The 'f' word

There are so many fun and fabulous words for all occasions that start with 'f'.  My week was neither fun nor fabulous, quite the opposite really, but I won't use that 'f' word here!  What a great time of the year though, to have the letter 'f' to work with - fig season.  The only problem with that, was that someone who was going to eat my 'f' feast doesn't actually like figs.  I spent quite a few days considering other options and in the end reasoned that I love figs, so too bad.  That and the fact that the fajitas would more than make up for it!

Fajitas are one of my go to dinner recipes.  They are easy to prepare in minimal time and are so delicious.  I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't love spicy meat, capsicum and onions, smothered in salsa, guacamole and sour cream, and wrapped in a tortilla.  But how to make it different this time was the question.  The answer came in the form of pineapple coleslaw, which I have had on high rotation over the rest of this week.  You could make your own fajita seasoning mix, with chilli, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and some cornflour (so it sticks to the meat!), or just grab the pre-made packet from the supermarket.  Both are equally good and I won't judge you if you use the packet one - I do most of the time!

For dessert, the figs were the star (well for me anyway), sitting atop a mini flourless chocolate cake.  When I found this recipe (thanks to Stonesoup), the first thing I noticed was that it just made two cakes - no need to have to cut the recipe down or have too many leftovers (is there such a thing?).  Then I noticed it contained no almond or hazelnut meal, as most flourless cakes do, which meant if it did make more than two cakes, I could actually take a left over one to work the next day.  And finally then I noticed it's only 5 ingredients and you make it all pretty much in a food processor.  The only thing not done in the food processor is whipping the egg white to a soft peak.  My egg white didn't quite get there, as my arm gave up first - might have to add whipping egg whites to my fitness plan.  The cake still worked though, so don't worry if your arm does the same as mine!

Fajitas
200g chicken breast, sliced
200g rump steak, sliced
1 packet Fajita seasoning mix
olive oil
1 red capsicum, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
guacamole (1 avocado, 1/3 red onion diced, handful chopped coriander, juice of a lime)
pineapple coleslaw (1 pineapple, 200 - 300g cabbage, handful chopped coriander, juice of a lime)
tomato salsa
sour cream
tortillas

1. Place chicken in one snaplock bag and beef in another.  Add half the fajita seasoning and a splash of olive oil to each bag.  Seal bag and massage to coat the chicken and beef.  Leave for 30 - 60 minutes.
2. Make guacamole by mashing avocado and mixing in lime juice, onion and coriander.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. For the coleslaw: Slice pineapple into thick rings.  Remove skin and core.  Slice into small pieces or wedges.  Finely slice cabbage (use a mix of red and sugarloaf for a bit more colour).  Add cabbage and coriander to pineapple.  Add lime juice and mix.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4. Heat two frypans over med-high heat.  Add chicken to one and beef to other.  Add a splash of olive oil if necessary.  Cook chicken and beef until cooked through.  Remove from pans, cover and set aside.  (You can use just one pan if you like - cook chicken first, then beef.)
5. Without wiping out the frypans, add a splash of olive oil and sliced capsicum to one pan and sliced onion to the other, cook for 3 - 5 minutes until beginning to soften. (If using one frypan, put them both in together).
6. Warm tortillas in the oven, whilst you cook the capsicum and onion.
7. Serve meat, capsicum and onions, guacamole, coleslaw, salsa, sour cream, lime wedges and tortillas for everyone to construct their own.

Flourless chocolate cakes (makes 2)
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
40g (2 heaped tablespoons) brown sugar
40g (2 tablespoons) butter
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons boiling water

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C and place a baking tray on the middle shelf.  Grease 2 x 1 cup (250mL) capacity ramekins and line base with paper (and grease the top of this paper).
2. Roughly chop the chocolate and place in food processor with brown sugar.  Process until coarse crumbs. A few chunky bits of chocolate are okay!
3. Add butter, egg yolk and boiling water.  Process for a few seconds until well combined.
4. Add a small pinch of salt to the egg white and whisk (by hand!) until soft peaks*.
5. Gently fold chocolate mixture into egg white foam until just combined.
6. Pour half of mixture into each ramekin.  Remember to wipe off any drips.
7. Place ramekins on preheated tray and bake for 20 minutes or until top feels firm.  Allow to cool in ramekins.  (Yes, they will sink a bit.  The picture above is from when they just came out of the oven.)
8. Turn out onto plate (remove paper) and serve with cream and other toppings.  See grilled figs below, or make a berry sauce or whatever takes your fancy.

* I was a bit lazy/my arm hurt and I didn't quite get my egg whites to soft peaks, so my cakes were probably a little more fudgey than the original recipe.  No need to worry then, if your arm gives up before you get to soft peaks as well, as they'll still be delisious!

Grilled honey figs
2 fresh figs
honey

1. Cut figs in half and place under griller (med-high heat).
2. Once figs start to soften (1 - 2 minutes), drizzle each half with a little bit of honey and leave for another minute or so.  
3. Serve with flourless chocolate cake (above). 

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A sweet little thing

Lemons beginning to fruit

And it's back to the kitchen, as Spring takes hold of our weather here in south-east Queensland.  Not long now till the rains will arrive (we hope) which will freshen everything up, and help us all to stop watering less.  Whilst we've been away from the blog, I've planted a little garden at my back door.  Winter is probably not the best time to do that, but nevertheless all the herbs and chillies have thrived in the cooler conditions, and are all set now for the warm spring and hot summer heading our way.  Even better news, is that the chillies and lemon tree have been flowering and now the fruit is coming on.  If only my poor old lime tree would catch on to this idea!  Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to using my own chilli and lemons very soon.

My co-conspirator in the kitchen has been laid low for almost 40 days now with the dreaded whooping cough.  So in an attempt to lift his spirits, I cooked dinner my house then took it to him!  The Indonesian Beef Rendang that I made was the perfect dish for a moveable dinner challenge. I did up to step 4 of the rendang, then bundled it up to transport.  Finally adding the coconut when I was ready to serve.

You'll need to find the biggest mortar and pestle you can to make this rendang paste.  It makes enough for 4 curries - you use about 1/2 cup per curry.  I ended up blitzing several ingredients in the food processor and had numerous bowls of these covering the bench.  The softer ingredients I pounded in the mortar and pestle, then combined everything at the end.  The rest of the paste that you don't use for this recipe can be frozen for up to 6 months, in 1/2 cup portions.

When you eat this curry, the first taste you get will be a sweet one (due to the addition of kecap manis - sweet soy sauce).  Shortly thereafter you will get the slow burn of the chilli.  Remember to always taste the chilli as you're chopping it up, and adjust the overall amount to suit your own tastes.  And, as with all curries this rendang is even better the next day for lunch!

Indonesian Beef Rendang

Rendang Paste
2.5 tbspn black pepper (whole)
2.5 tbspn coriander seeds, roasted and ground
50g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
50g galangal (this is a really tough ingredient, so be prepared for a wrestle when chopping it up)
250g large red chillies, seeded, chopped (taste a piece to check for heat, and adjust quantity to taste)
40g bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
50g garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
200g shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
100g candle nut (can substitute macadamia nuts)

1. Roast the coriander seeds and peppercorns.
2. Then pound spices, ginger and galangal in mortar and pestle.
3. Add both chillies, garlic, shallots and candle nuts and pound to form a coarse paste.


Rendang
2 tbsp vegetable oil (eg Rice Bran oil)
1/2 cup rendang paste (see above)
750g chick beef, cut into 2.5cm cubes (use any type of braising beef)
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
1 tumeric leaf (substitute 2 kaffir lime leaves - tear/squash them a little to start to release the flavour)
4 slices galangal
1 cup water
500mL coconut cream
2 tbspn dark palm sugar
1/3 kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
3/4 cup dessicated coconut, toasted

1. Heat oil in heavy based pan or wok and fry paste for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add meat, lemongrass, tumeric leaf and galangal and cook until meat is sealed all over.
3. Add water and simmer gently for 40 minutes.  Give it a stir every now and then.
4. Add coconut cream, palm sugar and kecap manis.  Stir to combine.  Simmer for further 45-60 minutes until meat is tender and sauce is very thick.
5. Stir in half the toasted coconut (it will soak up some of the sauce) and stir to combine.  Add remaining coconut a few minutes later if needed.
6. Serve with steamed rice, and garnished with crispy fried shallots and coriander leaves.

Tips from the masters (no not me!)

Recently I attended a cooking class at the Sunshine Coast's Spirit House Cooking School.  Every one I talk too has either eaten there, done a class there or it's on their to do list.  Can I say.... do not wait any longer, get down to Yandina and get eating and get cooking.  It is the best way to learn great recipes and pick up nice little tips from the professionals.

Here are a few little tricks that we learned throughout the day.  You probably know them, but they were 'aha' moments for us:

• don't ever use white wine vinegar in Asian cooking as it's far too strong
• only use vegetable oil in Asian cooking, e.g. Rice Bran oil
• use white peppercorns, as the black ones are too strong
• in working out how many serves a recipe makes have a look at the protein, in Australia we allow 150g or so per person
• lime juice loses it's flavour and colour very quickly, so don't squeeze them too far ahead of time
• to 'peel' ginger, just scrape a teaspoon along the skin
• use coconut cream for curries and coconut milk for desserts
• use your mortar and pestle to grind things up for quick cooking curries, as you've already started to break them down and release the flavour; use your food processor to blitz things for longer cooking curries as they will have longer to break down
• with a master stock, strain it after using, allow to cool, scrape off the fat and freeze; you must boil it each time you re-use it.  If it starts to thicken make a new batch and add it in to the original batch, and it will keep on getting better and better each time.

Happy cooking!
P.S. I'm not responsible for making that pineapple look that beautiful, but I did chop it up later!

The herbs have taken over

This week was a hectic week for us at work. NAPLAN had taken over and some of us were more busy than others. So it was a good thing that I was cooking and Rose was sampling (LOL). I decided to go with nice and light this week and it proved very delicious.  This week I decided to do all my shopping at B FRESH and I'm glad I did. I don't mind plugging a good store haha. Rose had given me, via text, my core ingredient: Chinese Five Spice. After a few days of scouring the recipe books and Delicious Magazines I came up with my menu of Warm Salad of Brie and Roast Cherry Tomatoes, and Crispy Chicken on Asian Rice Noodle Salad.

Warm Salad of Brie and Roast Cherry Tomatoes

Punnet of Vine ripened cherry tomatoes
200g mixed salad leaves
1 1/2 cups kalamata olives
1 red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs chopped basil
2 tsp chopped chives
1 tbs chopped flat leafed parsley
          plus extra to serve
8 baguette slices chargrilled and kept warm
400g brie (at room temperature)

Preheat oven at 180 deg. Roast tomatoes for 5-10 minutes until starting to split.
Meanwhile, combine salad leaves, olives, and onion. Whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard, then stir in herbs and season. Toss with salad, tomatoes and parsley leaves. Serve with baguette and brie.

This was a light and delicious starter. The texture contrast with the brie and the baguette was great against the crunch of the salad and the tang of the roasted tomatoes.

Crispy chicken on Asian Rice noodle salad

100g vermicelli noodles
1 red capsicum
2tbs chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped thai basil leaves

Dressing
1 1/2 tbs lime juice
1 1/2 tbs fish sauce
3 tsp caster sugar
1cm piece of ginger finely grated
1/2 long red chilli seeded thinly sliced

Crispy Chicken
1 egg
1 cm piece of ginger finely grated
1 garlic clove crushed
110g plain flour
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 chicken breasts thinly sliced
vegetable oil to shallow fry

To make dressing whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.
Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water and stand for 5 minutes. Drain, then return to bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine. Add capsicum and herbs and toss to combine.
To make the crispy chicken, whisk egg, ginger and garlic in a large bowl until just combined. Combine flour five spice and S&P in another large bowl. Dip chicken into egg mixture, drain off excess, then toss in the flour mixture.
Fill wok or deep frying pan halfway with oil and shallow fry chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Place noodle salad on serving plates and top with crispy chicken to serve.

This was a very tasty dish, but could have had more kick in the chilli and a bit more dressing in the noodles. I thought the chook was tasty. I do need to work on my portions and my plating up lol.

Next week promises to be delish as Rose's task is to cook something Moroccan. YUM.

A little bit of lime

I was in Woolies yesterday and nearly fell over when I saw the price of limes at $3.99/kg! I know, I know, pick yourself up off the floor it was not a typo. Two weeks ago I think I paid $1.25 for 1 lime! You can imagine how many I bought, with plans for all the things I could do with them. So tonight's dinner is bought to you by the letter L - for lime!

We started of with a Thai Chicken Risotto. If you have the March 2012 issue of Delicious magazine you can find it in there on page 64 in the "Eat well for less" article. The amount I made would serve 4, ie we've both got lunch tomorrow :)

Start by cutting up 2 chicken thighs into small pieces. Brown them in some peanut oil, then remove from pan. In the same pan, over medium heat add 1/2 onion (I used 2 golden shallots) finely chopped, 1/2 red chilli thinly sliced (depending on the heat of the chilli and how hot you want it either leave seeds in or not, or use the whole chilli), 1 garlic clove crushed and 2 thinly shredded kaffir lime leaves. Cook, stirring often for 2 - 3 mins, until onion is soft. Add 165g aborio rice, 2 tbsp red curry paste and a splash of white wine (that's not in the Delicious recipe!) and cook, stirring to coat rice, for about 1 minute. Add the chicken back in, with 250mL chicken stock and 60mL water (about 300mL liquid all up). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 - 20 mins till liquid is absorbed. Add more stock if necessary throughout the time. Finally stir in 125mL coconut milk/cream, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 100g trimmed chopped grean beans. Cover and stand for about 10 minutes. To serve, top risotto with coriander, the rest of the chilli finely chopped and more shredded kaffir lime leaves.

This was a beautiful risotto. It had just the right kick of chilli for me, and a good balance of flavours with the lime squeezed over the top. I was a happy chef and a happy eater. So simple, so tasty and all in one pot! 5/5 wooden spoons

And now for dessert. This is one of Nigella's little puddings. I was going to cook it two weeks ago, but ran out of time and energy. Then of course with limes being so cheap this week, Nigella's lemon puddings turned into Rose's lemon and lime puddings. The mixture below made 2 puddings.

Into your mix master or food processor bowl add: 65g softened unsalted butter, 65g caster sugar, 65g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, zest of 1 lime - mix till combined into a thick batter. Add juice of the lime you zested and mix again. Grease two 1 cup ramekins, and dollop about 1 tbsp lemon curd in the bottom - enough to cover it.

Divide the batter amongst the ramekins, covering the lemon curd. Bake for 20 mins till cooked through. Remove from oven and ease sponge away from ramekin and tip into bowl. Serve warm with custard or cream. Make sure you scrape the bits of lemon curd out of the ramekin and "quality control" them - there's got to be a perk for being in charge in the kitchen.

As with the risotto, these were delicious. They were light and citrusy. The original recipe uses lemon zest and lemon juice, where I used the lime. Really, you just can go wrong with this one. Next time I will actually attempt to make my own custard, and not rely on good ol' Fosters Clarks (just add boiling water and whisk) Custard, although it is very tasty and a whole lot quicker. 4.5/5 wooden spoons