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

Lovely Lasagna with Butternut and Two Cheeses

I saw something similar to this on Food TV but forgot to write it down.
So this is my version. Really easy. It is so creamy and tasty.
The fabulous thing about butternut is the gorgeous orange colour.
The nutmeg and rosemary really highlight the sauces.
These quantities feed 4 combined with a salad

I think it is better made a few hours before it gives the pasta time to soften.

1 whole butternut peeled and cut in 2 cm cubes
Olive oil
Nutmeg freshly grated
Sea salt & black pepper

Olive oil
1 large onion chopped
12 cherry tomatoes
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.

½ pkt fresh lasagna

Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ cups milk
Fresh rosemary 1 tbs chopped
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.
½ cup grated parmesan


100 gms feta

Bring the butternut to the boil and simmer till tender.
Drain
Mash with a little olive oil and season salt & pepper

Meanwhile sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent
Season and squash tomatoes with your fingers into the pan.
Add to the onion
Stir and cook for a couple of minutes
Add to mashed buttercup

Make Béchamel Sauce

Heat milk in saucepan with seasoning. The microwave is great for this.
Melt butter in another saucepan, add flour and Dijon mustard stir till mixed together and cook for 2 -3 minutes to cook out the floury taste.
Add the hot milk whisking till it thickens…once again keep cooking and stirring for a couple of minutes.
Take off heat and stir in Parmesan cheese

To assemble

Put a spoonful of béchamel on bottom on gratin dish
Layer of pasta
Buttercup mix
Béchamel sauce
Crumble feta cheese across layer
Continue to layer
Finishing with good cover of Béchamel.

Into 180C oven 30 minutes.

Rosemary Polenta Fit for Kings

The wonderful Ina Garten from Food TV made this Polenta and as we had a family dinner planned this weekend...it seemed appropriate to make this dish to accompany a marinated butter-flied Leg of Lamb.

You can make this 3-4 days ahead it keeps well in the fridge.
(Maybe you may have it more than once!!!)

It was a huge hit so simple and I will make it again. Many times!!!

I used instant polenta
This amount fed 10 people,in fact the photo (taken on the trusty phone) was of the leftovers. We are talking about greedy people so plenty for 12.

125 gms butter
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic peeled & crushed
1 tsp chili flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups chicken stock
2 cups full fat milk
2 cups polenta
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Flour or cornflour for dredging

In a large saucepan add the butter and oil,
When the butter is foaming
Add rosemary, garlic and chili flakes

Add chicken stock and milk
Bring to the boil
Take off the heat and slowly sprinkle the polenta on top whisking all the time.
Back onto low heat and keep on whisking till the polenta looks like porridge.
Add cheese and beat till dissolved

Pour into a flat dish, (gratin or even a roasting dish).
You don’t need to grease it.
Into the fridge to chill

When your meat has cooked and is resting
Remove polenta from fridge turn out onto board and cut in squares
then into triangles.

Dredge with flour or cornflour and
fry in oil till golden brown on each side.

I promise you this is delicious.

Divine Fish Tagine

Always looking for new fish dishes and Anthony Worrall Thompson made this on Food TV recently.

We had friends arriving to stay and this one-pot dish is so simple and really fantastic.
I have made up the spice mix to our taste but you may like to vary the cayenne.
I think it could have done with a teensy bit more for my iron clad taste buds but our guests were pleased with the heat.

I made the spice mix in the morning and cooked the vege mix early as well.

All that remained was to marinate and cook the seafood.
How easy is that?

For 4 people
100 gms meaty fish per person cut into 3 cms chunks
3-4 prawns per person shelled and de-veined.

Make marinade

½ tablespoon each ground cumin,
round paprika, turmeric. Pinch saffron, 1 tsp cayenne pepper.
2 cloves garlic,
2 tbs parsley,
2 tablespoons coriander
The skin (not flesh)of 1 preserved lemon,
Juice of 1 lemon and
Olive oil.,
Sea salt to taste.

Put everything into your food processor whiz and add enough olive oil to make a liquid marinade.
This will keep for several days in the fridge.

2 tbs Olive oil
2 onions chopped
1 green pepper roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper roughly chopped
1 red pepper roughly chopped
3 baby potatoes each washed and cut in half
2 cups chicken or fish stock
1 tin tomatoes
1 tbs marinade

Handful each
Chopped coriander
Chopped parsley

Olive oil into hot pan add onions gently sauté,
Add peppers and potatoes keep cooking until potatoes start to stick to the bottom.
Add stock to deglaze and get all the tasty bits off the bottom.
Add tin of tomatoes and a tbs of the marinade
Bring to boil and simmer till potatoes tender.

You can put this aside till 30 minutes before you need to eat.

Right it’s time to go.

Take half of the marinade and stir fish in and coat well and leave for at least 30 minutes.
Not much longer the lemon juice will cook the fish.
Heat a pan and saute the fish for a few minutes over high heat to get some colour.

Bring the vege back to a simmer and add fish.
Quickly marinade prawns coat well and
Saute them as well.
Add to the tagine

Cook for about another 2 minutes.

Test for seasoning add salt if needed.

Into a lovely serving dish, garnish with mixture coriander and parsley chopped.

What a beauty

Supreme Cheese Cake

How about trying this for an after dinner treat served with maybe some slices of fresh pear and some crackers.

I saw this made by Bob Blumer The Surreal Gourmet and it is a little boomer.
At left are the ingredienst very simple.

I took
2 brie cheeses (see if you can get the 11 cm size for best balance)
1 Clue Castello cut in half horizontally lie the sides next to one another
1 pkt raw pistachio nuts lightly toasted
1 pkt marscapone cheese
300 mls marsala wine
3 tsp sugar

Reserve about 10 pistachio and then whiz the rest up in the food processor.

First make a simple syrup of the marsala and sugar.
Simmer till reduced by half.
Reserve about 20-30 gms of marscapone to make the little rosettes
and add the syrup to the rest of the marscapone and stir well.

To build

One brie on the bottom then the Blue Castello then the other brie.

Ice the cake with the marsala marscapone.
Press the chopped nuts around the side.



Make little rosettes with the reserved marscapone on top and pop a little pistachio on top.
Voila not just a cheese cake but in fact a cheese gateau fit for a king.

Cooking on Boats

Winter at sea in Auckland...not too bad?









We are back on the boat again. It is a wonderful time to eat and drink. The weather was clear, sunny, beautiful and very cold.

I thought you might like to see the little galley that I work out of.
It is very functional and we have catered for at least 10 people out of here.


The oven is interesting it is either hot or not but with years of experience I can make most things I must admit I haven’t attempted cakes.
But I have made great bread which I will show a little later


Here are a couple of interesting dishes I grabbed off Food TV.
And cooked on the boat.


Filet steak with mushrooms, spinach tomatoes and shallots.

This seems like a lot of pans and trouble but really it is worth it…so so tasty.

I served it with a piece of roasted buttercup squash each

You need for 2 people
1 200 gm piece of filet steak per person
1 large Portobello mushroom each, stalks cut off so they lay flat
1 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few sprigs thyme

1 tbs olive oil
2 large tomatoes cut into 8
2 shallots sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp of sugar

1 tsp olive oil
Pkt baby spinach
1 whole clove garlic peeled
S & P

2 large slices Gruyere cheese.

In a small pan heat olive oil and throw in tomatoes and shallots season and add sugar this is really good for getting the best flavour from your tomatoes
Toss around till vegetables soft and keep warm.

Heat oven to 200 ◦C
Season steaks and mushrooms
In a pan that can go in the oven heat till really hot
Add oil and place b in and also mushrooms skin side down
Throw in sprigs of thyme.

Leave for a couple of minutes to get a good golden crust on the steak
Turn all over and leave for about a minute and place into the oven
About 8 minutes for med rare.


While steaks are cooking heat another pan add olive oil and then the spinach
It will wilt very quickly just move it around with the clove of garlic on a fork.
This is enough to flavour the spinach without overpowering it.
Season with S & P.
Just as you are ready to serve put the gruyere slices in with the spinach for about 20 seconds just to get it started

Now ready to serve
Turn your broiler on to maximum heat

In your steak pan start building the towers
Turn the mushroom onto its flat side
Lay the tomato mixture on top
Then the steak
Place the spinach on top and cover each with a slice of the cheese

Pop under the broiler till cheese starts to bubble
Reove and place each tower onto your plates

Looks great…tastes sensational.





Doesn’t this look good!!!

Lunch

A little Goats Cheese Tart.
I saw Mike from “Heaven’s Kitchen” make this.
We had a staff party last week and I made a bigger version of this
it was very successful.

First caramelize your onions
4 large onions sliced
1 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
Thyme leaves

Heat oil in pan and add the onions, seasoning plus sugar and thyme and gently saute for about 15- 20 minutes until they turn golden brown

Frozen sheets of savoury short crust pastry enough to cover your favourite pie plate.
Bake blind about 10 - 15 minutes in 190◦C oven.

125 gms soft goat’s cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
More thyme leaves
4-5 black olives stoned and chopped in half


Remove pastry shell from oven and add onions, break up goats cheese place around pan.
Meanwhile beat eggs, milk S & P and pour over goat’s cheese.
Sprinkle with thyme and olives.

Bake in to 180◦C oven for another 25 minutes or until set.

I served this with a tangy Green Mango Salad.
This is really easy and would go well lamb, chicken, goodness almost anything

1 green mango peeled and grated
1 red chili de-seeded and chopped finely
Handful chopped mint
1 spring onion chopped finely

Dressing
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Put all the veges in your serving bowl
Mix dressing ingredients and toss together.

Comments

Thank you for the comments I have been receiving. I am so thrilled that people are finding the site helpful. I will continue to post recipes. It's all been a lot of fun.
I have been asked how to set up a site...it's easy just go onto www.blogger.com and follow the instructions and go for it!!!

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

Curried Parsnip Soup

You know how you have days when everything you make seems to be a failure…
well this certainly happened when I made this soup.
This was created by the famous English Cookery writer Jane Grigson.
In fact I read that in a magazine recently…and well her daughter Sophie made this on Food TV a couple of weeks ago so it was meant to be!

Had some parsnips in the fridge, decided to make my own curry powder but was pipped at the post by the supermarket…No fenugreek anywhere so I bought a ready made curry powder from India (Hot).

I overdid the curry powder and we had a lovely smooth soup (see photo), topped with a little cream and coriander leaves but all we could taste was hot curry. Very boring and difficult to eat.

Not to be thwarted by this conundrum I went out and bought more parsnips, onions etc and used the left over soup as a stock…didn’t add any more spice, and a lovely parsnip soup was had.

Here is the recipe please be careful how much curry powder you put in…

To make your own curry powder, try this:
Equal quantities of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek, and chili flakes turmeric and grind in your mortar with the pestle or use a spice grinder. Keep in an airtight jar.
Or use bought curry powder.

I large parsnip peeled, wooden core out and diced
1 med onion diced
1 clove garlic
1 med potato peeled diced
Big knob of butter

1-2 tsp curry powder
1 tbs flour
1 litre stock heated.

Garnish
Cream
Coriander leaves roughly chopped

Add butter to pot and throw in vegetables, sauté gently till translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add spices stir well
Add flour mix around and then add hot stock stirring all the time, leave to simmer about another 10 minutes, until parsnips and potatoes are tender.

Into your blender whiz till smooth,
Serve with cream drizzled in and sprinkle some coriander leaves for colour and that little extra zizz.

Roast Root Vege with Spicy Coconut Sauce.

This is a great vegetarian dish. I saw this on Huey’s Cooking Adventure on Food TV.
I added the fish sauce, as I think it just gave an extra kick.
Isn’t it amazing how when you first experience fish sauce you can’t stand the smell?
The flavour it adds is so fabulous and any Thai styled food is really boring without it.
I made this for staff lunch so the quantities in the picture are for a crowd.
I forgot to take the picture till I had the food in the boot of the car so consequently… Sorry about the shadows. It may be my worst photo yet.
Anyhow I think you get the picture!!!

Heat oven to 190◦C
For 2 people
2 med carrots
1 med kumara
2 med parsnips
1 large red onion
2 med beetroot boiled whole till tender, cool then peel.
2 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut all the vege the same size about 2.5 cms pieces.

Heat oil in roasting pan on top of stove, and toss vege around to get them started.
Season and roast for 10 minutes in oven.

Meanwhile make sauce.
2 chilies sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
2.5 cms ginger peeled and grated
5 tbs coconut cream, (use the cream on the top of the tin leave behind the water.)
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs palm sugar shaved
2 tbs vege oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Big handful coriander chopped (about 1 cup)

Extra coriander leaves for garnish

Put all the ingredients into the blender and whiz it up.
Taste for seasoning, add a little extra fish sauce if it needed.

Remove the vege from the oven and pour the sauce over them.
Toss well and back into the over about 20- 30 minutes.

To serve turn into bowl and garnish with the coriander leaves.
Accompany the vege with plain steamed or boiled rice.

Salmon and Vedgetable Fish Cakes

There is absolutely no reason why you can't use vege other than potato to make fish cakes. We have done it with kumara but this time I was using up vege in the fridge and it was delicious. Excellent if you are cutting down on carbs...well I did use a few breadcrumbs to help bind the mix.
By the way, if you can, always use good bread to make crumbs.
Anytime you have stale bread turn it into crumbs and stick them in the freezer in a plastic bag.
Right now on with the cakes.


1 carrot diced
1 stick celery sliced
1/2 small swede peeled and diced
Wedge pumpkin peeled and diced
1 red chili finely chopped
1 shallot fine dice
2 tbs chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tin salmon drained and broken up
1 egg
Some breadcrumbs (optional)


Vege oil for frying (I like to use rice bran oil)


Wedges of lemon.



Bring the vege to the boil and simmer till tender.
Drain well and roughly mash.
Add egg salmon and parsley and mix well. This is where you add the breadcrumbs if the mixture is a little too wet. This is entirely up to you,

Shape into cakes with wet hands..if you have time stick them in the fridge to firm up a little but this is not necessary.



In a hot pan add the cakes and fry in the oil till golden brown.
You may need to turn the heat down a little once they get going to prevent burning.
It seems to take about 4- 5 minutes each side.

I think they only need a light squeeze of lemon juice to compliment them but use your favourite ketchup/relish if you wish.

Not only fab but healthy as well.

Buttercup Pumpkin and Chocolate Rum Pie

Funnily enough this is not an American recipe it was cooked by an Italian
…Giorgio Locatelli on Food TV.
Keeping with the Italian theme...I have even presented it on an Italian plate
that my husband lugged back from Italy as hand baggage nearly 20 years ago.
We still have all 8 plates and bowls and a beautiful jug which is featured
in one of my photos earlier in this blog. The Poached Eye Filet photo in fact.
But enough trivia let's get cooking.

This is really so simple and the filling is so smooth and silky and chocolatey with the hint of cinnamon coming through…
Just use store bought pastry or make your own sweet shortcrust if you’d rather.

1 Pkt Frozen Sweet Short Pastry thawed

1 buttercup pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks for cooking
100 gms bitter chocolate broken into pieces.

100 gms sugar
100 mls water
1 cinnamon stick broken up

50 mls black rum.

Heat oven 200◦

Roll out your pastry and lay it in a greased and floured pie dish.
Bake blind (i.e.cut a circle of baking paper to fit inside the pie dish and lay it on the pastry.Cover with dried beans to weigh it down…you can reuse these)
for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven take out the paper and beans and put back in for
another 3 minutes just to firm up the base.

Meanwhile cook the pumpkin...I did it in the microwave but you could bake it in the oven in a covered dish till very tender.
Don’t boil it this will make it too wet.
Mash pumpkin in a bowl add chocolate pieces.

Heat sugar, water and cinnamon till syrupy 5-10 minutes) throw in the rum cook for another 30 seconds and add to the bowl.
The hot syrup starts to melt the chocolate.
Pile into pie dish and put pie back in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Cool and serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Weekend Cooking with Friends

We had have a couple of weekends away and have had a lot of fun cooking
with friends who like me, find being in the kitchen a pleasure, not a chore.
There was a great success and also a big failure I’ll show both!!!
We’ll start with the success.
I have never made fresh pasta before as I have never invested in a machine, but my friend Diana who has a wonderful kitchen, and all sorts of gadgets and mod cons has made this investment…so we decided to go all out and make ravioli. After all I have seen enough Chefs on the Food Channel making it...so if they can do it I can.
It’s a bit time consuming but very enjoyable. If you haven’t got a companion to talk to…put on your favourite music and “boogie on down!!!”




Now as you can see from the blurb I am not an expert pasta maker but this worked for us.
This fed 4.
To make the pasta

1 ¼ cups sifted strong flour
Pinch salt
2 large eggs

Make a well (with high sides) of the dry ingredients and drop in the eggs.
Start mixing the flour into the eggs slowly with a fork… just a little at a time
keeping the little well highish, so that the egg doesn’t run all over the bench, which is terribly messy…
when it is nearly all combined start using your hands and knead well.
You may need to add a little water if too dry, do it by the teaspoonful or better still just wet your hands. You don’t want a wet dough.

When it is a nice smooth ball (about 5-7 minutes) wrap in glad wrap and leave to rest for about an hour.

Cut into 4 and take out 1 quarter and keep the rest covered while you work the dough.

Start to wring the dough through the machine on the highest setting, fold in half and then put it through again, repeat for about 8 times to get it nice and silky.
Now down a notch on the dial and keep on squeezing it through, changing the setting down till you get to number 1.
You should have a nice long rolled out piece of dough.
Put to one side and repeat all of this with the next quarter.
They should be about the same size.
Lay one on the bench and place teaspoonfuls of filling every 3 cms into little mounds.
We got 7 out of each long strip.
Brush exposed dough with a little water and lay the other strip over the top.
Press around each little mound tightly with your fingers.
Use a 7 cm cookie cover and cut out your dear little raviolis. Very pretty.
Each one needs to pressed firmly with your fingers to get out any air bubbles.

Sit on a piece of parchment paper till ready to cook.
Continue on with the rest of the dough to complete

While the dough is resting make the filling.

250 gms ricotta cheese
½ pkt frozen spinach balls cooked drained, squeezed dry and finely chopped
10 leaves basil finely sliced
½ grated finely tasty cheese
½ cup mashed roasted pumpkin or squash (you can use boiled if easier)
1 egg white
Nutmeg freshly grated
Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well

Dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp chili flakes or 1 finely chopped freah chili

Shaved parmesan
And freshly ground black pepper
Extra basil leaves

Heat through gently till garlic tender we are only just flavouring this oil.

Now take the raviolis and drop into a large pan full of well salted boiling water.
Cook them for about 4-5 minutes.
Drain and plate up
Drizzle 1 tbs of dressing over warm plates.
Lay the raviolis out, say 4 per person.
Drizzle well again with the dressing, some parmesan, black pepper
And then the basil. Beautiful.

Now not so beautiful is
“Honey We’ve Stuffed up the Duck”

I have to show this as it is probably one of the worst dinners my friend Debbie (who by the way is an excellent cook) and I have ever done.
The ducks had been simmered in a very tasty Asian master stock for a couple of hours and then all that had to happen was a bit of roasting along with the kumara (nicely seasoned, halved and oiled.)

Of course I think the imbibing of some very nice champagne and too much talking
...maybe our seemingly loss of smell, had something to do with it…anyway voila…

Here you have it people…how not to make:
Wild Duck with Kumara


I will add we did eat it.
Those little black pieces that look like leather soles in the front were the kumara, (which was OK when all the black toppings had been carefully peeled off).
The duck was like old leather, but the bits you could tear off with your teeth were tasty... the Asian master broth had done it's duty.
By the way it did not ruin our evening.

So I thought I would share these adventures with you.

CrispyNoodle with Mushrooms and Bok Choy

I have made this a couple of times before, but we just had it for lunch and I had to write it down quickly while I remember; as whatever I did this time was sensational.
I saw it on Huey's Cooking Adventures on Food TV. I have made a couple of changes to the original,this is my version (working with whatever you have in the pantry and fridge!!!)
This is a golden noodle cake with asian styled tasty vege on top.
Think Rosti made with Asian ingredients...But lighter...healthy too.

PS Sorry...I have just looked at this again and the presentation and the photo doesn't do this justice at all. Next time I make it I will replace the shot.
Don't let this put you off.
Now please carry on!!!

Using a 20 cm pan you will make a cake enough for 2 people.


125 gms Rice vermicelli
1 tbs Peanut Oil
1 tsp Sambal Olek (An Indonesian Chili sauce)

2 tbs peanut oil
2 cloves garlic • Peeled and Crushed
1 tbs Fresh ginger • Peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp sambal olek •
5 Portabello Mushrooms • chunked
sea salt

3 x Baby Bok Choy • break off leaves and wash well. Get rid of any sand
Soy sauce • 1 tbs
Sesame oil • good dash
Beef stock • ½ cup use the campbells concentrate dissolved in water

Prepare the noodles: Put them into a bowl, pour over boiling water and leave about 10 mins, drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss about a 1 tbs of peanut oil,sambal olek and a little salt through them, to stop them sticking together.

Take your 20 cm (approx) non stick pan and pour in about 2 tbs peanut oil get it pretty hot and then add your drained noodles...push them down so they form a cake the size of the pan and about 3 cms thick. Cook over a moderate-high heat for about 10 minutes until golden brown and then turn the cake onto a plate and slip the uncooked side back into the pan to brown it…push it down firmly (you may need to add a little more oil, it’s up to you.) It should have a crunchy crust and a tender middle. If it is not golden enough for you just slip it back in and leave for another few minutes. The extra cooking won’t hurt as the noodles are quite moist.

Meanwhile heat the extra oil in a larger pan or wok, over high heat add the mushrooms season with a little sea salt toss arounnd till they start to brown, turn heat down add the garlic, 1 tsp ginger and sambal olek, soy sauce, sesame oil and beef stock, bring to boil and toss in the bok choy cover and steam about 5 mins.

Turn out the finished cake onto nice plate and place vege on top and spoon over some of the lovely juices
I could almost go and cook it again but that would be too greedy.

Raspberry Coconut Cake

It was birthday cake time again at work and I decided to work with the Lemon Coconut Teacake recipe (previously posted) and try a different flavour. This worked really well. Everyone loved my cake!!!
By the way frozen berries are brilliant, just take out what you need and put the rest back for another time.

It is basically the same recipe as below, but I replaced the whole cup of milk with pureed raspberries and yoghurt. I kept the lemon flavoured icing, that tang is pretty good.

I made 2 cakes which was quite simple as it is a one bowl operation...while 1 is cooking,whip up another. This makes 12 good servings.

First heat your oven 170◦ and grease and line the bottom of a 23 cm cake pan.

These quantites are for 1 cake
All into a large bowl
1 ½ cups flour sifted with
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup coconut
Zest 1 lemon
2 large eggs
Put 3 tbs pureed frozen raspberries in a fluid measuring cup
add 3 tbs plain yoghurt and top up to 1 cup with milk
In with the rest.
125 gms unsalted butter melted

Extra pureed rapsberries to sandwich the cakes together.

Mix really well with your wooden spoon making sure it is well incorporated.

Into the greased pan, give a quick tap and into the oven for 30- 35 minutes.
Test with skewer if it comes out clean its done.

Cool in pan 5 mins and turn onto rack and let them cool completely.
Place one cake on plate and cover with the extra pureed raspberries,
top with the other cake

To ice
1 ½ cup icing sugar
1 cup coconut
1 tsp lemon zest
½ cup lemon juice
2-3 tbs pureed raspberries
Mix and spread over the cake.

Blueberry Ricotta Hotcakes with Honey Butter

This photo from the trusty phone doesn’t do these delicious pancakes, justice so please don’t be put off they are fab. Served with bacon (optional), bananas and champagne with orange. What could be a better start to the weekend.

I was inspired by the Bill’s Food programme on Food TV…
Alton Brown of Good Eats did a programme on hotcakes and his suggestions on the best way to make blueberry pancakes was a must do! So here’s the result.

It is a little bit of work as you have to separate the eggs, but the good news is that you can make the mixture at least an hour ahead which is great if you are having friends for brunch.

First make the honey butter it needs to be chilled. You can freeze it and cut off little circles as you need them.
250 gms butter
2 tbs your favourite honey

Soften the butter, mix with the honey, chill, then make into a sausage in glad wrap and chill till you need it. (Just like the photo)









Then for 4 people (4 each) take
1 cup flour
1 good tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 eggs separated
250 gms ricotta cheese
¾ cup milk

Frozen blueberries
Vege oil for cooking

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, mix the ricotta with the milk and
egg yolks ...throw into the dry ingredients, mix well, then carefully fold in eggs whites.

Lightly grease hot pan…dob nice big spoonfuls of batter onto it and now here’s the trick with the blueberries…drop 6-7 berries on each hot cake. Cook for about 3 minutes first side, turn over for another 2 minutes. They want to be nice and golden brown.

Keep them warm in the oven as you go.
Make the stack, put a little honey butter between each one.
Top off with a circle of the butter and serve.
Wow!

Lemon Coconut Tea Cake

When I saw this cake being made on Food TV it reminded me of
a Pineapple Teacake recipe I made many years ago.
It is so simple anyone can do it.
You don’t even have to use your electric beater just a wooden spoon.
Simply it’s just a baked batter cake with a coconut icing topping.
Only about 5 minutes prep.
Give it a go.

First heat your oven 170◦ and grease and line the bottom of a 23 cm cake pan.


All these ingredients into a large bowl

1 ½ cups flour sifted with
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup coconut
Zest 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
125 gms unsalted butter melted

Mix really well with your wooden spoon making sure it is well incorporated.

Into the greased pan, give a quick drop on the bench, and into the oven for 35- 40 minutes.
Test with skewer if it comes out clean its done.

Cool in pan 5 mins and turn onto rack and let it cool completely.

To ice
1 ½ cup icing sugar
1 cup coconut
1 tsp lemon zest
½ cup lemon juice


Mix and spread over the cake.
Best when really fresh.

Braised Beef with Orange and Ginger - Winter is here

Chef Michael Smith, (who originally had a show on the early days of The Living Channel with a show called “The Inn Chef”) is currently on “Food TV” with “Chef At Home”.
He is basically using things from his fridge and pantry…albeit 10 times better stocked than the average person…anyway he has made some brilliant dishes and this one really had me licking my chops!

He used the basics of Asian cooking which are sweet, sour, salty, aromatic and in the case of Thai and Szechuan cuisine…hot…

There is no chili in this recipe but you could add a little sambal olek if you want the extra kick.

i.e. Remember if you increase the quantities, don’t double the spices,
it can be a disaster if you over-spice…
I know I did it years ago and made the most dreadful chili…
had to throw it all out, so have a taste before you put it in the oven,
and add a little more if it needs it.

With the advent of colder weather I am really looking forward to this kind of slow cooked comfort food. Expect more of these recipes in the near future

So for 4 people take
900 gms of topside or blade steak; look for marbling in the meat for extra flavour.
Sea salt and freshly ground black Pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil…I use rice bran oil
Look at this lovely piece of Topside Steak

Another tbs vegetable oil
2 onions chopped
2.5 piece of ginger finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 heaped tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 large orange juiced
Beef stock about 300 mls
4 tbs marmalade
4 tbs soy sauce

To serve
Cooked basmati rice or any long grain rice
Pkt baby spinach from the supermarket

Don’t chop the meat leave it in big pieces it will all fall to pieces when cooked
First dry the meat with a paper towel so that it browns nicely
Season both sides with S & P, and brown in oil in hot pan. Remove and set aside.

Add onions and ginger stir well and cook slowly till tender, add garlic, then Chinese 5
spice powder, mix around well, then deglaze with the orange juice, soy sauce and marmalade. Return meat to pan (don’t waste any juices on the plate put them in too)…
Now add enough beef stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer cover tightly with a lid or foil…and then into a 145◦ oven.
Below just waiting to come to the simmer, about the go for the nice long slow cook

Cook slowly for about 2-3 hours till the meat is falling apart.

Of course you can do this earlier and reheat when needed.

To serve put couple of big spoonfuls of hot rice, a handful of baby spinach, (the heat from the rice and stew will wilt the spinach)… 

then a good serving of the stew.

This is so delicious, you can taste the spices...and the orange juice and marmalade add an extra touch.
So So Simple

I over catered, so with the leftovers, I made pies and
Cooked up some yummy mashed potatoes
Put the remainder of the stew into a foil container
Topped with mashed potatoes and into the freezer it has gone

Dinner for two on the next chilly night

A Pretty in Pink Birthday Cake.

The Barefoot Contessa inspired me with this recipe. She made 3 cakes, each one smaller than the other and then tiered them up to make a pink tower. I thought this looked amazing.
She had the little girls at the party she was holding decorate it themselves with pink and mauve candy it looked amazing.
One of our staff had a 21st so this was a good opportunity to try this out for a big girl.

I only had 2/23 cms tins so I had to make some changes. 2 cakes instead.
These quantities are enough for this.

I also added the raspberries to make an adult cake.

To make the cakes you will need

280 gms softened butter
3 cups castor sugar
6 eggs room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ tbs vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cups plain flour
1/3 cup cornflour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp plain salt




Grease and flour 2 x 23 cm tin,
Heat oven to 185◦ C

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy and add eggs one at a time till all mixed in really well.
Add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cornflour and salt and when all the wet ingredients are fully combined slowly add the dry ingredients a bit at a time, at this stage do not over mix.

Pour into the 2 tins.
Check after 40 minutes with a skewer if it comes out sticky back in for another 5 minutes.

Take out cool about 5 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.

Meanwhile make the icing.
It seems an enormous amount and there will be left overs but these are the proportions you need.

340 gms unsalted butter room temperature
750 gms icing sugar
½ cup milk
1 tbs vanilla extract
Hot pink food colour…about 10-14 drops

Cream the butter and sugar add the milk and the food colouring till desired hot pink is reached.

1 pkt frozen raspberries, reserve a handful for the deoration and puree the rest.
Several mint leaves

Slice each cake horizontally and place bottom of one cake on a flat round plate, sitting on top of a bowl for easy icing. You can turn it around while you are doing the sides.
If you have a turntable all the better.

Cover 1st layer with thinly spread raspberry puree, and then icing...continue to layer and rapsberry and ice the other 3 pieces, till you have got your tower.

Then ice the outside of the cake as per the picture and decorate with the reserved raspberries and mint leaves.

Isn't it gorgeous?

New England Clam Chowder NZ Style

Alton Brown on the Food TV "Good Eats" programme, which is a mine of excellent information, made New England Clam Chowder, (made with milk, as against Manhattan Clam Chowder, which is made with tomatoes).

For years I have made a Shrimp Chowder out of an old recipe book “The Triple Tested Cook Book”...which was the bible for a lot of people my age.
So many 70's dinner parties were designed from this book.
That chowder is good but this is more like the Chowder enjoyed in New England.
We had a few samples while we were there and this matches up pretty well.
In the photo you might like the kitschy touch of the real shells taken off a
Cape Cod Beach!!! (but then again you may not!)

Canned clams are available in New Zealand but you do have to hunt for them on the supermarket shelf…so persevere.
I have adapted this soup by adding corn to it as I love the crunchiness of pieces
of corn in every spoonful.
This will feed 4 for lunch 6-8 for first course.

3 rashers bacon Streaky is best
1 tbs vege oil Rice Bran is really good
2 med potatoes peeled and small dice
2 med onions peeled and chopped
2 cups lite milk
½ cup water
1 cup frozen corn
1 147gm tin clams Drained reserve the juice
Sea salt and white pepper
2-3 tbs chopped parsley
Few dashes Tabasco (optional)


In a med pan cook the bacon to render out the fat. Put a few drops of hot water into the pan this helps to get more fat out. Remove the bacon chop finally and put aside for garnish.

Add the oil to the bacon fat and throw in your onions stir around…
picking up all the residue so that you don’t get burnt bits in the finished product.
Then the potatoes, stir again and add milk and 1/2 cup of water.
Bring to a light boil and simmer till potatoes are tender. Add ½ of the corn and the clam juice simmer another 3-4 minutes.

Now to get it creamy without adding more dairy just gently puree with your hand blender or use the potato masher…we do want some bits so don’t overdo it.
This is the time to taste and add the pepper and salt if you need it.
I think it does but it’s up to you.

Throw in the remainder of the corn and the clams...just before serving add the parsley and Tabasco and garnish with chopped bacon.

Mothers Day Treats

Yesterday was Mothers Day and of course in our family lunch was to be held.
Our son and daughter-in-law hosted us all…no restaurants for this family, everyone
always wants to cook…in fact I couldn’t help myself and made the Chocolate Cake below.
I saw the Divine Delia make it on Food TV and thought it sounded superb…and it was.

The first course was a Grilled feta cheese with olives…
what a fabulous texture the cheese develops it is like a custard.
Just serve with some pita bread or crisps.

Then we had yummy chili with rice and then the cake.

Our 8 year granddaughter off her own bat wrote the menu on her blackboard.
Even the children like to get in the act.


So first the Grilled Feta Cheese.

1 onion sliced
1 red pepper seeded and finely sliced
Big pinch of dried oregano
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin Olive oil

1 block of feta cheese
2 tbs runny honey
Handful black olives

Sauté the onions and red pepper in some olive oil in a medium hot pan till soft…sprinkle with oregano and salt & pepper
Meanwhile heat the oven to 180◦
Into a heatproof dish place the feta cheese, surround with the onions and pepper,and the olives…Drizzle the honey and then a little extra olive oil
and bake for about 10 minutes.

Serve with some pita bread or pita crisps…excellent first course or even just to have with drinks.





Now the Prune Chocolate Cake.

This is really easy. Now I think I have mentioned I am not really much of a baker but I have been having some success lately and I am inspired to try all sorts of cakes.
I will post a couple more that I made this week for a staff member’s birthday and another just because I wanted to try it out.
But that’s later.


Take 1 packet of prunes
½ cup cognac or brandy

Soak the prunes in the cognac at least 24 hours before making the cake.

Then you will need

6 eggs separated at room temperature
140 gms golden castor sugar if you can’t get golden use the usual.
56 gms good cocoa powder well sifted

Big bar 70% cocoa solids chocolate…you can get this at any supermarket now
1 packet Crème Fraiche

Grease and flour 2 round sponge pans 20- 23 cms size

First beat egg whites till soft peaks,
Then beat egg yolks with sugar till you get a ribbon trail.
Sift the cocoa into the beaten yolk mixture and mix in well.

Add one spoon of egg white stir…then carefully fold in the remainder of the egg whites till blended. Don’t forget you are trying to keep all that air in the mix.

Divide between the 2 pans and cook in 190◦ oven for 15 minutes.
Cool in tin and then turn out onto rack.

While the cake is cooking carefully melt chocolate over simmering water.

Remove 12 prunes from marinade and dip each one in the chocolate and reserve.
Into the blender add the rest of the prunes and ¾ of the packet of Crème fraiche.
Whiz up and spread over 1 of cakes.
Put the other cake on top.
Add the remainder of the crème fraiche into the chocolate...mix well.

Use this to ice the top of the cake and decorate with the chocolate covered prunes.
Just like a clock face.

So rich and delicious…but really simple. Doesn't it look great?
A little whipped cream on the side to cut down the richness completes this decadence.

Yummy Mushroom Pasta

This was from Australians, Ben & Curtis’s show on Food TV.
The suggestion was to use a nice curly pasta to best soak up the sauce.
A really tasty lunch, nice little rose or pinot noir!!!
but also it is a great accompaniment, to grilled steak or chicken.
A few chopped herbs and some parmesan shaving to make it pretty.

200 gms curly pasta cooked to instructions on packet and drained

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 large Portobello mushrooms wiped clean
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
½ cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken stock
Sea salt
Punnet Ricotta cheese
3-4 tbs mint chopped

To garnish
3-4 tbs parsley chopped
1 chili finely chopped
Parmesan cheese shaved (as much as you like)

Take the stalks out of the Portobello mushrooms and chop them finely.
Into a hot pan containing 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil quickly sauté them.
Let the juices absorb, add the garlic and wine and reduce down again.
This intensifies the flavour.
Grind some black pepper over then add the chicken stock this time don’t reduce,
just bring back to a simmer…we need a sauce now.
Taste to see if you need to add any salt. If so…do!
Dob 3-4 tbs of ricotta cheese and the mint mix well and you are ready to serve on your hot curly pasta.

Garnish with the parsley, chopped chili and some shaving of parmesan cheese.
All done in about 20 minutes max. Couldn't be simpler really

Roasted Vegetable Nicoise Pasta

Ruth at Once About a Feast is running Presto Pasta Night a weekly event. I thought this was perfect.



Huey on Food TV came up with this idea. I thought it was brilliant.
Our staff had all been working very hard on some concerts we were
filming...a healthy lunch was required...something other than the usual burgers.

This dish is so good for a crowd. Simple and relatively quick.
It got the thumbs up from all of them.
By the way the photo from the trusty phone was taken just before I delivered the lunch.
Don’t be alarmed this amount is not for 2 people…
We are greedy but not that greedy.

For the crowd I used canned tuna (in olive oil)
but for 2 people buy a nice piece of fresh tuna.

So for 2 people these amounts will suffice.

100 gms penne cooked to manufacturers instructions

200 gm piece of fresh tuna

6 small potatoes par boiled 3-4 minutes
12 green beans topped and tailed
1 red onion peeled halved and thick sliced
4 anchovies
3-4 cloves of garlic in skin just bang with heavy knife
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
White balsamic vinegar you can use white wine vinegar or lemon juice
but I love this product for dressings
8-10 cherry tomatoes halved

6-8 black olives
3 eggs hardboiled, shelled and halved
Handful parsley chopped
Parmesan cheese finely grated

Heat your roasting pan on top of the stove and slosh in 2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Place tuna and turn over…isolate to one end of the pan.
Add potatoes, beans, onion, anchovies, garlic,
Season everything with sea salt & pepper, then toss the vege around till
all covered in the oil.
Let them get started for about a minute on the element,
then transfer to a 200◦ oven.

Roast 8-10 minutes.
Remove tuna and throw in tomatoes.
Break up the tuna into bite size pieces
Back into the oven about 5 minutes.
Remove and drizzle on some more oil…
and sprinkle over about 1 -2 tbs white balsamic vinegar

Meanwhile cook the pasta.

Grab a bowl and place the pasta, tuna and vege, gently toss (you don’t want to break up the tuna), and invert onto a serving plate.
Garnish with the black olives, eggs, parsley and finish off with grated parmesan cheese.

Puy Lentils

Voila…the French Puy Lentils…so delicious and so good for you.
Probably you wonder "Whatever will I do with them?"

Well this recipe I saw on The Living Channel was my original inspiration to share these ideas. This is great as a side dish or even on its own with some crunchy bread.

For 2 people and some for leftovers

2 cups Puy lentils you may substitute green/brown lentils but get
the puy if you can

3-4 red peppers quartered and pith out
1 tbs parsley chopped
1 tbs dill finely chopped

Salsa Verde
1 green chilli chopped and de-seeded
1 tbs grated ginger
2 tbs dill
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
Large handful Parsley roughly chopped
8-10 leaves of mint
The reserved roasted red pepper
Juice ½ lemon
1 good tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil approx 100 mls



Take your Puy lentils (or green/brown lentils)…it is not necessary to soak the lentils but they do need careful washing. Bring to boil then simmer till tender about 20 mins don‘t over cook…keep testing…salt them after about 15 mins.
(Puy lentils take less time that the brown/green variety)…
Drain.

Meanwhile take the red peppers, cut into quarters, take out pips and pith so that they are fairly flat. Push down onto grill pan and place under grill until skin blisters and blackens.
Remove skin (an easy way to do this is to place them into plastic bag to cool. This is helpful in removing skin but not obligatory.)
Chop into wide strips. Reserve a couple of slices aside for the salsa verde.

Dress the cooked lentils with the salsa verde saving a tbs of the dressing to sprinkle on at the end.
Make a criss cross pattern with the peppers and and sprinkle with some chopped parsley and dill. Then sprinkle over the remaining Salsa Verde

To make the salsa…Into the food processor take the green chilli chopped and seeded (leave seed in if you can stand the heat.) grated ginger, the roast pepper you have saved, dill, garlic- parsley, mint leaves, lemon juice, dijon mustard,
sea salt and ground black pepper, blitz and start adding the extra virgin olive oil to make dressing probably about 100 mls continue to blend until fairly smooth.

As I mentioned at the beginning there will be left overs.
Turn these into fritters as per the vege fritter recipe earlier in this site…replacing the vege
with the lentils.
This makes a tasty little lunch.
Serve with your favourite relish.

Pasta Clam Bake

We have just returned from a wonderful long stay in the US of A.
First piece of news when I turned on the cell phone at the airport…
Oh no...my daughter had very kindly bought some provisions for us.
When she opened the fridge door the stench nearly sent her reeling
across the floor. The fridge as it turns out had blown a fuse
and the nicely full freezer was a seething mass of rotten food.

No more details. I don’t want to put you off your food except to say the upside is that I do get a new fridge out of it…Of course a new fridge ex insurance company doesn’t materialize immediately, but we had a solution- our basics could fit into the electric igloo we nearly gave away last year on trade me, the biggest bid we got was $25 so we decided to keep it. Yipee




















Luckily for the more important commodities i.e. “wine” etc we do have in the garage...a wine and beer fridge

Anyway, as you know this site is to demonstrate how simple all the food we see on TV is to prepare, But I had to share this little Pasta Clam Bake I cooked using the fridge basics and cans from the pantry. I can assure you it was very tasty.
Having been in New York State... Clam country I decided that the can of clams in the pantry could be put to good use.

So you need for this dish to feed 2 greedy or 3 normal people.


120 Gms orzo pasta Cooked for 5 minutes and drained

75 gms butter
2 cloves of garlic peeled crushed and chopped
2 rashers bacon finely chopped
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
3 tbs flour
300 mls milk
S & P

1 can clams drained and reserve the juice
1 can corn drained
½ cup grated tasty cheese

Extra grated cheese for topping
Fresh rosemary for garnish (optional) any herb would do, this was all I had in the garden, but I have to say the rosemary flavour did add a little "je ne sais quois"!!!

Melt the butter add the garlic and the bacon and cook till tender, (not too hot we are not browning here) add the tomatoes, mix around for about 30 -40 seconds, it’s nice to keep the fresh tomato taste. Good grind black pepper.

Add the flour and cook for a couple minutes, add the clam juice, and as much of the milk that you need to make a sauce the consistency of pancake batter. Let this simmer for a few minutes to get the flavours going... Taste for seasoning before adding any sea salt. The clam juice and bacon are quite salty.

In your gratin dish throw in the pasta, add corn, grated cheese and drained clams, toss around - then pour over sauce and mix well, sprinkle the extra grated cheese on top, garnish with rosemary and bake 180◦ for 20 - 25 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

Diet Food:Chicken Poached in Orange with an Asian Twist

I’m not one for sensible eating which is obvious from my size. I can’t bear the thought I would have to miss out on every fabulous bit of food this planet has to offer.
Of course like everyone else I have been on most of the weight reducing programmes.
My favourite which a couple of friends attempted was the wine and egg diet, it was very funny, 1 glass of wine and 1 egg at breakfast…2 of wine and 2 eggs at lunch…3 eggs and the rest of the wine at dinner...This was a 3 day programme. I don’t know who designed this diet or why they did but my friends thought it sounded fun. The outcome was a small loss of weight but a lot of hilarity was had during the day. Don’t think they did a further 3 days, that breakfast drink was too hard to handle. Of course in those days you ‘could’ drink and drive!!! And think of your poor liver!!!

Anyhow enough rambling, this recipe off Food TV falls into sensible eating and is delicious to boot. The recipe called for chicken breasts but personally, I really like chicken thighs…so moist and tender.

2 chicken breasts/thighs
2 cups of chicken stock
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 orange
3 star anise
Fresh ginger finely sliced
Salt & pepper

Baby Bok Choy cut in quarter
3 spring onions cut in half horizontally
Snow peas cut in half

Steamed rice to absorb all the beautiful juices.

Bring the stock and orange juice to the boil add the ginger, zest and star anise place the chicken in and cover, turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes, take out a few ladlefuls of the juice into a pot and reduce down, put to one side in the covered pan while you fix the vege.

Blanch the vege in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes drain.

To plate
First the rice, the chicken and the vege, then the sauce.

This is really superb, talk about low cal!

An Elvis Inspired Coffee Cake

If you want rich and fattening, this is it…great for a crowd.
A little goes a long way. Thank you Paula Dean.
Her Elvis addition to this American Gooey Butter Cake Classic of course is the peanut butter and banana. (By the way his famous banana and peanut butter, fried in butter, sandwiches are superb). Sounds gross but trust me.

This is really easy and I guarantee it will be a hit




You will need
The Base
1 pkt Chocolate cake mix
1 egg
125 gms butter melted

Combine all ingredients and beat well. Press the mixture evenly with your fingers into a swiss roll tin.

The Filling
250 gms cream cheese room tempertaure
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ cup of smooth peanut butter
1 whole ripe banana
125 gms butter room temperature
400 gms icing sugar
Mint leaves (optional)
Crème Fraiche (optional


I know this sounds a lot of sugar and fat but believe me combined it is great…just forget the calories on this occasion.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, keep on beating and add eggs 1 at a time then the vanilla and the peanut butter, and then the banana and butter, then mix in the icing sugar till all combined. Pour over base.
Bake in 180° oven 45-50 minutes. Look at it after 40 mins check with knife to see if it comes clean…you want the centre to be gooey so don’t over bake. Cool in tin
Cut into squares dust with extra icing sugar and garnish with sprig of mint.

A little dob of crème fraiche just tops it off.

Poached Eye Filet with leeks and a Kumara Mash

Wow this is superb such a simple dish with sensational taste.
I saw this on Huey’s Cooking Adventures, it looked so easy so I had to try and
the eaters at our house adored it!!! It looks like a lot of work but trust me it is easy.
Apologies for the photo, the drizzling of the sauce got a little out of control, please don’t let this distract you from trying this recipe.
As long as you use Gluten free stock, this is fine for your Coeliacs, just check the packet or use homemade.



Best to go to your butcher and get him to cut 1 filet steak (about 4 cms thick per person).

For 3 people I used the following amounts of vege

2 med kumara sliced, boiled with a clove of garlic, till tender, drained and mashed with a big knob of butter

2 leeks To prepare the leeks…cut off green tops remove the tough leaves and finely slice the tender core, then slice the whites. Don't forget to rinse them well they can get dirt amongst the layers.

1 tbs Butter
1 tbs olive oil
Sea Salt
Ground black pepper
Water
Heat the fats and add the leeks, sauté gently for about
4 minutes, season S & P, then add about 50 mls of water...stir, cover and simmer about 4-5 minutes until tender
but still beautifully green. Set aside.

The Sauce
1 cup of beef or chicken stock (same as you used for the beef)
4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbs passata or pureed canned tomatoes
Ground black pepper

Whisk the mustard and passata with the stock and bring to the boil, turn down the heat a little and reduce down till the sauce thickens…then season with pepper and taste to check whether or not you need to add salt. Put aside. Re-heat when needed.
(You will have leftover tomatoes and stock but to use them up,just make a soup of them using the poaching stock from the meat…I also had some leftover
leeks which I also threw into my soup.)

Now the meat this is so so simple
Filet steak 1 per person
Beef Stock or chicken the packet stock is just fine for this
Sea salt, ground black pepper
2 tbs parsley finely chopped

Into a large shallow pan pour about 3 cms of stock and bring to the boil...place your steaks in the hot stock making sure they are not touching, reduce to simmer, cover and cook gently for 7 minutes, take off heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Turn over in stock, remove...then season with salt & pepper.

To plate
A nice little mound of mashed kumara, a good big spoonful of leeks. Your beautiful piece of eye filet, some sauce and a sprinkling of chopped parsley will finish it off.
Divine!!!