TVSN recipes

It was a fabulous show today on TVSN and I won't be surprised if they have a sellout show again.

 I know there were a few viewers wondering where they could find recipes for the dishes cooked today, so I thought I'd better post them here for all the new Circulon Contempo buyers (and of course for everyone else!). If you didn't catch the show, I was showing how quick and easy it is to make yummy meals in a very short amount of time. Below are the recipes I cooked today. 

I didn't get a chance to pull out the pizza I made on set, however, I did make another one for my boys' dinner tonight and I have to say the baking tray would have to make the best crust I have made....a big call I know but I stand behind it! You'll find the dough recipe I used here.

Seared salmon with orange and chilli glazed bok choy

1 salmon fillet skin on

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of one orange

1/2 bunch bok choy with base cut off

Method:

• Heat pan without oil for 3-4 minutes.
• Once hot season salmon pieces, add oil to pan and place salmon in skin side down. Leave to crisp up for 4-5 minutes giving it a light push with tongs making sure the whole of the skin is searing onto the frying pan
• Once you see the colour change up the side of your salmon pieces, turn over.
• Add sugar to your frying pan and caramelize, stirring until dissolved (about a minute).
• Add juice of the orange, chilli pieces a pinch of salt and keep stirring. Once you have a syrup, add your boy choy and wilt.
• Remove salmon piece (if you have a thin piece of salmon you may need to remove before you put your bok choy in), toss your greens around in glaze then place on a serving plate with your piece of salmon and drizzle over your orange glaze.

Chicken pie

1 tablespoon olive oil

700g chicken breast, medium diced

salt and pepper

100g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic glove chopped

½ cup plain flour

2.5 cups milk

1 diced red capsicum

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper then sear the meat. When lightly coloured, remove from the pan and keep to the side.
• In the same pot, melt butter and then add onions and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
• Add flour and stir through to form a thick paste, cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in milk, stirring continually to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is added, whisk until smooth then add chopped red capsicum. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add seared chicken pieces and simmer for about 2-3 minutes for flavours to combine.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a pie dish.
• Cut out a lid of puff pastry and place on top of your pie mixture making sure the pastry lid is slightly larger than the dish.
• Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with black pepper and place the pie on a large oven tray then pop it in the oven on the middle rack.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes then leave to cool for 5 minutes before eating, as they will be very hot.

Braised lamb chops

6 lamb chops

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 fresh tomato, roughly diced

1 brown onion, chopped

2 lge potatoes, par boiled and diced

white wine

1/2 cup peas (frozen are perfect)

50g butter

Method:

• In a large frying pan with high sides, season your chops with salt and pepper then sear the chops.
• Once seared add garlic pieces, onion and tomato. Stir making sure everything touches the base of the pan.
• After 3-4 minutes add potatoes and about 1-2 cups of white wine (enough to just cover chops) and bring to the boil.
• When boiled sprinkle over peas and add butter. Place a lid on top, bring to the boil again then reduce the temperature to LOW and leave for 30 minutes so it is lightly simmering.
• After 30 minutes, break up the potato pieces with your tongs to thicken your sauce then serve with fresh slabs of bread.

For the raspberry pancakes I used this recipe but instead of blueberries I added frozen raspberries.

Happy Cooking 

Miso and flathead meal

I am not sure why I have waited so long to blog this meal? At the time I remember looking in the fridge to find not much in sight. The fish shop is closer than the butcher so that was pretty much how I started preparing dinner....with a quick dash down the street!
It must of been a Wednesday night because I was trying to get dinner organised before heading off to yoga. I remember this because yoga starts a bit later (7pm) and I am always wondering what is better- eat before I go or when I come back?

Whenever I take the boys along to buy fish they always want calamari or flathead. I didn't have time to cook calamari so flathead won but you could use salmon, snapper...any white fish really.

Of course when I got back home, I didn't have any potatoes for chips and the rice bucket was empty (I would also like to add that it must of been a busy day for me to be so flakey- that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). Digging a bit further in my cupboards I found a packet of dried udon noodles I'd bought at least a year ago. I'm not sure why I have waited so long to use them, but I have to say they were perfect for my 20 minute meal.

Flying by the seat of my pants I filed through my cupboards a little more to find my emergency lunch supply also known as miso soup sachets, something I can't live without. If I'm having a big day at work and forget to eat or just haven't the time, I dump a sachet of miso paste into a mug, pour in boiling water and in seconds I have something hitting my stomach before I feel sick.

Having said that, I decided to make a meal size miso and udon noodle dinner with pan seared flat head.
Running out of time for  myself to eat before yoga I was really looking forward to this meal.
Once I had it sorted in my mind, it was a very quick meal to throw together.
With veggies cut and water boiling, I quickly blanched the vegetables off (carrots, peas, beans, shredded spinach) then using the same boiling water, cooked the noodles.

With the vegetables and noodles all ready to go, I divided them between 4 bowls and then started cooking the fish. Because I had to leave just as Nic came through the door I put the kettle on made up some miso broth and then all Nic had to do was finish cooking the flathead and ladle on the broth (which also reheats the noodles and veggies). Fresh chillies were added to adult bowls while the boys went a-la-natural.
 This was a great late night meal, not only is it fast to put together but it also healthy and delicious!

Beer battered fish with an edge

 

Almost every Friday Nic gets a text from me or a phone call which goes something like this-

"Do you feel like fish tonight? I think fish would be good...."

Where he replies...

"Do you want me to get some fish on the way home?...."

"Yes please!!!!" is what I usually type back, or if I've had a shitty day, I'd be a little more sarcastic and say something like......"seeing as you pass the fish shop on your way home then it would be a good idea....yes!"

(lucky for him I am usually the bubbly, stress free wife....Ha,haa)

Last Friday I was in need of some fish. I looked in the fridge and it wasn't a pretty sight. When I can see every shelf in the fridge I know I am in trouble. The vegetable crisper had a few scraggy veggies in it and some limp basil and coriander leaves. There was a possibility of turning that into a meal as I spotted some rice noodles in the cupboard, however, I needed something to really feel like we were sitting down to dinner not lunch.
The boys were not impressed when I said we were having fish for tea. Max has decided he really isn't a 'fish' eater anymore...
"I prefer some baby octopus or maybe some prawns.." (maybe I should of just gone with a couple of crayfish! that's lobster tails for my US readers).

I could feel the whining build and the fish hadn't even arrived yet, so I threw caution to the wind and PROMISED it would be yummy. This was a hard promise in my mind due to the lack of food I pulled from the fridge!

By the time Nic got home with the fish, I'd made a rice noodle salad out of all the leftover, end of week vegetables and herbs and I have to say it didn't look to bad. I'd decided I'd cut the fish into bite size pieces and cover them in beer batter for something different.
I hadn't made a beer batter in yonks and only recently had battered fish that was bloody awful, so I wanted to remember how yummy it really could be.

As I was putting the flour into a bowl I also grabbed a few spices to help jazz it up a bit. It wasn't until I started cooking the fish bites that the aroma hit our noses and my creation came to life. I have to say, it smelt so good that Max came over for a look and actually stopped screwing his nose up at the idea of fish for dinner.

After Max and I sampled a wee piece we were hooked and couldn't fry them fast enough! You see what I did was put a little bit of Chinese 5 spice, coriander and turmeric into the batter.

The crunch of the battered fish bites was a perfect match for the rice noodle salad that was laced with a lime and herb dressing.
 I have to say it, both Alex and Max asked for seconds of the salad and said I must make it again. Sadly I didn't really pay much attention to the salad, due to the lack of ingredients I had on hand so I'll have to have another play around with that one before I write up a recipe.
I can however, give you a fabulous beer batter recipe!

Spiced beer batter for fish
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
salt and cracked pepper
about 1/2 bottle of draught beer (I used James Boags)

Place flour and spices into a bowl and add seasoning (about a teaspoon combined).
Grab a whisk and start whisking in your beer.
Pour in a good 1/2 cup first then check thickness of the batter. Keep adding until it is like clagg glue (do you remember this from school?).

Once you have your batter right, cut your fish into bite size pieces.
Fill your wok (or large frying pan) with canola or rice bran oil (my favourite) until it is half full.
Heat up your oil, test to see if it is hot enough by sticking a wooden skewer into the oil. It bubbles appear around the edges of the skewer then your good to go.

Drop your fish pieces into your batter, then gently remove excess batter and pop your bites into the oil.
Once browned, turn fish over and cook until all over colouring.
Drain on paper towel and repeat process. Sprinkle with a little sea salt for added yumminess 

Nic's barra and quinoa dinner

Apparently Nic's fans are missing him and apparently I have been pretending to cook meals when in fact Nic is the one cooking (he tells me this but I cannot remember the meal in question?). So today's blog is NOT about me but my other half.
I have to admit I know I am one lucky lady who has a husband that cooks,  enjoys cooking and will knock up a family meal when he takes one look at me after a long and tiring day in the kitchen knowing I couldn't think of anything worse then turning on the gas burner at home!
If was Friday afternoon, I had a late delivery and he texted me with the best text ever "I bought fish...I'll cook tonight"
YES!!
Friday night is the end of our shopping week, so it can be a bit hit and miss in the pantry. We were out of potatoes, rice and couscous so not off to a very good start.
Anyways after reaching into the depths of the cupboards, Nic pulls out a bag of red quinoa and asks
"what's this?"
Oh yes, I said....use that as I have been wanting to try them for ages.

Nic not being very trusting of me with new ingredients (I don't know why?) decides to confer with his all time kitchen diva- Stephanie Alexander.
"Well Stephanie doesn't write about it so it can't be that good" was his comment.
(I am still wondering if he wants to live a long and healthy life or just here for a good time not a long time?)

In the end I left Nic to his own devices and sat on the couch reading the boys a story while he whipped up this delicious meal.
Being the first time we have eaten quinoa we were very happy with the end result. The nutty texture complimented the barrumundi in thyme and lemon butter sauce beautifully. The boys weren't over joyed with our new find but I think it has something to do with them overhearing me tell Nic how good quinoa is for you!
I'll be coming back to it again for sure and using it even when we do gather the rest of the staples back in the pantry.

Burramundi with Asian flavours

I've been meaning to blog about this meal I made last week. I can still remember the lovely textures and flavours it produced.  I had recently bought Kylie Kwong's  recipe book Simple Chinese Cooking. I love her food, restaurant and t.v stints so I thought I should also own one of her books.

The pictures are beautiful, enticing and vibrant and I was determined to make one of the dishes. Nic came home from work with fresh barramundi and that's when I started flicking through the pages. I finally settled on a steamed fish dish that sounded perfect for the family, however as I went through my fridge and pantry I discovered...
a) I don't have a steamer at home anymore (took it to work, just like everything else I have in the kitchen!)
b) I only had half the ingredients.

I decided to use the pictures in the book for ideas and then create something with my limited supply. I had decided to pan sear the fish and then spoon over a similar ginger and Chinese sherry sauce that Kwong was talking about in her fish recipe- I was getting excited. I'd chopped up the vegetables, pounded my ginger and coriander root; added the sherry, fish sauce etc... when I suddenly remembered I had a packet of Japanese panko bread crumbs in the cupboard. I could taste the dish before I'd made it. Soft, steamed rice with barramundi coated in a light layer of crisp bread crumbs soaking up a the rich Chinese sauce- yumm!
Our fish supper was a success, a beautiful blend of textures and flavours. It was one of those occasions when the table was quiet and all you could hear were the clicking of chopsticks and forks.
 When I eventually get my steamer back I'm going to following Kwong's recipe and see how far off I really was, however the next recipe I will be following in her book is the crispy-skin runny eggs with sweet and sour sauce......the photo is to die for!

A quick fish dinner

I think it is quite acceptable for me to post a 'quick' meal after such a long break. I have been trying to get to the computer all week but I keep getting caught up with work stuff! (which reminds me I need to put on my dough for pita bread, as I need to knock out 60 before tomorrow......welcome to a caterers life!).

My MIL was up in Sydney this week and popped over for dinner on Tuesday. We hadn't had fish for what seems like forever, so when we were discussing dinner at breakfast, it was arranged Nic would pick some up on his way home from work this evening. It is at this point where the dinner plans went by the way side and nothing else was planned until 30 minutes before we needed to be eating. As I opened the fridge door, I was holding my breath and praying I had enough veggies in the crisper to get us through this meal.
Now because my MIL was over, I didn't want to have an argument with the boys on eating veggies (thought I'd save that for another day), so I was a little worried when my eye first fell upon the swede I brought (a vegetable I love roasted but the rest of the family thinks disgusting!). As luck would have it I managed to find some beans and corn and then knew exactly what I'd do with the fish.
Whenever I get fish I immediately think of salsas. Not sure why but I do love the fresh, vinegary flavour of diced tomatoes mixed with vinegar, oil and herbs. Any salsa compliments fish brilliantly and is also something the whole family loves- which is a bonus when guests come for dinner!

While my potatoes were roasting in the oven, I diced up the salsa, popped the corn and beans on to cook and then finished the salsa. Nic walked in the door with the fish and we were eating a delicious meal within ten minutes. The only problem was, we all wanted seconds!
I used dill for the herb as I has quite a bit of it in the fridge but basil, thyme or coriander would work just as well.

Bean and corn salsa
2 whole fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced finely
2 corn cobs, cut all kernels off before cooking
1 cup beans, cut into 5cm pieces
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Pre-cook your corn and beans until colour brightens and then refresh in cold water, drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl add chopped tomato, onion, dill, vinegar and oil.
Mix, add vegetables, season with salt and pepper and leave for 5 minutes for flavours to meld.
Serve with pan seared fillets of fish and roasted potatoes.

Re visiting fish tacos

I have been retrying a lot of my recipes these past few weeks and on Friday night (last night) we reconnected with fish tacos. I looked up the original recipe I had written when I was writing recipes for kidspot and put it into action once again but with a few slight changes.
Instead for putting the marinade ingredients into the blender, I decided to use the mortar and pestle as I was after a recipe with big flavour, not just quick preparation. I was not disappointed. It is like everything in life, if you're after a quick fix by all means use the fastest approach, BUT if you have a few extra minutes pound away in your stone mortar and you will be justly rewarded. The colour was sensational, not to mention the smells of coriander, garlic and lime juice wafting around the kitchen.

I proceeded to follow the recipe but remembered I used corn the last time I made it but couldn't find it in the recipe and I didn't want to dirty another pot (I really hate dishes!) so I shredded my cobs of corn, scattered the kernels around the fish just before popping it in the oven to cook. Fresh corn is wonderful raw, so a little roasting with the fish would only bring out a great fresh flavour.

Popping the fish fillets into a hot oven for about 7 minutes is a very healthy way to prepare these tacos, the marinade really opens up and flavours the fish and corn, while the fillets remain flaky and juicy. Once they are cooked I remove them (along with the taco shells) from the oven, cut into a rough dice, then serve hot with diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, shredded lettuce and some lime mayo that I whipped up while the fish was marinating.
Yet again this was a big hit with everyone. The crisp taco shell pares beautifully with the fresh condiments, flavour packed fish not to mention the tangy lime mayo.

For the recipe click here.

Prawn and couscous parcels

I have been meaning to make these ever since I read armchairchef (a.k.a Bryan's) version a month or so back. Bryan has such a great idea, I thought I would just play around a little and see what I could come up with. If truth be known, I read his blog and thought it a great idea,however, when I re read it tonight I must of mixed my own ideas with his and forgot he used basil pesto; for some reason I thought it was cilantro (coriander)!
I didn't have any pesto in the house, it was a massive day at work, I'd finally arrived home since leaving at 5.15 this morning so I was NOT entertaining the idea of 'popping to the shops!'.
 I was always going to use filo pastry instead of the healthier version of parchment paper but I needed to come up with a flavour filling. In the end I followed Bryans' lead, cooked my couscous, diced my veg and then decided the kids could try theirs with fresh basil leaves and I filled ours with fresh chili, cilantro leaves and lemon juice (this is what I thought I saw).

I love how impressive these look and I also love that I can make these in the morning and serve them for dinner without to much of a thought. Even after a really long day at work and sore feet I was in and out of the kitchen before I knew it.
Hey Bryan, your right, the aroma knocks you over when you pierce your knife inside and open it up. Nic, the kids and I all filled our nostrils with the delights ahead of us and we were not disappointed in the flavour. Max LOVED his with fresh basil but wants to try it again when we have pesto in the house. Nic and I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican twist, but also look forward to a pesto infusion in the future.

Thank you Bryan for this great family meal, we all loved it (actually Alex hates prawns, which I forgot but he loved the filo, couscous and corn so happy days!), and I'll be making it again- no doubt putting a different spin on the fillings each time.

Crumbed silver beet with flathead

Silver beet is an interesting vegetable, I love it. I just feel the health oozing from me when I eat it. Nic thinks I'm silver beet crazy- "you want to put it in everything....." was his reply when he started making a bean and jalapeno stew the other night. I merely suggested its presence in the meal because it needed to be used up!
I bought the silver beet for our night of flat head. If you have never crumbed silver beet then you've been missing out. It is a wonderful way to eat the green leaf, and the 'look' of it gives even the more distrustful 4 year old a reason to at least try it.
It is very simple to make, you crumb it as you would crumb fish or chicken. I use fresh breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture and it absorbs the butter really well. Once it is pan fried, I pop it in the oven on a low temperature while I quickly cook the fish.
It is at this point when I have to admit I DIDN'T cook the meal, I left that in the capable hands of hubby Nic. After preparing the sliver beet I needed to deal with some work bits and pieces so he kindly took over. When dinner was ready it smelt wonderful as he made a delicious lemon and thyme sauce to drizzle over the fish. That matched with crisp pan fried silver beet and oven roasted potatoes..... it was a meal I couldn't help but get excited about.
Max couldn't get passed the green silver beet, but Alex was hooked once he took a bite (I think it was the added butter that made him a fan!). If you're up for an experiment give the sliver beet a try and serve it with fish, chicken or lots of other veggies. I am sure you'll be happily surprised.

Fish kebabs with polenta chips

I don't know if you remember, but last week I was suppose to serve fish kebabs with my lemon and pea risotto, however I kinda forgot to buy the polenta!
This week I was on top of the shopping and decided to pair the kebabs with chips. Usually I would never have served these two together, seeing as they are both long, and, well long. It doesn't seem right to serve kebobs with chips, but, I got over my hangup and began cooking the polenta so I could get on with it.
Polenta doesn't really take that long to cool so I was able to start from scratch, BUT, if I was a more organised person (when I wrote this recipe I was hoping I'd become this way), I would of made the polenta base the day before and had it ready, then all I should of done was cut and shallow fry. Alas, that didn't happen and yet I managed to get all the preparation ready for when Nic came home and pulled it all together.

It was late in the evening, kids were tired, hungry and I had lots of paper work to catch up on, so Nic came to the rescue. Once the polenta chips were cut, he threaded the fish on sticks, sprinkled with thyme and then whipped up a tomato and basil salsa drizzled in balsamic oil. I always think if you are making dinner and you know one part takes a little time (chips) then do yourself a favour and make the rest really easy.
So, as the last batch of polenta chips hit the oil, Nic cooked the kebabs while Alex set the table.

Such a simple yet novel idea threading fish onto a stick! The thyme really gave the fish (he used ling) a beautiful aroma, especially when char grilled and then biting into hot, crunchy, yet soft polenta was so, so good- especially if you managed to fit a dob of salsa on your fork.

Whole fish

So far this week, we have dined on pork chops with mango, beef satays and peanut sauce and tonight's dinner was right up there with the best of them when it comes to flavour. However, serving a 4 and 8 year old from a whole fish isn't as easy as it really should be. Firstly you get the 'cool, its eyes look like they are going to burst' to 'open the mouth mum, open the mouth!!' and then reality sets in and they ask what are they having for dinner (like I have meal option number two just bubbling away in the oven, as all good mummys do....and if you are one of those mums then I have nothing to say to you!).

I have filleted my share of whole fish, in fact I think I have filleted more than my fair share thanks to many a customer at Campagnola who would order the WHOLE fish then scream or whimper when it came to the table with the head and tail still attached (shock, horror!). I can fillet a stranger's fish in seconds and have it back out to the table in no time at all but when I was taking the fillets from the boys fish all I could see was bones, bones, bones-- did I get them all out?, will I have to give one of them the upside down shake? To say I panicked a little would be fair. This, of course, did not stop me from serving them their meal but I must confess I did watch them closely, that was until Alex informed me that he '...actually doesn't like this fish, just the ones I can hold and eat, they are real fish'.
After telling Alex I was 100% certain that this beautiful red snapper was a real fish, he then informed me '....well I like the ones with the crunchy bits'- 'oh really' was my only thought.
With that said he decided to admit to liking tomatoes and proceeded to eat all this tomatoes (that had me in a moment of shock), devour his baked potato and leave 98% of his fish. I was sad he didn't like it but not entirely shocked, after all it has taken a lot of grown ups years to master a whole fish, so I decided to let this one go and try again in a few months. Max on the other hand inhaled and the entire meal disappeared, but how can I take that for a compliment, the way he eats right now, I don't think the food even touches the sides!

Two yummy dinners unblogged

I promised myself I would start week 4 of my family meals on time and on target. I got myself to the computer on Monday afternoon of week 4 and realised I haven't given my beef and coriander bake from Thursday night and the grilled fish with lemon and pea risotto from Friday, a mention at all!

With that said I am going to start week 4 tomorrow (surprise, surprise!). I am actually going to print my original beef and cilantro recipe (hoping) people who can easily acquire New Mexican chilies will make this dish because I remember it tasting, so  so delicious when it was made with all the original ingredients. Don't get me wrong, it was very yummy not to mention easy when I made it without the chilies, but I kept on wanting that delicious smoky flavour you get when you cook with the New Mexican chillies.

Friday nights Grilled fish and risotto wasn't exactly 100% 'sticking to the schedule'. Fish was on the menu but instead of risotto it was meant to be with polenta chips. The old story of 'I looked in the cupboards and they were bare....' was the case when I went in search of polenta (kinda forgot to buy it!). So being a quick thinker I swapped week fives -fish kebobs with pea and lemon risotto with week fours -grilled fish and polenta chips... no worries.
I didn't make the kebobs, I was in the mood for grilling so we'll do the kebabs with the polenta and really confuse ourselves.
End result was......
a) really yummy
b) really easy and great for a Friday night.
 We could pop open a bottle of wine,(stir the risotto) have a chat about the day (stir the risotto) and slowly bring the meal together while the boys played with lego and kept themselves amused.
 I love Fridays!
So there you have it, the week started with a detox and ended with two really yummy family meals that got everyone in the family excited. The boys even made the comment that 'dinners are yummier lately..' ..'but why don't we have mac and cheese anymore?' (that is what the weekends are for when mum and dad get to have date night!).

Beef and Salsa Bake with Cilantro

This meal is short on preparation time though needs the hours to cook. I advise you to make the main meal ahead of time on the weekend or during the day if time permits. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze until needed- then it really is a 20 minute meal when time matters. The chilies used have no heat, only flavor so they are perfect for your toddlers pallet.

FOLLOW THIS ORDER

 Soak chilies 

Make salsa

 Make beef

Boil potatoes 

Make salad

Salsa

2 New Mexico Chilies 

1 garlic clove

1/2tsp salt

1c fresh tomatoes, diced 

1Tbsp lime juice

1.Heat a small fry pan on HIGH heat for 1 minute. Add chilies and turn to color for about 2-3 minutes. Once skin is dark and ‘puffed’ remove. Place in a small container and pour boiling water over chilies- soak for at least 30 minutes. You will need to put a weight on the chilies to stop from floating.

2. Once soft, remove from water, discard seeds and stem then place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse for 40 seconds, until well combined.

3. Leave to one side until needed

Beef

1Tbsp olive oil 

1.5lb sirloin tip steak, 11/2” cubes

 1tsp salt and pinch pepper

 2Tbsp tomato paste

 3 shallots, sliced

 2 carrots, halved lengthways, sliced 1/4-inch pieces 

2 celery sticks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 

1c green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces, top and tailed 

2c chicken stock

 1c salsa

 1/2c cilantro leaves

 1 avocado, peeled

1.Preheat oven to 450. In a 3QT lasagna dish place- oil, steak cubes, shallots, salt, pepper and tomato paste, mix to coat steak cubes. Place in the oven for 20 minutes uncovered to brown.

2.Remove from the oven and add remaining vegetables and stock. Mix to combine making sure the meat is just covered with liquid. Reduce oven temperature to 350, cover and bake for a further 50 minutes. 3.Remove from the oven. Add salsa, stir to combine, recover and place back in the oven for a further 30 minutes.

4. Just before serving add cilantro. Serve with sliced avocado on the side or mixed in with beef.

Potatoes

1lb new potatoes

1tsp salt

Place potatoes in a saucepan and fill to cover with COLD water. Add salt and put on to boil-uncovered. Once boiling let them coo for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, strain and serve.

Cucumber salad

 1 lg cucumber, peeled and seeded

 2Tbsp lime juice 

1/4tsp salt 

1Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Place all ingredients into a serving bowl, toss to combine well and serve with beef and potatoes

Fish & chips, pizza and a detox anyone?

 

I ended this weeks meals with a home run and it was not entirely planned. Writing a menu plan from a list of recipes covering two months is a lot of meals and I think I must of got a bit excited in the beginning because somehow I put fish and chips back to back with homemade pizza. To say I was looked at tenderly by my 4 & 7 year old is putting it mildly!
Alex may not be a big meat eater but he makes up for it with fish, and since Max was knee high to a grasshopper he has made it very clear pizza is his (or in the top ten) number one food. For take away meals I must admit that fish and chips is my favourite, while homemade pizza is a close second-- a great 'taking it easy' dinner, perfect for  Friday night if you ask me!
Don't worry, I get serious again next week with dumplings, beef and cilantro bake and grilled fish just to name a few.
 I have also decided to do something I never thought I'd do.......I'm going on a three day detox (just writing it is making me feel weak).
Since moving to North Sydney I have met a great lady who has started her own business and her business is all about body cleansing. I see her day in and day out juicing all her raw fruit and vegetables, pouring them into  bottles and packing them off to her clients. Of course at first I thought good for her, and then when I dug a bit deeper a few months later I was curious as to how I would feel if I packed my body with nothing but raw fruit and vegetables, nuts legumes and water.....could I do it?

So starting Monday I am detoxing for the next three days while still sticking to my menu planner for the rest of the family (nothing like testing my self control!). I never thought I EVER go down this road believing I do eat a healthy diet but I'm telling you, if you saw Schkinny Manninny, you'd want to give it a go as she is the epitome of health and I want to have me some of that!

Friday night's Thai fish cakes with Asian coleslaw

Week one has come to an end with our menu planner and what a delicious way to see in a balmy Friday evening with Thai fish cakes. I know I am a few days late in posting but life kinda got in the way; so posting on a rainy Sunday seems appropriate......at least I got it in before next week's menu planner.

We LOVE fish in our family, yet before I started organising our family meals we rarely ate it. The fish shop was always another block down the road and I never really got there unless it was for a special occasion. Quite pathetic really seeing as every time  I serve it there never seems to be any complaints and dinner is devoured before the hour clicks over, which is more than I can say for other meals!
I know fish cakes can be off-putting to some people but if you have the right equipment, ingredients and a bit of time up your sleeve (let's say and hour while you are having your end of week glass of wine with no sporting activities to rush off to). For Friday nights fish cakes I wasn't able to cook them as I had a late delivery to drop off so Nic was in the throws of Asian coleslaw and pulsing fish when I walked in the door (and yes I did spot his opened bottle of beer!).
Nic being Nic followed the recipe to the T and we were not disappointed....actually that is not quite true. The fish cakes went down a treat and both boys asked for seconds, however the coleslaw wasn't to their liking. I am sure if you had kids that actually like normal coleslaw then they would at least have a go at my version of an Asian slaw where I make a mixture of sugar syrup, garlic (lots of garlic) fish sauce, chillies and coriander then soak the raw cabbage, onion and carrot in it to give it a lovely sweet and spicy flavour. To be fair I didn't put chilli in the family version, I just added it to my plate and with Alex Nic threw in a dollop of mayo with his raw veggies to make a classic slaw but still the nose screwed up and it was declared before even tasting it "not very nice."

So with that said, we all ate our fish cakes and even went back for seconds, however Nic and I were the only ones to get dessert and Max left the table with the comment "great fish cakes dad but don't do that salad again." Honesty stings a bit but I live in hope there are other kids out there who would love the Asian slaw as much as I.

Friday night dinner

I think I should re name my blog 'weekend blogger' as it seems to be the only time I get to hop online. Welcome to the world of full time work and parenting I hear some of you say, well your right. I am happy to say I have survived my first three weeks of my new world and I must say I couldn't of done it without the help of my mother-in-law, Pam.

Because my hubby had to pop off to Italy in the first week of me taking over the business I thought I should ask Pam if she could come and 'help out' with the kids. I assured her I'd be home in the afternoons to do school pick up and all she would really need to do was drop them off at school......Oh how wrong was I!

Nic has been away for almost 3 weeks and for the past two weeks I don't think I have been home earlier than 6.30 most evenings. Whatever happened to my perfect, child friendly new full time job I cannot say and if I was to be completely honest with you I'd have to say the Charcoal chicken I bought on my way home one night was a life saver, the pasta stores at home have dwindled down to nothing and anything that took more than 30 minutes to whip up was never seeing the light of day.

This is not to say we haven't been eating some yummy meals. Take last nights dinner- fish and chips. I'd come home early from work, Grammie was on her way back to Victoria and I actually felt like a decent meal. Fish was something I had told Pam 'I'll pick up one night', but as things go it never happened!

I asked the boys what they would like for dinner, mentioned the possibility of some fish and they both thought fish and chips an excellent idea. We all packed into the car before I changed my mind and headed for the fish shop. Flathead fillets were looking delicious so I grabbed a few and headed for home, on the way I dropped into the supermarket and picked up a bag of potato gems (something from my childhood I have fond memories of and know Nic would never eat).

By the time we got home time was ticking on, the boys started picking up all the toys they had left about the house (I might of threatened boiled peas and potatoes if they didn't!) while I started dinner. Because flathead is such a delicate fish with a subtle flavour I wanted to grill it and make a quick lemon butter sauce.

Looking into the fridge I discovered I didn't really have a hell of a lot of salad bits and bobs to go with dinner, this is when I had to get creative with the shape of veggies; carrots get turned into sticks, cucumber chopped into quarters and then sliced and tomatoes chopped small with seeds removed (Alex could be tricked into eating the flesh/skin if I am lucky enough). I also found some pickled asparagus lurking in the side door of the fridge so I decided to pop it in and see how it fairs (considering both boys HATE asparagus when it is lush and green I didn't like my chances).

With the potato gems almost golden brown, my salad macerating in a garlic and balsamic vinaigrette it was time to grill the fish. I lightly covered the fillets in seasoned flour then heated my frying pan with a good dollop of butter and a hint of olive oil to stop the butter from burning before the fish was cooked.

When cooking fish fillets like flathead, perch, orange roughy or ling you really only need a medium high heat to brown the fish without burning it. Once the flesh starts to look white gently flip the fillets over and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to help the cooking process.

Remove from the heat squeeze in half a lemon, pop the lid back on and leave while you serve up your potatoes and salad. The fillets will be well rested and you should have a lovely citrus flavour coating the fish.

The boys and I really enjoyed this quick and simple meal, Alex spotted every bit of tomato and berated me for even thinking he would eat it, however success was had with the pickled asparagus, Max ate every last bit without the slightest idea so I was happy with 1 out of 2 attempts of introducing the boys to food they HATE!

A late lunch

I wasn't going to blog about my lunch today but after finishing it I decided I would because it really did taste yummy and really, I should share the basic everyday foods I devour if of course they are delicious.

OK so now I have you all captured and dying to know what I just consumed, let me tell you it was a very tasty little melt that I whipped up. The kids are in their last week of school holidays (thank god!), we have just been whizzing around the Sydney Olympic stadium with friends and of course we stayed way to long. The 5 minute car drive home was 5 minutes to long and we were all starving as we poured into the house. Melts are a big hit in our house, they are fast, quick and a great way to use up leftovers with out the rest of my family knowing (seriously getting them to eat leftovers is like pulling teeth, Nic included!).

I whipped open a tin of tuna, added mayo, diced tomato and slathered it onto the rolls I had cut in half. With that done and the grill turned on to HIGH I grated cheddar cheese to top them with then popped the melts under the grill (melting the cheese to cover the tomato so Alex will never know). They were ready before Max could finish telling me how starving he was and that he didn't think he was able to sit at the table due to lack of energy (my own little drama queen) the kids were eating within 8 minutes of getting through the door and I was almost there, I just needed to drown mine in sweet chilli sauce; I have to say it sealed the deal. There's nothing quite like creamy mayo and sweet chilli sauce combined with melted cheddar and tuna- YUM! Max opted for some sauce on his also but Alex had found an edge of tomato while halfway through his melt and was trying to come to terms with the fact he had mistakenly eaten tomato; the pain and torture I put my kids through!

Seriously though, for a quick yummy lunch that isn't a classic sandwich you should give a melt a go and I defiantly recommend a splash of sweet chilli sauce.

OK so after looking at the photo it doesn't look fabulous BUT it did taste yummy...or was that just because I was starving? Oh what the hell it tasted good at the time.

Mother's Day Weekend

I hope all the mum's out there had a fabulous weekend and got spoiled rotten!

 I made an executive decision a few weeks ago and booked a trip to Tassie to visit my parents-ALONE.

 I hadn't spent a Mother's Day with mum since I had become a mum myself and thought after seven years I deserved a weekend escape. I decided it was my turn to sit on the deck sipping champers and telling tales with mum and dad and more importantly it was MY turn to send a photograph of ME to my sister instead of the other way round- I would be the one eating crayfish and salad with mum and dad this Mother's Day weekend.

Well the idea and intentions were all there-however, my parents would have to be some of the busiest people I know and to think they would have Mother's Day weekend off to lazy about with me was quite honestly- wishful thinking! It wasn't all bad, if you knew my parents you'd agree that what ever happens there is always laughter and food.

Day one:

I arrive in Tassie, dad picks me up from the airport and whisks me home to sip one of his delicious coffee's before driving me down to mum's work to say a quick G'day before I meet up with her this evening. I was to help her up out with a 7 course Korean feast for some lucky punter. That's correct ladies and gents, I was to work within 6 hours of beginning my 'holiday'. It was the work I was looking forward to, after all I am my mum's daughter and she was my first teacher of all things culinary and I was eager to see what she was up to.

After donning our uniforms we drove off to the catering event. A beautiful kitchen was awaiting us, as was mum's co-worker Marlow. We started the evening with tempura fried prawns stuffed with pork and herbs, Kim chi (fermented cabbage), and steamed vegetable and pork/prawn dumplings, dipped in a mirin and soy dipping sauce (below).

Following these starters was Miso soup lightly flavoured with chicken and spinach- a lovely pallet cleanser.

 

Once the miso came back next to go were 'roll your own' prawn, cucumber and mushroom pancakes that were so fresh and crunchy you couldn't possibly stop at one (I think I must of eaten 3-4, thank god she made extra!).

I was bursting at the seams by now but we had one more savory dish- the main dish of steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables with a hint of sesame oil and marinated beef topped with a soft poached egg and shavings of seaweed. A delicious combination of textures and flavour I couldn't resist. 

By the time desserts rocked around mum and I were in full swing, the lime semi-fredo were pulled out of the freezer to soften up, mum cut into the yummy strawberry marshmallow she made (it was a much lighter texture than marshmallow but I don't know what else to compare it to?) and topped it all off with a toffee shard.

The night was a complete success. The customer was delighted, I got to spend the night in the kitchen with my mum AND I managed to eat myself into a stupor (I can only do this when I haven't been the one in the kitchen cooking all day so thanks mum).

I think I'll leave you with these tastes and delights and tell you about day two- on the donut machine with dad tomorrow............

Fish tacos

Nic went away to L.A on business last week and his mum popped up for a visit and to help me with the boys (or should I say have them all to herself). Pam is a great cook and she always spoils us when we go to visit- I don't cook a thing! My in-laws live on the coast so they eat plenty of fresh seafood and are used to freshness and flavour. Having spent many years inland we didn't eat as much fresh fish in the States so it was very exciting to find my local fish shop with oodles to choose from. 

Traditionally when cooking fish tacos you usually dredge the fish in milk and flour then fry it in oil; totally delicious and always has you craving for more. When I was thinking about adding fish tacos to my Mexican week on Kidspot I wanted to make them as user friendly as possible and that also means healthy for busy families. Whipping up a quick marinade and then roasting, pan frying or grilling the fillets was the best option I came up with. The following recipe was a great success with young and old. Grammie thought them a treat (hopefully for the flavour and not just the fact she didn't have to cook) while Alex inhaled every last bite and came back for seconds which is a rare sight with him these days. The fact that we all got to build our own allowed the boys to have whatever they wanted. Max loaded up on tomatoes lettuce and cucumber while Alex filled his with corn and fish and lets not forget the lashings of lime mayo they spread on top. 

If this has captured your attention then follow this kidspot link to the recipe and taste test it for yourself.