caramelised nuts – walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds

Salty, sweet, crunchy and utterly moorish. I am so proud of myself for finally getting around to making these, now I must stop eating them. I never realised just how easy it is to caramelise nuts.

I have been in love with caramelised nuts for quite a long time, I love caramelised hazelnuts sprinkled over a hot smoked salmon, roasted beetroot & vinagarette leafy salad greens. Today I plan to break these up (once I stop munching on them) and scatter them over a roasted beetroot salad and serve that alongside my onion, thyme and parmesan tart.

I also think these would be just plain lovely served with drinks on Christmas eve in a little bowl. You may like to give everyone their own bowl!.

RECIPE

ratio is up to you to decide, this is how I did it.

• Two handfuls or so of walnuts and sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons of soft brown sugar
• teaspoon of sea salt or to taste
• big pinch of cinnamon

1. heat olive oil gently over a low to medium heat (be careful not to burn)
2. add brown sugar, sea salt, cinnamon and stir together
3. add the nuts, cook gently until everything gets thick and sticky.
4. spread nuts out on to baking paper to cool for ten minutes.
5. break up into pieces.

apple butter french crepes at bedtime

These were meant to be for afternoon tea, by the time I made the crepe batter, laboriously stood over the hot stove and made each individual crepe, was distracted with household routine, came back to prep and cook the apples, and then lovingly put this simple little dish together, serving time was bed time. I love naughtiness and anyone watching their waistline would have headed straight to bed without these. I smeared the dish in 60 grams of butter, enclosed each rolled crepe with soft cooked apple, sprinkled plenty of caster sugar over the top and dotted with cold cut butter. This was then baked in a hot oven until the crepes went a bit crispy on the edges and the sugar and butter melted into delicious goodness. Luckily my always hungry brother-in-law was around to help eat these all up. I served mine with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Oh la la.

Grateful for Spring

It makes me feel so productive to bake and cook, these are some of the things I have been enjoying …. Blueberry and chocolate bit muffins.

Lentil salad, new season sautéed courgettes, blanched green beans, sweet red onion and feta cheese. Gently tossed in a simple squeeze of lemon juice & my best New Zealand extra virgin olive oil. Season, season, season.  The perfect accompaniment to a greek oregano & lemon roast chicken.

Early season tiny broad beans, podded , dressed raw with lemon juice, sea salt and a tickle of olive oil. After a half hour of therapeutic broad bean podding, I decided to put this Haloumi salad together. Not strictly traditional, I have no idea if they eat broad beans in Greece. It was delicious, after some quick googling for further inspiration and desire to keep it as simple as possible; I decided on a tahini, honey,  lemon juice & olive oil dressing. The greek haloumi was wonderful fried nice and crispy golden, the trick is too eat the haloumi hot immediately.

 A highlight of a recent trip to Wellington, New Zealand was a visit to a Cuisine magazine recommended restaurant http://www.capitolrestaurant.co.nz/ . When I saw the Creamy pumpkin, sage, parmesan and pine nut risotto on the menu I was excited, when it came to the table it was a decadent wet style risotto, which I love. Pure comfort food. I have been dreaming of this risotto ever since, so was even more excited when I came across a recipe for it in an Old Australians Womans Weekly magazine. This version as per my photo below had half a cup of mascarpone and parmesan cheese through it. Definitely not for lettuce leaf eaters!, which I am certainly am not. The recipe was divine.

Right time, right place – out of the rubbble of Christchurch

In my opinion if not one of the most exciting and progressive things that has happened to Christchurch since the February earthquake has been
the opening of the Cassels & Sons Brewery & Cafe at the Tannery Woolston http://casselsbrewery.co.nz

This new start venture reads like one of those classic kiwi business ventures, father and sons home brew beer over a unique wood fire in the back
yard and over a beer decide let’s start a boutique brewery. After a few setbacks and two major earthquakes which nearly decimate there business with vision they decide to push forward and rapidly expand the brewery into a prime restaurant, cafe, bar & entertainment music venue.

With the choice of the crème  de la crème of the Christchurch hospitality staff out of work they recruit them all, Barista Tonto from ex Vivace Cafe fame, chefs, bakers, front of house  staff.

We are now utterly spoilt for a premium destination for most importantly  boutique beers, wood fired pizzas, rustic food, sumptuous cabinet food that  would not be out of place in any international city. I adore this place, it  opens seriously early in time for all day breakfasts (try the chilli baked beans on hot buttered toast), serves up lunch, affordable cabinet food by a  clever mother and son kitchen team. The salads are vibrant and piled high on  platters, think Otto Lenghi style http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/.

 The Dinner menu is thoughtfully written, wood fired pizzas inspired by local place  names, how tempting does Horotane Pear, Blue Cheese, Thyme & Smokey Bacon  wood fired pizza sound?. Check out the website for a line up of entertainment in the form of live music acts, this is bound to fill the void  for  entertainment deprived locals that the loss of CBD has left. This is what a  true local food & drink place should be like; children are welcome with  highchairs and a big old cane basket full of wooden toys and books. I get the innate sense that this is just the beginning for the Cassels and this Brewery/Bar/Cafe/Restaurant/Entertainment venue is filling the gap perfectly and will be here for a long time to come….in fact it feels as if it has always been.

Change of season

I guess I have been suffering from food boredom. My jaded palate has not
been craving anything at all. The thought of cooking has been giving me food
fatigue. I guess the most enthusiastic chefs or foodies all go through these
seasons. I put this down to too much cooking, I have overdone it and have been
falling back on my favourite tried and true recipes. Burrittos, Roast chicken, rissotto,
simple spaghetti cabarnora made with fresh eggs, bacon and parmesan cheese and lot of fish dishes!. Sorry no photos, the meals have not even warranted a photo. When my husband says at the end of the meal ‘that was a bit simple’ I know he has been far too spolit with decadence night after night. With my spring fitness motivation I also decided It was time to make some salads for dinner.

Lamb, Barley & spinach salad

We have been having an early spring with some lovely days in the 15-18 degrees. Let me tell you that is like a blessing after a few months of cold, wind, rain & snow. So all this food fatigue has been swept away by some warmer days. I have been working ALOT, and have now managed to get back into my training routine. I have an amazing trainer Jess Ford who runs weight resistance circuit style girls only group training 3 mornings a week in Sumner. So I have been getting up at 5:35am and have enjoyed getting my sluggish butt back into some vigorous training.  Post feb earthquake my favourite Bikram hot yoga was closed. I have since discovered www.hotflowyoga.co.nz and went along to a class today. I loved it the room was only heated to 36ºc and the class was a power vinyasa style yoga. In true yogi style I came home with the inspiration to make a simple red lentil, carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato soup. I used my freshly made chicken stock as a base, it makes such a huge difference to bought stock. The soup was thick and delicious and I felt as if I was nourishing my body just by eating it. The change of season is welcome with so much to look forward to…aparagus, strawberries, blueberries, stonefruit, tomatoes and a bounty of courgettes.

Coriander and mint cold curry

I am a huge fan of Ray Mc Vinnie and his take on classic recipes. Sunday’s highlight is reading the Sunday Star Times Ray McVinnie food section for two recipes he supplies each week. I was excited when I saw the picture of his Balinese coconut Chicken, my mouth was watering. I have never been to Bali and thought I was not familiar with this style of cooking. I liked the look of crisp tender green beans, simple sliced cucumber and a delectable looking roast chicken turned into a cold coconut curry with plain steamed rice.

Balinese/Indonesian/Malaysian style Cocunut Chicken

As I started to prepare the recipe I realised I had no Malaysian shrimp paste and that the recipe felt similar to a Lindsey Bareham recipe I had made from her book The Fish Store (Highly recommend this book). Lindseys recipe is called a Malaysian Chicken Rendang which her fore-word says is a famous curry eaten for breakfast in Malaysia. I fondly remember eating lots of curries for breakfast when I travelled through Nepal and India, the breakfast curry is strangley perfect in a hot climate.  This version originates in nearby Indonesia or Western Sumatra where it is made so hot and spicy it keeps at room temperature for a week. Lindsey and Ray’s versions are softened with plenty of coconut cream to stop your head blowing off!.

Malaysian/Indonesian Style coconut Chicken

(recipe adapted from Lindsey Bareham and Ray McVinnie)

Ingredients

• 1 size 14 free-range chicken
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 6 Tbsp soy bean oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 150 ml cold water
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted desiccated coconut
• 400ml thick coconut cream
• 4 Tbsp chopped coriander
• lime juice, to taste
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced; 200g green beans, stalk ends removed, blanched in boiling water for 4 minutes, cooled under cold water, well drained, mint or coriander leaves to garnish

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c. Cut down each side of the chicken’s back bone (I use kitchen scissors) and discard the back bone or keep to make chicken stock. Cut through the middle of the breast bone so the chicken is in two halves.
2. Put the garlic in a roasting dish and place the chicken on top, skin side up. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of oil over the chicken and season well. Place in the oven for 1 hour until cooked through and browned.
3. Place the finely chopped ginger, onion, red capsicum, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground
   coriander and  150 ml cold water in the bowl of a food processor and blitz till you have a smooth paste.
4. Heat the oil in a wide hot pan or wok  and add the puree and cook for 15-20 minutes till it has darkened a bit and is fragrant.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and when cold enough to handle, take the crisp skin and meat of the bones and shred coarsely.
6. Mix the chicken, toasted desiccated coconut, fresh coriander, coconut cream and bring to the boil and simmer for 6 minutes or until it is very  hot. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper so the mixture is pleasantly tart and well seasoned.
7. Serve with steamed rice, sliced cucumber, green beans and mint leaves.

So many recipes to cook and not enough time

So many recipes to try and so little time. This is my current cooking wish list which I will cook over the next month.

Baked okra – I spent some time in  Nepal and India where these are very popular stewed into a soft glutinous curry. I really enjoyed eating this little vegetable also known as ladies finger. I have seen piles of these lately at the Durham St North Indian supermarket and Funky pumpkin on Colombo St. My new Tessa Kiros cook book – Food from many Greek kitchens has alovely looking recipe for Baked Tomato and Okra. I plan to add some browned chicken pieces and make  a complete meal with plain steamed rice.

Fresh mussels in their shells – It seems ridiculous living on a small Island surrounded by the sea that I have never attempted to steam my own mussels. I adore shellfish. I am going to make a mussels in their shells with a tomato, garlic & saffron broth and plan to mop all the juices up with crusty warm bread. I have done my homework and it sounds like it will be quickie dinner – 5 minutes prep, 5 minutes steam and done.

Fresh squid – We have been having unsually warm weather this week 18-20 degrees and it is making me crave the ocean. If I can not swim in it I want to eat everything from the sea. I am sure you have had the overcooked rubbery squid experience like me and then tasted it when it has been perfectly tender cooked. Annabel Langbein tells me in her new cook book The free range cook, the trick is to cook it fast and furious!. They have whole wierd looking squid at Pak n Save for $9.99 a kilo. This is cheap food people!.

Poached fish with lemon oil – After so many heavy, rich winter çomfort meals I desire the clean, fresh taste of simple vegetable and fish dishes like this one. I can not wait to make this, a Tessa Kiros recipe again.

fisherman’s soup – If the steamed mussels and poached fish go well I may have to back up the whole seafood month with this combo dish. A modern bouillabaisse. I am sure you know the story, a famous mediterranean fishermans soup.

Rabbit stew – I have never eaten or cooked rabbit, the closest I have gotten too rabbit is running one over – it was terrible. I have seen a few recipes lately in my dish magazine for rabbit. Finally I have found a source to buy from  in Halswell to save me having to find one in the fields myself. I will let you know how I get on.

A Whole fish baked – All my favourite cooks tell me it is super easy to cook a whole fish. I have always been put off by the prospect of the bones!. Last time I ate fish cooked on the bone I was nine and managed to get a big bone caught in my throat!. I tried everything to dislodge it, dry bread, milk, water. Finally it dislodged on it own after many hours. apparently vinegar in water works as it is acidic and dissolves it.

Wild greens pie – I am so lucky I can buy the most glorious looking greens from my local farmers market. I love the idea of buckets of well-flavoured wilted greens  enclosed in home-made flaky pastry.

Leek and parmesan tart – My sweet husband bought me some a gift of spray free leeks yesterday so I must use them quickly and I though I would make this tart once again. Perfect for a light supper with a well dressed green salad.

Goat cheese and spinach souffles - I finally invested in a perfect set of Le Cruseut blue ramekins so I can practice my souffle and brulee making skills!.