bacon jam

Bacon and jam. Mmmm.

How can bacon slow cooked in maple syrup and sugar be wrong?
That’s right, it can’t.

The first time I saw this recipe, I was in awe.

I emailed Lorraine, (aka Not Quite Nigella) and started asking a bunch of questions. Her answers only intrigued me further.

When I finally got around to making it, I kicked myself for not dabbling sooner.

Not only is it extremely delicious, but it’s incredibly versatile too.

Need to pimp some veggies? Throw in a tablespoon of bacon jam for depth of flavour.

Too tired to cook? Improve a toasted cheese sandwich with a little bacon jam.

After a salty-sweet treat? Melt some chocolate with bacon jam for brilliant little bacon chocolate snacks.

The options are endless, unfortunately the bacon jam supplies are not.

I cooked my bacon jam  in my NewWave 5 in 1 MultiCooker so that I didn't have to watch the liquid levels over the hours of cooking.

Bacon Jam

A recipe by Not Quite Nigella. Makes a 250ml jar.

Ingredients:
500g smoked bacon (or use regular bacon and liquid smoke)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium brown onion, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Tabasco sauce (according to taste)
1 cup coffee
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
Black pepper to taste
Extra water


Method:

1. In a non stick pan, fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp.

2. Using a pair of scissors cut into 1 inch pieces.

3. Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent.

4. Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a slow cooker or a heavy based cast iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients except for the water.

5. Stove-top method (Lorraine’s method – 30 mins quicker, but involves stirring and checking)
• Simmer for 2 hours adding ¼ of a cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so and stirring (liquid levels should reduce so you have some juices but not too much).
5. Slow cooker method (Anna’s method – two pots and extra 30min, but less action required)
• Simmer for 2 hours, or longer if you like.
• Return to stove top and simmer to reduce liquid, around 30 minutes.

6. When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor.

7. Pulse for 2-3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the “jam” or of course you could keep whizzing and make it a smoother and more paste like.

Note: it needs to be stored in the refrigerator, but note the texture changes (hardens) when it’s cold.

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chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings

Chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings, otherwise known as Jiu Cai Jiaozi, happen to be one of the most delicious things on earth. Pan-fried and served with strong, black vinegar and spicy chilli . . . . one of my all time favourite things to eat.

I wasn't daring enough to make the dough, but I thought I was pretty brave to attempt assembling them myself. I was very pleased with the results and even shared the excess with Stinky and M.E., who seemed very happy with that.

To decide how to make them, I scoured the internet for Jiu Cai Jiaozi recipes and came across the very simple steps provided by Billy from A Table For Two. They were so good I kicked myself for forgetting to thank him when we ran into each other at a Peruvian degustation (see Billy, there was a reason I thought I knew you).

These seriously good dumplings are my pasta offering to Presto Pasta Nights hosted by fellow Aussie blogger Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

Jiu Cai Jiaozi (Chinese Pork & Garlic Chive Dumplings)

Recipe by A Table For Two. Makes 30 dumplings.

Ingredients:
500 gram pork mince
1 bunch garlic chives (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 packet of dumpling skin (30 skins)
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp rice wine
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Add all ingredients into a large bowl (except the dumpling skins) and mix well together.

2. Fill a small bowl with water and set aside.

3. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and lay it in the centre of a dumpling skin.

4. Dip your index finger in the water, then run it around the edge of the dumpling skin.

5. Fold the skin in half from bottom to top, press the skin together and seal the mixture inside.

6. From the centre, overlapping the skin inwards from both sides until it reaches the pointy edges.

7. Run the edges and press tightly with 2 fingers to make sure the dumpling is properly sealed.

Steaming Method:
1. Inside bamboo steamer baskets, lay some iceberg lettuce and make sure is flat enough to put dumplings on top without falling over.
2. Arrange 6 to 8 dumplings inside basket without touching each other so they don’t stick together when cooked.
3. Use a wok and pour 2 cups of water and let it boil in medium heat. Place the steamer basket inside the wok and cover it with a lid. Let it simmer for 10 – 15 mins or until the dumpling skins looks translucent then it is ready.

Frying Method:

1. Heat up a frying pan with a little bit of vegetable oil.
2. Put some dumplings in the pan and lay flat on one side. Make sure they don’t touch each other to avoid sticking together.
3. Pour 2 tablespoon of water in the pan, and quickly cover it with a lid.
4. Few minutes later, flip the dumplings and fry the other side. Again, pour 2 tablespoon of water and cover it with a lid.
5. Fry the dumplings until crisp and golden brown then it is ready.

Billy's note: the dumplings usually go with condiments of soy sauce, sesame oil and black vinegar. A hot spicy chilli paste is also an essential condiment with the dumplings.

Anna’s variation: I added that grated fresh ginger for extra kick.

apple, walnut & blue cheese flaugnarde

This breakfast is a perfect treat for weekend brunch. It’s rich yet light. The apples are refreshing, the sage pungent and the walnuts add delicious texture. As I said, it’s perfect.

I can happily sing the praises of this recipe without arrogance since I pinched it from London Foodie in NY.

Our London Foodie (also Anna!) has her recipe listed under clafoutis, which was the name I was calling it too until I discovered that a clafoutis contains only cherries and that using any other fruit makes the dish a flaugnarde. You learn something every day!

So I made the flaugnarde for Jonas one weekend and it reignited my cooking passion.

I’ve been very uninspired lately. It’s almost as if by indulging myself with all the marvellous flavours and ingredients of the world I have become over-stimulated. Flavour-fatigue?

My lack of response to amazing recipes and food is quite interesting and I’m starting to understand how very rich people become blasé about their unlimited stockpiles of money. The excitement wears off after a while.

But this flaugnarde recipe piqued my interest again.

I got back into the kitchen, recently making David Lebovtiz’s chocolate ice cream, Maggie Beer’s vincotto & chocolate pavlova and Nigella Lawson’s broccoli & stilton soup. All excellent and all cleverly making use of leftovers from other recipes.

Now that the joy of cooking and eating is returning, I need to reinvigorate the blogging part. I have more than 100 back-logged recipes to post but zero energy to write them up. Some of you may have noticed my blog stuck on a palm heart recipe for the past 2 weeks? Perhaps my laziness means I don’t have any readers left!

Well, I’m endeavouring to do better again. Can’t promise anything because that’s likely to jinx me, but let’s hope this show is back on the road!

Now back to the flaugnarde, you could make it for brunch or even lunch with a nice glass of pinot gris and a lightly dressed baby spinach or mâche salad.

Apple, Walnut & Blue Cheese Flaugnarde

Recipe by London Foodie in NY. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
Batter
3 eggs
250ml (1 cup) buttermilk or whole milk
75g butter, melted
85g (2/3 cup) plain flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
50g crumbled blue cheese
Butter, for greasing
30g chopped walnuts
Filling
1 large tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200’C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a 9 inch square or round baking tin using extra butter and place in the heated oven with any leftover butter.

2. Mix together the eggs, buttermilk (or milk), melted butter, flour, sugar, salt and blue cheese until well combined.

3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat until it begins to turn brown.

4. Add the apples, sugar, salt and sage then toss in the pan about 2-3 minutes, until the apples begin to soften slightly.

5. Remove the hot pan from the oven, quickly pour in just less than half the batter, scatter over the apples evenly then top with the remaining batter.

6. Scatter over the walnuts and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the edges have pulled away from the side of the pan and it’s golden all over.

7. Serve warm with a salad.

I've already written a post on sage and all it's benefits, so forgive me for not repeating it all again here. If you want to see a whole list of sage recipes, go visit that old post which includes my own rendition of Jamie Oliver's Scallops w Lentils, Pancetta & Sage.

I didn’t realise that Chris from Mele Cotte was our WHB host when I picked this apple recipe (mele cotte is Italian for baked apples).

It’s been a while since I visited Mele Cotte and lots has changed. For instance, Chris has a great job cooking up a storm but I can’t quite tell if it’s a hotel or a school or what! Visiting her blog was like catching up with an old friend and realising so much has changed and you’re totally out of the loop. Better stay in touch more often!

From the M&M archies:
2008 - Vietnamese lemongrass beef noodles
2007 - trahanas (Greek feta & pasta soup)
2006 - tangelo caprioska

milk-braised pork & cavolo nero

As one of my 2009 Food Challenges I promised to Road Test Kalyn’s recipe for Milk-Braised Pork. In the recent cold weather in Sydney, I managed to tick it off the list and add this Italian comfort-food recipe to my repertoire.

I also used the opportunity to pair the milky sauce with the strong flavour of cavolo nero, my Weekend Herb Blogging theme ingredient this week.

I am a big fan of cavolo nero and kale in soups and I adore a big TV dinner plate of colcannon.

This sautéed recipe is a good side match to the pork recipe, but be careful not to overdo the chilli or it will detract from the subtlety of the milk-braising sauce.

Cavolo Nero Soffritto (Sautéed Tuscan Cabbage)

Anna’s version of an internet recipe. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
2 bunches cavolo nero
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small red chillies, finely sliced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, for frying

Method:
1. Rinse cavolo nero and remove stalks if desired, chop coarsely.

2. Blanch cavolo nero in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Dry well with paper towels.

2. Heat oil in large heavy based saucepan on a gentle heat.

3. Cook garlic and chilli until garlic is just starting to brown.

6. Add prepared cavolo nero and stir well to combine.

7. Reduce heat to low. Fry 5 minutes or until tender. Season to taste.

Milk-Braised Pork Chops
Anna's adaptation of Kalyn’s adpatation from The Good Home Cookbook. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
½ teaspoon smoked salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ cups (375ml) milk
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

1. Trim all fat from pork chops. Use meat mallet or something heavy to pound pork chops slightly until they are an even thickness and about ¾ inch thick.

2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in shallow bowl. One at a time, lightly dredge pork chops in the mixture, shaking off any extra.

3. Whisk 1/2 cup milk into the flour left in the bowl.

4. Heat olive oil in heavy (lidded) frying pan, big enough to hold all the pork chops. Add pork and brown well, about 3 minutes per side.

5. Pour out most of the pan drippings, add the milk-flour mixture then reduce heat to low and simmer (covered) for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.

6. Turn pork chops over, and add the remaining one cup milk, whisking to combine if needed. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more, stirring a few times.

7. Uncover skillet and if there is a lot of liquid, cook a few minutes more until reduced to about ¼ cup. (This will depend on how tightly your pan lid fits.)

8. Serve hot, spooning the milk gravy over the pork.

Note: Instead of smoked salt and garlic powder, Kalyn uses Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning which is flavoured with salt, hickory smoke, garlic, onion, white pepper and ginger. This probably provides a stronger flavoured sauce.

Cavolo Nero translates to “black cabbage” but in English it’s often called Tuscan Cabbage because it features often in Tuscan rustic cooking (cucina povera).

I’ve also seen it called “dinosaur kale” and “dino kale”. Anyone care to shed some light on that?

I think cavolo nero is simply beautiful to look at (dusty black-green leaves criss-crossed with wrinkles) and, if it wasn’t so rare and expensive (and tasty) in Australia, I’d be happy to keep a bouquet in a vase.

What I really like about cavolo nero is that it keeps it’s texture even after long cooking, so it can add crunch and chew to stews and soups. It’s most famously added to Ribollita, a Tuscan bean soup similar to Minestrone, only thicker in consistency.

The downside is when using it in recipes with short cooking periods you need to take care that it’s cooked through enough. I’ve made that mistake before and it’s not so pleasant.

Like more common cabbages, some people eat it raw but I don’t think I would.

Cavolo nero enjoys many nutritional traits similar to its common cabbage cousins such as low fat, low calorie and high levels of dietary fibre. It’s also high in iron, calcium, vitamin C and K, as well as carotenoids (which provide vitamin A).

This week’s WHB host extraordinaire is Dhanggit from Dhanggit's Kitchen, a Pinoy cooking and eating in Aix en Provence, France. She’s got some beautiful photos and lovely recipes, think Raspberry Vodka Granita, Tomato Mozzarella Millefeuille and Zucchini Flower Tempura. Check out her round-up and the other delights on her blog.

Other recipes using cavolo nero:
Baked Eggs w Cavolo Nero Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Braised Tuscan Kale w Tomatoes Lucullian Delights
Cavolo Nero Omelette Jam Faced
Farrotto with Cavolo Nero feelgood eats
Hearty Kale & Sausage Soup The Kitchn
Ribollita A Spoonful of Sugar
Sausage & Cavolo Nero Tortiglioni eat the right stuff
Strozzapreti w Black Kale & Sage Mimi On The Move
Tuscan Beans & Cavolo Nero on Toast Lucullian Delights
Warm Lentil, Chorizo & Cavolo Nero Salad stone soup

References
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/08/17/1155407946134.html
http://www.perfection.com.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=119

buffalo wings w blue cheese dip

Apologies for disappearing again! After recovering from the inner ear virus, can you believe I contracted a cold and was knocked out for another 3 days! Looks like I might have given it to Jonas too.

Despite it all, tomorrow Jonas and I are flying off to the USA for 2 weeks.

The first week we’ll be in Daytona (Florida) with my grandfather, aunt and cousin and then the second week we’ll kick back in New Orleans (Louisiana).

Even though the present winter in Sydney is more like spring, the sultry humidity of the South is going to be a shock to our senses.

Visiting New Orleans will make Louisiana my 28th state. Somewhere between a father from LA, grandparents from Pennsylvania, family in the south-east and south-west states and doing my own time in NYC, I’ve managed to see a fair whack of the US.

I doubt I’ll have any time at all to blog while we’re away, so I have pre-written some posts and scheduled them to pop up intermittently throughout our vacation period. In line with the destination, I’ve chosen to post mainly American inspired recipes:
- Buffalo Wings w Blue Cheese Dip
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Roasted Banana Ice Cream
- Beef Jerky
- Southern Belle (nectarine & bourbon cocktail)

Now, first off I have to apologise for the quality of this buffalo wing photo. The reality is that once these suckers were out of the oven then feeding frenzy was on and I was lucky to get this crappy shot. The blue cheese dip didn’t even get a photo before wings were submerged.

So, ignore the unappetising happy snap and just imagine these glorious little suckers in your belly!

I have to say, making these in Australia was somewhat expensive. The chicken wings are very cheap, but Louisiana-style hot sauce is a rarity in Australia. Given that I am totally addicted to the stuff and it’s impossible to come by (and therefore expensive), using so much in one dish made me squirm with discomfort.

It was like throwing beluga caviar on baked beans.

But I persevered and the results were well worth it. I even set aside some of the sauce for Jonas to marinate his tofu in and he was overjoyed with the results.

These are not my recipes, but a Recipe Road Test from Elise from Simply Recipes.

Buffalo Wings

Recipe by Elise from Simply Recipes. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken wings (about 12 wings)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp bottled hot pepper sauce (like Crystal or Frank's Original)
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Blue cheese dip (see below)
Celery sticks (optional)

Method:

1. Cut off wing tips (discard or reserve for other use such as making stock). Cut wings at the joint.

2. Put chicken wing pieces in a plastic bag. Set aside.

3. Create a marinade by stirring together the melted butter, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.

4. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for coating after the pieces come out of the oven.

5. Pour remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the plastic bag. Seal the bag and let marinate at room temperature for half an hour. When marinating is finished, discard marinade and bag.

6. Place wing pieces on the rack of a grill pan. Grill 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

7. Remove from oven and baste with reserved marinade.

8. Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks. Makes approximately 24 pieces (about 12 appetizer servings).

Blue Cheese Dip

Recipe by Elise from Simply Recipes. Makes 1.5 cups.

Ingredients:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced

Method:

1. Combine dip ingredients in a blender or food processor.

2. Blend or pulse until smooth.

3. Cover and chill. Keeps for up to one week in fridge.

drumstick masala

This Recipe Road Test comes straight from fellow blogger Lakshmi from Flavors of Indian Rasoi.

It worked wonderfully and Jonas and I really enjoyed the unique flavours. If you wanted you could easily apply the basic gravy to any vegetable combinations and have a delicious meal.

I have written about Moringa oleifera for WHB before, but then I was focusing on the leaves. This time I want to draw your attention to the most commonly used part of the tree, the long pods which give the tree its common English name: Drumstick Tree.

Munagakaayala Pulusu (Drumstick Masala)
Recipe by Lakshmi from Flavors of Indian Rasoi.

Ingredients:4-6 drumstick pods
1 medium sized potato, cut it into big pieces
2-3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 big onion
4-5 teaspoons fresh coconut
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 dried red chillies
10 curry leaves
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
1½ teaspoon red chilli powder
Pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp of curd
½ cup rice milk

Method:
1. Grind coconut, coriander leaves, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and onion and keep it aside.

2. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, dried chillies, garam masala, turmeric powder and fry well.

3. Add coconut-spice paste and tomatoes and fry well.

4. After 5 minutes, add drumsticks and potato and fry for some time.

5. Add water, chilli powder and salt. Cover it and let it cook on medium heat.

6. When it starts boiling add curd.

7. To check whether the drumsticks are properly cooked, take a spoon and touch them to see if they are soft

8. When the drumsticks are ready, add the milk and cook on low heat for not more than 5 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and eat with rice.

Drumstick pods are extremely popular in Indian cooking, and for good reason. They are delicious (almost like asparagus) and highly nutritious. In India, young drumstick pods can be turned into curries, stews, sambars, kormas and dals. They can be served steamed or boil and it’s also common to add cooked pulp to finished dishes for a unique flavour. Older pods yield peas that can be eaten like nuts.

Moringa grows in semi-arid tropical and sub-tropical areas, continuously flowering and fruiting.

The tree is native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas but is widely grown throughout Africa, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, India, Mexico, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Moringa is an amazing tree because almost every part can be eaten and is exceptionally nutritious due to its high vitamin and mineral content. The leaves taste like spinach, the pods taste like asparagus and the cooked flowers are supposed to taste like mushroom.

Last time I blogged about moringa during WHB I included this list, but I think it’s amazing enough to include again. Weight for weight, moringa leaves have:
- 7 times the Vitamin C content of oranges
- 4 times the calcium of milk
- 4 times the Vitamin A of carrots
- 3 times the potassium of bananas
- 3 times the iron of spinach
- 2 times the protein of milk

Some of the world’s most poverty stricken areas are prime habitat for moringa trees, which are also one of the fastest growing biomasses on the planet! For this reason aid agencies see it as a huge nutritional benefit for those suffering serious malnourishment.

People use drumstick trees to assist stomach aches, gastric ulcers, skin diseases, low blood sugar, poor bone density, nervous conditions, diabetes, fatigue, poor lactation, hay fever, haemorrhoids, headaches and sore gums.

It’s also believed to strengthen the brain, gall bladder, liver as well as digestive, respiratory and immune systems.

Flower infused honey is used as a cough syrup, leaf infusions are used as eye washes for conjunctivitis and seed oil is used for earaches, skin problems and as an insect repellent.

Other drumstick and leaf recipes include:Drumstick Pickle
Mboum (Senegalese sauce)
Moringa Bread
Drumstick, Potato & Eggplant Bhaji
Moringa Omelette
Yeruvalli Kuzhambu (drumstick & coconut curry)
Moringa Juice
Munakkaya Pulusu (drumsticks in tamarind)
Moringa Dal
huge list of international recipes

The recipe also happens to satisfy one of my 2008 Food Challenges (learning about regional Indian cooking) because the dish comes from Andhra Pradesh.

Known as the "rice bowl of India", Andhra Pradesh is located in the south: bordered by the regions of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the East, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west.

It is the 4th largest Indian state (by area and population) and is certainly the largest in southern India with a population of 76 million people. The capital is Hyderabad and the official language of the state, spoken by 84% of the population, is Telugu.

Agriculture is an important income source, with the main crops being rice, sugarcane, cotton, chilli, mango and tobacco.

The food of Andhra Pradesh is famously spicy and rich, with heavy influences from Muslim cuisine.

Lamb, chicken and fish are used a lot, as well as spices and ghee. The Hyderabadi biryani, a delicious rice concoction, has spread throughout India and the world and is very popular.

Pickles and chutneys (pachchadi) from Andhra Pradesh are also very famous, the most well known probably the mango pickle Aavakaaya.

This week our WHB host is the lovely Zorra from Kochtopf. Be sure to visit her blog for the round-up.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1345822.htm
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/drumstick-tree.html
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/Herbs/horseradish.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes weekend herb blogging whb masala curry moringa drumsticks vegetarian recipes masala recipes curry recipes moringa recipes drumstick recipes indian recipes indian food indian cuisine

lemongrass beef noodles

This salad is delicious. The ingredients are so fragrant and pungent and sum up all the things I love about Vietnamese food.

First the steak is marinated in gorgeous lemongrass overnight, then grilled and served warm, sliced over herby noodles drenched in spicy nước chắm. Divine!

I first discovered this recipe back in 2006 and have wanted to make it ever since. Now that Jonas is back at work, and I have my nights free again, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to give it a try.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast but this week hosted by Abby of Eat the Right Stuff.

Bún Bò Nướng Xả (Lemongrass Beef Noodle Salad)
Based on a recipe from Little Bouffe. Serves 2 as main course.

Marinade:
2 stalks lemongrass
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
450g beef sirloin
Method:
1. Trim the lemongrass stalks by removing the roots and reserving only 6cm from the base. Remove the tough outer layers and chop the core.
2. Blend the lemongrass and garlic in a food processor until finely ground.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except steak) and blend.
4. Place the steak in a plastic bag or container and pour in the marinade. Turn the steak until well-coated and refrigerate overnight.

Nước Chắm:
6 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 minced garlic clove
1 minced red chilli
Method: Blend together and allow to sit for 10 minutes or more to infuse.

Salad:
Marinated steak (from above)
¾ cup nước chắm (from above)
200g rice vermicelli
½ cup shredded holy basil (rau quế)
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 tomato, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 red chilli, minced

Method:

1. Heat a large skillet on high, add steak and cook, 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside on cutting board 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package; drain and rinse in cold water.

3. Toss noodles with fresh herbs, chilli and half the nước chắm.

4. Divide the noodles among 2 bowls. Add cucumber and tomato on top.

5. Slice the steak thinly, on the diagonal, and distribute slices among plates.

6. Serve remaining nước chắm on the side.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes lemongrass beef noodle salad noodles lunch main course salad recipes lemongrass recipes noodle recipes beef recipes vietnamese recipes vietnamese food vietnamese cuisine

quinoa porridge

This is a healthy breakfast. You can feel how healthy it is while you chomp away on soft, grainy quinoa, toasted nuts, chewy dried fruit and honeyed milk.

I found the recipe on Closet Cooking, who in turn found the idea on real life foodie adventures. So it isn't just my own Recipe Road Test!

I made adjustments so I warn you that the nuts and fruits do make it very chewy. If you want something with less texture then reduce the amounts.

As the name of the dish suggests, the recipe also uses quinoa, a South American grain that I committed to cooking with as part of my 2008 food resolutions.

This excellent breakfast is my entry to the monthly cooking event WTSIM, otherwise known as Waiter, There’s Something In My . . . and the theme ingredient this month is dried fruits and nuts. Our host is Andrew from Spittoon Extra, so be sure to check his blog for the round-up.

Quinoa Porridge
Anna’s version of Kevin’s version of Michelle's recipe. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1½ cups cooked quinoa
1½ cups milk
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sultana or currants
1 tablespoon dried figs, chopped
1 tablespoon dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted almond flakes
1 tablespoon toasted walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted pinenuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch finely grated orange zest

Method:

1. Heat the quinoa, milk, honey, cinnamon, orange rind, sultanas and dried figs.

2. Serve topped with toasted nuts.

Anna’s variations: I used dark quinoa instead of light. I added orange rind and cinnamon to the cooking process and replaced cranberries with figs. I also changed slivered almonds to almond flakes as I prefer a lighter crunch.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes quinoa porridge porridge breakfast quinoa quinoa breakfast recipes quinoa porridge recipes porridge recipes quinoa recipes breakfast recipes

pineapple pulisseri

Meeta has called on her fellow bloggers to whip up something under the Bollywood Cooking theme for her May Monthly Mingle.

Non-Indian readers have it easy, since we are invited to pick one of our favourite Indian dishes, whereas Indian food bloggers are thrown a more complex challenge and have to make something slick enough to be served to glamorous Bollywood starlets and heart throbs.

I’ve gone for a dish that’s always intrigued me: the pulisseri. This curry usually combines a sweet fruit with chillies and sour curd.

It is sublime.

Although mango seems the most common option, I’ve gone for a pineapple pulisseri because I wanted a fruit that would hold its shape and remain chunky in the sauce.

The recipe turned out really well. The sweetness of the pineapple shone through, but it wasn't overbearing and the heat from the chilli and sourness of the yoghurt really brought it back to a savoury dish. I'd definitely make this again.

I found the recipe on another blogger’s site and followed it carefully, so this post has turned into a Recipe Road Test as well!

Pineapple Pulisseri
Recipe by The Budding Cook. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
550g pineapple chunks
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
5-6 curry leaves
375ml yoghurt, whipped (sour curd)
Salt
For the paste:
4-5 tablespoons grated coconut (frozen is fine)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
5-6 red chillies
For the seasoning:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2-3 red chillies
3-4 curry leaves
A pinch of yellow asafoetida (hing)
Method:
1. Grind the grated coconut, cumin and red chillies until they form a paste.
2. On medium heat, cook the pineapple cubes with the curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder in a little bit of water until the pineapple is soft.
3. Add the ground paste to the cooked pineapple and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add the yoghurt. Mix well and remove from heat to prevent curdling.
5. In another pan, heat the coconut oil and add the seasoning ingredients. Fry until fragrant then add to pulisseri as a garnish.
6. Serve with steaming hot rice, thoran and pappadams.

Bollywood Cooking is a great theme for me because I had already set myself a challenge to investigate various Indian regional specialties throughout 2008.

This dish is from Kerala, a region of south-western India along the Malabar Coast, known as the Land of Coconuts. Interestingly, Kerala has the highest living standards in all of India and its biggest agricultural outputs are rice, coconuts, tea, rubber, cashews, spices and seafood.

Previously Kerala was made up of two states (Travancore and Malabar) which have different cuisines. Travancore tends to be spicier than Malabar and often vegetarian.

Generally Kerala’s cuisine seems to focus heavily on coconuts (cream, milk, freshly grated) and they usually use coconut oil for cooking.

Other common dishes from the region include idli (fluffy rice pancakes) and dosa (huge, crispy crepes stuffed with savoury fillings and served with chutneys and dal).

On another note, today is my sister Shamu's birthday and I want to wish her a whale of a day!!!


Map: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kerala_map.jpg
Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes pulisseripineapple pulisseri curry yoghurt recipes fruit recipes pineapple pulisseri recipes pulisseri recipes pineapple recipes curry recipes indian recipes indian food indian cuisine

double chocolate cookies

I saw these cookies on Milk & Cookies and started drooling.

JenJen always make me crave cakes and cookies and her recipes have never let me down yet.

JenJen does tell us to use Dutch-process cocoa, but you can see from the colour of my cookies (compared to JenJen's) that I used regular cocoa. I would have used Dutch-process but I forgot to buy some and had to resort to the general store near my house which only stocks regular cocoa.

The cookies turned out beautifully. Chewy-soft and salty-sweet. Perfect!

You can store them for a day or two, but they are best a few hours after baking.

Double Chocolate Cookies
JenJen’s recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s. Makes about 36.
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ tsp baking (bicarb) soda
½ tsp coarse salt
110g bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao)
110g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
110g cup unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Melt bittersweet chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.
4. Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl and mix until combined.
5. Gradually fold in the flour in two batches until just incorporated.
6. Fold in chocolate chunks.
7. Using a 1½-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
8. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft).
9. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.
Note: If needed, cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes double chocolate cookies chocolate dessert snack cookies dessert recipes chocolate recipes biscuit recipes cookie recipes

moringa omelette

Firstly, this is my 300th post since I started Morsels & Musings in early May 2006. Yippee!

OK, on to the important stuff . . .

The fantastic grocery store across the street from my home often yields amazing delights. One of which is both the pods and the leaves of the moringa tree. The pods looked like long green jousting sticks while the leaves turned the fridges into a mini jungle.

Curious about the flavour, I asked how to cook the leaves and had a group of elderly Indian women giving me excellent tips on omelettes and simple spice-laden fried dishes. With this much attention and instruction, I was compelled to try it out.

When I got home and Googled the plant I was shocked to discover just how nutritionally exceptional it was. Those little old ladies weren’t lying!!!

In English it's also known as Drumstick Tree, Horseradish Tree, Mother's Best Friend, Radish Tree, West Indian Ben. If you’re wondering if you know this plant by another name, here’s a list of hundreds of names in a multitude of languages.

The women in the shop suggested I fry the leaves in a little ghee with green chillies, garlic and spices but when I saw VK's fried egg recipe I knew I had to Recipe Road Test it and develop my own version to give Jonas a healthy dose of moringa for breakfast.

This is my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Ulrike from Kuchenlatein, more than two years after VK submitted the original recipe to WHB.

Moringa Omelette
Slightly varied from the recipe by VK from My Dhaba. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 cup moringa leaves, carefully picked from the stalks and washed
½ brown onion, chopped finely
2 green chillies, very finely sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Dash white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Ghee or oil for frying
Method:
1. Heat a frying pan, pour in the oil or ghee.
2. When hot, add the onions and green chillies and fry till they turn limp.
3. Add the moringa leaves. Sprinkle a little water and ½ teaspoon salt over the leaves, cover with a lid, and let the leaves cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
5. Remove the lid from the moringa leaves and fry, stirring frequently.
6. When dry, pour the egg batter slowly all over the moringa leaves, distributing the egg batter evenly.
7. When the egg sets, remove from the heat and serve.
Anna’s Variation: This was originally a scrambled egg dish but I decided to turn it into an omelette. I decreased the chilli content to only one fourth of the original. Call me a wimp if you like, but I say VK was pretty tough to have 8 chillies in there!

Moringa oleifera, from the family Moringaceae, grows in semi-arid tropical and sub-tropical areas, thriving in sandy soil. It grows to around 10m tall but is often kept smaller in order to harvest leaves and pods.

The tree is native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas and possibly is widely grown throughout Africa, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, India, Mexico, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Moringa is an amazing tree because almost every part can be eaten and is exceptionally nutritious due to its high vitamin and mineral content. The leaves taste like spinach, pods are said to have an asparagus flavour while cooked flowers are supposed to taste like mushroom. The roots are also eaten, although they contain a significant nerve paralyser and should be avoided.

The pods, also known as drumsticks, are long and are probably the most used part of the tree. They can be added to curries and stews or served boiled or steamed. Older pods yield peas that can be eaten like nuts.

The leaves are used mostly in Africa and the Philippines, where they are added to a traditional chicken broth called tinola. They have huge nutritional value and in fact studies have found that, weight per weight, moringa leaves have:
- 7 times the Vitamin C content of oranges
- 4 times the calcium of milk
- 4 times the Vitamin A of carrots
- 3 times the potassium of bananas
- 3 times the iron of spinach
- 2 times the protein of milk

The moringa seeds also have culinary purposes since they yield 30-40% oil.

The presscake (solids) left over after oil extraction are extremely useful in purifying water. A website I found said that “[moringa] seeds are highly effective in removing suspended particles from water with medium to high levels of turbidity . . . acting as both a coagulant as well as an antimicrobial agent”. Studies carried out since the 70s have shown that moringa seeds remove 90-99.9% impurities from the water and to treat 10 litres of water you only need 5ml of moringa seed powder!

It’s believed that a family of five would only need two moringa trees to maintain their water supply, although the Moringa stenopetala seeds seem to work better than Moringa oleifera.

Moringa’s international status is growing amongst aid agencies who see the huge nutritional benefits of the plant in areas where people are suffering serious malnourishment. Powder made from dried leaves can be added to gruel and drinks to provide massive nutritional supplements to starving populations.

Animals can also utilise moringa's nutrition. Farmers who include moringa leaves in their animal fodder see significant weight gain and health benefits.

Some of the world’s most poverty stricken areas are prime habitat for moringa trees, which can be grown very quickly: it’s one of the fastest growing biomasses on the planet and, if using propagated limbs, pods are produced around 7 months after planting. This provides a cheap and local resource, making it easily accessible to those who need it. In fact, they can grow it themselves!

References:
http://treesforlife.org/project/moringa/default.en.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera
http://muriellascorneronmoringa.googlepages.com
http://www.echotech.org/network/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=863

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes weekend herb blogging whb breakfast omelette eggs moringa vegetarian recipes breakfast recipes omelette recipes moringa recipes egg recipes indian recipes indian food indian cuisine