SWEDISH MEATBALLS

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Well, I know it's been ages since I posted anything, but here's one new recipe I thought was worth sharing... Now, I couldn't remember my Dad's recipe, but I found and modified one that Alton Brown did a while back. You see, I bought ground pork (pork mince) when I saw it because it can sometimes be hard to come by, but then thought, "what the heck am I going to do with it this time?". I have done the meatloaf thing, and stuffed peppers, mushrooms, and made burgers, so...meatballs were the obvious solution.

I did try to talk hubby into eating out since we were running errands anyway, but he pointed out to me, to my reluctant agreement, that mince (ground meat) should be used right away. Hmph...well, when we arrived home I started mincing the onions, so here is how you can make these tasty meatballs too.

First, my notes: I used panko bread crumbs rather than fresh white bread (we don't buy white bread normally, and I didn't think wholegrain bread would be the same). I also didn't add any ground beef because I had a rather large package of pork. Alton’s recipe didn’t call for sherry or sweet wine, but a splash would be good in the sauce, added just as the roux is ready and before adding the stock. Lastly, I didn't use heavy cream either, only regular cream because I had just enough to do the sauce, and didn't want to open a new container.

INGREDIENTS:
½ Cup Onion (1 Small Onion), minced and sautéed till soft and clear
½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (or 2 Slices White Bread, torn up)½ Cup Milk
2 Egg Yolks
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Black Pepper
¼ Tsp Ground Allspice
¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Kilo (~2 Lbs) Ground Pork Mince
¼ Cup Clarified Butter
¼ Cup White Flour
3 Cups Beef Stock
¼ Cup Cream (Heavy Cream if you want it richer)

DIRECTIONS:
First preheat the oven to about 95°C/200°F and put an ovenproof baking dish inside to warm.

In a medium bowl, soak bread or crumbs in milk and set aside.

Using a teaspoon or two of the butter, gently sauté the onion and set aside to cool.

Now add the egg yolks, spices and meat to the bowl and mix well with your hands...no better way to make sure everything is combined and evenly distributed.

Add the sautéed onions to the bowl and mix in well.

Roll about 30 meatballs and place onto a plate or sheet ready to brown in a skillet.

Cook about 6 or 8 of the meatballs at a time (using another teaspoon or so of the butter if needed) in a skillet about 7 minutes over medium-high heat until browned all over, then transfer into the dish in the oven to keep warm.

Once the meatballs are done, pour the remaining butter into the skillet and add the flour, whisking to make a roux and allowing it to cook about 2 minutes or so.

Now add your dash of sherry or wine (if using any) and then slowly add the stock a cup at a time, stirring gently to avoid lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the sauce begins to thicken, add the cream and continue stirring and cooking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with wide egg noodles (if you have them).
Unfortunately, all I had in the pantry as far as pasta goes, was egg vermicelli and large shell pasta, neither is ideal, but the meatballs were very good with the thin vermicelli noodles last night. I have friends who serve Swedish Meatballs with rice, which might also work, but the wide egg noodles are what I remember from years gone by, and that’s what I would personally try to stick with. Anyway, it’s a perfectly yummy meal with a green salad or steamed veggies.

Enjoy!

CHICKEN & PRAWNS WITH VODKA SAUCE

Well, in less than 24 hours now I will be in Waikiki, Oahu with my lovely family and I will be relying primarily on other cooks' creations for several days. Do not be surprised to see a post or two on Hawaiian fare if I get the chance!

Luckily, I have a good friend to stay and cuddle our needy little cat, Polly, whilst we are away. Things have been hectic lately with all of my daughter's activities, homework and school projects, but I have managed to provide a few tasty treats for the family on minimal time allowances. This, and the fact that hubby loves my cooking, makes me VERY proud of myself.

I borrowed this lovely sounding recipe from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe and I have to say, it was just as good as I thought it might be. I made a few minor adjustments to suit my own tastes (and to feed an extra dinner guest) and it was, in my opinion, a good choice. Oh, yes...those ARE Artichokes in the photo background...and from our little veggie patch in the back garden...just gorgeous!

Thank you Katherine, for the inspiration!


INGREDIENTS:

1 Med Onion or 3 Lg Shallots, finely minced
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Good EVOO
3 Cups Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Cup Cream (I used canned evaporated milk to lower the fat content)
¼ Cup Vodka
½ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
300 Gms (½ Lb) Prawns, peeled, tails off & deveined
300 Gms (½ Lb) Chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes


DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat.

Next, add the minced onion to skillet and saute until transparent.

At this point, I quickly brown the chicken for a few minutes then add the prawns and brown those for an additional minute or so...then, I removed the chicken and prawns and set them aside to add back in later.

Now, add the diced tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet, stirring frequently.

Next, increase heat and add the basil, cream (or evaporated milk), vodka and crushed red pepper flakes.

Just bring to a light boil then reduce the heat to add back in the chicken and prawns (or whatever seafood you plan to use).

Now, boil this for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Lastly, season to taste with salt and pepper.

There you have it. A flavourful and creamy tomato sauce with depth. I added veggies at the last minute and served this with vermicelli noodles, but it would be tasty with other pastas or even rice 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!

CREAMY TARRAGON CHICKEN

This is a variation of one recipe my Mom used to make. She will be the first one to tell you that she was never a gourmet cook, but she does have a few signature dishes that were always truly exceptional and I believe this is one of them.

My Mom didn’t come from a family with much in the way of a grocery budget. Her family had more than a few mouths to feed too, so she would tell us how it was often cornbread and beans for supper in her household. She did learn to make a mean pot of pork & beans though, and she knows her way around the kitchen well enough to make quite a tasty pot roast with veggies as well…not to mention her notoriously delicious cobblers. No, my Mom probably doesn’t give herself enough credit, although compared to the AMAZING cook that was Dad’s Mom, my Grama, who passed many of her skills to my Dad, I can see where my Mom might feel less comfortable in the kitchen than some.

My mother has always been petite as well, so she probably doesn’t have the same passion (or obsession) with food as some of us do…unless, of course, it is derived from chocolate or is in the form of pastries! (Bear claws, right Mom???) :o) But this recipe is in honour of her, my Mum, because she introduced this flavour combination to me and always made it to perfection, that is how I recall it anyway.

This is a wonderful twist on chicken and I think anyone who likes chicken and tries it will like it! So, here we go…


INGREDIENTS:

6 Chicken Breasts
* Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Flour
¼ Cup Butter
1 Med Onion, finely chopped
¼ Cup (more or less) Dry White Wine
1 Tsp Tarragon
½ Cup Chicken Broth
½ Cup Condensed Milk (non-sweetened) or Cream

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.


DIRECTIONS:

First, sprinkle chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper then dredge with flour but set aside the remaining flour.

Next, in a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and then brown the chicken on both sides.

Move the chicken to a glass oven dish and keep warm in a low temp oven until sauce is ready.

Add onion to skillet and sauté for 1 minute before adding wine and increasing the heat to high.

Now cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to loosen anything sticking on the bottom of the pan.

Once most of the liquid is gone, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the reserved flour, stirring to a thick paste (roux style).

Now add the tarragon and chicken broth and return the chicken to the skillet, covering and cooking until tender, about 20 minutes.

Add remaining butter and condensed milk (or cream) to the skillet and combine well and make sure it is heated well through. Just a note here - condensed milk makes a lower-fat creamy sauce than full-fat cream.

Now move the chicken to a serving dish or platter and pour creamy tarragon sauce over chicken breasts.

Voila! YUMMMMM!!!!

I served this with steamed broccoli and carrot-potato mash – it was superb if I do say so myself!

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.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

One comfort from home that I miss occasionally is The Olive Garden. I have fond memories of high school dates, family birthdays, college graduation, and my first dinner date with my hubby at this establishment. I think my two favourites were usually the Chicken Marsala and the Chicken Parmigiana, so I thought I would certainly have to add these to my recipe list at some stage…so here’s the first of the two.

Here in Kiwiland, there aren’t too many convenient choices in canned or jarred sauces…not good ones anyway, unless you venture out to the Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Newtown. For me, it’s just as easy to make a lovely marinara of my own from fresh ingredients here in our own backyard (so to speak). No, we haven’t any new veggies in the garden ready for harvest (only herbs at present), but we will get there in the end. :o)

So, without further adieu…


SAUCE – INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Brown Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tsp Celery Salt
1 Medium Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper), finely diced
4-6 Tomatoes, diced
2 Bay Leaves
1-2 Tbsp Basil, fresh & finely chopped
2 Tsp Oregano, fresh & finely chopped
1 Tsp Thyme, dried is okay
1 Tbsp Coriander, fresh & finely chopped
1 Cup V8 Vegetable Juice
1 Tsp (more or less) Tabasco Sauce
½ Cup Red Wine
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes


DIRECTIONS:

In a med-large pot, heat oil and add onions cooking until they begin to soften.

Now add the finely diced capsicum and garlic and cook for another minute or two until the pepper begins to go soft as well – don’t burn the garlic!

Next, add in the tomatoes, bay leaves, herbs, and vegetable juice and simmer for 10-15 minutes before adding in the Tabasco and the wine.

Allow this to simmer on a med-low heat for at least 20-30 minutes whilst you prepare the chicken and when ready to serve it, add the black pepper.


CHICKEN – INGREDIENTS:

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless & skinless
*Garlic Salt & Pepper

½ Cup Flour

¾ Cup Parmiggiano Reggiano, finely grated & divided
½ Cup Breadcrumbs

2 Eggs

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

First, you need to tenderize the chicken by cutting each breast in half (they will basically double in size when pounded) and place the chicken between sheets of baking paper to tenderize and flatten by pounding with a kitchen mallet or similar heavy instrument (I have used an A-1 Steak Sauce bottle because it’s flat edge it perfect, but be careful not to pound too hard if using a glass bottle). You need to flatten the pieces to about a half centimetre (5-6 mm) thickness.

Now season both sides with garlic salt and pepper.

You will now need to clear a space to put the chicken as you dredge and coat them, so lay out a large sheet of baking paper or a wire rack.

Next, in a small bowl you need to beat the eggs for the coating ‘glue’.

In separate shallow dishes, add the flour to one and mix the breadcrumbs and ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese in the other.

Working now with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in flour first, shaking off any excess, then quickly coat in beaten egg, moving quickly into the breadcrumb and shredded Parmesan mixture, pressing firmly so that the coating is secure and set aside.

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, begin frying half of the chicken pieces about 2-3 minutes each side or until both sides are golden brown and crispy and juices run clear and there are no signs of pinkness remaining if chicken is cut open.

Transfer chicken to a baking dish and keep warm in the oven.

Now add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and cook remaining chicken pieces.

Once all of the chicken is done, top it with the sauce and the remaining cheese. You can serve immediately or brown the cheese under a grill/broiler on high for about 3-4 minutes.

I like to add a bit of provolone and mozzarella when I brown the top, but this time it was already getting late and I wanted to feed my family quickly.

Not much better than this! And…the leftovers are great wrapped in Naan Bread with salad greens!!! YUM!!!

LAMB SHANKS WITH MINT SAUCE

A Kiwi classic for sure, is a meal of lamb shanks served with rice or potatoes, fresh veggies and of course a mint sauce. Now, being very naïve in the Kiwi ways before I arrived here, I thought mint sauce and mint jelly were the same thing. I pictured this congealed green sugary slime and could not fathom why on earth anyone would put it on his or her meat (unless, in the case of lamb, to cover up the horrible cooking smell as the lanolin’ish aroma wafted about the kitchen). In any case I was mistaken. The true mint sauce is more of a thin minty vinaigrette…sort of.

To kill the cooking lamb smell, I use coffee and red wine as a marinade with other spices and onion, which at least leaves the kitchen aromas more tempting to my palate. The mint sauce accompaniment is actually quite mild and a nice touch. I have always loved mint as a sweet food…in hard candies or combined with chocolate, or even in biscuits (cookies to the yankee doodles out there). It wasn’t until a dear Vietnamese friend introduced it to me as a savoury herb, that I began to open my eyes and consider its versatility.

I suppose no matter what your take is on lamb or on mint, you should try it at least once made as I have done here to decide for yourself.

Lastly, there are two schools of thought on how shanks should be cooked. They can either be roasted in the oven or, left in a Crockpot until they fall apart. Either way, I’d eat them but hubby likes his slow cooked to perfection. I’ll describe both methods and you can choose for yourself.


LAMB – INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Lamb Shanks (approx 2 kilos/4.5 Lbs)
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Cup Strong Black Coffee (instant or freshly brewed)
1 Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Sprigs Rosemary
1 ½ Tsp Dry Mustard Powder
2 Tbsp Flour
Salt & Pepper


LAMB – DIRECTIONS:

Marinate the shanks (overnight if possible) in the first 7 ingredients inside of a Ziploc freezer bag.

Remove the shanks and either put them into a roasting dish (one that has a cover) or, into the Crockpot with about a cup of the marinade.

In a small dish, mix the mustard powder, flour, salt & pepper together, then using a small spoon or sieve, gently sift the mixture evenly over the meat.

If you are oven roasting, the oven needs to be preheated to 175 C (350 F) and you cook them uncovered for the first half hour, then cover and continue until they are done. Below is a guideline for cooking time:

• Rare 20-25 minutes per 500 Gms (per 1 Lb)
  
• Medium 30-35 minutes per 500 Gms (per 1 Lb)
  
• Well Done 40 minutes per 500 Gms (per 1 Lb)

Now, if you chose to use the Crockpot method, you still sprinkle them with the flour & spice mixture, but cover the pot immediately and cook about 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. You will know when they are done because the meat will fall off of the bone.

MINT SAUCE – INGREDIENTS:

¼ Cup Mint, finely chopped
½ Cup Boiling Water (more or less)
½ Cup White Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
Salt to taste


MINT SAUCE – DIRECTIONS:

In a small measuring cup, put in your mint and cover with boiling water only just to the ½ Cup mark.

Now add the vinegar, sugar and salt and mix well.

That’s it – couldn’t be simpler really!

Now serve up your lamb shanks with fluffy rice or your favourite potato preparation and a green veg. You’ll have a beautiful and tasty healthy meal.

WALNUT OIL & RIESLING VERJUICE VINAIGRETTE

This is a very simple and light & tasty dressing that I “borrowed” from Maggie Beer of The Cook and the Chef. I had to post it because it is a really, really simple dressing and is far less pungent than most vinaigrettes I have tried. (This one is for you, Linda – I have the verjuice if you want to try it before investing in some yourself.) This dressing has a very slightly sour and lovely smooth taste because there is no vinegar in it and it doesn’t give off a heavily oily taste either. This is the mildest and tastiest dressing I have made in a long time (at least that didn’t include mayonnaise).

These measurements are for a relatively small salad, so increase them to suit your own needs.


INGREDIENTS:

1/3 Cup Riesling Verjuice
1/3 Cup Walnut Oil
2 Tsp Wholegrain Mustard
1 Tsp Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Dash of Sea Salt (to taste)


DIRECTIONS:

Combine all of the listed ingredients above in a shaker or other airtight container and shake vigorously to mix well.

That’s it! Hardly anything to it really, but another good use of the verjuice you ran out to buy to try the pumpkin risotto, right?… Paul Newman’s got nothing on our near and dear Maggie Beer! She rocks!

Cheers, and kia ora mates.

QUICK & EASY SATAY SAUCE

This is a great recipe if you aren't allergic to peanuts! This sauce really gives your chicken, pork , rice, or veggies a real kick. I first discovered this recipe on the back label of a Campbell's Chicken Stock box, but found it wasn't quite my idea of satay so I tweaked it a bit to my liking.

New Zealand has a very Asian flavour whether it be in the form of a Chinese Takeaway on every corner, or an Indian or Thai Curry Place across the street from the shops. Personally, I love Pad Thai and I have even begun to experiment with curry in my cooking. It's still something I am getting used to, but I have learned that there are MANY kinds of satays and curries and they all taste a little bit different than the ones I remember trying in America.

Last night I made these pork & chicken skewers with red capsicum (bell pepper) and purple onions. I served them with a spinach salad and roasted kumara. Something for friends & family to look forward to when they come for supper, eh?... I am posting my modified version of the recipe offered by Campbell's, so here you have it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Onion, Finely Chopped
1 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

2 Tbsp Mirin

375 ml Chicken Stock

1 Cup Coconut Cream

2-4 Tsp Crushed Red Chilli (depends how hot you like it...more if you like the fiery satays)


DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan and fry onion approximately 2-3 minutes (don't need to brown, just fry till they start to go transparent).

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes, then serve with meat and/or vegetables of your choice.

Great on skewers, BBQ items, in stir frys and on salads or rice.

SKEWER TIP: I marinate my chicken & pork skewers in soy sauce, mirin and crushed garlic. This gives the meat great flavour and the mirin allows the carmelization of the meat under the grill or on outdoor barbecues.


ENJOY!

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

This is one of my all time favourite sauces, apart from Dad's Thanksgiving gravy (coming soon). This is a smooth, rich and tangy sauce that is excellent on corned beef, pickled pork or even eggs. (This is your benedict if you like poached eggs on an English muffin with ham, bacon, or sausage.)

This particular recipe is a slight variation from the basic recipe in the New Zealand classic cookbook, Edmonds Cookbook, which is a must for anyone living here on a long-term basis. This particular sauce doesn't scream out "Kiwi" to me, but there are heaps of uniquely "down under" combinations in the Edmonds book...some of which I may try out later and post for your amusement...or, enjoyment.

I do have to say that I will, of course, eventually post a pavlova recipe. A pav is the Kiwi dessert made of meringue and covered in whipped cream and fruit that the Kiwis accuse the Aussies of taking credit for and vise versa. Personally, I prefer the American Angel Food Cake which uses darn near as many egg whites and has every bit as much sweet goodness to offer.

Back to my sauce...this recipe makes about a cup of sauce (more or less), which is usually just right for 4 servings or so.

INGREDIENTS:

50 G (approx 1.5-2 oz) Butter - best to use once clarified (melted & milk solids removed)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Egg Yolks

1/3 Cup Cream

3/4 Tsp Dry Mustard Powder

Salt & Pepper to Taste

(Cayenne is good too, but be careful if you try this one...a little goes a long way!)

DIRECTIONS:

The first thing I do is to measure out everything in advance and combine the cream and egg yolks so I am not in a rush to get it all mixed once heat is applied...I don't want lemony scrambled eggs, I want a smooth and completely emulsified tangy sauce!

In a small saucepan, I warm the clarified butter over a low heat.

Once the butter is ready, I add in the lemon juice, cream and egg yolks and I stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken up nicely. One key here, is to get it to the right consistency WITHOUT boiling. If it boils, it will curdle and separate - not a nice thing! Never overheat hollandaise, it's better to take the time and thicken it up very slowly.

Once the sauce is thickened to the right consistency, remove it from the heat and add the mustard powder and salt & pepper. You may cut the mustard down to only 1/2 tsp if you like, but I like to taste it just slightly.

Once everything is well combined, it is ready to serve. This sauce is best served warm (not hot).