BBQ SALMON KEBABS

When it comes to choose a method of cooking fish for, I prefer mine cooked on a barbecue. Not only it is a much healthier option, but it also eliminates the fish smell that normally lingers around your home for quite a while after the dinner has been consumed.

Having a South African husband whose love affair with the “braai” (SA term for BBQ) is a national pastime also contributes to what I describe “choosing your weapon”.  We cook our meals on a BBQ pretty much all year round, however in summer, it becomes a blessing not having to slave over the stove in the 35 degree heat.

The following recipe is one of the quickest and easiest way of cooking any fish.  Also, you've got this charred stripes on the flash that are super delicious and flavoursome.

This method of cooking is ideal for a mid-week quick dinner fix or a weekend lunch.

To feed 4 people you need:

4 salmon skinless fillets (approx 150-200 gr each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon cut into wedges to serve

Method:

Cut about 3cm wide slices across each fillet and place in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and pour over olive oil.  You don’t need much olive oil because salmon is quite an oily fish.

Pre-heat your BBQ to 180C, thread four pieces of fish on each skewer and place them on top of the grill.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn the skewers over and cook on the other side.

 

Remove onto the serving plate, arrange the sliced lemon wedges around the fish and serve.

Enjoy!!!

ICE-CREAM BALLS ROLLED IN DARK CHOCOLATE|GROUND HAZELNUTS|COFFEE BEANS

Desserts are not normally my thing, especially the ones that involve making dough.  For some inexplicable reason, my brain freezes just at the mere thought of it and refuses to follow the simplest of recipes.  So if we are entertaining some guests who never been to our home before and not aware of my baking phobia, I always rely on the skills of professional bakers and cake makers.

If I do decide to make a dessert myself, I choose the recipe that does not require baking per se things like semifredo, a mousse or even a coulis.  The recipe that I am sharing with you now is equally simple and easy to follow but it tastes delicious and I am sure your guests will love it.  I discovered it while watching Jamie Oliver's "30 minutes Meals".   And for those who ever watched this show, know that his recipes are simple, easy and most importantly, are utterly tasty.

All You need is:

500ml of vanilla ice-cream

70gr of good dark chocolate

100gr of hazelnuts

1 tbsp coffee beans (optional)

  

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, place the hazelnuts on a roasting tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until the skin darkens, them remove the tray and while the nuts are still hot, place them onto a clean towel and rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible.

Place the nuts, chocolate pieces and coffee beans into a small blender and grind to a thick breadcrumb consistency.  Empty the bowl onto a dry chopping board or a wide flat plate.

Prepare a dessert plate. Get the ice-cream out of the freezer and with the help of an ice-cream scoop, scoop out a ball of ice-cream and place it right into the chocolate-nut mixture. Working fast, roll it around to get it covered evenly and then place on the dessert plate.  I would make 3 balls per person and if there are leftovers, place them into a plastic container and store them in the freezer for a couple of weeks, if they will last that long without being eaten.

Serve them alongside strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar and mini biscuits to create different textures and flavours.

You can find the collection of my simple desserts here.

Enjoy!!!

TURKEY BREAST STUFFED WITH SEASONAL VEGETABLES

In my opinion, turkey meat is absolutely underrated.  I have never ever seen any turkey dishes in any establishments in which I have been eating, high or low.  You can, occasionally, find a cold turkey roll pressed between two slices of bread at the sandwich bar but that’s about it.

Yet, it is nutritious, delicious, lean and flavoursome.  Truth be told, I wasn’t using this meat myself until one day my husband decided to go on the 2:5 diet and was advised that turkey meat is leaner then chicken and much more beneficial for his purposes.

So here I was in the poultry aisle of the supermarket facing a dilemma of what to do with the turkey meat.  At the beginning, I was cooking it for my husband only, just simply slicing the breast into strips and letting him BBQ it, so initially twice a week I was cooking two different meals which was not practical at all.  So I decided to make an effort and cook something that the whole family would enjoy without breaking my husband’s strict diet.

So here is my take on turkey breast stuffed with seasonal vegetables

To feed 4 people you need:

2 turkey breasts

3 brown mushrooms

1 red capsicum

1 yellow capsicum

1 red onion finely diced

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkle of smoked paprika 

1 sprig of thyme

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

Place a pan on a stove over medium heat.  Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and when warm, add sliced onions and garlic and sautee until soft and translucent.  While the onions are cooking, finely dice the mushrooms and capsicums into and add to the pan, throw in a spring of thyme and season well.  Cook the vegetables until tender, then add pine nuts and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, place one turkey breast on a chopping board between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 2 cm thick (it may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how thick it is.)  When butterflying the breast, make sure that you don’t go all the way through.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some paprika and lemons zest. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 2cm border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise and using a kitchen twine, secure it in few places along the roll.

Put the same pan in which you roasted the vegetables back on a stove on a medium heat, add the remaining oil and butter and gently fry the breast turning it from side to side to get an even lovely brown colour all over.  It will take about 20 minutes to cook the meat through, depending on the thickness.  Squeeze a juice of half a lemon over the rolled breast towards the end of the cooking.

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and place in a warm place to rest for 5 minutes.  Then move to a chopping board, carefully remove the twine and using an extra sharp knife slice on an angle and arrange on a serving plate.  Pour the juices from the turkey back into the pan, add a spoon of lemon juice and a bit of butter and when become hot, pour over the sliced turkey.  Serve and enjoy!!!

GRILLED SALMON SKEWERS

I love Middle Eastern food, its flavour, colours and textures are enticing, intoxicating and utterly delicious.  But there is one more aspect in this cuisine that attracts me the most and that is a healthy side of it.  Not only do they use a lot of fresh vegetables and herbs but also a lot of dishes are prepared on a grill and that not only gives them an extra flavour, but it is, in my opinion, also a much healthier way of cooking food than frying. 

I quite often prepare our meals on the grill.  There are other benefits to using your BBQ rather than an oven or a pan – there is minimal washing and zero smell, especially when you are cooking fish.  Case in point, my BBQ salmon skewers, very simple, with minimum preparation time and maximum flavours.

You need for 4 people:

3 pieces of salmon fillets (170-200gr each)

1 tsp smocked paprika

1 garlic clove

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon for garnishing

4 metal skewers

Method:

Pre-heat your bbq to 180C.

Slice each fillet in half lengthwise and then cit each piece into equal size cubes.  Place them into a bowl, splash some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika, then mix it together, this will give your fish a lovely colour and an extra layer of smokiness.  Thread the same quantity of fish pieces onto each skewer and place them on the grill.

Because the fish is cut into relatively small pieces, you might need to cook no longer than 3 minutes on each side depending how you like your fish to be cooked, do over-cook it as it is becomes dry and not too pleasant to eat.  And that is it.

Arrange the skewers on a big serving plate, garnish with slices of lemon and serve.

For the ultimate fish and chip experience, serve the fish with boiled potatoes but bear in mind that potatoes take about 20 minutes to cook.  If you watch your waist, you can substitute the potatoes with smoky sweet potato wedges which also go very well with the fish but much lighter in carbs. 

If you are serving this dish for lunch or a light meal, serve it alongside a salad of your choice or choose the one from my “Salad collection”.

Enjoy!!!

SMOKY SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Who does not love potatoes:  fried, sautéed, boiled, roasted – all these delicious variations have been a staple food for millions of people all over the world for centuries.  However, now more and more people are watching their diets and look for a healthier alternative to this “packed to the rafters” carbs loader.

The solution to this dilemma in my kitchen is sweet potatoes – similarly versatile and very tasty but a much lighter and healthier option.  Two of my most popular recipes are making a mash or roasting them, hence my "Sweet potato wedges" recipe.  I use ground chipotle (smoke-dried jalapeno) because it has this delicious smoky flavour and brings a bit of heat but if you are not a fan of this spice, you can add few dry chili flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot paprika for an extra kick.

To feed 4 people you need:

2 medium size sweet potatoes

½ tsp smoked paprika
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled 

1/3 of ground chipotle (optional)

2 rosemary sprigs

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 180C.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into wedges about 2 cm thick and 8-10 cm long.  Place garlic on a chopping board and lightly flatten with the back of a knife. I then place them into a plastic bag with all the other ingredients and give everything a good mix.   I learnt this trick from Nigella Lawson, not only does it ensure that each piece is covered evenly with the spices but your hands remain clean.   

Once it is done, empty the bag onto the roasting tray, spray the wedges evenly and place it in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally so the wedges get a nice brown colour all over. 

Serve alongside any meat or fish dish or on its own as a healthy snack.

Enjoy!!!

RADISHES + CUCUMBER SALAD+MESCLUN LEAVES IN A MUSTARD DRESSING

This salad ticks all the boxes we love in a salad:  simple, fresh, crispy flavours with crunchiness of radishes enhanced by the softness of the cucumber flesh, all happily married under the complexity of the mustard dressing. 

I like to serve it alongside the dishes with rather milder flavours and softer textures such as burgers or roast meets or chicken.

You need:

4-5 medium radishes 
1 medium cucumber

1 tbs of coriander leaves

3-4 green shallots finely slices

A bunch of mesclun salad or any salad leaves to your liking

Mustard dressing:

2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

1 tsp of honey

Freshly ground pepper and salt

Wash and thinly slice the radishes, a cucumber and the shallots.  Place in a bowl together with the salad leaves and chopped coriander leaves.  

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar, give them a good shake, check the seasoning and pour over the salad. Give it a toss and serve alongside your main course.

Enjoy!!!

LAMB BURGERS+ BBQ SWEET CORN+GARLIC AIOLI

Hi everyone,

The recipe for the meal I am sharing with you today is so easy to prepare that it has become quite a staple dish on my mid-week menu.  The ingredients are easy to obtain and not as costly as in some of the previous posts I shared with you. It is not just a simple, quick but also delicious and nutritious meal.  I would describe it as a healthy blend of Jamie Oliver's "15 minutes meals" and Donna Hay’s “Simple, fresh and easy” approaches to food.  

To feed 4-6 people need:

600 gr lamb mince

1 red onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbs pine nuts

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1 egg

100 gr breadcrumbs

A dash of Worcestershire Sauce

A dash of Tabasco Sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Place a box grater in the middle of a bowl and grate one onion, add mince and all the other ingredients.  Using your hands, mix it so that all the components are very well bound together.  If you feel that the mixture needs loosening, add a splash of cold water.  Once you are satisfied with the consistency and the seasoning, it is time to shape the patties.  Using your hands just scoop some mince into your open palm and form a ball similar to a tennis ball in size.  Then lightly press it between the palms of your hands to flatten it out to about 3cm thick.  Don’t make it too flat or the patty will be dry when cooked.  Arrange the patties on a big plate or tray and put in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Here are a few options on how to cook your burgers.  Of course,  you can fry them in a pan with olive oil but my favourite method is to BBQ them.  Just place them straight onto the griddle to give them a delicious char-infused aroma in the form of blackened caramelised stripes on their sides.  Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side and serve immediately with BBQ-grilled corn, aioli and a crunchy radish salad.

Enjoy your dinner!

WHAT I COOKED FOR BREAKFAST - HOTCAKES RUSSIAN STYLE+ROAST FIGS AND SOUR CREAM

Ever since Bill Granger introduced ricotta hotcakes at his Surry Hills, Bills Restaurant, back in the late 90’s, they remain the most favourite breakfast staple on almost every breakfast menu of almost every cafe across Sydney. 

Well, we Russians have been cooking hotcakes for decades, the difference is we use farm cheese instead of ricotta.  The reason being that back in Russia we haven't been spoilt for choices and the produce such as ricotta cheese was totally foreign to our ears let alone the shop shelves.

I love to serve them topped wit caramelised figs for a touch of decadence.

Nevertheless, ours are as delicious and remain as popular for Saturday breakfast amongst my family.

To feed 4-6 people you need:

500 gr of fresh farm cheese

2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil 

1 egg

3 tbs white sugar
1 tbs brown sugar

5 tbs plain white flour

A pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

A handful of sultanas (optional)

A tub of sour cream for serving

4-8 figs for serving

Method:
Place the farm cheese, flour, sugar and an egg in a bowl and mix together.  If the mixture feels a bit runny, add some more flour.  if you like your hotcakes really sweet, then add more sugar although sultanas will bring their sweetness as well.  The dough should not stick to your hands but try not to make it too firm.  

Sprinkle some flour over a chopping board, then take a spoonful of mixture and roll into a ball, then place it on the board and press lightly with the palm of your hand to flattened it out, about 2cm thick.  Continue with the rest of the mixture, you should end up having around 8-10 cakes.

Heat the frying pan over moderate heat.  Once it is hot, place one spoon of butter and add some olive oil to prevent butter from burning and when the butter is melted, fry the cakes in batches for about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Cut the figs in half and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add remaining butter into the pan and fry the figs cut side down until the sugar is caramelised.  Remove from the pan and serve alongside the hotcakes.

We like to eat them with a dollop of sour cream to offset the sweetness but they are equally delicious just on their own.

Enjoy!!!

BEEF STROGANOFF

Leafing through my blog the other day, I realised that something very essential was missing from my posts - amongst all the cosmopolitan dishes cooked in my kitchen, there was not one single recipe reflecting my original roots.  I have been so mesmerised by the multitude and variety of multicultural dishes that I totally forgot how tasty and flavoursome Russian dishes could be. 

And so I have decided to cook very traditional, world known and highly popular amongst Russian expats dish.  You guessed it, I am talking about Beef Stroganoff.

The truth of the matter is that one of my daughters does not really like this dish, neither is my other one , who was born here in Australia, hence it does not appear too often on my dinner table.  However, my South African husband, whose mother escaped Russia when she was very young, loves it and is always looking forward to eat it.

According to Google, the origin and history of Beef Stroganoff dates backs to the 19th century. "Although not a new recipe, at that time but it is a refined version of an even older Russian recipe, it had probably been in the family of Count Pavel Stroganoff for some years and had become well known through his love of entertaining."

Until today Beef Stroganoff remains one of the most popular dishes in Russian cuisine and is immediately associated with that part of the world.

So let’s cook it.

To feed 6-8 people you need:

1 kg of beef fillet

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium size brown onion

3 cloves of garlic

200gr button mushrooms

150gr sour cream

2 tsp American mustard

200ml beef stock

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Note 1:  Buying sliced for a stir-fry beef from the butcher saves a lot of time and is perfect for this dish.

Note 2:It is better to cook this dish in a pot rather than in a pan since it is cooked in plenty of sauce. 

Method:

Pre-heat your cooking pot on medium heat and pour in the oil.  Peal and slice the onion into small cubes and once the oil is hot, sauté it until it becomes golden brown. It will add a warm colour to the final dish.  While the onion is cooking, slice the meat into thin 1 cm strips approx 5 cm long, combine with the onion and continue cooking. 

While this is happening, slice the mushrooms and garlic and add them to the pot.  Let the meat release a bit of moisture and allow all the ingredients to brown together for about 10-20 minutes.

Then, add sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper, pour in the stock and reduce the heat to low.  The meat and mushrooms should be almost submerged in the sauce.

It should not take long to cook since the beef is sliced quite finely, approximately another 10 minutes.  Taste the meat and the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  If the meat is still slightly chewy, let it cook for another 10 minutes until tender and it is ready to serve.

Traditionally, Beef Stroganoff is served with mashed potatoes or with buckwheat "kasha" that is cooked buckwheat.

Scoop some mash or "kasha" on a plate, place a generous portion of meat on top and liberally pour the sauce over.

Enjoy!!!

SINGAPOREAN FISH (ASSAM FISH)

There are not many cooking shows that I watch but I always make sure to watch Food Safari presented by “trendy and funky host Maeve O'Meara teaches viewers about a new culture in each episode of this Australia-based series, including how to prepare recipes from that episode's featured region”.  Each episode explores a new cuisine with the help of professional chefs and home cooks who show us their tips and secrets, chef’s recipes and classic favourites. 

It is quite an eye opener as she discovers and shares with you some places right here in Sydney that you never heard of nor visited before.  On the few occasions that we followed her story and paid homage to the show by eating at a place that was featured on Food Safari, we were never disappointed.

What I also like about this show is that because the recipes are shared by home cooks they are very easy to follow.  You can just envisage yourself walking around your own kitchen at a comfortable pace cooking a delicious dish that will be thoroughly enjoyed around the dinner table later on.

It was during an episode about Singaporean cuisine that one dish caught my attention, Tamarind or Assam Fish.  It was a mention of tamarind paste that gave my test buds a jump-start as the combination of sweet and sour tastes is one of my favourites.   Despite the fact that you can only find this condiment in the Asian aisle of most super-market, I quite often use it as a substitute for lime juice in salads or whenever sourness is required.  It is great for dipping sauces, however, be mindful of how much you add as it is quite strong.

I dutifully scribbled down the ingredients and watched the episode closely in order to re-create it later in my own kitchen and to share it with you, my dear readers.  I, however, have tweaked the recipe to make it more suitable for our palates and simplified the process without compromising the flavours.

To feed 4 people you need:

800 gr of Spanish mackerel cutlets

2-3 tbsp of plain white flower

2 tsp tumeric powder

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of brown sugar

1 lemongrass stalk

3 tomatoes, chopped into cubes

½ L water

2 tsp tamarind paste

2 long green chilies

For the spice paste:

2 red onions peeled and quartered

1 red chili (deseeded)

3 cm piece of ginger

3 tbsp fish sauce

½ head of garlic

Method:

 Place all the ingredients for the spice paste into the food processor and blend into a paste.  To maker a tamarind water, just pour water into a bowl, add tamarind paste and mix well.

Spread the flour on a big plate, sprinkle with tumeric powder, salt and pepper and mix. Dip each piece of fish into the mixture on both sides shaking off the excess.  Pre-heat the frying pan over medium heat, add oil and when hot, fry the fish for about 3 minutes on each side until slightly golden.  Remove and place on a paper towel to draw away the extra oil.

In the same pan, fry the spice paste for a couple of minutes until fragrant then add tomatoes, pour over the tamarind water, throw in lemongrass, green chilies, some salt and sugar.  Bring slowly to the boil and have a little taste - the flavour should be a mix of hot, sweet and sour and salty.  Gently slip the fish back into the pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice (healthier version) and Asian Slaw 

Enjoy!!!