Curried Rice Salad

Rice salad is a classic dish come summer and BBQ season, and over the years I've tried many different varieties. All of which are delicious. Often they are dressed with soy sauce, and contain nuts and dried fruit. Personally (unless it's baking), I'm not a fan of dried fruit. More so, with gluten and nut allergies, which can be present when it's a 'bring a plate' scenario, soy sauce and nuts are not always suitable. 

This rice salad is gluten free and nut free, and is a twist on another favourite dish of mine: Kedgeree. Kedgeree is a warm, lightly curried, rice dish; containing peas, smoked fish and hard boiled (or poached) eggs. Originating in India, mixed with lentils, it is known as Khichri, however the popular version is more British and often found on cafe menus. 

My version is a take on the British version and can be served immediately and warm, or set aside to chill and served later. The subtle spice means it's great served alongside BBQ'd meats, fish, or even eggs. 

Ingredients: (Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side): 

• 2 cups of brown basmati rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp curry powder - depending how mild or hot you like it
• 2 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup sliced spinach or silverbeet leaves - optional, but if you have them in the garden it's always a nice addition
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 1 cup steamed peas or sliced beans - 3 or 4 minutes steamed or boiled, then refreshed under cold water
• 1 juicy lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

In a large saucepan place rice, water, salt, butter (or olive oil) and curry powder. Mix to combine and bring to the boil. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and place the lid on the pot. Simmer according to the packet directions (usually 22-25 minutes). Keep the lid on during this time and don't be tempted to stir. 

After the time, test the rice, and if cooked, drain any excess liquid, then pop the lid back on and leave to steam for 5 - 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. Place the sliced spring onion, chopped parsley, sliced spinach or silverbeet, diced tomato and capsicum into a large salad bowl with the steamed peas or beans. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and olive oil. Mix well to combine.

Stir the warm rice through the vegetable mix and chill if not serving immediately. 

Curried Rice Salad served with BBQ Snapper

Spinach and Cheese Cobb Loaf

This hot cheese dip is a  must have at any social gathering. I've been making this for years, and it's always a crowd pleaser, yet so simplistic and easy to make. It's ideal for taking along for a pre BBQ snack, or a late night belly filler after a few drinks. But one of the best bits is there's no 'plate' to have to remember to take home as the bread loaf triples as the plate, and baking dish. 

There's plenty of variations of this recipe out there, but my one is the one my mother taught me, and I find it the perfect balance of flavour, cheesiness, and creaminess without being too rich. 

Ingredients 

• 1 large round or oval loaf of unsliced white bread - traditionally you'll find a round 'Cobb' Loaf, but a farmhouse loaf, will also do. Don't bother with ciabatta as the holes make it unsuitable for hollowing out and then dunking into the dip. A day or two old bread is also fine. 
• 1 x 32g Maggi Onion Soup Mix 
• 1 x 250 gram tub of sour cream
• 2 cups of grated tasty cheese
• 250 grams of frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of excess moisture
• tin foil 

Use a bread knife to carefully slice the top, or a 'lid' off of the loaf of bread. Set aside. Leaving a 2cm border around the edge of the bread, hollow out the middle of the loaf. Reserve this bread for dipping later. 

In a large bowl, combine the Maggi Onion Soup Mix, sour cream, grated cheese, and spinach. Mix with a large spoon till well combined. 

Spoon and spread the filling into the hollowed out bread. Place the lid back on and wrap the entire loaf tightly in foil. 

At this point you can set it aside in the fridge for up to 24 hours if necessary. You need to bake it for an hour before serving. 

Preheat oven to 180•C. Place the foil wrapped filled loaf into the hot oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, open up the foil and add any excess bread which was hollowed out to the oven. Bake for a further 8-10 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and take off the lid. Break the lid into chunks for dipping and serve alongside the other pieces of bread. Serve immediately. You can serve with crackers and vegetable sticks also if you like. 

Finger Licking Good: Chinese Style Ribs

Did someone say ribs? YES please! I mean seriously, who doesn't like tucking into a plate full of them - It's so cathartic. And to be honest, I've eaten tonnes of them, with all sorts of different seasonings, but these are up there with the best. 

The slow cooking is the key: Wrapping them in foil, and cooking for two hours locks in the moisture and flavour, and has the meat falling off the bone. While the glaze, sticky sweet and salty, leaves you begging for more! 

The recipe here is for 1.5kg worth and though you could easily half or double the recipe, this is a good amount of ribs for one sitting (perhaps only four servings if you really want to tuck in!). 

Though they take a long time in the oven, the actual work involved in making these is nothing, the biggest challenge being patience! Trust me - it's worth the wait. 

Ingredients (serves 6): 

• 1.5 kg rack of pork ribs
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 4 tbsp crushed garlic 
• 4 tbsp crushed ginger

Glaze

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 4 tbsp crushed garlic 
• 4 tbsp crushed ginger 
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice 
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Chinese rice wine vinegar 
• 6 tbsp honey 
• 2 tsp Sriracha chilli sauce (optional - but highly recommended) 

To Serve

• Coriander leaves
• Cooked Rice, or bread rolls
• Slaw, or steamed greens 

Preheat the oven to 180•C. Line a large roasting dish with two layers of tin foil.*You might need two trays, if so, swap them around in the oven halfway through cooking. 

Rub the ribs with vegetable oil and Chinese five spice so it's well coated. Place flesh side up on the foil, and spread the crushed garlic and ginger over the top. Gently fold the foil around the ribs to seal them. Place in the hot oven for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, heat the additional 2 tbsp oil in a small saucepan. Over a low heat, cook the garlic and ginger, stirring for a couple of minutes, till aromatic. Add the Chinese five spice, and cook, stirring for another minute. 

Stir in the soy sauce, rice, wine vinegar and honey. Simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a blender or food processor. Puree till smooth. 

Return to the pan and bring back to the heat, taste, and add Sriracha sauce to taste. You could also add more soy or honey to taste if you want sweeter or saltier, but I think the ratio is pretty spot on once coating the ribs. 

After 2 hours, remove the ribs from the oven and open the package. Increase the heat to 200•C. Use a basting brush, or spoon, to liberally cover the rack of ribs with the glaze. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes. 

Brush again with more glaze and return to the oven for another 2 minutes. You can repeat this part of the process as much as you like if you want a thicker richer glaze, but be sure to check it every minute or two. I usually only do this twice, and like to save a little sauce for the side. You can serve the additional glaze in a dipping bowl on the side, or pour it over your rice and steamed greens. 

Serve the ribs as a whole rack, or slice them into individual pieces. Remember to set up a pile of paper towels and maybe a finger bowl of iced water and lemon. 

Lentil salad with lemon and herb dressing

I concocted this salad one day when I had a craving for lentils, yes, craving lentils is a thing. As an ex-vegetarian I used to eat a lot of lentils, but these days have forgotten about what a satisfying and delicious meal they can make!

What's fantastic about this meal is it's generally pretty user friendly, so it makes a great dish to take when you're not sure what people can or can't eat. And with daylight savings now with us, I'm anticipating many more impromptu BBQ's where I might need to whip this one up.

It's naturally gluten free and vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy free or vegan by removing the feta, or substituting for a dairy free alternative. More so, it's a hit with carnivores alike and tastes fantastic alongside a hunk of crispy skinned salmon (as I served it today) or a medium-rare fillet of steak.

Best of all, any leftovers keep well till tomorrow and will make a quick and filling lunch.

Ingredients (serves 4 - 6):

• 1 1/2 cups of green puy lentils
• 4 1/2 cups water
• juice of 1 large lemon (about 1/3 cup)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp finely slice fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra
• 4 zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced on the diagonal
• 150 grams baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 red capsicum, finely diced
• 150 - 200 grams feta, crumbled (optional)

In a saucepan bring the lentils and water to the boil. Simmer gently, covered for 40 - 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the dressing. Combine chopped parsley and mint in a jar* with crushed garlic, lemon juice, and (at least) 4 tbsp of quality extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, screw on the lid and shake well. Leave the dressing to mingle with itself while your lentils cook and you prepare the zucchini.

Heat the extra tbsp of olive oil in a heavy saucepan, add the zucchini and cook turning occasionally for 5-10 minutes, till it is golden on the outside, and soft in the middle (This could also be done on the BBQ, simply half the zucchini, brush with oil and grill cut side down first, turning once. Slice once removed from the BBQ). Place in a large bowl

In the same pan add the washed spinach leaves, leave a little water on them as this will help them to steam as they fry. Once wilted remove to the bowl with the zucchini.

Soon the lentils will also be cooked. Drain well and add to the bowl with the vegetables and the diced capsicum. Give the jar of dressing a good shake and pour half of it over the lentils. Stir well and set aside for at least 10 - 15 minutes. If serving with steak or salmon, this is when you would start cooking the meat.

To serve, stir well before sprinkling over crumbled feta and pouring over the remaining dressing.

This salad is delicious warm or cold, and although it makes a meal on it's own, it is also a fantastic accompaniment to BBQ'd steak, or crispy skinned salmon fillets.

Served with crispy skinned salmon fillet

* I always keep an old jam jar on hand for this very purpose. It also means that if I'm taking a dish somewhere I can easily take the dressing with me, pre-prepared, to pour on just before serving.

"Goes with everything" Parsley Sauce

If your garden patch is anything like mine at the moment, it's overgrown with parsley. Trouble is, it's usually saved as a garnish left on the side of the plate. Parsley is however extremely good for us. Full of vitamins C, K, A, B12, and folic acid. So it's great for upping your anti-oxidant intake, and supports a healthy heart [Source].

I've been making this parsley sauce for a while now, and have found it pairs nicely with so many things. A few of my favourite ways are:

• Steak
• BBQ or Roasted Chicken
• Scrambled Eggs, mixed in or served on. 
• Mixed with mayonaise for salad dressings
• Stirred through pasta or potatoes

Best of all it's easy to make and stores in the fridge for up to a week. 

Ingredients (makes 1/2 cup):

• 1 1/2 cups of packed parsley leaves, washed, stalks removed
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 cloves garlic 

Wash parsley and remove excess stalks. Put into a food processor or using a kitchen whizz stick with remaining ingredients. Mix for a few minutes till well combined. 

Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes for flavours to develop before serving. 

Salmon Potato Cakes

This weeks recipe inspiration was due to the fact that I had all this leftover potato. This meal is fast and healthy to whip up and best of all can be prepared in advance. Given the amazing summer weather we've been having I cooked ours on the BBQ, otherwise a heavy based frypan will do the trick. 

I think next time I have to take a plate for a BBQ, this is what I'll be taking, as a nice change from the usual skewers, steak and sausages!

Ingredients (makes 8 large cakes): 

• 500 grams of mashed potato (about 2 cups) 
• 400 gram can of salmon, drained and flaked. 
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped 
• 3 gherkins, diced
• 1 sliced chilli, optional
• 1 egg
• 1tsp each, salt and pepper 
• flour to coat
• oil for cooking
• mayonnaise or tartare sauce, to serve
• green salad, to serve

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except flour and oil. Mix well. 

Place half a cup of flour on a plate. 

Take one eighth of the mixture and shape it into a cake. Dunk it into the flour, and leave on a tray while you prepare the rest. 

On a medium heat, warm one centimetre of oil in a pan, or oil the bbq. Cook the salmon cakes for 5 - 8 minutes each side, till lightly golden. 

Serve with mayonnaise or tartare sauce and a green salad on the side. 

Champagne Brunch

Bacon, eggs, sausages, toast, fried tomatoes. Brunch is pretty simple right? Yes. There's the usual fry up favourites, but there's also some really easy sides and ways to incorporate veggies, that can make your brunch the better. The best thing about most of these is that they can be prepared in advance and just warmed to serve, which makes them perfect for entertaining a crowd. 

The following recipes include Potato Rosti, Garlic Spinach and Thyme Mushrooms. They go great alongside your usual brunch fry ups and are prefect accompaniments for that champagne breakfast celebration. 

Potato Rosti (makes 8 small) 

• 4 large potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cracked pepper
• 2 stalks of fresh rosemary, leaves only. 
• 2 egg whites
• olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Spread about 3 tbsp olive oil over a baking tray or roasting pan. 

Scrub the potatoes clean and use a food processor to finely shred them. 

Squeeze excess moisture from the potatoes and put them in a large bowl with rosemary, salt pepper and egg whites (the yolks can be reserved to make hollandaise or added to your scrambled eggs). 

Shape handfuls into patties and arrange on the baking tray. 

Drizzle liberally with more olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes turning once with a metal spatula. 

These can be eaten straight away. Or, set aside and crisp each side for a couple of minutes on the BBQ hotplate or a frying pan just before serving. 

Thyme Mushrooms (serves 4-6) 

• 2-3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried) 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
• 20 grams butter
• 3 cups of button mushrooms, sliced about 1 cm thick
• salt and pepper 
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

Heat the olive oil on a low heat in a frying pan. Add the onion and thyme. 

Saute for 2 minutes till softened. 

Add the butter and sliced mushrooms, stir regularly for the next few minutes. 

When mushrooms begin to soften add the salt, pepper, red wine and balsamic vinegar. 

Increase to a medium heat and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes till mushrooms are soft and liquid is reduced. 

If preparing in advance simply reheat in a saucepan or microwave. 

Garlic Spinach (serves 4-6) 

• 1 bag of large spinach leaves (about 300g), stalks removed. 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 spring onion, green parts only, sliced 5mm thick

Remove spinach stalks and place in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave for 1 minute. Drain, squeeze excess liquid when cool enough to handle. If preparing in advance, set aside till you're ready to eat. 

Roughly chop squeezed spinach. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add the spinach, garlic and spring onion. Toss for 1 minute. Serve immediately. 

Sesame Satay BBQ Chicken Skewers

As the summer season approaches we've been firing up the BBQ on every opportunity, usually with a lot of hungry bellies to feed. This sesame chicken recipe is really easy to throw together and famously delicious. 

It's suitable for people who are gluten free, or as an alternative to satay for those who are allergic to peanuts. Which makes it a great choice for feeding a crowd, or taking a plate, when you're not sure what people's food intolerances might be. I threw the chilli in for a kick, but it can easily be left out. I usually alternate the chicken with squares of vegetables to help stretch the meat out, but again, if you have enough meat, you could just use chicken. 

Sesame Satay Marinade (per kg of meat):

• 3 tbsp miso paste 
• 3 tbsp tahini - sesame seed paste
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed ginger
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• chilli, finely chopped - optional
• 1 kg chicken meat, 3cm diced - thighs are good, but breast meat will also work
• 20 - 30 skewers - soaked for 20 - 30 minutes. 
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Optional veggies for skewering: 

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• eggplant, diced
• mushrooms, halved
• zucchini, sliced

To prepare the meat, mix all marinade ingredients together and toss through, chicken pieces. Cover and set aside overnight if possible or for at least 30 minutes. 

Soak the skewers, for 20 - 30 minutes - this stops the skewers from burning on the BBQ. 

Prepare vegetables if using. Dicing them into 3cm pieces. 

Skewer pieces of meat, alternating with vegetables, so that there's 3 or 4 pieces of meat per skewer. 

TIP: Pierce the vegetables through the skin, rather than the fleshy parts, as this will prevent them from falling off the sticks as they cook. 

On a hot BBQ cook skewers for 10- 15 minutes, turning regularly. 

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to serve. 

Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls.

With the rugby world cup about to beginning, these are the perfect recipe to entertain a crowd. Pork and fennel are a classic combination, then wrapped in golden puff pastry, who could resist? Easy to prepare in advance and store in the fridge or freezer to be cooked later when the bellies start growling. 

Ingredients (serves 4 - 8): 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (optional) 
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (use 2 tsp if not using mustard seeds) 
• 1 tbsp salt 
• 1 tsp cracked pepper 
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce, or malt vinegar
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 
• 500g free range pork mince 
• 375g puff pastry roll, thawed
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds

Method:

Heat the oil, on a low heat, in a small frying pan. Add fennel, onion, garlic, mustard and fennel seeds, sauté for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring, till vegetables are soft, add apple cider vinegar. Set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl mix breadcrumbs, mince, salt, pepper, worcestershire (or malt vinegar) and cooled onion fennel mix. 

Roll out thawed pastry and depending on the size sausage rolls you plan to make, cut into two or three even sized pieces. Spread a half, or third of the mince mixture along one side of the pastry, about an inch away from the edge. Press the mince filling so that it is dense, and gently roll the pastry around the mince. 

Place the log on the baking tray with the overlap on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining pastry. Chill sausage roll logs in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before baking. 

To bake: Preheat oven to 200c. Cut into the desired amount of sausage rolls, score the tops and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle fennel seeds on top. 

Bake 20 - 30 minutes (depending on size of your sausage rolls), till golden brown and cooked through. You may need to cut one open to 'quality assurance' check - it's a thankless job, but someone has to do it, right? 

Allow to chill for a few minutes before serving with a spicy tomato sauce. 

Mouthwatering Mushroom Cheeseburgers - Healthy Style

Who said burgers are bad for you? Well, who ever it was, was wrong, well at least with these burgers. The reason they're healthy(-er): vegetables. 

I love sneaking veggies into things meaty to make them all that much better for you. Plus filled with a pile of creamy (made with just a dash of sour cream) mushrooms and onions, these are saucy, naughty, delicious, but still nutritious. Just be sure to serve with a salad as well.

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 600grams of beef mince
• 1 large zucchini, grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• salt and pepper 
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 6 - 8 button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce 
• 3 tbsp of sour cream 
• 6 slices of cheddar cheese (edam, tasty colby etc) 
• gherkins (enough for 6 burgers) 
• mayonnaise 
• bbq (or tomato) sauce*
• 6 good quality buns - I used ciabatta buns, baps or turkish bread pockets would also work well 
• oven roasted potato chips to serve (optional) 
• salad greens to serve

Method: 

Preheat oven to 220c and line a tray with greaseproof paper**. I prefer to cook my burger patties in the oven, it makes it easier, no worry about burning, sticking, or falling apart. Just put them in and leave them be. 

In a large bowl mix grated zucchini, carrot, mince, egg and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Get your hands in there to mix it really well. Form meat into 6 evenly sized patties and place them evenly on the baking tray. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes till cooked through, flipping once. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over a low heat, slowly cook onions and garlic until beginning to soften. Next add the mushrooms and continue cooking for five more minutes, till mushrooms are cooked down. Add worcestershire sauce and sour cream, stir till combined and remove from heat. 

Check the patties and place a slice of cheese on top of each for the last few minutes of cooking. 

Cut buns open and spread bbq sauce on the bottom and a little mayo on the top. Place the meat patty with cheese on top of the bbq sauce, add a dollop of the creamy mushrooms, a couple of gherkins, then put the top on the bun. 

Serve with a side green salad and maybe some oven roasted chips. 

*  If you're feeling creative try my homemade BBQ sauce recipe 

** Greaseproof paper is optional, but it makes clean up so much easier. 

Midwinter slaw with Kale Buckwheat & Beans

Who says salads can't be eaten all year round? This salad is perfect for winter, using seasonal ingredients and makes a great side dish or can be eaten on it's own as a complete meal. 
Packed with colour, crunch; vitamins, protein and fibre this is sure to please.
Buckwheat is, despite it's name, gluten free and free from wheat. It looks like little pyramids and can be cooked or just soaked as in this recipe. It's high in fibre and protein, it's crunchy and has a slightly nutty flavour. The beans just add another texture as well as fibre and protein, helping to make it a complete meal. 
What I really like about this salad, is it keeps well and can even be served warm (toss it quickly in a fry pan with a little extra sesame oil). The first day I ate this with a piece of grilled five spice chicken and the second day with a diced hard boiled egg for an extra protein kick. 

This meal was created as part of my JUNK FREE JUNE challenge, raising money for the Cancer Society. To support me, and support the Cancer Society you can donate here. 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/4 fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup buckwheat groats 
• 1 cup of shredded kale 
• 2 cups of shredded purple cabbage 
• 1 cup of shredded green cabbage 
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1 large red chilli, seeds removed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce*
• 2 tbsp sesame oil 
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tin of four bean mix (or your favourite beans) 

Method 

• Slice onion and mix in large serving bowl with the lime juice and salt. 
• In another bowl mix buckwheat groats with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly. 
• Meanwhile finely slice (or use a food processor) purple and green cabbage, kale and grate carrot. Slice chilli and add all veggies to the red onion. 
• Over a low heat, add sesame oil, and sesame seeds and stir until seeds start to pop. Add to salad, with remaining oil. 
• Rinse and drain four bean mix, add to salad with soy sauce. 
• Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, lime, soy or sesame oil to taste. 
• Dig in (and save some for lunch tomorrow) 

*to make gluten free, be sure to use gluten free soy sauce

Thanks for reading - leave a comment. 

S

Moroccan Carrot Salad

My favourite salad, quick, easy and delicious. Carrots are one of my favourite vegetables, and I prefer them raw. There's a mildly spicy and fruity dressing, making it go well with barbecued meats or seafood. We served this salad to 300 guest at our wedding which consisted of hangi'd chicken, pork, and potatoes as well as a plethora of seafood. 

You can swap the type of nuts or dried fruit to whatever you have on hand as well as alternate coriander for parsley. I use a food processor to grate the carrots which makes it quick and easy to whip up. 

Ingredients:

• 6 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced diagonally
• 1/4c of chopped coriander (or parsley, mint) 
• 1/4c flaked almonds (or cashew, walnuts)
• 1/4c of currants (or dried cranberries, dates, raisins, sultanas) 
• 1/4c of fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp freshly toasted cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon 
• 2 tbsp of olive oil 

Prepare the dressing by soaking currants in the orange juice, cinnamon and olive oil.

Leave dressing for at least 30 minutes.  

Prepare vegetables, placing into a large salad bowl, sprinkling nuts and cumin seeds on top. 

Pour dressing over top. 

Toasted Cumin Seeds

Keep chilled till serving. Eat alongside barbecued meats, or in a wrap with hummus, tabbouli and tzatziki. 

BYOB: Build Your Own Burgers

BBB: Build Better Burgers 
Either I had too much time on my hands or I was being an OCD [Overly Controlling Daughter] during a BBQ at my parents this weekend. 
Making a diagram to make sure everyone built their burgers the best way!

Follow this BYOB guide and be sure for a mouth watering feast. Sure enough everyone did follow it and let's just say the table was rather quiet to busy enjoying our burgers!  Feel free to swap steak for meat pattie, or steak and cheese for chicken tenderloins and feta. 

Shades of Green

The title of this post seems fitting as I'm currently foraging through palettes and palettes of different shades of green in preparation for upcoming renovations. I'm currently torn between a Rainforest, Bright Olive and Citron green. 
So when making a salad to take to a BBQ recently a green salad was the obvious choice. It contains 6 green ingredients and a simple vinaigrette, for an easy fresh side dish. 






Ingredients 

• 1 cos lettuce
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 handful of snow peas (8-10)
• 1 avocado 
• 1 large handful of parsley 
• 1 handful of pumpkin seeds. 
• 6 tbsp good quality olive oil 
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• flakey salt and cracked pepper

First, blanch the peas in a pot of boiling water. Boil two minutes, till bright green, drain, and plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain. 

Shred the lettuce leaves and scatter on a platter. Scatter drained cooled peas over top. 

Finely slice snow peas, and scatter these over also. 

Dice avocado, scatter. 

Finely chop parsley, scatter. 

Toast pumpkin seeds in a hot dry pan, scatter. 

To make dressing place olive oil and red wine vinegar in a jar, season with flakey salt and cracked pepper, put lid on and shake vigourously. Drizzle over the salad. 

Serve. 
Enjoy.