Zucchini Noodles - Perfect Replacment for Pasta - #grainfree

Continuing on the Theme of Grain Free, I didn’t want to just have meat and vege, fish and
vege. or boringly "Just Salad" on its own, so I looked around for some interesting ideas.
Donna Hay had this recipe for Zucchini Noodles using Chili Tuna for your protein
Haven't had canned Tuna for  a while and it was good.  This Tuna packed a lunch

However I think this dish can be used with any protein. 
In fact you will see further down, what we did with it, in the following week

¼ Cup (60ML) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Capers Drained
2 Teaspoons of grated Lemon Zest
6 Medium Zucchini Thinly sliced lengthwise with a julienne peeler
Or a Spirializer or finely cut. they need to look like noodles
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
¼ cup dill sprigs
2 cups Rocket leaves
2 X 185 gms tins of Chili Tuna
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted Pistachio Nuts, to serve

First I have to mention my julienne peeler
Love it

Just slide it down the vegetable
and Voila
Noodles

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat,
add the garlic, capers and lemon zest

and cook for 1–2 minutes or until lightly golden and crispy.

Add the zucchini, lemon juice and salt.
Cook for 1 -2 minutes or until heated through.
Remove from the heat,
Place the rocket on a platter
Pour noodles over the top
Sprinkle the nuts and dill

Divide between bowls
Top with the tuna and serve

Serves 4.


SO the following week in my time at Pauanui on the Coromandel Coast
So beautiful down there
The kids practising their dance to the very popular and very annoying song from the Moana Movie
"Shiny", we heard it a lot.

 Up she goes

These Noodles certainly needed another outing
This time served with Barbecued Chicken Breast

We also blended the noodles with some packaged coleslaw
Served with sliced Chicken Breast

and some tasty Croutons over the top
for a bit of extra Crunch

These noodles are so good, I have been making them even just for me on my own
Perfect

Wonderful Summer Nicoise Salad - Perfect for Christmas entertaining. All the right colours.

Salad Nicoise is a favourite of ours.
Perfect for boat food.
Canned Tuna, black olives, red onions, green beans, Boiled eggs, Tomatoes Potatoes, a few Capers and some chopped herbs
All dressed with a tasty French Dressing

All of the food groups just about and it's so fresh and clean
This  particular version is outstanding


And the beauty of it is you can prep early in the day.
I assembled about an hour before.
All ready, sit down have some drinks
Off to the table and serve.
Wonderful summer food
So I have decided to re-post this blog.
This salad is perfect for entertaining.
I made it last night and everyone loved it.
There is quite a bit of prep but once assembled thats it.
An all in one meal
We washed it down with some Champagne.
That was a really good idea

By the way the amounts can vary. That's up to you
This is a guide line

Anna Gare, is best known as a Judge on Junior Masterchef Australia
Also she is in a programme called "The Best in Australia".
It has all the right ingredients, but treated differently
The tomatoes are roasted for the extra flavour.
The red onions Caramelized.
There is mayonnaise on the potatoes and eggs...I would normally use French Dressing
I also used my marinated olives to scatter over the top
And beautiful fresh Seared Tuna, drizzled with a Nicoise style salsa
Perfecto

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 x 120g tuna steaks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil


1 egg per person, hard boiled, peeled and quartered


500 g small new potatoes boiled
Little French dressing


200 g stringless green beans

Roast Tomatoes
4 large Ripe tomatoes quartered or 8 smaller tomatoes.
They are usually sweeter

Sea salt
Little sugar
Olive oil
Fresh thyme


Caramelised Onions
2 purple Onions finely sliced
11/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper

Mayonnaise
2 Cloves roasted Garlic finely chopped ( I used raw garlic)
2 Anchovies finely chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup Olive Oil

Salsa
1 tablespoon baby capers
1 tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped
1 small Tomato deseeded and finely diced
4 Anchovies finely chopped
1 part of Lemon juice
2 parts of Olive Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste

As many Black Olives as you like

Method

Place tomatoes onto baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & thyme and slow bake for 45 mins in 120 deg oven. This will intensify the flavour.
Put aside.

Cook potatoes whole in a pot of salted water and blanch beans in the same pot towards the end.
When cooled cut potatoes & beans as desired.

Caramelize onions by putting olive oil, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and onions all into a pot and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are just cooked through- they should be soft and shiny.

Make dressing by combining yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic & mustard.
Whilst whisking, slowly drizzle in oil.
I did it in the food processor

Lightly brush Tuna with oil salt & pepper then sear on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
Don't overcook it. As it rests it continues to cook.

For Salsa, mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning and citrus factor.

Dress potatoes & eggs with some mayonnaise 

Place on desired platter

Then add in layers, first onions, beans, then tomatoes. 

Just before serving, sear tuna and place on top, then drizzle over with Nicoise Salsa.
Throw olives over the top

The Best Salad Nicoise With A Twist

Salad Nicoise is a favourite of ours.
Perfect for boat food.
Canned Tuna, black olives, red onions, green beans, Boiled eggs, Tomatoes Potatoes, a few Capers and some chopped herbs
All dressed with a tasty French Dressing

All of the food groups just about and it's so fresh and clean
This  particular version is outstanding


And the beauty of it is you can prep early in the day.
I assembled about an hour before.
All ready, sit down have some drinks
Off to the table and serve.

Anna Gare, is best known as a Judge on Junior Masterchef Australia
Also she is in a programme called "The Best in Australia".
It has all the right ingredients, but treated differently
The tomatoes are roasted for the extra flavour.
The red onions Caramelized.
There is mayonnaise on the potatoes and eggs...I would normally use French Dressing
I also used my marinated olives to scatter over the top
And beautiful fresh Seared Tuna, drizzled with a Nicoise style salsa
Perfecto
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 x 120g tuna steaks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil


1 egg per person, hard boiled, peeled and quartered


500 g kipfler potatoes boiled
Little French dressing



200 g stringless green beans


4 large Ripe tomatoes quartered
Sea salt
Little sugar
Olive oil
Fresh thyme


Caramelised Onions
2 purple Onions finely sliced
11/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper

Mayonnaise
2 Cloves roasted Garlic finely chopped ( I used raw garlic)
2 Anchovies finely chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup Olive Oil

Salsa
1 tablespoon baby capers
1 tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped
1 small Tomato deseeded and finely diced
4 Anchovies finely chopped
1 part of Lemon juice
2 parts of Olive Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste

As many Black Olives as you like

Method

Place tomatoes onto baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & thyme and slow bake for 45 mins in 120 deg oven. This will intensify the flavour.
Put aside.

Cook potatoes whole in a pot of salted water and blanch beans in the same pot towards the end.
When cooled cut potatoes & beans as desired.

Caramelize onions by putting olive oil, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and onions all into a pot and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are just cooked through- they should be soft and shiny.

Make dressing by combining yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic & mustard.
Whilst whisking, slowly drizzle in oil.
I did it in the food processor

Lightly brush Tuna with oil salt & pepper then sear on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
Don't overcook it. As it rests it continues to cook.

For Salsa, mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning and citrus factor.

Dress potatoes & eggs with some mayonnaise 

Place on desired platter
Then add in layers, first onions, beans, then tomatoes.

Just before serving, sear tuna and place on top, then drizzle over with Nicoise Salsa.
Throw olives over the top

Because this was so healthy, I then served this superb apple pie from Nigel Slater.

Check out the recipe here
Beautiful crisp cheesy pastry.
A little Creme Fraiche on the top
Yumo

Tuna with a Different Thai Curry Sauce

This vegetarian Thai Curry is perfect for serving over Tuna Steaks.
Add some sautéed Baby Bok Choy and steamed rice.
What a fab light meal.
It’s very simple took 4 pans but what’s the dishwasher for.
I had a disappointment with the green curry paste that I had bought…no guts to it.
So pick your paste well.

The programme that inspired me was Manic Organic.

For 4 people

1 Tuna steak per person (approx 150 gms each)
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vege oil

1 tbs Vege Oil (I like Rice bran oil)
2 punnets Cherry tomatoes
2 shallots finely chopped
2-3 tbs Green Curry Paste


1 can coconut cream
½ can Chicken stock
2 tbs Fish Sauce
Juice 1 lime

2 -3 Tbs Thai Basil finely sliced

Baby Bok Choy

Steamed rice

Sauté the tomatoes and shallots in rice bran oil for a few minutes
Add curry paste and mix well and cook for a couple of minutes

Meanwhile in a pot
Place coconut cream, stock, and fish sauce and bring to simmer.
Simmer 5 minutes or so
Add sautéed vege and bring back to boil and
Add lime juice and just before serving
Throw in Basil

While this is cooking cook your rice.

Brush the tuna with a little vege oil ,
Season with salt & pepper,
Sear in a hot pan in a little vege oil to your taste…about 2-3 minutes each side.

Take the baby Bok Choy and pull the leaves off.
Separate stems from leaves and finely slice the stems.
Sauté in a little vege oil for a couple of minutes
Throw in leaves and let them wilt.
Season salt & pepper

To assemble
Serve rice
Place Tuna on top
Pour over curry sauce
Top with wilted Bok Choy.

Divine.



But how to deal with the leftovers

Cook them Biriani style
Biriani is an Indian dish of rice layered with either meat chicken or vegetables.
And each layer lightly covered with a some liquid or stock.
It then is well sealed and basically steams in the oven.

You usually only par cook the rice as it continues to cook in the oven but as this is using leftover cooked rice it seems to be just fine

Into a casserole dish.
Put a couple of tablespoons of the curry sauce in the bottom
Layer with rice
Break up tuna and spread over rice.
Pour over more sauce and some Thai basil leaves.
Cover with remainder of rice and finish off with the curry sauce.
If it looks a little dry just sprinkle a little chicken stock not too much though

Throw a few Thai basil leaves on top

To get the Biriani feel make a circle (cartouche) of oiled parchment paper.
Push down on top of rice this is to keep the steam in.
Into 180 oven about 30 minutes

Tuna Delights

Tuna, Mint and Ginger Burgers

Tuna goes so well with Mint and Ginger…
Canadian Chef Michael Smith came up with this idea and I have converted his recipes to suit.

He made Tuna Ceviche with the following ingredients and I thought why not make a Tuna Burger. It makes an economical fresh tuna dish as you can use the cheaper cuts of tuna.

For 2 people

300 gms fresh tuna (doesn’t have to be sashimi quality) chopped finely
3-4 drops sesame oil
1 tbs soya sauce
Zest 1 lime
Juice ½ lime
2 tbs spring onions finely chopped
1 tbs ginger grated
2 tbs mint finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tbs Vege oil

Mix ingredients together, form into fat patties and fry till golden brown each side
(about 3-4 minutes

This salsa is delicious to serve with the burger, once again bringing in the ginger and mint.

3 ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
1 tbs grated ginger
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tbs mint finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs olive oil
Juice ½ lime

Just mix around in bowl and garnish burger.
Of course you can put the burger in a bun.

Now while we are doing Tuna patties try this one as an excellent appetizer



Bob Blumer “The Surreal Gourmet” made this take on Tuna burgers they taste fantastic
They are not as big as they look in the photo...you should just make them bite size pieces great to have with drinks.
250 gms fresh Tuna
1 egg beaten
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tbs grated ginger
1 x spring onion
Zest of 1 lime

Vegetable oil for frying

All into the blender…whiz up...but leave some texture.
Make into little patties and fry about 1 minute each side

Serve with little avocado slices and pickled ginger
Delicious