This is what winter food is about to me, spicy flavourful deliciousness. Warming food that comforts you, makes you feel like you've been given a hug. Food like this also reminds me of my childhood, my mother used most of these spices daily and started showing me how to cook with them when I was still a child. It's a thrifty way to add flavour and life to dishes that otherwise might be a bit bland. Spice was gold in our family's kitchen and still reins supreme in mine.
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Who doesn't love a good green curry? I learnt to make curry pastes from scratch whilst in Thailand and was surprised as how simple it really is. You don't need a food processor, if you have a large mortar and pestle you can mix it in that.. just be prepared to put in a fair bit of elbow grease. If you do have a food processor this is done in about 5 minutes. So easy and so incredibly fresh, the flavour of the kaffir lime just jumps out at you and throws a party on your tongue. If you are vegetarian, simply replace the chicken with potato it's just as tasty:) This recipe makes 1 large jar and it will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 2 months.
Makes - 1 large jar Ingredients: 15 fresh green Chillies, chopped 3 tbs Shallots, chopped (for those in Australia, I mean the small brown onion here, not the green one) 3 tbs Garlic, chopped 1 tbs Galangal, finely sliced 1 tbs Lemongrass (white part only), chopped 1 tsp fresh Kaffir lime peel, finely chopped 1 tsp Coriander root, chopped 1 tsp Coriander seeds 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp Shrimp paste (use peanut or soy paste for veggo option) 1/2 tsp Salt 1 Bok choy leaf (any Asian leafy green will do here, you are using it for the colour only) Like I mentioned above, there are 2 ways to do this. If you are feeling energetic you can throw all this in a large mortar and pestle and pound the crap out of it until it is very very smooth. When I made it this way in Thailand, it took a good 10/15 min of constant pounding to get the desired smoothness. HOWEVER, if you are a little lazy like me, you can simply throw it in a food processor and let that do all the hard work for you. If you choose this option you may need to add a little oil to help it blend properly (I used extra virgin coconut oil), I found my processor wouldn't work without a bit of moisture, I guess you could use water as well? You will need to let it process for around 5 min, scraping the edges down frequently until it is smooth with no lumps. Once you have finished, all you need to do is put it in a sterilised jar and pop it in the fridge. Enjoy:) (If you don't like a hot curry, simply reduce the number of chillies). Thai Green Curry Serves 2 Ingredients: 300g Chicken, sliced into 1 inch pieces (or substitute for veggo option) 2 tbs Green curry paste 1 cup Coconut milk 100g mixture of Eggplant, Carrot and baby Corn (use any veg you like, green beans are also delicious), sliced into bite size pieces 5 Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced 10 Sweet basil leaves, crushed and torn 7 green Chillies, cut diagonally 1 tbs Fish sauce 2 tsp Sugar Heat a pan over low heat and add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir continuously for a couple of minutes or until the curry paste is fragrant. Add the chicken and stir vigorously until nearly cooked then add your vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and add the fish sauce and sugar to taste. Once the flavours are balanced add the chillies and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer until the vegetables and chicken are cooked then stir in your basil leaves and serve immediately. Yum yum yum! This. Is. Delicious. Like, really delicious. My totally carnivorous boyfriend has told me - no less than 5 times in the last half hour- exactly how good it is. "The best vegetarian food I've ever had". They do take a little time to make but you will be completely rewarded the second you taste them.
Full credit for this recipe goes to the wonderful souls behind http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/ I have been slowly cooking my way through their cookbook, which I have to say - if you dont have it, check out their website and seriously consider getting the book. I have SO many cookbooks but theirs is one of the best loved books in my kitchen at the moment. The lemon pesto in this recipe is extra special :) Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup lentils, rinsed 2 cups water 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil 3/4 cup ricotta 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2/3 cup breadcrumbs Lemon pesto: 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup pine nuts grated zest and juice of 1 lemon pinch of sea salt 1 cup basil leaves 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs parmesan, freshly grated 2 tbs water Place your lentils in a pot covered with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, adding more water if needed. Drain lentils. While the lentils are cooking make your pesto. Place the garlic, lemon juice and zest, pine nuts and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the basil, 1/4 cup of olive oil and parmesan, blending again until smooth. Remove from processor bowl and clean the processor parts. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Add lentils to the processor and pulse until they form a chunky puree. I found it helped to add a tiny amount of water here to make it puree better. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in the eggs, olive oil, ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, fennel seeds, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Stir in the breadcrumbs and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Roll your lentil mixture into 1 inch balls, checking that the mixture holds together well. If you feel it is too wet, add another tbs of the breadcrumbs. Place the balls on a baking paper lined oven tray. They dont need to be widely spaced. Brush with a little olive oil if you like and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and serve with pesto sauce... try not to eat them all at once ;) This was a bit of a "what's left in my fridge" kind of deal and I'm happy to say, had a delicious result. Very easy to make and quick, this would work well as a side dish or as a main. Yum yum and yum!
Serves 5 Ingredients: 2 tbs coconut oil 250g mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used 44g prince oyster, 64g oyster, 100g button and 47g shitake mushrooms) 1 brown onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves 1/2 cup chicken stock (you could also use vegetable) 500g silken tofu juice of 1 lemon himalayan salt & pepper 2 tbs fresh tarragon leaves, chopped Himalayan salt and freshly cracked black pepper 1kg potatoes, cubed In a food processor puree the tofu, lemon juice and a pinch of himalayan salt. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water and cook until tender. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, sauté the mushrooms, onion, garlic and coconut oil over medium heat in a non stick saucepan until the mushroom has turned golden and the onions are softened (about 4-5 minutes). Mix in the stock, tofu and tarragon. Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mix into the mushroom mixture. Serve topped with extra tarragon leaves. Yum. Yum. Yum. That about wraps this one up. Spicy turkey meatballs lay on a bed of herby, red wine and tomato goodness with a little pasta if you so please... This dish is packed full of herbs and using turkey mince keeps the calories down to 245 (minus serving cheese and pasta) per serving!
Serves 6 (3 meatballs per serve) Meatballs Ingredients: 500g Turkey mince 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 2 whole eggs 1 tbs parmesan cheese, grated 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp himalayan salt 1 tbs grated red onion 1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 green onion, finely sliced 1 red chilli, finely chopped freshly cracked black pepper Herbed Red Wine Tomato sauce Ingredients: 1/2 red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cans organic no added salt diced tomatoes 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped and bashed 2/3 cup of red wine, I normally use old leftover red Himalayan salt and cracked black pepper to taste 1 tbs coconut oil Firstly make your meatballs. Using your hands mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Form meatballs from mixture, you should get around 18 meatballs from this recipe. Place the meatballs on the baking tray and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill and firm up. Once they have firmed up a bit start the sauce. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, cook for a couple of minutes then add the chopped garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in canned tomatoes and mix well. Let this simmer over a medium heat for 3 minutes then add your meatballs to the sauce. Cook for a few minutes then turn over, at this point add your red wine, chives and basil. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and check your meatballs. Allow to simmer over a medium heat until meatballs are cooked. You can either serve them on their own, or over pasta (i used GF fettucine) or cous cous. Grate a little parmesan over the top, crack a little pepper and you're good to go:) Enjoy! It really doesn't get much easier than this one. You can use this either as a tasty replacement for mash potato or as a condiment. Personally I love this "sauce" with steamed bok choy and fish.
Makes: around 1 cup of puree 5 parsnips, peeled and cut into small pieces water himalayan salt cracked black pepper Steam your parsnips until they are really soft then place in a food processor. Puree with a little water, only use as much as is needed to make it smooth. Season with salt and pepper. That's it. Told you it was easy:) All up, it probably takes 10 minutes, maybe less to make. The flavour will BLOW YOUR MIND. Parsnips are often overlooked for other root vegetables but have a unique and beautiful taste of their own. Give it a go:) I'm having a bit of a love affair with zucchini "pasta" at the moment. It's a quick, simple, gluten free and low carb substitute for pasta that tastes delicious. You can easily purchase a vegetable shredder on-line to do the job, I got one off ebay for $7, a whopping $15 cheaper than at my local kitchen suppliers, )see here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Kitchen-Cutter-Tool-Fruit-Vegetable-Peeler-Shredders-/300804982391?pt=AU_Utensils&hash=item46095fc677&_uhb=1#ht_1789wt_1141 ) ... I haven't tried it but believe it would work much the same with carrots etc. This sauce recipe works well on it's own or for a tasty tweak that I made today with the leftovers, crumble some feta and add chopped tomato through the sauce whilst hot and stir until the feta has gone creamy. Serves 3 (sauce only) Ingredients: 1 large zucchini per person for your "pasta" half a whole cauliflower, broken into smaller florets 2 whole red radishes, finely diced 1/2 a cup of vegetable stock 3 medium garlic cloves, left whole and unpeeled 1 red onion, finely diced 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional) 70ml coconut milk, or enough to make it go creamy in the food processor (optional) 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard Himalayan salt & pepper Preheat your oven to 200 celsius. Using a vegetable shredder, run along the lengths of the zucchini until you get strands that look a little like spaghetti, once you hit the seedy inside of the zucchini turn around and start from the other side- use the skin, do not peel them. It should look something like this- Once the zucchini are all sliced, season slightly with salt and sit aside in a colander until you have finished preparing the sauce. Place your garlic cloves in a small baking pan, cover with the olive oil and roast until they are soft, 5-10 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the cauliflower, radish and red onion. Boil until the cauliflower and radish are soft. (you could also steam them) Drain and add to your food processor. Pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs then gradually add the vegetable stock until the mixture turns creamy. You may not need to use all the stock. Add the oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and nutritional yeast to taste and pulse until well mixed. At this point if you want to add the coconut milk to make it creamier add in, if not it tastes just as nice without. Remove the garlic from the oven and using a garlic press, mince into the mixture. Pulse until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture back into a saucepan and keep warm on a low heat. Bring another saucepan of water to the boil and add the zucchini strips. Cook until just tender - be careful not to overcook it, they cook quickly. Arrange your zucchini pasta on a plate and pour some of your sauce over the top. Voila! deliciousness... We've recently started getting a box of fresh organic fruit & veg delivered to home again which makes creating this sort of salad super easy. Its also packed full of delicious and healthy veggies, if you are trying to make your veg quota for the day, this will certainly help you on the way. Plus, let's be real, it's just yum...:) Perfect for the upcoming Queensland summer!
Serves: 1 hungry soul or 2 as a side salad Ingredients: 2 large kale leaves, ripped into smaller pieces 1 medium carrot, grated (leave the skin on for extra fiber and antioxidant power!) 1 tomato, diced 1 green chilli, sliced 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1/4 avocado, diced a handful of green Sicilian olives (if you live in Brisbane, try Pennisi's in Wooloongabba for the best I've tasted here!) 1/2 small head of raw broccoli, cut into smaller florets 2 large button mushroons, sliced optional for the meaties : 1 chicken drumstick, roasted and diced a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp basil/parsley pesto (recipe below) Combine all in a bowl and mix well. Combine olive oil and pesto together in a screw top jar and shake to make the dressing. Drizzle over the top of the salad. Basil & Parsley Pesto (cheese free) 100g pine nuts toasted 1/2 a bunch of basil leaves 1/2 a bunch of parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice 100ml extra virgin olive oil Combine all in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place in a screw top jar and keep in the fridge. Will keep for about a week. It's been a lil while since I've been here, uni has been a bit hectic lately so this is a quick one today... I have lots of human nutrition basics to study:S This is a good recipe if you have apples that need to be eaten or if you dont like using eggs in baking, unsweetened apple sauce can be used for a substitute (in some cases-not all:)) I will post a proper, meal like recipe in the next couple of days:)
Makes - 2 large jars Ingredients: 6 large apples (i used 3 green and 3 red), cored and cut into quarters 3 cups water 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pure vanilla extract paste Add water and chopped apples to a large saucepan. Bring the water to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cinnamon and vanilla paste and mix in. Turn the heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and puree the apples and leftover liquid (shouldn't be alot) in a food processor until smooth. Leave the skins on for extra fibre, they wont affect the consistency of the sauce. Store in sterilised jars in the fridge. |
~Lauryn~Ramblings from my kitchen in Australia Categories
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