Lentil and lots of veggie soup

For the past two nights I have been woken by the early morning rains. We haven't had much rain (in Sydney, sadly I can't say the same for parts of QLD and Victoria) in past months. So when I hear it on the roof, I lay quietly listening to it falling and enjoying the stillness of the house, after all it is usually around 4.30 am.

Since breaking my ankle I have to wear shorts. I could wear skirts if I had them but lets face it, I'm not really a swoosh, swoosh skirt kinda girl.
With the mornings cool and rainy, I want nothing more than to pull on a pair of favourite jeans so I can feel snug and warm. It's not that I'm cold, it's more the comfort factor I'm after. I love my shorts, but they are no comfy jeans!

Last week another fave blogger of mine TKW blogged about lentils and I was reminded of how much I love eating lentils. Then, I wondered why it was that I haven't made them in months? They are pretty simple to whip up, full of nutrition AND my kids will eat them up without complaints. A no brainer really......

Feeling like I need a comfort blanket wrapped around me I decided I'd make a batch of veggie and lentil soup. I revert back to the same recipe for two simple reasons a) It is very simple to make and b) I can load it full of vegetables the boys would not usually eat. The whole vegetable fight really does frustrate me. If I serve roast pumpkin Max will refuse to eat it stating "I hate pumpkin mum, how many times do I have to tell you??", yet he saw me chopping wrinkled mushrooms (again they get the same response), dicing pumpkin, potato and carrot when he cautiously asked me what I was making.

"lentil soup"was my reply.

"Oh the one with yogurt and lemon on top? I LOVE that soup!"

This is when I couldn't resist asking him why then does he say he HATES pumpkin, mushrooms etc..?
"Oh, I don't know. But when it is in this soup it just tastes yummy" with that he turns and runs off to play more of his Harry Potter game with Alex and I'm left none the wiser.

My recipe is very much slap dash but it seems to work. I know your suppose to soak lentils but today I just went ahead and cooked them straight out of the bag. It takes a little longer but nothing to worry about, especially when it is a rainy, dull day outside. If you are going to make this, I'd advise to make a big pot, because the flavours just keep on getting better. Guess what the boys will be having for school lunch tomorrow with a few carrot sticks and tortillas to sop it up with!

Brown lentil and veggie soup*

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 1/2 cups brown lentils
2 teaspoons salt

4 potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
11/2 cups pumpkin, peeled and diced
5 mushrooms, diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced

4-5 cups beef stock (or vegetable....even water is fine)

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat then add onion, garlic and garam masala. Stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add lentils and salt then continue to stir until lentils are well coated, about 3 minutes.
Add all your vegetables and sweat for 5 minutes, then add your stock, making sure the liquid covers your veggies and lentils by at least half and inch.
Bring to the boil, stir then reduce to a medium low heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check your lentils are softening then continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.
Once your lentils are soft but not falling apart and your vegetables are all soft, grab a stick blender (or potato masher) and blitz it for a few seconds, just to make a soother consistency. Turn off the heat and proceed with the next step.

1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon cumin, ground

Heat a separate saucepan on medium heat.
Add oil and add onions, stir to combine and leave for 1-2 minutes.
Add ginger, garlic and saute on low for 3 minutes.
Add remaining spices, stir to combine and cook for a further 3 minutes on low heat.

 Add your onion mixture to your pot of lentils and stir to combine.
Leave standing so the flavours meld together for a few minutes then serve with a drop of natural yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few chili flakes and fresh coriander (or basil).

* I really do throw in what ever vegetables I want to use up, so one day I'll use parsnip the next it will be beetroot or turnips- any root vegetable is perfect.

Lentils we love

I think by now it is clear my eldest son is not ever going to be a vegetarian. And I think after reading my blogs for a while, readers have come to realize I am as stubborn as a mule when it comes to feeding the family good, tasty food even if that does include the odd meat free variety. I put up with the moody pouts, whining and dry reaches from the boys, as I live in hope that one day they will see I was only trying to develop their taste buds and introduce them to flavours of the world.

So after having said all of this, you will note my surprise and shock when Max scooped up his last spoonful of lentils on this nights dinner and stated
"FINISHED!.....hey, can you believe I finished before ALL of you AND it was vegetarian!!?"
He was right, I was lost in quiet high fives with myself while grinning at him and patting myself on the back. That fact that he went on saying it was pretty good, actually (yes, he really talks like this, bless!) made my day.

Lentils are fabulous and super good for you, and the fact that the kids will devour them with the help of a few chapatis is all good in my books.
Ever since travelling to Turkey in my early twenties where I was introduced to a delicious lentil soup served with natural yogurt, fresh lemon juice and chili flakes I have been hooked on this combination ever since.
 I pulled my fridge apart to see what I could add to my lentil dish. The pumpkin was on its last legs and I thought it would be a great way to thicken my broth and add a bit of depth to the dish. As you can see it is a simple, quick recipe to whip up; perfect for dinner on the fly.
I even took the leftovers to work for lunch the following day and fed them to my business partner and barista. Lisa wanted the recipe as she is always looking for recipes that are gluten free and filling, while Brett informed me the following day, he had loads of energy for his squash game that evening and now wanted to eat lentils before each game.......loving the lentils!

Lentil curry (but not really hot, just yummy....)
2 cups green lentils, pre soaked*
2 cups hot water
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons salt

Strain lentils from soaking water then combine with the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Place them on the stove and bring to the boil, stirring to combine.
Once boiling add-
1 cup green capsicum, diced
11/2 cups pumpkin, diced
Bring to the boil again, stir then reduce to a medium low heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1 tablespoon oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon cumin, ground

Heat a separate saucepan on medium heat.
Add oil and add onions, stir to combine and leave for 1-2 minutes.
Add ginger, garlic and saute on low for 3 minutes.
Add remaining spices, stir to combine and cook for a further 3 minutes on low heat.

Once your lentils are soft on the inside, add your onions and stir to combine.
Leave to let the flavours meld together for a few minutes then serve with rice, chapatis, a drop of natural yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few chili flakes.
If I had some fresh herbs I would of added them also, alas I didn't and still thought it was really yummy.

*I soaked mine the night before as they need at least 12 hours of down time

I'm a finalist!

You know I have always been scared to enter competitions. I remember my first culinary comp as an apprentice, I was working for the Sheraton group at the time and they thought apprentices should enter into the up and coming competitions in the culinary world. I decided I would put my best food forward as a 4th year apprentice and go into the Entree section. I was so proud of my dishes. My friend and fellow apprentice, Karena, worked along beside me. We worked solidly through the night to put out our dishes. My biggest mistake was thinking the judges were actually going to taste the food. I put all my efforts into making my dishes taste fantastic when I should of been putting all my efforts into making the dishes look AMAZING! ( the details you learn after the event.....or perhaps I should of read the rules??)- Anyway, I didn't win and not one of the judges tasted any of the four dishes I made. From that day forth I promised myself I would not put myself through the agony of culinary competitions and have stayed true to my word until now.....15 years later.
Pam, my mother-in law came to stay a few weeks ago and encouraged me to enter into Australia's ABC Healthy recipe competition. Now I thought it was a good idea but I really didn't think I'd do it.....thanks to Pam's insistence I entered my roast veggie and goat cheese recipe. Not thinking I'd actually get somewhere but of course secretly hoping I wouldn't fall flat for a second time- I was delighted, no thrilled, to receive a CONGRATULATIONS email from ABC saying I was one of the ten finalists and will now have my recipe rated and trialled by the public.
Thrilled, elated and totally amazed that I had pulled it off, I am now asking my readers to pop over to the site here, perhaps make the recipe and then rate it so I am in for a chance to go to the next level. What ever happens I am happy to have moved on from my fear of failure and excited to be chosen in the top ten.

Avocado and beans

We have the flu back in the house (Max only). The kids haven't got big appetites for a change and seem to be craving baked beans and fried eggs on toast. Nic and I really have no interest in eating breakfast for dinner (but it has been known to happen I confess), so to keep arguments with sick children to a minimum I gave in and they had their eggs on toast, I didn't have baked beans so gave them a big helping of lemon buttered green beans instead and they were a huge success.

Right, with the boys all fed and bathed by 6-pm it was my turn to cook dinner for Nic and I. We were sitting in the lounge huddling around the lone heater when I asked Nic what he would like-"Something rustic and yummy' was his reply.

I started thinking mash spuds and beans then remembered I didn't have any meat to go with it like sausages, chops or steak; Nic said oven roasted chips would be good.

As I headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge to see what I had, no inspiration came to me (even thought I had done a massive shop that day and the fridge was chockers!). I remembered I had a tin of cannelloni beans in the cupboard so I worked around that. I was to produce a veggie delight and along a rustic theme. I started thinking Italian then pulled out a half mangled red capsicum (this is real life people!) that needed to be used asap. I started a sauce of olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and onion on a medium heat then added my sliced red pepper (capsicum) with some salt and pepper and simmered it to soften the peppers. I then added green beans, you know real Italian style.

With the beans in and lid on, the sauce was coming together. I'd add the cannelloni beans 5 minutes before serving so they don't turn into mush but I still thought the dish needed something else. My oven chips were seasoned with a salt and chilli pepper seasoning so the dish had a bit of spice to it; I opened the fridge again for further inspiration and a pack of four avocados caught my eye, I wonder.....

Nic and I use to eat avocado halves the old fashion way with balsamic or red wine vinegar and olive oil in the middle then seasoned with a good flaky sea salt and pepper- so delicious and simple. I started to think avocado could be my perfect missing piece to the meal, after all the bean sauce was an olive oil and vinegar based sauce.

The end result was fantastic! The creamy, smooth texture of the avocado complimented the spicy oven chips and balanced out the beans to perfection if I do say so myself.

I really do love it when my kitchen hodge podge ideas come together and I produce a delicious meal I will come back to again.

Mystery Dinner

Do you ever have that feeling of 'what can we have for dinner?'- when you go to look in the fridge all you can see are boring ingredients and nothing remotely interesting? Well that happened to me last night. Max had a friend around for an after school play, which means the kids left me alone until pick up. I had plenty of time to make something delicious and tasty, yet when I went to see what was on offer nothing looked appealing. I went to the cupboard and pulled a can of chickpeas and tomatoes out- they sat on the bench until the 11th hour.

I was running out of time, Megan had arrived to pick up her son and I was still wondering what to cook. In the end I thought I'd better cut up what ever veggies I could find to begin the process, otherwise it will be 8 o'clock and we'd still be unfed. The dinner was a total mystery to me until I turned on the heat of the stove and began adding to the pot. I needed to throw in heaps of veggies because Alex thinks he can survive on bread alone ( he hasn't eaten a good meal in days- the typical 3 year old!) and I needed it to be tasty because I was in the mood for some flavour before this cold I have takes over my taste buds!

 I diced all the veggies the same size as the chick peas so they will cook evenly, then  sauteed the lot in olive oil along with a couple cloves of garlic and some fennel seeds. After the aroma hit my nose it was time to begin making this mystery into something worth eating. I added a tin of tomatoes, plus some fresh cherry tomatoes that needed to be used up, salt and pepper then turned the heat down low, covered the pot and let it meld together for about half an hour, stirring every now and again. 

 I knew if I served it with couscous and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top, Max and Alex would eat it up, however I wanted a little something extra. I have had half a red cabbage sitting in the fridge for about 6 days now and thought it needed to be eaten. Knowing full well the boys would gag and complain if I put cabbage into the mix, I decided to make a coleslaw and add some chili flakes and orange juice to the regular mayo. It would improve the flavor and give Nic and I an extra 'punch' to the meal. 

I first thought to serve it on the side but after tasting the chickpea sauce I thought the creamy mayo and chili would compliment if eaten together. I was right, the yummy thick vegetable stew was rich and flavoursome but when finished with the acid of lemon  and creaminess of the mayo it really took it up a notch and we were very happy with the end result. The boys were not interested in the coleslaw but devoured the couscous and veggie stew- something Alex hasn't done in a while. Next time I am stuck for an idea I think I'll stick to throwing everything into a pot and hoping for the best seeing how it worked so well this time around.

Brinjal Pickle

We all have our favorite bottled ingredients that make life in the kitchen 100 times faster than making everything from scratch and I am going to share one of my favorite bottled ingredients with you all!

Brinjal pickle (or as it is now called- Eggplant pickle), comes from the Patak's range and is just superb!  My mum first introduced this to me when I was still living at home as a teenager. She use to grill some chicken breasts until just about cooked then slather the pickle on top and finish them under the grill to make the pickle bubble and stick all over the chicken. Since then I have done the same and tossed the cooked, sticky chicken breasts through a salad, or used it on the side when eating some yummy aged cheddar with crusty bread. I also have been known to pop it in a stew of pork, potato and beans just at the end for a flavour punch. More recently I slathered it all over some chicken drumsticks we were having for dinner. I served the drumsticks with lentils that were cooked with diced carrot, celery, onion and tomato- a pretty standard way to cook lentils, however if you finish the meal with brinjal pickle on top of the drumsticks you really have a wonderful meld of flavours.

The pickle does have a bit of a kick to it, so if you are going to serve it to your kids do what I do and slather the pickle on top of the skin and cook it but before serving wash and peel the skin off so there is only a hint of flavour on the drumstick meat. A great way to introduce the flavour to a kids palette without the drama of them thinking their tongue is going to fall off! I cooked the meal together in one night but due to swimming schedules and library visits the boys ate theirs the following night. It worked out perfectly due to the hot day we were having, I served everything cold and it was eaten and relished!

Next time you are wondering what to have for dinner and know you have some chicken, pork or potato at home, give it a go. In no time at all you will create a delicious meal the whole family will love and you can do it in under 30 minutes!

    

Chicken and Beans

With the cold air blowing in from the lake it isn't any wonder we are craving hearty soups, ragu's and blowing the dust off the crock pot. Vince was playing around at work the other day looking for a new idea for beans. Whilst 'playing' he came up with a great recipe for the restaurant and I took the same idea and ran with it for us at home. I loved his idea of using a basic veggie combo (onion, celery and carrot) cutting it smaller for color and flavor and also giving the family- vegetables upon vegetables without them really noticing. Because the onion, carrot and celery are chopped into a small dice, it takes the eye away from the green beans they are mixed with yet giving the dish extra color, texture and making it look very appealing instead of the regular steamed beans. I also added a tin (can) of black beans for added fiber not to mention it is a great filler for the boys, plus they love beans!

When you have sweat the chopped veggies in olive oil, add some freshly chopped tomatoes (the big beef ones are great for stewing), garlic and fresh thyme to the mix for an added flavor hit. Saute until onion is transparent then add your top and tailed green beans, salt and pepper, a little water or white wine to help steam the beans then pop a lid on top, turn down the temperature to low and leave for about half an hour to forty minutes. Stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom. About ten minutes before serving, add a tin of drained black beans if desired.

With the beans I served chicken wings (yes we do love our wings!) I always go for an Asian marinade with wings so I decided I needed to branch out a little and I came up with a lovely, mild and very easy marinate with absolutely not Asian influence. I left the wings to marinate for about 3 hours and that was fine, of course it would of been better if it was longer but that just wasn't going to happen. I simply turned the oven on to 500, got it really hot, placed the wings on a tray sprayed with olive oil and baked them until they were nicely browned and crisp- about 15-20 minutes.

The meal went down a treat and the beans were really yummy the next day cold (Alex didn't eat all of his due to the tantrum he was having about life) and Max could of eaten all the wings on his own if I'd let him. I am looking forward to trying this marinade on some chicken thighs for the BBQ when we get back to Australia.

Chicken marinade

2 shallots, peeled and roughly diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1- one inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly diced

1 tsp whole black pepper corns

1 tsp dried oregano

olive oil to blend (approx 1/4 cup)

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse for 10-20 seconds.

Pour over meat and marinate for 3- 12 hours

Dinner with friends

On Saturday night my whole family was gearing up for a food adventure. We had been invited to our friends house for dinner and not just any dinner. Aaron, our host has a passion and talent for New Orleans food. His dad is from there and has passed down the love of fantastic seafood and the great New Orleans flare in the kitchen. I had heard about Aaron's chicken and dumplings and wanted to get in on the deal. I promised to watch, chop and help in any way. The fact they have a divine kitchen also makes cooking and hanging out a pure delight (a long way from my slap dash apartment kitchen- this is one I one day dream of owning).

 I left my family a few hours before we were asked to dinner so I could help out in anyway. When I arrive Aaron had stocks boiling, black beans simmering and a list of recipes to choose from. I couldn't help myself and recommended we cook the lot! ( I also thought I'd be able to have a bit of a play if we did a few extra) Aaron was up for the challenge.

Our chosen menu consisted of a 'Summer crab salad with basil and lime'- a great zesty punch to the meal. Aaron has all the seafood flowing in from New Orleans, the crab was a delectable sweet meat, drenched in a lime vinaigrette and finished with the smoothness of avocado- a fantastic way to begin the meal.

After the salad we had 'Grilled shrimp with black bean cakes and coriander butter sauce' This was a wonderful play with flavor and texture. The bean cakes were soft with a little kick from a jalapeno then tempered with the coriander butter sauce and grilled shrimp, you just can't go wrong!

After licking our lips Aaron then placed a divine, creamy 'Creole corn and Crab bisque' in front of us which was pure heaven. So creamy with a hint of cayenne for an added punch -that was Aaron going out on a limb and very well done I might add.

Just when we thought it was all over we were tantalized with 'Pre cooked shrimp, boiled in New Orleans which are just a luxury on their own and served with mini risotto cakes- I think I sucked on the shell for a good 15 minutes! 

Now it wouldn't be complete without a bisque of the tomato variety and that is exactly what Aaron finished with "Herbsaint Shrimp and tomato bisque'- I just loved this, the full body flavor of the shrimp stock coming through. The tomato rounding it off and finished with freshly poached shrimp just before served. I have to say I was in heaven. Aaron and I had high hopes for dessert but I am sad to say we didn't quite make it- however- Aaron didn't disappoint and whipped up 'Bananas Foster' but that needs it's own page.

In case you are wondering if we shared this with all the kids.......I have to tell you they were to busy getting down with Aaron's chicken dumplings (flavored with a ham hock) and marinated drumettes to notice the seafood and I can tell you none of us were giving up our serves!

Thanks for a fantastic evening Aaron and Susan- next time I'll cook for you on your trip to Sydney, and of course Roisin and Phil will be there...right guys?

Chickpea and harissa salad

Chick peas are my best friend when I am all out of ideas for dinner. I'd thawed out some pork loins the previous day and hadn't thought about anything else until it came time to make dinner. Vince (head chef from Union) and I were playing around with different versions of harissa last week and I had some leftover in the fridge, so I pulled it out with the idea of putting it on the side when serving the pork. I knew I wanted to use up the broad beans in the fridge but I need a 'vehicle' to carry them otherwise the boys would of be up in arms with a pile of foreign green on their plate. The can of chickpeas was my 'vehicle'. 

I'm not sure how it all came about but the colors of the yellow and bright green together clicked and then I thought about other foods that the boys would like to see as to disguise the fact I was offering up a new green veggie- feta cheese, an all time favorite! All of a sudden the penny dropped and I thought why not use the harissa as a dressing on our chickpea salad and make a quick red wine vinaigrette for the boys. Just before I put the harissa on I took out the boys portion, mixed theirs with 1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 3 Tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper (added tomatoes to Max's- Alex got olives instead), poured the harissa over the remaining salad for Nic and I. The pork loins were seasoned with salt and pepper then grilled, rested and sliced and the salad served on top. 

We ALL loved this family meal. Boys are happy because they have the sharp soft textures and flavors of the feta and vinegar while Nic and I were enjoying the diverse flavors of the really HOT and garlicky harissa with the creamy Greek feta. Chick peas were perfect to match all these big flavors with the right textures for all age groups. The other good thing about harissa- it lasts for a long time in the fridge, so if you make it once you can use it through out the month in a number of ways.

 There is always a tin of chickpeas in the cupboard- you never know when they will come in handy, be it for a salad dip or burger.

Beans Means Heinz

Listen up people of America (or as Alex's says Ameri-car-ra). For the past six years I have tried to like your baked beans, I have tried every brand available and still I come to the same conclusion- too sweet! 

You can put as much sausage, beef or pork into your baked beans but the only way they will ever taste any good is if you remove at least half of the brown sugar that is added for this little Australian. There are only a select few stores across this country (Jewel Osco being one of them) that actually have the cream of the crop when it comes to tinned beans- HEINZ. They are a perfect balance of bean versus tomato sauce and most importantly, they are NOT sweet. If you have not yet tried Heinz beans
 give them a go.

Looking in the fridge this morning after having one to many cocktails at a friends house last night and craving a satisfying fry up- I fell short in the egg department. Lucky I had a tin of beans, half a packet of bacon in the fridge and a juicy ripe tomato sitting on the window sill. It did the trick, my craving of fatty bacon and beans was met and the kids were ecstatic to have beans and bacon for brekky. I'm telling you America- Beans Means Heinz (can you tell Heinz did a great ad campaign when I was a kid?)

Veggie Tacos

I have been meaning to make a vegetarian taco for a while now. I know there are millions of different varieties but I wanted one that started to get the kids to eat the foods they tell me they HATE. You might be thinking that sounds mean or 'just let them be and they will work it out later'........no can do! I believe my kids (and I am sure a lot more out there) truly dislike a flavor or texture when they were younger but I refuse to believe they still HATE it a few years later. I understand as soon as they SEE the food the reaction comes up and that's when I hear "disgusting" or "YUCK" but do they really dislike it????

Last night I was mainly working on Max's taste buds seeing as Alex is still three and will do what ever his big brother does. I made a potato and black bean mix loaded with spinach. Max loathes potatoes and spinach but he is more inclined to try spinach mixed with something- potatoes however are an absolute no, no. This is why I combined them with black beans. The texture is close, the beans have a slightly more powerful flavor and last but not least- I didn't have to tell Max there were potatoes I just focused on the beans and cheese I mixed with it.

The spread above is what the adults ate seeing as the boys don't like guacamole or hot chile's. I also pre-made their tacos so my 'experiment' would work (as you can see the spinach is popping out!).

Verdict- Alex said they were OK and ate half then wanted to go have a bath (I also put sour cream in his for a creamier texture). Max ate down his first two tacos in under a minute and asked for seconds!!!! WINNER!!!

I know I won't be able to do this all the time but I am very happy with  the results and it makes me believe that if they say they HATE some thing it won't last forever- sometimes you just have to mix it up a bit.

That's Disgusting!

I have had a couple bunches of spinach in the fridge for the past week and all the intention in the world to put them to good use. Yesterday was the day to finally rip the stems off, blanch the leaves and eat it. The boys are in a bit of a panic, they see me in the kitchen with the spinach and come running in saying "Are you making lunch? I am NOT eating that!' And there is Max pointing to the spinach in my hand. I take a deep breath and remind him that when I use to make spinach pies in Italy he gobbled them down and asked for seconds- his reply to that was 'Well I was younger then, I hate it now'. At this point I shoo him out of the kitchen and continue with lunch.

  I love spinach pies though looking in the fridge I find most of the ingredients I bought for this dish have been used during the week (that is what you get when you leave it to late), so I decide to 'create'. I still had the filo dough in the freezer, so I pull that out and continue with the idea of filling in with something. 

One of my favorite flavor combos are onions, butter, garlic and bacon. I know I am going to have to put bacon with the spinach to get the boys to even consider trying it. I find some mushrooms in the fridge and thought- why not, that ought to put Max right over the edge!

However Alex does like mushrooms and bacon so I stick with this plan. Once I have sauteed the butter, onions, bacon and mushrooms for 5 minutes to get them brown and soft I turn off the heat and pour in a splash of brandy removing the rest of the sediment from the pan (plus I love brandy with mushrooms). When it has cooled I add it to the chopped spinach with an egg, parmesan and bread crumbs (from the 3 day bread), give it a good stir and there is my filling.

 I decide to use extra virgin olive oil on the filo dough, just for a healthier alternative and it works really well. Because I waited so long to use the spinach I didn't have as much as I'd like so ended up making a log shaped 'pie'- not really a pie at all!

It was cooked at 400 for 20-25 minutes and the smell was wonderful, I even got a 'Ohh that smells good' from Alex.

When we finally sat down for lunch I served it with a chickpea, black bean and corn salad dressed in a parsley, balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette. The flavors worked really well and I figured if the kids really didn't like the spinach log then they could at least eat the salad.

The food went on the table and it was greeted with 'That looks disgusting!' Alex of course follows his brothers lead and decides that maybe he shouldn't like it either (at this point I want to kick Max under the table) instead I just tell him to at least try it before hating it. Alex digs in first and can't get past the 'green stuff'. I assure him there is bacon and cheese in there- just try it. After Nic and I have eaten half of ours Alex plucks up the courage to try some and low and behold thinks it IS good, Max however is still kicking around the chick peas. Finally I loose my cool and say 'just try it for goodness sake, it has everything you love'. After a couple of bites he lets us all know- 'well it does LOOK disgusting but it really tastes yummy mum.' He eats half and then tells me his is full. Alex gobbles down the salad and half of his spinach log so I figure it was worth the effort even though they didn't finish it. 

Summer salad

It's over halfway through summer and we are getting one step further to Alex actually eating salad for lunch. His list of foods he 'hates' is narrowing but how ever much I try he still clams up when I ask him to eat a tomato or a piece of arugula- however he will now eat ice-burg lettuce if sliced thinly (a small victory for Nic and I). 

When I was making the above salad for lunch today, Max wanted to help so I got him to squeeze the lemon juice into the jar, pour in the oil, add the dried oregano we got from our neighbours yard in Virginia and smash a garlic clove. I popped the lid on, added a bit of salt and pepper then he gave it a shake and presto a yummy vinaigrette to go with our salad. The question I was faced with next was 'mum, why are you putting in tomato if you know Alex hates it?' I told Max he hated tomato once 'I did not- I have always eaten it' was his reply. I told him I add the tomato because we all love it and Alex is learning to enjoy it. He may not like the texture but he enjoys the taste when combined with his love- legumes. I think Max stopped listening after I opened my mouth but that didn't stop him from asking me 10 more questions while preparing lunch!

 I wanted to have a Greek salad but I knew Alex would freak if he saw so many tomatoes. I added the black beans for two reasons. One, to draw Alex's attention away from the red beasts and secondly, my boys appetites is so large these days I have to come up with new ways to fill them.

Black beans and garlic bread did the trick!

Nacho night

We try not to fill the kids up on 'junk'. They don't get to eat potato chips unless they are at a party or they are at a friends house, so when I came up with the idea to have nachos for dinner one night Max cheered and Alex looking all confused, cheered right along with him. Once the seed was planted and I was in the kitchen beginning my mission, Max saddled up beside me and said 'You do know nachos have chips don't you mum?' (poor confused child) I said I knew this and that is was OK. 

 I love chips- potato, corn, sweet potato, polenta anything fried in clean oil with salt added....I'm there, and that is the exact reason why we don't have 'chips' around the house. I would have no problem scoffing the entire bag in one afternoon sharing only the crumbs. I figure the boys will get to do the same soon enough.

  My mum use to make a bean/vegetable mix when I was growing up in Tasmania, Australia. I lived in a Bed & Breakfast/Restaurant between the ages of 13-17, so when we came home from school my sister and I would always have scones with jam and cream, date scones with lashings of butter, sticky date pudding (only on a rare occasion) and nachos for after school snacks- needless to say the waist band on our school skirts got a bit tight!

 Nachos were my favorite in winter, next to the sticky date pudding (that is a whole other story). Cheesy and thanks to the beans mum use to put in the mix, very filling. Since living in America I have discovered Mexican chilies and I haven't looked back. So when I decided to recreate mum's nachos I added a bit of fire to Nic and mine with dried habanero chilies. I soaked them first in boiling water, took the seeds out and then added them to our batch after I removed the boys portion and kept it chili and cilantro free (not a herb they have caught onto yet).

Needless to say this dinner is ALWAYS a huge success. Boys are happy as can be with their bean nachos topped with sour cream and cheese while Nic and I are enjoying the delicious flavor of the habanero chili an beans mixed with guacamole, sour cream, and salty corn chips. A meal any vegetarian would be proud of.  Of course nothing helps wash it down more than an icy cold beer.

Chickpea Dip

We had Alex's party on Saturday, lots of fun was had. Sadly for Nic and I the excitement began and 5.30 am and didn't subside until 9 pm! I think I am still recovering. Alex was ecstatic to have his wish granted with the 'green cake and star wars figure', our guest were happy to see the sausage rolls back once more, but the chickpea dip was by far the crowd pleaser. Since everyone loved it so much (kids included) I thought I'd share it with the rest of you.

Pull out your trusty food processor once more and add a can of drained chickpeas, 1/2 bunch parsley leaves, zest of one lemon, juice of one lemon, 1/4 tsp chili flakes, salt and pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of warm water to add if it becomes to thick.

Blend all ingredients together- then while the motor is running drizzle in about 1/2 cup- maybe less of extra virgin olive oil. Have a taste, adjust seasoning and serve with your yummiest, freshest bread. It will keep in the fridge for 5 days but it never seems to last that long.

As for Alex's next birthday, I am just hoping the green phase has passed and we can return to a decedent chocolate cake- yummm.

The Picky Plate

It is pretty much standard practice in our house to have sandwiches/rolls for lunch every day. Although they are packed with salad and sliced meat (bar Alex's, he will only entertain the idea of cucumber, cheese and ham- a bit of work to do here!) they do get a little, how should I put it- boring. So every weekend I will come up with something different and exciting. 

When we lived in Virginia we had a garden, so I grew my first crop of lettuce. It was a great success and even more successful with the kids. Alex as I have mentioned HATES lettuce, but when he planted the seed, watered the garden and chased away the rabbits I think it made him realize how much work was involved in growing veggies (I planted peas also but we had a family of rabbits who feasted one night and ate the lot!). Alex managed to eat a few leaves of lettuce knowing is was from our garden and did so with out gagging, sadly this has not continued and we are back to getting the performance of a lifetime with salad eating again.

Our favorite lunchtime meal would have to be the 'picky plate' and a great way to introduce new flavors and use up leftovers (another thing I don't understand, Nic and Max seem to have an aversion to leftovers??).

Lima bean dip is a favorite in our family. I puree a tin of lima beans with lemon zest and juice of a lemon. Pop a handful of parsley leaves in, salt and pepper and then blend it with extra virgin olive oil. Really simple, very good for you and Alex of all people LOVES it- maybe he is color blind and can't see it is green?

Mix that with what ever sliced meat I have around the fridge, olives (always in our fridge), cheese, hummus (bought from a fabulous little shop up the road because I like to cheat when I can) and what ever left overs I have from the week. This week I had some pinto beans left over from tacos and half a bunch of rappini. It doesn't matter what I do to the rappini, my boys hate it, but that is OK. I combined the beans with rappini, tomatoes, lemon and a hint of dried red peppers. They eat the beans, pick out the 'green stuff' and Nic and I enjoy the whole flavor. 

Even thought they wont eat the bitter green leaf I am happy that they are enjoying the flavor without realizing it.