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!!!

SALAD VERDE WITH RED VINEGAR AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE AND POMEGRANATE SEEDS

This salad is extremely easy to make and quick to assemble (there is no cooking per se), it involves minimum of ingredients and most of all, its tangy test and fresh crispiness of the ingredients are a great accompaniment to almost any dish you cook whether it is vegetarian, meat, fish or poultry.  

You need:

2 heads of baby cos lettuce

2 medium cucumbers

A handful of chopped fresh herbs (coriander, dill or parsley depending on your taste)

Pomegranate seeds to serve

 

For the vinaigrette:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp red vine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp honey

Salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Remove the stems from the lettuce and then slice each lenghtwise into quarters and arrange on a plate.  

Using a potato peeler, remove the skin from the cucumbers and continue peeling off the ribbons until you reach the seeds that need to be discarded.  Place the cucumber ribbons over the lettuce.

Finely chop the herbs and sprinkle over the salad.  Take a whole pomegranate, slice it in half, place one half into the palm of your hand seeds down and holding it over the salad, start beating it with a wooden spoon.  This method should easily release the seeds with minimum damage to their shape.

Place all the ingredients for the dressing into an air-tight container and give it a good shake, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Once satisfied, pour the dressing over the leaves and serve alongside a Whole Roast Chicken or use it as a base for Stuffed Mushrooms.

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN + YOUNG POTATOES

Who does not like roast chicken? It must have been one of the most often cooked dishes of all times.   It is definitely very popular in my neighborhood considering that there are three chicken shops around the corner where we live, all within 100 steps from each other, all doing very well selling roast chickens to the hungry crowd, or so it seems.

I, on the other hand, like to eat the one that is cooked in my own kitchen.  It could be because it is not such a difficult thing to do or because I like the delightful aromas that fill our house tantalizing our taste buds and firing up our appetites.  And if you have never roasted a chicken in your life, I strongly suggest you try.

Preparation:  20 min, cooking time:  1- 1.20 minutes

To feed 6 people you need:

1.5 kg corn fed whole chicken

1 fennel bulb

50 ml olive oil

50 go butter chopped into small pieces

1 lemon

1 garlic head

1 kg small potatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Remove the bird out of the fridge half hour before cooking.

Pre-heat the oven to180C.  Wash and pat to dry the chicken, remove all the bits from its cavity, snip off the wing tips and pluck out any remaining feathers.  Gently pry the skin off the breast meat and bone and carefully slide pieces of butter under the skin spreading it evenly.

Cut off the tips from the fennel bulb and place them inside the chicken’s cavity.  Slice the fennel into rounds about 1 cm thick and spread them on the baking tray.  Place the chicken on top, pour over olive oil and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Separate the garlic head and using the flat side of your knife, flatten each clove and then place them into the bird’s cavity.  Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice of one half all over the chicken and massage it into the skin so the olive oil and the seasoning are well spread.  Slice the other half into rounds and place them around the chicken.

Wash and pat dry the potatoes and place them in a plastic bag.  Add some olive oil, salt and pepper and give the potatoes a good shake and mix and then arrange them evenly around the chicken.

Pour one cup of hot water into a tray and place it in the oven.  When the chicken skin on one side is started to get brown, reduce the temperature to 150C and let it roast basting occasionally using the liquid formed on the bottom of the tray.  Also don’t forget to move the potatoes around so they get a nice crispy skin all over.

I like my chicken to be brown on all sides, so after cooking it for half hour, gently turn it over to cook the other side and continue basting it every now and then.

After cooking the chicken for one hour, insert a skewer into the thigh and if the juices come out clear, the bird is cooked.  If the juices are still running slightly pink, continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.  If by that time the skin of the chicken gets too brown, cover it with foil to prevent from burning.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and rest for about 10 minutes covered with foil.

Carefully slice the bird, place it in the middle of a big serving plate and arrange the potatoes and fennel all around it.  Pour over the juices and serve with a simple green salad on the side.

Enjoy!!!