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Guacamole

On November 25, 2011 in allergy-free, celiac, cooking, dairy-free, dips, entertaining, food, food sensitivities, gluten-free, healthy recipes, raw food, snacks, vegetarian, wheat-free

Some things are best made from scratch. Like dips, for example. Apart from the frozen meals in aisle eight at the supermarket, packaged dips are the worst $4.95 you’ll ever spend. Like that extra vodka, lime and soda at the end of a big night, throwing a couple of tubs of dip in your trolley always seems like a good idea at the time. I challenge you to step away from the dip section during your next trip to the shops and whip up your own instead. It will save your wallet and your taste buds.

As far as dips go, guacamole gets my vote. It’s a cinch to make, it’s healthy and it happens to be my favourite colour (green). It’s versatile too – you can serve it with crudites, add it to nachos or team it with smoked salmon, tomatoes and cracked pepper for a light lunch. Like watermelon and mangoes, guacamole congers up feelings of summer and good times spent with friends. It’s one of those foolproof dips that you could probably make with my eyes shut if you had to, but try making it with your eyes open if you can.

guacamole

Goes down a treat with crudites

Guacamole

Makes a couple of cups worth.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados, halved, stones removed and peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed (you can omit this if you don’t like the taste of raw garlic)
1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
1 red chilli, finely chopped (the smaller the chilli, the fiercer the heat)
1 tbs olive oil
1 handful chopped coriander leaves
paprika sprinkled on top and a drizzle of olive oil

Method:

Place avocado and lemon juice in a large bowl and mash with a fork. You can mash it until it’s completely smooth, but I like to leave some texture in it.

Add the red onion, garlic, tomato, chilli and olive oil and stir with a spoon until combined.

Season with sea salt and cracked pepper, a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serving suggestion:

Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with crudites, such as radishes, carrots and cucumbers.

Notes:

  • The guacamole is best eaten fresh, but will keep for up to a day in the fridge.
  • Lightly press the top of the avocados to test if they’re ripe.
  • Avocados turn brown unless you sprinkle them with lemon or lime juice.

If you’re in the mood for snacking, here’s some more yummy dip recipes.

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Blueberry, maple and mascarpone tart

On October 28, 2011 in Baking, cakes, comfort food, dessert, entertaining, food sensitivities, gluten-free

Fridays are for celebrating, and what better way to celebrate than with dessert. Today’s recipe hails from my new favourite cookbook, Indulge by Rowie Dillon. It’s a ‘Blueberry, maple and mascarpone tart’; a fitting end to a busy week or a decadent dinner party.  Indulge will come as a welcome relief to anyone feeling jaded by the lack of glamour in gluten-free cookbooks. Its colourful pages of big and stylish dishes turn ‘gluten-free’ on its head and inject it with a bit of an edge. I’m dying to don my apron and whip up more of its 100 savoury and sweet recipes. For your chance to win a copy of Indulge, check out my review on Taste.

Blueberry, maple and mascarpone tart

Blueberry, maple and mascarpone tart

Blueberry, maple and mascarpone tart

Adapted from Indulge by Rowie Dillon

Serves 6

Ingredients:

170g (11⁄3 cups) buckwheat flour
100g unsalted butter, chopped and chilled
30g (1⁄3 cup) desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon pure icing sugar, plus extra, sifted, for dusting
3 tablespoons chilled water

Filling:

500g mascarpone
40g (1⁄3 cup) pure icing sugar
250g blueberries
100ml maple syrup

Grease a 10 x 34cm rectangular loose-based flan tin.

To make the pastry, pulse the flour, butter, coconut and sugar in a food processor to combine.

Add the chilled water and pulse until the dough just comes together to form a ball.

Roll out the pastry to 2mm thick on a lightly floured surface.

Line the prepared tin with the pastry and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Line the pastry shell with baking paper and pastry weights or uncooked rice. Blind bake for 10 minutes until the pastry just starts to go golden on the edges.

Carefully remove the baking paper and pastry weights.

Return the pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling, process the mascarpone and icing sugar in a food processor until smooth. Spoon the filling into the pastry case and smooth the top.

Cover with the blueberries and drizzle with the maple syrup. Serve.

RRP $39.99

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Pina Colada mocktail

On August 19, 2011 in dairy-free, entertaining, food sensitivities, gluten-free, mocktails

You may have heard Food Crush previously sing the praises of coconut water. Its hangover-defying properties make for a happy Amy after a night spent drinking one too many glasses of Pinot Gris. Add to this its ability to transport me to a tropical island every time it passes my lips and you can understand my passion.

Coconut water is not to be confused with coconut milk. It’s the clear fluid in young green coconuts which are harvested before they turn brown and the coconut water turns into coconut milk. At this young age, the coconut water has a subtle coconut flavour and a mild sweetness that makes for a very refreshing drink. It’s so clear, you could easily mistake it for water.

Part of the beauty of coconut water is its packaging. What’s not to love about sticking a straw in a coconut and sipping on it as you strut your stuff? The only downside is it can be awkward to carry bags and do play Words with Friends on your smart phone whilst cradling your coconut (yes, I like to multi-task). Which brings me to the whole point of this blog post.

coconut water

Coconut water is a good hangover cure

Have you heard of coconut water poppers? They’re a very handy invention for someone like me who is prone to blood sugar crashes and always needs snacks on hand to bring me back to life. I usually carry muesli bars or nuts in my handbag for such emergencies, but these little cartons of goodness work just as nicely. Each one contains around zero fat and approximately 320 kilojoules (which is a bit less than an orange). A little bird told me they also contain electrolytes which my naturopath tells me are very good for rehydration.

The coconuts hail from a plantation in Indonesian which I hear is sustainable and keeps thousands of people in work.  It also provides a school for the children, so that’s a great thing.

The poppers cost $3 a pop and come in four flavours – straight coconut juice; coconut and pineapple juice; coconut and mango juice; as well as coconut and pink guava juice. Truth be told, the straight coconut variety doesn’t taste as good as the real deal, but that may be caused by the pasteurization process that it goes through to eliminate microorganisms.  The fruit juice flavours are good, although they don’t taste very coconuty to me. But I dare they would make a mean cocktail if one was to mix them with a spot of vodka and some crushed ice.

With my favourite season of Spring just around the corner here in the Southern Hemisphere, I thought it was timely to get into the spirit of the warmer weather by whipping up a coconut mocktail. Without further ado, here’s a recipe for a Pina Colada mocktail! Perfect for all the pregnant ladies out there who feel like treating themselves.

Pina Colada mocktail

Pina colada mocktail

Pina colada mocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of mango Cocobella coconut water
1/3 cup of pineapple juice
caster sugar to garnish rim of glass
1/2 cup crushed ice
crushed ice, extra, to serve
squeeze of lime and finish it off with a nice wedge on the side of the glass (a paper umbrella or a maraschino cherry would be a nice touch too).

Method:

See this tutorial for how to rim a glass with sugar.

Place pineapple juice, coconut water and ice in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth.

Transfer to a serving jug and serve immediately over crushed ice.

So, tell me readers, what’s your favourite cocktail or mocktail?

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Dinner party menu

On February 24, 2011 in barbecue, egg-free, entertaining, gluten-free, Jamie Oliver, lamb, Nigella Lawson, recipes, wheat-free

If the thought of throwing a dinner party breaks you into a cold sweat, you’re not alone. It’s right up there with public speaking as one of those big, scary things that turns fully-functioning people to mush. Not that I’m judging you. I’m not a big fan of public speaking and I have been known to have the odd freak-out attack at the prospect of hosting a dinner party. Performance anxiety often sets in and I draw a blank at what to cook.

Sound familiar? Food Crush has put together the ultimate fuss-free dinner party menu to take all the fretting out of your next soiree.

1. The ice breaker:
Jamie Oliver’s Charlotta champagne cocktail

Carlotta champagne cocktail

 Charlotta champagne cocktail | Jamie Oliver recipes.

Serve a welcome cocktail on arrival. It’s a nice touch that gets people talking and makes you look like a bit of a legend. Easy peasy. Grab some cocktail glasses (or champagne glasses will do), place a sugar cube in each one and sprinkle a few drops of Angostura bitters into each glass. Fill with bubbles and a splash of brandy, and finish it off with some finely-sliced orange rind. Tres chic!

2. The starter:
My cooking hero, Nigella Lawson believes entrees make everything too complicated. Talk about taking the pressure off! Instead, take the less formal approach of serving an Italian-style antipasti plate which your guests can graze on whilst sipping on their cocktails.

Italian-style antipasti plate

Italian-style antipasti plate

3. The main meal:

Jamie Oliver served this lamb dish at one his first-ever barbecue dinner parties. He describes it as a “show stopper” and I must say that I agree. It gets the thumbs up from lovers of red meat and spicy Thai flavours. There’s a fair amount of chopping involved and you’ll definitely need a food processor or spice grinder for the marinade. I think the longer you leave the meat to marinate, the better the flavour (up to two hours). We cooked the whole thing on the barbie (unlike Jamie who uses the oven and then charcoal barbie), so we had to slightly reduce the cooking time to ensure the meat was medium-rare (the best way!) The best part of the dish is coconut milk gravy. You can cook up any leftover gravy into a curry the next day!
BBQ leg of lamb recipe (with Thai spices)

 BBQ leg of lamb recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes.

4. Side dishes:
You can always count on Nigella for a great side dish. Take these lemony beans, for example. They are zesty, crunchy, buttery and easy to cook. Since I don’t eat dairy, I substituted the butter with Nuttelex (none of my guests seemed to notice!). Nigella recommends boiling them for six minutes, but I think around four minutes would have been ideal (depends on quantities though).
Nigella’s green bean and lemon casserole 

Nigella's green bean and lemon casserole

This brings me to Paultatoes. You may remember these starchy dynamos from a previous post on Food Crush. They always go down a treat, especially when cooked in duck fat. Credit goes to my talented co-chef, Paul for cooking the Paultatoes. You won’t believe how good they are until you try them.

Roast potatoes

The best roast potatoes on the planet.

So, back to Jamie Oliver. The boy from Essex never fails to inspire me with his amazing recipes and passion for cooking. This salad recipe has style written all over it – simple, minimal and it features my new favourite vegetable, radicchio. The purple leaves of the radicchio contrast beautifully against the fern green of the rocket. If you are sensitive to dairy, just leave out the parmesan cheese… it still tastes great!

Jamie Oliver’s radicchio and rocket salad

Jamie Oliver’s radicchio and rocket salad

Jamie Oliver’s radicchio and rocket salad

6. Dessert
Cheese plates are always a good option for dessert as you can make them ahead of time (just be sure to leave the cheese at room temperature). To save you some extra work, you can always ask one of your dutiful friends to bring along some cheese. Failing that, this strawberry dish is a winner. I served it with gelato and used red wine instead of white. Delicious!

Strawberries with Balsamic Chardonnay Reduction

Strawberries with balsamic chardonnay reduction

 Strawberries with Balsamic Chardonnay Reduction | The Sensitive Pantry.

Now, that you have the ultimate dinner party menu, all that’s left to do is enjoy yourself! If you’re not having fun, your guests won’t either.

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Seafood BBQ menu

On January 27, 2011 in barbecue, dessert, entertaining, healthy recipes, recipes, salmon, seafood

Three signs you’re getting old – you no longer listen to the Top 40; you prefer watching the ABC over Channel 10; the idea of staying at home on New Year’s Eve is more appealing than hitting the town and painting it the proverbial red. So, it’s official. I’m getting old. This New Year’s Eve, I battened down the hatches, stocked up on seafood (and mandatory bubbles) and settled in for a night of quality indulgence. Call me boring, but I have to say it was the best New Year’s I’ve had since my brother’s turn of the millennium party.

Our feast kicked off with something that I vow to eat more of in 2011 – scallops. We served the scallops on potato crisps with pea puree which the wonderful Paul made from scratch.

Scallops on potato crisps with pea puree

Scallops on potato crisps with pea puree.

With a glass of Pimms in one hand and a succulent scallop in the other, I made a toast to the comfort of our couch as I pictured the crowds of drunken ferals crawling their way through the city streets. The wafter-thin potato crisps added a nice crunch to the scallop canapes, each one lovingly made by hand and cooked in oil until crisp and golden.

Pimms

Pimms

The next stop on our seafood indulgence was an Asian-flavoured barbecued king prawns on skewers. I added honey to the marinade as I thought it was too sour on its own. I’d be lying if I told you I was satisfied by these. Two skewers simply wasn’t enough. I wanted more! They were so good, I even ate the tails.

Barbecue prawns in Asian marinade

Barbecue prawns in Asian marinade

Continuing with the seafood theme, our main course came in the form of sesame salmon roulades with green apple salad. In other words, rolled salmon on skewers. You may have seen the green apple salad on Amy’s Cookbook previously. It’s crunchy, tangy, fresh and delicious. The salmon roulades are a new recipe that I found in a fabulous cookbook Faking It by Valli Little.

Be sure to ask your fishmonger to pin-bone the salmon fillets for you ‘cos this is really fiddly business and I’m sure you can think of better ways to spend your New Year’s Eve than pulling bones out of a piece of fish. Thank God for Paul. Slice each of the skinless fillets horizontally through the centre, leaving one end intact, then open them out into a long strip. Turn each fillet over and season with salt and pepper and tightly roll and secure each one on a skewer that’s been soaked in water to prevent it from burning on the barbie.

Sesame salmon roulades with green apple salad

Sesame salmon roulades with green apple salad

Next up, coat the roulades with white sesame seeds and drizzle with olive oil. We seared the salmon skewers for about a minute or so on high heat and then put the skewers on the warming rack, closed the lid and left them on low heat for about 10 minutes until the salmon had cooked through.

Since one bottle of Moet is never enough, for dessert we whipped up some champagne-infused summer fruits. Mango and nectarine compote is a cinch to make, but you’re supposed to let the fruit marinate in sugar and bubbles overnight. We skipped this step and just left it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It seemed to work!

Mango and nectarine compote

Mango and nectarine compote

Like any good New Year’s shindig, the rest of the evening involved watching the fireworks and dancing around the lounge room. And, getting home was easy since we were already there. I think we may have found ourselves a new tradition.

For more entertaining ideas, check out my dinner party menu guide.

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