pretty huge which means I can swoosh the fry up items around without worry that they'll spill over the side. Or use your electric wok.<br />
<br />
Pop it on the stove and heat it up. When it's hot, throw in the pork and chorizo in batches until browned. Set aside.<br />
<br />
To the same pot, add the onion, garlic and capsicum, and just kind of swoosh them about a bit until they sweat it out. Then you pop the meat back in, along with the tomatoes, wine and water, bring to the boil then let it simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes. Add the beans, and simmer without the lid for another 20 or until it thickens a little.<br />
<br />
If you've got the energy, chop up the parsley and sprinkle it over when you serve. However, if you're anything like me, just pour some of the left over red wine and eat it in front of Netflix.<br />
<b><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-88189777131857279042015-12-01T16:01:00.000+10:002015-12-01T16:03:57.525+10:00Broccoli and blue cheese soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeEIpuUWA-W9G4XjSU0QAx0hWwFU9QwuQK3iciy6zm1OeQ6KpKxtYOoUubyTa49DRcyU1jpdrmUJd20Xemd7wGM74fQwCimlfKHNOIe6KlGu8OEgOcHaaJBwtuscfugpQPcAQ9BTa52kQ/s1600/broccoli_soup_cheese1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeEIpuUWA-W9G4XjSU0QAx0hWwFU9QwuQK3iciy6zm1OeQ6KpKxtYOoUubyTa49DRcyU1jpdrmUJd20Xemd7wGM74fQwCimlfKHNOIe6KlGu8OEgOcHaaJBwtuscfugpQPcAQ9BTa52kQ/s320/broccoli_soup_cheese1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Now I know that over there in Australia, you'd never think about a soup recipe on the first day of summer. But on this side of the ditch, summer has made itself known with rain and a bit of wind. So it's still perfect weather for soup.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: purple;"><b>This one came about because not so long ago, Alan and I took ourselves out for a long lunch, one of our most favourite things to do in this cool little capital. We drove around to the other side of the harbour to a place called Eastbourne and ate at <a href="http://www.cobar.co.nz/" target="_blank">Cobar</a>. Over three hours, we had two wines and four courses. Second course was broccoli and blue cheese soup and it was divine. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>So as I routinely do when I eat out and taste something amazing, I go home and Google it until I find the best recipe version and then set about finessing it. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>And here it is. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">Serves 4-6</span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRifNZ3zYewMXzTafBXJN_LexRgD_6yDSIPZXnMwWWD1EMDbOxZeJlO531f3hOm86VdG_V66XO1DAZSZQhrxDvP40xE1prgadlprO1zcF_-jmp1ol8veVmg6FBdi0QVD4bA8RCKLgoYQGr/s1600/IMG_3658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRifNZ3zYewMXzTafBXJN_LexRgD_6yDSIPZXnMwWWD1EMDbOxZeJlO531f3hOm86VdG_V66XO1DAZSZQhrxDvP40xE1prgadlprO1zcF_-jmp1ol8veVmg6FBdi0QVD4bA8RCKLgoYQGr/s320/IMG_3658.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Oil, butter<br />
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
1 onion, finely chopped<br />
1 leek, sliced<br />
2 celery sticks, chopped<br />
1 medium potato, peeled and diced<br />
1 litre chicken stock<br />
2 heads of broccoli, roughly chopped (chop the stalks as well)<br />
200g blue cheese, crumbled (less or more to your liking)<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
So dead-set simple. Throw a knob of butter and a slug of oil in a big pot, and when melted, add the garlic, onion, leek, celery and potato.<br />
<br />
Let it sweat it out for about five minutes, then add the chopped stalks of the broccoli and the chicken stock.<br />
<br />
Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the stalks are pretty soft. Then add the rest of the broccoli and cook for another five minutes.<br />
<br />
Now get out your whiz thing and blitz it up, then add most of the blue cheese and stir over a gentle heat till it melts.<br />
<br />
When you serve it, season with black pepper and sprinkle the rest of the blue cheese over it. A nice slice of toasted cheesy French bread can sit on top, if you've got the energy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-9919744255869405072015-09-27T14:26:00.001+10:002015-09-27T14:30:42.280+10:00Beef cheeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrKkjK-m0WJ3KkGibTqzcILrFaWKhScHNOJpqGUlU2iNCM-CHzbqmPY2fFw-jI26GEFNKKUrsKv83f79kGjj77l3Q-BYStd090-YFKpDqMlSE3a_E8CwlsJjzeGa51MeJvhDoaE4qJXHw/s1600/Beef-Cheeks-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrKkjK-m0WJ3KkGibTqzcILrFaWKhScHNOJpqGUlU2iNCM-CHzbqmPY2fFw-jI26GEFNKKUrsKv83f79kGjj77l3Q-BYStd090-YFKpDqMlSE3a_E8CwlsJjzeGa51MeJvhDoaE4qJXHw/s320/Beef-Cheeks-1.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I routinely wonder whether I am a fundamentally lazy person due to my penchant for cooking food that only needs one pot and that can be prepared hours even days in advance. Whilst I love to watch cooking shows like <a href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/my-kitchen-rules/" target="_blank">My Kitchen Rules</a>, I realise I could never be a contestant as the three-hour prep time is about 24 hours too short for me.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">I've never mastered the art of the pressure cooker either. I was about nine when I saw my mum take hers off the stove and unleash it before it had "de-pressurised" thereby coating every wall and surface of the kitchen with its contents. I think she made dad clean it up so I guess more power to her.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">My favourite sort of cooking is like this beef cheeks recipe. Throw it all in and let time be the kitchen master. Or mistress. It's cheap too. Total cost for the beef cheeks was $10 and I think that was for about 1kg. The most expensive part was the red wine. Please don't skimp on the red wine. Please don't be one of those people who think that cooking wine is cheap wine. Think of it this way - you need 500 mls in this recipe so you want the rest to be something worth pouring into a glass and pouring down your throat.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">You'll need your slow cooker for this. It's embarrassingly easy to make, just make sure you cook it a day before you need it. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: purple;">Feeds an army, or 6 people. </span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
Beef cheeks, about 1kg. I used five but forgot to weigh them.<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
1 celery stalk, sliced<br />
1 carrot, diced - don't get all in a tizz about even sizing and what have you, it's all good<br />
12 mushrooms, quartered<br />
4 cloves of garlic (for 6 like I used...)<br />
6-8 stems fresh thyme or 1 hefty teaspoon of dried thyme (I used dried)<br />
4 bay leaves<br />
1 cup beef stock<br />
400g tin chopped tomatoes<br />
500 mls or 2 cups of red wine - decent red people, not cask!<br />
Salt & pepper<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Cut away any visible fatty bits from the beef cheeks. Heat a heavy based pan. Season the cheeks with salt and pepper and fry them on both sides till lovely and brown. You may need a little oil but just see if the natural fats from the cheeks do the trick first. You can transfer them straight to the slow cooker when done. You want all those gorgeous juices. Trust me.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2M05TfX2-OrK2umpqh6_P9pRtLZIturkYCGEKM9E3m8OL-wB4rbdUQ0zbAul_3IWV2uOxoB78MpJmspFMreoJzTsPSkRRP5Y8GEXkWqIcQ6Fyvto-y8wwlCFU_dWqTetwGhSjNNBlxFH/s1600/winet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2M05TfX2-OrK2umpqh6_P9pRtLZIturkYCGEKM9E3m8OL-wB4rbdUQ0zbAul_3IWV2uOxoB78MpJmspFMreoJzTsPSkRRP5Y8GEXkWqIcQ6Fyvto-y8wwlCFU_dWqTetwGhSjNNBlxFH/s200/winet.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This the wine I used.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the same pan, add the onion and garlic and swoosh it around for about 2 minutes then add the celery and carrot. Swoosh for another 2-3 minutes then tip all that into the slow cooker as well.<br />
<br />
Now it becomes a big tipping game. In go the mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, beef stock and red wine. Tip tip tip. Be extravagant with your movements and say "daaaah-ling" to nobody in particular.<br />
<br />
Cook on high for 3 hours, then pop it to low for another 3. If your weather is cool, like it is here in Wellington, you can then turn the whole lot off for the night and go to bed. Next day, pop it back on low and it's ready for dinner.<br />
<br />
Serve with creamy mashed potatoes (don't forget the butter) and steamed green beans. Freeze what's left. You'll be glad you did.<br />
<br />
Oh, and finish that bottle of red.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-90087585972713916992015-09-22T12:59:00.000+10:002015-09-27T14:27:15.649+10:00Chocolate & banana bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrHGl61i1LHtlDkot6-in503kY9wDXzGMn_Pa9GwXYEnaKLp6Rfd0OnrmXwdWFunhDC8Ey-FUQQH554YCSC5fPDNf_L5HN04s8rMkdKm9uo58ApIUJGv4L-J7alEYwFIwhfv54G7A1tEs/s1600/chocolate-banana-bread-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrHGl61i1LHtlDkot6-in503kY9wDXzGMn_Pa9GwXYEnaKLp6Rfd0OnrmXwdWFunhDC8Ey-FUQQH554YCSC5fPDNf_L5HN04s8rMkdKm9uo58ApIUJGv4L-J7alEYwFIwhfv54G7A1tEs/s320/chocolate-banana-bread-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Oh good Lord, I can't believe I haven't posted this one. My daughter's school lunch box staple and still her go-to snack food when she's with me. Which isn't much at the moment because she is volunteering in South Africa. So I must be feeling nostalgic over here in NZ, because all I can think about is making it and wishing I could send her some. So Jade, this one is for you. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>And no, it's not way up there on the health food scale; it's got butter and brown sugar and lots of chocolate but just be a grown-up about it, and have one slice only and share the rest and make do with a second cup of tea. This also freezes like a genius so slice up what's left, wrap each piece in cling film and freeze. When it's time to make school lunch, it's ready to throw in. </b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
Spray oil and baking paper<br />
<br />
2 cups self-raising flour<br />
1 cup white chocolate bits (or more, I usually use more)<br />
1 cup milk chocolate bits (or dark chocolate, if you prefer, and more if you prefer)<br />
¾ filmly packed brown sugar<br />
½ shredded coconut<br />
1 tsp bicarbonate soda<br />
2-3 mashed bananas (like 2 large, 3 medium blah blah blah)<br />
1 cup milk (yes the full-fat not that watery stuff, not for my recipes)<br />
100g melted butter (yes butter, proper cooks butter not that pretend stuff)<br />
2 eggs, lightly whisked<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b>:<br />
<br />
Pre-heat your own to 200°C. Spray two loaf tins (mine measured 19cm x 9cm) with oil and line with baking paper. Or use those fab silicone ones, no need to line or spray or wash up with those.<br />
<br />
Sift the flour into a nice big bowl, then add the two lots of chocolate bits, sugar, coconut and bicarb and give it a good stir.<br />
<br />
Now go get another nice big bowl, and into that put the banana, milk, butter and eggs. Give it a good mix then pour the whole lot in with the flour mixture and stir till just combined.<br />
<br />
Pour into the tins and use the back of your wooden spoon to smooth the surface.<br />
<br />
Whack them into the oven for 40 minutes. You'll know when they're done when you insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and eat.<br />
<br />
If you've got any of that butter left over, you can smother some of it on your slice.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-31128290355032557852015-09-10T19:30:00.001+10:002015-09-10T19:33:59.993+10:00Red wine jus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDToAkLYRpuVicBTgpRtuvLFmV5WoVlQHxJLHE5NRw1qccPdCvdH8G1KjPpTOhAszu8fm_FfjPTu4_C3rNx5WebggnSUO55VZddaiP5YZSrkuPc86myx8ETDjqEkudXGrXNiIGDMiLoQT/s1600/jus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDToAkLYRpuVicBTgpRtuvLFmV5WoVlQHxJLHE5NRw1qccPdCvdH8G1KjPpTOhAszu8fm_FfjPTu4_C3rNx5WebggnSUO55VZddaiP5YZSrkuPc86myx8ETDjqEkudXGrXNiIGDMiLoQT/s200/jus.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>It's always the little things that complete a meal. Linen napkins, long stemmed wine glasses, a good sauce. Whilst there's a lot about <a href="http://manufeildel.com.au/" target="_blank">Manu Feildel</a> that bugs the crap out of me - his overt flirtiness, his overt French accent, his overt willingness to use store-bought stock - I am a massive supporter of his love of sauce. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>My sauce doesn't even have to be sauce. Sour cream, bbq sauce and mint jelly do me equally well. But when I'm serious, I love making an orange and cognac sauce for some chicken, or a blue cheese and walnut sauce for some rare steak. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Tonight, we had beef and roasted root vegies (swede, parsnip, fennel, beetroot) and seeing as we were going to enjoy a bottle of red with it anyway, I figured why not chuck some of it in a sauce. A red wine jus is not like the Romans discovering the wheel or Kim Kardashian taking a nude pic, ie it's not new. But it's bloody good and a reliable standby. Here's my recipe. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Serves 4 (or Manu and one other) </b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
olive oil<br />
2 spring onions, finely chopped<br />
1 sprig rosemary<br />
2 cloves garlic (oh ok, you can have three)<br />
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar<br />
250 ml red wine (pick a big one, like a Cab Sav, and it doesn't have to be expensive either but try to avoid using something from a cask)<br />
500 ml beef stock (go on, be like Manu, use a store-bought one)<br />
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
1 tablespoon cornflour<br />
salt and pepper<br />
knob of butter<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Heat some oil in a saucepan, and fry up the spring onions for about 3 minutes but keep your eyes on it so it doesn't burn. Add the rosemary and garlic for another few minutes then pour in the balsamic vinegar. Let it cook at almost boiling until it gets a bit syrupy then chuck in the wine and pour yourself a hefty glass as well. Go on, you deserve it.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IGL2sl_KK8IBK1EMUw_68Wkv4oy7sJyCtGbiSl48KnT5sqmknUO7wi9dZtbawCA7NM37k_YFzTo8n3Mx9YIsh773fV4bfNZ_chyEICipLaN2rm-ZEspTi89WyV0MzHEVqrFS5F_KfdLh/s1600/jus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IGL2sl_KK8IBK1EMUw_68Wkv4oy7sJyCtGbiSl48KnT5sqmknUO7wi9dZtbawCA7NM37k_YFzTo8n3Mx9YIsh773fV4bfNZ_chyEICipLaN2rm-ZEspTi89WyV0MzHEVqrFS5F_KfdLh/s1600/jus2.jpg" /></a></div>
When the wine has reduced by about half, it's time to add the beef stock and keep that near-boiling thing happening and keep stirring it as well with a wooden spoon. Which is nice really as it gives you something to do while you enjoy your wine.<br />
<br />
So after about 5-7 minutes, when it's starting to resemble something they might serve in a paid eating establishment, add the brown sugar and cornflour and a grind of the salt and pepper. Nows about the time you want to get your whisk out and work the lumps out of that cornflour with the same intensity that Justin Beiber works on making himself unlikeable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It will get much thicker and more gorgeous looking and that's when you can take it off the stove and strain it into a glass or ceramic jug and add the knob of butter.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ-dIR8kwJfM-cMU1_Lzjbjwgw4C_y-k2i18CmcFbzZ-gYH9G95xJR-6NRKPNkuwAaz__QiilrUCmkt4OWU1JGw_QHJVS2gyRq9NIYs8FJ0WHdGW_fO0NVHU1LV6CLKi2ruHaWkSZTVKQ/s1600/jus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ-dIR8kwJfM-cMU1_Lzjbjwgw4C_y-k2i18CmcFbzZ-gYH9G95xJR-6NRKPNkuwAaz__QiilrUCmkt4OWU1JGw_QHJVS2gyRq9NIYs8FJ0WHdGW_fO0NVHU1LV6CLKi2ruHaWkSZTVKQ/s1600/jus1.jpg" /></a></div>
Now all you need is a roast beef or some steaks and serve the jus in a quaint little jug on the side.<br />
<br />
Oh and the rest of that bottle of red.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-61183998793922303792015-09-02T18:58:00.000+10:002015-09-11T13:34:35.936+10:00Curried chicken hot pots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LaCyACvAzUxzs5NhJ6bat1E5Hqz0GFW6XA2AuZUExJiY41vIU7wWQHPxPzy8d6YtzPypFFb_bsqZHguXGj7ANp180hkqFGC_OD__dwqRJWxtgDsb3NccZWDuuWYk7i6Tqp3HbNuJxqRB/s1600/IMG_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LaCyACvAzUxzs5NhJ6bat1E5Hqz0GFW6XA2AuZUExJiY41vIU7wWQHPxPzy8d6YtzPypFFb_bsqZHguXGj7ANp180hkqFGC_OD__dwqRJWxtgDsb3NccZWDuuWYk7i6Tqp3HbNuJxqRB/s320/IMG_0265.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>I've not done much on my cooking blog this year. What with all that palavar with moving to New Zealand, and selling our house through the most ethically deficient real estate agents I've ever known, and wrapping up my work in Brissie... pause for the dramatic background music and the thumping noise as several angels fall to earth in sacrifice. </b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">But last night I <a href="https://instagram.com/p/7FF3bFJFml/?taken-by=broncook" target="_blank">posted </a>a spur-of-the-moment pic of my culinary outcome. These hot pots were a mish-mash of two recipes. Amusingly they were from different Weight Watchers cook books but by the time I'd finished with them, they more appropriately should have come from <a href="http://www.nigella.com/" target="_blank">Nigella </a>or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169499/" target="_blank">Two Fat Ladies</a>. They were also dead-set easy to pull together. I work from home and I literally (not figuratively you grammar Nazis) walked out of my office when I heard Alan arrive, and started cooking and had them in the oven in probably 20 minutes. I would hazard a guess that I could have done it in 15 minutes but I obviously allowed time to pour wine and kiss my husband. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">A few people have asked for the recipe so here it is my loves, with all my added fat. You just go ahead and subtract that which makes your arteries frightened. And don't think the 20 minute thing is an Olympic record that needs a challenge. You just take your time and do the hell you please. I know I do... x</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
1 chicken breast, skin off<br />
2 cups frozen vegies (carrots, broccoli, beans, cauliflower - that sort of stuff)<br />
1 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIyiFfwNqjo" target="_blank">Continental chicken stock po</a>t (the best thing to happen to cooking since me)<br />
1 brown onion, chopped finely<br />
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped finely or pushed through that thing that mulches it<br />
1-2 teaspoons curry powder (less or more, depending if you're feeding a 5 year old or a hungry husband)<br />
1 tin chopped tomatoes 400g<br />
1 tin coconut cream/milk 400g (if you don't use it all, you can freeze the leftover)<br />
2-3 sweet potato (or as we call them here, kumera)<br />
milk/cream, salt and butter (for mashing the kumera after it has boiled)<br />
grated tasty cheese, grated parmesan cheese, mild paprika (for topping)<br />
oil - for frying and what have you (or butter...)<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Pre-heat your oven to about180-200⁰C (if it's fan-forced go lower). Lightly spray some oven-proof ramekins (2-cup capacity) with oil. Aim for four but have a couple spare just in case.<br />
<br />
Boil a big pot of water. Peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks. Chuck in the boiling water and keep an eye on it while you do stuff with the chicken. When it's cooked (that's when a skewer goes through it without argument), drain and pop back on the heat for 30 seconds to dry off any leftover water. Add a good dollop of butter, milk or cream (forgive me, I used cream) and a good pinch of salt and mash really really well.<br />
<br />
Cut the chicken into 1cm cubes. Heat a bit of oil on a heavy frypan and cook the chicken till it's brown, say five minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. I like to have some paper towels on the plate to drain the juice so the poor chicken isn't sitting in its own, you know, wetness.<br />
<br />
In the same pan as you cooked the chicken, add a bit more oil, then add the onions. When they've had a jolly time for say 3-4 minutes, throw in the garlic and curry power and stir for a minute.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqRrjj44U5O-UaDvtgS4f-5NiZwL-iB1eUj11zmoe-H4CqyJSy8DR0NfbJyTcwWf-3LqsUaYkG6ycOdnIB3w-CDl7MaxXy4IAknNT5XuulJhS1dn_6twufmsUrh5rVSvOoUz-IoMd84qV/s1600/bolsts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqRrjj44U5O-UaDvtgS4f-5NiZwL-iB1eUj11zmoe-H4CqyJSy8DR0NfbJyTcwWf-3LqsUaYkG6ycOdnIB3w-CDl7MaxXy4IAknNT5XuulJhS1dn_6twufmsUrh5rVSvOoUz-IoMd84qV/s200/bolsts.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
(My curry powder of choice is Bolsts Hot Curry Powder. I had to get it from the IGA in Brisbane as Coles/Woolies don't sell it. Can't seem to get it for love nor money in NZ but fortunately I packed 10 tins when I moved so have sufficient. If you're not currently married to a curry powder, please give this gorgeous stuff a go.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTZHT1_Gxd-v3FLj6iqiNExQkfu6dqdD14gBEaiO-tEIzeUNDvw9nWBJGYnW-uy2v8d3zqM5NLj7EYDlhNoh4zr7IqevWUKU-rCn6AX-WVGadgiw5g96H5Ain7Iw2V46JWQY8ZdRsb1fI/s1600/salt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTZHT1_Gxd-v3FLj6iqiNExQkfu6dqdD14gBEaiO-tEIzeUNDvw9nWBJGYnW-uy2v8d3zqM5NLj7EYDlhNoh4zr7IqevWUKU-rCn6AX-WVGadgiw5g96H5Ain7Iw2V46JWQY8ZdRsb1fI/s200/salt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Then you get to the fun bit. Chuck the chicken back in, along with the tomatoes, frozen vege and the coconut milk. You be the judge on the quantity of coconut milk but I used half a 400g tin. This is where you give it a good shot of salt and pepper as well. Please use a proper salt, like Maldon, and fresh ground black pepper. Don't be like my mum, who uses her Saxa iodised salt and white pepper from the picnic hamper.<br />
<br />
Let all that loveliness meld together in a way the Catholics and Protestants will never be able to do. Unless of course Pope Frank has his way. Which seems to be happening so I guess watch this space.<br />
<br />
Now you can have a good gulp of your wine, and start to assemble. Put the chicken mixture into your oily bowls, about three-quarters of the way up. Spoon over some mashed sweet potato (you'll need a spatula for this and maybe the back of a fork to create waves if you're that way inclined) and then top with the two cheeses and a good sprinkle of the paprika.<br />
<br />
Put on a flat tray and bake for 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
Let it cool a bit before serving with a green salad. And wine. If there's any left. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comWellington37.09024 -95.712891000000013-36.418582499999992 99.052733999999987 90 69.521483999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-60253585801271476112015-03-29T11:40:00.001+10:002015-09-11T13:36:21.056+10:00Chicken liver pate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvprQqWuFpnD5GILZ-U9alB2uYBr1U_YxplzV231iT-76oIxSRFkQzH_CQB6M6XP36HC_w4f32-8naCqH12E9NWZP_z4vLCFvcXn1VMltbjQK0VtDjicxnLN9HSRh2lrid4tSqEbVAu2sO/s1600/pate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvprQqWuFpnD5GILZ-U9alB2uYBr1U_YxplzV231iT-76oIxSRFkQzH_CQB6M6XP36HC_w4f32-8naCqH12E9NWZP_z4vLCFvcXn1VMltbjQK0VtDjicxnLN9HSRh2lrid4tSqEbVAu2sO/s1600/pate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Chicken livers are polarising. Like oysters and Kim Kardashian, you either love or hate. There is no middle ground. No shoulder shrug and a mumbled "whatever". No "take it or leave it". I love them, most especially because they make pate.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">As a 15 year old in the early 1980s, I had a Saturday morning job at Woolies. My dad would come a few minutes earlier to pick me up so that he could go to this deli in the shopping centre and buy a wedge of their chicken liver pate. Home we'd go and he would cook mounds of toast and the whole family would slather on butter and this pate and that would be lunch.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">I also blame my dad for my love of oysters <a href="http://whatsbroncooking.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/oyster-bay.html" target="_blank">but I've already written about tha</a>t in this blog. Then again, I blame my dad for my love of wine and men in the military. Not such a bad thing!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">I buy my chicken livers at Coles, about $5 for packet. Worryingly you will find them next to the dog food in the meat section. Please do not be put off by that.</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
4 tablespoons butter (not that softened stuff, the proper stuff, in alfoil)<br />
3 rashers rindless bacon, chopped roughly<br />
350g chicken livers, chopped<br />
1 clove garlic, crushed<br />
3 tablespoons brandy (or make it 4 if you're game)<br />
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (must be fresh, trust me on this)<br />
salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
juice of ½ lemon<br />
Topping: melted butter, few pinches of thyme leaves<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Heat butter in a frypan and fry bacon until it starts to crisp.<br />
<br />
Add chicken livers to pan and cook over high heat until livers are browned but still pink in the middle, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic at the last minute.<br />
<br />
Transfer to a blender and add all remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth. I like to put it into individual ramekins or small bowls, just looks cuter. You can chuck the whole lot into a big bowl if you prefer.<br />
<br />
Melt the extra butter, throw in the thyme leaves then very slowly (over the back of a spoon if you want) pour over the pate. You want just enough to cover it.<br />
<br />
Stick them in the fridge for about 4 hours. Serve with pita bread crisps (too easy to make - just buy supermarket pita break, rip it up into cracker-size pieces, throw on a baking tray and pop in a hot oven for 5 minutes or so) or regular crackers. Make it part of a cheese platter with pistachio nuts, muscatels and fresh strawberries.<br />
<br />
Or do what I do - cook toast, liberally spread with butter then top with the pate. YUM!<br />
<br />
Pate will keep in the fridge for five days, just pop a bit of Glad Wrap over it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-19751056019541023622015-03-26T07:08:00.000+10:002015-09-11T13:34:23.525+10:00Moroccan corn fritters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UkCOX4_H0D4SZ1V-CQeNmGZO3Vk6m5SFaGntGCCJvdHU01PJ6EV6ha2OHX99_cO4up-kyCuCRxTsLdOh8nylmc6vOxXolup4xlY_UrqdP8khEbYI_Gc-pmBfdmS7LYRZYCLbmwpso6aQ/s1600/cf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UkCOX4_H0D4SZ1V-CQeNmGZO3Vk6m5SFaGntGCCJvdHU01PJ6EV6ha2OHX99_cO4up-kyCuCRxTsLdOh8nylmc6vOxXolup4xlY_UrqdP8khEbYI_Gc-pmBfdmS7LYRZYCLbmwpso6aQ/s1600/cf1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Anyone who knows me and knows this blog knows that I'm not much one for "inventing" recipes. I'm a follower, and proud of it. I take recipes from professionals and cook them faithfully, and only after a few goes do I start mucking around with the ingredients and process.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">This one came about because I was looking for something different to go with the magnificent Angus beef steaks I'd bought my husband and myself for dinner. It was meant to start as corn fritters, and be stacked with the steaks, wilted spinach, grilled asparagus and red wine jus. That all went out the window when Alan rang to say we had been invited to dinner with the chair of his board and could I be ready in 40 minutes. I had the batter ready to go and knew it wouldn't last the night so I quickly added the Moroccan elements, fried them up, kept covered overnight and served for breakfast this morning.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">This recipe made 10. We ate them all this morning with cups of Yorkshire Gold tea. I seriously recommend you do so too.</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G4dCj-zVYZoOkCTXbRy66JgPILtmIK82K3TeeyI-1aM__CtmMsDe2JewpccJPBmRhSRCPP-Z07JZ8HfEAJE4WAxVg8ZPOOiU4EkFSPu7mu6ICQEA8s1aKqxv06lgG7qagLoZEes3pW-0/s1600/cf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G4dCj-zVYZoOkCTXbRy66JgPILtmIK82K3TeeyI-1aM__CtmMsDe2JewpccJPBmRhSRCPP-Z07JZ8HfEAJE4WAxVg8ZPOOiU4EkFSPu7mu6ICQEA8s1aKqxv06lgG7qagLoZEes3pW-0/s1600/cf2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
400g tin corn kernels, drained and rinsed<br />
1 zucchini, grated with moisture squeezzed out<br />
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour<br />
2 eggs<br />
½ teaspoon Moroccan spices seasoning (from the spices shelf at your supermarket)<br />
¼ ground cinnamon<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Oil for frying (I used rice bran oil - you want a high smoke point)<br />
To serve: sliced avocado, sour cream, toasted pine nuts, extra ground cinnamon<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (obviously not the oil, nor the ingredients marked "to serve"). It should be a bit wet, sloppy and look a funny browny colour. Do not be put off.<br />
<br />
Heat a good whack of oil (you want at last half a centimetre) in a heavy-based frypan and then add a tablespoon of the batter. You can cook a few in the pan at the same time. Give them about 3 minutes then flip them over. You want to be seeing that golden-brown crispy frying look. The smell should knock you off your feet with desire.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTSlskCdiiK122BAQ8b18___qQBO4F7YK5gUaJUf-mQfPyz9QKBi5S5aCPNUov58ll-H2hVxP_MeO0JcAhPdBlp2Ds6qMvXBJhs1OlmPv1HZim9D8FmpCKF0qYG_nNB9tx-_dBJD7VK_t/s1600/cf3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTSlskCdiiK122BAQ8b18___qQBO4F7YK5gUaJUf-mQfPyz9QKBi5S5aCPNUov58ll-H2hVxP_MeO0JcAhPdBlp2Ds6qMvXBJhs1OlmPv1HZim9D8FmpCKF0qYG_nNB9tx-_dBJD7VK_t/s1600/cf3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
After another few minutes on the flip side, take them out and drain on paper towels.<br />
<br />
Let them cool for about 5 minutes then pop on sliced avocado, sour cream, more cinnamon and sprinkle pine nuts around as you would confetti.<br />
<br />
Hint: don't feel compelled to copy me and drink Yorkshire Gold tea with these. You have every authority to open a bottle of pinot noir or even crack a pale ale. Even if it is breakfast time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-10936233427275656862015-03-04T08:25:00.000+10:002015-09-11T13:33:31.843+10:00Moroccan potato salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3-Sg_ZAoj6szA7i2PgRbgi7ya2JHdyvJJKdfZ8YcKuUnwqkQsWsh_GpaBCOcUsRlr-Bnqk1S9W1Px65e9uErtdu4iBwDwJxK-H0K2Wk4oSiVLvNdHviLniTLKpDEw33dhJ8VUMuSwAg3/s1600/moroccan-potato-salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3-Sg_ZAoj6szA7i2PgRbgi7ya2JHdyvJJKdfZ8YcKuUnwqkQsWsh_GpaBCOcUsRlr-Bnqk1S9W1Px65e9uErtdu4iBwDwJxK-H0K2Wk4oSiVLvNdHviLniTLKpDEw33dhJ8VUMuSwAg3/s1600/moroccan-potato-salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Across the road from where I work in George Street, Brisbane, is quite possibly the most fabulous Moroccan restaurant I know, called <a href="http://www.bensalibi.com.au/" target="_blank">Ben's Alibi</a>, named equally after its owner and its location next to the Law Courts. The flavours are strong and traditional, the servings are generous and the customer service makes you feel like family. Do yourself a favour etc etc.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Hence I've found myself in local book stores buying a few Moroccan recipe books, and also in Woolies buying cinnamon and pine nuts in bulk!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvxPAFqiHjfZLgx_kIpqd7IacHva5OrvhFEWVmazsIVYLcm9hSNCJP3IGw_34ArQaypGhD9WQEHmLM7KvELcaU4vyst5enoahUK-bAJo1_fhTYzTiFclQeJNzb7vgjlM9HTMwVaZ3zr8t/s1600/pine+nuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvxPAFqiHjfZLgx_kIpqd7IacHva5OrvhFEWVmazsIVYLcm9hSNCJP3IGw_34ArQaypGhD9WQEHmLM7KvELcaU4vyst5enoahUK-bAJo1_fhTYzTiFclQeJNzb7vgjlM9HTMwVaZ3zr8t/s1600/pine+nuts.jpg" /></b></span></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Found this recipe on the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/article/jenny-morris-cooks-morocco-recipes.html" target="_blank">Food Network</a> website and gave it a run on Sunday when my family was over. Naturally I changed a few things, which I've included below. It was superb. My dad, who is dedicated to mum's mayonnaise and mint flakes version, had three helpings and declared it a winner. Now that's testament. I was glad to have a potato salad sans mayo. Try it with some bbq lamb or grilled fish. The pic is from the website but I didn't serve it with all that lettuce. It wasn't necessary and crowded out the beautiful colours.</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<i>For the dressing:</i><br />
1 tablespoom dijon mustard<br />
100 ml honey (less is ok, you be the judge)<br />
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped (to be honest though, I put a whack of that Gourmet Garden garlic tube stuff in and it was fine!)<br />
Juice and zest of 1 lemon<br />
Olive oil - up to 200 ml<br />
<br />
<i>For the salad:</i><br />
12 black pitted Kalamata olives<br />
12 ptted green olives<br />
1 small red onion<br />
3 spring onions<br />
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered (yep that makes 'em pretty small but be fearless)<br />
½ cucumber, chopped quite small, with the seeds scraped out<br />
A good handful of both coriander and curly parsley, roughly chopped<br />
Zest and juice of 1 lemon<br />
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds, ground up in a mortar & pestle (it will smell divine)<br />
3-4 potaotes (depending on size) peeled, boiled and sliced into chunks<br />
Toasted pine nuts - be generous, I used an entire small packet<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Do the potaotes first. While they are cooking, chop everything up. Makes it easier.<br />
<br />
For the dressing, mix all ingredients in a jar, put on lid and shake well. Take care when making dressing, and keep tasting it along the way to get the right balance of flavouors. Pretend you're on <a href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/my-kitchen-rules/" target="_blank">MKR</a> and Manu is watching you.<br />
<br />
For the salad, mix the olives, onions, tomaotes and cucumber together. Toss half the dressing through it and let infuse.<br />
<br />
In a big bowl, add the potatoes, herbs, lemon juice and zest and cumin. Mix well, then throw in the other bowl of stuff that has the olives in it. Pour over remaining dressing then scatter pine nuts over the top.<br />
<br />
Then get it on the table!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-62648104260770101592014-12-26T07:32:00.000+10:002015-09-11T13:37:32.265+10:00Bron's meatballs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26CuwOhbFt4mlKt1CZuUVxeHsDFA0Usts9Rjve-DkRU9yx0_f5dVztBp7uxkWObJmfdiaOQmRBDeekwL5XoY5JhNiqplTRbFLR3V1IDSoO0GrhKeJnvhJkp0766xUMKbDxjk_dr9Kmcf0/s1600/Rissoles1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26CuwOhbFt4mlKt1CZuUVxeHsDFA0Usts9Rjve-DkRU9yx0_f5dVztBp7uxkWObJmfdiaOQmRBDeekwL5XoY5JhNiqplTRbFLR3V1IDSoO0GrhKeJnvhJkp0766xUMKbDxjk_dr9Kmcf0/s1600/Rissoles1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Look, seriously, everyone has their own meatball recipe. Obama has one, my ironing lady has one, and I'm pretty sure the toad that's sitting in my backyard right now has one. And we all think ours is the best. Of course we do.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Which is why I'm going to share my meatball recipe with you, because I genuinely believe it to be the best.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>When I was growing up, a child of the 70s, they weren't called meatballs. That was too American. My mum called them rissoles. She'd mix together mince, an onion, a squirt of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of something terrifying generic called "all purpose seasoning". She'd serve them up with potato and pumpkin mashed together (seriously) and diagonally cut green beans. I thought the boredom would never end.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Mine are a bit more fun, and rarely served with potatoes and beans. I made these ones on Christmas Eve, hence the addition of the dried cranberries. We made hamburgers, with melted vintage cheese, chipotle chutney and lettuce. You can make a salad, a pasta sauce or a casserole with these. Make them tiny enough and serve with toothpicks as a canape.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>(PS has anyone noticed that when I'm not at work, I blog more. Mmmmm. I think there's something in there, don't you?)</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
250g best beef mince you can get - pay the money, please pay the money<br />
250g pork mince<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup raw rolled oats<br />
½ cup sour cream<br />
50g pine nuts (raw)<br />
chopped fresh curly parsley<br />
1 onion, chopped finely<br />
150g tomato paste (or thereabouts)<br />
dash of Worcestershire sauce<br />
½ cup dried cranberries - optional<br />
plain flour and vegetable oil - for frying<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Put a good covering of vegetable oil in a shallow frypan and heat. I use two frypans so I can cook the whole lot in one go. You can also get out your big electric pan if you want, that works nicely too.<br />
<br />
Put a cup of plain flour on a dinner plate and sit it by the stove.<br />
<br />
Get the biggest bowl you have, toss everything in, take off your rings, wash your hands well, then get amongst it. Mix it, squish it, turn it around and mix some more. If it is really wet, throw in another half cup of oats.<br />
<br />
Now for the fun. Start to shape your meatballs to as little or as large as you want. You can make them round like a golf ball, or flat like a pikelet. Depends on what you want to do with them.<br />
<br />
Cook them on a medim-high heat (you want to hear that oil sizzle) for about 6-8 minutes, then flip for another 4-5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Drain on paper towels then use your imagination. I usually eat one straight from its resting spot on the paper towels, and tell everyone that I'm merely testing to see if it's cooked through. No one believes me.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-33832315548661129722014-12-24T05:57:00.000+10:002015-09-11T13:38:00.143+10:00Goats cheese and eggplant dip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm0pXHvydBISWe3TLK2hoL-AddPvM9KtEoM-vB1OfZKrjB1ZOdVYLW-u69sz4UIiwFJD7FqvegEPcYLy5j-Dgkxr1RfllDueI3R0ol2aOqA0s7AYyml4zqx1GBnlD2c760kuwomcaSDrs/s1600/DSC_1466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm0pXHvydBISWe3TLK2hoL-AddPvM9KtEoM-vB1OfZKrjB1ZOdVYLW-u69sz4UIiwFJD7FqvegEPcYLy5j-Dgkxr1RfllDueI3R0ol2aOqA0s7AYyml4zqx1GBnlD2c760kuwomcaSDrs/s1600/DSC_1466.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>It's my job to supply the nibbles on Christmas Day. As well as bloody presents for everyone. We are heading over to <a href="http://belvederebarngrill.com.au/grill/" target="_blank">Portside </a>at Hamilton for lunch, which is a relief, because they get to do the washing up. My parents, bless them, couldn't see the sense in a $250/head lunch at the casino, despite the fact that I thought it was brilliant. My dad likes to control the wine list, you see, and he would rather shave off a homeless man's beard and use it as a loofah than be part of a wine buffet.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>So it's bubbles and nibbles at my folks house down in Manly to open the presents, then off to lunch, then all going well, back home for a swim and a snooze, with a late evening viewing of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/" target="_blank">Love Actually</a>.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>This dip is a first-timer for me. I made it last night, it is dead-set simple and the flavours are really subtle. My luddite brother might even have some. Good thing my family don't read my blogs.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Thanks to <a href="http://eat365.com.au/">eat365.com.au</a> - I found this recipe from their <a href="http://instagram.com/bron.cook/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>page.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Happy Christmas everyone, and forgive the cliche, but peace on earth xx</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
2 large eggplants<br />
150g of plain goats cheese<br />
Lemon zest (about half the lemon but you be the judge)<br />
2-4 tablespoons plain Greek yoghurt<br />
To serve: chopped Italian parsley, cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, toasted wholemeal pita bread<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Pop on the oven to preheat to 180°C.<br />
<br />
Cut the eggplants in half lengthways and pop them on the baking tray, skin side down. Roast for about 45 minutes then let cool.<br />
<br />
Scrape the eggplant flesh into your food processor, had a good whack of the yoghurt (again, you be the judge as to how runny you want things), all the goats cheese and the lemon zest.<br />
<br />
Whiz it baby.<br />
<br />
Pop into a bowl, throw over the parsley, top with a good dollop of cranberry sauce and scatter the dried ones around. Get arty and spill them over the sides onto the resting plate. You can slush around a bit of olive oil too, if the inclination hits you.<br />
<br />
Serve with pita break chips. These are so easy. Using your hands, tear the pita breads into cracker-size pieces, scatter in a single layer over a baking tray (no need for paper) and bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them). The leftovers will store well in an air-tight container in your pantry.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-74642129296290104102014-09-30T21:32:00.000+10:002014-09-30T21:32:28.304+10:00Mee Krob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy1JkKOEQxRn5PiucVjM6BRMS68_z4RWymI7jFwMHG7_Px6U4iDfF5RDBvsPd3tyHBcy8RFV2_Rbh59jb-WYCary7UNKvtak5O_bEW3IxHumAD9-Wcdj5b2IvmnxPZstOU5Ix4Wot68t3/s1600/Mee+Krob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy1JkKOEQxRn5PiucVjM6BRMS68_z4RWymI7jFwMHG7_Px6U4iDfF5RDBvsPd3tyHBcy8RFV2_Rbh59jb-WYCary7UNKvtak5O_bEW3IxHumAD9-Wcdj5b2IvmnxPZstOU5Ix4Wot68t3/s1600/Mee+Krob.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>First had this sweet salty sticky Thai number in Sydney in 1989. Took a few years for me to find it on a Brisbane menu but eventually it popped up. About 10 years ago, I pledged to make my own. It is a delicious dish, works as a side or a meal, and I loved its complexity, hence I wanted to cook it. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Of course, as things go - and what with the divorce, and being a single mum, and changing jobs, and buying a new house, and getting married again - it's taken me 10 years to get around to it. But I did, and it was fun. Tasted pretty good too.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>The secret, which is the secret with all this speedy cooking process of Asian foods, is to have every single ingredient chopped or whatever, lined up in bowls, ready to go. What you don't want is to have to slow the heat to chop your shallot and then try and coax the heat back.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>The other secret (sorry, I forgot to mention there were two) is get the oil in your wok frighteningly hot before you do the noodles. I didn't have it quite hot enough, don't think I was that brave so my noodles weren't as crispy as I'd like. So you be brave. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>(Top right pic is mine, bottom left is someone else's.)</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Serves 4-6 as a side (so if it's a main, you do the math)<br />
<br />
1 firm tofu cake (just get it from Woolies)<br />
Freakin' heaps of peanut oil<br />
125g dried rice vermicelli noodles<br />
50g palm sugar (you can use brown sugar if you want, but I'd rather you didn't)<br />
2 tablespoons rice vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons fish sauce<br />
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />
4 shallots, finely chopped<br />
150g pork mince<br />
8-10 green prawns, shelled and chopped<br />
1 teaspoon ground chilli (more if you want)<br />
2 tablespoons lime juice<br />
<br />
to serve: fresh coriander leaves, bean sprouts, more chopped spring onions<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Get your wok out. Mine is an electric one that sits on the bench and it's huge. Ergo it's perfect.<br />
<br />
Heat a bit of oil in the bottom. Get your tofu out of the plastic, dry it off with paper towels, then cut it into 1cm cubes. In batches, fry it up, then when it's golden, drain on paper towels.<br />
<br />
Pour literally a third of your bottle of oil into the wok. Maybe more. I know, scary, but if you only do it once a year, it's ok.<br />
<br />
Now turn that sucker up as high as you can without setting your house on fire. Don't be afraid. Consider removing the batteries from your smoke alarm for this process.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24t9d-VNwCLa13YXL8iOpQgml0ox8Z6MsoRbahCmZSI6jw4EbtaLyEdrRulwOQltKLmscuwp7tnZ32dWlGHbMT1iUkT22UN-8AAWrE0_rw_TPYfcPQlLkdv__GuQ2-QfUeqnHzSgLf7Lx/s1600/Mee+Krob+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24t9d-VNwCLa13YXL8iOpQgml0ox8Z6MsoRbahCmZSI6jw4EbtaLyEdrRulwOQltKLmscuwp7tnZ32dWlGHbMT1iUkT22UN-8AAWrE0_rw_TPYfcPQlLkdv__GuQ2-QfUeqnHzSgLf7Lx/s1600/Mee+Krob+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
When it looks sinister and hot, like the sort of hot oil that King Henry VIII would have thrown someone in if they looked sideways at Anne Boleyn, then add your noodles in batches. If you've ever cooked pappadams in hot oil, it's sort of the same process. When they puff up, about 30 seconds, whip them over to the other side for a few seconds, then drain on paper towels. Turn your wok off.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Pop the palm sugar (it should come in cubes, like an ice cube tray) into a mortar and pestle and pound it into a paste.<br />
<br />
Put the vinegar, fish sauce and sugar into a small saucepan on a low heat and dissolve. You can keep it there (on the low heat) until you need it.<br />
<br />
OK - here we go. Time to build.<br />
<br />
Take most of the oil out of wok (stick it in an empty Dolmio jar and put that in your bin - we can talk about why you even use Dolmio in anther blog), then get it hot again. Saute the garlic and shallots for a minute or so, then chuck in the prawns and pork mince. Sprinkle on the chilli (you be the judge) and stir a bit more.<br />
<br />
Get your vinegar/sugar thing off the stove and pour it in the wok, then add the lime juice. Have some fun working with the flavours to get it to your liking. (Also, what I did was add tap water to the vinegar/sugar saucepan and put it back on the stove on a low heat, to stop the sugar from setting. When I had more time, I boiled it up then threw it all down the sink. Don't tell Greenpeace.)<br />
<br />
When you're happy with flavours, break up the noodles and add them to the wok syrup thing and mix. Then add the tofu.<br />
<br />
And you're done!<br />
<br />
When it is all piping hot, dish into bowls and top with that other stuff I've listed up top. You can serve with chicken, a curry or on its own. You may also just eat it straight from the wok. Mad if you don't.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-89892334320071603912014-09-27T10:49:00.000+10:002014-09-27T10:49:43.796+10:00Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3uO5fGRkLdSYNcdQXtg7OHAgYoTw5XCjmsjSUfFHkQNhXH3j8QoCTZZKsMhYm1TRxMdnb8FfttUX-LCsetdrdVKL6x33bJz0hvmIS6aYoTAbRfYCrFyPNVsIztWZ7pa5KBFr7s7g3ri_/s1600/breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3uO5fGRkLdSYNcdQXtg7OHAgYoTw5XCjmsjSUfFHkQNhXH3j8QoCTZZKsMhYm1TRxMdnb8FfttUX-LCsetdrdVKL6x33bJz0hvmIS6aYoTAbRfYCrFyPNVsIztWZ7pa5KBFr7s7g3ri_/s1600/breakfast.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>We had a bit of a big one last night. You know that saying, "you never need that last glass of wine"? It's true. Really though, it's more like the last three glasses, but anyway...</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>This morning called for a sleep-in, some Panadol and eggs. These were pretty good, so I thought I'd whack the recipe up before I head back to bed with a cup of tea and the papers. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are xo </b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>Serves 4 (or 2 if you're super hungry/hungover)</i><br />
<br />
1 tablespoon or so of butter<br />
8 stalks asparagus, woody bottoms removed, sliced longways<br />
Salt and black pepper to taste<br />
8 eggs<br />
A splash of milk (or cream, if you're game)<br />
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese<br />
200g smoked salmon, chopped<br />
Toast, to serve<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Heat the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the asparagus and cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk with the milk/cream. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper and add to the pan with the asparagus. Turn the heat down to low and use a wooden spoon to constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to form soft curds.<br />
<br />
Just as they are starting to firm up, stir in the goat cheese and get it off the heat. Eggs keep cooking even after you've turned the heat off so don't wait too long.<br />
<br />
Fold in the smoked salmon and spoon over hot buttery toast. Eat, then go back to bed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-59294694886403385202014-09-25T18:01:00.001+10:002014-09-25T18:01:29.151+10:00Salmon and leek jalousie <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSU4OWXQ0wElTnt2e8ZMBLjHv4DQEQjZqBOXyqr-quxI0ppzotDyeOAYcPnxNS2cdblUBmwkcQymHMdblupMbbJV83r6DNlqYvRFQtu8jcwnts8_Q1FuiB8eAPSqF6dDurJp31Pxi3Yy/s1600/salmon_leek_jalousie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSU4OWXQ0wElTnt2e8ZMBLjHv4DQEQjZqBOXyqr-quxI0ppzotDyeOAYcPnxNS2cdblUBmwkcQymHMdblupMbbJV83r6DNlqYvRFQtu8jcwnts8_Q1FuiB8eAPSqF6dDurJp31Pxi3Yy/s1600/salmon_leek_jalousie.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>No, it's not a typo, so put your grammar hat way. You say it "jah-uh-see". It's French, doh, and it's usually sweet but this one isn't. Google also says that it means a blind or shutter with angled slats, and as the picture attests, it's certainly got some slat action!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I don't even attempt to make my own pastry and I won't judge if you don't either. But I do use a really good quality one, like <a href="http://www.caremepastry.com/" target="_blank">Careme</a>. It's not cheap, and I get it from the Clayfield Markets and it's worth it. </b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
Butter (Lurpak being my favourite)<br />
1 leek, washed and finely sliced<br />
1-2 tablespoons plain flour<br />
1 cup of milk (<a href="http://malenydairies.com/" target="_blank">Maleny Dairy</a> being my favourite)<br />
½ cup grated tasty or vintage cheese (yes it is ok to buy it already grated)<br />
500g salmon (buy the hot smoked one from your fishmonger, yes I've banged on about this before)<br />
2 shallots, thinly sliced<br />
2 sheets of puff pastry<br />
1 egg white, beaten<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Preheat your oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.<br />
<br />
Melt a good knob of butter (or two if you're up to it) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the flour and cook for one minute, while stirring. It will make a sort of roux.<br />
<br />
You know what to do next... stir in the milk slowly and keep bloody stirring. Some people say it should boil but I'm not one of them. When it thickens, add the cheese.<br />
<br />
Let the whole thing cool then add your salmon and shallots. Easy! Horray for one saucepan.<br />
<br />
OK, now to the pastry. You need a rectangle shape, and you need one piece to be bigger than the other, because one is the base and the other is the top so it needs to be bigger to go over the gorgeous filling. I won't give you measurements, you can look at your own pieces of pastry and work it out.<br />
<br />
But you will need to cut some shallow slits about 2cm apart on the top piece, leaving a 2cm border all they way around the edge.<br />
<br />
Now for the fun bit. Pop the smaller piece of pastry on the baking paper tray. Heap on that gorgeous mixture, without sticking your finger in it too much, leaving a 3cm border around the edge.<br />
<br />
Brush the border with the egg white then whack the top piece on, press the edges together and brush the top with more egg white.<br />
<br />
Bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until it's all puffed and golden.<br />
<br />
Serve with a tomato, rocket and avocado salad, perhaps sprinkled with a few toasted pepitas. Oh, and a hefty ice cold glass of <a href="http://whatsbroncooking.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/new-zealand-wine.html" target="_blank">NZ Sav Blanc</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9100892085752215009.post-71089681909189263412014-09-22T06:33:00.001+10:002014-09-22T06:38:41.840+10:00Muesli blinis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeMMBXcbJ5meFio4xYq4Y4C5MxCHpXkaWzWG4Q-NsOgp2xT8N-SLg8AiboduL2ww5RZIjW2bpNg9JtFw7oGgYrh3CKeB-z5JtYWXODxzuyI6pBt6ajSd7lzAyhu448jMNu23gjyx0L6h5/s1600/museli+blini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeMMBXcbJ5meFio4xYq4Y4C5MxCHpXkaWzWG4Q-NsOgp2xT8N-SLg8AiboduL2ww5RZIjW2bpNg9JtFw7oGgYrh3CKeB-z5JtYWXODxzuyI6pBt6ajSd7lzAyhu448jMNu23gjyx0L6h5/s1600/museli+blini.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Those of you who I see all the time will know that Alan and I have been quite dedicated to losing a bit of weight this year, as well as getting a bit fitter. It's been a no-brainer exercise (pun intended). We simply to eat and drink less (and seriously, you don't need wine seven nights a week) and work with a <a href="http://www.stridersfitness.com.au/" target="_blank">personal trainer</a> to develop some fitness. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>And the results are speaking for themselves. I'm down two sizes in clothes, and three for Alan. Good thing we never threw out our "thin" clothes so no need to hold our pants up with rope!
One of the things I did, though, is instead of putting aside my love affair with creation in the kitchen, I just stopped making things that needed creme fraiche and coconut cream and lots of oil. I bought some <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com.au/index.aspx" target="_blank">Weight Watchers</a> recipe books (don't laugh, they are pretty good), cut out processed carbs like pasta and bread, and I bow down before the God of the <a href="https://www.nutribullet.com/">Nutribullet</a> each morning. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>The reason I'm telling you all this, is that I'm still going to post gorgeous recipes that no doubt have a high fat content but who cares because they're so bloody good and it won't kill you as long as you don't eat it everyday. But I'm also going to post some of the low-fat delights I've found along this journey. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>This one comes from the "<a href="http://iquitsugar.com/" target="_blank">I Quit Sugar</a>" site. Great canapes for your dinner party. Just take care that you do the right thing after you've cooked them. Smothering them in sour cream is fantastic, but the wiser option might be slices of smoked salmon with that gorgeous salty black caviar stuff from Holland House that you get in Woolies for $5 a jar. </b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
1 cup muesli (I use Carmen's or that organic stuff you get at the Farmers Market)<br />
1 cup Greek yoghurt (no need to go low-fat here)<br />
2 eggs<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Using a food processor, grind the muesli to a course flour like consistency.<br />
<br />
Pour into a bowl and combine with Greek yoghurt, eggs and salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Drop a tablespoon of batter onto a non stick pan until small bubbles appear, turn to briefly cook the other side. You may want to give your pan a quick spray of oil.<br />
<br />
Other topping options are ham and avocado, or cottage cheese and tomato slices.<br />
<b><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com