Stone Fruit Glaze and Dip (or Sauce and Compote)

Preperation time:  20 mins.  Cooking time:  5 mins.  Serves:  6

We had eight for Xmas and these pictures reflect a little over exuberance!  It ended up being sufficient for at least double, which turned out just as well for the left over Xmas ham.  The oranges were particularly juicy and I ended up reducing the sauce for about half an hour.  All turned out well in the end.  An excellent replacement for the traditional gravy or apple sauce.

Ingredients

4 Peaches
2 Nectarines
1 Tbs fresh Fennel
1 Garlic Clove
Splash of Oil
1 Tbs Pomegranate Molasses
1 Orange (Juiced)
Handful of fresh Mint
Pinch of Salt

Method

• Slice 4 peaches and 2 nectarines.
• Saute in pan for 3-4 minutes with a tablespoon of fresh fennel, 1 crushed garlic clove and a splash of oil.
• Add 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses, the juice of one orange, a handful of mint and a pinch of salt to pan.
• Stir all ingredients together for 1 minute.

Serve sauce with your favorite meat as a sweet sauce alternative.

Source:  Vince Garreffa

Cancer Busting Salad - Tasty Too **********

Preparation Time:  20 mins  Serves:  2 mains or 4 side dishes   Rated:  10/10

This quick and easy salad is a masterpiece and is a meal unto itself.  Also excellent as a side dish.  Great with Salmon.   Due to the size of the cucumber, these pictures show twice the other ingredients.

Ingredients

1½ cups of cherry tomatoes
1 peeled  diced cucumber
1 diced avocado
142g/5 oz cubed feta cheese
3 tbs finely chopped red onion
1 handle or 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Add to bowl.
Peel and seed one cucumber and dice.
Remove pit, dice avocado and using a spoon scoop out the avocado from the peel.
Cube feta and add to a bowl.
Add chopped red onion and minced parsley to the bowl
Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and black pepper then pour over salad.
Toss gently so the feta and avocado don’t break up.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Source:  Cancer Busting Salad

Broccilli Pesto**********

Serves: 4 (with Pasta)

See  my other Pesto recipes for variations.  This photo reflects opportunism in good buys.  Today, I got a great buy on broccoli and kale and a reasonable one on cashews, whilst basil and walnuts were quite expensive.  This turned out really, really good with a mash up with my Linguine recipe.  I just swapped the pesto and beans in it, with this!  Yum...

Ingredients

    Salt
    4 cups broccoli florets/spinach (packed)
    ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for grating
    ½ cup walnuts
    3 Garlic Cloves
    ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    ½ cup packed basil leaves
    Ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 litres/quarts of water to boil in a large soup kettle. Add broccoli and cook until just tender and still bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a food processor.

Add the Parmesan, nuts, oil, basil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper and process to pesto texture.

Add 227grams, ½ pound bite-size pasta, such as penne and  2 ears corn, kernels removed (about 1 cup) for a pasta meal.  Other pasta forms and veggies can be used for variety.

Source:  Top 10 ways to cook Broccilli

Basil Pesto

Preparation Time: 3 min,  Cooking Time: 3 min,  Yield:  1.5 cups.


This recipe can be quite versatile by swapping out seasonal greens for the basil and more economical nuts.  For example you could use kale or spinach and cashews, walnuts or almonds.

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh basil, packed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper


Method:

1.  As an option for enhanced flavor, toast your nuts and unpeeled whole garlic cloves until golden, tossing the pan occasionally.  Leave the garlic in a little longer. Peel the garlic when cooled.

2.  Rinse your basil leaves and pat dry.

3.  Add them to the food processor with the pine nuts and pulse several times.

4.  Next, add the olive oil and blend until smooth.

5.  Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse.  You may need to scrape any ingredients that have stuck to the side of your processor throughout the blending process.

6.  Mince garlic cloves before adding to the processor and pulse again.

7.  Once you’ve added your garlic, add the salt and pepper, blending one last time.

Transfer your pesto to a clean jar. A thin layer of olive oil should begin to accumulate on top of the pesto and refrigerate.  For the pesto to keep up to a year,  add a thin layer of olive oil to coat the top between uses or it will go moldy.  The pesto may also be refrigerated.

Moroccan lamb Tagine

Preparation Time: 30 mins      Cooking Time:  4 hours      Serves: 6-8

This recipe originally came from Breville Wok Recipes and I have adapted it for a slow cooker, mainly by adjusting the cooking time from 1 hour to 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, as the wok setting is quite high.

In the picture to the right, I doubled the recipe, as I had a hungry worker for dinner and found a cheap deal on a kilo of lamb cutlets!  Cooking time was increased again by 1 hour (high) to account for the cheaper cut of meat.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 brown onions, diced
500g lamb, diced (1.5cm)
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small can chickpeas
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 sticks celery, diced
1.5 cup red lentils
1.5 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
5 cups water

Method:

1. Heat a pan on high, add the oil and stir fry the onion until soft add the meat and seal.
2. Place all the ground spices and extra oil into
the pan and cook for 2 minutes to release the
flavours of the spices.
3. Add the pan and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, place the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high.

Serve with steamed cous cous

Vegetarian Fried Rice

Preparation time: 15mins      Cooking time: 10mins    Serves: 6

This really is a "kitchen sink" dish and this recipe is just an example of the many ingredients that can be used and is the one I use most often.  Not mentioned here are the likes of corn kernels, celery, beans, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.

Ingredients


2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup stringles beans, trimmed

1 red capsicum, seeds removed, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups cooked Basmati or Long Grain Brown Rice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketjap manis* or Sweet Chilli sauce, plus extra to drizzle
1/2 cup cashew nuts, lightly toasted
1 cup of bean sprouts, trimmed
6 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

3 Eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

Method

1. Heat peanut oil in a large wok over high heat.

2. (Optional) Add egg and break up using a whisk. Cook until egg is slightly golden on edges then remove and set aside, leaving oil in wok.

3.  Add sesame oil, cabbage, carrot, peas, beans and capsicum, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add rice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add soy, ketjap manis, cashews, bean sprouts, eggs and half the spring onions, toss to combine.

5. To serve, garnish with remaining onions and drizzle with extra ketjap manis.

Gout and Uric Acid

Being an imbiber of Red Wine and Beer, I have suffered gout on more occasions than I would like to admit.


To help alleviate the symptoms of uric acid crystallization in joints (gout),  juice and drink the following once or twice a day:-


– 1 medium-sized cucumber
– 2 ribs of celery
– A slice of lemon
– 1-inch young ginger root


Source:  Natural Cures, Not Medicine

I have also used a  regime of 1/2 - 1  teaspoon of Baking Soda (NaHCO3) in a cup (250ml) of water in the evening and a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) either whole or diluted in a cup of water in the morning for both variety and blood alkalizing.  Use ACV also as a salad dressing.

If you are suffering from high blood pressure, Baking Soda may not be suitable for you.

Through out the day, drink 2 - 3 liters of water.

Eat a purine free diet. 

See also "Gout and You" website for other handy hints on purines and gout management.

Okra, Ladies Fingers, Bhindi or Bamya

Okra has a mild green bean and asparagus taste which is very high in vitamins and beneficial for pregnancy and diabetic and digestive issues among many others.

Okaro also known as Ladies Fingers, Bhindi and Bamya is also used for thickening stews and soups such as Gumbo, by slicing and adding to food 10 minutes before cooking is complete.  You can also stir-fry, chopped or whole (6-12 minutes); steam whole (5 minutes); grill whole (2-3 minutes each side).  If cooked quickly, Okra is crunchy; if slow cooked, tender.  Because of its sliminess, Okra has had a bad rap in certain cuisines.  Find more slime free recipes here.

For the best results:-
Purchase 5 -10 cm (2-4 inches) for better taste.
They should firm and snap rather than bend.
Wash with a paper towel or veggie brush and rinse.  This will remove the fluff with older Okra.
Trim by topping and tailing the conical stem and pointy tip without cutting the okra flesh.
Slicing or cutting the okra flesh will release a slimy substance and make the food gelatinous.
To prevent the okra from having any sense of slime, it can be soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes and then rinsed and dried.

Linguine, Potato, Green Bean and Basil Pesto**********

This is a cheap and quick "peasant" style meal with the unusual combination of pasta and potato, making it a filling and hearty meal.  Great after a long day with  a bottle of your favorite.  If possible, I don't peel spuds as much of the nutrition is in the skin.

Serves 4:     Preparation time 15 mins:     Cooking time 25 mins

Trimming and slicing the beans is the time consumer here.

Ingredients:-

    4 Liters of salted water
    1- 2 large potatos diced
    350 g green beans, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
    500 g dried linguine or trenette
    190 ml basil pesto
    knob of butter
    1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method:-

    Bring salted water to boil in a pot.
    Add the potato first and simmer for 12 minutes.
    Add the beans 5 minutes after the potato, to continue to simmer for 7 minutes.  (Total of 12 mins)
    Add the pasta to cook according to packet directions, bring to boil and then simmer until al dente.
    (Total approx 23 mins)
    Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking water.
    Put half the pesto in a large bowl.
    Add the cooking water, potatoes, beans and pasta, and the butter, and toss well.
    Spoon the rest of the pesto on top, sprinkle with parmesan, lightly toss and serve immediately.

Inspired by the recipe from SBS:- Trenette with pesto, potato and green beans

Harissa

Harissa is Tunisian in origin but is used widely in Morocco and other North African countries.  It can be used as a condiment, paste or a sauce.  Rub it dry on a roast, coat a rack with a mix of paste and yoghurt or add it to your favorite veggie dish.   Use the paste as a replacement for mustard if you like your sandwiches hot.  The Yemeni spice Zhug is made by adding cloves and cardamon to this mix.

I have split the recipe in two parts, as I like to keep the dry mix and make a paste when required. 

Ingredients:-

Makes about 1 cup (250ml) of dry mix.    Preparation Time 15mins.    Cooking Time 4mins.

Dry Mix:-

A mild chilli mix.

4 tsp Coriander Seeds
4 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Caraway Seeds
16 Dried Chili , chopped or blended (8Tbs, 100g):  I like to mix the chillies.  Include seeds for hotter, for a milder version, use dried Red Peppers. 
1 tsp Mint Dried
4 tsp Paprika Smoked
2 tsp Salt Sea/Kosher
2 tsp Garlic Powder

Paste:-

3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Lemon, Juice of
Water for consistency

Method:-

In a small fryingpan, heat over moderate heat, the Cumin, Coriander and Caraway seeds and toast until fragrant (4min).  Let the seeds cool down and add all the ingredients to a coffee grinder and grind.  If using a mortar and pestle, grind the seeds, finely chop the chillies and then mix all the ingredients together.

Store into an air tight container in your spice rack...

To make a paste of your premix, just add the the Olive Oil and Lemon Juice and mix.  Add water to adjust consistency if required.

A good article on Harissa and its uses can be found here.

Vegetable Tagine

I love this dish.  It is quite  versatile and is amicable to a " kitchen sink" mix.  I often double the recipe and using it as a simmer sauce for tagines or poaching.  The image on the left is just such a doubling "kitchen sink".

So here is the "normal" recipe with the simmer sauce version at the end:-.

Serves 6 stand alone.    Preparation time 25 minutes.  Cooking time approx 40 minutes.

Ingredients:-

1 Tbs coriander seedsi
1 Tbs cumin seeds
1 Tbs caraway seeds
1 tsp - 2 tsp Harissa mix or paste:  Optional for extra zap!
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 large brown onions (400g), finely chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbs tomato paste or
2 cups (500ml) water
800g diced tomatoes (un-drained, if canned)
600g pumpkin, chopped coarsely
8 (240g) yellow squash, quartered:
200g baby green beans, trimmed and halved
300g chick peas, cooked (or canned, drained and rinsed).

Method:-

Crush coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Heat oil in large pan, cook garlic and onion, stirring often until onion soften.
Add crushed seeds (and Harisa Paste), paprika, salt, pepper and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add tomato paste, water, tomatoes and pumpkin and bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Stir in squash, beans and chick peas and simmer covered until squash is tender.

Server over couscous or rice.

My simmer sauce alternative makes about 8 liters, which can be jarred, frozen etc...

To make my famous simmer sauce, I omit the tomato paste, squash and green beans; double everything else above and use tomato puree, zucchini and eggplant as well; and simmer it down a little so that the pumpkin is almost  gone.

Simmer Sauce Ingredients:-

2 Tbs coriander seeds
2 Tbs cumin seeds
2 Tbs caraway seeds
2 tsp - 3 tsp Harissa mix or paste:  Optional for extra zap!
2 Tbs olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 large brown onions (400g), finely chopped
4 tsp sweet paprika
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
700ml (680g) of tomato puree if doubling for a simmer sauce.
4 cups (500ml) water
1.6kg diced tomatoes (un-drained, if canned)
1.2 kg pumpkin, chopped coarsely
2 zucchini and
1 eggplant
600g chick peas, cooked (or canned, drained and rinsed).

Simmer Sauce Method:-

Crush coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Heat oil in large pan, cook garlic and onion, stirring often until onion soften.
Add crushed seeds (and Harissa Paste), paprika, salt, pepper and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add tomato puree, water, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and pumpkin and bring to boil
Reduce heat to slow simmer for 45 - 60 minutes or until pumpkin is almost gone.
Stir in chick peas and simmer covered until peas are tender.

Tonight, I did the simmer sauce, making 8 litres of sauce and then used approx 2 liters with 1 kg of chump chops, which I seared for a few minutes each side and then "targined" for 40 minutes on low simmer.  Delicious!  Enough for 3 of us and an additional serve for my aging mum.  The remainder of the sauce, I will refrigerate, share and take down south to Denmark...

Savoy Cabbage with Pancetta

I cooked this last Saturday as an accompaniment to Di's baked salmon. The cabbage comes out rich and creamy. The two went extremely well together. It was such a treat, I Facebooked it!

We used the leftovers as a type of "bubble and squeak" with eggs the next morning!

I use a multi-function cooker for this recipe, however you can use a pressure cooker, oven safe pot or a pot and slow cooker; as you will need to both saute and slow/pressure cook.

 As is often the case, I was bragging about my cooking expertise with my mate down the pub (we often compare what's for dinner) and he asked for the recipe, so here 'tis Rick:-

Serves 4

Ingredients:-

1 large savoy cabbage, thinly shredded
185 g pancetta, diced
1 brown onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
60 ml dry white wine
2 tsp caraway seeds
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:-

Saute the pancetta until the fat is rendered.
Add the onion and saute until soft.
Add the garlic.
Add the cabbage one handful at a time until each handful has cooked down.
Pour in the white wine and add the caraway seeds.
Cook for 5 mins until the cabbage has completely wilted.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slow cook (95-100 deg C) for 2 hours or
Pressure cook on high (13 psi) for 10 minutes

Ready to serve.

Food Babe's Parfait Porridge

Prep time:  10 mins.  Total time:  10 mins.   Serves: 1

The amount of ingredients in this is enough for my wife, but I tend to increase it by a half to double for myself.  Mind you, double is quite a hearty breakfast!

Like most of the other recipes I put up on this blog, which is basically for me and my friends edification, I chop and change ingredients regularly to suite seasonality, price and preference.  For example, I was in Denmark, WA in February and a fig tree down the road from the Backpacker I was managing was bursting with fruit.  I had a nectarine that was on the way out and my kefir was ready for consumption.  I also mixed in some Goji berries and dried cranberries with the currants for a bit of flair.  The top two photos reflect this batch.

I prefer to use kefir rather than almond milk, as the kefir keeps fermenting within the porridge and adds extra fridge life to the mix.  As a result, I make a weeks supply at a time.  Not to mention the probiotic benefits as well...

Making and using Kefir in lieu of almond milk

One weeks supply of Parfait Porridge and Kefir Quark to boot!

Ingredients:

    ¼ cup oat groats rinsed and drained
    ¼ cup ezekiel cereal, muesli, or ¼ cup steel or rolled oats (for texture)
    1 tsp of currants
    sprinkle of cinnamon
    4 ounces unsweetened almond milk
    1 tsp of chia seeds (optional)
    1 cup fresh or frozen fruit of your choice

Instructions:

    In a "to go" glass container of your choice: Place oat groats, ezekiel cereal/oats, cinnamon, currants, chia seeds, and almond milk in the container and stir
    Top mixture with fresh or frozen fruit
    Let mixture sit in fridge overnight or up to three days in fridge


Source:  Food Babe

1. I Like Food

Christmas Day 2013 in the kitchen

As can be deduced from the accompanying photos, I do enjoy my tucker.  I also get a buzz from cooking, particularly for the Misses.  In fact, at the moment, I am the chief cook and bottle washer!

But the biggest bugbear for me is figuring out what to have for dinner on a daily basis.  Being creative and trying to remember past recipe successes results in procrastination and wandering around the house in frustration, until I do something simple and slothful like rip open a packet of pasta and heat a jar of sauce!

The properties and health benefits of foods which includes the way they were grown and processed also interests me.  I am a notorious label reader and it often takes me ages to select a product from the supermarket shelf.  In some respects, I consider myself a bit of a food activist and proselytizing on behalf of organic, spray free and sustainable agriculture is frequently my downfall in social gatherings.  Factory farming and synthetic food are an anathema to me!  If I know I wouldn't be able to see it in the field or if I can't pronounce it, I won't eat it, or at least try not to.  And don't talk to me about numbers!

Poser

One of the great things about cooking is the sharing of a meal that you have made with friends and family.  A glass or two of wine and great conversation, particularly regarding the benefits of cooking from the ground up with pure ingredients, generates requests for recipes and food sources.


I have tried to keep recipe books, and product and ingredient property lists, without much success.  Even digital counterparts!  They are not always accessible and regularly get lost or forgotten among the piles of accumulated stuff that a life accumulates.

Thus this blog.  Available everywhere, accessible to everyone and tagged/labeled for easy search and referencing; regarding recipes, cooking style, ingredients, health properties and miscellaneous tips; I hope to find this blog a good memory adjunct and fun, as I descend into my senior years.

A note regarding measurements.  If you haven't gathered from the syntax, I am an Ozzie.  All measurements are in Australian and New Zealand standards, which does differ to the British and American standards.  I will include actual metric measures with the standard cup and teaspoon descriptions.  A good conversion site for weights and measurements can be found here.

Enjoy..

Pea and ham soup in the slow cooker and kefir in the jar.

Detox Turmeric Tea - Chai

Ingredients:-

3 heaped teaspoons turmeric (>15mls)
1 heaped teaspoon ground cloves (>5mls)
2 teaspoons ground cardamon (10mls)
2 teaspoons of cinnamon (10mls)
2 teaspoons ground ginger (10mls)
1.5 Litres or 3.5 pints of filtered water (2 days supply?)

I like to add Cayenne or Black Pepper, about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon. (1.2 - 2.5mls)

Honey to taste
nut milk optional

Method:-

Place all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Add honey or nut milk to taste.

Alternatively, I blend all the dry ingredients in a coffee grinder and use 2.5 teaspoons in 400 ml of water for a mug of tea and keep the rest in a jar.


 Thanks to GreenMed TV