Everything Slaw

Sometimes you just crave flavours and textures, on a warm afternoon as it starts to cool down with the setting sun I crave something fresh, crunchy and light yet creamy and amazingly tasty.

At this time of year salad vegetables are a plenty so you can add in or leave out what ever you like- and the dressing… well i could eat it on anything… it would go wonderful on a cold japaneese noodle salad with toasted sesame seeds and even some grilled chicken…

Everything slaw with Creamy Asian Avocado dressing

Carrot

Red Cabbage

Radish

Cucumber

Red Onion

Bean sprouts

Capsicum

Coriander (mint would also be lovely)

I like to cut the vegetables in long thin pieces like a traditional coleslaw.

Toast in a dry pan a selection of nuts and seeds, I used:

Cashews

Sunflower Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Sesame Seeds

Creamy Asian Avocado Dressing

Avocado

1 small clove Garlic- finely grated

1/4tsp Ginger- finely grated

Small handful Roquette or Spinach

1Tbs Tahini

Tamari/ Soy sauce to taste

Sesame Oil

Juice 1 Lime

Salt

Optional- Chilli

Blend everything till creamy- Adjust flavours to desired taste

Add a little water to thin if you want to use as a salad dressing.

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Keep calm and Curry on…

The thing I love about making salads is that they are quick, fresh, filling, easy, a great way to use up anything in you pantry/fridge and there are no right or wrong ways! Salads are wonderful for anytime of the day and if there are left overs its even better.

They are a great way to experiment with new ingredients as you can add to them playing with flavours and textures.

There is something about a curried Kumara salad that makes my mouth water, I like to add lots of dried fruits and spices that marry perfectly with the sweetness of the Kumara, eaten warm or cold this is wonderful as a side dish at a BBQ or as a quick lunch, even in a sandwich with some leftover corned beef, chicken or haloumi.

Curried Kumara Salad

Red Kumara (boiled or roasted- depends if you like it a little crunchy or soft and creamy)

Red Capsicum- diced

Sultanas/Raisins

Dried Apricots diced

(I also like diced Dates)

Celery- diced leaves and all

Spring Onion

Baby Spinach- to serve

Dice Kumara and either roast or boil making sure you season with salt and pepper either way.

Cut up remaining ingredients and add to cooked Kumara. I like to leave the spinach out till I serve it otherwise it tends to go a bit soggy. This is also yum with a handful of toasted walnuts/ pumpkin seeds.

(Bacon would also be AMAZING in this salad)

Curried Mayonaise Dressing

Mayonnaise

Lemon Juice

Turmeric

Ground Cumin

Ground Coriander

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

Ground Ginger

Crushed Garlic

You can use your favourite curry spice blend or you can add equal quantities of the spices above.

Add around 1/4tsp of each spice to 1cup mayonnaise (adding more if needed to balance flavours- I like a bit more Cumin and ginger)

Add remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Mix dressing into the salad ingredients and leave flavours to mingle for a bit in the fridge.

Aint no party like a Chicken Nibble party

What I love about Family, is over the years without trying they develop traditions that get passed down from generation to generation. You can choose to embrace these traditions or not. No pressure.

You can make slight changes as the years go on and make the tradition your own in its own special way.

If you have ever been to a special occasion at my Parents house you will know ‘chicken nibbles’ make a party, and over the years special occasions at my sisters house or even my own the star of the show is and all ways will be ‘chicken nibbles’.

Cards night with the boys= chicken nibbles.

Girls night on the town= chicken nibbles

Birthday party whether it be a 1st or 60th= chicken nibbles

House warming, dress-up party, engagement, anniversary, watching the rugby or just a Sunday night.

These small yet perfectly formed morsels of chicken are tasty moist flavour explosions that in our family is one tradition I think will go on forever.

I do not have precise measurements, I never have, what I like about these is you can add what you like quantity wise to suit your taste.

Worlds yummest Chicken nibbles

Garlic
Ginger
Worcestershire sauce- dash
Honey (1/4)
Tomato sauce(1/2)
Soy sauce (1/8-1/4)
These are just a guide it really is to taste- I like to add different hot sauces for a bit of zing- mix marinade and toss through chicken nibbles and leave to macerate for an hour or even over night, spread on a tray (lined with paper makes cleaning up easy) and bake 180c for about 40-60min turning once during cooking. if there is marinade left over you can either baste the nibbles while cooking or boil in a pan and pour over once cooked. You can sprinkel toasted sesame seeds to finish.
It is a must to eat these with fingers, and a big saucy grin to finish.

 

Turn your world upside down

 I keep buying fruit that Mr Lid likes, in the hope that he will one day be inspired to take a piece to work to eat for a snack- instead of the lolly bag he has hidden in his filing cabinet.

Instead I have a fridge full of rotting fruit.

This week its pears. I am lucky I guess as nothing says winter like pears.

When thinking of what to make I often sit and think about what I have to use- imagining tasting it, the texture, what will inhance the flavour, what I have in the house to use and how long it will take.

After going through the list in my head- pears, golden syrup, walnuts, ginger, it all starts to come together and nothing is more heart warming or more comforting than pears baked into an upside down ginger cake oozing with golden syrup.. obvious choice.

Upside down Pear and Ginger cake

3 Pears

Golden syrup

150g Butter

150g Brown sugar

2 Eggs

2Tbs Golden syrup + extra for pears

250g Flour

1/4cup Walnuts

1/2tsp Baking Powder

2tsp Baking Soda

1Tbs Ground Ginger

1/2tsp Cinnamon

160g Sour cream

Core and dice the Pears- I left the skins on as I quite like them.

Start with a couple of tablespoons of golden syrup and mix with the diced pears- depends how much you want I think I used about 3 heaped tablespoons.

Pour pear mix into the bottom of a lined cake tin.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition, next add the 2Tbs of golden syrup- again mixing well.

Add the remaining ingredients folding the mix till just combined- do not over mix, or the cake will be tough.

Spoon onto pears and bake 160-170c  50-70min depending on your oven- its cooked when a skewer comes out clean.

Once cooked let sit 5min but no longer- tip onto a plate and marvel in the glory of such a beautiful cake.

Best eaten warm.