Okay, now I know I've posted ALOT today, but this recipe is definately one of my most well received. Last time I had it, it was Christian and Cass who made it for ME*.
Serves four hungry berry streeters.
Shopping trolley:
for salsa:
2 punnets cherry tomatoes - halved
1 medium fennel bulb - sliced thinly and thickly (adds good texture)
5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped - they go all soft and yummy)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup capers (not baby)
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
for mash:
frozen peas
pumpkin
broccolli
carrot
potato
milk
butter
cheese
Fish (whiting, blue grenadier, snapper etc.)
Note: Because your marinating the fish, a ultra good quality fish isn't necessary- a standard whiting will do, but blue grenadier would have to be my pick.
Preparation:
Cut 8 pieces of alfoil, four with a 2-inch parameter around fish, 4 slightly smaller, brush larger four with oil, salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 180 dc
1. Cook the fennel over a medium temperature with the oil. Sautee until nicely coloured but not burnt. Lower temperature if burning. Cook until fennel is nice and soft and clear.
2. Add cherry tomatoes and garlic. Let simmer to create a nice juicy sauce. Add 1/2 of the white wine and drink the rest. Use a wooden spoon to crush some of the tomatoes.
3. Once the mixture has become nice and juicy add the capers and olives.
4. Place each piece of fish on each of the four pieces of alfoil. Spoon mixture evenly on each piece of fish until well coated.
5. Use the second piece of alfoil to wrap the packages up. Place the alfoil over the fish, using both pieces of alfoil fold until just meeting the fish. Do this on all four sides. Spike each package onto to allow steam to come out. Cook in oven for twenty minutes or until fish is white.
6. Steam vegies together till soft. Mash and add salt, pepper, butter, cheese and milk to taste.
Serving. Pile the mash vegie into the centre of a plate and place fish with mixture ontop. Pour excess juice around the mash.
Enjoy.
* I have no idea where this recipe came from, i suspect it is an adaptation of a sundried tomato and fennel baked snapper i made years ago, but this one is more recession friendly!
Friday, May 8, 2009
hookas' risoni
Another thing my dad is good at making (exceptional even) is puttanesca pasta. We've always called it hookers pasta in our household because it is cheap. But I don't think it is all that cheap really - olives, basil, anchovies & parmesan cheese are all pretty pricey!
I tried risoni a few years ago but never really got into it, but after adding it to my minestrone a few weeks ago I got into it again. Mum made risoni over the easter holiday, and after following her process I decided to give it a go (or rather risoni was all i had at home) and my hookas' risoni* came out really well - i even made it two nights in a row!
*I'm calling it hookas' risoni b/c I used stuff I had in my pantry and fridge - which means that pretty much any vegie would be good in it!
Pantry.
Risoni (small graines of pasta which look like rice, similar to risotto)
2 tins chopped tomato
powdered vegetable stock
dried chilli flakes
Fridge.
Parsley chopped
Zucchini sliced and quartered
Mushroom thinly sliced
Broccolli in small florets
Parmesan cheese grated thickly
red onion (sliced thinly in strands)
Confession - I only had one mushroom, half a zucchini and 3 florets of broc. I also nipped half an onion from lisa and a bunch of parsley from dan's vegie patch.
I'd say you want 50/50 risoni and vegies if you're using a good amount of vegies and making it for more than four people. This recipe makes for 3 (or one hungry jess and a bite for ant)
1. Heat oil and simmer onion and garlic. Add tinned tomato and stir together.
2. Add risoni. The amount of risoni used depends on volume of leftovers you have. At this stage I'd put in one and a half cups (it does expand) to go with my miniscule vegie stash. Stir through and simmer for one minute.
3. Add all vegies and desired amount of chilli flakes. I like mine hot.
4. Once all is stirred through add more risoni if needed.
5. Pour over warm water till mixture is just covered. Add powdered vege stock (or 1 stock cube) and stir.
6. Let simmer and absorb liquid, stirring every couple of minutes. The risoni will talke 12-15 minutes to cook. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Just before serving add chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.
Note. The second night I made this i used chopped spinach instead of broccolli- i don't think it worked as well. The mushiness of the broccolli was really yummy.
yum- i wish i was having this tonight :(
I tried risoni a few years ago but never really got into it, but after adding it to my minestrone a few weeks ago I got into it again. Mum made risoni over the easter holiday, and after following her process I decided to give it a go (or rather risoni was all i had at home) and my hookas' risoni* came out really well - i even made it two nights in a row!
*I'm calling it hookas' risoni b/c I used stuff I had in my pantry and fridge - which means that pretty much any vegie would be good in it!
Pantry.
Risoni (small graines of pasta which look like rice, similar to risotto)
2 tins chopped tomato
powdered vegetable stock
dried chilli flakes
Fridge.
Parsley chopped
Zucchini sliced and quartered
Mushroom thinly sliced
Broccolli in small florets
Parmesan cheese grated thickly
red onion (sliced thinly in strands)
Confession - I only had one mushroom, half a zucchini and 3 florets of broc. I also nipped half an onion from lisa and a bunch of parsley from dan's vegie patch.
I'd say you want 50/50 risoni and vegies if you're using a good amount of vegies and making it for more than four people. This recipe makes for 3 (or one hungry jess and a bite for ant)
1. Heat oil and simmer onion and garlic. Add tinned tomato and stir together.
2. Add risoni. The amount of risoni used depends on volume of leftovers you have. At this stage I'd put in one and a half cups (it does expand) to go with my miniscule vegie stash. Stir through and simmer for one minute.
3. Add all vegies and desired amount of chilli flakes. I like mine hot.
4. Once all is stirred through add more risoni if needed.
5. Pour over warm water till mixture is just covered. Add powdered vege stock (or 1 stock cube) and stir.
6. Let simmer and absorb liquid, stirring every couple of minutes. The risoni will talke 12-15 minutes to cook. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Just before serving add chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.
Note. The second night I made this i used chopped spinach instead of broccolli- i don't think it worked as well. The mushiness of the broccolli was really yummy.
yum- i wish i was having this tonight :(
Dads' pumpkin soup
I don't think my dad is ever going to get a Nobel prize for cookery but I do think he makes the best pumpkin soup in the entire world!
Yesterday at work, I decided to look up some pumpkin soup recipes to see if I was missing anything in the modern world of pumpkin soup making - you know to see if anything had changed since last winter.
I did discover that most recipes over flavor the soup. I remembered that when ever I use my dads' recipe I am always surprised at how full of flavor and how many levels it has considering how basic the recipe is. I would have to say that it is definitely the best pumpkin soup bar a few of the (yet to be made) Asian pumpkin soup recipes with curry sauce.
Shopping cart:
1kg grey pumpkin
1 medium sweetpotato
1 large leek
garlic
1 large carrot
Sourcream
2-3 vegetable stock cubes
chives (garnish)
milk
1 medium sized orange
Plain flour
Salt and pepper
Slice the leek thinly, mince 5 garlic cloves, roughly chop the vegetables in small cubes* (the smaller the cube the quicker they'll cook), prepare the stock in a jub with 1.5L hot water.
* I usually cup my pumpkin pretty big cos it cooks quicker and then the sweet pot' a bit smaller.
1. Heat a pan with a stick of butter on a medium temp, once melted add the leek and stir. After a minute or so, once the leeks have become transparent add the garlic. Stir and let rest for 1 minute.
2. Add vegetables and stir till the leek mixture is covering vegetables. Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes (lid on pot - stir every few minutes.
3. Once the vegies have gathered moisture add 1-2 tablespoons plain flour and stir to cover. Add pepper
4. Add vegetable stock. Bring to boil.
5. Simmer until vegies are cooked through.
6. In 3-4 batches process the soup in a blender (or use a handheld) and return to stove. Bring to good simmer and add milk till desired consistency. Add a good squeeze of orange to taste.
7. Serve in big bowls with chives and sour cream with lots of crunchy buttery bread.
It is so yummy - freezes well and is great for lunch the following day.
Note: Ant doesn't really like soup but he likes this one!
magnolia cupcakes
I volunteered to make cupcakes for Ant's sister Emily's 21st. It was quite an undertaking but at the same time really fun and rewarding. Lots of people from work (Berni, Corrina, Carol etc.) have asked me how I made them.
I found the recipe for the cupcakes through the vogue forums, it was voted one of the best cupcake recipes and seemed to fit my purposes pretty well. I wanted something pretty rich and dense, i wasn't concerned about how healthy they'd be because we wouldn't be eating the entire batch between 3 people or anything. I also wanted a recipe with a good icing recipe and Magnolia's recipe was perfect.
I decided to use a piping bag to ice the cupcakes, to give it ago and in the hopes that they would look really professional - they looked great!
Cupcake recipe link
Notes: Confectioners sugar is a fancy word for soft icing sugar
I used strawberry oil in place of the vanilla essence for the icing because I thought it would be a nice different surprise and go well with the pink icing. You can use flavouring oil for icings made from an oil base - butter etc. 3 drops or half a teaspoon was plenty.
Tips:
I used three different pattypan colours - metallic silver, metallic brown and metallic pink i thought that these colours would be funky and a modern touch.
Using the piping bag for this particular icing recipe was fantastic and really easy. I filled the bag up and followed the pattypans from the outer edge of the cupcake to the centre. Easy and suprisingly quick!
premise
I've been pondering over whether or not to start a foodies blog. But now seems like the perfect time to start one. I seem to boast quite often about various recipes that I've tried out or have been working on but seem to lose track of many of them. So not only is this a good way of sharing recipes but its also a good way to file away all those recipes i can't be bothered putting into my scrapbook cookbook!
I've decided to start this now because I am going to the States in a few weeks (hoping to record some yummy food adventures along the way) and because food = escapism. It is my way of relaxing and enjoying myself outside work and uni.
I'm a dork I know - but this blog sorta excites me! Friends, relatives and co-workers will probably be mentioned from time to time including: Ant, Kate, Jess and Mum. So if you've been exploring the food world with me look out!
I think I'll be blogging recipes, restaurant reviews and other food-related stuffs. But don't worry I won't take credit for recipes that I haven't come up with! Well maybe not anyway.
Cheers
photo: my lindt chocolate mocha with extra chocolate shavings, sydney 2009.
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