Alphonso Mango and Curried Chickpea Salad

Description

A fullsome, delecatable salad which can be served warm or cold, created by Yotam Ottolenghi.  Refer to his book  "Plenty More" - page 105

Recipe Notes

Allow 45 minutes for cooking dried chickpeas

Ingredients

• 150 g dried chickpeas - soaked overnight in plenty of water and 2 tsp bicarb. (or canned chickpeas if you are short of time)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 80 ml sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small cauliflower, split into very small florets
• 2 Alphonso mangoes (or 1 big regular mango)
• 1 medium hot green chilli, chopped
• 20 g chopped fresh coriander
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 50 g baby spinach leaves

 Method

Put the chickpeas in a bowl, cover with three times their volume of water, add the bicarb and soak overnight. Drain, put in a pan, cover with water and simmer until soft. Dry-roast the coriander, mustard and cumin seeds in a skillet, then crush to a powder. Mix in the curry powder, turmeric, sugar and salt. In the same pan, heat half the oil and, on high heat, cook the onion for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spice mix, cook on medium heat for five minutes, until the onion is soft, then transfer to a large bowl. Blanch the cauliflower for a minute, then drain. Once it is dry, heat the remaining oil in the same pan you cooked the onion in, add the cauliflower and fry on high heat for two minutes, to give it colour. Add the cauliflower and hot chickpeas to the onions (the chickpeas absorb more flavour when hot), stir and leave to cool to room temperature. Peel the mangoes, cut into 1cm dice and add to the bowl. Stir in the chilli, fresh coriander, lime juice and spinach, taste, and add salt and lime juice as needed. Serve at once, or chill and serve within 24 hours.

 

Baked Asian-Style Snapper

This fish has some Thai/Asian inspired flavours but is typically Modern Australian.  It is so versatile that you can vary your ingredients depending on what you have in the fridge and pantry.

Ingredients – Fish

Fresh Snapper, approx 1 – 1.5kgs
Seasonings/Marinade
1/2 lime cut into thin slices
Piece of ginger, approx 1 cm, peeled & cut into thin slices
1 large clove of thinly sliced garlic
1/4 Spanish/red onion thinly sliced
Citrus Siam Salt – see Tridosha
(optional — otherwise, use a mix of salt, pepper and lime juice, and lemongrass if you have it handy)

Method

Make sure the fish is well scaled and washed.  Dry with paper towel and remove any remaining scales.  Trim fins if you have a good pair of kitchen shears. This is optional.
Lay the fish on a flat board and cut 3 or 4 deep slits on both sides from the widest part to the narrowest part of the fish – see image.
Rub with a little peanut oil.
Fill each slit with a slice of lime, a few pieces of garlic, ginger and red onion.  If you have lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves, add a few of these too.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper (Citrus Siam if you have it).
Stand the fish in a large baking dish.  The fish is easily supported by placing one small ramekin inside the body of the fish.  If you don’t have a ramekin, you can stuff your fish with tin foil.
Bake in moderate to hot oven (approx 180-200 degrees Celsius – ovens vary) for about 20 minutes.  Fish will be ready as slits start to open and meat is white and flaky.
Do not overcook as fish can dry out.
Transfer fish to a warm platter and drizzle with Sauce and scatter with fresh Coriander before serving with stir fried vegetables or an Asian Style Salad.
Cheats Sauce – Ingredients
1 tablespoon  Peanut Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons  Sweet Chilli Sauce
1/2  lime juiced
Splash of Asian Dipping Sauce – contains water, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, shredded carrot, chilli, garlic, salt

Method

Heat Peanut Oil and Sesame Oil in small saucepan.  Add all other ingredients.  Test for taste.  Sauce only needs to be heated long enough for it to become hot.  Turn it off and reheat just before pouring over the fish.

Toasted Granola

Ingredients
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Puffed Quinoa
1/2 cup chopped Almonds
1/2 cup Sunflower Kernels
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas
Cinnamon (powdered)
1/3 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 handful Goji Berries
1/2 handful Sultanas
1/4 handful Currants
10 Dried Apricots - Chopped
Shredded Coconut



Method
Pre-heat oven to 160 celsius (fan forced) or 180 degrees celsius.

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Mix oats, quinoa, almonds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Mix dry ingredients with your hands.
Gradually drizzle with approx 1/3 of a cup of Maple Syrup and 1/4 cup of honey -- note, adding a little at a time and mixing dry ingredients with your hands until  are slightly damp.  Add more maple syrup and honey as desired, but not too much as the ingredients will stick together as they cook.

Pour mixture onto the lined baking tray, spreading it out evenly.

Cook for 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes to ensure it's not burning.  The mixture should just have a light honey colour.

While this is happening combine the dried fruits:  Goji berries, sultanas, currants and apricots.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with dried fruit mixture, and sprinkle with shredded coconut.  Spread this, with your hands, into the partially cooked mixture.

Return tray to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Check that the fruit is not burning, and maybe mix things up a little more, returning your tray to the oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Keep checking as the dried fruit will burn if it's in for too long.

Remove your tray to the bench and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

This will keep in your pantry for up to two weeks.

fennel-baked side of salmon

2 large bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 x 900 gm salmon fillet, skin on
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1-1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, extra

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F). Combine the fennel, onion, oil,
tarragon, salt and pepper and place in a large baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Place the salmon on top of the vegetables.
Combine the parsley, lemon rind, capers and extra oil and sprinkle along the
length of the salmon.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Serves 4.

This is one of my favourite recipes from Donna Hay's "Seasons" Cookbook

Bircher Meusli

This simple version of Bircher Muesli uses goat’s milk yoghurt as opposed to cream or full-fat yoghurt.

This is best served the day after making and lasts for several days.

1½ cups Oats

¼ cup Almond Slivers

¼ cup Organic Sultanas

4 finely sliced dried Apricots

¼ cup Organic Apple Juice

Juice ½  Lemon

1 cup grated apple or pear

1 cup goat’s milk yoghurt

Mix the oats and almonds in a bowl and stir through the apple juice, lemon juice and grated fruit.  Gradually mix in the yoghurt until the mixture is quite sloppy.  Cover and leave overnight.  Add more yoghurt in the morning if the mixture is too thick.

Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Serve with stewed apples, a dollop of cold yoghurt and blueberries and/or strawberries.

Adapted from ‘The Food Coach’ by Judy Davie

Pollo alla Buranea

Chicken Burano Style

 Serves 6

1 free-range chicken (preferrably organic), about 1.5 kilo

l00g sausage - pork and fennel (or lamb and rosemary)

50g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

I onion finely chopped

2 celery stalks finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

I small rosemary sprig

I clove garlic sliced

finely grated zest AND juice of 1 lemon (note: juice added at end of cooking)

50 ml dry white wine

about 20 large green olives

l00ml chicken stock

salt and pepper

Marsala (optional - added at end. Start with about 100-150 mls and add more if you think it needs it.

 

Instructions:

Cut the chicken into l2 meaty pieces . Remove the casing from the

sausages and pinch the sausage meat  into pieces.

Melt the butter with the olive oil and add the chicken, sausage, veges, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest and fry, stirring for a few minutes until the chicken is lightly

coloured.

Add the olives, wine and stock and salt and pepper. Cover and cook

very gently until the chicken is tender for about I hour.

Add more stock if necessary.

Just before serving add the lemon juice and marsala.

 Original Recipe from cooking class at Fratelli Fresh, when they were in Danks Street, Waterloo.

Note, their original uses grappa instead of Marsala. 

Baked Snapper - my way !

This fish has some Thai/Asian inspired flavours but is typically Modern Australia.  It is so versatile that you can vary your ingredients depending on what you have in the fridge and pantry. 

Ingredients - Fish

Fresh Snapper, approx 1 - 1.5kgs

Seasonings/Marinade

1/2 lime cut into thin slices
Piece of ginger, approx 1 cm, peeled & cut into thin slices
1 large clove of thinly sliced garlic
1/4 Spanish/red onion thinly sliced
Citrus Siam Salt - see http://www.tridosha.com.au/products/products.html
(optional -- otherwise, use a mix of salt, pepper and lime juice, and lemongrass if you have it handy) 

Method

Make sure the fish is well scaled and washed.  Dry with paper towel and remove any remaining scales.  Trim fins if you have a good pair of kitchen shears. This is optional.

Lay the fish on a flat board and cut 3 or 4 deep slits on both sides from the widest part to the narrowest part of the fish - see image.

Rub with a little peanut oil.

Fill each slit with a slice of lime, a few pieces of garlic, ginger and red onion.  If you have lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves, add a few of these too.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper (Citrus Siam if you have it).

Stand the fish in a large baking dish.  The fish is easily supported by placing one small ramekin inside the body of the fish.  If you don't have a ramekin, you can stuff your fish with tin foil.

Bake in moderate to hot oven (approx 180-200 degrees Celsius - ovens vary) for about 20 minutes.  Fish will be ready as slits start to open and meat is white and flaky.  Do not overcook as fish can dry out.

Transfer fish to a warm platter and drizzle with Sauce and scatter with fresh Coriander before serving with stir fried vegetables or an Asian Style Salad.

Cheats Sauce - Ingredients

1 tablespoon  Peanut Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons  Sweet Chilli Sauce
1/2  lime juiced
Splash of Asian Dipping Sauce - contains water, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, shredded carrot, chilli, garlic, salt
 

Method

Heat Peanut Oil and Sesame Oil in small saucepan.  Add all other ingredients.  Test for taste.  Sauce only needs to be heated long enough for it to become hot.  Turn it off and reheat just before pouring over the fish.