PANCIT CANTON

PANCIT CANTON

I love this dish! There are many, many different versions of this Filipino dish and you can add just about anything you like in the form of different meats, and veggies and even different sorts of noodles. It doesn’t need anything else because it’s wonderful just like this, but different people have different tastes, so modify away!

The only key ingredients that truly make it a genuine pancit, and are non-negotiable, are: Onions, Garlic, Chinese Sausages and noodles…everything else is a personal choice!

I love the baby mung bean sprouts, so I added them to my recipe. I also sometimes add baby corn or water chestnuts, but this recipe is to be modified according to your own taste, so feel free to add or subtract away…you’ll need to multiply too if you plan on taking it to a party because this dish goes FAST!!!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
500 Gm Meat , (sliced Chinese sausage, and anything else you want to add)
1 Stalk Celery, diced
1 Shredded Carrot
¼ Head of Cabbage
250 Gm Mung Bean Sprouts
4 Cups Stock (Chicken, Beef, Veg…doesn’t matter)2 Eggs, sliced
3 Spring Onions, chopped
*Noodles
*Sesame Oil
*Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted
*Good Soy Sauce to brown and season the noodles (I used Mushroom Soy Sauce)
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in the saucepan and soften the onion first.

Next, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute before adding the next ingredients. The onion should just start to brown.

Now add a bit of soy sauce and black pepper.

Next, add your Chinese sausage (essential ingredient for this dish and cannot be substituted, to my knowledge) and any other meat you like (shredded chicken, shrimp, diced beef, etc.), and cook until the sausage pieces begin to brown.

Now add the celery, carrots, cabbage & bean sprouts and cover the pan allowing the veggies to steam for a few minutes. At this stage you can choose to add more soy sauce & pepper for flavour if you like.

Meanwhile, boil some stock for your noodles and cook the noodles in your stock according to the package (use pancit canton noodles if you can find them, but rice stick noodles and many others are perfectly acceptable for this dish).

Now, grab a large bowl and combine the noodles and the cooked mix really well.

Top it all off with your egg slices, a bit of sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and the spring onions (scallions).

This is a wonderfully tasty dish and can be served hot or cold.

TJ's LASAGNE EXTRAORDINAIRE

An old friend from years gone by recently reminded me of an old favourite I used to be “known for”. She wanted to know how to make my lasagne as she remembered that I did not boil the noodles first, nor do I use ricotta cheese in my lasagne, which seems to be a common way of preparing it. I always preferred to eat my own lasagne due to the fact that is stayed together well and it was rich & cheesy with a certain zing.

Now, sometimes I would add spinach to the sauce or add layers of micro planed slices of courgettes (zucchinis), grated carrot, or fresh basil leaves, etc., but this basic recipe is pretty much a no-fail for any lasagne lover out there.

Obviously, with this much cheese and meat in one recipe, this is going to serve several people or provide a few leftovers for lunches or, at the very least, another dinner (Mine ended up being about 12 servings). This is perfect for refrigerating; portioning into foil parcels, and freezing for lunches later on too, so keep that in mind when reaching for your wallet to purchase all of the ingredients.

Here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Brown Onions, finely diced
2 Large Red Capsicums (Bell Peppers), finely diced
400 Gm Ground Beef
400 Gm Ground Pork
3-4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped
*Salt & Pepper
1-2 Tbsp Tomato Paste (I use double concentrate)
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes with Basil
1 Can Italian Crushed Tomatoes
1 Cup V8 Vegetable Juice (**Spicy, if available)
**If Spicy V8 is not available, add a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce or ¼ Tsp Cayenne Powder
1 Box Dry Lasagne Noodles
1 Tub Spreadable Cream Cheese
2 Cups Tasty or Cheddar Cheese, grated
2 Cups Edam or Jack Cheese, grated
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated or sliced very thin

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.


DIRECTIONS:

Firstly, you need to make your sauce.

Start by browning the onion and pepper together in a large pan or stock pot.

Once the onions begin to go translucent, add in the beef and pork (you can use one or the other if you don’t want to combine them – or, substitute with, chicken, turkey, or other protein of your choice).

Now, add in the garlic, oregano, basil salt & pepper and brown the meat so that it is completely cooked through.

Once the meat is cooked, add in the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and juice. If you cannot find Spicy V8 Juice, then also add in the Tabasco or cayenne pepper now. This is not going to make it very spicy, it only adds a little bite to the sauce...kicks it up a notch without burning your mouth!

Now, you want your sauce to be a little on the thin side because you are not pre-cooking the noodles. The pasta will soak up the extra liquid and make the lasagne more firm and easier to cut and serve.

Preheat your oven to about 200-220°C (400-425°F) and get out a large lasagne pan.

Spread cream cheese on several noodles, to prepare them for layering, and mix the grated tasty & edam (cheddar and Jack) cheeses together.

Begin with a thin layer of sauce to cover the bottom of the dish, then add a layer some of the cheesed noodles to cover the sauce.

Next is another layer of sauce then a layer of the mixed grated cheese.

Continue layering until you end up with the last of the sauce and cheese on top...I ended up with 3 layers of noodles in mine.

Add the parmesan cheese at the end to top it off.

At this stage your dish may be close to overflowing, so I suggest putting it onto a baking sheet before placing it into the oven, just in case it bubbles over.

Finally, bake the lasagne in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the lasagne is bubbling on the sides.

Allow this to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving and savour every bite!

GRILLED LAMB KOFTA KEBABS WITH PISTACHIOS
AND SPICY SALAD WRAP

(Serves 4)

I decided to try a new recipe last night for my brother & sister-in-law. We had invited them out for dinner and games for a bit of weekend family fun and we certainly had a blast. This was a recipe I borrowed from one Jamie Oliver as I had just seen him do this one on the Food Channel recently. I could almost smell it through the television, it looked THAT good! Now, I am not normally a huge lamb fan, but I am learning some fascinating new ways to prepare the different cuts and I have to say that it is growing on me…in a good way.

Living in New Zealand, one must learn how to cook lamb as it does represent a significant proportion of our national exports. Everyone raves about how great New Zealand Lamb is from Mr. Alton Brown or Jamie Oliver, to the average Kiwi cook down under. I even think a few Aussies will admit that our lamb is of exceptional quality…then again, they may try to claim they originally brought the sheep here in the beginning. Hehe.

Seriously though, this recipe is one that I just couldn’t resist trying and it will, in fact, make it into my book of favourites. I believe this combination would also work well with pork or beef too, so don't write it off just because you can't get lamb mince or you might not be fond of the way lamb tastes. Trust me - this one doesn't have a pungent "lamb/lanolin" odour. Here we go…


INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms trimmed shoulder or neck fillet of ground lamb mince
2 Tbsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Chilli Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
4 Tbsp Sumac, or finely grated zest of 1 lemon
*Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
1 Handful Pistachios, shelled & roughly chopped
4-5 Cups Mixed Salad Leaves, washed, spun dry and shredded
1 Large Carrot, grated
1 Small Bunch Fresh Mint Leaves
1 Red Onion, peeled and very finely sliced
1 Lemon
1 Bunch Parsley
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Large Flatbreads or Tortilla Wraps
4 Tbsp Natural Yoghurt or Tzatziki

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven grill/broiler or BBQ. If you are cooking indoors, use the highest heat available.

Combine the minced lamb with most of the thyme, chilli, cumin and sumac (reserving a little of each for sprinkling over later), a little salt and pepper and all the pistachios.

Divide the meat into four equal pieces and get yourself four skewers and shape the meat around and along each skewer, leaving little indents in the meat with your fingers as you go – this will give it a better texture when cooked (according to Mr. Jaime Oliver).

Now, in one bowl, mix the salad leaves, grated carrot, mint and parsley.

In another bowl, combine the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (the acidity will take the edge off and lightly pickle the raw onion – another Jaime Oliver tip).

Now, grill the kebabs until nicely golden on all sides. This is about 20-25 minutes total…turning once or twice during the cooking process.

Next, dress your salad with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, warm your flatbreads for about 30 seconds each side on a skillet or griddle pan, then divide between plates and top each with some dressed salad leaves and onion.

When your kebabs are cooked, slip them off their skewers on to the flatbreads – you can leave them whole or break them up on top of the salad in your wraps.


We topped ours with a bit of natural yogurt tzatziki sauce (cucumber, mint & garlic with yogurt) before sprinkling with the rest of the sumac, cumin, chilli and fresh thyme, and a little salt and pepper.

I think Mr. Oliver also drizzled his with a bit of EVOO at the end, but we didn’t and it was still a gorgeous treat!!! I think I may be becoming a lamb convert. After eating chicken and beef as our primary sources of protein most of my life, I am discovering some brilliant new options that stray a bit from my traditional comfort zone. Yea!

PIEROGIES

(MADE WITH POTATO, ONION, CHEESE AND PORK)

So, some of you might be thinking, “What the heck is a pierogi?”, well, I guess I like to describe it as a Polish dumpling something akin to raviolis...large raviolis.

When I was in high school, my friend’s dad used to make these and, later on I would buy frozen ones (not this good though) when they were available through Schwanns if they came through my neighbourhood in California or Oregon. I could also sometimes find them in grocery store frozen sections, but they would usually be disappointingly lacking in flavour.

Traditionally, I believe the most popular type of pierogi is simply mashed potato, cheese and sautéed onion. I like mine a little more substantial, so I usually add minced beef or pork and mushrooms (if I can get away with it, as my daughter has not yet learnt to appreciate them). These dumplings are usually served with a side of sour cream and a serving of some sort of veggie. Pierogies are great as a snack or as a meal and you can make them pretty much any size you like. These little beauties can also be refrigerated (uncooked) for several days or, frozen for up to several months.

If you make the dough ahead of time, the rest sort of falls into pace and really takes about the same amount of time as any other dinner might. The pierogies can be eaten as they are after boiling them or, fry or bake them afterward to give them a lovely crispy crunch. Whichever preparation you prefer, these will be a nice treat.


DOUGH ~ INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
½ Tsp Salt
1 Lg Egg
½ Cup Sour Cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi
¼ Cup Butter, softened (or oil)
1 Tbsp Butter

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

Next, beat the egg in a separate bowl or mug and then add it to the flour mixture.

Now, add the sour cream and the softened butter and combine well. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon or so of water (I used the water reserved from boiling the potatoes).

You will need to work the dough approximately 5-7 minutes, or until it is no longer overly sticky – adding spoonfuls of additional flour one at a time, if needed (I don’t usually need to).

Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 20-30 minutes (overnight is good); the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.


FILLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Tbsp Butter
2 Med Onions, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
4 Lg Potatoes, boiled and mashed
500 Gm (1 Lb) Pork Mince (Ground Pork)
*Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Colby Cheese, grated (just about any cheese works in these)

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the onions in it until they begin to soften then add the garlic, continuing to cook until the onions become clear.

Set aside the onions and cook the pork, seasoning with salt and pepper and cooking until the meat is cooked through.

Lastly, add in the onions, mashed potatoes and cheese and mix well before setting the filling mixture aside to cool.


ASSEMBLING THE PIEROGIES:

First, roll the pierogi dough on a floured surface until about ¼ inch thick, or thinner (like a ravioli).

Next, cut ovals or circles of dough (similar in size to a CD). Use whatever you are comfortable with – cookie cutter, drinking glass, Tupperware lid, or just use a knife. You may opt to make larger or smaller pierogies, if you wish.

Afer tasting the filling for seasoning, place a small amount of filling (roughly 1-2 tablespoons or so, depending on the size you cut the dough into) onto each piece of pierogi wrapping and fold it over, forming sort of a semi-circle, pressing the edges together and pinching with your fingers or with the tines of a fork. If the edges do not stick together well, slightly moisten them with water and try again. I don’t have trouble unless I get the filling mashed into the seal. :o)

A few at a time, cook the pierogies in a large pot of boiling water. They will be done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and allow to dry – I lay them out n a baking rack over a baking sheet and they dry pretty quickly.

Next, sauté a bit of chopped onion in butter (to season the pan) until the onions are soft, before adding the pierogies and pan frying them until they are lightly crispy. Alternatively, you can put the butter and onions onto a baking sheet to crisp them in the oven instead (about 180° C for 8-10 minutes).

We love pierogies and hope you will too.

ENJOY!

SWEET & SOUR PORK

WITH SOMEN NOODLES

In our household, I try not to make too many beef or lamb dishes on account of the health and nutrition issues constantly being reported as risk factors associated with red meat. Instead, we eat quite a bit of chicken, pork and seafood. Yes, on occasion I need to have a steak or make a meatloaf with beef mince, but overall the red meat is more of an occasional treat rather than an everyday main meal.

Limiting any one thing in your diet can present challenges, such as; what to use as a satisfying substitute, how to season and flavour it, how to cook it and, of course, what to eat with it. I sometimes find myself fixing the same old pork roast or the same old sesame chicken and have to stop and think about what other options I have. Usually, the options are limited to what happens to live in the pantry at the time but more, and more often I find that I am actually planning things in advance (shocking, I know) because I have little precious time to do it after 3 o’clock when my darling daughter is off school. Usually, I am racing home for clothing changes and off to the activity of the day...swimming, dance class, gymnastics, whatever - home again just in time to cook dinner.

In this instance, I had found that I was making my same old stand-by sweet & sour sauce for chicken or pork and decided this time was going to be different. Rather than using the old pineapple juice and vinegar method, I tried a distinctively more flavoursome combination that turned out to be quite lovely (even if I do say so myself). Even my finicky daughter devoured her supper, so I must have done something right! One of the keys to getting more flavour into the meat is to marinate for at least an hour – overnight is even better!

So, here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce
(or one chilli, deseeded and finely diced)
1 Tsp Ginger, crushed
½ Cup Plum Sauce
½ Cup Hoisin Sauce
1 Tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
700 Gms ~ (about 1 ½ Lbs) Lean Pork, cut into strips or medallions
1 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
2 Bundles of Somen Rice Noodles
2 Cups Vegetables, diced or julienned for stir fry
(I used carrots, sweet peppers, onion and scallions, but
baby corn, snow peas and cabbage are all great options too!)


DIRECTIONS:

First, combine the garlic, chilli sauce, ginger, plum and Hoisin sauces, and Chinese five spice in a small bowl and mix well.

Next, marinate the pork in this sauce mixture for at least an hour before proceeding to the next step.

Once the meats has marinated, heat the oil in a good sized pan and begin cooking the pork in batches. This will allow the meat to cook thoroughly and, keeps the pan temperature from dropping too low when you add the meat. Use cooking spray in between batches if necessary.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water for the noodles (which only take 2 minutes to cook fully).

Now, remove all of the meat and stir fry your vegetables for about 2 minutes before adding the pork back in.

Cook your noodles while stir frying the veggies and then serve the pork and veggie mixture with the noodles.

Just one more quick & easy recipe that is very tasty even for finicky little ones. This would also be great with chicken, lamb or even beef, if you prefer.

Enjoy!

TANGY BLUEBERRY BOURBON STEAK SAUCE

(Or...Blueberry Bourbon & Onion Chutney)

No, I'm NOT Joking!

Well, this all began with a family outing to the local blueberry farm, The Blueberry Farm And Bakehouse, where we spent a lovely, albeit windy, morning picking berries. We ended up picking roughly a kilogram (that's 2.2 Lbs) of blueberries and later purchased a "Gynormous Brownie Sundae" before heading home with our loot.

Now, we all know by now how good these little blue wonders can be for us with their antioxidants and such, however, I still needed to figure out what to do with them if we weren't going to eat them all within the next couple of days (a challenge even for us!). Sure, I thought about writing about pancakes, but seeing how my friend in Oregon had JUST posted hers, I certainly didn't want to be a copycat or look like I was competing for best blueberry pancakes, now did I?!?! Yes, I did make some of the standard blueberry muffins and I even took some berries (and muffins) next door to our favourite neighbour, but...I remembered seeing this weird, yet wonderful, recipe over at the Lobster Gram Recipe blog that I just had to try. Sure, I was hesitant...more like sceptical yet curious, but it sounded like it just might work. I often prepared my steaks this way or only slightly varying from it anyway, so the sauce was the only potential challenge for me. I just wasn't sure if the challenge was making or eating it! :o)

When the sauce was ready, it did smell REALLY, REALLY good...sort of a tangy and spicy barbecue sauce or slightly fruity onion chutney and it really was a fantastic compliment to the steaks (which we don't tend to eat too often in order to stick with healthier protein options when possible). What a treat this was!

Just as my last little comment here before you go start assembling the ingredients, I would suggest even making this in a larger batch and jarring/canning it as a gift or even just saving some aside as a snack topping. I took the leftover sauce with me next-door one day and we had it on crackers and cheese - YUMM...

Also, feel free to adjust the spices and try different types of peppers to change it up just a bit, but it is simply lovely just like this.

BLUEBERRY BOURBON SAUCE ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ Tsp Light Cooking Oil (I use Rice Bran Oil, but Canola Oil is okay too)
½ Red Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or chopped
1 Tsp Tabasco Sauce (or 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded & chopped)
¼ Cup Bourbon
1 Cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
¼ Cup Tomato Ketchup (not the Kiwi “Tomato Sauce”, as it contains spices not found in proper ketchup)
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1½ Tsp Molasses
1 Pinch of Allspice (ground)


STEAKS ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Thyme, fresh chopped
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ Tsp Salt (I used freshly ground sea salt)
½ Tsp Black Pepper, coarsely ground
4 Steaks (Filet Mignon or Fillet Steaks are the best)

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Next add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Now add the garlic and Tabasco Sauce (or jalapenos) and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds before adding the bourbon.

Next, increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil, cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, approx 2 to 5 minutes.

Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice and then return it to a boil.

Now reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, approx 15 minutes or so.

Preheat the barbecue grill to high and then combine the thyme, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl to rub the onto both sides of the steaks.

Grill the steaks about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, then allow the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.

This is a surprisingly tasty sauce and a versatile one at that, so give it a go and see what you think! Happy cooking!!!

HONEY SOY CHICKEN WITH SESAME

Often times I find that after being on the go all day, I have little time to create an elaborate meal. I like to have dinner started or ready by the time hubby gets home so he can sit, relax, and enjoy. In the summer I find it more challenging to come up with interesting new recipes, but this is one that even our daughter loves (minus the rice, of course).

I also found that my “Veggie Twister” from Oceania Trade Link is ideal in making all sorts of veggies fun for my little person and her friends, not to mention it really makes a lovely presentation for parties or photos. This particular favourite gadget of mine turns ordinary veggies into veg-linguine or into veg-ribbons (depending on which blade attachment I want to use).

Chicken is probably my favourite meat to work with because it is so versatile and I just love the aroma of chicken cooking in my kitchen (or on the patio). This honey, soy and garlic sauce is very versatile as well and is delicious with veggies as well as other meats. I make a relatively small batch here, but you can play around with the measurements and find your own balance with this one.

Here we go…


INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms Chicken breast and/or thigh meat (boneless/skinless strips or chunks)
2 Tbsp Flour
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (Rice Bran, Canola, Peanut)
3 Tbsp Good Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Honey (or maple syrup)
2 Tbsp Cooking Sherry/Rice Wine
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tsp Chinese Five Spice
½ Tsp Crushed Ginger
1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ Tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted


DIRECTIONS:

First, mix the flour and pepper together and lightly coat all of the chicken pieces, then set them aside.

Next, mix the sauce together by adding the soy sauce, honey/syrup, sherry/wine, garlic, five spice, ginger and coriander in a small bowl. Mix the ingredients together well until you no longer feel the thick honey sinking to the bottom.

Now, heat the oil and lightly fry the chicken pieces over a medium high heat until chicken is lightly browned. I fry mine in batches to ensure even cooking, then put all of the chicken back into the pan at the end for incorporation with the sauce.

Once all of the chicken is browned (and all “batches” are back in the pan), pour in the sauce and increase the heat to high.

Allow this to simmer while constantly turning the meat over with a wooden spoon or spatula to ensure all chicken pieces are well coated.

When the sauce begins to thicken, quickly remove it from the heat and add the sesame seeds. That’s it!

I serve mine with steamed rice and fresh veggies, but this is also tasty if you add broccoli and/or baby corn to the pan before the sesame seeds. Stir fried veggies and noodles are also very tasty with this recipe.

LOBSTER GRAMS

A GIFT FOR LONG-DISTANCE LOVED ONES

I remember having lunch one day, years ago now, with a workmate friend of mine in Portland, Oregon as we discussed a great new gift giving idea. She had ordered a complete lobster dinner for her mother-in-law's birthday, complete with the pot to cook it in as well as tools to break open the shells. Of course at that time I didn't really have a budget that would allow such luxurious generosity, nor did I have any friends or family too far from home that I couldn't just post something in the mail if need be. Nevertheless, I kept the idea in mind just in case my circumstances did change someday.

Fast forward now to today and I do live on the other side of the world and I do have the means to treat my family once in a blue moon. Well, last year I ordered my first lobster gram for Mom's birthday...a "Ship To Shore Gram For Two", because of course I couldn't let Dad eat spaghetti or Rice-a-Roni whilst Mom feasted on clam chowder, filet mignon, lobster and chocolate lava cakes, now could I?... It was a "grand slam", a "touchdown"...or a "try" for you rugby fans out there! What I am trying to say, albeit with cheesy sport analogies, is that they LOVED this gift and told me in no uncertain terms that I had spent too much (which I didn't) and that they'd be all too happy to get those in the future instead of the odd chocolate and licorice parcels from Kiwiland!

I was told that these dinners were of the highest quality, they came superbly packed in dry ice and, they came with thawing and cooking instructions as well as clarified butter for the lobster. Dad said it was better than any restaurant dinner he had experienced in a long time (and they like to eat out for birthdays, anniversaries, and the occasional night out just because...). It was a huge compliment from them and I was ever so pleased that they really felt treated.

If you are interested in having a look at the options available (they also do other seafood and steaks as well as desserts, sides, etc.), here is the link to LiveLob and a recipe blog for seafood and steaks. They even have a LiveLob review blog here if you are interested in having a peek.

In any case, I personally feel this was a fantastic idea for gift giving - especially if the recipient already has anything they might want or need. Next time you can't think of what to get Nana and granddad, or your favourite Aunt in California, have a look at the LiveLob web specials and see if one of their packages would be a good fit.

I have already inquired, and unfortunately they don't ship to international destinations...BUGGER...but, they are splendid for the rest of you and your kin.

Bon Appetite!

HERBED MINCE RISSOLES WITH

CARROT & BEETROOT SALAD

This was a throw-together from last night. We had a fairly busy day with our daughter home on school holiday for another week, not to mention my car was due for it’s annual warrant of fitness, so I hadn’t had much menu planning time. I did, however, remember to pick up some fresh ground pork mince and I had some baby spinach and carrots in the fridge. These were the makings of one very decent healthy meal, and even the little one ate nearly everything on her plate…she doesn’t care for rice, couscous, barley or quinoa, but she will eat salad most of the time (thank goodness).

So…in true meatloaf style, I started chucking all sorts into my mince bowl until it started to smell appealing to me, then made rissoles which are Kiwi meatballs…usually too big to be a true blue meatball, but not flat enough to be called a patty. Normally rissoles have a filler as well like crushed weet bix or breadcrumbs, but I didn’t need or want that this time.

Also, just a tip – when using pork rather than beef, eggs aren’t needed to bind the meat because pork is ‘sticky’ enough on its own.

Anyway, here is how I managed last night’s dinner.


RISSOLES - INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (about 1 Lb) Lean Ground Pork (or Beef)
2 Tsp Oregano
1 Tsp Sage
2 Tsp Coriander
½ Tsp Cumin
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
½ Tsp Chilli Flakes
1 Tsp Thai Fish Sauce
3 Scallions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Peanut Oil


DIRECTIONS:

Combine everything listed above, except for the peanut oil (later used to fry the rissoles). These ingredients must be mixed well, otherwise there will be meat without seasoning – the best way to combine meat and seasoning ‘meatloaf style’ is to don rubber gloves and squish it between your fingers over & over again.

Once well combined, roll into balls just smaller than say a tennis ball, and slightly flatten them out.

Place onto baking paper until ready to cook them.

Heat peanut oil in a shallow pan and gently brown the rissoles on both sides cooking approximately 3 minutes per side on a medium-high heat or until completely done in the centre and well browned outside. Do not overcook or they will become dry and useless.


SALAD – INGREDIENTS:

2 Carrots, grated
2-3 Beetroots (beets, to anyone in the USA), boiled, peeled & julienned (canned will do in a pinch)
1 Cup Baby Spinach
¼ Cup Verjuice (or diluted lemon juice)
¼ Cup Walnut Oil
1 Tsp Wholegrain Mustard
*Crushed Sea Salt
*Fresh Cracked Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual taste.


DIRECTIONS:

In a medium salad bowl, combine grated carrots, julienned beets, and spinach leaves.

In a small measuring jug or mug, combine verjuice, walnut oil, mustard, salt & pepper as a pseudo-vinaigrette dressing.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

I served my rissoles and salad with barley cooked in stock, but rice, couscous or quinoa would do nicely as would a mashed veg if you prefer.

We really enjoyed this dinner, which is a variation of my Asian Minced Pork (coming soon) where I usually just brown the meat and stir in veggies to serve with rice…but as I said before…our daughter is not fond of rice or many other grains, so I thought I could sneak the barley through this time. A few bites went down, but she ate her rissoles and salad, so I won’t complain.

Well, bon appetite…back to the kitchen again soon to figure out tonight’s menu. (sigh) ;o)

Hot dogs anyone???

BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS

When the weather turns colder and you are looking for a comfort food recipe, this is always a nice one to have handy. One nice thing about this recipe is that you can cut up everything ahead of time the night before, then get everything into the slow cooker (crock pot) first thing in the morning, and let it cook all day while you are out. No worries, mate!

One pot, one pan, healthy veggies, tasty tender beef in a rich Guinness gravy...who could turn that down? Especially if it's served up with some tasty cheese scones or homemade bread? Mmmmm....

Well, this is how I make it, but feel free to make modifications to suit your own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Brown Onions, cut into med-large chunks

1 Lb (500-600 Gms) Lean Chuck Steak, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Beef Stock

1 Can Guinness (Approx 2 Cups)

2 Carrots, chopped

2 Parsnips, chopped

2 Med Potatoes, diced

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

2 Tsp, Oregano

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a large pan and sweat onions with a bit of salt until they begin to soften.

Dump the onions into the crock pot and return the pan to the stovetop to quickly fry the meat off on high heat.

Cook the beef just about 2-3 minutes until browned, then add the flour and stir in for approximately half a minute.

Now put the meat into the crock pot and add the beef stock, Guinness, and all of the rest of the ingredients.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Taste and season with salt & pepper to taste.

I love the traditional American style buttermilk biscuits or even the Kiwi style cheese scones with this stew. The leftovers are always a hit too!

Enjoy.

FRIED RICE IN A RUSH

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Okay, there are some days when I have very little time to try and come up with a "culinary masterpiece" or "gastronomic bliss" after rushing to school for pick up, then off to ballet, piano or swimming only to notice that we are arriving back at home-sweet-home at nearly the same time hubby arrives home exhausted and nutrition-deprived from a hard ay at work, where I imagine most of his nutritious lunch kilojoules (or calories) were obliterated by copious amounts of caffeine from coffee, tea, or his Achilles heel - chocolate.

These are the nights when I try to come up with something that tastes good but doesn't take an hour or more to prepare. I also strive to keep it healthy and offer some form of vegetable, starch and protein...so here's a good one I came up with. It also happens to be the only rice preparation I can usually get my daughter to eat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Basmati Rice (yes, it actually tastes better than the cheap stuff)
2 Cups Cold Water
2 Tsp Salt
1 Diced Onion
1 Lb (approx 400-500 Gm) Diced Meat of your choice
(This could be chicken, beef, pork, ham, whatever - leftovers are good here too)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Asian Rice Wine
3 Cups Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Peas, Corn & Carrot or even Green Beans will do in a pinch)
1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts


DIRECTIONS:

Rinse rice and place in a saucepan with cold water and salt. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer approximately 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed completely. Remove from heat.

Whilst rice is cooking, in separate large chef's pan or wok, heat the sesame oil and cook onion about 2 minutes on medium heat, just until it begins to go transparent.

Now add meat, soy sauce, garlic and wine and either cook until all previously cooked meat is sufficiently hot or until raw meat is starts to brown.

Once meat is cooked well, add in the frozen veggies and chestnuts to warm up.

Once rice has cooked thoroughly, add it to the meat & veg pan and mix everything together well. Cover this pan and leave to steam/simmer for 10 minutes and it's dinnertime! Remember to check seasoning and add more soy sauce if needed.

One other variation I make, includes beating an egg with soy sauce & garlic and scrambling it into the rice at the end. I sometimes also top this one off with baby corn and chopped green onions (spring onions to those in the southern hemisphere).

CORNED BEEF / PICKLED PORK

(Brisket or Silverside also work - Very similar, if not the same as corned beef.)

I am combining these two hunks of meat into one post because they are virtually the same. Personally, I think I like the pickled pork just a bit better because mine turned out slightly less salty than my corned beef. I also believe that the pork ended up even more tender than the beef (if that is actually possible). There wasn't much difference in flavour really, and they were both superb (if I do day so myself).

Cooking in a crock pot or slow cooker for several hours is the best way to get a tender, juicy meal out of a chunk of animal flesh that some people would probably otherwise consider inedible. Without the long and slow process, these cuts would be very tough and dry and probably something akin to shoe leather (no offense no my cobbler mates out there).

Here's how we get this one going:

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Kilos of Corned Beef or Pickled Pork (2.5-4.5 Lbs)

4 Cloves Crushed Garlic (minimum)

4 Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar or Wine Vinegar

1 Tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

2-4 Cups Cold Water

1 Medium Onion Coarsely chopped

1/4-1/2 Shredded Cabbage Head

3 Sliced Carrots

DIRECTIONS:

First, rinse & dry the meat and smear it with garlic before placing it into the slow cooker as flat as you can which leaves room for veggies later.

Now add bay leaves, vinegar, and peppercorns then just cover the meat with water. You may opt to leave the top centimetre of the meat sticking out of the water.

Turn cooker on high and leave to cook for about 6 hours. If you plan to leave it longer than 6 hours (away at work 8 hours or more) use the low setting rather than high.

When you are about 30 minutes away from dinnertime, add in the veggies and cook until they are tender but not mushy.

Serve the meat with hollandaise sauce, wholegrain mustard, or horseradish cream.

Voila - easy peasy!!!