Spring salmon asparagus salad

Smoky smoked salmon is the perfect fast food when you want dinner on the table ASAP. If only bought fast food tasted this good; this is natural, simple ingredients put together to make an easy light meal.

Recipe
Smoked salmon with couscous, roasted feta and asparagus

Ingredients
200 grams smoked salmon
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
100 grams. Cucumber thinly sliced on the diagonal (dressed in lemon juice olive oil and sea salt, pepper)
Bunch of fresh asparagus spears
100 grams feta cheese
Fresh dill
100 grams sour cream with a squeeze of lemon juice to loosen it.
X2 medium boiled fresh eggs

Method
1/ prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
2/ bring salmon to room temperature
3/ pre heat oven to 190 degrees and snap ends of asparagus and wash and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, cracked pepper. Add the feta cheese to this by breaking Into chunks and make sure it has some olive oil and seasoning on it too. Roast this on a tray for approx 12-18 min till the asparagus is tender and feta a bit browned.
4/ assemble salad couscous, cucumber , asparagus, salmon broken into chunks, spur cream, feta, egg and dill.more seasoning.

Creamy Pain Perdu with strawberries

Just when everyone is trying to eat themselves slim and stick to their New Years resolutions, I am doing neither. Instead I am enjoying today’s freshly picked organic strawberries with eggy French toast or sometimes known as gypsy bread. Though looking at this gorgeous plate of food I am not sure this conjures up gypsy food?. So french it is, Pain Perdu, usually made from yesterday’s bread. I took Diana Henry (celebrated food writer) lead and made my pain Perdu with brioche.

Recipe Pain Perdu
Ingredients and instructions:
2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, 150 mls cream. Beat this together in a shallow bowl or dish.

8 slices of brioche, cut in half. Lay them in the eggy mixture for 5 minutes. Melt a knob of butter in. Frying pan and fry the brioche until they Are golden. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Serve with whipped cream, icing sugar and sliced strawberries.

Baked vegetable rissoto

There are times that I struggle to get the oomph for 16.9 minutes at the stove, wooden spoon in hand, stirring and stirring my risotto to creaminess. So I don’t, I relax, pour a glass of wine, put the risotto inside a hot oven to bake and step away from the oven and forget about it for 20 minutes. You can virtually change this risotto up with whatever ingredients you have at hand according to the seasons. I have been thoroughly enjoying the new season broad beans with just about everything and they go beautifully with this risotto. I love how they enliven it up from tasting too stodgy, and the fresh herbs, cheese and lemon juice makes this really fresh tasting.

Tomato and pumpkin risotto with fresh broad beans

Ingredients
200grams arborio rice
Stick of finely diced celery
One small onion diced
Two garlic clove chopped to a paste
One carrot finely chopped
25 grams butter
4x tablespoons of olive oil
Half a cup of white wine
400 gram tin of Italian chopped tomatoes
500 mls of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of pumpkin diced to 1.5 cms big
Bag of fresh broad beans
Parmesan cheese
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Lemons
A cast iron with a lid is ideal to cook this in.

1. Preheat your oven to 200 deg. On top of your stove Heat oil and butter over gentle heat and cool celery, onion, garlic and carrot for 7-10 minutes until they have softened but not browned. Add the pumpkin.

2. Add the rice and increase the heat a little so it toasts for about 30 seconds or so. Then add the wine, wait for it to evaporate.

3. Add the tomatoes, stock and butter. Bring to the boil then clamp on a lid and place in your hot oven for approx 20 – 25 minutes. Start checking it at 20 minutes to make sure it does not dry out and that it is cooked enough.
Once cooked remove from oven and stir through Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs. Then check for seasoning. Place the lid back on for it to sit for a minute.

4. Put the kettle on. Get your broad beans podded. Place a pot on the stove with hot boiling salted water. Drop the broad beans into the boiling water to cook until they go bright green or 2-4 minutes depending if they are very small or very big.

5. Remove and drain and refresh in ice cold water. Dress with best olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt.

6. To serve, spoon risotto into bowl and spoon broad beans over the top of the risotto and eat immediately. I recommend lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

The fragrance of home

I bought this beautiful mimosa and mandarin soy fragrant candle today. It got me thinking about the little things that make my home special; fragrance, food, wine friends and music. I know I gain a renewed sense of wellbeing when I throw open the windows and let fresh air in. Clean laundered crisp, cotton white sheets blown through with the wind and sunshine. Fresh from the oven baking, cooling on the bench until its time for friendship & afternoon tea. Slow, slow cooking on the stove with the assuring smell of comfort that dinner is under control. Light, open the curtains, I am blessed my little kitchen is positioned to soak up the last of the days rays. Views, if you aren’t ready to invest in art – buy flowers. Vitality in a jug, what a visual feast and pleasure they are, the star of the show in even the dullest of space.  And if you missed the florist, cheat like me and spray some lavender water or diluted essential oils around. It instantly erases yesterday and create a clean and fresh smelling room.  Music, sing, dance, tv -no way, no ads, no radio, yes to jazz, world music, nostalgic old school music – I love this. I love creating an atmosphere of relaxation and pleasure. Good food, call up some friends, what its Monday? excellent. Have a dinner party, don’t save anything for a special occasion, open that special bottle of wine today, celebrate, what’s the occasion?. Its Monday, Monday is the occasion, Dress up! dress for life. Put on some bright lipstick, a sequins dress and heels. The silver, the crystal, the fine china (who has fine china these days?). Open all the windows, air the house, light a candle, arrange some flowers, prepare something delicious to eat, open the wine, invite some friends, dress up – be special. Turn the tv off, play the guitar/ukulele/piano/bongo drum. Ok you don’t know how, invite someone who does? I am sure my friend Jill will come and play the ukulele for you. Breathe in the good fragrance of home…a holiday…exotic destination?. No. home is wonderful. Play, eat, drink, dance, sing until you fall into those fresh sheets. Home is very satisfying.

Be fit, Be healthy green spaghetti

A good balanced lunch always sets me up for the afternoon and helps avoid a four pm energy dip. I have recently discovered this lovely brand of Italian organic whole meal dried only takes 7 minutes to cook. It makes a good base to add pesto, seeds, nuts, cheeses, perhaps a poached egg for protein and vegetables too. Whatever is in your fridge. The whole meal pasta has a nutty flavour. I always feel good adding more fibre to my diet.

Ingredients serves 1 person

75grams spaghetti
75 grams Pumpkin chopped into 1cm cubes or smaller
35 grams feta cheese
X1 Tablespoon basil pesto
Large handful baby rocket chopped
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil

1:bring a pot of well salted water to the boil, cook pumpkin with pasta until al dente, drain (retain a few tablespoons of the water) and return to the pot with the few tablespoons of water.
2: add the rest of the ingredients and toss with extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper.
3: serve. This would be good at room temperature also.

Seafood French bounty

Fresh shellfish, salmon and fish from my local fish market is such a lovely treat.

I have been cooking from a new cookbook la cigale, which is a collection of French classic recipes from owner Elizabeth Lind who pioneered the French market and bistro in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. The recipe for a French style seafood cream bound chowder caught my eye. It is French style with the mussels initially cooked in apple cider. This forms the basis for the stock which you add to the celery, shallot, carrot roux. My four hungry Man guests were silent as they started the meal. I accept this as a nod of approval when there is silence. Tonight I have the seven hour lamb leg due to be ready any minute, again from the same book. I have been re-enthused for some decadent French cooking. Pork terrine is next on my wish list.

Perfect scrambled eggs

In times past I admit I could cook an impressive dinner main, however, I feared and was at a loss how to cook cafe style scrambled eggs. My home attempts at scrambling eggs looked like a curdled plate of milk with soggy toast. My scrambled egg confidence has now peaked and I almost resent having to pay for this simple meal from cafe. Especially when it is so darn easy and usually much nicer at home, creamed scrambled eggs poured hot from the pan onto your waiting toast.

For one person.
Ingredients
x2 free range eggs
1/4 cream
big pinch of salt
10 grams butter

Optional: bacon, roasted tomaotes.

1: Crack eggs into a bowl, add cream and salt. Beat lightly till just combined.
2: Cut toast and get toasting.
3: I like to use a small non stick wok or small frypan. I put the heat onto medium to high, add the butter, pour the eggs into the pan and using a spatula start to turn bits of egg from around the pan on top of each other. Wait a few seconds in between stirs. The idea is you want nice big bits of cooked egg and more runnier bits throughout. Try not to stir too much as you dont want it to separate out too much. This should take about 20 seconds or so. Turn the heat off before the eggs are all cooked as they will continue to cook in the heat. Pop your toast on the plate and slide the eggs on top of the toast. Do not worry about buttering the toast as the eggs are creamy enough with the cream and butter in the recipe.

Joyful eating from 2012

When caught out hungry I can be a right grouch. My husband jokes we need to keep a mini snack box in the car just for me, his favourite line is ‘are you hungry again we just ate 3 hours ago’ I say ‘yes that was breakfast’. Call it low blood sugar levels but I really do need to eat quite regularly so am always planning out what I am going to eat next!.  Cooking is a passion, but more thrilling is the joy of eating what I cook. The icing on the cake is serving that food up to my hungry, appreciative guests. When greedy silence descends on the table you know you have nailed it.

My second daughter Evie Rosa was born on 19th September 2012. A second peaceful birth at home meant that I could get in the kitchen and cook some nourishing post birth meals. 2012 was a huge cooking year for me pregnant and with a new-born baby and I never got around to posting the photos and recipes I made. So here is a quick 2012 photo diary of some of the everyday meals that came out of my kitchen and were very joyfully received by my family and friends that never made it on to my blog.

Crumbed, golden and glorious! chicken, fish, haloumi cheese, there are so many options. I can never decide whats best fresh breadcrumbs, or ground macadamia, almond nuts, parmesan cheese, panko crumbs. Crumbed foods shallow fried in butter and olive oil, or the fat of your choice, find me someone who can resist this. Forever the reason my home has been affectionately nicknamed ‘fat camp’ from my friends and family.

Cake and baking became my friends in 2012. As Nigella Lawson says if you can measure and follow a recipe then you can bake!. It’s not that hard I have firmly discovered. I thoroughly enjoyed baking some of Diana Henrys lovely recipes from her book http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Cook-Simple-Diana-Henry/9781845335748?redirected=true&gclid=CPK1y7n3_7QCFQRKpgodXVcAUA

This recipe came from this book. A very easy chocolate cake that takes minutes to mix the batter. The almonds look so stunning contrasting against the glossy chocolate icing.

I am also in love with Nigellas new Nigellisima cook book. This is her italian apple pie cake I made. http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Nigellissima-Nigella-Lawson/9780701187330

I ate my fair share of rice and potatoes last year. Fish kedgeree stared a few times. certainly a dish which is more than its sum of parts. Breakfast, lunch or dinner – the perfect meal for anytime of the day. Nelson New Zealand Mapua smokehouse produces outstanding moist, sweet, oily smoked fish. It is swooningly delicious and never dry.

I discovered Dulche De Leche. Why it has taken me this long to taste something this decadent from a jar. For once I praise industrial food. Thank you Argentina for Dulche De Leche. Right now you will fall into two camps.

1: you are nodding your head knowingly as you read this and have a secret stash of Dulche De Leche in your cupboard which you sneak spoonfuls straight from the jar when you need to mainline some pure sugar!. Oh its good.

Or

2: If you have no idea what I am going on about. Please go to a specialty food imports store or online and buy some asap. There are so many ways to have your dulche de leche – milk caramel sauce. I made a chilled vanilla rice pudding, I then mixed dulche de leche with some cream to thin it down and drizzled it all over the rice pudding. The only problem here is stopping at one bowl. We also enjoyed a banoffee style american pancake stash with bananas, softly whipped cream and dulche de leche drizzled. delicioso.

With all this cake eating going on in 2012 I have been thinking my pantry needs a health overhaul and it is time to get my kitchen whizzing up split green pea soups, quinoa salads, farro oyster mushroom rissottos, buckwheat pancakes with blackberries and bowls of steel cut oats. I cant wait to get cooking.