Watercress, Brocollini and Pomegranate Salad

You know me and fruit in salad…I think my kids have even stopped complaining about fruit showing up in a savoury salad because they are either;

A) resigned to the fact,

B) used to it or

C) enjoy it themselves now.

Colleagues are not so good with it, but I am trying to win them over. (When I say ‘them’ I am actually referring to one young lady who knows very well to whom I refer!)

Because I love top ten lists myself, and because I have so many salads showcasing fruit (including a new one just for this post!), an article with them all in one spot, ready for bookmarking seemed like a good idea. I also love the idea of a special salad being a bit more festive. With our hot Christmases in Australia, the old hot dinner on Christmas Day is long gone, and so a special salad recipe or ten can come in handy. Hope you enjoy!

So here goes;

ONE;

This is my new kid on the block.

NEED:

4 small bunches brocollini

generous amount of water cress leaves or other bitter greens of choice

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

water for steaming

Dressing;

2 cloves garlic

60g red wine vinegar

60g honey

Sea salt to taste

50g EVOO

DO:

Place enough water in Thermomix bowl to reach the 1L mark. Bring to the boil for 8-10 minutes on Varoma temperature on speed 4.

Place trimmed and washed broccolini into Varoma dish and set  aside. When the water is steaming, set Varoma into position and cook for 7 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 4. Remove immediately and place into ice bath to cool.

Drain bowl and make dressing by placing garlic into Thermomix bowl and mincing for 3 seconds on speed 5. Add remaining dressing ingredients and blend for 10 seconds on speed 6. Pour over sliced red onion and allow dressing to soften onion for 15 minutes.

Arrange greens on salad platter, add broccolini and onion with dressing. Top with Pomegranate jewels and voila. Beautiful and delicious, (and dare I say it? A little fruity)! Season to taste with black pepper and grainy sea salt.

TWO:

I love Thai flavours and a Thai Beef Salad is something I find hard to beat. So although not completely conventional, the fruit (grapefruit) in this just tips it into awesome for me. Of course it is optional, but I dare you, try it and let me know what you think.

THREE:

Originating from my darling sister in law who now lives in the States and whom I miss every day, I make this Broccoli and Grape Salad, just to reminisce sometimes! Tangy dressing, salty bacon, sweet grapes and barely steamed broccoli. Can’t really go wrong!

FOUR:

While not strictly complying to the fruit in the salad criteria, but rather in the dressing, Seafood Eatfood has never failed me. It is a little festive, a few Asian flavours are in there, great the next day as a cold lunch, can be easily increased to feed a crowd, is really so simple and easy…what more could you want at Christmas time?

FIVE:

OK, probably should have been number one…LOVE Fruity Harvest Salad and have even been known to add roasted nectarines when in season. This is a great accompaniment to roasted meats, particularly pork. Seriously, if you want to impress when asked to bring a salad, this should be your choice. Still in my old format (pre Thermomix days) feel free to go ahead and do what you will with Thermomix when you can!

SIX:

Probably Pineapple is one of the best foils for salty, think about all those Hawaiian Pizza days…or channel your inner 60′s dinner party with baked ham and pineapple…this Carribean Salsa salutes those flavours, adds some heat and is also fantastic with ham, or beef, or fish, or pork, or fried chook…anything you feel like really!

SEVEN:

Not quite a waldorf salad, Chicken with Grapes and Walnuts is what a waldorf salad becomes when it grows up! A lovely citrus and cranberry dressing make it perfect for Festive entertaining. Or serve with crusty fresh bread to make a great light lunch for friends.

EIGHT:

Again a bit of a cheat entry, Chicken Salad with Chilli Citrus Dressing is another example of the dressing (with fruit) lifting an ordinary salad above the mundane and into the heavenly. The dressing in fact can be used on any number of salads, kept in the fridge for around 3 weeks and never fails to impress. Great in the party season as well because you can cheat and buy a cooked chicken, simply make the dressing (all of about 1 minute) and with a bag of greens, punnet of tomatoes, you are ready to be the hostess with the mostess in no time.

NINE:

Again I am pretty well cheating with the Traffic Light Salad as well…in that the grapes are merely a suggestion. Fantastic at a BBQ of which I am confident there are no shortages at this time of year, (at least in the Southern Hemisphere folks!)

Last but not least,

TEN:

Number 10 is a johnny come lately; I have enjoyed it twice now, and have yet to photograph it…but try this on for size.

1 bag baby spinach leaves, tossed with thinly sliced red onion.

Drizzle with EVOO (and you know my stance on EVOO I hope.)

Add 1 tin of drained mandarin segments, freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt and some toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with just enough of the drained liquid to moisten and again…voila…faster than a trip to the store…you are eating amazing and delicious Fruit in (Savoury) Salad…again. And one hopes without any complaints from the peanut gallery!

Chicken Kaukswe

I have made this many times over the years and have added a few touches here and there…needed a blog post this week, got invited to bring a dish tonight to friends, and voila, two birds with one stone. Here we have Chicken Kaukswe, a Burmese (P.C. Myanmar) curry, very mild, very fragrant with any number of possible variations. The recipe I worked from originally was one my mother used to make who had been given it by a Burmese friend, and because I like to think I’m Australia’s answer to Martha Stewart, I have tweaked it a few times, and Thermomixed and induction-ed it as well…enjoy! (This is not unlike my Mexican Chicken Soup, though different flavours completely…but the same help yourself idea…which you will remember I love!)

NEED:

1 whole free range chicken

3-4 tbsp turmeric

enough water to almost cover chicken

200g rinsed yellow lentils

1-2 tins coconut cream

salt to taste

juice 2 lemons

Paste:

5-6 cloves garlic

2 large brown onions peeled and quartered

3-4 cm peeled fresh ginger

3cm shrimp cake/paste

2 dried chillies

2 tbsp turmeric

50g oil

Accompaniments:

5-6 sliced hard boiled eggs

1/2 small finely shredded cabbage

5-6 spring onions/shallots sliced

crispy  noodles

soft egg noodles

coriander/cilantro sprigs

sliced fresh chillies

sliced white onions

lemon wedges

DO:

Rub chicken with turmeric and place into large pot. Fill almost to cover the chicken with water and simmer on Induction 6 for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is well cooked. Turn chicken over and allow to cool before removing flesh from bones and discarding bones.

Make curry paste by putting all paste ingredients into Thermomix bowl and chopping for 4 sec/speed 7. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and repeat. Scrape down before sautéing for 4 min/Varoma/speed 1. Place into pot with de-boned chicken and stock. Add lentils and cook on Induction 5 for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to Induction 4 and add 1 tin of coconut cream, salt and lemon juice. Simmer for up to an hour or until flavours are well blended and lentils are disintegrated. Add additional coconut cream if soup thickens up too much or as needed. (It bears noting that this tastes better the next day…so the Curry No Hurry adage holds…the flavours meld together better if time is on your side.)

Prepare accompaniments in separate dishes and allow everyone to help themselves, ladling the hot curry soup last over the top of noodles, cabbage, herbs, onions and eggs etc.

SERVE:

In great big bowls with all the fresh stuff as listed above.

The great thing about this dish is that it can serve as many as you need it to, simply by adding accompaniments, or lentils and stock ad infinitum! It is dinner party friendly.

Chicken and Lime Soup

On my recent travels which included a pit stop in Houston, I tasted a lot of fresh, delicious Mexican food and this soup was inspired by one made by my dear friend Patti. Unable to source Hominy in Australia (not yet anyway) I played around with just fresh corn and I must say that we loved this…and I hope you will too! Whats more, this will feed an army depending on how many vegetables you chop up to serve with it…and as my army all seem to be returning home, this may just come in handy!

NEED:
4-5 cloves garlic
Handful fresh oregano
Handful fresh coriander (reserve some for serving)
1 red chilli
1 onion peeled and halved
Zest 2 limes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken thigh fillets cubed
900g chicken stock
Juice 2 limes
1 x 420g tinned corn drained or equivalent fresh kernels

TO SERVE:
2-3 tomatoes chopped roughly
1-2 kumatoes chopped roughly (optional)
2 shallots sliced
1 red capsicum diced
1-2 sliced avocadoes drizzled with lime juice
¼ cabbage shredded
Coriander leaves
1 pkg plain corn chips
Sour cream
DO:
Place garlic, oregano, coriander, chilli, onion, zest, cumin and olive oil into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6.
Sauté for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.
Add remaining ingredients except corn and place the squeezed lime skins into TM bowl as well.
Cook for 10 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse + speed soft. Remove lime skins and squeeze well using a slotted spoon.
Add corn and cook a further 4 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse + speed soft.
Serve immediately in large soup bowls, and top with all other ingredients.

Tortillas
NEED:
300 grams polenta
300 grams bakers flour
100 grams butter (plus more for frying)
generous pinch sea salt
200 grams warm water

DO:
Place all ingredients except water into Thermomix bowl and pulse 4-6 times until mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Add water and mix on speed 7 for 5 seconds.
With lid in locked position, knead for 3 minutes.
Roll into balls and cover with a wet tea towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Place each ball between 2 layers of baking paper and roll as thinly as possible with a rolling pin.
Cook quickly in hot pan, (Induction 7-8) that has been lightly buttered.
Use to wrap fillings of choice.

Chicken Filling
NEED:
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon each of the following;
coarsely ground pepper
paprika
ground garlic
ground cumin
ground coriander
sea salt

DO:
Combine dry ingredients in small bowl.
Rub into chicken breasts and allow to marinate for up to an hour.
Process in steam oven for 17-20 minutes. Leave in oven until ready to serve.
Slice into thin slices or shred.
Serve on top of tortillas with fresh Guacamole, combination of grated Parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella, and fresh salad and if desired, a dollop of sour cream.

For other ‘Throw Down’ offerings, check out Great Cooks Community. Great way to end a month…or start a new one!

Thanks for all your kind wishes for my ‘little’ boy who is well on the road to recovery and happens to be six feet 3! It has been harrowing, but educational and we are happy that all is going to be well!

As he left for work yesterday morning, my DH asked hopefully if I was putting a blog up (as I was not at work). Of course his concern was not for you dear readers, but more for his choices come dinnertime! Wednesdays have become blogging day (sort of) and I downright cook up a storm on Sundays, (Hence the ‘daze!) photograph it all and hopefully blog it later in the week…so what did we have for dinner last night you may ask?
Not to digress, but on Monday night I attended a seminar with Cyndi O’Meara (and that is another post or two!) the whole foodie, slash nutritionist who was highly entertaining and informative and had a whole lot of local producers with their products in a market atmosphere, preceding her evening. Needless to say I purchased some Olive Oil, cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, hereafter referred to as, EVOO, pressed with Lemon rind (one process) from a local grove, (Guinea Grove Farm, Gin Gin) organic and bio dynamic etc etc..which all sounds a bit of a yawn to the uninitiated, but the TASTE! Drool…so with that in mind, and with our latest honey harvest fresh from the hive (yes, ahem, another up coming post!) I created the most beautiful roast chicken with a soy, honey, citrus olive oil and garlic marinade…mmmmmnn. Converts to organic, bio dynamic, all of us.

NEED:
1.5 kg roasting chicken
1/4 cup soy (or tamari)
1/4 cup raw local honey…(or just normal honey will suffice!)
3 tablespoons EVOO, pressed with Lemon zest
(You could make your own with a mix of Olive oil and zest of 1 lemon)
enormous amounts of peeled garlic cloves
1 potato per person
handful fresh coriander leaves

DO:
Wash and dry chicken.
Mix all remaining ingredients except garlic and potatoes in TM bowl and process for 10 seconds on speed 7.
Prepare garlic and stuff underneath the skin and in the cavity of the chicken.
Pour marinade over the chicken and leave for at least 2 hours. (Longer is better.)
When ready to cook, prepare potatoes by cutting in half.
Place marinated chicken and any excess marinade in MW Grill glass dish and place potatoes around.
Drizzle with more EVOO to taste.
Cook in MW grill as time directs (approx 35-40 minutes) Add time if necessary.
Due to the nature of the marinade, you may need to turn the chicken over at least once to preserve the delicious color that it will certainly produce.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and baste with remaining marinade.

SERVE:
With steamed green beans and a good napkin, cos you’re going to need it!

As promised, the Chicken Pad Thai recipe!  And FYI I have been taking lots of photos of other stuff that is on it’s way…maybe I should call this blog “Get Stuffed”! Any thoughts?

NEED:

1/2 chicken breast per person

4 tablespoons commerical Pad Thai paste (available most Asian supermarkets)

5 cloves garlic peeled and chopped finely

1 brown onion chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

handful rice noodles per person

1 egg per person, beaten lightly

1 cup salted peanuts, re-roasted until fragrant

LOTS of fresh lime juice (Do not be tempted to use the ready made product…NOT THE SAME)

Fish sauce to taste (I use around 1/4 cup for about 6 servings)

Chilli paste or 1 red chilli chopped finely including seeds

handful coriander chopped (cilantro)

Lime wedges

DO:

Heat a little oil in Demeyere Multifunctional Pan with Lid
Roast peanuts and set aside.
Fry off garlic, onions, pad thai paste, chicken, and toss until browned.
Meanwhile soak noodles as package directs.
Beat eggs and stir through mix.
Toss in noodles, bean sprouts and any other vegies of choice.
Add a little stock in necessary and lime juice.
Stir through chopped coriander, garnish with roasted peanuts and serve with lime wedges immediately.
USED: