Pascualina

The games have begun and soccer fever has taken South Africa by storm! I never thought I'd say this (after all I am probably the most un-sporty person on the planet), but I've been caught up in the excitement too and found myself shedding a tear during the opening ceremony and screaming like a banshee during the opening game (SA vs Mexico). For the past few nights I've gone to sleep with the drone of a distant vuvuzela and the same sound has greeted me when I wake up in the mornings. To say that the atmosphere in South Africa is electric would be a severe understatement. We last had this kind of vibey atmosphere during the Rugby World Cup in '95 - how privileged am I to experience both in my lifetime!

But first let me get on my soapbox regarding the much-maligned vuvuzela. Yes, the noise can be irritating at times, but it represents so much more than that. Like it or not, the vuvuzela is a huge part of our national identity. Something that we desperately need to nurture, a unifying symbol if you will. For the overseas visitors - I am truly sorry if your eardrums are affected by the noise, but this is Africa baby! You've got to accept a foreign country warts and all and unfortunately this wart is here to stay.

Now that I've got that out of the way, I decided to delve into the food of Uruguay in honour of South Africa's next game against them on Wednesday. Okay, perhaps the good looking Uruguayan team had a leeetle something to do with it too... Boy, there's some talent in that team!

But I digress. This spinach tart is one of Uruguay's most popular dishes and is a tried-and-tested way for Uruguayan moms to get their kids to eat spinach (apparently that's a universal problem). The tart is also actually a pie as the filling is usually encased in pastry, but the sunny eggs looked so pretty on top I couldn't bear to cover it up. You can make the dough from scratch, but I believe that puff pastry is regarded as an acceptable substitute. One bite into this tart and it's clear why it's such a classic - buttery puff pastry and creamy spinach topped by golden eggs - what's not to love?

Pascualina
Adapted from Food of South America 
Serves 6 - 8 (as side-dish)

1 tbsp olive oil 
1 tsp minced garlic
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 bunches of spinach, washed, stalks removed and roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste
5 eggs
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
400g (approx 1 lb) ready-rolled puff pastry


1. Pre-heat oven to 180C (350F). Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and fry until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Add spinach to the pan along with a little water, then cover and allow to steam until soft - this will take about 5 minutes.
3. Remove spinach from heat, drain and season to taste with salt and pepper. Beat one egg and add to the spinach mixture along with breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix to combine.
4. Line the bottom of a greased ovenproof casserole dish with the puff pastry dough. Spread spinach mixture evenly on top, making 4 indentations in the filling. Using the four remaining eggs, break one egg into each indentation. Sprinkle with salt and a little bit of pepper, then place in oven and bake for

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 439.4 , Total fat 29.4 g, Saturated fat 6.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 12.9 g, Monounsaturated fat 8.3 g, Cholesterol 160.3 mg, Sodium 309.2 mg, Potassium 661.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 30.7 g, Dietary fiber 3.3 g, Sugars 0.8 g, Protein 13.5 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 188.4 %, Folate 60.1 %, Manganese 59.2 %, Vitamin C 48.0 %, Selenium 37.9 %

Diri Jon Jon (Mushroom Rice)

What do you get when you mix one food blogger with too little time and a challenge deadline? Well, if this blogger approached any sense of normality, they would do the sensible thing and opt out of the challenge with fervent promises to join in again the following month.

However, if you're me, you procrastinate up to the very last minute, get up early to finish frying your main course and take photos, then fire of three blog posts in 24 hours, kamikaze style. Opting out is not an option! Especially considering I'd never tasted Haitian food - a fact which should've added to the many reasons for opting out of this round.  But clearly, I'm insane and so, I bring you post number two, in a series of three posts on Haitian cuisine**

Also known as Du Riz Djon Djon, Diri Jon Jon is one of two well known rice dishes in Haiti, the other being Du Riz et Pois Coles (rice with red beans). Doesn't saying that make you feel fancy? Djon djon mushrooms are considered a delicacy in Haiti and give the rice its characteristic taste, colour and aroma. Unfortunately, I couldn't find djon djon mushrooms and had to substitute with the only dried mushrooms I could find - dried porcini. I know, I know, this probably doesn't even come close the the real thing. I compensated though by leaving the mushrooms in the final dish for good measure.

The rice turned out fluffy and flavourful, and to be honest, I quite enjoyed the bits of mushroom in every third forkful. Eaten with crispy tassot and spicy ti malice sauce drizzled on top, this was a sure-fire winner. Next time, though I'll go about it in a more relaxed fashion...

I am submitting this to Regional Recipes - Haiti, originally created by Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok and currently managed by Joanne from Eats Well With Others. 

Diri Jon Jon (Mushroom Rice)

Adapted from Island Flave

Serves 6

Traditionally served with Tassot (Fried Goat) or Griots (Fried Pork) and Sauce Ti Malice (Haitian Hot Sauce), it also makes the perfect accompaniment to just about any main meat or fish dish.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

25g dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups uncooked brown rice

4 cups water

1. Heat oil in a pot large enough to cook rice over medium-high heat. Fry onion and garlic until soft. 

2. Add salt, mushrooms, rice and water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 124.7 , Total fat 2.9 g, Saturated fat 0.3 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.7 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 194.2 mg, Potassium 66.0 mg, Total carbohydrate 23.1 g, Dietary fiber 1.5 g, Sugars 0.0 g, Protein 2.8 g 

** In case you missed it, you can find my first post here --> Sauce Ti Malice. And stay tuned for my next post, Tassot (Fried Goat).

Tomato Braised Cauliflower

You know what you get from bragging? Well you either get shown up - in which case you end up looking like a nincompoop - or you might end up looking like a rockstar.

This all all started a few days ago (Tuesday to be exact), when I tweeted about the "BEST.EVER cauliflower" that I'd had.

Referring of course to this tomato-braised cauliflower. I'd barely hit enter, when I was challenged by Carla of Bribed With Food. A cauliflower-off? What better way to pay tribute to the awesomeness that is this dish.

I realise that my honour is at stake here. If I am defeated I will probably skulk off home, put on a guilty indulgence type chick-flick (Pretty Woman anyone?) and grab a hunk of chocolate. Or maybe just a hunk*. Choices, choices.

So dear readers, I need you to try this out and gang up with me convince Carla that this spicy tender cauliflower in a tangy tomato sauce is in fact the best rendition of the vegetable that you've had. Can I count on you?

Tomato Braised Cauliflower 

Adapted from Steamy Kitchen on TLC

Serves 4

Delicious accompanied by succulent lamb chops and steaming rice.

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) turmeric

2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice

2 tsps (10 ml) Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves

4 roma tomatoes, diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add the onion, cauliflower and turmeric and cook for five minutes or until glistening and fragrant. 

2. Add the tomato paste, lemon juice, mustard and thyme and fry another 1 - 2 minutes, then add tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 113.3 , Total fat 3.8 g, Saturated fat 0.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 222.6 mg, Potassium 943.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 17.1 g, Dietary fiber 5.6 g, Sugars 1.6 g, Protein 4.6 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 160.9 %, Vitamin A 24. 7 %, Vitamin B-6 18.9 %

*Of course I mean TheHusband!

Parmesan Mushrooms with Cherry Tomatoes

"Love is in the air... everywhere you look around.... " {du-dum dum dum du-dum dum dum du-dum dum dum dum}  "Love is in the air... every sight and every sound..." {du-dum dum dum du-dum dum dum du-dum dum dum dum}

Huh? Oh sorry, didn't see you there. Okay I'll stop singing now.

"And I don't know if I've been foolish..." Aaah there I go again. Sorry, I can't help it. I'm still stuck in February mode. You know what with Valentine's day and the anniversary of our meeting, first kiss and wedding, I couldn't help but have love on the brain for the whole of last month.

And why should it stop now? I'm a firm believer in celebrating the ordinary days too. Which is why I roasted a chicken for myself and TheHusband last night, added some roasted potatoes to the mix and made these sexy mushrooms as starter. Well okay, it was intended as a side-dish, but man that chicken took long to roast! Either way though, it was delicious. Tender meaty mushrooms, contrasted beautifully by tart cherry tomatoes and my old friend parmesan. What better way to add a sense of ocassion to a weeknight?

Parmesan Mushrooms with Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4

10 (approx 250g) portabella mushrooms

1/4 tsp minced garlic

25 cherry tomatoes

1/2 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

30g grated parmesan cheese

few sprigs of oregano, to garnish (optional)

1. Place mushrooms cap side down in a non-stick frying pan. Add garlic and little bit of water, then cook over medium heat until starting to soften (5 - 7 minutes)

2. Scatter cherry tomatoes amongst the mushrooms, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook further until mushrooms are tender (another 5 or so minutes).

3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve warm, garnished with oregano.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 87.9 , Total fat 4.4 g, Saturated fat 1.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.0 g, Cholesterol 5.9 mg, Sodium 153.0 mg, Potassium 547.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 8.4 g, Dietary fiber 2.1 g, Sugars 1.1 g, Protein 5.6 g

Good source of: Riboflavin 22.4 %, Vitamin C 17.8 %, Niacin 17.5 %, Phosphorus 16.8 %, Copper 16.6 %

Rosemary, Grape and Blue Cheese Focaccia

I actually made this a while ago, but then the photo got "lost" in my archives and I somehow never got around to posting it. Unlike my organisational system though, this focaccia is truly excellent! Soft and chewy, with a great flavour hit from the grapes and blue cheese. It is gooooooooooooood. 

Let me repeat that, because you need to believe it: It.Is.GOOD. 




If you've ever doubted this combo, do yourself a favour and give it a try. You will not look back. And if you phone now... well, since this is not an infomercial you won't get an extra hunk of cheese, but you will get some pretty awesome compliments from whomever gets to taste this. And that's a moneyback guarantee.

(For my fellow South Africans: This would make a kickass substitute for the usual braaibroodjies on a lazy summer day)

Rosemary, Grape and Blue Cheese Focaccia
Adapted from Food & Wine

Makes 1 x 25cm diameter focaccia
Serves 2 - 4 as snack or light lunch

1 1/2 - 2 cups white bread flour
10g instant dry yeast
3/4 cup luke warm water
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
a bunch of seedless red grapes, halved
70g blue cheese
1 tsp olive oil, to drizzle
a handful of fresh chives, chopped

1. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour together with the yeast, water, rosemary, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Turn out onto a floured surface, and, adding the rest of the flour gradually, knead until smoothForm dough into a ball, grease with olive oil and transfer back into a clean bowl. Cover bowl with clingwrap and allow to rise for 1 - 2 hours. Dough should be double in volume.
2. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 220C. Grease a 25cm diameter round pie dish, then pull and stretch the dough to fit snugly into the dish. Make indentations haphazardly all over the surface of the dough with your fingers, then place the grapes into the indentations. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
3. Place focaccia into the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until it is golden. Sprinkle blue cheese on top, and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Return to the oven for 2 or 3 minutes to melt the cheese.
4. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chives and cut into wedges. Serve while still warm.

Nutritional info (for the whole focaccia): Calories 421.3, Total fat 9.6 g, Saturated fat 4.8 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.0 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.0 g, Cholesterol 17.5 mg, Sodium 327.9 mg, Potassium 198.2 mg, Total carbohydrate 68.4 g, Dietary fiber 2.0 g, Sugars 9.0 g, Protein 14.8 g


Good source of: Selenium 50.4 %, Thiamin 43.9 %, Folate 33.3 %, Manganese 33.0 %, Niacin 31.5 %, Riboflavin 29.5 %, Iron 20.4 %,Calcium 14.0 %

Zhooszhed up Tabbouleh

The perfect solution for when you want an effortlessly tasty meal, full of robust flavours and a hint of the exotic: Tabbouleh. But this is (to borrow Jeremy Mansfield's phrase) a zhooszhed up rendition of the classic. And I must say I quite like this version. Feel free to add some black olives as well - they would complement the flavours beautifully.


 

I'm submitting this to Regional Recipes (February's theme is the Middle East), newly hosted by Joanne of Eats Well With Others (one of my favourite bloggers - go and visit if you haven't been yet!) and originally created by Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok. Watch this space for more Middle-Eastern treats for the month of February - this is one cuisine I cannot get enough of!

Zhooszhed up Tabbouleh

Adapted from Taste Magazine

Serves 4 (as main dish)
Would also be delicious as a side-dish (serving 6 - 8)

1 cup couscous 

salt & pepper, to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

2 plums, sliced

2/3 cucumber, pips scooped out & sliced

2 small spring onions, finely chopped

100g feta cheese

1/4 cup fresh mint, torn

1/4 cup fresh coriander, torn

1. Soak couscous in 2 cups of water for about 6 - 8 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff up with a fork, dressing with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season to taste with salt, being careful not to over salt.

2. Add chickpeas, plums, cucumber and spring onions to the couscous, stirring gently to combine. 

3. Crumble the feta cheese over, and add the herbs to the mix. Toss again, to ensure even distribution.

4. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice and add salt & pepper to taste.

5. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate to serve cold.

Nutritional info (per main dish serving): Calories 373.0, Total fat 13.1 g, Saturated fat 4.8 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 6.4 g, Cholesterol 22.3 mg, Sodium 466.8 mg, Potassium 338.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 52.0 g, Dietary fiber 5.5 g, Sugars 3.8 g, Protein 12.2 g

Good source of: Selenium 59.6 %, Manganese 26.8 %, Vitamin C 26.3 %, Vitamin B6 24.8 %, Folate 19.6 %

Chickpea, Apricot & Walnut Salad

Carrying on with my Tex-Mex theme (as evidenced by my Spicy Mexican Beef Skewers and Tex-Mex salad), I bring you... well.... a not so tex-mex-y salad. But it did hang out with some cacti... so I think we can at least give it honorary Tex-Mex status! Eh... probably not, right? Oh dear.. now the salad is skulking away in shame.



Come back salad! All is forgiven. Tex-Mex or no Tex-Mex, this one can rough it up with the best of them. And it's pretty pleasing on the tastebuds too. Especially as leftovers the next day - there's just something about hanging around for a day that seems to bring out the best in some dishes.

Chickpea, Apricot & Walnut Salad
Serves 6

2 tins (400g each) chickpeas, drained
150g babymarrows, sliced diagonally and lightly steamed
100g dried apricots, chopped
50g walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

1. Toss chickpeas, babymarrows, apricots and nuts together.

2. Combine spices, lemon juice and oil to form a dressing and drizzle over salad. Toss lightly to combine and serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 166.3, Total fat 1.3 g, Saturated fat 0.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 242.9 mg, Potassium 573.0 mg, Total carbohydrate 35.4 g, Dietary fiber 6.1 g, Sugars 13.5 g, Protein 5.7 g

Good source of:  Vitamin A 30.5 %, Manganese 30.0 %, Vitamin B6 24.9 %, Vitamin C 23.0 %, Folate 15.7 %

Tex-Mex Salad

Apologies for the few days of absence, but our thoughts have been occupied with this little cutie:

The newest addition to our household, JD has already been embroiled in a sex change scandal although we've only had her for a week.

How so?

Well, dear reader, that is what happens when two non-cat experts adopt a little kitten from a friend who proceeds to inform said non-cat experts that the little ball of fur is of the male persuasion. Of course these two non-cat experts get so caught up in the "brand-new-kitten!"-euphoria that they don't even bother to make sure that the kitty is indeed a rough and tumble little boy or whether a dainty little girl is hiding inside there.

Suffice to say, when we took her to the vet yesterday, we felt pretty darn stupid when the vet told us that she has to be a girl because only females come with this particular colouring (something about the x chromosomes - she kinda lost me halfway). That and the very obvious matter of female genitalia...

So, for the past week's gender confusion - a sincere apology my lovely little JD!

The irony of her name of course is not lost on us... JD was originally named after Dr Dorian from Scrubs and, as all Scrubs fans will know, Dr Perry frequently teases JD about being a girl. Ne'er a truer word spoken in jest!

Anyyywhoo, let's get back to the food (because let's face it, that's what  you're here for!), shall we?

This tex-mex salad is supertasty and best of all, it's quickly assembled out of (mostly) storecupboard ingredients. The perfect accompaniment for grilled meats (perhaps these beef skewers?), it also makes for a very satisfying light lunch. Keeps well in the fridge.

Tex-Mex Salad

Serves 4 - 6 (as a side-dish)

2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, drained

1 x 360g tin sweetcorn kernels, drained

2 or 3 tomatoes, diced (optional)

1/2 large cucumber, diced

200g pack black olives in brine, drained and halved

1/2 red bellpepper, diced

1/2 green bellpepper, diced

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cumin seeds, ground

1 tsp coriander seeds, ground

1 tsp salt

1. Toss, beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes (if using), cucumber, olives and bellpeppers together in a large salad bowl.

2. Add oil, lemon juice & spices, then toss again.

3. Refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the flavours to mingle, then serve cold.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 169.6 , Total fat 4.6 g, Saturated fat 0.6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.9 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.8 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 1063.6 mg, Potassium 481.6 mg, Total carbohydrate 28.3 g, Dietary fiber 9.1 g, Sugars 0.6 g, Protein 7.3 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 66.6 %, Vitamin A 33.1 %, Iron 20.6 %, Folate 19.9 %

Orange, Olive & Red Onion Salad

S. Alad, meet Blog universe. Blog universe - meet my favourite salad. The combination sounds strange I'll admit (I  mean come on  - oranges and olives? You're kidding, right?), but man oh man do they work well together. I could seriously inhale eat this salad day in and day out. By the truckload bowlful. The chocolate peanut butter cups in the fridge are even looking worried that this salad will dethrone them as The One and Only in my heart & tummy. I'll be honest, it's a very real risk.




On a side-note - if you have not yet read Arabesque (Claudia Roden), please do yourself a favour and go beg/steal/borrow/buy a copy now. It's one of my top 3 favourite cookbooks and one you can read over and over again for the intoxicatingly vivid food pictures she paints.

I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging #214, hosted by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. 

Orange, Olive & Onion Salad

(Slada Bartokal Bil Zaytoun)

Adapted from Claudia Roden's Arabesque

Serves 4*

4 large oranges

12 italian black olives, pitted & halved

1/2 small red onion

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Peel oranges and divide into segments. Remove all visible pith, then halve each segment.

2. Gently mix oranges, olives, onion and cumin seeds together in a bowl. Add salt, olive oil and lemon juice and gently mix with salad ingredients, ensuring everything gets an even coating.

3. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow flavours to mingle.

4. Serve cold.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 122.2, Total fat 3.2 g, Saturated fat 0.4 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 515.4 mg, Potassium 360.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 24.1 g, Dietary fiber 5.3 g, Sugars 9.1 g, Protein 2.2 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 165.8 %, Calcium 10.4 %

*or one blogger/salad addict

Aubergine, Bulghur & Lentil Salad with Fresh Salsa

Things I love about Christmas:

• Christmas cheer (and Christmas carols!)
  
• Spoiling my loved ones
• Sunny days & the prospect of achieving that elusive bronze glow (okay who am I kidding on this one... I'm usually the one who blinds the rest of humanity with my still snow white legs by the end of summer)
• (Over)indulging in food of every kind and, more to the point, sinful desserts of every kind

 Things I don't like about Christmas:

• Having to listen to other people's Christmas cheer while I'm working/sleeping
• The mad rush in the mall trying to find Christmas gifts that will a) be appreciated and b) not break the bank
• Achieving a lobstery red glow in the summer sun whilst in pursuit of a bronze glow
• Starting the New Year 1 dress size larger owing to all the (over)indulgence of the festive season

I don't have satisfactory solutions to the first 3 issues (yet), but I think I've found the solution to the last one. Yes sirree, my body is stockpiling on VVM's at the moment so that I have a buffer for the overindulgences that is bound to follow in the days to come. This salad is a prime example of a VVM. (Very Virtuous Meal) The unexpected bonus? It's also mighty tasty. The variety in textures - nutty chewy grains vs creamy aubergines vs crunchy veggies - ensures that this combo is anything but boring.

Aubergine, Bulghur & Lentil Salad with Fresh Salsa

Adapted from Food & Wine

Serves 6 - 8

1 cup dried lentils
1 tsp salt
1 cup bulghur
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 medium aubergine, finely diced
2 tsp sambal oelek
1 tbsp fruit chutney
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped coriander
1 medium yellow bellpepper, finely diced
3 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 cucumber, finely diced
salt & pepper to taste
baby salad leaves, optional
sweet chilli sauce, optional

1. Add lentils, salt and 3 1/2 cups of boiling water to a medium sized pot. Bring to the boil, then turn down heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add bulghur and cook another 10 minutes until both the lentils and bulghur is cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool down slightly
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add onions and garlic, saute 2 - 3 minutes, then add aubergine along with the rest of the oil. Fry for 3 - 4 minutes, then add sambal oelek, chutney and 1 1/2 cups of water. Season to taste with salt and cook over medium-high heat until liquid has been absorbed and aubergine is soft.
3. Add the aubergine to the lentil/bulghur mixture and stir through gently. Add to this the chopped up herbs, taste and adjust seasoning if required. Set aside.
4. In a seperate bowl assemble the salsa by mixing the yellow bellpepper, tomatoes and cucumber. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. To serve - arrange salad greens on plates, top with a generous spoonful of the lentils and some salsa and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 250.5, Total fat 4.8 g, Saturated fat 0.6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.9 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 377.5 mg, Potassium 666.7 mg, Total carbohydrate 42.4 g, Dietary fiber 11.7 g, Sugars 1.0 g, Protein 11.1 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 74.4 %, Folate 41.0 %, Manganese 28.8 %, Iron 17.2 %

Greek Fennel & Potato Salad

Gutsy isn't a word I'd normally use to describe a salad. That's just because I've never had a fennel salad before. Fennel is another one of those ingredients I've seen lurking in the grocery store, but haven't really explored properly. I've tried it in cooked form before, but I found the flavour to be slightly... lacking. I was expecting a stronger flavour and that is not what you get from cooked fennel. Raw fennel is a completely different story though.

A word of warning - this salad takes some time to grow on you. The first few bites attacked my tastebuds, but it grew on me with each subsequent bite and I'll tell ya, by the time my last forkfull rolled along I was wishing for seconds. The flavours are bold and at first glance you might think they will overwhelm each other, but this is not the case. Instead, they work together beautifully to create a sophisticated side-dish or light lunch.

 I'm submitting this to the Beet 'n Squash YOU! challenge hosted by Bouchon For Two and She Simmers. The chosen vegetable for December is fennel.

Greek Fennel & Potato Salad

Serves 6

500g baby potatoes, cooked and halved

3 small fennel bulbs (including leaves), thinly sliced

100g black olives, pitted and halved

100g feta cheese

4 tbsp light mayonaisse

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

baby salad leaves, to serve (optional)

1. Toss potatoes, fennel and olives together.

2. Crumble feta into the salad, then add mayo and lemon juice and mix lightly to combine, taking care not to mash the potatoes.

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve atop crisp salad leaves.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 178.2 , Total fat 7.2 g, Saturated fat 2,7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.6 g, Cholesterol 14.8 mg, Sodium 579.0 mg, Potassium 394.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 25.2 g, Dietary fiber 2.3 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 4.7 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 24.5 %, Vitamin B-6 19.7 %

Okra Fried Rice

You know what is clearly impossible to find in this town? Five-spice powder. Seriously people, I'm missing out on lots of cool recipes because of this lack of five-spiciness. I might be forced into some hardcore protesting outside my local grocery store when next I am unable to find said spice. But for now I'm going to live and let live, eat my okra fried rice and smile beatifically if anyone dares comment on it's lack of five-spiciness (as per the original recipe).

 

Now that I've got that out of the way, I can happily report that I did manage to find okra. Go Checkers! (We'll talk later about your lack of performance in the five-spice arena...)

I've never had okra before and I must admit I was rather curious to what it would taste like after reading various negative reports online regarding it's sliminess. My verdict? Not slimy! Okay that's not entirely true.  There is a slight gummy factor, but I wouldn't call it slimy per se. It adds a nice mouthfeel (oooh look I'm being all gourmet-y now) to the otherwise very mild taste that okra offers. To be honest, even after eating the okra fried rice, I would still be hard-pressed to describe to anyone what okra tastes like. Maybe I should try it unadorned next time? Any okra experts out there, this would be the place where you chime in and help me out of my okra ignorance. You will be rewarded* greatly!

Okra Fried Rice

Adapted from Cook It Simply

Serves 5 - 6 (as side-dish)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
100g okra, sliced into rings
1/2 large green pepper, finely chopped

100g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

1. Heat the oil over medium to high heat in a fairly large saucepan, add the garlic and onion and saute for about 3 minutes or until starting to soften.

2. Add okra and greenpepper to the pan, and saute another 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook another 3 minutes until all the veggies are cooked through.

4. Add the cooked rice to the okra mixture, along with the soy sauce. Stir to mix and cook a further few minutes to heat through evenly.

5. Lastly, add the coriander, stir through and serve warm.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 163.0 , Total fat 3.6 g, Saturated fat 0.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 500.7 mg, Potassium 171.5 mg, Total carbohydrate 28.8 g, Dietary fiber 3.0 g, Sugars 1.0 g, Protein 4.1 g

Good source of: Manganese 55.3 %, Vitamin C 24.8 %, Selenium 15.3 %

*Note to self: Think of a great reward to offer Okra Experts 

Tri-Colore Pepper and Lentil Salad

(Update: I'm submitting this salad to Weekend Herb Blogging #211 hosted by Lynne from Cafe LynnyLu)


When you're feeling all blah about life (which is common for most people around this time of the year), what better way to cheer you up than by injecting some colour into your life? And how could you possibly resist a salad that is both colourful and super-healthy? Bellpeppers are known for their exceptionally high vitamin C content, even though oranges normally steal their thunder. Yes people, a bell pepper has twice the amount of vitamin C that an orange has. How's that for stealing thunder!




Another little-known fact about bell peppers is that they are technically fruit (who knew, right?). Although I do think most people would think you're a wee bit insane crazy if you tried to fob a lentil-laden fruit salad off on them...

The fruit/veg debate aside however, this salad will make your Meat-free Mondays POP. And there's no craziness there. 

Tri-Colore Pepper & Lentil Salad

Serves 6 - 8 (as side-dish)

1 cup uncooked lentils (or about 3 cups cooked)

2 tbsp olive oil 

 1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1 tin (410g) red kidney beans

1/2 large green bellpepper, julienned

1/2 large red bellpepper, julienned

1/2 large yellow bellpepper, julienned

1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 round feta, crumbled

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add lentils and a dash of salt, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked. The lentils should be soft but not mushy.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a smallish frying pan. Add onions and saute over medium heat until glossy and starting to soften. Remove from heat. 

3. Allow lentils to cool down slightly, then toss with onions, kidney beans peppers in a large salad bowl. Add the rest of the olive oil, as well as the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to distribute the flavours evenly, then top with feta and serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 231.7, Total fat 6.0 g, Saturated fat 1.8 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.3 g, Cholesterol 7.2 mg, Sodium 366.6 mg, Potassium 437.4 mg, Total carbohydrate 32.6 g, Dietary fiber 11.5 g, Sugars 2.2 g, Protein 13.3 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 132.9 %, Folate 43.3 %, Iron 26.6 %, Manganese 24.4 %, Phosphorus 19.5 %

Baigan Ka Bharta (Aubergine Curry)

This is very different from the Indian food I normally eat. Yes, it contains some of the same flavours, but somehow the mix of ingredients (or maybe it’s the aubergine base?) amounts to something lighter. More exotic. Superbly tasty. The eggplant almost melts in your mouth, so soft is it, and the tomato-onion sauce beautifully complements it. Definitely a keeper. 

Baigan Ka Bharta (Aubergine Curry)

Adapted from food-india.com

Serves 3 - 4 (as main meal)
Serves 6 (as side-dish)

2 tsp sunflower oil
2 large aubergines, quartered and sliced
salt to taste
1 medium onion, very finely chopped (I use food processor for this)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
2 medium tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup water

1. Toss aubergine with 1 tsp oil and some salt, then roast in oven at 180C for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. Heat the remainder of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic and spices.
3. Cook another 1 minute, then add tomato. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Add aubergine, mix gently to combine. Add water, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve, sprinkled with slivered almonds with some steamed rice on the side.

Nutritional info (per main dish serving): Calories 139.5 , Total fat 3.7 g, Saturated fat 0.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.7 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 17.9 mg, Potassium 930.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 26.6 g, Dietary fiber 9.9 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 4.5 g
Good source of: Manganese 32.9 %, Vitamin C 24.8 %,

Rainbow Rice Salad

This weekend was like those you dream of having. Relaxing, full (but not TOO full) of great friends, and even including an afternoon nap or two. Just what the doctor ordered. And on a relaxing weekend, you want a relaxing time in the kitchen too, right? This light salad promises just that. And look how pretty it turned out! I love colourful food... *smile*

Rainbow Rice Salad

Serves 5 (as main dish, more if served as a side)

1 1/3 cups uncooked brown rice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 large slices of ham (approx 100g), finely chopped

3 babymarrows, finely chopped

3/4 small yellow bellpepper, finely chopped

4 radishes (approx 60g), finely chopped

a handful of fresh basil, finely shredded

a handful of fresh parsley, finely shredded

salt & pepper to taste.

1. Cook rice in a big pot of salted boiling water until done. Don't overcook. Allow to cool down slightly, then dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Add the ham and vegetables, as well as the herbs and mix through the rice to distribute evenly. Season to taste and serve.

Note: Yes, the babymarrows are eaten raw - try it, they're great that way. 

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 240.8, Total fat 6.5 g, Saturated fat 1.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.0 g, Cholesterol 11.0 mg, Sodium 270.9 mg, Potassium 189.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 40.0 g, Dietary fiber 2.7 g, Sugars 0.2 g, Protein 8.3 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 71.8 %, 

Broccoli-Cauliflower with Cheesy Spinach Béchamel

(Sformato di Cavolfiore e Broccolo con Balsamella di Spinaci)

It's not that I don't like broccoli and cauliflower. It's just that it's difficult to find recipes that really allow them to shine. Know what I mean? I mean sure, there's your basic steamed broccoli/cauliflower with a white sauce. Booooooooooooooring. 

 Or you could throw them into a stirfry - that at least showcases their nice crunchy texture and colour. 

Or, you could do as No Special Effects does and turn them into superstars in this deliciously creamy cheesy side-dish from Bon Appetit. Because once you've laid eyes on this mister and inhaled it's awesome aroma... well, there's no turning back, now is there?

Broccoli-Cauliflower with Cheesy Spinach Béchamel

Adapted from No Special Effects

Serves 6 - 8 as a side-dish

1 small head of broccoli, broken into small florets

1 small head of cauliflower, broken into small florerets

1 bunch (about 350g) fresh spinach

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2/3 cup milk + another 1/3 cup

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

50g cheddar, grated

salt & pepper to taste

1. Fill a large saucepan with salted boiling water, add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook for a few minutes until just tender but still rather crispy. Remember they are going to be cooked in the oven again so don't overcook them. Immediately drain them in a colander (reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid) and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process. Set aside.

2. Next - steam/cook/microwave your spinach leaves for a few minutes until wilted, then drain and chop finely in a food processor. Set aside.

3. Now preheat your oven to 180C and then start making your bechamel sauce - melt the butter in the same large saucepan you used for the veggies, then add the flour. Stir to combine and gradually add the milk, stirring all the while to get rid of any lumps. Add the reserved water and cook, stirring continously until the sauce thickens.

4. Turn the stove off, and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce, then add nutmeg and season with salt & pepper. Add the spinach, stir to combine. Lastly add the cauliflower and broccoli. At this stage you might want to add an extra 1/3 cup of milk just to loosen things up a bit. I did and I think the end result turned out creamier for it.

5. Transfer the mixture to a 27 x 17 cm ovenproof casserole and bake for 35 minutes at 180C. Turn the heat up to 200C and return to the oven for another 10 minutes to brown on top.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 195.7, Total fat 10.9 g, Saturated fat 6.6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.7 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.8 g, Cholesterol 29.0 mg, Sodium 313.3 mg, Potassium 825.0 mg, Total carbohydrate 16.2 g, Dietary fiber 5.9 g, Sugars 2.0 g, Protein 12.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 221.5 %, Vitamin A 125.1 %, Folate 53.2 %, Manganese 40.2 %, Calcium 30.1 %, Phosphorus 21.9 %, Vitamin B6 21.8 %, Riboflavin 19.2 %, Magnesium 19.8 %,

Roasted Butternut, Pear and Blue Cheese

Have I mentioned that I love butternut? I adore it in all it's forms - roasted, stuffed, turned into a soup, you name it, I've tried it. In my opinion butternut tends to get a bad rep because of it's high carb content, but really people, these are goooood carbs. Say it with me now: not all carbs are created equal!



That said, I of course have no problem with indulding in the "bad" kind every once in a while... That aside though, this sweet and salty combo really hits the spot. And the fact that it's a nutrition powerhouse? Well that's just the cherry on top!

Roasted Butternut, Pear & Blue Cheese

Adapted from The Noshery

Serves 4 - 6 as main dish (8 as side-dish)

1 large butternut (approx 1.1kg), cubed

2 small red onions, cut into large chunks

3 medium pears, cut into large chunks

1 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp freshly chopped sage

50g blue cheese

50g trailmix (almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries)

1. Arrange butternut, onions and pears in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Add mustard, oil, sage and salt to taste and massage through the vegetables to distribute evenly. Bake at 180C for about 50 minutes, or until the butternut is soft.

2. Crumble blue cheese over the vegetables and return to oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

3. Serve warm, scattered with the nuts, seeds and dried cranberries.

Nutritional info (per serving as main dish): Calories 270.8, Total fat 10.3 g, Saturated fat 2.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.9 g, Cholesterol 7.5 mg, Sodium 149.2 mg, Potassium 774.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 42.8 g, Dietary fiber 10.6 g, Sugars 2.3 g, Protein 7.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 309.9 %, Vitamin C 62.0 %, Manganese 22.7 %, Magnesium 18.1 %

Jansson's Temptation

See that thumb in the left-hand corner? Isn't it the sexiest thumb you've ever seen? Huh? Oh this is a cooking blog? Not a look-how-gorgeous-TheHusband-is blog? My bad. But come on - you have to admit, that's a good-looking thumb!


 

Anyway, back to the food: this is another Swedish recipe I tried out. It's essentially a potato bake with the inclusion of anchovies. Both of us were initially a bit skeptical about the fishy component, but you know what, it blends beautifully in with the potatoes without even a hint of fishyness in the finished product. It's just a great creamy bake. And I like the textural diversion that the matchstick potatoes provides. I can see why Jansson was tempted!

I'm submitting this to the Regional Recipe Round-up for October, hosted by Eats Well With Others and originally created by Blazing Hot Wok.

Jansson's Temptation

Adapted from Gretchen Cooks

Serves 8 as a side-dish

3 tbsp butter

2 large onions, thinly sliced

5  large potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks

10 anchovy fillets

3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Saute onions in 1 tbsp butter until glazed and see-through.

3. Arrange half the potatoes in a greased casserole dish and tear anchovies onto the potato layer, distributing evenly. Top with the sauteed onions and pour over 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Dot with the remainder of the butter (2 tbsp).

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with another 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and bake a further 15 minutes until browned on top.

Note: Keep cut potatoes covered with water to prevent discolouring. Dry off before using.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 267.1, Total fat 6.0 g, Saturated fat 3.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.3 g, Cholesterol 16.4 mg, Sodium 257.2 mg, Potassium 1,058.3 mg, Total carbohydrate 46.1 g, Dietary fiber 6.0 g, Sugars 4.3 g, Protein 8.4 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 79.7 %, Vitamin B6 36.7 %,  Manganese 20.5 %

Jamie's Simply Dressed Greens

Except these aren't green! According to Jamie Oliver this is the how Italians serve their veggies - simply cooked/steamed and then drizzled with a garlicy vinaigrette. And let me tell you, I could eat an entire bowlful of veggies like this - the dressing is just enough to subtly flavour the vegetables without being overpowering. 

I defy anyone not to like vegetables when served this way (seriously, don't you get annoyed by people who say they don't like ANY veggies? Surely you must like SOME, right? It's not like they all taste the same!) And this would be good with almost any vegetable - zucchini is lovely as well (cut them diagonally for visual interest), even broccoli shines like a star upon receiving this treatment.  

I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging #200, hosted by Cook Almost Anything

Jamie's Simply Dressed Greens

Adapted from Jamie's Italy 

This is not really a recipe, as it will depend on your tastes, but the basic premise is this:

1. Simply steam your veggies, or cook in a liiiiiitle bit of water (keyword here is little - we don't want to drown out all the nutrients).

2. Make a dressing using 3 parts of olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. Add a 1/2 tsp of minced garlic - increase if you are a garlic slut like me, or if you have a particularly large amount of veggies - but remember the garlic won't be cooked, so it's flavour will remain quite intense. Lastly add a handful of chopped up herbs - again, you can use almost anything you like of the soft leafy varieties (I wouldn't recommend the woody ones) - so experiment with parsley, fennel, dill or whatever else strikes your fancy.

3. As soon as the veggies are done (they should be crisp-tender and not mush), drain them (if necessary) and immediately toss with the dressing. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve warm or lukewarm.

Knephleas

I've been on a bit of a German kick after attending a German food festival a while back. They had the most delicious braetzels (giant, chewy pretzels), a wide variety of sausages (some looking less appetizing than others), sauerkraut (which is delicious by the way - my first try) and also a lovely stew called Szegediner Gulaszch, made with pork, sauerkraut and lashings of paprika. 



I was so impressed that I immediately hunted down some more German recipes on my trusted intertubes (yes, I'm a lolcat fan, get used to it), and that's how I stumbled across this one over at Recipezaar. 

I modified it a liiiiiitle bit - you know I have to have garlic in pretty much everything - and it came out quite well. The layers melt together in a cheesy, buttery, onion-y, potatoe-y goodness. Give it a go - I guarantee you'll have a new contender for your favourite comfort food.

Knephleas

Serves 6

5 medium potatoes, sliced
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
3 medium onions, sliced
1 tablespoon course grainy mustard
1 tbsp butter, for cooking
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1.Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until done.
2. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, eggs and approximately 1/3 cup water. Dough should be a wettish consistency, but able to hold together.
3. Bring another pot of salted water to the boil. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the water.
4. Cook 15-20 minutes or until dumplings are done in the center. Don't be tempted to take dumplings out sooner, when they rise to the top (as I did). They need a bit more time to get done.
5. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in butter until they look glossy and are translucent. Add the mustard as well as salt and pepper to taste.
6. Start layering the ingredients in an ovenproof dish - a layer of potatoes, then a layer of onions, cheese, then the dumplings, topped by another layer of onions and cheese. Finish off with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle some more cheese on top and also a splash of milk.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180C) for 30 minutes, or lightly browned on top.
8. Serve warm, perhaps with some German sausages on the side.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 454.0 Total Fat 12.1 g Saturated Fat 6.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g Cholesterol 163.0 mg Sodium 499.8 mg Potassium 938.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 68.5 g Dietary Fiber 6.0 g Sugars 1.5 g Protein 17.3 g