Tomato & Mango Salad

I've tried to get more creative with salads these days.  I'm that person who makes a main dish and then suddenly realizes that we can't eat just meat for dinner - about 5 minutes before we're meant to be having dinner.  I'm super grown up, for serious.

So I looked at what I had in my fridge (oh shit, overripe mango!) and whipped up this salad - which was a total and utter hit.  Especially with my 4 year old.   He gobbled his up and asked for more without even touching his (stupidly delicious) chicken.  Pardon the imprecise measurements - I made this on the fly.

Mango & Tomato Salad

Serves 4
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of rocket
1 mango, cubed
2 tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
mozzarella (I used string cheese because I'm ultra classy)
fresh lemon juice
honey

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the cubed mango, tomatoes and rocket.
2. Slice a cheese stick if, like me, you are the classiest bitch around and don't actually bother with fancy schmancy stuff like bocconcini (which I totally can't spell without having to look up - shut up, you know it happens to you too).
3. In a small bowl, mix together small amounts of fresh lemon juice and honey until the dressing is tangy but not too sour - sweet, but not sickly.  Grind in a little fresh black pepper.
4. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

A lovely summer salad that my kid went nuts for!  We served this with Roasted Chicken Breasts with Leeks, Basil & Lemon.

Tomato Soup Recipe

This soup is a bit more than just tomato soup - it's really more of a lovely vegetable soup that is simply dominated by the tomatoes in it.  Those other vegetables, however, provide a delicious flavour and a beautiful creamy texture.  This soup is incredibly healthy and incredibly addictive.

Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, halved

2 brown onions, roughly chopped

4 sticks celery, roughly chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

10 fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped

black pepper

salt

fresh basil leaves

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 lugs olive oil over medium heat.    

Add the garlic and onions, stirring until glassy.  

Add the celery and carrots and stir until the carrots begin to soften slightly. 

Pour in the prepared stock and add the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots have softened.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Let the soup cool significantly and pour into a blender.  Blend until the soup is smooth and creamy.  

Please remember that blending freshly boiled soup is a recipe for horrific third degree burns.  You've been warned.

Serve hot with a garnish of fresh basil leaves. Yum!

Spicy Pan Fried Chicken Wings Recipe

In the eternal search to find something that my son will eat and that the rest of the family finds delicious (this morning he requested a carrot with a piece of ham wrapped around it, dipped in ketchup), I came across a recipe for fried chicken wings.  My first attempt was abysmal.  My second attempt was pretty bad.  Several months later and many, many changes to the original recipe later - this is my result.

Tender, juicy and (just a little) spicy fried chicken wings.  My entire family loves them and they are a massive hit for dinner.

Spicy Pan Fried Chicken Wings

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients

8 chicken wings

1/3 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 -2 cup cooking oil of your choice

Instructions

Firstly, to prepare your chicken wings you'll want to cut them into pieces.  This video illustrates the process beautifully.  We'll be using the "wingette" also called the "mid-joint" and the "drumettes".  The wing tips are great for feeding to your pets and will help clean their teeth.  You can also boil them to make stock.

Rinse your prepared wings in cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.  Chicken wings that are too moist will make it difficult for the coating to stick.

In a large bag or plastic container, combine your flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika.  Add the chicken wings and toss well to coat.  Refrigerate the chicken (I leave it in the seasoning) for at least 30 minutes - preferably 2 hours.  The more chilled your chicken is before you cook it, the better the coating will stick.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk and set aside.  Pour your breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Heat your oil in a heavy pan to 165C (I use my multimeter for this, you can just as easily use a kitchen thermometer).  Much higher and your chicken will burn but be raw in the middle.  Much lower and your chicken will be greasier and the coating will not be as crisp.  This takes practice.  Lots of practice.

Once chilled, remove your wings from the refrigerator.  One at a time, dip each piece first in the egg mixture and then roll through the breadcrumbs.  If you missed any spots with the egg mixture you can apply it with a pastry brush without having to dip the entire wing back in the mixture.

Using tongs, put the uncooked chicken into the hot oil 5-6 pieces at a time.  Leave some space between the pieces.  Overcrowding the pieces will affect the temperature of the oil and give an inconsistent cook.

Cook for 6-8 minutes, then turn the chicken pieces and cook again for another 6-8 minutes.

I have overcrowded them and had to cook these a little longer because of it.

Test for doneness by cutting into the thickest part of the wing and checking for any pink meat.

Remove your chicken wings from the oil, giving them a very gentle tap on the edge of the pan to shake off a bit of the excess oil before placing them on a stack of absorbent paper towels.  This will remove even more oil.  I sometimes like to put them in a box completely lined with paper towels and give them a little shake - but I can't stand greasy food.

Serve immediately with vegetables.  Chips also go very nicely with these and you can re-use the oil!

Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe

I'm on a ketosis diet at the moment.  Don't judge.  It works for me and my doctor knows what's up, so I'm not doing anything that is going to hurt me.  Sometimes I just need a little help getting my hunger signals under control.

Anyway, what that means is that my diet consists entirely of protein shakes and non-starchy vegetables.  It's harder to find delicious things to eat when your diet is so limited.  Harder, but certainly not impossible.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 lugs of olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 spring onions finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2kg (2.2 pounds) of carrots peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock (I use homemade chicken stock so sodium is at a minimum)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger (or 1.5tbsp freshly grated ginger)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp whole almonds

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over a low flame, heat your olive oil.  Add to the pan the garlic, spring onion and yellow onion and toss with a wooden spoon until glassy.

Add the carrots, giving them a good stir to coat them in the olive oil, garlic and onions and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in the nutmeg, ginger and pepper - stir for another minute or until fragrant.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the carrot is tender.  Remove from heat.

When the soup has cooled significantly, place into a blender with the almonds to puree (or use a stick blender).  Do not attempt to blend the soup while it is hot unless you're a masochist and you really love getting horrific burns and boiling soup on your eyeballs.  It isn't pleasant.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, a garnish of chives and a sprinkling of pepper.  Goes nicely with a slice of lovely crusty bread.

For people trying to watch their waistline, this is also a really healthy dinner when served without sour cream or bread.

Per serving:

Calories		182.8
Total Fat		8.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	5.9 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		499.1 mg
Potassium		740.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		23.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	6.9 g
	Sugars	9.5 g
Protein		4.5 g

Hummus

Do you love hummus? I do.  I love hummus so much I make it in massive batches and freeze it so that I can always have some.  My love affair with hummus began about 8 years ago when I was introduced to my first Turkish restaurant.  I can't even.  Turkish food may be the most delicious thing I've ever tasted and people....I've been exposed to excellent Mexican food.  That's saying something.

I spent a disproportionate amount of time trying to imitate the hummus that was sold at my very favourite Turkish restaurant.  This is the result.

Hummus

Makes 1.25 litres (or 5.5 cups) of hummus

Ingredients

3 x 400g cans of chick peas (also called garbonzo beans for all of you from MURICA) - Drain 2, leave one as-is.
3 teaspoons minced garlic (or 3 minced garlic cloves)
4 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor.  Blend until smooth, adding the olive oil in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached.  Serve with bread, vegetables or other delicious things like the flesh of your defeated foes.

Remember that hummus varies.  Some people like their hummus more bland with less tahini, some people like it with a lot of tahini, some people with a lot of garlic or a lot of lemon juice.  Fiddle with it until you have your hummus the way YOU like it.  Mine is quite tahini heavy because I love that toasted sesame flavour in my hummus.  Nomomom.

Happy cooking.

Turkish Bread

My newest bready love.  So easy and so delicious I can't find an excuse not to make it (except that I'm currently out of flour (HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN!??)).

Turkish Bread

Ingredients

230g plain white flour

200ml warm water

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Topping (sesame seeds and nigella seeds are traditional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine your 200ml water, active dry yeast, salt, a dash of flour and sugar.  Whisk together and set aside for 20-30 minutes in a warm room.  This is called a yeast starter.  It will turn creamy and frothy.  This is your yeast multiplying.  This is good.

Measure out 230g plain white flour in a medium bowl.  Add the olive oil and the yeast starter.  This will make a very, very sticky dough.  Combine the ingredients and knead together with your bare hands or a wooden spoon.

Transfer to a container or bowl that has been sprayed or wiped down with oil.  Cover and set aside somewhere warm for 30 minutes to one hour or until your dough has risen.

Preheat your oven to 220C (210C for a fan-forced oven)

Flour a surface and empty your container out onto your countertop.  The dough will spread. From here you can make either one large loaf or two smaller loaves.  To make two smaller loaves, simply cut the dough in half using a sharp, clean knife.  

Get flour on your hands and lift your dough up, placing it on your floured baking sheet and pressing lightly into small, oval loaves (about 15mm thick).  Tap the surface with your fingertips along the length - this is what gives Turkish bread it's textured surface.  Set aside for 20 minutes in a warm area for a second rise.

Whisk together the egg and milk and brush onto the loaves with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle your topping onto the bread.  Sesame seeds and nigella seeds (the little black ones) are traditional but if you have a hard time finding nigella seeds (and I always do), you can use freshly ground cumin for a similar flavor.

Pop into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until your loaves are golden.  Cooking time will vary, so keep an eye on them.

Let cook COMPLETELY before cutting - remember that bread continues to cook until it is cool.  If you cut it too soon it will be dense and doughy inside.  The fluff comes once it's cooled.

Serve with some fantastic hummus - recipe to come.  Yumyumyum.

Ham & Cheese Mini Quiches

This is something that I did for the Gunning playgroup today.  They were so well received I told the parents that I'd be putting them up on my blog.  I'm glad everyone loved them!

Let's start with a simple, basic shortcrust recipe.

Basic Savory Shortcrust

Makes 2 savory pie crusts or 12-18 mini quiches (depending on exact size)

Ingredients

500g plain flour
250g chilled, unsalted butter, cubed
2 eggs, cold
2 tablespoon icewater
2 pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp, whichever you prefers)

Instructions

Place your flour, butter and a pinch of salt in your food processor.  Blend until the combination looks like bread crumbs.  There should be no significant chunks of butter left.

Whisk together the egg and icewater.  Add to the food processor while it is running and continue mixing until the mixture comes together.

Remove from the food processor and turn out onto a counter or cutting board.  It should not stick to the surface even if it is unfloured.  Bring it together into a ball and flatten it with your hands or a rolling pin until you have a disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for chilling.

Shortcrust pastry must be chilled before baking.  The colder it is immediately before you pop it in the oven, the crispier your result.  Generally you would chill this disc for 2 hours.  Since heat transfer is linear, the thinner the object, the faster it will chill.  If you are in a hurry - flatten the dough as much as possible.  I roll mine out to 5mm thickness and chill it for 20-30 minutes.

Now that you have your pastry...

Ham & Cheese Mini Quiche

Makes 12-18 (depending on pan size)

These couldn't be simpler.  Okay they could be simpler, but only if they came in a box.

Ingredients

10 eggs
1/2 cup light cream
6 shallots, sliced thinly
200g diced ham
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan-forced).  Grease two muffin tins.

Roll out your shortcrust dough to your desired thickness.  Cut circles with a radius approximately 1cm larger than the radius of your muffin cups (I use all sorts of things.  Small bowls, jars, egg rings, glasses, etc.  Be creative!).  Line the muffin cups with your pastry.  It will not reach all the way to the top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, shallots and ham until combined.  Pour the mixture into your pastry cups, right to the top.   Sprinkle with tasty cheese.

Bake in your preheated oven for 12-25 minutes (time varies wildly depending on the size/shape of your muffin tins).  Quiches are done when the egg is set and the tops are golden.

For best results, serve immediately.  When reheating - an oven should be used as microwaves can leave egg products rubbery.  Reheat at 150C for approximately 20 minutes.

Simple Macaroni And Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese.  There aren't many people who aren't fans of this delicious comfort food.  What you might not know is that making your own homemade macaroni and cheese takes about the same amount of time as making it from a box.  This recipe is a very simple homemade version with a lot of great flavour.

Because I love a bit of sour tang and spice - I've added a bit of horseradish cream to my macaroni and cheese.  If you're not a fan of horseradish or you want a more traditional macaroni and cheese - just leave it out.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

50g butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon horseradish cream
2 cups shredded cheddar
salt & pepper to taste
500g macaroni pasta

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the instructions and drain well.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the 2tbsp flour until it forms a smooth paste.  I like to add pepper now - but you can add it at any time.  Continue cooking for one minute, whisking constantly.

Slowly add the milk.  If you add it too quickly the flour will turn into lumps within the milk. If you add it too slowly you'll scald your milk.  What we want to do do here is turn that butter and flour paste into a creamy sauce known as a white sauce.  Stir constantly but slowly.

Add in the horseradish cream (or not, if you don't like it).

Bring the sauce just barely to a boil and turn it down to simmer.  Add your cheese in several parts, stirring until melted after each addition.

When all of the cheese is melted and the sauce is hot - remove from heat and add the pasta, blending completely.   Add salt and pepper a bit at a time until the flavour is right for you.  I'm a big fan of pepper so I probably added nearly 2tsp - but that might be too much for most, sane people. >.>

Serve hot and enjoy!

Potato and Leek Soup

It's winter! While it's been unseasonably warm (thanks, Global Warming), it's starting to feel half-frigid now.  Time for some hearty dishes to fight the winter chill!

So today I thought I would make an Australian favourite - Potato and Leek soup.   It's so easy my three year old Xander could probably make it. If he could read and use knives (don't let your three year old use knives, yo).

Potato and Leek Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oliveoil

2 large leeks, sliced (white part only)

4 garlic cloves, smashed with a hammer like the son of a bitch who cut you off in traffic today.  That's it, get it out (but only in your mind, don't assault people - it's not great for long-term survival)

1kg potatoes - wash, peel, chop

2 litres chicken stock

Salt, pepper, sour cream (to serve)

Instructifications

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and garlic - stirring for 3 minutes until softened.

Add the potatoes.  Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is very soft.  Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  No seriously.  If you try to blend freshly boiled soup you'll get burning death all over you.

If you have a stick blender, blend the entire pot of soup at once.  If not, blend in small batches until smooth.  Season to taste.  Serve with fresh ground pepper, a dollop of sour cream and a crusty bread.

Taco Salad

This is a pretty darn good taco salad if I do say so myself.  It's not really pretty though...

Looks: Dude, what did you kill and why is its mangled corpse in this bowl?!
Tastes: ...wait, who fucking cares? Kill another and give me its sweet, ugly fleshes.

It's -yummy-.  It could do with a dressing.  I'm going to work on a creamy chipotle dressing to pair with it - but it works pretty well without a dressing.  I usually make my own (totally nommable) taco seasoning but I was full of le sloth and just used a seasoning packet.

Basic Taco Salad

Makes 6-8 servings (It would probably make 8 if my eyes were huge and my stomach huger. Shut up.  Huger is a word.  I made it just now.)

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
500g beef mince (about 1lb)
1 sachet taco seasoning
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
100g (3.5oz) plain tortilla chips, crumbled
150g (5oz) grated tasty (cheddar) cheese
3 small avocados, sliced up

In a pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up as you go.  Drain off any excess oil.

Stir through taco seasoning and onion powder.  Add kidney beans and tomatoes - heat through.  If adding the tomatoes left this watery - reduce slightly.  You want a nice, thick mix.  Remove from heat and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, toss the tortilla chips, cheese, avocados and lettuce together in a large bowl.  

When the meat mix is cool - add to the rest of the salad and toss well.   Do not add the meat mix while hot.  It will wilt the lettuce, making it soggy and will melt the cheese - which only sounds awesome until you try to eat your soggy lettuce and lukewarm half-melted cheese salad.  You'll be regretting it then.

Curry Spice Red Lentil Burgers

I was a bit skeptical when I saw the original recipe for these red lentil burgers.  I didn't see them turning out as spicy as I like or as healthy as I require. Being the kitchen daredevil that I am, I threw the recipe out and made it up as I went along. 

The result was super yummy!  Now...I like my spices - so I added A LOT of curry powder.  With 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper there was only the tiniest hint of spiciness - and I'm not tolerant of spicy foods at all.

  

Curry Spice Red Lentil Burgers

Makes 12 yummy patties

1 1/2 cup dry red lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown onion, chopped finely
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
5 cloves garlic, minced (I'm a garlic nut - so mileage may vary here)
1 tablespoon curry powder (If you're not a fan of cumin, reduce this by at least half.  I fucking love it.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh coriander
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon salt (may need more, may need less - depends on taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Bread rolls or hamburger buns
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced

Fill a large saucepan with cold water and the lentils.  Put over high heat until it comes to a boil.  Uncover, turn down and simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are very, very tender.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until tender and brown.

Add 2/3 of the garlic and the carrots and cook until the carrots soften.  Stir in the curry powder and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Remove from heat.

Mix in the breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper until combined.  (The salt will vary on your taste.  Go ahead and add it a little at a time, tasting as you go - the raw mix is yum anyway and your risk of food borne illness from eating raw eggs is minimal if they are fresh.  Mine were laid today!)

Form the mix into twelve 1/4 cup burgers.

Heat another 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Cook the lentils for 3 minutes each side or until set and medium brown (they will blacken pretty quickly if you leave them for too long).

Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, coriander and salt to taste in a small bowl.

Serve the lentil burgers on a bun with a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of red capsicum (or your veggie of choice - or no veggies - whatever).