Saturday 23 April 2011

Japanese Inspired quiche...




I love Japanese, and was in a creative mood...


Ingredients...

pre-heat oven to 200c

2 nori sheets
1 tsp sesame seeds

4 lg eggs
1tsp sesame oil
3 extra large button mushrooms
1/2 red onion 
1 cup chopped bacon
1 small zucchini 
1 cup of baby spinach chopped
salt and pepper to taste




   
 1. Prepped veggies, and bacon.



 2. In a sauce pan at med/high heat saute your veg (apart from your spinach).



 3. When your bacon has some color to it remove pan from heat, fold your spinach in, and add salt & pepper. Set pan aside.



 4. Grease a 8 inch quiche tin. Place your 1st whole nori sheet in Pressing down trying to stick it to your tin as much as possible, without breaking it. 



 5. As your nori sheet is square and your tin round you will have some gaps. Fill them in with two of the 4 strips you have sliced your last nori sheet into. 



 6. Crack your 4 eggs and add your sesame oil to a bowl and mix.



 7. First add your filling to your tin (spreading evenly). Follow by topping with your egg mix.



 8. I used my last 2 nori strips and cut them even thinner. I lay them across the top of my "quiche". I then topped with my sesame seeds. 



9. I then placed my ready quiche in the oven for 15 minutes until egg was just firm (looking like photo above).



The smells that came from the oven were fantastic. I devoured half of this, whoops...
ENJOY!
 

Friday 22 April 2011

Thai Kaffir Lime & Coconut Creamed Pork Tenderloin with Zucchini Noodles...




A Creamy Thai inspired Pork and "noodle" meal!

Ingredients

Pork tenderloin (400gms)

Noodle, Sauce, and Vegetable ingredients...
1 medium red onion  
1 tin of champion mushrooms
1 tin coconut cream
2 large zucchini

Paste ingredients...

5 cloves of garlic
1 large nub of fresh ginger
1 whole red chili
5 kaffir lime leafs
juice from one lime
1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
1tsp ground coriander
4 tbsp fish sauce




 1. Sear your tenderloin on med/high heat in a pan and set aside 



 2. Add all paste ingredients and blitz into a paste...



 3. Roughly chop your mushrooms and red onion



 4. In a medium sauce pan add oil and saute your veggies



 5. While your veggies are sauteing slice your seared pork



 6. Add your paste to your veggie once they have browned slightly



 7. Once your veggies are coated with your paste add your coconut cream and allow to simmer and reduce by half



 8. While your sauce is simmering and reducing prepare your "noodles" 



 9. Add your ready sliced tenderloin and cook just enough to coat your pork



10. Remove your pork and sauce from the heat. Add your Zucchini noodles and mix though your sauce. 


Now your ready to EAT!
I was in the mood for something rich and creamy. I don't eat dairy, so sometimes i get cravings for creamy sauces. This went down a treat, Enjoy! 

Barbecue Pork belly...




I LOVE PORK BELLY!
 
I dedicate this to a lovely lady that too loves pork belly (she is also the mother of my love). Here's to many pork belly's "Titanic Tina"! (She's really "Tiny Tina", but we let her think she's big!)



Ingredients...
pre heat oven to 180c (to start)

1 kg Pork belly (this will feed 3)
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
4 large cloves of garlic
1 small hand-full of fresh coriander (stems and all!)
1/2 red chilli (if your not a spicy eater DONT)
Juice from half a lemon
2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil



 
 1. Place all ingredients except the pork belly (duh) in your food processor (if you are with out chop, mince, blend) and blitz them into a paste!



 2. Score your belly! With a sharp knife, make tick, tack, (no toe's) on the skin of your pork belly! (this will make the crackling nice and crispy)



 3. Place your pork belly in and oven safe baking tray. With a pastry brush (or your hand if you must) cover the scored side of your pork belly with your ready made paste. Really work it into those cuts you've made. The better you coat your belly the better it will taste! Place your now basted pork belly in your pre heated oven for 2 hours.



 4. After your two hours your belly should be looking like this. She isn't ready yet! Crank your oven up to high for 20 minutes. Then place it on grill for 10 minutes to ensure that crackling is really crispy. Keep an eye on it at grilling point you wouldn't want to over do it!



5. Remove your belly from the oven. Before cutting allow her a couple of minutes rest. Cut it as you desire and devour!


I just love this recipe. crispy crackling, tender pork meat! We ate our belly with a honey sweet potato salad. I will share that at a later date. We made mmm noises as we ate this one, Enjoy!


Tuesday 19 April 2011

Paleo Zucchini Fritters...




Easy for breakfast, lunch, or even Tea!!



Ingredients...


3 small zucchini
1/2 medium red onion
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp organic mild peri peri sauce (if you dont like hot remove and add 1 tsp paprika and juice of one lemon wedge)
Zest of one lemon
8 large basil leaves




 Prepped ingredients... 



 1. Zest, red onion, zucchini, and basil in a large mixing bowl (note: I did not squeeze the excess liquid from the zucchini. I wanted to keep it so I didn't have to add anymore wet ingredients to this recipe.)



 2. Add Dry ingredients 



 3. Coat the veggies well with the dry ingredients



 4. Add the Egg, and Peri Peri (or paprika and lemon juice)


 
 5. Mix well and your mixture should look like this



6. Cook your fritters on a flat skillet on med to high and well greased. I used my non stick cooking rings (I like them round). This mixture makes 8 large fritters.



I served mine with a fresh green salad and a side of (coconut) yogurt, and more hot sauce.  The Lemon zest gives them such a great zing.
Enjoy!


Monday 18 April 2011

Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Pie...

 



I just loved this, full of flavor and filling!

Its starting to cool down where we are slightly, and we are enjoying eating hot foods (without sweating while we eat them)!


preheat oven 180c

This is only the pie filling recipe. The Pastry shell recipe for this is also on my blog. It's listed as "Savory Pie Shell". This mix is to be added to your pre made shell.
 
Ingredients...

1 large chicken breast
1 large chorizo sausage
2 small red capsicum (or 1 med)
1/2 lg red onion
1 lg sweet potato
1 heaped tbsp grated fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves grated
1/2 a lemon (for its juice)
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
1 tin of organic chopped tomato
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tsp ground cumin
1tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup of water (or chicken stock)




 Ingredients in bulk form (chicken is diced)...




 Ingredients prepped...




 1. Saute in a pan at med/high the chicken and chorizo




 2. Add your ginger, garlic and lemon juice and brown just slightly




 3. Add your red onion, and red capsicum and saute until just cooked




 4. Add the spices, salt & pepper, and fresh herbs and coat pan ingredients




 5. Add the Tomato paste, water, and tin tomato and simmer for 5 minutes




 6. While your ingredients are simmering curl your sweet potato (or even slice it thinly)




 7. Place your simmering ingredients into your pre made pie shell, and top with your curly sweet potato. Bake at 180c for around 40 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.




 8. We added guacamole, fresh chopped chili, and coriander to the top of ours. We devoured half of this between the two of us. This would definitely feed four people 


Well, I do hope you enjoy!
 

Savory Pie Shell...





This is such an easy savory "pastry" shell to make. High in protein, and low in carbohydrates!



Ingredients...

pre-heat oven to 180c
2 cups almond meal
2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1tsp cumin seeds
coconut flour (to flour your dough and bench)




 1. Dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl



 2. Add wet ingredients and form your dough into a ball




 3. Flour (heavily) your bench and give your dough a little kneed




 4. On your now cleaned bench lay a sheet of plastic wrap flat. Place your dough in the center. Re flour and roll your dough out.



 5. Your rolled out dough should look like this. I then grab both sides of my plastic wrap and flip my rolled out pastry shell into my greased 10inch "pop" cake tin.



6. I work my pastry shell as it is rather "form-able" around the caked tin until it was mostly lined. I then with a fork put just a few small holes in the base (this will keep your shell from ballooning). Place your pastry shell in the oven for only 8 minutes to "par-bake" it.



There you have it! An easy savory Pie base you could really fill with anything! 
 Enjoy...


When filling with a pie mix I would, Pre cook your pie filling. Add it to your pre made shell and bake at only around 180c. You don't want to burn your shell. Remember it is made of almonds and they toast up easily!