Sweet Chili Chicken Livers

Okay. I know. Chicken livers are public enemy numero uno for most people. Sandwiched somewhere between Bush and Bin Laden. But way lower on the list than say, tripe. You know - stomachs, brains, eyeballs and other unmentionables. *Shudder*

Livers though? Definitely *not* the same as tripe. It won't hunt you down and give you nightmares. Nor will it remind you of monsters and other creatures of the undead. Promise.

Instead it will charm your tastebuds with its delectable richness. Make you squeal with delight at it's smooth creaminess. Full-fat cream has nothing on livers, I tell ya. Livers are the foodie world's Mr I'm-Too-Cool-To-Care when it comes to cholesterol. Because actually it is insanely good for you. Have you had a  look at those nutritional stats down below? Scroll down further. Riiiiiiight at the bottom. You see that? Nutritional rockstardom if ever there was such a thing. Cholesterol be damned.

Now that we've set the health nuts at ease, let me tell you about this little number here. It is so ridonkulously easy, cheap and quick to whip up that you will wonder if you've missed something. It'll make you doubt yourself and double check the recipe. Twice. But one bite of the end result and your doubts will fly right out of the window. Money-back guaranteed.

And dare I say: it makes livers seem... almost... sexy?

For these are chicken livers at their absolute mouthwatering best. Quickly seared, then cooked to perfection in a spicy-sweet tomato based sauce, quick 'n easy doesn't get much better than this. Making it the perfect go-to meal to whip up when you've got unexpected guests. And leaving you with enough time to regale them with crazy stories about your old enemy tripe. Or, if all else fails, impress them with your nutritional knowledge regarding livers. Knowledge is sexy you know.

Sweet Chili Chicken Livers
Serves 6 - 8 as starter or 4 as main

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced>
500g chicken livers
2 tins (410g each) peeled, chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
garlic chives, chopped (optional)

1. Heat half a tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauteeing until glazed and see through. Remove and set aside.
2. Add another half a tablespoon of oil, increase heat to high and quickly sear half the chicken livers. Remove and set aside, then repeat with remaining oil and chicken livers.
3. Return onion to the saucepan, along with tomatoes, sweet chili sauce and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, cover and allow to cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
4. Add livers to the sauce, turn heat down, and allow to simmer, partially covered for 5 - 10 minutes or until livers are cooked through to your liking. Garnish with chopped chives and serve with a rustic loaf of bread.  

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 340.3, Total fat 13.5 g, Saturated fat 3.2 g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.0 g, Monounsaturated fat 5.5 g, Cholesterol 705.0 mg, Sodium 295.8 mg, Potassium 426.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 17.7 g, Dietary fiber 0.3 g, Sugars 5.5 g, Protein 35.2 g

Good source of: Vitamin B12 440.2 %, Vitamin A 359.5 %, Folate 175.8 %, Riboflavin 170.4 %, Selenium 157.9 %, Pantothenic Acid 104.2 %, Iron 89.9 %, Niacin 87.2 %, Phosphorus 56.0 %, Vitamin B6 54.4 %

Citrus Burst Carrot & Butternut Soup

Wait a minute! Didn't I just post an Indian Carrot Soup recipe a few days ago? Yup, guilty as charged. You don't even need to bring the warrant of arrest, just show me the handcuffs and I'll step forward willingly to accept my fate.

But what's a poor blogger to do when she still has a load of carrots left in her freezer? And in the meantime our pantry of freebies has also grown to include butternut, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I swear we don't go begging, these things just find their way into our home. Perhaps because we are so likeable? Or more likely because our benefactors didn't have a clue what to do with the mounds of veggies in their cupboards... And so they passed the buck. (Yes I'm looking at you MIL)

But fear not! Because I bring you Carrot Soup: Round 2. Which also, conveniently, includes butternut. Will there be a round three? Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnnnnn.

Okay all jokes aside though, this soup was truly phe-no-me-nal. Yes, I know I said that about the last one, but you want the truth? That previous carrot soup is no match for this one. There I said it. I'm sorry Indian Carrot Soup, but you just don't have that x-factor. Okay you might have the x-factor, but this one? It has the x, y and z factors. 

The citrus and especially the complex notes from the preserved lemon* gives a lovely twang to this otherwise rather ordinary rendition of carrot and butternut soup. And the toasted seeds on top? Heavenly bits of crunch. I think all soups should have toasted crunchy bits on top. Don't  you?

* Disclaimer: I might be slightly biased as I'm a recent preserved lemon convert & addict. I have to stop myself from eating it from the jar. True story.

Citrus Burst Carrot & Butternut Soup

Adapted from Running with Tweezers

Serves 6 - 8 as starter

(Serves 4 as main meal)

7 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 butternut, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves (whole)

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

3 cups water 

1 tbsp (15 ml) honey

6 tbsp (90 ml) orange juice

6 tbsp (90 ml) lemon juice from jar of preserved lemons*

1/4 preserved lemon, finely chopped*

3 tbsp (45 ml) sesame seeds

1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) cumin seeds

finely grated zest from one orange

yoghurt, to serve (optional)

1. Arrange carrots, butternut, onion and garlic cloves in an oven roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil, then place in oven at 180C to roast for 30 minutes. Vegetables should be soft at this stage.

2. Add all the veggies to a blender, including the garlic which you've squeezed out of it's skins, add a little bit of the water and puree.

3. Spoon the puree into a large enough pot, then add water, honey, orange juice, lemon juice and preserved lemons. Stir, cover and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes over medium heat.

4. Meanwhile, toast the sesame and cumin seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for a few seconds (be careful as they burn easily).

5. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzling with yoghurt (if using) and sprinkling with the toasted seeds and orange zest. Serve immediately.

* If you don't have a jar of preserved lemons handy, you can replace the juice with an equal quantity of lemon juice, and adjust the salt to taste. The taste, however, won't be quite the same.

Nutritional info (per starter serving): Calories 158.9 , Total fat 6.3 g, Saturated fat g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.9 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.3 g, Cholesterol 6.7 mg, Sodium 880.4 mg, Potassium 652.2 mg, Total carbohydrate 26.8 g, Dietary fiber 6.3 g, Sugars 6.8 g, Protein 2.8 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 327.2 %, Vitamin C 57.8 %, Manganese 23.2 %, Vitamin B-6 16.0 %

Portabellini and Sweet Potato Stuffed Tortillas

Don't you just want to take a bite? When I saw the original recipe over at The Wind Attack (great blog by the way) I felt like taking a big bite through the screen, so inviting did these tortillas look. Luckily for my teeth (and my medical bills) I refrained from taking a bite, instead opting to make these babies at home.

I've had an encounter with a sweet potato tortilla filling before and it was a revelation. Of course it also had a fair amount of gooey melted cheese to sweeten the deal so I might've been was probably biased. I'll admit the cheese-less nature of this tortilla had me doubtful and I was considering adding a handful of grated cheddar (or perhaps even Brie... mmmm) but in the end decided against it. All in the name of science of course.

And you know what? I didn't miss the cheese at all. Okay maybe a little bit. I'm a cheese addict okay? But the meaty spicy mushrooms and the bright specks of sweetcorn more than made up for the lack of dairy. And you can't go wrong with mashed sweet potatoes. Although I will concede that roasting the potatoes instead of just plain boiling them would've concentrated their flavour nicely.

All things considered though, these were a hands-down success. Hell I might even consider trying another cheese-free concoction!

Portabellini and Sweet Potato Stuffed Tortillas

Adapted from The Wind Attack

Makes 6 tortillas 

3 dried shitake mushrooms*

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

200g portabellini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup cook sweetcorn (you can use fresh, frozen or canned)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed with a little bit of milk

6 smallish flour tortillas (approx 16cm or 6.5 inch diameter)

sweet chilli sauce or tomato salsa to serve (optional)

1. Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water and leave to re-hydrate and soften for approximately 10 minutes. Slice and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan, add garlic and portabellini mushrooms and fry for 4 - 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their juices. 

3. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the cumin and coriander seeds. You want it to be broken up but not finely ground. Add this to the mushrooms in the pan.

4. To the mushrooms in the pan add the dried mushrooms, sweetcorn, paprika, salt and fresh coriander and cook for another minute or two to heat evenly. Set aside.

5. Heat the tortillas for a few minutes in a frying pan or a few seconds in the microwave until soft and pliable. 

6. To assemble: Spread 1/6th of the mashed sweet potatoes on a tortilla, concentrating on the front quarter (triangle-shaped). Top with the mushroom and sweetcorn mixture, then fold the tortilla in half over the filling and in half again so that you have a triangular shaped tortilla casing stuffed with the filling. Repeat with the remaining 5 tortillas.

Serve as is or drizzle with sweet chilli sauce or tomato salsa. As a variation you could add grated cheddar to the filling and place under a hot grill to melt before serving.

Nutritional info (per tortilla): Calories 215.4, Total fat 5.1 g, Saturated fat 0.2 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 436.1 mg, Potassium 197.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 36.1 g, Dietary fiber 2.5 g, Sugars 7.7 g, Protein 6.9 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 47.8 %

* You should be able to find these at your local Asian grocer. I happened to find mine at an Indian spice shop in Durban. They will last forever in your cupboard too.

Indian Carrot Soup

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Well, life (or in this case, my mother-in-law) didn't hand me lemons, but three bags of carrots last week. What's a girl to do? 

I could make carrot & pineapple juice, but sadly I'm sorely lacking a juicer. Any juicer manufacturer out there wanting to take pity on a destitute blogger?

Carrot salad was also an option (and a firm favourite of TheHusband), but a) it seemed so ... meh and b) I'd then have to make something else to round out the meal. Did I feel like making multiple dishes on Sunday evening? No. And it probably goes without saying that I wasn't in a "meh" mood.

Soup seemed to be my only option, and luckily for me it turned out spendidly. Don't you just love it when recipes on the fly turn out to be keepers? *grin* This one's for you Mom. And if I emit an orange glow after this, I'll know where to turn...

Indian Carrot Soup

Serves 4

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds, finely ground
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, finely ground
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, finely ground
1 tsp garam masala (or more to taste)
6 large carrots, scrubbed, peeled and sliced
2 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup low fat coconut milk (or sub regular milk)
1 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
cream, to serve (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and briefly fry the onion and spices until onion starts to look translucent.
2. Add carrots, cook briefly, then water and bring to the boil. Turn heat down, cover with lid and allow to simmer until carrots are tender. (approx 20 - 30 minutes).
3. Using a stick blender, puree soup till smooth, then add the milk, salt and sugar. Stir and re-heat, then serve, drizzled with cream.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 120.7, Total fat 7.6 g, Saturated fat 3.6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 668.8 mg, Potassium 391.5 mg, Total carbohydrate 13.2 g, Dietary fiber 3.7 g, Sugars 5.5 g, Protein 1.5 g


Good source of: Vitamin A 260.2 %

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 %

Daring Cooks Challenge - Sushi (with a twist!)

Get your party hats on people, because I've completed my first Daring Kitchen Challenge! Better late than never, right?

The November 2009 Daring Cooks' Challenge has been chosen by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of Bite Me Kitchen. They chose Sushi, specifically Dragon Rolls, Nigiri and Spiral Rolls)

But (and this is a big 'ole butt), like I teased you in my previous post, my sushi had a twist. Better get out your saris and slap on your bindis now, because it's an Indian twist!

The following was on the menu last night (clockwise from left)

• Tandoori Dragon Rolls - filled with tender tandoori chicken chunks and crisp cucumber batons, spread with peach chutney and topped with creamy avocado slices and a sprinkling of freshly ground cumin and coriander.

• Peach Chutney - we used this for dipping instead of the traditional soy sauce.

• Cumin Carrot Maki - Ribbons of blanched carrots decoratively arranged inside the roll, topped with a thin strip of rice and a sprinkling of whole cumin seeds.

• Lemon Pork Nigiri - Thin strips of pork stir-fried with pickled lemon atchar; nori-strips hold these together to form Indian-style battleships. Scattered with grated lemon peel.

• Red Dragon Roll - Stuffed with spicy aubergine chunks and crunchy cucumber and topped with roasted redpepper.

• Indian-spiced Omelet Nigiri, two ways - Thinly rolled omelets, spiced either with paprika or garam masala and turmeric. These were secured with blanched spring onions. 
  

My favourite was the Lemon Pork Nigiri - the assertive flavours of the pork really made this stand out for me and I regretted the fact that I'd made only two of these. In South Africa we have a saying - "Spyt kom altyd te laat" (meaning regret always comes too late) - which I thought was really apt in this case.

TheHusband's vote went to the Indian-spiced Omelet Nigiri (clearly a good day for Nigiri...), which I must concede was also pretty good. I will qualify that however by saying that the garam masala/turmeric ones were the clear winner of the two varieties, as the paprika didn't really add that much flavour. It did get bonus points for appearance though.

Honorable mention must also go to the Tandoori Dragon Rolls - the creamy avocado topping was the perfect foil to the spicy chicken and it left us with very satisfied tastebuds.

The least popular option was the Red Dragon Roll - poor thing looked a bit sad (just look at it's wonkiness!) and tasted somewhat iffy, mostly due to texture issues. Sushi needs something with a bit more substance and body and the aubergine curry, sadly, was not it. My heart bleeds for you aubergine, you know I normally can't get enough of you, but maybe you should stick to what you're good at, mmm?

Last but not least was my decorative maki roll with carrot and cumin. This was by far my favourite as far as appearance went, but the flavour was unfortunately not quite there. It wasn't bad, it was just... meh. Know what I mean? It clearly needed something more, I'm just not sure what that "more" would be.

And so concludes my first (of hopefully many!) Daring challenges. I really enjoyed the experience, even though I've made sushi before, as not only did it give my creative streak a chance to run buck wild, but I also learned some new techniques with the making of the dragon rolls. Something that I will certainly add to my repertoire when next I make sushi. The decorative sushi was also a novel idea which certainly does pretty up the plates.

As to whether I would make the Indian-style sushi again? Our favourites will definitely be in the running for a reprise in the Creative household. And I think they would wow guests as a deliciously different starter to an Indian meal. For now though, it's on to the next challenge - and time for a much deserved break after days of thinking up fusion combos and hours of prep work in the kitchen last night! (Special shout-out must go to TheHusband for not only indulging me with all my scheming ahead of the time, but also patiently waiting three hours for his supper last night until I had finished ALL the prep work and ALL the photo taking. I love you! *mwah* )

Roasted Red Pepper and Leek Ricotta Tart

Ready, get seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, go! Oh wait, I forgot to say what you must do when I say "go". Everyone turn their clocks back 24 hours. Wheeeeeoooooooosh!




Okay, great, now that we're smack-bang in the middle of Meat-Free Monday, I can present you with this amazing vegetarian tart. What? Oh it's actually Vegan Tuesday today? Yes well, this tart has been calling my name the whole day and I just couldn't turn it's creamy redpepperiness down. Nor it's flaky filo crust. To hush the angry mob of vegans out there (just kidding, I admire you guys), I will say that I do have a vegan recipe planned for this week. Just not for today. It's a creamy (but cream-less) spicy indian curry. Happy now?

Great, let's get to it then. TheHusband (being a big quiche lover, and this being rather similar to a quiche) sang this tart's praises. And honestly, would you argue with him?

Roasted Red Pepper & Leek Ricotta Tart

Adapted from David Lebovitz' Herbed Ricotta Tart

Serves 4 - 6

1 small red pepper
200g baby leeks, sliced into rings
1tsp olive oil
285g ricotta
1 egg
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
250g filo pastry
2 tbsp melted butter, to brush pastry with

1. Place whole red pepper in oven on maximum temperature to grill for about 15 minutes, until blistered and skin black in parts. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and peel skin off. Remove pips and cut into small pieces.
2. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the leeks until softened and glossy (about 5 - 7 minutes).
3. Mix ricotta together with milk, cream and eggs in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir thyme through.
4. Line a 20 x 20 cm oven dish with layers of filo pastry, lightly brushing with butter on top of each sheet.
5. Scatter leeks and red pepper onto the pastry, then pour ricotta mixture on top.
6. Bake at 200C for 45 minutes, or until firm.

Serve with a side salad.

Would also be great as a starter, baked as individual little tartlets in a muffin tin.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 437.5, Total fat 25.1 g, Saturated fat 14.2 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.0 g, Monounsaturated fat 7.0 g, Cholesterol 115.5 mg, Sodium 586.1 mg, Potassium 231.6 mg, Total carbohydrate 39.0 g, Dietary fiber 2.0 g, Sugars 5.0 g, Protein 15.2 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 56.1 %, Vitamin A 45.9 %, Calcium 19.7 %, Selenium 17.3 %

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.

Nori-wrapped Pork Rolls

 

I was surfing the web yesterday, looking for some inspiration as I planned my weekly meals, and these little Chinese morsels leapt out at me from [Eating Club] Vancouver's post. So simple, yet I've never thought about trying this. The perfect low-maintenance meal to make after the day I had at work (let's not even go there...).

I steamed them in my bamboo steamer, instead of baking or frying them as per the original recipe and I think they came out pretty good. Even TheHusband liked them in the end, even though he was a bit skeptical when I started making them. And they do present nicely, don't they? The only comment I have is that they were quite rich because of the pork mince (or maybe I just used a very fatty mince...). Or it could be because of the steaming none of the fat rendered out, which made them richer than intended. Next time I'll try using chicken mince or baking them.

Nori-wrapped Pork Rolls

Adapted from [Eatingclub] Vancouver

Makes 30 individual rolls
Serves 4 as part of main meal

500g (1 lb) lean pork mince
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 spring onions, chopped)
1 tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg
5 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)

1. Mix everything but the Nori together until well-combined.
2. Divide the pork mixture into 5 equal parts and spread thinly onto the nori sheets. Leave about 1 inch of the top of the nori clean. Start rolling the nori sheets up into a roll, wetting the clean edge of the nori with some water to seal.
3. Cut each roll in half and place in a bamboo steamer over a pan of boiling water.
4. Leave to steam for 30 minutes, then remove from steamer, cut each roll into thirds and serve with sweet chilli sauce to dip into. Great as a starter or appetizer, or add some jasmine rice and steamed cabbage to make a meal of it.

Nutritional info (per roll): Calories 29.3, Total fat 1.2 g, Saturated fat 0.4 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 9.2 mg, Sodium 51.3 mg, Potassium 9.5 mg, Total carbohydrate 0.6 g, Dietary fiber 0.2 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 4.0 g

Nutritional info (per serving as main meal): Calories 219.7, Total fat 8.7 g, Saturated fat 2.9 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.8 g, Cholesterol 69.1 mg, Sodium 384.5 mg, Potassium 71.2  mg, Total carbohydrate 4.3 g, Dietary fiber 1.6 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 30.0

Good source of: Iron  12.8 %

Stuffed Pattypans

What a delightful little appetizer! Found this in my search for yellow food (I planned an entire 3 course meal based around yellow foods - great fun!). It's surprisingly flavourful and the contrast between the crispy filling and the buttery soft pattypans is amazing. Don't be tempted to leave out the thyme - it adds a nice boost to the pattypans.

Stuffed Pattypans

Adapted from a post on Recipezaar.

Serves 4

10 pattypans

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, plus a few extra sprigs to garnish.

salt to taste

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 180C

2. Steam pattypans until just tender. Cut off stem ends & carefully scoop out a bit of the inside flesh. Discard the insides or keep for another use.

3. Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt & thyme and spoon into the pattypan shells.

4. Place on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes.

5. Serve hot, garnished with thyme sprigs

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 102.5, Total Fat 1.6 g , Saturated Fat 0.8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g, Cholesterol 3.0 mg, Sodium 716.4 mg, Potassium 22.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Dietary Fiber 2.9 g, Sugars 5.6 g, Protein 5.3 g

Stuffed Pattypans

What a delightful little appetizer! Found this in my search for yellow food (I planned an entire 3 course meal based around yellow foods - great fun!). It's surprisingly flavourful and the contrast between the crispy filling and the buttery soft pattypans is amazing. Don't be tempted to leave out the thyme - it adds a nice boost to the pattypans.

Adapted from a post on Recipezaar.

Serves 4

10 pattypans
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus a few extra sprigs to garnish.
salt to taste
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 180C

2. Steam pattypans until just tender. Cut off stem ends & carefully scoop out a bit of the inside flesh. Discard the insides or keep for another use.

3. Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt & thyme and spoon into the pattypan shells.

4. Place on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes.

5. Serve hot, garnished with thyme sprigs