JAPANESE SALAD DRESSING

JAPANESE SALAD DRESSING
(Hakata Mon Style)

One of my old favourite places to eat in Beaverton (Oregon) was a Japanese place called Hakata Mon that a very close friend introduced me to. Unfortunately, I hear the place is no longer there, but one thing I will never forget is their wonderful salad dressing...that, and their Udon dishes with the wriggling tuna flakes on top!

Recently, my family was at a local teppanyaki style restaurant here and their salad dressing took me back to Hakata Mon in Beaverton. I asked if I could buy some to take home or if they could share the recipe, but I just got the shy Asian “no, sorry”. Darn it!!!

Well, I am pretty good at identifying and recreating flavours (if I really put my mind to it), so I Googled Japanese dressing recipes and have been experimenting. I have found a really good combination that is incredibly close and exceptionally tasty, so here it is...go ahead and give it a go (unless you have nut allergies, in which case I will post a nut-free Miso dressing recipe for you soon).

One thing I suggest too, is that you cut your greens fairly finely and grate in other veggies like carrots, courgettes (zucchinis) and beetroot. There's not much worse (in foodie terms) than not being able to enjoy a salad because the greens are still whole and too difficult to manipulate with either a fork or chopsticks! I use fancy curly lettuce and cut it into fine ribbons then add chopped or torn herbs and other grated veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Small Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
½ Tsp Crushed Ginger
½ Cup Chopped Celery
½ Cup Peanut Oil
1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a large jug and puree with an immersion blender (stick blender) until smooth and no longer lumpy. Alternatively, you can combine everything in a standard blender, so long as it will liquify the chunks.

That's it! This one is just too easy not to try, and you will be ever so grateful you did!
Enjoy!

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

There are a few things that I really love to cook with, yet fail to use regularly on account of my daughter’s finicky palate. One of those items is the mushroom...Portabellos (or Portabellas) to be more specific, no matter how you like to say or spell it. Since my daughter has yet to develop a more refined appreciation for some of nature’s bounty, I only make these types of recipes once in a blue moon (which also means that I am making another separate dish for her).

Just how did I become this easily manipulated??? Well, one only needs to look into that little angelic face and stare into those deep hazel eyes as the lashes flutter so innocently when she says “please Mummy?” to know she has the upper hand. (sigh) Ah well, she doesn’t get away with murder though...I choose my battles carefully and, I still grate some carrot and courgette into her mac-n-cheese before presenting her supper to her. (Yeah, okay...I know.)

The mushroom is such a vital flavour in so many dishes...stroganoffs, gravies and sauces, even in some soups, so I can’t go totally cold turkey now, can I? No, I usually need to dice them up so finely that our little darling cannot detect any “chunks” and that is, for the most part, a satisfactory compromise. However, sometimes I just need to really savour a genuine, pureley perfect mouthful of this fungi (usually accompanied by some form of another fungi relative – cheese).

On another note, I also have so say how truly impressed with the speed of my new Dell device - WOW! This is going to make blogging, Facebook networking, emails, web surfing and all of that other fun stuff SOOO much easier now. Even my hubby likes the "flash new system", so I think I done picked a good'n y'all! ;o)

So, without further adieu...


INGREDIENTS:

10 Portabello Mushrooms
2 Cups Breadcrumbs
150 Gm (5 Oz) Camembert Cheese
50 Gm (2 Oz) Pariggiano Reggiano, freshly grated
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp (good handful) Basil, finely chopped
¼ Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*2 Tbsp Sour Cream
*Serve as a side sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F)

In a food processor, finely chop the mushroom stalks, cheeses, garlic, onion and basil.

Add in the breadrumbs, milk, and oil and pulse a few times just to combine, as you still want a fairly coarse mixture. Add a bit more milk if it is too dry to stick together.

Roll the stuffing into 10 roughly equal sized balls and flatten each into each mushroom cap. Press moderately to make sure the stuffing gets into the mushroom gills.

Arrange the stuffed mushrooms in a single layer in a baking dish and cook for 15-20 minutes before turning the oven to grill/broil for an additional 5 minutes to brown the tops.

Regular white onions can be used in a pinch and if you don’t like Camembert cheese you can try substituting another semisoft cheese in its place. Also, croutons or even fresh bread may be used instead of crumbs, however, if you use fresh bread slices, cut back on (or eliminate) the milk.
Happy cooking!

SWEDE (RUTABAGA) IN CREAM

The first time I purchased “swedes” here in New Zealand, I was asked by the gentleman at the checkout counter, “How do you eat those?...I thought they were only good fodder for the cows and horses.” I was a little astonished, actually, as I had used them in soups, and stews (as rutabagas) in the States. I had also eaten them mashed along with potatoes at holiday time when visiting friends. It was interesting to see that even with the Kiwi ingenuity and general “green” attitude so prolific ‘down under’, that they would have overlooked such a versatile veg that is so inexpensive to buy, healthy, and downright tasty.

The stereotypical Kiwi will proudly value their resourcefulness and green thumbs. They try to save the planet, save the whales, and hang their clothes on a line in the garden to save electricity rather than using the dryer in their laundry (apparently dryers are only for rainy days and Americans – hehe). So, how is it that the poor swede has been overlooked as a good source of nutrition – especially in such a challenging economic era...where a block of cheese can cost, at it's worst, about NZ $10-12 and a dozen eggs or a loaf of bread can easily be over NZ $5-6???

Well, no matter the reason, I will introduce a few ways to bring this poor little root to the forefront again and give people a few options to try and really enjoy this ‘darlin’ for what it can be.

Here is the first, but certainly not the last, recipe for the swede.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Swede (Rutabaga), approx 1.5 kg (3 Lbs)
2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Cream
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Tsp Sugar
*Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

The first thing to do, is to cut up and boil the swede/rutabaga. They are tough, so the easiest way is to quarter them before peeling with a vegetable peeler, then cut it into bite-sized cubes before carefully dropping them into boiling salted water about 1 inch deep. Use about 1 teaspoon of the salt in this water.

Boil the swede/rutabaga for about 15-20 minutes or, until fork tender (much like boiling potatoes).
Move your oven rack to a position about 6 inches from the top and preheat your oven grill (broiler).

Next, drain the pieces well, and then return them to the saucepan.

In a separate bowl or mug, combine the cream, remaining salt, flour, sugar and pepper before pouring it over the swede/rutabaga in the saucepan and cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken slightly and heat completely.

Now turn this mixture out into a shallow baking dish and place into the oven under the grill/broiler to brown slightly. The cream will puff slightly and turn a golden brown.

Once it has been removed from the grill/broiler, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

This is a lovely alternative (lo-carb option) to potatoes as a side dish as well!

Bon appetite!

WOULD YOU TURN DOWN

RHUBARB PIE?

My next-door neighbour phoned yesterday afternoon and said she had remembered that I had mentioned that I had never tasted rhubarb before. She also said she had just made a rhubarb pie from the gorgeous rhubarb growing in her garden and asked if I’d like to try some of her pie…DUH!!! (Of course I said YES!)

I love swapping recipes (and samples) with Linda and her family. They have produced some amazing (some simple and some more complicated) treats to share with us.

So, last night after our supper we tucked into a genuine home-grown/homemade rhubarb pie. I always thought that rhubarb pie had to be red or pink, but this one was a sort of celery-green.

My hubby savoured each bite and talked about how long it had been since he had tasted this delicious treat and how it brought back memories (what a nice compliment really). I watched him first to see what his reaction was before I took my first bite. I had been warned about the very tart flavour, so I was a little trepidatious…but after the first bite, I was certainly hooked. I had a small piece warmed up last night, but prefer it cold like I had it this afternoon. In both cases it was very nice.

It’s a bit like a lemony tart really. Not too sweet like too many lemony treats are, and with a little whipped cream or ice cream it is just a brilliant thing to behold. Now I can imagine rhubarb and strawberry together, among other things, and I am looking forward to experimenting on my own and, of course, swapping one more recipe with Linda (thank you again!).

I wanted to know a little more about this funny vegetable, so I looked up a bit of info on it. Did you know that the leaves are toxic, or that the plants are grown not only as a food, but also as a medicinal plant? Some might be pleased to discover it was used as a slimming agent, but (wait for it)...only because of it's strong laxative effect. I suspect this is one veg you wouldn't want to binge on anyway...

Once I have done a little experimenting on my own and come up with something really lovely, I will post a rhubarb recipe for you all. Until then, you can drool over this photo of Linda’s pie…mmmmm.

CARROT, APPLE AND WALNUT SALAD

Yesterday afternoon was nice. I had a few friends over and we had a lovely lunch. I prepared this salad with ham & tomato sandwich wedges…then we indulged a bit on banoffi pie (next post, I promise). The weather outside was delightful and, as usual, we shared stories, photos and lots of laughter.

Anyway, I really suggest giving this salad a try as it is fresh and tasty with a bit of crunch from the nuts. You can adjust any of the measurements really, to suit your own tastes, but it is one that should be given a try.

This salad was inspired by a lunch out with another American friend recently. We had lunch at a place called “One Red Dog” at Queen’s Wharf after riding the ferry out to Days Bay and back that morning. Funny story there, but in the interest of keeping it brief, I will just say that in the end we had to RUN for the ferry back to town and we certainly earned our lunch that day! LOL

The guys on the boat said they have become pretty astute at picking out the people late for the ferry as they often allow an additional 5 minutes or so for the last passengers running around the bays. Yes, they laughed at us, but so did we…we could laugh because at least we knew at that stage that we had a ride back home!

So, without further adieu…

INGREDIENTS:

¼ Cup Walnut Oil
¼ Cup Riesling Verjuice
*1 Tbsp Honey
*1½ Tbsp Wholegrain or Mild Dijon-style Mustard
* 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
*Salt & Pepper
3-4 Med-Lg Carrots, grated or julienned
1-2 Braeburn or Fuji Apples, grated or julienned
¼ Cup Currants
¼ Cup Walnut Pieces
2-3 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves

*Amounts vary to individual Tastes


DIRECTIONS:

In a small measuring jug or large mug, combine the oil, verjuice, honey, mustard, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Some of the measurements will vary, but the measurements given are approximately what I tend to use in my own.

Now whisk the dressing to emulsify the ingredients.

Next, in a medium-large salad bowl, combine the carrots, apples, currants, walnuts, and spinach. I suggest grating or julienning the apples just before serving and having the salad dressed and tossed prior to serving to protect the apples from going brown too quickly. If you do it in this fashion, the apples will stay crunchy and will not tend to discolour much at all.

Now, enjoy this light & fresh salad on it’s own or with a sandwich or pasta as I do!

SUMMER BROCCOLI SALAD

(No actual cooking involved!)

Well, ballet and swimming are finally over for this year and the recital was just lovely. I have been working and playing hard since Thanksgiving, but I have not forgotten about my little pages here.

It has been pretty warm here these last few nights and, wouldn't you know it, my oven element blew the other day, so it's been BBQ for several evenings (which is really lovely in this weather) but I wanted something more substantial than just the average sausages and rolls, etc..

Here is a yummy recipe to try if you are hankerin for something other than a green salad or cole slaw to accompany any main dish.

This is one of my most favourite summer salads and I have even been known to eat it on it's own as my lunch for the day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Head Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ Red Onion, finely diced
1-2 Carrots, grated
1 Cup Bacon, finely diced & fried crispy
¼ Cup Currants (or raisins)
¼ Cup Pumpkin Seeds (or sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, etc.)
½ Cup Mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmans type)
1 Tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Sugar
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix all of the vegetables and then add the bacon, currants (or raisins) and nuts (or seeds).

Next, prepare the dressing in a measuring jug or large mug. I rarely measure anything when making dressings for salads, so adjust the amounts to suit your own taste and to get the consistency that you prefer.

For maximum flavour, dress and chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.

That’s it – simple as anything and VERY tasty. One of my favourite summer salads and it’s brilliant with any BBQ and/or pot-luck style dinner.

PALAK PANEER

Sorry, it's been a few days...just been so very busy sorting out Thanksgiving plans for 30 people or so, and trying to assist with the school's upcoming "Lamb & Calf Day Gala", which coincidentally means I'll be baking again today for the cake stall on Saturday!

Anyway, this is a new recipe I had seen one version of and decided to give it a go and see if we liked it. Our daughter wasn't crazy about it, but she did well. I think I might put it into a pita bread next time.

Okay, Palak Paneer is an Indian spinach curry with homemade fried cheese. Palak means spinach and Paneer is cheese. This was my first time attempting to make palak paneer and it was quite fun (and tasty). I had no idea how easy it would be to make cheese at home – how REALLY easy!!! I love spinach and feta, Mediterranean style salads and things, so I thought this would be a good challenge for me.

This dish would ideally be served wrapped in a flatbread like naan or a pappadum. I quite liked the sort of "squeaky" texture of the fresh cheese and might opt to make some herbed cheese with some of my favourite flavours thrown in for future gatherings!

INGREDIENTS ~ PANEER:

2 Litres (8 Cups) Whole Milk
6 Tbsp Plain Unflavoured Yogurt
4 Tbsp Fresh Lime/Lemon Juice


DIRECTIONS:

First, whisk the yogurt and citrus juice together and set aside.

In a large stockpot, slowly and carefully bring the milk to a boil, stirring constantly.

Once boiling, immediately remove the milk from the heat and stir in the citrus/yogurt mixture.

You will immediately see the milk begin to form curds.

Now, return the pot to the heat and continue to boil until the curds stop developing, about 2 minutes.

Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth and carefully pour the contents of the pot over the cheesecloth and allow it to drain away all of the clear liquid.

Allow the curds to drain until the cheesecloth is cool enough to handle and then twist the cloth as tightly as possible to remove any excess moisture that remains in the curds.

Put the wrapped curds in the refrigerator between two plates and weight it down with heavy cans (or other heavy items) to smash it into a flat disk about a centimetre or two thick for at least three hours to allow it solidify.

When you are ready to fix supper, unwrap the cheese, cube it, and brown it in a preheated pan that has been coated with cooking spray over medium high heat.


The paneer takes a bit of planning, but the results are so very worth it. I feel like a genuine Kiwi milkmaid or something and I didn’t have to pinch a teat or anything! Ha!

Now, for the curry dish…


INGREDIENTS ~PALAK PANEER:

500 Gms (about 1 Lb) Frozen Spinach, thawed
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tsp Ginger, finely minced
1 Small Onion, diced
100 Gms Small Mushrooms, washed (sliced and/or canned shrooms are okay)
1 Green Chilli, finely minced
1 Tsp Garam Masala
*Flaky Sea Salt
*Canola Oil Cooking Spray, or comparable substitute
1 Batch Paneer, cubed and browned (recipe above)

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, combine thawed spinach, garlic, and ginger in a blender and puree then set it aside.

Now spray a large pan with a generous amount of canola spray and place over medium heat.

Add the onion and chilli and cook it until it begins to brown.

Now that the onion is beginning to brown, add the mushrooms and get them heating through.

Next, add the spinach puree and garam masala and continue to cook until all of the ingredients are heated through and well combined.

Lastly, add the cubed and browned paneer then salt to taste.

Serve with a flatbread such as naan, or with pappadums.

Enjoy.

MOCK WHITEBAIT FRITTERS

(Makes about 8 fritters)

For any of my North American mates, they will be wondering why on earth these are called Mock Whitebait Fritters when they are clearly potato, onion and cheese fritters or (minus the egg, flour, milk and baking powder) a potato rosti. The answer, my friends, is in the missing key Kiwi ingredient – WHITEBAIT.

Rather than ruining a perfectly good recipe by adding miniscule fish that I wouldn’t taste anyway, I have replaced the little critters with raw grated potato, which give the same effect with no fishy smell! In addition, I avoid the incessant teasing from Kiwis and Aussies alike about “topping and tailing” them first – yeah , right! I didn’t just fall of the taro truck you know!

In any case, these are brilliant for breakfast or even just for a snack. So…give this recipe a go!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggs
5 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Milk
1-2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Cup Grated Colby Cheese
½ Med Onion, grated or finely chopped
1 Large Potato, grated
2 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper ~or~ Cayenne Pepper
*Flaky Sea Salt

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First beat the eggs in a large bowl.

Add the flour, milk, and garlic and blend well (another great additive is chives).

Combine the mixture well and add the cheese, onion and potato.

Next, heat the oil in a pan and when it’s nearly hot enough, add the baking powder to your mixture and blend it well before cooking.

Now scoop about ½ to 1 cup of the mixture into the hot pan and flatten out like a pancake.

Once the fritter is golden brown on the bottom, flip it over and brown the other side.

Serve these wonderful fritters with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives and/or with fresh tomato slices. They are best if eaten hot, so serve immediately.

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???

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN

I'm back! And what a lovely holiday we had. Yes, it was just a short break, but a well deserved one. Now it's back to unpacking, laundry and yes - back to the kitchen!

First, I have to say, the Blenheim and Picton areas are gorgeous. We had a great time with our friends down there who took us around to some lovely places and shared their local farmer's market with us. Absolutely fabulous!

We even managed to fit in a day of tramping through the bush (that's hiking to you Yankee Doodles). We did one of the tracks along the Queen Charlotte Sounds but only walked 11 of the 71 kilometers...which was enough for me anyway! A mail boat picked us up in Picton and ferried us out to Resolution Bay where we began our hike. Four hours later it picked us up at the other end (well knackered and yet, pretty satisfied with ourselves). We even caught sight of one of the little blue penguins (aka fairy penguin) swimming around in the bay as we were preparing to board the boat back to Picton.

In any case, it was a great few days away but I promised this recipe from last week, so here is a treat of a veggie dish. This was another Contessa-inspired dish that went very nicely with our rolled pork loin, and I am certain it would go well with a plethora of other main dishes as well. We love cauliflower and we love cheese - what better than putting them together, eh?

Off to plan tonights menu now...so, until tomorrow...

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cauliflower (approx 1 Kilo or 2 ½ Lbs), cut into large florets
4 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
2 Cups Milk, hot
½ Tsp Nutmeg
1 ½ Cups Gruyere
½ Cup Parmiggiano Reggiano
¼ Cup Bread Crumbs
*Crushed Sea Salt
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts vary to tastes


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F).

Blanch the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, or steam until tender but still firm.

Drain the cauliflower & set it aside.

Next, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat to make a roux paste.

Now add the flour, stirring constantly for approximately 2 minutes.

Carefully pour the hot milk into the roux mixture and stir until it comes to a soft boil.

Continue stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened.

Now remove it from the heat, and add 1 teaspoon of salt, some pepper to taste, nutmeg, 1 cup of the Gruyere, and all of the Parmesan.

Next, pour about 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the drained cauliflower on top, then pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the cauliflower.

Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining ½ cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top, then melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is browned.

This dish is great to make ahead of time and is great served hot or at room temperature.

KUMARA & YAMS

For those stateside who have never seen a kumara, nevermind actually tasting one, I will attempt to describe them the best I can. Here's a photo of purple, gold, and orange ones for you:

First of all, they come in several varieties; orange, purple, yellow (or golden), etc.... They are easy to peel (like potatoes) but tougher to cut up than a potato. When they are cooked, they end up very much like an American sweet potato or, in the case of the orange ones, American yams.

My first suggestion, is to roast them but please...don't cover them in brown sugar and marshmallow like their poor American cousins. No, these are best when savoury, roasted with a bit of salt, pepper and even a touch of garlic. They are also quite tasty prepared like mashed potatoes with butter and used as a casserole topping (Cottage or Shepherd's Pies, for example).

The New Zealand yam looks like this:

Yams are a completely different veg. This is very small in comparison to their other root vegetable cousins (obviously) as they are only 2-4 inches long normally - although I am sure the Aussies out there will boast that theirs are bigger. Hehe... They also come in different varieties (and colours) so I usually get a couple of different kids then cook them together.

Those pictured above are red and "apricot" yams, but they also come in yellow & pink - go figure!

Kiwi yams are a wonderfully unique veg as they seem to look like a potato, chop like radishes or carrots, and cook up like turnips. They don't really offer much flavour alone per se, and they cook alot quicker than potatoes and carrots, but are very healthy and a good source of fibre and vitamins. I often roast them with meat in the oven and they are superb in homemade soups as they tend to completely dissolve into the stock. Yum!

I just thought it was time for a little Kiwi cuisine education for those of you who like to try something new once in awhile. Personally, I am really enjoying the variety of produce on offer here and have found some lovely new Kiwi and Aussie recipes I will try to share as I continue developing my site here.

As for you, Kev (Koshi)...I think I will leave out the Platypus Pie, Wombat Waffles, Roo Stew, Goanna Gulash, and Crocodile Crepes if you don't mind. The Red Back Beer might be good for an upcoming Beer Bread and/or Casserole though.

Cheers, mate! ;o)

WILTED SPINACH SALAD

This is one of my favourite salads. My first experience with this was at my late grandmother's house in Coastal Oregon years ago. Two words initially put me off..."wilted", and "spinach"...Yuck. It honestly didn't sound like it could get much worse, but that was before I tasted it! The bacon and vinegar (or lemon) dressing is savoury and tangy and perfect for a healthy salad. You hardly notice you are even eating spinach, although I must confess that I am really learning to like the stuff anyway. You will even see it cropping up in other recipes posted here. Anyway, I found this salad to go very nicely with a lovely porterhouse steak dinner. Since we cannot get A-1 Steak Sauce here, the tangy dressing on thie wilted spinach is a nice substitute for me. Bon Appetite!

4-5 Servings Raw Baby Spinach

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

250 Gm (1/2 lb) Bacon or Ham

1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Dry Mustard Powder

1/2 Tsp Crushed Garlic

1/2 Tsp Sugar

1/8 Tsp Pepper

1-2 Hard Boiled Eggs

Gently rinse & dry spinach and remove any large stems. Add about half of the onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings, and sliced or chopped hard boiled eggs then cover and chill in refrigerator.

Chop bacon or ham into small bits and saute until crisp.

Add remaining ingredients to the pan and heat the dressing until it is bubbling.

Just before serving, pour hot dressing over salad tossing gently and cover for 2 minutes or so to wilt greens. Now, dig in!!!

CREAMY CARROT & POTATO MASH

A family favourite for certain, this lovely side is a perfect accompaniment for all sorts of mains. It goes well, with poultry, pork, beef and lamb. It also sneaks in a bit of colourful veg if you have family members with an aversion to all things rich in vitamins and fiber (or beta carotene).


Ingredients:

4-5 Med/Lg Potatoes

1 Lg Carrot

3 Tbsp Lite Creme Fraiche (or Sour Cream/Cream)

2 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup Colby Cheese

2 Tsp Parsley (finely chopped or flakes)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Peel & cut veggies into similar sized cubes/chunks then boil in salted water for approximately 15 minutes.

Drain well and add all other ingerdients then mash until creamy and all (or most) lumps are gone.

Easy peasy, right??? This is also a great topping for cottage pies and similar casseroles, so…what are you waiting for, eh?

CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

Here is one that really ‘gobsmacked’ me, as they say here. You see, where I come from pumpkin is more of a decoration than an edible veg. There are a few brave souls who bake American pumpkins then try to disguise the taste by adding brown sugar, butter and even marshmallows, but truth be told even the traditional Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie is made from a winter squash more widely known as butternut or longneck because the orange jack-o-lantern variety is a bit stringy and doesn’t have a nice texture (or fragrance).
















Even the American standby ”Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling” in a tin (that claims to use real pumpkin and is what most Yankee Doodles use to make holiday pies) doesn’t actually contain pumpkin! No, technically, its the Dickinson Field Squash. (Save that for your quiz night!) New Zealand Pumpkins (Crown/Crown Prince Pumpkins) are a greyish white outside and have a rich orange middle (with a much less offensive fragrance than their American cousins). When you cut these open, they smell just a bit like a melon, but they cook similarly to potatoes and mash or puree nicely. Let’s not forget this is actually a healthy dish as well.

My hubby introduced me to this soon after I arrived in New Zealand and I was sure I’d hate it and have to suffer through a whole bowlful with a fake smile…however, I was quite pleasantly surprised and I hope anyone who tries this will love it as I do too. So…let’s get started. This recipe makes upwards of 10 servings (depending on how small or large you like your portions).

Ingredients:

1 Kilo (about 2 pounds) of cubed pumpkin cut roughly
300 Grams (10-11 ounces) Streaky American Bacon (lightly fried)
this can also be substituted with ham or chicken bacon for a healthier/lower fat option
1 Large Potato cubed
4 Medium Tomatoes quartered
2 Medium Onions roughly chopped
5 Cups Chicken stock (add more or less to cover veg in crock pot)
1 1/2 Tsp Mild curry powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Sour cream (Lite is great too)


TIP ON CUTTING PUMPKIN: Because it is so tough to cut even with the best kitchen knives, ask your produce clerk to cut it into manageable sizes so you can microwave approx 12-15 minutes in a glass bowl with a centimeter or two of water in it and glad wrap over the top. This softens the pumpkin to make cutting and peeling a breeze!


Directions:

Cut pumpkin into pieces and add to crock pot.

Add diced (semi cooked) bacon, cubed potato, quartered tomatoes, diced onions, chicken stock and salt & pepper.

Cover and cook on low 9-11 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Now puree with immersion/stick blender (or tranfer to a food processor or blender and return puree to crock pot). Make sure the soup does not contain big chunks, and process until you like the consistency.

Add curry powder and sour cream, stir well, and check seasoning. If needed adjust seasoning and cover to cook an additional 20 minutes on low - do not allow to boil.

Voila! Serve with a dollop of sour cream and your favourite crusty bread, croutons or crackers. I don’t even think Campbells could do any better!!!