Honey Dutch Carrots

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6 as a side)

2 Bunches Baby (Dutch) Carrots, peeled, trimmed, leaving 1.5cm stalk intact
2 Tbsps Honey
15g Butter
1 Tbsp Seame Seeds

METHOD

Cook carrots in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Add honey and butter to pan over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute or until honey is runny.

Add carrots. Gently toss to coat.

Transfer the carrots to a serving plate, spriknle with sesame seeds and serve.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

With some many tasty strawberries in store, this is a great salad for spring!

Or add some cooked chicken breast and feta cheese for a more substantial meal!

INGREDIENTS

Salad:
1/4 Cup of Sliced Almonds (or your favorite nut)
1/2 Cucumber, sliced thinly
200g Baby Spinach
1 1/2 Cups Strawberries, topped and quartered
1 Small Red Onion, sliced thinly

Optional
Chicken Breast, coked and sliced
Feta Cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 Tsp Lemon Zest
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Sugar (or sweetener replacement)
1 Tsp of Poppy Seeds
1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil


METHOD

Wash and drain spinach and set aside. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsuis.

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread almonds in a single layer over the bottom of an oven tray and bake for approximate 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted, remove from oven and cool.

Place spinach in a large serving bowl, add strawberries, cucumber and onion. Whisk dressing and pour over salad. Sprinkle almonds and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Oven Baked Chips

We are still on our health kick, but we really felt like

eating one of our old favourites, fish & chips.

They taste delicious and have a lower GI than potatoes.

They're so tasty you might even prefer them to French fries.

INGREDIENTS (2 to 3 as a side dish)

1 Extra Large Sweet Potato, peeled

Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil


METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius.

Cut the sweet potato into 1.5cm slices. Then cut the slices into chips.

Place the chips into a mixing bowl, add a drizzle of oil, enough to coat all chips, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the chips onto the tray. Make sure they're all evenly spaced and not touching. Otherwise they will go soggy,

Now bake for 30 minutes, turn after 15 minutes.

When cooked both sides should now be dark brown, crispy and delicious.

Serve immediately.

Fennel Salad

This is an elegant winter salad, which I serve regularly with fish or chicken.

We have also enjoyed this salad as a light lunch with tomato and basil bruschetta.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Salt

1 Fennel Bulb

150g Green Beans, top, tailed and blanched.

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved 

1/4 Cup Continental Parsley, coarsely chopped

METHOD

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, oil, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.

Cut off the fennel stalks and fronds.

Cut the bulb in half length ways and thinly slice cross ways, or alternatively use a mandolin to slice thinly. 

Cut the blanched beans into 2cm pieces.

Add the fennel, beans, parmesan and parsley to the bowl and toss well to combine.

Serve in a salad dish with serving tongs.

Couscous Salad

This was the couscous I served with my chermoula prawn skewers.

This salad takes 15 to 20 minutes to make,  which is ideal,

as it can be made while the prawns are marinading.



INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

200g Couscous

200ml Water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lebanese Cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1/2 Red Onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsps Mint, chopped
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice 
Salt & Pepper, to season

Optional Extras:
1 Capsicum, seeds removed, diced
2 Tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
200g Canned Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

METHOD

Place the couscous in a large bowl.

Place the water and  olive oil in a saucepan, bring to just boiling point, then pour over the couscous.
Add the lemon juice, stir until combined. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the cucumber, onion, and mint.

Serve.

I served this with my Chermoula Prawn Skewers and Tzatziki.
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/chermoula-prawns-skewers.html

Watercress & Tomato Salad

Watercress is readily available year-round and
is a perfect way to sharpen up a salad.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of Watercress, trimmed

8 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1 Salad Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 Cup Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped

1/3 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsps Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper to Season

METHOD

Put the watercress, tomatoes, onion and parsley in a bowl and toss together gently.

Add the oil, juice, salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients gently.

Place the salad in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta and Serve.

Parmesan Roast Potatoes

This is a great potato side dish. Particularly for chicken.

The parmesan dresses up the original roast potato.

INGREDIENTS

800g Potatoes, peeled and halved

2 Tsps Plain Flour

3 Tbsps Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

METHOD
Heat oven to 220C.

Place the potatoes into a sauce pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins. Drain well.

Combine grated parmesan, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Toss the potatoes in the mix until evenly coated. Drizzle half of the olive oil over the potatoes and toss to combine.

Heat the remaining oil in a shallow, non-stick roasting tray on a stove top or in the oven, then carefully add the potatoes to the tray.

Turn the potatoes to coat them in the oil and roast for 30 to 40 mins, turning once.

If they feel like they are sticking to the pan, don't move them, just leave them for the full time.

Roast until golden brown and crisp, and serve straight away.

Silver Beet with Lemon, Chilli and Garlic

Native to the Mediterranean, Silver beet has an earthy flavour

and is a good source of folate, fibre and vitamins A and C.

This is a great side dish to most meat meals.

INGREDIENTS
Silver beet, trimmed
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, sliced thinly
1 Red Chilli, roughly chopped
1 Tsp Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

METHOD
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Wash as much silver beet as is needed and trim the tough base of each stem.

Plunge the leaves whole into the water for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a fry pan over a medium to high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, chilli and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute or until golden.

Drain the silver beet well. Either leave whole or chop.

Add the fry pan with the lemon juice and cook for a further 1 minute.

Serve hot - with salt and pepper.

Asparagus with Crispy Breadcrumbs

I pretty much love asparagus no matter how it's cooked.

But... I have a weakness for oven cooked vegetables in general

and I love this baked aspargus dish as it is the

perfect side for almost any main meat meal.

INGREDIENTS
1 x Asparagus bunch
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs
Seasalt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

METHOD
Preheat oven to 225 degrees Celsius. 

Rinse and pat dry the asparagus. Then cut the woody ends off the asparagus.

Place the asparagus in an oven proof dish and toss the asparagus with enough oil just to coat .

Season generously with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly across the spears and place them in the oven to roast for 7-10 minutes.

Remove the asparagus from the oven when the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the asparagus tips are starting to brown.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan, and serve.

Creamy Mash Potato

Here's a simple creamy garlic mashed potatoes recipe that is sure to have your guests asking for seconds.

INGREDIENTS
800g Potatoes
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole
40g butter, softened and chopped
1/3 cup hot milk








METHOD

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks.

Place potatoes and garlic into a large saucepan, cover with water.

Now sprinkle a little salt into the water.

Cook over a medium to high heat until boiling.

When the potatoes come to the boil, turn down to a medium heat. Cover and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes well.

Return poatoes to saucepan over low heat. Shake pan gently until any remaining water evaporates.

Using a potato masher, roughly mash potatoes.

Add butter and hot milk to potatoes.

Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric beater until fluffy.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

The Perfect Rice for any Dish: Turkish Pilav

Thanks to Peter Sommer, I have come across the perfect Rice: Turkish Pilav.

It is the best rice you will ever have. Great with any dish: Casserole, Kebabs, etc.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4 to 6

3 Cup of Rice
3 Tbsps Butter
3 Cups of Chicken Stock
2 Tsps Sea Salt

METHOD

Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water.

Place the rice in a bowl and cover with hot salted water.

Let this stand until cool.

Wash again thoroughly in cold water (the water should run clear) and drain well.

Melt the butter in a saucepan until it just starts to sizzle, before it turns brown.

Add the rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously.

Pour the stock into the pan, bring to the boil, place the lid on the saucepan, then turn down to simmer on a low heat.

Don’t stir the pilav whilst cooking!

Cook until the rice has absorbed all the water (10-15 minutes).

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take the pan off the heat, and remove the lid.

Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot, and then replace the lid.

Leave to “brew” for 5-10 minutes. Then serve.

If you like your rice extra fluffed, you can use a wooden spoon or fork to stir it up a little before serving.

Panfried Haloumi

INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1 Lemon 

400g Haloumi Cheese

1 Garlic Clove 

1/4 Tsp Sea Salt

1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Pepper 

1 Tsps Olive Oil

METHOD

Combine the oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt in a shallow dish

Slice haloumi into 0.5 cm wide pieces

Heat a heavy-based frying pan and dry-fry the slices of cheese, in batches, until golden on both sides

Approx 1 minute each side.

Take the fry pan off the heat, pour the oil mixture over the haloumi. Turn the haloumi to coat each piece before placing onto a serving platter.

Great Starter Tip: In step 2, cut each slice in half again. And sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley to serve.

My Simple Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata Olives

1/2 Red Capsicum, chopped

1/2 Lebanese Cucumber, chopped

2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

2 Handfuls of Baby Spinach

50g Feta, coarsely chopped

Cracked Black Pepper

1Tbsp tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

METHOD

Combine spanish onion, olives, capsicum, cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Now lay out baby spinach on a serving plate, place tossed salad ingredients on top the spinach.

Sprinkle with feta and pepper then drizzle with the vinegar and oil to serve.

Sweet Potato Mash with Sage Butter

This is a healthy alternative to regular mashed potatoes.

The brown butter adds an unbelievable flavour to this dish.


INGREDIENTS
2 Sweet Potatoes
3 Tbsp Butter
5-6 Sage Leaves
1/2 Cup of Milk
Salt & Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg


METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash the sweet potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and place them on the baking sheet cut side down, bake until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Remove the skins, set them aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot over medium high heat, add the sage leaves and cook for about 30-40 seconds or until the butter turns golden brown but not burnt, discard the sage leaves.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet potatoes and mash until smooth, add the milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Below the mash is served with my BBQ Ribs.

Throw Together Potato & Egg Salad

INGREDIENTS

1.3kg (approx 4 Large) Potatoes cooked until just tender, cubed

3 Eggs, hard boiled, cooled, coarsely chopped

1 small Red Onion, finely chopped

Optional Add Ins:

2 Celery Stalks, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, Chives or Dill, finely chopped 

Dressing:

1/2 cup Mayonnaise (a little more or less, as desired)

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

Salt and Pepper to taste

METHOD

Place potatoes in large pot and add enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 13 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes; let cool to room temperature

In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes. Cut the potatoes into either cubes or slices.

Add potatoes, onion, and any of the optional add-ins. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.

Potato & Celeriac Bake

This potato and celeriac bake is a great winter side dish.

The celeriac has a subtle nutty flavour

that blends well with the potatoes.   

This is a definate side for my Goddaughter,

Macey's Christening next month.

INGREDIENTS
600ml Thickened Cream (I use extra light, for a lower fat version)
3 Garlic cloves, sliced
4 Thyme sprigs
1 large Celeriac, peeled
2 large Potatoes, peeled
50g Grated cheese

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a 1.5-litre baking dish.

Place the cream, garlic and thyme in a pan and bring to just below boiling point, then stand for 15 minutes to infuse.

Meanwhile, very thinly slice celeriac and potato (a mandoline is ideal).

In a greased baking dish, place potato and celeriac in alternating layers, pouring over some cream mixture and seasoning between each layer, until you have 6-8 layers.

Top with cheese.

Cover with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil, then bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the paper and foil, then bake for a further 45 minutes or until tender, bubbling and golden.

Moroccan Couscous Salad with Pumpkin

A great salad particularly in winter. I served this tonight with lamb shanks.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 Cups of Couscous
1/2 Butternut Pumpkin, diced into 2 cm cubes
1/2 cup of Toasted Almonds
1 Tbsp Butter
1Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Moroccan Spice Mix (or 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Turmeric)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Stock Powder
2 Boiling Water
1/2 Bunch of Shallots, chopped finely

Method
Place the pumpkin in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to the boil on the medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Place the 2 cups of Couscous in a heat proof bowl, add the Moroccan Spice, Vegetable Stock Powder, and Butter. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Add the Boiling Water, Butter and Lemon Juice. Cover bowl with a tea towel. Leave for 10 minutes. Then fluff Couscous with a fork, add the Pumpkin and Shallots and toss.

Place into a serving bowl. And enjoy.

Rocket Salad

This is the other salad on tonight's table.

Goes well as an accompaniment to the Tomato and Bocconcini Salad just posted.

Ingredients
100g rocket, trimmed
50g piece Parmesan, shaved
1/2 red onion sliced finely
40g (1/3 cup) walnut pieces (ok to omit)
2 tbs chopped fresh chives

Dressing
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs cider vinegar
Salt & ground black pepper, to taste

Method
To make the dressing, place the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

Place the rocket, red onion, parmesan, walnuts and chives in a large bowl.

Add to the dressing and toss well. Serve immediately.

Tomato, Basil and Bocconcini Salad

This is a great side dish.
I am doing it tonight with the crepes.

INGREDIENTS
6 roma tomatoes
virgin olive oil
4 bocconcini, sliced thinly
a few leaves of basil, torn
black pepper
a swirl of balsamic glaze (or vinegar if not available)
sea salt

METHOD

Slice tomatoes horizontally and arrange the slices in overlapping circles on a large flat serving plate.
Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and top with the slices of bocconcini and basil.
Swirl over some balsamic glaze
Sprinkle the top with freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until use (up to 3 hours).
Just prior to serving grind sea salt liberally over the top of the tomatoes.

Colourful Brown Rice Salad

This is a great salad - serve it warm or cold!

It is also great at Xmas, with the festive colours of the red and green capsicum.
Simply, Everybody loves this salad!!!!

INGREDIENTS
2 Cup Brown Rice
Salt to taste
3 Spring Onions, finely chopped
1 Red Capsicum, cored seeded & chopped
1 Green Capsicum, cored seeded & chopped
3/4 Cup Raisins or Currants
75g Cashews, raw or roasted and roughly chopped
2 Tbsps Parsley or Coriander, chopped 
3 Tbsps of Soy Sauce dressing (or to taste)

Soy Sauce Dressing
1/2 Cup Oil
2 Tbsps Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tsps Sugar
1 Garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
1 cm Ginger Root, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste.

METHOD

To make the soy sauce dressing, put all sauce ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to blend.

Cook rice via the absorption method, according the packet instructions. Rinse, drain well & cool

Place the rice in a bowl and add remaining ingredients.

Toss thoroughly before serving.

10 minutes before going to serve, add the soy sauce dressing to the rice salad, toss well, then serve.