Excellent Gazpacho - Summer Perfect for those on The Paleo Diet

Watermelon Gazpacho

My Friend John is a Celiac, on a Gluten Free diet and recently he has embraced The Paleo Diet.
It’s a challenge this diet but through John and through his wife JT, I have access to a couple of Paleo Cookbooks
I found this recipe in a book called
Nom Nom Paleo- Food For Humans

This is probably the nicest Gazpacho I have ever had.
I guess it is the Watermelon... it adds a sweetness.
The coriander was an odd choice I thought, but it was just there in the back ground.
Little added back taste

I have only got an average blender, so I found that the best way to get the vege pureed was to whizz them in the food processor
Then when I added the liquids and watermelon
I finished off in the blender

1 kg ripe tomatoes
1 hot house cucumber  approx 450 gm peeled
2 small shallots peeled and coarsely chopped
1 med red pepper seeded cored and diced
4 fresh stalks of coriander with leaves chopped
3 cups cubed and seeded watermelon (about 500 gms)
1 extra tomato for garnish chopped
2 tbs sherry or cider vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin Olive Oil
Plus a little extra for garnish

1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional

Fill a a large pot with water and bring it to the boil
Prepare a large bowl with iced water
Make a small cross on the bottom of each tomato

Cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato and drop them into the boiling water
Blanch for 30 seconds
Remove and drop into iced water

After a few minutes the skin will just peel off easily
Core and roughly chop them

Finely dice ⅓ of the cucumber and set aside for garnish

Roughly chop up the rest of the cucumber

Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, red pepper and coriander into blender and puree until the vegetables are liquified.

Add the watermelon, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using)

Taste and adjust for seasoning

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully chilled

If the soup separates, just pop it back into the blender for a quick whizz

Ladle into cups or bowls

Garnish
Toss the diced cucumber and tomatoes with Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper and couple of teaspoons of olive oil

Top the soup
 I served little dinner rolls with the Gazpacho
This is from the recipe from this post Easy Bread

The main course was simple,
Sicilian Fish  For the recipe click here
Roasted Kumera and a Rocket Salad

Naturally there were some left overs
Pre-dinner I put out some prawns and smoked mussels
There were leftovers
So next day what did I make BUT
Fish Pie
In The Save With Jamie Series. He mentioned that it was a good to keep some Frozen Fish in the Freezer. It is snap frozen immediately it is caught.
Not that great to pan fry but perfect for Fish Pie or Fish Cakes
A great standby

Turned the Bread Rolls into Crumbs
Grated 100 gms cheddar cheese
I had some cooked Kumera, no necessary but an added extra

Made a simple Bechamel Sauce

1 litre whole milk
1 bay leave
1/2 onion studded with 3 cloves
8 black freshly ground black pepper corns
75 gms butter
50 gms white flour
2 tablespoons Chopped Parsley
 

Heat milk with the bay leave, black peppercorns onion and cloves to infuse flavour
The melt butter in pan
Add flour and cook for about 5 minutes to get rid of raw taste
Strain milk and add to pan



Whisk well to combine and bring slowly to the boil stirring all of the time
To make sure there are no lumps
Simmer for about 5 minutes

Take off heat set aside

Meanwhile prepare seafood
10-12 cooked prawns
10 smoked mussels
2 filets Frozen white fish



Chop mussels into 3
Cut up fish
Remove tails from prawns

Add to Bechamel sauce
Add cooked Kumera



Pour into Gratin dish
Mix Breadcrumbs and Grated Cheese together
Sprinkle over the top

Bake 180C for 30 minutes
Till bubbling and turning golden

 Dish up and devour

Easy Bread Dough - Thank you Jamie

I have been making bread for quite a few years, and have many different recipes for making dough.
This particular technique, I learnt from Jamie, in his "Save With Jamie" Series.
Make the  dough in the food processor,,,which I have done before, BUT instead of turning out after mixing, then kneading and placing into an oiled bowl
Leave it in the food processor to prove
Saves on Washing up too
Punch down and turn out onto the bench and shape into required rolls or bread

It makes a very nice soft white bread
Yes I know... White Bread!
Well I'm sorry, but there is a time and place for white bread, especially when it is home made


Had two of our Gorgeous Granddaughters for a sleeplover...
I made buns for Hamburgers for them.
Very popular

and today I made a loaf for our lunch, for some delicious fresh bread sandwiches

This is so so simple
I like to have more tepid water on hand, than I need.
It depends on the day, humidity etc... as to how much water you will need for your dough.
Set some aside.

500 gms plain strong flour
1 pkt dry Yeast
Good pinch salt
Glug of olive oil

450 mls tepid water

Dissolve the yeast in 300 mls of the water
Let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to work

Place flour, salt and oil in food processor
Whizz to combine

Add yeast and water
Whizz and then add more of the reserved water in through the hole at the top as you need it
The dough should be more on the wet side
Let the machine work the dough
It should start to ball and leave the side of the bowl

Stop... put the stopper on the top
Leave for about an hour
the dough should have doubled in size

Turn out onto floured board
Punch down and knead for a minute to combine

Break into  balls
just fold each ball under itself to make a nice smooth ball

I made 4 rolls from this quantity but I think they were a bit big
So make 6
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave about 20-30 minutes to prove and double in size

Into 200C pre-heated oven and cook till golden
Should take about 15-20 minutes

If you want to make a loaf
Split the dough into 2
Roll into balls
Tuck them into themselves to make a nice tight surface and place into
a greased loaf container

Leave to prove about 30 mins and bake in 200C oven about 30 minutes
till golden and sound hollow when tapped

Look at the crumb

This is what it looks like when you rip it apart
Great "pickings"

Then, this is what I call a real sandwich
Door stop fresh bread
Cheese, Salami, Beetroot and Lettuce

 Tastes as good as it looks

Pizza Pie - More Good Ideas from Save With Jamie

So, Jamie Oliver has come up with yet another good idea for the home cook

I, of course am the Leftover Queen.
Waste Not, Want Not, my Motto
But so many people, throw perfectly good food away
So good old boy Jamie, has come up with another best seller

"Save with Jamie"
Bringing more great ideas, for getting the best out of your budget

I am lucky enough to be able to watch the series on my ipad
So this morning, I was planning to go to the Supermarche and top up the fridge
I was watching him make a Chicago Pizza Pie, using the leftover from another dish in the programme

Hey don’t go shopping girl... use what you have

In the fridge was some leftover White Castello Cheese
A cold sausage chopped
Some remains of salami chopped
 ½ a red pepper
Grabbed an onion from the pantry and finely sliced it
Some cheddar cheese in knobs and some grated Parmesan


Now this is a thick based pizza
It fed 3 of us for lunch, dinner and breakfast

You can also use this dough to make bread or rolls
Or a thin based pizza if you'd rather


I made the dough... very simple, in the food processor, barely kneaded
I like to have more tepid water on hand than I need.
It depends on the day as to how much you will need for your dough

500 gms plain strong flour
1 pkt dry Yeast
Good pinch salt
Glug of olive oil

450 mls tepid water

Dissolve the yeast in 300 mls of the water
Let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to work

Place flour, salt and oil in food processor
Whizz to combine

Add yeast and water
Whizz and then add more of the reserved water in through the hole at the top as you need it
The dough should be more on the wet side
Let the machine work the dough
It should start to ball and leave the side of the bowl

Stop... put the stopper on the top
Leave for about an hour
the dough should have doubled in size

Turn out onto floured board
Punch down and knead for a minute to combine

I made 2 pizza pies from this amount of dough
Break into  balls
just fold each ball under itself to make a nice smooth ball

Meanwhile prepare 2 pans
Oil and then sprinkle with dried breadcrumbs
This will help to make a non stick surface and will also give the bottom of the
Pizza Pie and nice crunchy bottom

Stretch out the dough and push into pie tin

Cover with a clean tea towel
Leave for about 20 minutes to prove
it's very similar to what I make, but I normally cook mine
Actually I think simmering it for at least 10 minutes makes a richer thicker sauce
but you don't have to, just follow this procedure

1 tin of best tomatoes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 chili chopped or  1 tsp fried chili flakes
Little salt
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoons good vinegar
Good sprinkle dried oregano

Pop everything into blender and whizz till smooth

Meanwhile, gather your toppings
Spread sauce over bases

And build, using whatever you want on top

Into pre-heated 200C oven for about 20 minutes

Voila

Pizza Pie
Yum