DIY Smoothies

You might have seen these Smoothie Cubes in the frozen section at your local supermarket.

I’ll admit, when I saw them, I squealed with excitement. I love smoothies and fruit juices but I’m always too lazy to make them myself because I never have all the fruits and veg handy at the same time…and I just cant be bothered.

These cubes are pureed fruit packed with nutritional goodness- antioxidants and omega 3s and all that good stuff and come in different flavours. So I bought a packet of each to try them, enchanted by the concept of just adding milk and having a delicious fruity treat.

The premise is simple, you just blend 2-3 Smoothie Cubes and 200ml of milk or juice.

My favourite combination is 2 Tropical cubes and 1 Berry Antioxidant cube plus a few little extras.

These little cubes are a tad on the pricey side so I probably couldn’t keep buying them weekly, so this is the part where the little light bulb pings above my head and I have the great idea of making my own smoothie cubes so I can stockpile all these delicious cubes of fresh fruit goodness. YUM.

I’m going to stock up on fresh and frozen fruits, go on a pureeing frenzy and freeze them into ice-cube trays (albeit they will be smaller in size than the supermarket ones which will mean you will probably need a few extra per smoothie).

You can blitz them up with milk, sorbet, yoghurt, fresh fruit juice, fresh fruit, honey or even use them in cocktails.

Tropical Berry Smoothie

• 2 Tropical Smoothie Cubes
• 1 Berry Antioxidant Smoothie Cube
• 1 tsp honey
• 150ml milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

So easy and it literally took 1 minute. AWESOME

 

Strawberries

I might have mentioned in the past that a few years ago, my husband and I abandoned the city lights for the green pastures and permanent smell of cow dung of country living and I honestly believe it’s one of the best decisions we have made. We’re not completely out in the sticks, not living in some ramshackle farmhouse and completely isolated from society (although sometimes I wish we were).

We live in a small town, population 2000. We have one little supermarket (who lack a lot of  basic stock that was a given back in the city, but impressively had some beautiful marscarpone cheese in the chiller, so they can’t be too bad). The region I live in is known as for its gourmet food, it’s cheeses and its wines and it’s beautiful fresh produce.

The view outside my back window is of rolling green hills and bushland. The skies are so blue, it hurts my eyes. Not the manky, grey skies of the city I had become used to. Just down the road is farmer’s market, where the locals contribute their fresh fruits, vegetables, freshly baked artisan breads, wines, creamy cheeses, pickles, relishes and preserves. It’s any gourmand’s paradise and the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

My work keeps me late most nights, so my weekends are spent recovering from the past week and preparing for the one ahead.

So deciding to head off to the market with my husband was the perfect way to wind down from the past week and fondling fresh vegetables, inhaling beautiful fresh fruits and marveling at the freshness of nature’s gifts and talents of local bread and cheesemakers was just the right way to start the weekend.

Particularly captivating were the strawberries we picked up from the local organic berry farm. They were plump, sweet still had that tantalising tang that prickles your tongue. We were like naughty little children, eagerly getting the berries to the car where, had espresso not lured us away, would have happily buried our faces in the strawberries and just feasted.

We did enjoy the strawberries though, later at home, with just a little whipped cream (no, nothing kinky)- they were that perfect that it felt like desecration to do anything else with them.

If you ever get the chance to visit a farmer’s market, even if you have to make a day trip out of it (a good drive, some beautiful scenery, a good lunch and glass of wine as well as coming home with a car full of beautiful, fresh produce- what’s not to like!), I really do encourage it. It’s great to be able to talk to the person who grew the vegetables you’re about to eat, or lovingly crafted the bread and cheese you will later be enjoying.

Here’s a few facts about strawberries:

• Strawberries are well known for their high nutritional value and medicinal properties.
• Just eight strawberries daily provides more than 20% of the daily recommended folate intake for expectant mothers, Folate is also important for protein metabolism and formation of red blood cells.
• They are also rich in Vitamin C and silicon making them very useful for aterial and all connective tissue repair.  It is interesting to note that strawberries help strenghen the teeth and gums and help remove tartar.  Source
• Strawberries should be eaten as soon as possible. Do not wash until you are ready to consume them. If you must store strawberries, place them on a paper towel in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. They may also be frozen whole or in pieces. To freeze, wash and hull, sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar, and toss gently with your hands. Place in freezer containers or zip-top bags. Use within 1 year. Source
• Strawberries are one of the few sources, along with grapes and cherries, of ellagic acid, a compound which has been shown to prevent carcinogens from turning healthy cells into cancerous ones. Source

• Apart from the obvious health benefits, a recent study by Dr. Gene Spiller, Nutrition and Health Research Center, has shown that eating one serving (about 8-10 strawberries) a day can significantly decrease blood pressure, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Other studies showed additional benefits: Strawberries are found to reduce risk of cancer, enhance memory function and rheumatoid arthritis. Source

Some recipes featuring strawberries on my To-Try list:

Strawberry Croissants

Strawberry Tiramisu

Yoghurt, Rosewater & Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Martinis

Strawberry and Lemon Pancakes
Watermelon, Peach & Strawberry Granita

Strawberry Amaretti Tarts

 

Monday to Friday Work Lunches

I recently had one of those big lightbulb moments that we all have once in a while.

I realised that I have been spending in excess of $100.00 a week just on buying lunch at work…and multiply that by two because my husband and I work at the same place.

Young, dumb, more money than brains, who knows why, but I was happily oblivious to this little fact until the account balance was $0.00 and I wanted to go clothes shopping.

So this time I decided that I really needed to stop having lunch at the cafe every day- not only was it ridiculously overpriced, but the food was boring and it wasn’t even tasty….just convenient.

So I have set myself a challenge, to take my lunch to work everyday for the next week. I tried to start this last week, but failed twice, ending up at the cafe for a mini Bailey’s cheesecake ‘for lunch-dessert’ and another time for a drink….and of course while I was there, why not some ravioli? Grrrrr!!!

So here’s my lunch plan for the week. Hopefully I can stick to it, save myself a few kilos and actually get to clothes shopping on the weekend!

MONDAY-Haloumi & Avocado Salad

Grilled haloumi slices, sliced avocado, rocket, salad leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrot, mushroom, toasted pine nuts and a mustard-Balsamic dressing.

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TUESDAY- Teriyaki Rice Paper Rolls

Shredded teriyaki chicken, vermicelli noodles, iceberg lettuce, carrot, snow peas with Hoi Sin dipping sauce.

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WEDNESDAY- Cumin grilled chicken strips with Tabbouleh salad and toasted Turkish breadChicken tenderloins marinated in lemon, olive oil, garlic and cumin seeds overnight, then grilled with a salad of chopped parsley, tomatoes, burghul, mint, olive oil and lemon juice with a slice of toasted Turkish bread to scoop up that delicious salad.

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THURSDAY- Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls

Poached chicken in sesame oil, soy sauce, caster sugar, garlic and a dash of fish sauce, green onions, shredded carrot scooped into a crunchy roll.

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FRIDAY: Potato & Leek Soup

Potato, leek, onion, garlic, vegetable, stock, cream. Make up a big pot and take the leftovers to work. Yum!

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And just so you know, I’m blaming WordPress for the formatting of this post…not the wine.

 

Ham, Camembert & Cranberry Toasted Sandwich on Turkish Bread

I struggle with lunch. Especially taking lunch to work, which I know is the right thing to be doing instead of blowing $80 a week on crap from the cafe, which I know is going to be shit before I buy it, but meh, up shit creek without a paddle and all that kinda stuff.

To be honest, the last thing I am thinking about at 7am is putting together something delicious for lunch-it’s usually something more like “What can I get away with wearing that looks the closest to ironed?” and “Shit, I smudged my mascara. Maybe if I rub it with a cotton bud, people will think I am going for the smokey eye look.”

Shh, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I should make my lunch the night before work.

Well, I would if I wasn’t so exhausted by the bombsite that is my kitchen, folding a mountain of laundry, having a domestic with my husband and trying to find the TV remote control, I’d consider it. But then I’d have to put something together that could endure a night in the fridge and still be appetizing the next day.

Then came my love affair with Turkish bread. So delicious and moreish, you could put practically anything between two slices of Turkish bread and I would consider eating it. And let’s be honest, I am going to leave the fancy pants ingredients for other bloggers- as much as I would love to eat a Turkish roll with some amazing, exotic ingredients, I’m all about keeping it real and attainable… and quick.

Ingredients

1 Turkish roll, halved lengthways

2 slices honey ham (you could also use turkey, or chicken breast)

3-4 slices Camembert (or Brie) cheese

Cranberry Jelly

Mesclun lettuce

Method

1. Spread cranberry jelly over bottom half of roll.
2. Lay out the slices of Camembert cheese, top with ham slices.
3. Pop the top slice of the roll on, spray with a fine mist of oil spray and put in the sandwich press for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is crispy. If the smoke detector goes off, it’s too late and you should just slink away to the cafe and shell out another $10.00 for a salad.
4. Once you’ve removed it from the sandwich press, and allowed it to cool down, stuff it silly with your lettuce mix and eat it. A last minute squirt of mayo is also yum, but you didn’t hear it from me!

Other topping ideas for Turkish rolls:

• Chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables- you could chargrill the vegies ahead of time, or simply buy them from the deli. Spread your base with a tasty tapenade or capsicum relish or even onion jam and layer your vegies with some sliced bocconcini cheese before putting in the sandwich press or under the grill.
• Chicken, brie, mango chutney and baby spinach – one of my favourites, I crave this one frequently. Use a poached or roasted chicken breast, sliced finely. Spread the base with a generous amount of mango chutney, then add your Brie and baby spinach before putting it into the sandwich press. Thank me later.
• Tandoori chicken, baby spinach & Spanish onion with cucumber yoghurt- Marinate your chicken breast in tandoori sauce or alternatively you can use a tandoori curry paste. Once the chicken has cooled (I’d recommend in the fridge for a few hours to really let those flavours intensify), slice thinly. Layer generously on your roll, top with finely sliced Spanish onion and baby spinach, then put in the sandwich press. While that is crisping up, mix a small amount of yoghurt with some grated cucumber (not quite a raita, but close enough for lunch on the fly). You could make this ahead of time and take to work in a separate little container. Once your sandwich is ready, remove the top slice and apply your dollop of yoghurt, then put the slice back on, let it all smoosh in and enjoy.
• Roast beef, seeded mustard, Swiss cheese & onion relish with rocket- spread the seeded mustard on the top slice of the bread, spread the onion relish on the bottom slice. Add the roast beef slices, then the cheese- grill until the cheese is melted, then add your rocket to serve.
• Prosciutto, pesto, sundried tomato & mozzarella- you can use pesto or fresh basil leaves on the bottom slice of bread. Then apply the mozzarella (sliced or grated), the sundried tomato and then top with prosciutto before putting in the sandwich press.

 

7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Sunday

Chicken, Leek & Potato Pie

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed, halved, washed, sliced
• 400g coliban potatoes, peeled, diced into 1cm cubes
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 small barbecued chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded (see note)
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1 sheet frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and potatoes. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until leeks are tender but not coloured.
2. Sprinkle over the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually add stock, stirring. Return to medium heat. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture comes to the boil. Add chicken and cheese. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Spoon chicken mixture into a 5-cup capacity, 26cm (top) ceramic pie dish. Place pastry over filling. Press edges to seal. Trim excess pastry. Cut a small cross in the centre. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Stand pie in dish for 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes & tips

• You will need 2 cups of shredded chicken for this recipe.

Recipe Source

Image Source

 

7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Saturday

Stroganoff Steaks

Skillet Steaks:

• 4  (about 4 ounces each) beef cubed steaks
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil

Stroganoff Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil
• 10 ounce(s) sliced white mushrooms
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup(s) chicken broth
• 1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh dill

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Method

1. Prepare Skillet Steaks: Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.
2. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add steaks and cook 5 to 6 minutes for medium, turning steaks over once. When steaks are done, transfer to platter with any juice; cover with foil.
3. Prepare Stroganoff Sauce: In same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is tender and all liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth; heat to boiling. Boil 1 minute or until slightly reduced. Remove skillet from heat; stir in sour cream, mustard, pepper, and dill. Return steaks with their juice to skillet; heat through.

Recipe Source

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7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Friday

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, halved horizontally
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked with 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 cups dried breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bunches asparagus, woody stem removed
• 4 middle rashers bacon

Method

1. Lightly flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet or rolling pin. Coat in the flour, egg mixture and combined breadcrumbs and parmesan.

2. Heat a large frying pan and add olive oil. When hot, add chicken schnitzels in batches and cook for 3 min each side, until golden.

3. Divide the asparagus into two bunches and wrap one in bacon. Heat a separate frying pan over medium to high heat, add the asparagus and cook for 4-5 min, turning until tender. Serve the chicken schnitzels with asparagus bunches. Alternatively you could also serve with crisp green beans and mashed potato for a hearty tummy-filler.

Recipe Source

Image Source

 

7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Thursday

Tagliatelle with Tomato, Olives & Chorizo

Ingredients

• 375g tagliatelle
• 1 (170g) chorizo sausage, halved lengthways, sliced
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced
• ½ red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
• 16 (150g) green anchovy-stuffed olives
• 700g bottle passata sauce
• ½ cup ( 125ml) red wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh leaves)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh leaves)
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• shaved parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Cook chorizo in a heated medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic, zucchini, capsicum and olives and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Add the passata, wine, sugar, herbs and chilli to the saucepan. Bring to the boil; simmer for 15-20 minutes or until reduced to a good sauce consistency.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
4. Return the pasta to the saucepan and add the sauce; season with pepper. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately topped with parmesan.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

Recipe Source

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7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Wednesday

Beef Pho (Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

• 120g rice vermicelli
• 300g topside steak
• 1L beef stock or consomme
• 1 tsp finely chopped red chilli
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 80g bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh mint leaves
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4 tsp fish sauce, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Soak the rice vermicelli in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cut the steak across the grain into very thin slices (about 2mm). Bring the stock or consommé to the boil in a separate pan, and add the chilli.

2. Drain the noodles. Place a quarter of the onion in the bottom of each bowl. Divide the noodles among the bowls then top with the meat. Pour the boiling stock onto the meat slices, then add the bean sprouts, coriander and mint.

3. Squeeze a lemon quarter over each bowl, and add 1 teaspoon fish sauce to each portion. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source

Image Source

 

7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Tuesday

Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken with Roast Carrot & Chickpea Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 bunches baby (Dutch) carrots, trimmed, scrubbed
• 1 1/2 tbs olive oil
• 4 x 170g skinless chicken breast fillets
• 1 tbs sumac (see note)
• 2 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup (80g) sunflower seeds, toasted
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread the carrots on a baking tray in a single layer. Season, then drizzle over 1 tbs oil and 2 tbs water. Roast for 10-12 minutes until the carrots soften slightly.
2. Meanwhile, lightly oil a chargrill pan with the remaining olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and rub with the sumac. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side until browned.
3. Remove the tray from the oven, turn the carrots then place the chicken on top. Roast for a further 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Whisk the vinegar, garlic and honey together in a large bowl. Season, then add chickpeas, sunflower seeds, parsley and carrots and toss to combine. Divide salad among plates, then top with the chicken.

Recipe Source delicious. – July 2008, Page 127

Image Source

 

7 Day Challenge: Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes- Monday

Baked Salmon With Pesto Potatoes & Beans

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1kg chat potatoes, quartered
• 4 x 220g salmon fillets
• 4 thin prosciutto slices
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• 300g cherry tomatoes (we used vine-ripened)
• 350g thin green beans, topped, not tailed
• 1/2 cup (130g) basil pesto

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain.
2. While potatoes are cooking, wrap a prosciutto slice around the middle of each salmon fillet. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes to tray, drizzle with oil and season. Cook for a further 4 minutes or until salmon is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Toss drained beans and potatoes with pesto and serve with salmon and tomatoes.

Recipe Source delicious. – September 2007, Page 84

Image Source

 

The Perfect Cheese Platter & Xmas Lunch, Aussie Style.

As much as I love the concept of a white Christmas with a big feast with a traditional turkey and ham, etc, I have recently come to the conclusion that Christmases Down Under are pretty freakin awesome.

Being summer in the land down under during the festive season, many families will no doubt sit down to a traditional turkey dinner, despite the fact that it’s a million degrees outside, the sidewalks are melting and the backyard looks like a burn out barren wasteland. There will be flies the size of your pupils, all the men in the family will be crowded around the TV watching sport and the smell of barbecued meat mingles with the scent of a distant bushfire. (Image source, left)

We spraypaint white “snow” on our windows , leave santa cookies and milk and are fascinated with American Christmas movies when our Christmas couldn’t be any more different.

Christmas feasts have  come a long way in Australia. Yes, many will have an elaborate roast dinner with all the trimmings, but many Aussies are taking advantage of our fresh, beautiful produce, seafood and great cuts of meat and putting together mouthwatering lunches and delectable dinners.

Ideas for Christmas dinner & lunch, Aussie style:

Aussie BBQ

• A good old fashioned Aussie BBQ- complete with sausages, lean cuts of steak, hamburger patties, grilled onions, corn on the cob, marinated chicken skewers, prawns and fish fillets.
• To accompany the fine array of BBQ offerings, there’s the customary selection of salads- potato salad, pasta salad, Greek salad and maybe a rice salad.
• Desserts for the great Aussie Christmas BBQ include the good old fashioned pavlova (Image source, right), trifle, choc peppermint log and chocolate & coconut truffle balls.

Sit Down Lunch

Because Aussie Christmases tend to be ridiculously hot and stressful, your Christmas lunch hostess is not likely to want to be slaving over a hot oven and the guests aren’t likely to be wanting a heavy, hot lunch. So we often opt for a light lunch, full of fresh flavours rather than a heavy meal.

• Grilled or bake fish (whole of fillets)- barramundi, snapper, salmon and tuna are popular choices. Also, you can’t go wrong with prawns, scallops and oysters if wanting to impress your Christmas guests. We are luckyto have fantastic fresh seafood here down under and the seafood needs minimal preparation and cooking time so you can focus on the sides and desserts. (Image source, right).
• The easiest way to appeal to the appetites of your guests is to offer a selection of salads or vegetable sides. If serving seafood, I would serve a brown rice and vegetable salad with a citrus and dill dressing; wok stir fried ginger and garlic vegetables if serving Asian-inspired fish. A big green leafy salad never goes astray. Lemon and garlic sauteed potatoes are always a hit as well as a light spinach and walnut salad. The options are endless, but the idea is keep the flavours light, keep the texture light and you want lots of bright colour.
• The perfect dessert for a light Christmas lunch would be  something like some merengue nests filled with fresh berries and whipped cream; layered berry trifles complete with sponge, custard and fresh fruit, a big fruit platter with honey cream or for a bit of tradition, but with minimal work- how about some brandy snaps filled with whipped cream?

Aussie Christmas Dinner

When the sun goes down on a sweltering Christmas day, the kids have tired themselves out  playing with their new toys and the house starts to fill with dinner guests,  who are undoubtably already exhausted and still stuff from the Christmas lunch they have already endured with their evil in-laws, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. So keep it simple, tasty and light to avoid going to bed like a stuffed turkey.

• Chicken or beef  are popular options for a light dinner- something simple like a roasted chicken or a stuffed, rolled beef fillet or chicken breast are great, simple ideas that are very satisfying.
• Roast chicken stuffed with mushroom, leeks and bacon is delish and so moreish, your guests will forget how filling lunch was.
• If opting for seafood, a baked salmon with salsa verde makes a statement.
• Marinated chicken breast served with a lovely mango salsa is light and fresh and perfect for summer.
• A roulade- beef, chicken or even salmon, makes a stylish main course and the possibilities and combinations are endless. Plus, presentation is almost guaranteed to be impressive when plating up. (Image source,right)
• For the vegeterians, consider a layered chargrilled vegetable terrine.
• If you’re aching for a traditional turkey, try a different stuffing- walnut, raisin and sage; quince and pistachio; cranberry and walnut; pistachio and pancetta stuffing.
• You can’t go wrong by finishing the evening with a fruit and cheese platter. For the perfect cheese platter, you need to choose a selection of cheeses with various textures. Choose creamy cheeses like Brie and Camembert, a sharp crumbly vintage cheddar, a peppercorn cheese for a bit of spice, blue cheese (if that’s your thing),  and perhaps a smoked cheese, or fruit cheese.
• To ensure that your cheese platter is perfect, serve with muscatels, dried figs, grapes, slices of crisp pear and red apple, walnuts, quince paste, water crackers and lavash bread or something special like a walnut bread.
• Be sure to serve your cheese at room temperature, don’t crowd the platter and ensure there is an individual knife for each cheese. (Image source, left)

 

Kitchen Shortcuts

Eating and cooking are an inescapable part of life.

So if there are little hints and tricks out there for making the job of preparing a meal simpler, we’d be mad not to take notice, right?

I’ve compiled a list of little treasures that I hope can help you. They are little hints given to me by family and friends and also little handy tips I’ve picked up along the way on the world wide web. Feel free to send in your own little gem to share.

• Cheat’s Roast Veg

Peel and cut your root vegetables into 4cm pieces, steam for 2 minutes until tender.

Set aside to cool, then toss with rosemary, garlic and olive oil. You can store in the fridge, in a zip lock bag until required.

When you need the veg, reheat oven to 220°C.

Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning the vegetables over occasionally until golden.

• Make Your Own Herb and Spice Oils

If you have some leftover garlic cloves or herbs, instead of throwing them out, why not put them into a screw-top jar with some olive oil and let it sit so the delicious flavour infuses the oil. You can use whole garlic cloves, lemon peel, sliced chilli or chilli flakes, ginger, rosemary sprigs, sprigs of thyme, dried herbs like basil and oregano, minced herbs (like the ones you buy in the squeeze tubes). Make sure that the ingredients you are adding to flavour your oil do not contain any moisture from water as this can cause bacteria, so just ensure your ingredients are thoroughly dry.

You can keep in the fridge and use within two weeks- perfect over pastas, as part of salad dressings, drizzled over pizzas or on roasted vegies.

• Use Interesting Bowls

There’s nothing more interesting than creative ways to serve up a meal, especially if you have kids. Use remnants of the ingredients you have to serve up your dishes to add a little pizazz. For example, if serving fruit salad, consider presenting the beautiful fresh fruit in half a coconut shell or a hollowed out melon half.

• Infuse Flavour To Steamed Food

Next time you’re gonna to put the steamer on, stop and have a think about what kind of meal you’re preparing. Adding aromatics, herbs and spices to the water when steaming can really add that extra something special to your dish. For example if you’re making an Thai-inspired chicken dish, you could add shredded kaffir lime leaves, sliced lime and lemongrass. For steamed fish, you can’t go wrong with adding some lemon peel and zest along with some dill. If you’re after more traditional flavours, go for rosemary and slices of garlic gloves. You’d be amazed what this little trick can do for really bringing out some gorgeous flavours in your food.

• Get More Juice For Your Buck

Before juicing citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges and limes, run the fruits under the tap in hot water for a few minutes or soak in a bowl of hot water to get more juice. (Image Source)

• If Sticky Rice Isn’t Doing It For You

If you want to avoid sticky rice, make sure you rinse your grains in a colander under running cold water until the water runs clear- this ensures that you are removing much of the starch and that you won’t end up with a gluggy mess.

• Strawberries & Balsamic Vinegar Were Meant To Be Together

The next time you are preparing a strawberry dessert, pour a dash of balsamic vinegar in with the strawberries- balsamic vinegar is known to bring out the beautiful flavour of strawberries. If you don’t believe me, try it out! (Image, left, courtesy of True Focus Photography)

• Freeze Leftover Stuff In Ice-Cube Trays

Let me ask you this. How many times have you thrown out a half used bottle of tomato paste because you only really needed two tablespoons for your recipes and now the rest has grown white furry stuff on it in the fridge for the last month? Stop wasting your ingredients and learn to freeze what you can in ice-cube trays. That way when you need some tomato paste for your next recipe, all you have to do is pop out a few cubes and there is minimal waste. It’s genius. This works for almost everything- fruit juices (great to drop into summer drinks), fruit puree, tomato paste, chopped herbs, etc. The possibilities are endless. So the next time you’re about to throw something out, ask yourself if you can freeze it in an ice-cube tray.

• Peeling The Skin Off Almonds, The Quick & Easy Way

Soak in hot water for 15 minutes and the skins will peel off easily!

• Leave The Oven Door Closed

If you’re like me (an impatient pain the ass), you’re one of those people that constantly open the oven door to check on the cooking. Did you know that everytime you open the oven door, the temperature drops by 25 degrees? So keep it closed to conserve energy and get that delish dinner cooked more quickly and evenly.

• Onions On Demand

When you think about it, a large majority of savoury meals begin with chopped onion. And yet, this is sometimes the most boring, time consuming, annoying part of preparing a meal. So here’s an idea, next time you buy a bag of onions, put your swimming goggles on, some latex gloves and get ready to slice, dice and chop a whole lotttta onions. Freeze them in zip lock bags according to how they are cut and keep them on hand in the freezer for when you need them next. Great idea for busy, working people and mothers! You can also do this with a combination of carrot, onion and celery which is a common base for a lot of stews, casseroles and soups.

• If It Floats, Throw It Out

The best way to tell if an egg is still fresh is to drop into some cold water. If it sinks, it’s fresh but if you’ve got a floater on your hands, it’s time to say buh-bye.

• Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla sugar is the reason I get out of bed in the morning. It is wonderful. Especially around Christmas time. To make your own vanilla sugar, split a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and then immerse the split vanilla bean into your sugar. You can use regular sugar or  caster sugar.

Ensure that the container of sugar is covered tightly and store in a cool dry place. In about a week, the beautiful flavour and aroma of the vanilla bean will have perfumed your sugar and you can enjoy it in all kinds of cookie and cake recipes, in coffee or hot chocolate or use it to dust your delicious dessert creation. (Image source)

• How To Make Honey Glide Off The Spoon

If you need to add a teaspoon of honey to a recipe you’ll know that it can end up quite messy. To ensure that your honey glides right off the spoon, give your spoon a quick spray with oil or rub a bit of oil on the spoon and it really just slides right off.

• Your Ice-Cream Scoop Isn’t Just For Ice-Cream

The trusty ice-cream scoop isn’t just for scooping ice-cream. It is easily one of the most versatile tools in your kitchen. You can use it to scoop out dough or muffin mixture, for evenly sized muffins, cupcakes, waffles or pancakes. It also makes pretty scoops of mashed potatoes or salads and can be used for pie fillings if you’re making individual pies.

 

Honey-Roasted Pumpkin & Feta Salad

Okay, so here’s the thing.

I am not really much of a following a recipe/measuring ingredients out kind of person.

Sort of ridiculous, I know, considering I have a food blog.

Originally the whole idea behind my food blog was that it was a place to centralise all my favourite recipes, a paperless medium, a database of all the yummy recipes I had found, tried, and created.I needed to free up one of kitchen cupboards where all my cookbooks resided and I thought uploading the recipes to a blog would be the easy solution.

I never cared about how many hits I’d get a day and if autobots wanted to leave me spam comments about having a longer lasting erection, it wasn’t a life crisis.

But now I enjoy logging in every day, reading comments and emails from people who’ve stumbled across my blog.  I love the idea that people can be inspired by the recipes I post, just as I am inspired reading many food blogs.

But here’s the problem. When I’m getting my culinary freak on in the kitchen, I just don’t measure. I don’t weigh. I don’t count teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. I just throw it all together, taste as I go and hope for the best, which has served me well to date.

So today, I’m posting a vague “recipe” for a salad I concocted today for lunch. I’m going to have to be very broad with my ingredients measurements because to be honest, I whipped it up in such a hungry frenzy that I didn’t care. So I trust, that if you’re going to try this recipe, adapt the figures to suit your own style, taste and desires.

AND TASTE AS YOU GO!

On a side note, this recipe is great for a summer light lunch or work lunch and great for vegetarians. If you wanted to make a low GI version friendlier version, you would just substitute the pumpkin for kumara.

This recipe is also a good way of using up leftover roast pumpkin from the big dinner the night before.

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby mesclun salad leaves
• 2 large wedges of butternut pumpkin
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced finely
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
• 3/4 cup diced feta cheese
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1/2 small red capsicum, sliced into finely
• 3 tbsp  honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I actually used rice wine vinegar because I’m having a love affair with it at the moment, and want it on everything).
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Cut pumpkin into palm-sized chunks and place on a oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and then drizzle with 2 tbsp honey. Roast, in the oven until cooked through and edges start to slightly caramelise.
3. Once the pumpkin is cooked, set aside to cool or refrigerate.
4. In a large bowl or serving platter, assemble your salad.
5. Top with chopped pumpkin and feta cheese. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
6. Make your dressing by combining 3tbsp olive oil, 3tbsp honey, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard and vinegar. Stir well, then pour over salad just before serving.

 

Summer Fruit Parfait

Two great recipes that I’d like to share today for fruit parfaits.

The whole idea behind a parfait is that you throw a whole bunch of shit together in a pretty glass so you can see the layers….and then proceed to enjoy each layer of goodies. They’re usually made up of fruit, ice-cream, cream, syrups, nuts, granola or yoghurt. I tend to make mine with yoghurt to try and keep the calories down, but you can choose to totally splash out and go wild.

Every time I make this sort of dish, I tend to go off on a tangent and make some impromptu changes, but today I’d like to share the two recipes that I work from the most.

Summer Fruit Parfaits

Ingredients

250g/8¾oz strawberries
100g/3½oz blueberries
4 tbsp blackcurrant liqueur such as crème de cassis
120g/4¼oz all-butter vanilla biscuits
50g/1¾oz good quality white chocolate
300g/10½oz cream cheese
50g/1¾oz icing sugar
20g/¾oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g/7¼oz whipping cream

Method

1. Place 100g/3½oz of the strawberries into a bowl with all of the blueberries. Add two tablespoons of the blackcurrant liqueur to the berries, mix together and leave to marinate for an hour.
2. Meanwhile, roughly crush the vanilla biscuits and divide equally among four medium-sized wine glasses.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl), or in a microwave on low. Leave to cool slightly.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream the cream cheese until smooth. Add the icing sugar, caster sugar and vanilla extract and beat thoroughly.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture and divide the mixture evenly between two bowls.
6. Place the remaining strawberries into a food processor and blend to a pulp. Fold the pulp into one of the bowls of the cream cheese mixture, along with the remaining blackcurrant liqueur.
7. Fold the slightly cooled white chocolate into the other bowl of cream cheese mixture.
8. Divide the strawberry cream cheese evenly among four wine glasses, spooning the mixture over the biscuit crumbs, then top with the white chocolate mixture.
9. Place in the fridge and chill for at least an hour. To serve, top with the marinated berries.

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Fruits Temptation

Ingredients:

• 1 Nectarine chopped
• 1 Plum Chopped
• 1 Apple Chopped
• 6 Fresh Figs vertically sliced
• 1 Banana chopped
• 6 Strawberries (Slice 4 and Leave 2 for garnish)
• 5 tablespoons Pecans ( may be substituted with walnuts)
• 2 tablespoons of Raisins
• Pinch of Fresh Rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• A Splash of Peach Schnapp (Liqueur)
• 2 teaspoons Clover Honey
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1″ Ginger grated & the juice squeezed out to be used.
• A Pinch of Sea Salt
• 4 tablespoons Heavy Creme (or readymade Cool Whip)

Preparation:

Chop all the fruits except the figs and toss together in a bowl along with the nuts, rosemary, sugar, & salt.

Whisk together ginger juice, lemon juice, & honey and stir it in the fruits. Add a splash of Peach Schnapp. Cover the bowl tight and shake the bowl for about 7-8 times. This makes the fruits release their juice. The juice at the end of the salad is the best part. Now add the figs. Cover & chill it for atleast 1/2 hour. Serve Cold.

Beat the Heavy Creme till it forms soft peaks. Layer fruits with creme in individual glasses. Top with strawberries. Serve Immediately.

 

Fruit Kebabs with Honey Berry Yoghurt

I don’t know why, but I am a fan of eating things off sticks.

It started with a very passionate love affair with chicken satay skewers from a backyard BBQ when I was 11.

Now, I’ll eat practically anything, if you skewer it.

So tonight, after a delish dinner of seared rib eye in a delectable red wine sauce and roasted vegies, I was feeling a bit stuffed, but couldn’t face the prospect of going to bed without dessert.

I decided something simple, light and fresh was in order and was going to whip a simple fruit salad (being such a gourmand that I am, insert eyeroll here).

But then an idea struck me- put it on a stick and call it a dessert! So out came my trusty bamboo skewers…and the mess began.

I would count the number of times I stabbed myself with the bamboo skewers if my fingers weren’t bloody stubs dangling off my palms, but I choose to live dangerously. What can I say.

Okay, so here’s what we put together tonight, quantities are up to you-

I made enough for my husband and me.

Fruits I used were:

• Fresh apricots
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Mango
• Canteloupe
• Watermelon
• Grapes

You could also use bananas, crisp Granny Smith apples, orange, pineapple, raspberries and blueberries. I didn’t, because I didn’t have them.

As for the Honey Berry yoghurt, I used a tub of berry flavoured yoghurt, mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Complicated, huh?

As much as I adore complicated, delicate, delish desserts, let’s face it, how many of us are going to be whipping up culinary delights for desserts after a day of screaming kids, screaming bosses and honking horns? Not me.

But put it on a stick and suddenly it’s not just fruit on a plate before bed, it’s “Fruit kebabs with honey berry yoghurt”.

 

Top 10 Recipes of 2009… According To Me

10. Prosciutto Pizza

I love prosciutto. Can’t get enough of it.
One of my favourite dinners, on an “I can’t be bothered” night is  to pick up a pre-made pizza base (or pull one out of my stockpile in the freezer) and smother it with olive oil, a touch of homemade Italian tomato sauce and basil and then top it with slices of prosciutto, parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves or rocket. The flavours just pop in your mouth and usually leaves me with a smile on my face.

Image Source

 

Top 10 Recipes of 2009… According To Me

8. Char-grilled T-Bones with Potato Cakes

I only started eating steak 3 years ago after  6 years or so at attempting vegeterianism.

Now, I enjoy my steak at least once a week and only just learnt the secret to cooking it right!

I’m also now having a secret love affair with my BBQ and am trying to find excuses to cook stuff on it, so this recipe mixes my two loves- steak and my BBQ.

I especially love the potato cakes, they give the meal that extra bit of bite. I also cook my corn on the BBQ for extra flavour.

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Top 10 Recipes of 2009… According To Me

7. Honey & Banana Bread

This is one of my favourites from Jamie Oliver.

I’ve always been a fan of Banana bread and am always on the lookout for an interesting take on the traditional banana loaf.

I especially love the honey glaze on this bread and the aroma is mouthwatering while it’s in the oven.

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Top 10 Recipes of 2009… According To Me

6. Crispy Noodle Salad

I struggle with Asian food.

It’s tasty and I enjoy it if I have it, but I don’t crave it or love it like my husband does. If my husband had it his way, he would eat noodles, stir-fries, Asian broths, dumplings and spring rolls for ever.

For me, it satisfying, but I don’t feel confident cooking it and often get it wrong. So I started looking for recipes that had slightly Westernized Asian flavours so that I could make it look like I was compromising with my husband without having to go all the way into the dangerous territory that is Asian cuisine, where I am clearly out of my depth.

This recipe is one of my favourites. It’s so crispy and moreish that you can’t help but want more. I have made it using a combination of cooked hokkien noodles and then tossed through some crispy Chang’s fried noodles. I love the almonds and pine nuts that give it extra crunch. You can also make this with tofu or grilled chicken to fill it out for a really satisfying lunch or light dinner.

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