Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Today while making a shared plate of cheese, grilled turkish bread and mixed dips I went back to this recipe. Olive tapenade.  It is so good on so many things.  I could go on forever with the ways I would eat this stuff but for now, I'll just say... make it and let it steer you in the right direction.  Today I ate it on toasted gourmet breads but tomorrow I will no doubt spread over a lamb rack before rolling it in a herb and proscuitto crust.  This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from one of his earliest books "Return of the Naked Chef" and I never change a thing.  

Ingredients:
250g or 90z kalamata olives, deseeded

1 clove garlic

6 anchovy fillets in oil

good extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and cracked pepper

juice of half a lemon 

Method:

• Crush the olives using the side of the knife, pushing down to squash the olive against the seed allowing you to peel open the olive and remove the seed.  Do yourself a favor and buy the olives with seeds, and deseed them yourself.  Even with doing this job yourself, you can still have this tapenade made in less than 5 minutes.  These olives have such a different flavor to deseeded olives.  I wouldn't waste your time doing it with those, it'll taste so average you'll be disappointed you bothered. 
• Using a mini processor, throw the halved olives into the processor, add all the other ingredients and process.  Add the oil gradually and continue to taste until it reaches your preferred consistency and flavor.  I used about half a lemon and probably about 3 tblpsn of oil but I like it quite thick.  Ensure you add a little salt, even though the olives themselves and anchovy are already salty, it adds something else to balance the lemon.  
• Keep it in an air tight container for up to 10days in the fridge or make a double batch and use preserve jars and process for longer storage.

From left to right, whole olives; smashed olive;

halved with seed removed; the seed

Green juice

Nothing is quite as cleansing in the morning as a green juice packed with ginger and lemon. I blend my ingredients rather than 'juice' them as I prefer to get the fibre in the fruits and vegetables, as well as the sugars.  It makes for a longer lasting fuller feeling and I get a good portion of my daily requirements in one smoothie. 

Personally I'm not keen on adding kale or spinach to every type of smoothie I make just for it's superpower. I really enjoy a green smoothie but otherwise I'm happy to have my fruit smoothies loaded with fresh and frozen fruits, coconut water, maybe some nuts or LSA or protein powder.  

However if you are going green, this is the bomb.  

Ingredients:
1/2 apple
1/2 lebanese cucumber
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
1/3 - 1/2 cup coconut water
crushed ice

Method:
In a blender, nutribullet or other high speed processor - blend all ingredients together.
Drink immediately!

Sweet and Salty Sriarcha spiced cashews

I'm always looking for a tasty little snack about 3pm as I run to pick up the girls from school.  Something quick to throw in my handbag when I'm busy running errands and just need to get  through to the next meal.  These are delicious and moorish! They also make the perfect addition to a cheese platter when entertaining.  They will keep well in an airtight container but I have to say, they don't last too long with me.  

These spicy cashews are super easy and a heap cheaper than the small jars of gourmet nuts in the stores. If you don't like cashews, almonds work well too.  Give them a try ;)

Ingredients:
1 egg white
2 tblspn water
1/2 lb raw cashews
2-3 tblspn sriarcha sauce
2 tbslpsn brown sugar
coarse salt, as needed

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 330'F
• Whisk together the egg white and water until frothy.
• Toss the cashews in the mixture and allow to soak for a minute or two.
• Drain the excess fluid from the nuts then add your sriarcha, brown sugar and stir until completely coated.
• Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper, spread the nuts out in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake at 330'F for 5-6mins, or until lightly roasted. Toss and turn the nuts over on the tray and roast a further 3-4 mins.
• Allow to cool and then nuts will then cool crunchy.
• Store in an airtight container.  Munch away cautiously, they're addictive!

Pad Thai Chicken Noodle

I never thought to use linguine instead of rice noodles in an asian dish before but this works really well.  I used it initially because I had everything else in my pantry and didn't want to go to the store just for pad thai rice noodles when this could work just as well.  The pasta gives it a slightly heavier feeling but when you use cabbage and a lot of veggies you can really limit the amount of pasta you need.  Of course you could use gluten free pasta if you wish but then you may as well find rice noodles!  Spaghetti squash for those really 'off' pasta. 

I have done this a few different ways in the past, using the slow cooker to cook the chicken while I've been at after school activities with the girls or quickly poaching it in chicken stock for 10-12mins and then shredding it.  Either way works just fine but the point is, poach it in liquid for a moist, soft texture then shred to chunky bite size pieces ready to toss into the dish when you're ready to eat.  You can have the chicken and the sauce all prepared earlier in the day ready to quickly pull it together in the evening.

The girls didn't think they'd like this but after a few mouthfuls, they realized there weren't any real surprises and it went down well.  You can always substitute the vegetables you think you're children would prefer, grated zucchini is always a good one to sneak in as it is almost undetectable in a dish like this.  

Ingredients:

poached chicken:
3 chicken breasts, (cut into 3 pieces per breast)
1/2 can coconut milk
2 tblspn peanut butter
2 tblpsn soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriarcha
200ml chicken stock

peanut oil
3 spring onions
2/3 cup of grated carrot
1/4 green cabbage, finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
linguine
1/4 cup toasted peanuts, crushed as garnish

pad thai sauce
2 tblpsn peanut butter
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
tamarind paste, 1 tspn
1 tblpsn fish sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Method:

• place the 'poached chicken' ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hrs until you can  shred the chicken using two forks (or poach the chicken in a saucepan in chicken stock and reduced amount of other ingredients)
• start cooking pasta in salted water
• add oil to pan and heat
• add spring onions and sauté briefly before adding the cabbage
• pour a few splashes of chicken stock to help wilt the cabbage
• add the red pepper and carrot and continue to sauté 
• add the shredded chicken and warm through
• combine all the sauce ingredients together, heat it in a saucepan (or microwave jar) for a few minutes to ensure the peanut butter incorporates into the liquid.
• once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add to the pan and then pour in the sauce
• stir through until the noodles and chicken are tossed well and coated in the sauce
• serve with a garnish of cilantro and crushed peanuts, add extra sriarcha if you like a little more spice.

Silky gingered zucchini soup

Not sure this is a true blog 'come-back' but I just had to share this recipe.  I found it via a Whole30 recipe search.  A friend of mine is doing the 30day challenge and I was looking at some recipes to see how it really works.  Cutting out dairy, wheat, grains, all sugar, legumes, processed foods and meat, alcohol etc etc sounded like a tough 30 days!  I'm not keen to eliminate food types so drastically but I am always keen for some fresh ideas and a new take on the same old thing.

I was interested in this recipe because the author http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/11/05/silky-gingered-zucchini-soup/ suggested it as a good breakfast alternative?!  Soup for breakfast... I could be up for that.  I don't like eating a lot of eggs, I am bored with porridge and greek yoghurt is hard for me to eat on such cold winter mornings.  

With my husband away until the weekend I figured I could eat this all week if it was any good.   I made it today and I have to say it is one of the most delicious soups I've ever had.  The ginger is divine and after you puree it all together, it transforms into an amazingly silky, creamy but light soup.  The zucchini is so mild  it makes for a wonderful base to take on the fresh ginger.  I LOVED it!  Not sure how I'll feel about eating tomorrow it morning but I think it's really going to be a winner.  Like a warm green juice.  Do it, you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:
1 tblspn coconut oil
1/2 onion, diced
salt
pepper
1 tspn minced ginger
3 cups organic or homemade chicken broth
3 medium zucchinis, halved and diced

Method:

• Heat coconut oil in a soup pan
• Add diced onion
• Add salt, pepper and ginger
• Add chopped zucchini and chicken broth
• Bring to boil and reduce to simmer
• Simmer for 30-45mins until zucchini are so soft and the stock has reduced a little
• Using an immersion blender (or transfer to blender) and puree the soup in batches until you reach a creamy consistency.

Serve hot or store in glass jars in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Party Pies

My memory of childhood was a that a party was never a party without Party Pies.  Sausage rolls and party pies went side by side, and were a staple at all under age events in Australia!  I love their cute, dainty little size and the perfect balance of crunchy top pastry and slightly under-done base.  I remember always, ALWAYS biting into them too quickly and burning my tongue on the hot beef inside despite the number of times the cook would say ' now kids, they are just out of the oven, let them cool down a bit first'.  I loved them dipped in tomato sauce and eaten as quickly as possible, trying to get my share before the adults noticed they were available and the Dads ate their unannounced portion.

My girls are now nearly 7 and 8 and I fear that since living in the US since they were 3 and 4, perhaps their understanding of Party Pies and their place in the world of childhood parties is not so entrenched.  I decided to make them this week.  Not for any birthday party or event, just because.

I declared it a 'no-veggie night' and off I went....

Ingredients:
500g / 1 lbs chuck beef, ground
1 sml onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tblspn worchestershire sauce
2 cups beef stock
2 tblspn cornflour
fresh thyme, finely diced
3 tblpsn tomato paste
1/2 cup carrot puree
salt and pepper

Shortcrust pastry

Puff pastry

1 egg, beaten.

Method:

• In a medium hot skillet, sauté onions until clear, then add carrot, garlic and herbs
• Add your meat, season with salt and pepper and cook well, until browned
• Add the worchestershire sauce and cook until absorbed
• Now add the tomato paste and mix through. 
• In a bowl, whisk together your cornflour and beef stock before pouring over the meat.
• Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer.  Allow it to simmer for about 30minutes (or more).
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Allow the meat mixture to cool well before trying to compile the pies.
• While waiting for the mixture to cool, prepare your shortcrust pastry and then leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 45mins before rolling out.
• The recipe I love the most for Shortcrust Pastry and which works every time is Gordon Ramsey's. It is SO easy, seriously there is no excuse for store bought shortcrust if you have a food processor - it literally takes less than 3 mins. Find it here at http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2013/04/chunky-beef-mushroom-pie.html but essentially it is 2 parts AP flour :1 part butter :1 part iced cold water.

To put together the party pies:

1. Bring out your puff pastry from the freezer to thaw. (I don't know how to make puff pastry and store bought is SUPER easy to buy!!)
2. Preheat your oven to 375'f or about 190'C
3. Prepare your muffin trays by lightly spraying with cooking spray.  I like to use a regular size muffin tray for party pies, you could use the larger Mexican size if you were making these for adults or some other large ramekin.
4. Roll out your shortcrust pastry, to about 3mm thick.
5. Using a cookie cutter or other round shape, cut out your shortcrust pastry bases to fit the bottom and sides of your muffin tray.
6. Spoon in the cooled meat mixture until almost level with the top.

7. Cut out your top pastry using the puff pastry sheets.  I used a scalloped edge cookie cutter which   

    looks nicer when cooked.  Lay it top of your meat and press lightly against the base.  I didn't use 

   egg wash or anything to helps seal, just a little pressure and it stayed pretty well stuck.
8. Continue until all the mixture is used.  If you wanted to keep them for another time.  Flash freeze 

   them in the muffin tray at this point and then when frozen enough to remove from the tray, bag and 

   label them in freezer bags.  
9. If cooking straight away, then brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg before baking for about 

   22-25mins.

Orzo pasta salad

During the summer I like to have some vegetables roasted at the beginning of the week to make my salads more chunky as well as healthy.  I don't always have protein for lunch so some roasted squash or red pepper or eggplant goes a long way for me.  Here is a summer dish I just love.  You could use pearl cous cous or orzo or quinoa, whatever you fancy.  The girls love that the orzo is small and cooking it in chicken stock gives it, it's own flavor.  You can substitute any vegetable or salad ingredient you like but here is a good balance of colors and textures to make a yummy lunch or light dinner.   Obviously if you don't have vegetables roasted already, then you would need to get the oven on and get those done first.  I have them in containers in the fridge so I just warm them through under the broiler or just mix them in with the hot pasta and thats enough for me.   I love to add chili flakes on mine as well for an extra kick.  

Ingredients:
orzo pasta
chicken stock

2/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup broccoli florets, small 

2 tblspn basil, freshly chopped

1 clove garlic
knob butter
sea salt

cracked pepper
2/3 cup diced mushrooms
1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese

grilled eggplant, diced

or butternut squash, roasted
optional: Grilled chicken breast slices

Method:

• Cook pasta in boiling water with chicken stock
• Soak florets of boccoli in boiling water for 5-8mins (while the pasta is cooking)
• Dice mushrooms, heat a shallow skillet pan and cook mushrooms in a knob of butter. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms release water and brown up.
• Dice other ingredients, and place in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper, a drop of olive oil, chili flakes (optional) and add cooked garlic mushrooms.  Toss well.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain well - retaining 1/3 cup of pasta water in a separate bowl.
• Mix through a 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese while hot and then add to mixed vegetables.