Vietnamese Inspired Glass Noodle Salad

 

I made this refreshing summery salad for a BBQ  during the weekend. My uncle Raouly requested i bring Pancit (a very meaty noodle dish), my Filipino family love their salty and meaty food!

Since it was a BBQ, and since i wanted something to even out the meaty BBQ playing ground i took his request and 're-moulded' it. ...Yes, OK so it is NOTHING even close to resembling Pancit! but it does have noodles!

I know its not vego, but i used a little fish sauce in the dressing. Please Feel free to omit the fish sauce and use a little more vinegar or soy. Always, ALWAYS taste test and adjust the dressing. Quantities i have listed for the dressing are oh so approximate!

I didn't have a lot of coriander left when i made this salad, but i would really suggest using a whole bunch of coriander and a really good handful or Vietnamese mint. 

you can prepare the the whole salad ahead of time if you need to, however i prefer to prepare most of it but wait until the last minute to add the dressing and garnishes. This makes sure the salad keeps its variety of crunchy, and slippery textures.

Vietnamese inspired Glass noodle salad

ingredients
* 6 wombok leaves washed and sliced into strips
* 150g vermicelli noodles (soaked in warm water for 15minutes until clear and roughly chopped)
* 2 carrots grated into long strips (or julienne)
* 1 1/2 capsicum julienne
* 1 handful snow peas julienne
* 2/3c slivered almonds toasted
* 4 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
* 2/3c fried shallots or onion (buy from Asian grocery store)
* 1 bunch coriander leaves roughly chopped
* 1 handful Vietnamese mint chopped fine
*  rind of 1 lime
* 1 long red chili chopped fine (remove as few or as many seeds as you like depending on your preference for spice)
* 125g firm tofu cut into cubes (buy marinated or marinate yourself)

marinade
* 2tbsn tamari
* 2tbsn sweet chilli
* 1 garlic cloves crushed
* 1tbsn oil


 dressing
* 1/2 bunch coriander roots washed and chopped very fine
* juice f 2 limes
* 1tbsn fish sauce (replace with extra rice wine vinegar or shaoxing if preferred)
* 2 tbsp chili sauce
* 3tbsn coconut oil (or use any light flavoured oil)
* 2 tsp sesame oil
* 2 tbsp shaoxing vinegar or rice wine vinegar
* 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
* 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
* 4tbsn palm sugar (or any other sugar or hone you prefer)
* s & p
 * *** plus extra of any of the above to adjust to your taste


Method

To marinate tofu place the cubes and the marinade ingredients into a Tupperware or zip lock bag and leave in fridge to marinate for at least 30mins...up to 4hours.

Dry toast the almonds in a frying pan. place in a small bowl. do the same for the sesame seeds

Mix all the salad ingredients (except for the almonds, sesame seeds, fried onion and 1/3 of the coriander)  in a large bowl

in a glass jar or mixing bowl shake or whisk all the dressing ingredients until well combined and sugar is dissolved. taste and adjust as required.

Just before serving the salad cook the tofu in a frying pan or on the BBQ until heated through, dried out and nicely browned.
Add the dressing to the salad along with half the sesame seeds, half the almonds and half the fried onions.
Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Top with the tofu, sesame seeds, almonds and fried onions, then the remaining herbs

Serve with lime wedges.

Seasonal Salad

 

This salad is SO simple and yummy, you don't even need a salad dressing.
Made up of the variety of seasonal produce I randomly receive in my weekly organic veggie box its as good and fresh as a salad can get!

Try making a seasonal salad at home as taste for yourself how good salad can be .... when every ingredient is in its peak season each piece packs all the flavour it possibly can!
Give this salad a go, or another combo...you are likely to find that in-season ingredients complement each other well!

Season Salad.... comprising of
roast fennel and purple carrots
lemon and thyme roasted muchies
navel orange segments
radish
sunflower sprouts
rocket
dill & fennel tips

i am not listing quantities as this is a salad...add as much or little of each as you like. You really can't go wrong with a salad!

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
Scrub carrots & wash fennel.Cut carrots into sticks and the fennel into wedges. put the fennel into a bowl and coat very lightly with olive oil s & p. place on baking tray. Put the carrots into the bowl, coat lightly with olive oil, s & p. place onto tray. chop some fresh dill and sprinkle over carrots and fennel...put tray into oven to roast.

Chop mushies into quarters (if they are large) and put into bowl, coast lightly with olive oil, add some garlic (chopped is fine but i like to shave mine into paper thin slices), some thyme, lemon rind, chilli flakes & s & p. mix and put onto a tray and roast in oven.

very thinly slice the radish (you can use a peeler or mandolin if you like),
Segment the orange.
chop some dill and some leaf tips.

Once the veg is roasted nicely let it cool down a bit (as as not to wilt the rocket.

Scatter the washed rocket into a salad bowl or platter, top with the roast veg, top with the radish and the sunflower sprouts, top with the orange segments.

Squeeze a wedge or 2 or orange over the salad too if you like...  However this is optional as the roast veg and the orange segments are enough on their own, creating a nice balance of fresh and crunchy with rich and sweet.

Enjoy! :)

Ba

Kumara Orange Beetroot and Labne Galette

I have to give myself a pat on the back for this recipe. I ate almost the whole thing to myself over a day and a half... it was just too yum to resist.

I am also patting myself on the back as i am always anxious when it comes to making pastry or dough. i have mentioned before and ill say it again. i have about a 50% chance of success when it comes to pastry and bread. I over- knead, or well... i don't know...but its always anyone's guess whether it will come out right.... and i have to say....this came out JUST RIGHT! 

When i cook I'm a bit Jamie Oliver style,  a pinch of this or a glug of that and handful of that. However when it comes to baking... especially pastry, breads and doughs, i have learnt that being disciplined and REALLY following the recipe step by step is the key. 

I found this galette recipe online and have used the recipe for the pastry, i have adapted it slightly, using buttermilk instead of sour cream...which worked just fine. The filling is my own combination, i do believe that a lovely goats feta or goat cream cheese would work wonderfully in this recipe instead of labne if you prefer.

This is a great dish for dinner, could also be made into single size servings for a stylish entree. I also think it is delish eaten cold and plan on bringing it to many a picnic in the future.

Serve with a dill pesto if you like.

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Pastry
* 1 1/4c plain flour
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 8 tbs cold butter (cut into pieces and then chilled again)
* 1/4c buttermilk (or sour cream)
* 2 tsp lemon juice
* 1/4c ice water

Filling
* 3 beetroot scrubbed, sliced 5mm thick
* 3 kumara peeled and chopped into large chunks
* juice of 1/2 orange
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp dukkah
* s & p
* 1/2c labne
* handful dill

Glaze
*1 egg yolk
*1 tsp water

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180degrees
Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl
Sprinkle the butter over dough and using a spatula or a butter knife cut the butter through the flour until it resembles course breadcrumbs
In a small bowl whisk the buttermilk, lemon juice and ice water, add to the flour
Mix with a spoon until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball, don't knead it too much. You don't want to overwork it.
Pat into a disk, wrap with cling wrap & refrigerate for an hour.

While the dough is resting in the fridge;
Wrap the kumara in foil and put into the oven to cook
Place the beetroot onto a baking tray, coated lightly with olive oil and sprinkled with s & p, bake in oven turning once, until cooked.
Once the kumara is cooked through and soft put into a small bowl, add orange juice, dukkah, cinnamon & season with s&p,  mash to a thick mash. Its OK if its a bit lumpy.

Take the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured workbench to roughly a 30cm disk.
Place onto a baking tray covered with a sheet of baking paper.
Spread the labne on the base thickly, leaving a 3cm boarder.
Top with the kumara mash.
Arrange the beetroot on top of the mash overlapping slightly.
Fold the boarder of dough in to enclose the filling
Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and brush over the pastry
Bake for 30 - 40minutes or until the pastry is browned and nice and flaky crisp.
Let cool for 5-10minutes before serving.
Serve scattered with dill

Great served with some dill pesto

Tsering's Momos in Ladakh - India

View from our room :)

Leh, the capital of Ladakh in Northern India, sits in a valley at around 3500 metres and is surrounded by an amphitheatre of snow dusted peaks. In spring time it's dotted with the blossoms of apricot trees. Here you feel worlds away from the hustle and bustle of India, not to mention the change in climate, culture, language, and culinary delights!

Given the extreme climatic conditions of this mountain desert, which is only accessible by road from May to September, Ladakhis are very self sufficient. Many of them grow their own vegetables by strategically channeling the water from the mountain streams. In the short peak tourist season from June to August the valley turns from brown to a luminous green.

Tsering and her husband Thukstan are the owners of Tse-Tan Guesthouse which is North of the city centre, and arriving at their guesthouse was like arriving home, with their warmth and hospitality immediately obvious. Like the majority of Ladakhis, Tsering and Thukstan grow their own vegetables and have a little green house for the cooler shoulder seasons.

Tsering and Thukstan

To prepare all the meals Tsering sits on a cloth on her kitchen floor and their guests, whom they treat like family, can be as involved in the process as they would like. Ladakhi food has some similarities to Tibetan cuisine as they eat Tsampa (roasted barley flour), salty butter tea Thukpa (noodle soup) and of course Momos (stuffed dumplings). With barley as their staple grain it is used and manipulated in many different ways for countless dishes.

One evening we sat on Tsering's kitchen floor and made delicious Ladakhi style Momos. Momos are generally stuffed with cooked vegetables or meat and eaten with a chutney or chilli style sambal. They can be made with any kind of flour, but here we made them with barley flour. Making the momos from scratch, dough and all, can be quite a long process so it was nice to do it together as a group. I am sure Tsering appreciated the help! :)

Here I have included a rough recipe guesstimating quantities with enough to serve 5 people. The most important piece of equipment you need to make these is a large mutli-layered steamer as well as a grater. Feel free to be as creative with the filling and chutney as you like. Barley flour is used for the dough as it is grown locally but you could also use wheat flour. You can prepare the filling and chutney ahead of time.

Momo dough
Mix approximately 9 cups of barley flour with a teaspoon of baking powder and 2 teaspoons of salt. Have about a litre of water handy and gradually add this to the flour mixture. Don't add it all at once! Get your hands in there and be sure to mix and knead it well after each addition of water. Knead this and add water until it is a good consistency to roll out using some extra flour to coat the surface, to about 2-3mm thick. Use the end of a glass with a diameter of approximately 6-7 cm to cut circles in the dough.


Momo Filling
Oil for frying (here we used mustard seed oil)
1 small head of cabbage grated
3 carrots grated
1 small red onion grated
A few handfuls of spinach or swiss chard (silverbeet) finely chopped
100 grams paneer finely chopped
Handful of coriander and handful parsley finely chopped
Handful of rice vermicelli soaked in boiling water, strained and chopped finely
A few teaspoons of garam masala
Salt and pepper to taste
A few tablespoons of ghee

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pot. Add cabbage, carrots, spinach and red onion and sauté with a few teaspoons of garam masala and salt and pepper until fragrant. Mix the chopped paneer with the coriander and parsley. Remove pot from the heat and stir through the herb and paneer mixture along with the chopped vermicelli and a few tablespoons of ghee. Set aside.

Momo Chutney
A few carrots very finely grated
5 tomatoes very finely chopped
3 green chillies very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves very finely chopped or grated
1 inch piece ginger very finely chopped or grated
A handful of parsley and mint finely chopped
Juice of 1- 2 limes
Garam masala and salat and pepper to taste

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowel and set aside.


Assembling the Momos
This is very tricky to explain but I'll do my best. Place a circle of dough in your left hand and put a teaspoon of Momo filling in the centre. It is easier to use less than more filling when practicing. Hold the Momo filling in place using your left thumb. Take your forefinger and thumb of your right hand and pinch together the edge of the dough, repeat by gathering another punch of dough squeezing it together with last working in a circle. Until all the edges are gathered together. Hmmm understand!? Perhaps YouTube will have better explanations for you! :) Have patience as it can take some practice!


















Cooking the Momos
Rub a little oil on the base if each steamer and place all the Momos inside making sure they are not touching each other. Fill the base if the steamer with water, bring it to the boil, and simmer to steam the Momos for about 30 minutes or until the dough is cooked. Remove from steamer and serve with chutney.

Enjoy your Momo party! :)

Spiced Roast Parsnip & Pumpkin Soup w Parsnip Crisps & Caramelised Roast Pear

 


This week the weather here in Sydney has really snapped. The wind is chilly, the sun doesn't seem to have the heat it did just a few weeks ago..and as if to confirm that winter is well on its way my veggie box this week was full of Parsnip.

So to warm myself up and make the best of a change i don't at all like, i decided to make a comforting warming soup. I had originally planned on making an apple and parsnip soup with a red cabbage chutney...but cabbage isn't anywhere near my favourite vegetable...in fact it's right down the other end of the spectrum. Alas I cut the cabbage, I put the olive oil in the pot... and at the last moment i aborted. Cabbage isn't my dream ingredient, and i had to listen to my tummy... I am glad i did.
Caramelized roast pear really outshone what red cabbage might have been!

This soup recipe is quick and easy. Roasting the veg keeps them nice and sweet and keeps the nutrients unlike boiling in which the folate, vitamins and some antioxidants can be lost into the water. I keep the skin on the veg as much of the flavour and nutrients are in the skin. I also roast the veg wrapped in foil with no or only a very slight amount of oil rubbed onto them.

serves 4
Ingredients

5 Parsnip washed and topped
1/3 a Pumpkin cut into wedges
1 spanish onion cut in half
4/5 cloves garlic in skin
1 generous pinch saffron threads
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg shaved/grated
2 tsp cumin
1tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 pears, peeled
2 tbs rapadura  (or coconut sugar or brown sugar)
1L stock (i used vegetable stock)
s & p

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200degrees
Wash and Cut Parsnip in half cross ways.
Take the top half of 1 of the parsnip and cut VERY thinly using a mandolin or vegetable peeler. 1.5 to 2mm thickness is good.
Coat the shavings with extra virgin olive oil and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
    
Wrap veg in foil. I put 2 thick top pieces of parsnip together in foil and bunched the small skinny ends together wrapped up.
Wrap the Garlic together in foil.
Wrap each half of the onion separately in foil.
Wrap the pumpkin wedges singularly in foil.
Place a pear in foil and sprinkle evenly all over with the rapadura (or sugar), wrap in the foil. repeat with other pear.
Place all in the oven on a backing tray (or directly on the oven rack if you wrapped them well enough)
Check after 20mins and regularly afterwards, removing any veg which is soft and cooked through.

Once the vegetables are all cooked, place the tray of parsnip shavings into the oven.
Check regularly and turn if necessary.
Remove from oven once golden.

Once the veg is all cooked carefully open the foil parcels and cut the skin off the pumpkin (i love to eat the skins while i am cooking, delish and good for you!)
Place a pot on the stove on medium heat
Add olive oil
Add the garlic squeezing the soft roast garlic out of the skins into the pot
Add the onion, the pumpkin wedges and the parsnips
Stir breaking up the vegetables as you do
Add half the saffron & most but not all of the cumin, cinnamon, & nutmeg.
Keep stirring and breaking down the chunks for a few minutes.
Remove from stove and add 2 cups of stock.

Carefully take a stick blender and puree the soup adding more stock and blending until a smooth consistency is reached. (The amount of stock depends on your own preference. I used only 600ml as i wanted a nice thick hearty soup. the remaining stock can come in handy when re-heating the soup the next day as the soup will thicken on sitting.)
Taste the soup and add the remaining cumin, cinnamon, and or nutmeg to suit your taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Place back on the stove and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Ladle into bowls, take the pears and slice place a few slices into each bowl a sprinkling of parsnip crisps and a sprinkle of saffron threads (optional)

enjoy the warmth!

x Ba

Vegetarian Larb

I remember trying Larb back in the day when I wasn't vegetarian and I remember the lovely zingy flavour combination of freshly squeezed lime, lemon grass, chilli and coriander mmmm. Traditionally a Laotian dish that is largely recognised as Thai - I guess there aren't many Laotian restaurants around! I have been dreaming up this vegetarian version of Larb for a while now but only just got around to it the other day. It's my first attempt and I am sure I can improve on the texture the next time - nevertheless it was enjoyed by all - meat eaters included!

I got my first share of cauliflower in my veggie box this week, and feeling anything but like cauliflower and cheese sauce I decided to turn this wintery vegetable into a fresh summer delight- the result? I want more now!!!

I haven't attempted a raw version however this was how I originally envisaged it - so you raw babies know how to do it! Lose the wok and just mix it all together! :)


Ingredients

The Wok

• Sesame oil / peanut oil a few tablespoons of each
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped (adapt this to your spicy tolerance - for less spice remove the seeds, for more simply add the whole thing and maybe more!)
• 2 handfuls of mushrooms (I used button I think but any will do - I think a variety would also be great)
• Tofu crumbled optional (not necessary but I had about 50 grams in the fridge that needed using, it does add a bit of texture)
• 1/2 head of cauliflower

Method

1. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and process until it looks grainy like rice (you can also use a grater) and set aside.

1. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium to high heat. Ad a few tablespoons of peanut oil and sesame oil and quickly fry the chilli and ginger. 
2. Add the crumbled tofu, mushrooms saute for a few minutes. Add the cauliflower and saute for a further 5 minutes or until golden and lightly cooked. remove from the wok and place into a large bowl and let cool a little for about 15 minutes
   

The Dressing

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce ( you could also substitute this with coconut sugar or agave nectar and add some extra chilli to the mix)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1/2 red onion finely sliced

Method

1. Prepare all ingredients and mix together

The Fresh Stuff

• Bunch of coriander chopped including about 1-2 inches of the stalks
• Handful of mint chopped 
• Head of baby cos lettuce, leaves separated and washed
  
• Bean sprouts
• Two handfuls of raw cashew nuts chopped or smashed (I like to place them in a tea towel and either smash them against a brick wall or place them on the bench and give them a whack with a wooden spoon)

Assemble

1. Poor the dressing over the wok fried veggies and stir through the chopped coriander and mint. Taste for flavour and adjust to taste by adding more lime or chilli or soy sauce depending on personal preference
2. Spoon a few tablespoons into each baby cos leaf and arrange on a platter (they can be tricky to balance!)
3. Top with bean sprouts and cashews and garnish with some more coriander

Panzanella ~ Tomato Salad

Tomatoes are a fruit of summer! This lovely flavour combination is perfect for a light lunch or dinner throughout the hot summer months... I haven't included exact quantities for this recipe, but don't be afraid to try it! Get your hands in there! Mix it up with your fingers and taste it as you go to reach your perfect balance of flavours!

8 large tomatoes, remove the core and roughly chop - try a combo of varieties, roma, field, vine ripened as well as some cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
2 good handfuls of basil roughly chopped or torn
Stale sourdough bread (or fresh!)  chopped into cubes and toasted in the oven until golden - you can also cut the bread into slices, toast them in the toaster and then tear them up (I used olive sourdough).

Combine all the above ingredients in a salad bowl, and the toasted bread, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

I served this with extra slices of toasted olive sourdough and Ela's Dill Dip.

To make Ela's Dill Dip, mix a small container of creme fraiche with 2 heaped tablespoons of Greek style yoghurt, 1 bunch of finely chopped dill, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

For a very yummy and fresh pasta dish, omit the toasted bread, and add handfuls of fresh rocket. Cooks some spaghetti, drain and stir it through the tomato and rocket salad. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

For another entree / lunch / dinner alternative, omit the toasted bread from the salad, toast some sourdough, spread the toast with labne and pile with tomato salad. For extra flavour you could also brush the toast with olive oil and rub it with garlic to make a delicious bruschetta!

Domatokeftedes - Greek Tomato Fritters

I know we have posted a few different fritter recipes already. but i LOVE these things. Great as a snack, starter or Vego main, there are SO many varieties to be had

This recipe is from the December issue of FEAST magazine it is quick and easy to make, and tasty and summery to boot! Even my meat loving vegetable suspicious husband loves it!

This seriously took me only 10 minutes to make

ingredients

* 1kg ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
* 2 spring onions, chopped
* 2c self raising flour
* 2 tbsp mint, chopped
* 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
* 1 tsp Greek oregano
* s&p to season
* olive oil to shallow fry
* lemon wedges to serve

Method

Combine all except the last 2 ingredients in a large bowl, the mix should be wet and sticky

Heat 2cm of oil in a fry pan (heavy based is best) on medium/high heat
Drop heaped spoons of the batter into the hot oil and fry until nice and golden-brown-crunchy

drain on paper towel

serve with lemon wedges (and salad for a main)


ENJOY!

Chilli Roasted Pumpkin & Broccoli, Radish and Goats Cheese Salad w Bitey Basil and Dill Mustard Dressing

 

Happy new year !!!

I hope everyone had a great Chrissy full of family and delish food!
I know i did... And I am finally back to reality... Feeling a bit like a stuffed pig after the massive pig-out I have had over the break ... I am happy to say last night was home made dinner from my own kitchen... And for the first time in ages I didn't go to bed feeling sick.
Try this Light, but satisfying salad ! 
I made mine directly on my plate


ingredients

*Baby spinach and/or rocket
*Spanish onion, v thinly sliced
*cucumber sliced
* pumpkin sliced into thin wedges, skin on
* broccoli cut into florets
* radish
* goats cheese (creamed goats cheese)
* basil torn
* dill chopped roughly
*extra virgin olive oil
* chili flakes
*dukkah or z'ataar (optional)

Dressing
* 1 tsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tbsp chopped dill
* s & p
* 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 2 tbsp yoghurt
* 4 tbsp olive oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius
Place pumpkin on a baking tray in a single layer flat and rub with a little olive oil sprinkle w s&p on the side facing up and place in oven for 10 mins, then flip rub/drizzle a little olive on the side now facing up and sprinkle w s&p and a little dukkah . Put back in oven for 5 mins more.. Or until cooked through...soft but holding it's shape

Put broccoli in a bowl drizzle w a little olive oil to coat, sprinkle w chili flakes and s & p

Put on a baking tray in the oven until slightly browned

Once veg has cooled arrange all the ingredients on a plate, platter or large bowl
to make dressing place all dressing ingredients in a jam jar and shake until combined. Test and adjust seasoning.

Drizzle salad with dressing, or if making a large bowl serve w/ a small jug of dressing on side.

Pumpkin & Pesto Ricotta Parcels

This is a simple recipe for those parties or BBQ's when you need to 'bring a plate'

it looks impressive, and doesn't take long to make.

You could alter the filling to whatever you have on hand. Maybe try pesto ricotta with cannellini beans and roast capsicum, or roast cherry tomatoes, pesto ricotta and olive... or corn, pesto ricotta and capsicum.

ingredients

* 200g ricotta
* 2 cups roasted pumpkin
* 1/2 cup caramelized onion
* 3 tbsp pesto
* 1 cup (or a bit more) English or baby spinach leaves chopped
* 1 egg lightly whisked
* 10 filo pastry sheets
* 100g butter
* 1cup chopped herbs of choice
* extra herbs to garnish
* s & p


method

preheat the oven to 180 degrees

mix spinach and herbs with ricotta s & p & egg

lightly brush a filo sheet with butter lay another sheet on top lightly butter and repeat until you have 5 layers

grease 2 muffin tins cut the filo into squares to suit the muffin tin. press the filo in to trays

spoon some of the ricotta into each filo cup, push a piece or 2 of roast pumpkin into each cup, add a little bit of caramelized onion to each. pop into the oven foe approx 15minutes until browned on bottom and set firm.

serve on a platter scattered with the the extra herbs.

x BA

Lemon baked brocolli

This is a delicious way to eat broccoli, it is amazing the difference in taste in comparison to the watery flavour and texture of steaming or boiling it.

The zing of the lemon and chili really make it special.

Its my new fave snack!

Ingredients
* 1 head of broccoli
* drizzle of olive oil
* pinch salt & pepper
* pinch chili flakes (optional)
* zest of 1/2 lemon
* juice of half a lemon
* 2 cloves garlic crushed
* parsley

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
cut the broccoli into florets and coats lightly with olive oil, garlic & chili flakes (optional)
Sprinkle with salt & pepper
place on a baking tray and grate the lemon zest over the top
bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy on the edges, (not too long as you want it to stay nice and green with a bit of crunch)
serve with a wedge of lemon, scattered with parsely. Or squeeze the juice over the top before serving.

yummo!

x BA

Toasted Lebanese Bread

This is so simple and I love serving it with dips like hummus and tzatziki when people come over - or as a little snack before dinner. You can use wholemeal or white Lebanese bread. Don't forget to check the ingredients to make sure the Lebanese bread you choose doesn't have preservatives - there only needs to be flour, water, yeast and salt and usually they will also have iodine added.

Heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place Lebanese bread on a baking tray, Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with za'atar or sumac. Using a pastry brush mix the oil and spices on the bread and brush until coated. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until golden and toasted. They will become crispy as they cool. You can serve whole and you just break it up as you eat it or you can break it up before and place in basket to serve.

* sumac is a spice made from the sumac berry, often used in Lebanese food

vegetarian smörgåstårta

Smorgastarta is a Retro Swedish dish most often served an milestone events such as weddings, christenings, or house warming. Originating in the 70's it is in essence a savory cake. A bit gaudy and daggy but recently under going a revival as a trendy retro dish....a little like fondue has in recent times. It is rich and definitely not low fat, but fun to make and decorate and handy as a share meal when you are asked to 'bring a plate'.

This recipe is for a not very traditional, vegetarian smorgastarta rather than the traditional on which consists of meats, cocktail prawns, caviar and salmon mousse. I decorated the top with some smoked salmon as i brought this dish to a friends house whom aren't vegetarian. Simply omit the smoked salmon from the decorating and replace with any other vegetarian alternative. Cucumber, sweet potato, herbs, edible flows, micro herbs, cherry tomatoes, avocado....anything pretty!

Ingredients

1 loaf of sourdough bread of choice (rye would be great)

1/3 cup char grilled sliced capsicum (you can use jarred or sliced to save time)

1 eggplant, thinly sliced length ways and char grilled

1/2 lemon sliced

avocado cream

1 avocado

1/2 cup marscapone

2 tbsp sour cream (feel free to substitute the sour cream with quark)

1/4 cup finely diced Spanish onion

1 handful finely chopped dill

juice of 1/2 lemon

s & p

baby capers

big handful parsley

big handful parsley

1 bunch dill

1 bunch steamed baby asparagus

1 handful toasted pine nuts

1 handful steamed string beans

(other veg to garnish such as cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced capsicum, char grilled capsicum, Spanish onion etc)

egg cream salad

3 eggs hard boiled

1/3 cup creme friache

3 tbsps sour cream

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

s & p

smorgastarta icing

1 packet cream cheese

2/3 cup mayo

1 cup marscapone

1 cup sour cream

first beat all the smorgastarta icing ingredients together until light and creamy.

put in the fridge to chill until later

next make the egg cream salad, mash the ingredients together and place in the fridge until later.

next slice and char grill the eggplant and capsicum

then mash the avocado, add the other ingredients together

and now its time to build the savoury cake!

slice the bread into 1cm thickness HORIZONTALLY

take the first slice and spread generously with the avocado mix, then layer the eggplant overlapping slightly spread a generous amount of the smorgasarta spread on top of the eggplant

next put the next slice of bread on top, scatter with the roast capsicum and slather with a generous amount of the egg cream salad

then lay the next slice of bread

cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge to set for 2 or 3 hours

then you are ready to decorate.

first generously ice the whole loaf with the smorgastarta icing, then

get creative, use patterns, use pretty herbs, think of it like decorating a cake.

Sweet potato pie

Sweet Potato Pie

This sweet potato pie is delicious and easy to make, especially if you have roast veggies left over from yesterday

You could use frozen shortcrust pastry sheets if you like. But if you have time it's far better making your own pastry.
I like to make Besan Pastry for extra flavour which is also vegan, wheat and gluten free. I have listed both regular pastry and besan pastry recipe below.

I filled this pie with Sweet Potato, Goats Cheese and Asparagus, however feel free to use any combination you like, i have put some suggestions at the end for you.

Besan Pastry

this recipe was given to me by a customer while I was cooking in an organic cafe and learning about the wants and needs of my customers

* 1 1/2 cups besan flour sifted
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
*1 generous pinch of salt
* up to 1/2 cup water


preheat oven to 180 degrees

if you have a food processor, process flour and salt leave running and add the oil in a steady stream

add water a little at a time until the dough is just a little bit sticky, be careful not to add too much or it will be too hard to roll.

place the pastry between 2 sheets of cling wrap and roll out approx 4mm thickness...big enough to cover the pie dish (or tart pan)

place the pastry into the dish, prick all over with a fork, cover with foil or baking paper, fill with pastry weights and blind bake for approx 15 minutes
remove from oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes


Shortcrust Pastry
this recipe is from Stephanie Alexanders "the Cooks Companion" the one cookbook i read almost every day! :)

*180g butter chilled
*240g plain flour
*pinch of salt (only if you use unsalted butter)
*1/4 cup water

*sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, grate the cold butter straight from the fridge over the flour.
*rub together to combine partly.
*make a well in the center and pour in water.
*using a spatula, work the water and flour together until you have a rough lump of dough
*put the dough onto the bench and using the heel of your hand smear the dough across the table to combine
*scrape back together, press into a flat cake, cling wrap and place in fridge for 20 -30mins
* remove from fridge, roll out on a floured bench to 4mm thick roll out approx 4mm thickness...big enough to cover the pie dish (or tart pan)
*place the pastry into the dish, prick all over with a fork, cover with foil or baking paper, fill with pastry weights and blind bake for approx 15 minutes
*remove from oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goats Cheese and Asparagus Filling

* 1 large sweet potato
* 1/2 cup pure cream
* 3 eggs
* handful of herbs (i used basil)
* handful of crumbled goats cheese
* 1 bunch asparagus
* 2 tables spoons caramelized onion marmalade chopped


cook sweet potato until soft, anyway you like... steam, boil or roast (i wrapped mine in al foil and roasted it like a jacket potato and then peeled it with my hands)

mash until very smooth (use your bamix/processor/blender)
whisk in your cream and eggs
add the onion

pour 2/3 of the mix into the pie crust, sprinkle over most the cheese and herbs, scatter most of the asparagus

pour the rest of the mix in and sprinkle and scatter the remaining ingredients

put back into the oven for 15mins or until the potato mix is set.

serve with some peppery rocket salad, with a zingy lemony dressing


You could also try these combinations

Beetroot for the mix with goats cheese, thyme, walnut

pumpkin mix with cauliflower coriander and cumin

potato mix with leek, peas and beans

sweet pot mix with roast capsicum & zucchini & parsley

carrot mix with capsicum pesto, parsley cumin and fresh Spanish onion

ricotta mix with parsley, marinated artichoke heart, feta & spinach

get creative :)

Ba

Za'atar Coated Marinated Labne

This is a delicious middle eastern style cheese made from yoghurt. It is so addictive and makes everything taste amzing! You can spread it on a sandwich, eat as a dip with some toasted flat bread or in a simple sald wiht tomato, mint and olives. I first discovered labne in Goa in India of all places. With so many Israli people there, there were quite a few cafes offering middle eastern style menus and that is where our relationship began.

Don't be put off by off by the lengthy process of making it. It is so easy. Obviously it is not a last minute thing and requires some thought in advance for preparation. Once you have bought yourself some muslin cloth you can make this time and time again. It makes a great gift at christmas or for a fellow foodie's birthday. Everyone loves home-made treats. It also keeps for quite a while in the fridge as long as it's covered with olive oil.

The basics
Muslin cloth
1kg organic natural yoghurt
salt

Method
1) Place yoghurt and salt in a bowl and mix together
2) Lay muslin cloth over an empty clean bowl and spoon yoghurt into centre of cloth
3) Securely tie opposite ends together.
4) If you have enough room you can tie the ends of the cloth over tap (preferrably one that isn't used often) and suspend over a bowl . You can also attach a piece of sting to the top of the muslin and tie using this
5) Leave for 24-72 hours to drain the water or 'whey' from the yoghurt. The longer you leave it the thicker the labne will be.
6) Open cloth and you can either spoon into a dish and eat as a dip drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with zataar or sumac OR you can roll into small balls and marinate (see below).

To Marinate
1) Roll labne into small golf sized balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper
2) Put tray in fridge for a few hours to dry out the labne a little more (this step isn't necessary but can make the edges of the cheese firmer)
3) *Gently place in a wide mouthed jar with a couple of cloves of roughly chopped garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary and a couple of bay leaves.
4) Fill jar with extra virgin olive oil until coated
5) Store in fridge

*You can also roll each ball in a small amount of za'atar for extra flavour.

Caramelised Onion, Goats Fetta, Cherry tomato and Basil Puff Pastry Pizza

This recipe was inspired by Ba. This is can be prepared as a last minute light snack, entree or main meal. Mix it up by trying different toppings and your favourite flavour combinations. The most important thing when making these is to keep it simple and not to overcrowd the base with too many ingredients so it remains crispy... This ingredient combo is one of my favourites.

When I made this it was even quicker and easier as I already had a jar of caramelised onion marmalade in the fridge and puff pastry in the freezer!

Ingredients
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

Handful of basil
Punnet of cherry tomatoes
Goats fetta

A few tablespoons of caramelised onion marmalade


Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius
2) Place puff pastry on baking tray to thaw
3) Leaving 2 cm on each side, spread with caramelised onions. Do not completely cover the base leave a few gaps to ensure that the pastry cooks evenly and crisps up.
4) Crumble over a handful of goats fetta
5) Brush edges with extra virgin olive oil
6) Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes until the edges are golden
7) Remove from oven and sprinkly with chopped cherry tomatoes and freshly torn basil leaves
8) Cut into slices and serve

Kale Chips

Salty crunchy chippy craving? Try these as a healthy AND tasty alternative. The crappy poor quality iPhone photo doesn't do them justice....

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Get a bunch of any style kale. Remove stems. Tear into bit sized pices. Mix with a couple of table spoons of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Massage to coat leaves. Layer thinly on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 10-15minutes until crispy. Once you start you can't stop!

Week night meals ~ Vegetarian Miso Soup

I love cooking and I especially love it when I can take the time to cook during the week. However these days due to the nature of my work I often finish work late and want to think of healthy meals that are not only full of nutrition to keep me feeling energised, but that are also balanced, simple, quick and easy week night meals (I’ll leave the more complicated stuff for the weekends!).

I think I could do a load of posts on this, so here is one of many to come!  This is actually a new one for me to add to my collection and it was a tasty success J Inspired by my favourite Yoga teacher and friend Gillian aka Gaura Lila of Avalon, whilst in the health food shop on the weekend, I salvaged all the basic ingredients I needed to make this meal complete; miso paste, dashi, seaweed. The great thing about this recipe is that once you have these three basic ingredients you are only limited by your imagination and fresh food supply to turn it into something more spectacular. Usually on Mondays if I haven’t been shopping over the weekend the variety of veggies in my fridge can be a little sad. Although it was a hot day and the last thing I felt like was soup it was still thoroughly enjoyable and was a great meal to have late as it is easily digested and doesn’t feel heavy in your tummy.

Miso has great health giving properties and is especially beneficial for vegetarians as it contains 13%-20% protein and vitamin B12.  The most important thing to remember when cooking with miso is not to overcook as it contains heat sensitive bacteria (the same found in yoghurt), that assist with digestion. (1)

I have cooked with seaweed before, however I am not a huge fan of the big chunky varietys such as Kombu and Wakame so I chose to use Arame which is in thin stringy strands. Being summer and all I used white miso as this is traditionally used during warmer seasons.

My Miso (Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

1/3 cup dried Arame rinsed

1 carrot diced/sliced/julienned however you want!

5 button mushrooms sliced

1 sachet (approx 3 tsp vegetarian dashi granules)

4 Tbsp organic unpasteurised white miso paste

300g silken tofu, drained and cut into cubes

3 schallots finely diced


Method

Place Arame in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a medium sized pot and sauté the diced carrot and mushrooms.

When Arame is cooked strain and reserve the cooking water. Add extra water to it to make a total of 4 cups of water and then add this, the Arame and the dashi granules to the sautéd veggies. Bring this almost to the boil and then turn it down to simmer for approx 10 minutes.

Ladle about a cup of stock into a bowl and combine with the miso paste, stirring until dissolved. Turn the hot plate off and return the miso to the pot and stir until combined.

Divide tofu evenly among serving bowls and then divide soup and veggies evenly over the tofu. Sprinkle with diced schallots and serve. You could add tamari and/or white pepper to taste.

YUM!

Miso is often made with Shitake mushrooms, however the vegetarian dashi granules had shitake mushrooms in it already. You could experiment with other other vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini or even sugar snap peas which would add a nice freshness and sweetness to the soup and balance the saltiness of the miso.

Yours in yumminess,

Biss

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Reference

(1)         Pitchford, P. (2002). Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3^rd Edition) North Atlantic Books, USA.