Vietnamese Style Hot and Sour Fish Soup - It Has Got to be Good for You

In the 80’s and early 90’s, before we bought our boat, we used to spend our Saturday Lunch times at a wonderful Vietnamese Restaurant called ‘Saigon’.
Run by Andy and His Wife Tina.
There would sometimes be up to 12 or more around the big round table.
Lots of wine, of course, a fun way to spend Saturday Lunch time…then home to watch the Rugby on the TV after lunch. Many happy days.
Andy supplied us, with some of the freshest, most delightful food I have tasted.

We always loved Andy’s Hot and Sour Fish Soup.
This is the equivalent of the ‘Jewish Penicillin’….Chicken Soup.
It makes you feel really good, particularly great with a Hangover.
As, of course, I am currently eating the least amount of calories in my meals...
I thought this would make a great lunch
I searched around the Internet, discarded any recipes that had far too many ingredients, and finally found one. that I have changed to suit us and I think I have cracked it.
It is very simple, using ingredients, most people have in their pantry

Great for Gluten Free and definitely low on Carbs
I didn’t add any extra salt, just relied on the Fish Sauce to supply those needs
The Coriander Stalks certainly add some extra flavour.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili flakes
Mushrooms 70 gm
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon raw sugar
700 mls good chicken stock
2 tablespoons lime juice
225 g firm fish fillet, cut into small slices
1 tablespoon Coriander stalks


Coriander Sprigs to Garnish



Method :
Heat oil in a wok or pan and lightly brown garlic and shallots or onion.
Add chili flakes, tomato ketchup, chopped tomato, fish sauce and sugar.
Blend well, then simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add stock with lime juice and bring to the boil.
Just before serving, add fish  to stock, bring back to boil,
Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes
Taste soup and adjust seasoning.
Serve hot, garnished with coriander sprigs.

Lunch for two
Popped it into My Net Diary only 390 Calories for a very satisfying lunch
Or spread it around and you could serve 4 people as a starter

Golden Noodle Cake with Prawns and Bok Choy

I was watching Chef Ming Tsai this morning and he and his Mother made a delicious Noodle Cake.
Brought back to mind a recipe that I posted quite some time ago have a look here
I also was reading Ruth Daniel's Presto Pasta Night site and was also inspired by a blog from The Beet Reporter .
So 3 recipes to inspire me. I think this should go in this weeks Presto Pasta Night

I have decided this winter, instead of just eating everything wonderful, not caring about calories, just eat everything I love... I would put a bit of thought into how fattening my food is.
I have found a great App on the Ipad called My Net Diary and when you make a project out of your eating habits...its great fun to know how much you actually can eat. without going over the top.

So of course Asian Food is generally healthy and reasonably Lo Cal
My portion of the lunch, netted 470 cals.
Cheap too.
If you want to make this Gluten Free, use Rice noodles and Tamari Soy Sauce.

So to get this delicious lunch for two people you will need
200 gm pkt of Udon Noodles
2 tsps rice bran oil


300 gms raw prawns peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
Zest and juice of a lime (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp rice bran oil

1 tsp rice bran oil
100 gms Bok Choy
1 tsp Sesame Oil
Fresh Coriander for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 210C
Marinade prawns in soy sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger
Have a flat baking dish heating up in the oven.
When the temp is reached
Lift prawns out of marinade and
quickly throw them onto the hot tray
and back into the oven for 6 minutes

Heat Rice bran oil 
Place noodles into oil in the shape of a cake
Cook till golden, one side about 4-5 minutes
Flip and cook the other side

Meanwhile while the prawns and the cake are cooking are cooking
In another pan you will cook the Bok Choy

Add rice bran oil, heat quickly
then chopped Bok Choy
Throw in the drained marinade from the Prawns

Add a little water
Toss well and cook for about 3 minutes till the Bok Choy is wilted
Drizzle a little Sesame Oil to give that authentic Asian Flavour

To serve
Place cake on the plate
Cover with Bok Choy
And smother with the Prawns.
Asian Heaven

Tomato Risotto - Quick and Easy Sunday Night Dinner

It's Sunday, I was determined not to go to the shops for food.
One must use the fridge, freezer and pantry.
I pulled some tomato soup that I made a year ago.
See what I mean, we fill the freezer then let it sit there.

So for this tasty Risotto which I have 'calorie counted' on the iPad...an excellent App.
Called My Net Diary

So you will need

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 med onion chopped
1 cup arborio rice
75 mls white wine
200 mls homemade tomato soup
Hot water
Sea salt and black pepper


1 red pepper roasted deseeded and large chop
100 gms frozen peas
7 gms finely grated Parmesan Cheese
20 gms butter

First bring tomato soup to a simmer in a pot
Then heat olive oil in a wide pan to medium heat
Add onions
Season with sat and pepper
Cook gently till soft
Add rice
Toss to cover with the oil and onion mix
Add white wine
Heat to evaporate the wine
Now start to slowly add the hot soup
Ladle by ladle
Stir well between each addition
This absorbs into the rice grains for maximum taste and creaminess

Keep on adding till you have used the soup
Now start slowly adding the hot water by the ladle
Taste to see if the rice is cooked
Also taste and adjust seasoning if necessary

The rice needs to be tender, with a slight bite. (al dente)
Throw in peas and red pepper
Cook another 3-4 minutes
When the rice is cooked to your satisfaction
Take off the heat
Beat in the Parmesan and butter
Into a nice big bowl and devour.

Excellent, quick and pretty too.

Orecchetti with Mushroom Sauce

Orecchetti is a fabulous little Pasta.  From Puglia, these "little ears" are so good to soak up fabulous sauces. I love these multi coloured ones. I bought them for the kids. This Pasta is from Puglia. Aren't we lucky to get these excellent imports.
I haven't entered a Pasta Recipe to Ruth's from Once Upon A Feast Special Weekly Event called Presto Pasta Night for quite some time I thought this recipe definitely worth sharing

Ruth started this 214 weeks ago Yes 214...and if you need any pasta ideas... pop onto the website and see what you can find. Also this week it is being hosted by Trish at My Slaphappy Kitchen

I made this Mushroom Pasta Dish last week. My husband loved it so I am about to make it again.
In line with Puglia, this is a non meat dish.
Also I love the way Italians add crispy breadcrumbs on top of the pasta just before serving.
That crunch is divine and also good way to use up leftover bread. I added some fresh herbs to bump up the flavour. You could add a pinch of chili flakes, I am very keen on that little hit, but up to you.
For 2  Greedy People
200 gms Orecchetti cooked to Manufacturers instructions

400 gms white button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
100 mls white wine
100 mls Chicken stock
75 mls full cream
Zest of 1 lemon


Fresh Breadcrumbs about 1 cup
1 spring onion finely chopped
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Knob of butter
Some extra chopped parsley for Garnish

Put the mushrooms and garlic into the food processor
Whiz up till finely chopped
Heat a pan and add olive oil
Add mushrooms and garlic mix

Season with S &P and oregano and thyme
Saute about 5-7 minutes to get a good flavour going
Add white wine and reduce
Add chicken stock and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so
Let it reduce don't want it too sloppy
Add lemon zest and cream and cook for about 5 minutes for everything to meld

Meanwhile
Mix the breadcrumbs and herbs together

Heat the olive oil in a pan
Toss in the breadcrumbs
Season with S & P
Toast until they get brown and crisp

Cook the pasta
Drain and add to mushroom sauce
Toss

Serve topped with the Breadcrumbs
And a little extra chopped parsley for Garnish

Guaranteed Great.

Gluten Free Three Course Meal- Cooking with Produce from Friends

First hands up those who remember Gravenstein Apples. Very tart. Perfect for cooking, they do tend to fall apart a bit but they were perfect for my dessert, in this Gluten Free Meal.

We were given the apples from my friend Derrick, who has some land in the Manawatu.
On a previous visit he clipped a bottle onto a pear bud and when the pear had grown in the bottle.

His wife Lorraine filled it with Brandy and I got my own personal Poire William.
Here is the now empty Poire William and also some Preserves from Derrick and Lorraine.

So I pinched the idea from Hugh Fearnely Whittingstall for these excellent Baked Apples
First you need to make the filling for the apples
1 cup mixed dried fruit
I used a mix of sultanas, mixed peel and craisins
Cover with Brandy or Rum and marinate for several hours
2 tablespoons brown sugar
100 gms Butter

Meanwhile prepare the apples
Take out the cores to make a good hole for filling
Make a light cut horizontally around the apples
to give them room to swell as they cook
Mix the fruit, butter and sugar
Stuff the apples with all of the filling
Spread any remaining filing all over the apples
This made enough for 6 apples
Cover with foil
Heat oven to 180 C
Bake about 45 minutes

Remove foil
Baste apples
Back uncovered for another 15 minutes

Serve with juice drizzled over the top

I made Lemon Posset to serve with these delights.
Look here for the recipe. So simple

Now first course. Once again going with produce given to me by friends. My friend Mr Heinz has a stunning garden and on his last visit brought me a big bag of walnuts from his very fertile tree.
Fabulous things about the walnuts is that until you shell them they can last for ages.

So I sat down with the nutcracker, in front of the TV and cracked my nuts (so to speak).
The idea was to make a Waldorf Salad stuffed into a lettuce leaf
Light, easy and a great way to start a meal
The mix of sweet and salty is delicious and so so healthy what's more.


2 pears peeled, cored and chopped into small cubes
2 stick celery cut into small dice
1 small red apple skin ON and fine dice
About 20 green grapes cut in half
20 walnuts shelled and chopped
2 tablespoons Craisins

50 gms blue cheese ( I used Castello Nice and creamy) crumbled
3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise

1 Iceberg lettuce broken into cups
5 rashers streaky bacon diced and fried till crisp

I used Ray McVinnies Mayonnaise from the Masterchef New Zealand Masterclass.
Very simple, very lemony and perfect for this salad.
You can use shop bought Mayo, just add some lemon zest and a little lemon juice to get the real lemony flavour.

2 egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
Zest and juice of one medium lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

I did it in the Food processor
Whisk the egg yolks 
Slowly add the oil drop by drop
When it thickens
Add zest and lemon juice
Salt and pepper

So mix all of the fruit, nuts and cheese together
Dress with Mayo
Do this at least a couple of hours ahead so the flavours can meld

Just before serving fill the lettuce cups
Sprinkle with bacon pieces
And serve, The punters should pick them up in their hands and devour.

 Now for the main course
Filet Steak with Green Peppercorn Sauce
with Fondant Potatoes and Green Beans

I have always wanted to cook Fondant Potatoes
I have seen a lot of Chefs cooking them on TV
I watched Mark from The Food Store Chefs on Food TV make this meal.
I thought it looked very tasty and a well balanced meal.

So first the potatoes.
Peel as many potatoes as you need.
As you are cutting lovely little cubes there will be a lot of waste.
But in this Waste not Want not kitchen of mine.
I just sliced the remainder, par boiled them...put them aside to make
an easy Moussaka for the grandchildren.
Its important that the potatoes are all the same size for even cooking.
These were 3 cm cubed.


I used I large Agria potato per person
100 gms butter
2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced

3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt and pepper

Place all the ingredients into a pan
Top up with cold water
Bring to boil on high heat
The water evaporates and then the potatoes are left to brown in the remaining butter
When the potatoes are cooked if there is too much water left
Remove them and place to one side
Reduce the liquid
Put the potatoes back in and let them continue to cook
They will be brown on the bottom which is your presentation side
and so flavoursome
Great look

Steak is very simple I bought a whole filiet
Trimmed in and used all of the trimmings to make an easy stock to use in the sauce

1 filet steak per person at least 4 cm thick
1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
50 mls Brandy
200 mls veal or beef stock
50 mls cream
1 tablespoon green peppercorns

Season steak with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook to your liking
Remove from pan and keep warm

Add shallots and garlic to the pan quickly saute till soft
Deglaze with the Brandy
Add stock and peppercorns and reduce by half
Add cream and simmer till a nice sauce forms

Plate steak onto a warm plate
Cover with sauce and serve with potato
I used green beans which is of course a very french thing to do
but any green vegetable would do

Now just to add how I used the potato scraps
For 6 people
700 gms of meat sauce
and I made 1 litre of Bechamel
75 gms cheddar cheese

Easy Moussaka
Make your favourite meat sauce
Plus bechamel sauce
Add cheddar cheese to the bechamel
Plus 1 egg lightly beaten

To assemble
First grease a gratin dish with butter
Make a layer of potatoes covering the bottom of the dish
add the meat sauce
Then finish off with the rest of the potatoes

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper
Cover with the cheesy eggy sauce

Cover with foil
Bake 180 about 30 minutes
Take out remove foil
Back into oven and bake till golden and bubbling

Handy hint to get the best out of your Moussaka. I suggest you leave at least 30 minutes before you serve. This gives the custardy topping to set and the potatoes will totally absorb the meat sauce.The kids just loved it.

Wellington's Top Food Shop - Moore Wilson

Wellington, very Cosmopolitan.
Skyscrapers everywhere, in the CBD.

Yesterday we made our usual visit to Moore Wilson, probably the best food shopping in New Zealand, certainly in Wellington and Auckland.
Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, so I can't show you the best fruit and vege around.
Bins of Celeriac, Big fat bulbs of Fennel... beautiful Leeks grown especially for them in Otaki. Divine
Everywhere you look. Fresh colourful and Fabulous.
Everything you could possibly want to buy.
Then, there is this really innovative wrapping procedure.
Buy your fresh fish, they wrap it in this wonderful foil bag.

They seal it and you can just pop it in your fridge... will keep your fish fresh for a couple of days. They will even garnish it for you, with herbs to match the 'breed' of fish

I bought Salmon. There it is all ready for tonight's dinner.
Another reason I'm sorry I didn't take the camera, it was dead calm yesterday.

There was even a wee person, doing the stand up paddle on the board thing, in the Harbour, which seems to be very in, these days. And you need flat calm for that.
Yachts were becalmed...floating on gin.
This morning, quite a different kettle of fish.
We get a glimpse of the Harbour from our friend's apartment.

Those are white horses out there.
But it is sunny.
We also got a look at The Roxy Cinema in Miramar.
Peter Jackson and Friends have turned this old cinema into an Art Deco delight.
It is an absolute delight. Check it out here

Hot Club Sandwich - Christchurch Benefit Concert at Old St Pauls Wellington

Last night we were lucky enough to be part of a wonderful concert at Old St Paul's Cathedral in Wellington.
"Hot Club Sandwich" made up of  Andrew London, Terry Crayford and friends... find out about them here

They were performing a benefit Concert for Christchurch and had invited our friend Bob Heinz,,, one of the World's Finest Guitarists. Fiona Pears...Violinist Extraordinaire. Check her out on her website here and Malcolm McNeil, Great Jazz Singer, specializing in songs from the Great American Songbook.
What a night ,over 3 hours of superb music. Great fun and what a venue.
Old St Paul's stunning 19th Century Architecture, check it out here

Wine for sale. Perfect for us of course. We need concerts with our wine!
Now we know what these shelves ont eh back of the pews were built for,,, You might mistakenly have thought Hymn Books. NO... Wine glasses. Mind one doesn't want to lay them down whilst still full, Could be interesting.

Sorry about the quality of the snaps but hopefully you get the picture.
Thanks Guys, we had a wonderful time.

Raspberry Pastries-Fun for the kids to Eat and Make

Raspberry Pastries

I saw these on Everyday Baking on Food TV

Ready Rolled pastry
Raspberry Jam
2 tablespoons sugar


1 Egg beaten with 1tablespoon water
Extra tablespoon sugar

Thaw the pastry and cut into 5 even pieces horizontally

Spread raspberry jam over
4 parts of the pastry
Leave one piece free to make a lid
Sprinkle with sugar

Layer one on top of another

 Top with the lid

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar

Put into the freezer about 30 minutes to firm up and stop from sliding when you cut them

Cut into little pieces
Arrange on a piece of baking paper
Make sure they are wide apart,
they do spread and when I first cooked them they all joined up.

Bake at 200C
They should take about 10 - 12 minutes

Cool, don’t want to burn your mouth
Our kids loved them with ice cream.

I loved them just as they were.
They were still very good the next day.
Nice with morning cup of coffee.

Fresh Salmon - Three Ways

Easter 2011 and Easter means long weekend on the boat. The lateness of Easter this year, meant the weather was a little inclement, but nice to be out on the water.
I was lucky enough to manage to get a side of Salmon for $24. Salmon is a great fish to take on the boat. It's oiliness means the "Keeping Power" is superior to white fish.
I spread through 3 different meals and I have to share.
Got first idea from Chef Michael Smith
I didn't have any horseradish so I used Wasabi which worked.
And Braised leeks as an accompaniment
Potato Encrusted Salmon

The Salmon


* 2 russet Potatoes baked and chilled
* 2 tablespoons Horseradish
* 2 tablespoons Oil
* Salt & Pepper
* 4 Fillets Salmon 6 ounces each


The Pickle Sauce


* 2 dill Pickles chopped
* 1 small bunch of Dill chopped
* 1 green onion chopped
* 1 tablespoon Mustard
* ½ cup mayonnaise
* Juice of half a Lemon
* Salt & Pepper

The Salmon

1. Preheat oven to 190C
2. Grate potatoes through the large holes of a box grater into a medium sized bowl.
3. Stir in horseradish, oil and salt and pepper mixing well.
4. Pat crust onto top surface of filets and place in a baking pan or on a baking sheet.

5. Bake until salmon is cooked through and the crust is golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.

The Pickle Sauce

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
2. Serve with salmon
I just served with a wedge of lemon but the pickle sauce would be excellent.

Salmon Number Two
I have always loved rice bakes and this has some excellent flavours
Lovely winey leeks and carrots mixed with salmon
If you want to be gluten free use rice flour or cornflour to thicken the sauce.



Salmon and Rice Bake
1 piece of Salmon Skin on
200 gms per person

Season and oil salmon skin on
Into hot pan presentation side down
Sear about 2 minutes
Turn over cook about 1 minute
Add 150 mls white wine

Let it bubble up
Cook about 2 minutes
Turn heat off and cover
Cool in pan

Remove salmon and flake

Add 2 tbs butter to the liquor
Add 1 leek chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plus 1 tablespoon dried tarragon 
or fresh is best if you have it

Sauté till soft
Good slosh wine let wine evaporate
Add 2 tbs flour
Cook about 3 minutes gently
Add 1 cup milk let thicken you may need a bit more milk
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary

Take a pot of boiling salted water
Add 1 cup rice
Cook about 5 minutes
Drain it should be separate grains
Don't over cook as it it has more to go in the oven

Pre heat oven to 180C
Grease a souffle dish with butter (or oil)

Now time to assemble
Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of the dish
Cover with half of the salmon
Then half of the rice

Sauce
Salmon

Rice
The top off with the remainder of the sauce
Bake about 30 minutes or till golden brown and bubbling

Niiiice

Now Salmon Number Three
I remember I first made this dish about 1972. Unless you went Salmon fishing, the only Salmon available was canned Salmon
Boy, what a difference a few decades make.
We now have at our fingertips beautiful fresh Salmon
So I used a recipe from Delia Smith for this superb Fish Pie
Russian Coulibiac
A wonderful fish pie, full of Salmon, Rice, Mushroom and Hard Boiled Eggs, all encased in golden pastry.
I made my pastry from the Edmonds Cook Book which I don't have on hand at the moment.
It was very good, not quite like the bought Flaky Pastry, but a lovely dough to handle.
I will find the recipe and remake it and post it another day. handy to have when you are not close to shops.

200 gms of Salmon Skin on
Season and oil salmon skin on
Into hot pan, presentation side down
Sear about 2 minutes
Turn over cook about 1 minute
Add 150 mls white wine
Let it bubble up
Cook about 2 minutes
Turn heat off and cover
Cool in pan
Remove salmon and flake

1 packet Flaky Puff Pastry


75 gms butter
75 gms white Basmati rice
225 mls fish or chicken stock
1 medium onion finely chopped
110 gms button mushrooms finely chopped
1 level tablespoon fresh dill (I used tarragon)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 large eggs hard boiled and chopped
1 1/2 level tablespoons parsley chopped finely
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper


Egg Wash
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Melt 25 gms butter in a pan
Add rice
Stir
Add stock, season
Bring to boil
Stir cover and simmer on low heat about 10 minutes

Remove cover and
Cool
Meanwhile in another pan add the rest of the butter
Add onion and sweat till soft about 10 minutes
Add the mushrooms and half the dill
Carry on cooking gently another 5 minutes
Stir in lemon zest, juice and S & P
Cool
Add to rice mixture

Mix Salmon, Eggs and Parsley together
Taste and season well with S & P


Now, assembly.
Cut pastry in half
Roll out one half, into a rectangle
Lay half of the rice mixture
Leave a border free and brush with egg wash

Cover the rice with the Salmon and egg mix

Top with remaining rice and form into a loaf shape

Roll out the other half of pastry and place over the top
Crimp and roll edges

Slash the top and brush with egg wash
Leave to rest while the oven heats
Pre-heat to 220C
Bake should take about 20-25 minutes

Cut off a big fat slice and serve with either, homemade ketchup or try this sauce from Delia
Foaming Hollandaise Click here

Look at those layers. Mouthwatering.