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.
I love mushrooms and I am always
experimenting ways in which to use them. This is a vegetarian version of noodle
dishes made at the open food stalls in Hong Kong.
10 grams dried sliced shitake
mushrooms
250 grams white mushrooms
100 grams of garlic shoots or
Chinese chives
375 grams of rice sticks (medium
sized rice noodles)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves sliced
4 teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
200 grams bean sprouts
Salt to taste
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot
water from the kettle for at least 30 minutes. Slice the white mushrooms as
thin as you can. Cut the garlic shoots into 5 centimetre pieces and if they are
too thick split them lengthways. Cover the rice sticks in warm water from the
tap, leave for a few minutes, and then use your fingers to separate them. Shake
dry in a colander.
Heat half the oil in a large wok
over a high flame Add the shitake mushrooms and garlic. Fry until the smell of
garlic is evident. Then add the other mushrooms and garlic shoots and fry over
a medium heat for a further 2 minutes. Add a dash of the dark soy sauce so
mushrooms get a rich colour. Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil on high
heat and add the rice sticks. Fry until the rice sticks are hot. Add the light
and remaining dark soy sauce. Sprinkle the white pepper and salt, then fry to
combine. Return the mushrooms and garlic shoots along with the bean sprouts to
the wok, stir fry until everything is piping hot. Serve immediately. Serves 4
as a main at lunch.
Who doesn’t love the creamy
goodness of an old fashioned potato gratin?
1 kilogram of waxy potatoes like
Nadine
¾ cup cream
½ cup milk
3 cloves garlic finely chopped or
minced
150 grams Gruyere cheese grated
15 grams butter cubed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180o C.
Peel and slice potatoes thinly (I used my hand or you can use a mandolin).
Place the cream, milk and garlic in a largish pot and season well with salt and
pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the
sliced potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Gently transfer half of the
potatoes to a baking dish. Cover with half of the cheese, grate some of the
nutmeg, add the remaining potatoes and cream mixture and top with remaining
cheese. Grate some more nutmeg and top with the cubed butter.
Bake for 40 minutes until golden
and bubbling. Leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
It was my son’s birthday over the
weekend and I baked this cake. This is my go to cake for any occasion. A friend
of mine Trish, gave this recipe about 20 years ago and we love it. It is so
moist, easy to prepare and uncomplicated and gluten free. The whole house has a
beautiful orange aroma when the cake is in the oven.
Orange Almond cake
6 Eggs
250 grams caster sugar
250 grams ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 oranges
Put the oranges and 2 cups of
water into a saucepan that has a tight fitting lid. Cover and boil for 2 hours.
Check that the oranges don’t boil dry. Once cool, discard the water and cut
oranges open. Remove pips and core and purée.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a
large bowl until light and fluffy. Fold in oranges and ground almonds then add
baking powder.
Pour into a lined cake tin, preferably with a removable base. I used a 26 centimetres tin. Bake for about 60 minutes at 180°C. Cool in the tin before turning out.
Chia seeds are rich in Omega 3
Fatty acids and antioxidants. A serving provides enough protein and because of
their high fibre content keeps you full for longer. They also are a good source
of iron and calcium. This is a quick and easy way to incorporate chia seeds
into your eating. I normally serve for breakfast.
1 ½ cups coconut milk or soy milk
½ cup chia seeds
1 -2 tablespoons maple syrup or
honey or jaggery (if using jaggery, grate and add a couple of tablespoons of
hot water to melt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted almond flakes and berries
or seasonal fruit to serve
I used tamarillo (tree tomato).
Incidentally tamarillos regulate blood sugar levels and are rich in
antioxidants. No resemblance to the tomato, but belongs to the same family. I blanched
the tamarillo for about 45 seconds in hot water and peeled the skin.
METHOD
Chia Seeds Pudding
Mix the coconut milk or soy milk
with chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once mixed
thoroughly, pour into three or four bowls or old fashioned glasses. Place
glasses in refrigerator to set overnight. This keeps in the refrigerator for
three or four days. Put your fruit on top and sprinkle the toasted almonds and
serve cold.
Vepudus are fried (but not deep
fried) or stir fried dishes from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Crisp, fried foods are a basic part of the meal and add a textural element when
served alongside a plain tadka dhal. In Andhra or Telangana, vepudu is made
using vegetables such as okra or small tender brinjals and I have used the same
technique for zucchini.
4 plump zucchini
3 tablespoons chick pea flour
(besan)
1 tablespoon ground cashew nut
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder (mild or
moderate hot)
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
METHOD
Wash, top and tail the zucchini.
Depending on how big your zucchini is, cut in half or thirds. Put the zucchini
piece upright on your cutting board and make a slit of about 3 centimetres down
towards the centre. Do the same on the other side but in the opposite direction
to the top end slit. So if you do one left to right, then make the other one
north to south so if the slits were to meet they would make quarters of the
piece of zucchini. However you do not want them in quarters and do not want the
slits to meet.
In a bowl mix the chick pea
flour, ground cashew nut, cumin seeds, garlic, chilli powder and salt. Add a
couple of teaspoons of oil and mix with your fingers. It should look like bread
crumbs. Use your fingers to stuff the zucchini pieces with the chick pea flour
mix in the slits being careful not to break the piece in half. If there is any
leftover mix, reserve this to sprinkle on top of the fried zucchini in the end.
Stuffed Zucchini
Heat a heavy based fry pan and
add the remaining oil. When hot enough add all the zucchini pieces and set your
pan on high heat. Cover with a lid for 3 to 4 minutes. Using two spoons or
tongs gently turn them over and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for a
further 3 -4 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to low sprinkle a tablespoon of
water and let cook until everything is evenly roasted. About 12-15 minutes.
Serve hot as a side dish to your Indian meal.
This is a very colourful and scrumptious salad that can be served on its own, or as a side dish to quesadillas or tacos. Poached chicken is optional.
For the Salad:
¼ small red cabbage
¼ small green cabbage
1 large carrot
3 or 4 pink table radishes
2 sticks celery, peeled and
sliced
3 or 4 spring onions sliced
Handful of parsley roughly
chopped
Handful of mint leaves sliced
½ cup sunflower seeds toasted
(optional)
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper
For poached chicken (you will
need an instant read thermometer)
400 grams chicken breasts
2 -3 pods of garlic
1 teaspoon pepper corns
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 sprig of coriander or parsley
stalk
If using poached chicken, prepare
this first so chicken has time to cool. Place chicken in a deep sauce pan. Add
enough cold water so the chicken is at least submerged 5 centimetres deep. Add
the remaining ingredients. Put the sauce pan on gentle heat and check
temperature has reached to 65 degrees Celsius at the thickest part of the
breast. This normally should take about 10 -12 minutes depending on the size of
pan and amount of water. Once the desired temperature has reached, remove
chicken breasts and let cool completely on a plate before slicing on a diagonal.
Prepare the salad by finely
slicing the cabbages and julienning the carrot and radish. I normally use a
mandolin for this. Mix all the prepared salad vegetables and set aside in a
large bowl as it yields about 12 cups or so. You can add the parsley and mint
after dressing the salad.
For the dressing, mix all the
dressing ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to your
preference. Set aside.
Mix the dressing a little at a
time with the salad vegetables and chicken if using (I normally take out enough
for one time use and store the remaining vegetables in the refrigerator). Once
the dressing is mixed in, I stir in the herbs and garnish with the toasted
sunflower seeds on top.
1 x 400 grams tin of chick peas
drained and rinsed
1 red onion sliced
½ head cauliflower washed and cut
into florets
Juice of one lime
Curry Paste
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 red chilli finely chopped
To Serve:
3 tablespoons coriander leaves
35 grams toasted peanuts and
sesame seeds
1 lemon cut into wedges
Silverbeet Rice:
4 silverbeet leaves washed and finely
chopped removing the rib
4-5 spring onions finely chopped
2 cups Basmati rice rinsed
30 grams butter or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 x 5 centimetre cinnamon pieces
Salt to taste
For the curry:
Mix all ingredients for curry
paste and set aside. You can thin by adding a couple of tablespoons of warm
water.
Heat oil in a sauce pan. Fry
pumpkin cubes, then add the lentils. Add a cup of water and after ten minutes,
add sliced onion, chick peas and cauliflower florets. Increase heat, add the curry
paste and coconut milk. Stir to combine and check amount of liquid – add more
if necessary. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 -20 minutes making
sure all vegetables are cooked to your liking. Finish off by adjusting seasoning.
Serve immediately with the toppings or the silverbeet rice.
Silverbeet rice:
Heat half the butter (15 grams)
in a large fry pan with a lid. When the butter is starting to froth, add the
chopped silverbeet. Increase heat, add a half teaspoon salt and fry until the
silverbeet is nicely wilted and partially cooked. Remove and set aside. Heat
the remaining butter in the same pan. When frothing, add the cinnamon stick and
cumin seeds. After frying about 20 seconds, add the rice and continue to fry so
the rice is toasted (maybe about a minute or so). Add half a teaspoon salt and
about three and three quarters cups of cold water. Stir, increase heat and cover
with lid. Let it come up to the boil, reduce heat and cook without stirring for
15 minutes. Mix in the silverbeet, cover and let cook for a further minute.
Once rice has blossomed and is cooked, stir in the spring onion and serve with
the pumpkin and peanut curry.
1 small bunch
of green beans cut into 3 centimetre pieces or 1 cup of frozen cut beans
½ cup frozen
or fresh peas
½ cup natural
yoghurt
60 grams
blanched peanuts dry roasted and ground
1 cinnamon
stick
1 teaspoon
Kashmiri chilli powder
2 teaspoons
ground cumin powder
2 teaspoons
ground coriander powder
1 teaspoon
garam masala powder
½ teaspoon
turmeric
½ teaspoon
sugar
1 hot green
chilli
5 centimetre
piece of ginger
6 plump
garlic cloves
10 -12 thick
coriander stalks roughly chopped
4 tablespoons
vegetable oil like canola oil
Salt to taste
Steamed Rice
or Roti or Pita Bread to serve
Method:
Using a
mortar and pestle or a mixer, grind the ginger, garlic, green chilli and
coriander stalks to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a large fry pan. When
oil is sufficiently hot, throw in the cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds.
Then add the finely chopped onion and fry for a minute. Add the cauliflower,
carrot and potato pieces. Turn the heat to the highest setting and let them
sizzle for two to three minutes. Clear a bit of space so you can see the bottom
of the pan – now add the cumin, coriander, chilli and garam masala powders
along with the pinch of sugar and salt. Incorporate the spice powders into the
vegetables and continue frying for a minute. Now add the yoghurt and ground
paste mixing everything so the spice paste adheres to the vegetables. Add a cup
of water, mix, cover with lid and let cook for about 15 minutes. (The
vegetables need to be just about done but not too mushy) Add the green beans
and peas and continue cooking with the lid on for a further five minutes.
Finally add the ground peanut powder. Give everything a good stir. Taste to
adjust seasoning. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti or pita bread.
