Thai Style Fish Curry

Curry Sauce

In a blender mix
2 fresh chillies
2tsp of Sambal Olek
1tsp galangal
1 tsp diced lemongrass
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp of tamarind concentrate
Splash of lime juice
Handful of basil leaves
Generous amount of fish sauce

Stir fry
1 red onion
Pieces of firm white fleshed fish ( i used ling)
Then add the curry paste and cook until fragrant
Complete with brown sugar and coconut cream (1 can)

Honey Lime Dressing

This is a dressing that works well with tofu, haloumi chicken or fish.

Combine
1/3 cup honey
Juice of one lime
1tsp hot smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (make sure its not sweet)

Chilli Beef (Nua pad prik)

Ingredients

• Beef sliced thinly
• Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
• Fish sauce -- 2 tablespoons
• Oyster sauce (optional) -- 1 tablespoon
• Brown or palm sugar -- 2 teaspoons
• Oil
• Thai  chillies, minced -- 2-3
• Red capsicum, sliced very thinly -- 1

Method

In a large bowl, mix the beef with the garlic, fish sauce, sugar and chillies and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat the oil over high flame in a wok . Add the capsicum and stir fry rapidly for about 30 seconds.
Add the beef and its marinade and stir fry rapidly for another 1-2 minutes, or until the beef is just cooked through.
Reduce heat to low,  and toss to coat the beef. Remove from heat and serve hot with jasmine rice.

Baked Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick 'fries'
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup  grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, dip them in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme salt and pepper.
2. Place the eggplant slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 220c oven until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes per side.

I served this with a sweet dipping sauce.

Chicken Piccata

A simple and quick to prepare chicken dish.

Ingredients

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup flour

Salt and pepper

4 tbs olive oil

4 tbs butter

1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine

3 tbs lemon juice

 2 diced garlic cloves

 1 diced onion

1/4 cup brined capers

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

 

Method

Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them into smaller pieces. The pieces need to be fairly thin.

 

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Heat oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a frypan on medium high heat. Saute the garlic and onion and reserve. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and  cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Deglaze with the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan.   Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. return the garlic and onion to the pan.  Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mashed potato or fresh crusty bread.

Carrot Patties

These are a great vegetarian alternative to meat patties for vegetarians.

Cook 600gms of sliced carrots, about 5
Combine with 1 can of chick peas
2 finely diced chillies
1/4 cup of chopped continental parsley
2tsp ground cummin
2tsp ground coriander

Mash all ingediants together with one beaten egg

Form into patties and chill for 30-40 minutes
Then pan fry

Serve with mashed potato and gravy.

Thai Steak

1. 1/4 cup basil leaves
2. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
3. 8 peeled thinly sliced garlic cloves
4. 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or fresh diced chilli
5. 2 tablespoons fish sauce
6. 1tbs lime juice
7. 2tbs cup vegetable oil

Place steak in marinade for at least 3 hours overnight would be best.

Serve with Jasmine rice and a selection of vegatables and or salad.

I also used the sauce from the mince dish.

Cheese dips

All of these recipes are based on a basic cheese dip with additions.
They come from here:  http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/09/25-game-day-snacking-recipes.html

There are many more great dip recipes.

Bacon Double Cheese Burger Dip 
Servings: makes 4+ servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 6 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoon ketchup
• Directions

1. Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat, set it aside and drain the grease from the pan.
2. Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 6-10 minutes, set aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.
3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Mix the ground beef, bacon, onions and garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar, worcestershire sauce and ketchup and pour it into a baking dish.
6. Bake in a preheated 180c oven until the top starts turning a light golden brown and then sides are bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.

Buffalo Wing Dip

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (grated)

Directions:
1. Mix everything, pour it into a baking dish and bake in a preheated 180c oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 20-40 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower Gratin

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets (about 1/2 large head)
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

1. Position rack in upper third of oven
2. Bring cauliflower, 1 1/4 cups milk and salt to a boil in a large ovenproof dish over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cheese and oil in a small bowl. Whisk flour and the remaining 1/4 cup milk in another small bowl until smooth; stir the mixture into the pan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, chives, mustard and pepper. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the top is crispy and beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Asian Mince

Ingredients

• 500g pork or beef mince
• 1tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce
• 1tbs sesame oil
• 1tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1tbs soy sauce
• 1tbs fish sauce
• 2tsp brown sugar or 2 cubes palm sugar
• 2tbs oyster sauce
• 2 spring onions, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 zucchinis, grated; or a head of spinach or silverbeet,
• 2tbs chopped coriander, mint, basil (or mixture) - tonight I made it with parsley because I've got heaps of it growing around the place
• 1/4cup cashews, roasted

Method
1. Mix mince  with sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Leave for at least five minutes, or all day in the fridge.

2. Heat a wok and fry mince mixture over high heat until cooked through.

3. Reduce heat and mix in oyster sauce, carrots, silverbeet/spinach/zucchinis, spring onions, herbs and cashews.

4. Cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve on plain Basmati rice.

Stir-fried minced beef with chillies and holy basil (Neua pat bai grapao)

When I first read this I thought the chillies would make it extremely hot. By letting it sit for the day it was hot but not fiery. This is a really great dish well worth cooking.

Ingredients

4	garlic cloves
4-10	bird’s eye chillies (scuds)
Good pinch	of salt
3-4 tbsp	vegetable oil
2	eggs
200 gm	coarsely minced beef
About 2 tbsp	fish sauce
Large pinch	of white sugar
¼ cup	stock or water
2	large handfuls of holy basil leaves I used regular basil
To serve:	chillies in fish sauce
Chillies in fish sauce
¼ cup	fish sauce
10-15	bird’s eye chillies (scuds), finely sliced
2	garlic cloves, finely sliced (optional but desirable)
1 tbsp	lime juice (optional)
Good pinch	of chopped coriander

Method

1	For chillies in fish sauce, combine the fish sauce, chillies and garlic in a bowl and set aside. It keeps for some time – in fact it becomes richer and milder as it settles for a day. Make sure it is covered if you are making it in advance – and if the fish sauce evaporates, add an equivalent amount of water to refresh it. Just before serving, stir through the lime juice and coriander.
2	Coarsely chop the garlic with the chillies and salt.
3	Heat a well-seasoned wok over a high heat then turn down the heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Crack in one of the eggs and fry gently, shuffling the egg to prevent it from sticking, until it has cooked to your preference – I like mine with a runny yolk but with crispy, frazzled edges. Spoon some of the hot oil over the egg to ensure the yolk cooks evenly. Carefully lift out the egg with a spatula and place it on a warmed plate, then fry the other egg. Keep the eggs warm while you cook the beef.
4	Add more oil – you’ll need about 4 tablespoons of oil all up in the wok. When the oil is hot, fry the garlic and chillies for a moment, but don’t let it colour. Add the beef and continue to stir-fry for a minute until just cooked. Season to taste with the fish sauce and sugar but be careful not to make it too salty.
5	Add the stock or water and simmer for a moment. Don’t let it boil or stew for too long, otherwise the meat will toughen and too much liquid will evaporate – there should be enough to form a sauce. Stir in the holy basil and as soon as it is wilted, remove from the heat. It should taste rich, hot, salty and spicy from the basil.
6	Serve on two plates with plenty of steamed jasmine rice, a fried egg on top and a bowl of chillies in fish sauce on the side.

 This recipe is from Thai Street Food by David Thompson, published by Penguin Lantern  

Sausages, Eggs and Hash Brown Casserole

Start by greasing a baking dish

First place your sausages on the base uncooked

Then mix 9 eggs and a cup of milk and pour over the sausages

Now cover with a layer of hash browns (if using frozen thaw first)

Spray with olive oil

Oven bake 180c  till hash browns start to crisp

Then sprinkle with cheese and bake till golden.

Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Brown Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne seasoning, hot
• 1 1/2 tbs Sweet paprika
• Chicken pieces bone in
• 150 grams Button mushrooms, sliced
• 170mL chicken stock
• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 115mL Sour cream
• 1 Teaspoon flour

Method:

Melt butter in a large frying pan or casserole dish set over a high heat. Brown the Chicken pieces and remove Add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Deglaze with stock Stir in cayenne and 1 tbs paprika and saute until fragrant.

Add chicken, mushrooms, salt and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then turn chicken and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Increase heat and reduce, about 5 minutes

Remove from heat and gradually stir in sour cream, corn flour and remaining 1/2 tablespoon paprika. Put back on a medium low heat and bring sauce to simmer, stirring constantly. 

Serve over rice.

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Salmon Saltimbocca with Gremolata Potatoes

GREMOLATA POTATOES

• large handful of fresh
• flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 750g potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• knob of butter
• handful of toasted pine nuts 

FISH

• 8 slices of prosciutto or pancetta
• salmon fillets,
• preferably skinless
• 16 good-sized fresh
• sage leaves, plus extra to serve (optional)
• vegetable oil

SALAD

• 1 bag of baby spinach or other salad leaves
• drizzle each of extra virgin olive oil and
• balsamic vinegar
• large handful of sundried tomatoes

Method

Boil potatoes. Cut into small pieces and roast in the oven.

While you are waiting, get started on preparing the gremolata. Rip the parsley leaves off the stalks and place in a blender peel and add the garlic, grate in the lemon zest and add the oil.

Now back to the gremolata. Briefly whiz the ingredients in the blender until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Next prepare the salmon. Lay two slices of prosciutto or pancetta on a board, overlapping lengthways. Sit a piece of salmon, curved side up, near one short edge. Season with salt and pepper and arrange three sage leaves along the length of the fish. Roll the prosciutto around the salmon until completely wrapped.

Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a little oil. Once hot, add the fillets, sage-leaf side down, turn the heat to medium and leave them to cook for about 3 minutes.

While the fish cooks, throw in the remaining sage leaves. They crisp up in seconds. Then  drain off the excess oil. Now flip the salmon over and leave to cook for another 6 minutes on the other side.

To check the salmon is cooked, cut a little slit through to the centre. The flesh should be just turning opaque and pale pink all the way through. For the salad, place a handful of leaves to the side, drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar, scatter over the sundried tomatoes and serve.

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