INGREDIENTS
750 grams cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
400ml milk
45 grams butter
45 grams flour
1 cup grated cheddar
75 grams cream cheese at room temperature
CHILLI CAULI CHEESE
BABY KALE, PICKLED GINGER AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD
INGREDIENTS
100 grams or four handfuls baby kale, washed and dried
50 grams of pickled ginger (from Asian stores)
1 large grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1 plus ½ tablespoon infused olive oil (I used Al Brown’s lemon & oregano)
Salt to taste
METHOD
Drain the pickled ginger and dry on kitchen paper. Place baby kale in a salad bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil and add salt. Use your fingers to mix as this way you will also massage the kale so it is tender. Arrange the grapefruit segments and pickled ginger on top. Just before serving drizzle the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil. Serves 4.
MOORISH CHICKEN MARYLAND WITH FRUIT & NUT PILLAF
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN
4 chicken Maryland cut legs
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon harissa
Continue reading “MOORISH CHICKEN MARYLAND WITH FRUIT & NUT PILLAF”
OVEN ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC BUTTER
If you have been reading my blog, you’d realize I love broccoli. It appears I have quite a few recipes using broccoli. The garlic butter is not real butter…
FOR THE GARLIC BUTTER
INGREDIENTS
1 head of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cut the top off (about ½ centimetre or so) for the garlic head. Place on a large foil piece. Pour the olive oil on the head and sprinkle the salt. Wrap up the garlic tightly with the foil and place on a baking tray in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
Once cooked remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes before cutting open the foil. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the pulp (yes like a toothpaste) into a bowl. Drizzle the good quality extra virgin olive oil, a little at a time continuously mixing the pulp so the oil is incorporated. Add a pinch of salt and when the consistency resembles butter, serve on baked potato or with other vegetables.
FOR OVEN ROASTED BROCCOLI
INGREDIENTS
2 heads broccoli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wash and dry the broccoli. Cut into florets and put on a large oven tray. Drizzle the oil on top of the florets and sprinkle the sea salt. Using your fingers, mix it all in well so all the florets are well coated with the salt and oil. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes. Shuffle them or turn them over and sprinkle the chilli flakes and return the tray to oven for a further 10-15 minutes of cooking. The edges of the broccoli florets should be caramelized and brown.
Place the florets into the bowl and add the garlic butter. Toss gently until all mixed in and serve immediately. Serves 4.
CHICKEN BIRYANI
Biryani is a mixed rice dish with its primary origins among the Muslims in India. It is debatable as to whether the Mughals or Arab traders brought the dish to India. Chicken biryani is almost synonymous with Hyderabad and it is no coincidence that the Nizams (Muslim rulers – first as an annex of the Mughals) ruled this part of the Deccan for over two hundred years.
INGREDIENTS
1 (1.5 kilograms) free range chicken jointed in to 8 – 10 pieces
3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
POTATO CURRY PUFFS
INGREDIENTS
300 grams waxy potatoes
100 grams onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
½ cup chopped cashew pieces
2 tablespoons of neutral oil
4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Salt to taste
Coriander, tamarind chutney to serve
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
Boil the potatoes in their skins. Allow to cool and peel the skin. Cut cooked potatoes in a one centimetre dice.
Heat oil in a large fry pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes and add the chopped cashew pieces. Continue frying till the cashew pieces are golden brown. Add the curry powder, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry briefly and then add the potato pieces. Add salt and sprinkle a couple of table spoons of water. Cover and cook for about four to five minutes. Set aside to cool.
Cut each piece of pastry into squares. Place a tablespoon of the potato mixture in the middle of each square (using your fingers to evenly spread). Make sure you leave a 1 centimetre border around the edge. Fold to form a triangle. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
Place the “puffs” on prepared tray. Brush with egg and bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Serve hot with coriander and tamarind chutney. Makes 16 puffs.
CORIANDER AND TAMARIND CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
1 plus ½ cup of chopped coriander stems, roots and leaves
3-4 hot green chillies chopped (I used cayenne)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste
METHOD
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend to a fine paste. Allow to rest at least an hour before serving.
BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES WITH RHUBARB COMPOTE
Did you know that buckwheat is not a grain but is actually the fruit of a plant related to the rhubarb and sorrel? It is widely popular in many cuisines for its nutritional benefits. Another interesting fact is that rhubarb is a native of Russia and is really a vegetables but is often treated as a fruit. I love the rose pink colour of cooked rhubarb and the natural sharpness works well with the pancakes.
Just a note the leaves of rhubarb have a very high oxalic acid content and are poisonous. Please discard them and cook only the stalks.
BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS
1 plus 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
PAN FRIED DORY WITH RED PEPPER SALAD
This is super simple and when served with some roast broccoli, this is a colourful and elegant dinner party dish.
RED PEPPER SALAD
INGREDIENTS
2 large red peppers
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium sized red onion
BUTTERFLIED PRAWNS WITH DIPPING SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
20 very large tiger or banana prawns, peeled but tails intact
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt to taste
BALI – THE ISLAND OF GODS
For a few days, one can feel like a multi-millionaire in Bali. 100 New Zealand dollars gets you almost a million Indonesian rupiah! Of course I was very excited to visit Bali not to feel like a multi-millionaire but because the history of how Bali came to be is very interesting. In a country that is dominated by Muslims, Bali remains to be a Hindu majority province. Most of the inhabitants are descendants of migrants from other parts of Asia and there has been a long documented history of Hindu rulers for over 700 years. The Dutch colonised in 16th century and then came a long difficult colonial period.
Being just 8 degrees south of the equator, Bali has a fairly even climate all year round. Tourism is now the largest single industry and cruise ships are starting to see the appeal and they have been docking close enough since 2011.