Red Thai Atlantic Salmon

I would call this a deconstruction but that sound pretentious. It is instead a fusion of asian vegetables with a Thai red curry paste. combined with a pan roasted Atlantic salmon fillet. The salmon needs nothing added to it in my opinion as the textures and flavours work perfectly for themselves.

Vegetables
Saute
1 sliced onion
2 Pak Choy sliced stems
1 sliced red chilli
1 sliced yellow capsicum
Finally add the Pak Choy leaves at the very end and cook only a little

Sauce
Coconut milk
Thai red chilli paste

Salmon
Pan fry starting with skin side down turn only once

Place curry sauce in base of plate and top with molded rice
Place vegetables with care around the rice
Then place the salmon fillet beside the rice

The flavours work well and enhance the salmon without overwhelming it. On the left is the compromise for a teenager who will not eat vegetables, and corn and peas don't work with this, but....

Eggplant and Pasta Bake

A simple dish for lunch or an evening meal.

Slice and saute 2 onions.
Slice into rounds and saute 1 eggplant.

Take a baking dish and place cooked eggplant on the base.
Combine onion, 1 can of tomatoes and 200 gm cooked pasta
Place mix on top of the eggplant
Cover with a thin layer of tomato sauce.
 Top with bread crumbs and grated tasty cheese.
 Oven bake at 180c for 30 minutes or until cheese browns.

New Complete Vegetarian

This book by Rose Elliot has proved of enormous help in cooking a variety of tasty meals for my vegetarian girl.

 Most of the recipes for this month came from this excellent volume. The thing I like about the book is its modern approach, low fat and light recipes that really on the vegetables to add the flavour to the dishes.

There are a comprehensive range of recipes here that cover not just vegetables but grains, pulses, pasta, rice and nuts. Recipes also look at mains and entrees as well as deserts.

There are very few illustrations the bulk of the book being taken up with recipes. The recipes are well written the instructions and techniques are simple to follow and the whole volume is very friendly to the home cook.

If you buy only one vegetarian cookbook this one should be the one

Cheesy Lentils

This is a quick and simple dish for a cold night.
Saute 1 diced onion until translucent.
Add one crushed garlic clove
Then add 2.5 cups of water
225gms of red lentils

Simmer for 25mins or until lentils are soft

Then just before serving add 125gms grated cheddar cheese

Season and serve with crusty bread.

Seen here with dirty rice

Banana and Maple Syrup Cake

This one comes from the March issue of Delicious.

Line and grease a 20cm square cake tin

Pour a thin layer of maple syrup on the base
Cut 2 ripe bananas in half and place in the syrup cut side down

Mix
 100gms butter (room temp)
185gms brown sugar
4 eggs
2tsp vanilla paste
1 mashed banana
200gms self raising flour
100 gms almond meal
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
200gms Greek yogurt

Poor the blended mixture over the bananas, being careful not to move them

Bake at 160c for 45 - 60 mins

Its done when a skewer comes out clean

Prick the base with the skewer and pour on additional maple syrup

Allow to stand for 5 minutes then turn onto a plate

Serve warm with ice cream or cream

Syrian Chicken

In case you have been wondering I have not become a vegetarian, this lovely recipe makes my point.

This is adapted from Karen Martini's book Cooking at Home.
Coat several pieces of chicken in a mixture of ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, salt and pepper
Brown chicken in a fry pan, set aside.

Saute
2 Diced Onions
100gms of ginger cut into matchsticks
5 garlic cloves smashed
2 roughly cut tomatoes
2 sliced red chillies
When soft return chicken to pan
Add
1tsp ground cumin
Liberal sprinkle of thyme
2 tbs honey
Zest and juice of one lemon
Half a cup of sultanas
3 tsp vegetable stock
Cover all with water (don't go overboard) simmer to reduce and thicken sauce

Serve on a bed of cous cous or rice

Eggplant Quiche

Sauté in olive oil
2 diced onions
1 diced red capsicum
1 chopped eggplant
1 sliced garlic clove

Prepare 1 shortcrust pastry shell

Place a layer of grated tasty (cheddar cheese) on base
Top with vegetable mix and extra cheese

Pour over 2 eggs whisked together with 125mls milk

Oven bake for about 50 mins at 180c