A Summer Lunch with a Friend

Today we invited our friend Kim over for a New Year catch up over lunch. It's great to be on holidays and to have the luxury of a leisurely lunch during the week, along with a few glasses of wine and some good conversation. The weather is really warm right now, so I wanted a menu that kept me out of a hot kitchen, and that also took advantage of the beautiful Summer produce around at the moment. I managed to come up with a menu that delivered all that, as well as ensuring I didn't have to turn the stove on inside at all. Win!

I thought I'd set the tone with some lovely bright flowers in my favorite vintage vase to pretty up the dining table a bit. Red and green is also kind of festive, don't you think?

Pretty, Pretty.

On New Year's Day I really felt like cooking a French style terrine (as you do!) so that made up our first course. I love a good terrine, and this one is my version, based on lots that I tasted when I was travelling in France. Every little cafe and restaurant seemed to have their own version (Terrine de Maison) and over the years I've developed my own. It is a mixture of pork and chicken, along with bacon, capers, pistachios, juniper berries and a touch of allspice. It is really delicious and better eaten the day after you make it. I've had a couple of requests for recipe, so I will share it with you at the end of this post. Here is what it looked like on the day I made it.

My Terrine de Maison

I served the terrine today with some crisp lettuce hearts, cornichons and some beautiful Bruny Island plum jelly that I brought back from my last trip to Tasmania. We also enjoyed it with slices of crusty French bread and lashings of fabulous Pepe Saya cultured butter. 

Plated Terrine 

with accompaniments

For the main course, I visited the fishmonger this morning and decided to see what they had that looked good, and I would base a dish around that. I found some super fresh, large local prawns and some really good looking line caught Blue Marlin steaks. I cooked them outside on the BBQ, along with some fresh asparagus and some zucchini flowers. I made a simple sauce with olive oil, lemon juice, cherry balsamic, chilli, capers, parsley, garlic chives and fresh oregano from my garden. I just drizzled the dressing over just before serving. I added some grilled lime on the side and some baby chervil herbs for a bit of freshness.

The Fish Course

The dessert was super simple. I bought 3 perfect white peaches that are now in season and really beautiful and fragrant, I always like creating dishes out of what is in season, and these are great right now. I blanched them in boiling water to remove the skins, chilled them and then served them drizzled with a sweet syrup made from palm sugar - and some fresh coconut cream and lemony tasting baby sorrel leaves. Easy - and a fresh and delicious end to a summer lunch. This is great dessert for people who can't eat dairy products. The coconut cream gives a velvety richness without any dairy at all. I notice that supermarkets are stocking it now, in the chiller section next to the sour cream and other dairy based creams. Have a look for it - it has a lighter, fresher taste than the tinned coconut cream you buy to make curries with.

White Peach

With palm sugar, coconut cream and baby sorrel

We had a lovely few hours eating and chatting and drinking wine and everyone enjoyed the menu I had put together. Apart from the terrine, which was made the day before, it was a very low stress menu for a hot Summer day.

As requested, below is the recipe for my terrine. You can cook it in a traditional ceramic terrine (the rectangular dish that gives the dish its name) or a metal loaf tin, if you don't have a terrine. You will also need something to place on top of the terrine while it is cooking, to compress it. I use a small rectangular ceramic dish that works fine.

Gourmet Goddess Terrine de Maison

500g Pork Mince

500g Chicken Mince

250g Finely Chopped Bacon

15-20 Slices Prosciutto

1 Large Finely Chopped White Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon Allspice

6 Crushed Juniper Berries

1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary (Don't use dried Rosemary for this recipe)

1 Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard

1 Tablespoon Small Capers 

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1 Egg

1 1/2 Cups Breadcrumbs

3 Pinches Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Olive Oil Spray

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170C. Cut a piece of baking paper to line the bottom of your terrine dish or tin. Spray the tin with olive oil. 

Carefully line the bottom and side of the tin with a layer of prosciutto. Set aside.

In a pan, heat the tablespoon of butter and olive olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until transparent. Don't have the heat too high - you don't want the onions or garlic to brown. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked onion and all of the other ingredients. Using clean hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients until very, very well combined.

Fill the terrine with the mixture, taking care that it is packed in evenly. When you have finished, add a weight to the top of the terrine. I use a small rectangular ceramic dish to do this. You want the terrine to be compressed during cooking, which results in a nice, even terrine when you go to cut it later. Cover the whole dish with foil.

Cook in the over for 1 hour 20 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, take off the foil and carefully drain any excess cooking juices that you may find at the bottom of the terrine.

Allow the terrine to cool in the dish for about 30 minutes, before turning it out on a plate and putting it in the fridge to chill. You can eat it once it's cold, but I recommend waiting 24 hours, as the flavours develop really nicely given a little bit of time.

Serve with crusty bread, any kind of pickle of fruit jelly and some crisp lettuce leaves. It's also great in crusty rolls for a picnic.

Serves 8 People

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Rockin' Ribs

A hot Sydney Saturday night, a new BBQ, a recent trip to the butcher and the inclination for something simple and tasty was the inspiration for today's recipe. It's been really hot this week, so the idea of not being stuck in the kitchen and doing some cooking outside was especially appealing. Yesterday we went out and bought a new BBQ. The process of finding one has taken a while, as we wanted something that would suit our needs but also not take up too much space. So many of them these days are bloody gigantic!! After much online research and household discussion we decided on the highly rated and very snazzy looking Ziegler and Brown Twin Grill. And yes, I had to choose the fire engine red model, couldn't help myself. Have to say we are really happy with it so far - I predict I'll be cooking with it all week as I experiment with different cooking modes and ingredients.

There was a selection of meat to choose from tonight, as this week we visited our meat supplier Grant at Feather and Bone - and had restocked the freezer in preparation for returning to work next week. Regular readers will have heard me talk about Feather and Bone before - a local company that supplies sustainably raised meat with guaranteed provenance. With a focus on supporting small producers, a commitment to the whole journey their food makes, from paddock to plate and their philosophy of sustainability, they are the pick of the crop as far I'm concerned if you choose to eat meat. I won't pretend that they are a cheap option - their meat is not produced on a large scale and you do pay a fair bit more for their products. We decided however, that we would rather pay more, get top quality food that has been ethically produced but have it less often in order to work it into our household budget.

If you live in Sydney and are interested in what Feather and Bone do, or you want to source their products, then the details for their website is at the bottom of this post. Oh, and by the way, this is not a paid endorsement - I'm just a regular customer who thinks highly of them and their excellent produce. To give you an idea of the sort of quality we are talking about, they supply meat to some of the best restaurants in the city - including Rockpool, Billy Kwong, Universal and Red Lantern among others.

So, what was for dinner tonight? Well, we had bought some gorgeous dry aged Gundooee beef ribs from the folks at Feather and Bone and thought that they would be perfect on the new BBQ. I made a delicious, smoky, sticky sauce - given a bit of a fresh kick with lime, chilli and a splash of tequila. I didn't bother putting the ribs on a plate - just served them on a huge chopping board in the middle of the table with BBQ'd corn on the cob, pickled red chillies and some extra lime. We ate the whole lot with our hands - messy, fun and delicious!

Tequila Lime Beef Ribs

served with BBQ corn and pickled chillies

A handy hint when cooking ribs (or anything else for that matter) where you are using a sauce that contains sugar - in this case, in the form of honey - is to pretty much cook the meat first, then glaze it. This will stop the sauce from burning quickly and your meat being undercooked in the middle. You want that lovely sticky sauce packed with flavour - but not cremated within an inch of it's life!

This simple recipe would work just as well with pork ribs or chicken wings, so crank up the barbie and give it a try. And remember, plates and cutlery are optional!

Tequila Lime Beef Ribs
You will need: 1kg Beef ribs, 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce, 1/4 cup Tequila, 4 minced or finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, Juice of one fresh lime, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons hot chilli sauce (or less, if you don't like spice)
3 tablespoons honey. Extra lime, pickled chillies to serve. Extra salt and pepper.

Method: If the ribs are particularly large, cut them into smaller pieces so they are easy to eat with your hands. To make the sauce, combine the BBQ sauce, garlic, lime, chilli sauce, both kinds of paprika, pepper, lime juice, Tequila and honey in a small bowl.

Heat the BBQ to a medium heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until they start to brown. If your BBQ has a lid, keep the lid down for most of this time.

Once the ribs are pretty much cooked, start to baste them with the sauce and cook for about another 10 minutes. Turn them and continue to baste from time to time. When cooked, remove the ribs to a plate and cover with foil. let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with extra lime and pickled chillies. Serves 2-4 people.

Note: You could easily cook these in a conventional oven if you wish - I would do them for about 25-30 minutes on about 200C. 

For more info on Feather and Bone check out their website:  www.featherandbone.com.au

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Lucky Duck

Well hello and Happy New Year to you all! I'm back from our South Coast getaway but very lucky to still be on holidays at the moment. To say that our household has been in extreme sloth mode would be an understatement - plenty of book reading, movie watching and long afternoon naps. Food wise, there has been a lot of sushi consumption, as well as Frosty Fruits and Caramel Cornettos eaten in front of the air conditioner as we try to escape the heat. In our hot Australian Summer, it makes perfect sense to eat light, fresh and flavourful food - and nothing fits the bill more than my favourite Asian cuisine, Vietnamese.

This week I decided to make a version of the classic crispy Vietnamese pancake - a restaurant fave for me - but with a different filling from the usual pork, prawn and beansprout one. I'm on a mission to use up freezer and pantry items right now and I didn't really want have to go out and do a special shop for all the ingredients, so I just used what I had. Checking in the freezer I found I had a couple of duck breasts and I thought they would lend themselves really well to this dish. The freshness of the herbs, the aromatics of turmeric and coconut and the tang of the lime and chillies are the perfect contrast to the rich duck meat.

These pancakes are extremely easy to put together and make a perfect meal by themselves, or part of a shared Summer buffet. I served the pancakes with nuoc cham, the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce - also very easy to make and which gives this dish a very authentic feel. I made quite a mild version today but add heaps more chillies if you want something with more of a kick. You can of course fill the pancake with all kinds of things - the pork belly and prawn combination that is very popular, chicken, minced pork, spicy tofu or even fish. You could also skip that all together and just do a super light salad version. Although I didn't use fresh beansprouts in my recipe (just because I couldn't be bothered going out and buying any!) I do think they add a beautiful crunch to this kind of pancake and when I make this again, I will actually get off my backside and go and get some.

Crispy Duck Pancakes

with Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)

The method I have used for cooking the duck is a really good one to know and one that I use every time I cook it. Follow the steps and you will end up with a super crispy skin and succulent flesh, but without oiliness. Just render that skin gradually and drain off the fat as you go, then finish in the oven, rest the meat properly and you will have perfect duck every time.

In GG restaurant news, later this week we are heading off to Neil Perry's Spice Temple - you might recall last year I reviewed the Melbourne restaurant after having lunch there and really loving it. We are visiting Spice Temple in our own city this time around and I'm really craving chilli at the moment, so this will definitely fit the bill. Many of the dishes are eye wateringly, lip tinglingly spicy and I want to get a big dose of that. Just what you want in Summer I think (although Andrew doesn't share my penchant for the numbingly spicy, so I might be going it alone with some of the dishes!)

We are also off to Matt Moran's Chiswick in early February - taking Lady Nanette (aka Grandma) and my Aunt and Uncle in law (is that a real term?) Meg and Mark out for a special Sunday lunch when they visit from Canberra. I have been curious to check out Chiswick after driving past and seeing their on site garden where they grow produce for the restaurant. This will be a perfect excuse to visit. I will be sure to report back and let you know how it was. I'm told that the produce is really top notch, and that it is the perfect lunch venue, with it's garden surroundings. I'll ignore the fact that heading to the Eastern Suburbs always makes me slightly twitchy - that Stepford Wives vibe, boat shoes, Joh Bailey hair and too much Botox. All kinds of scary! But you know me, if the food is good - I'm going there!

Anyway, back to today's recipe - This is the first time I have had a go at making Vietnamese pancakes and I was really happy with the result. My version is a combination of a couple of different recipes I'd read and I think that this hybrid of mine worked really well. I was flying by the seat of my pants a bit, but the result was something I would happily make again. Hope that you are inspired to give it a try too.

Crispy Duck Pancakes with Nuoc Cham
You will need:
For the pancakes -1 1/2 cups rice flour, 2 tbs cornflour, 1 x 400ml can coconut milk, 1 cup iced water,1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, Pinch of white pepper, 2 tbs peanut oil

For the filling - 2 duck breasts (skin on), 1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onion, 1 small carrot julienned very finely, 1/2 small red capsicum, julienned very finely,1 small Lebanese cucumber julienned very finely, 1 bunch fresh coriander, handful of fresh mint leaves. Have extra lime, mint, chillies and coriander on hand to garnish the dish.

For the sauce (nuoc cham) - 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbs water, 1 tbs caster sugar, 1 or 2 red chillies de-seeded and finely chopped, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.

Method: First, make the batter. Whisk the rice flour and the corn flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Season with white pepper. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more rice flour. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight to rest.

For the sauce, simply combine all of the ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Now, cook the duck breasts. Heat the oven to 200C. Score the skin of the duck in a criss cross pattern - don't cut in to the duck flesh, you should score the skin only.Heat a non stick fry pan over a low-medium heat. Sit the duck skin-side down in the pan and allow to gently fry for around 10-12 minutes. Gradually, the fat from the skin will begin to render away - drain away the fat as this happens. Take your time with this step and don't be tempted to turn up the heat - we want the skin to be golden and crispy, not burnt. Turn the duck breasts over so they are skin-side up, and allow to cook for about a minute more.

Now place the duck on an oven tray, skin side up and allow to cook further in the preheated oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the duck to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

Now to the pancakes - Brush a fry pan generously with the peanut oil. Heat over a high heat until the pan is smoking. Add one-quarter of the flour mixture and tilt pan, swirling batter to cover base and slightly up the side. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the batter is golden underneath. Place one-quarter of the duck breast and a sprinkle of spring onion onto half the pancake and then fold it over. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Repeat with the rest of the ingredients until you have four pancakes. Fill the pancakes with the cucumber, carrot, capsicum, spring onion, mint and coriander. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with the nuoc cham (sauce), garnish with some extra lime, fresh chillies, mint and coriander. Serve right away.

Makes 4 generous pancakes.

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Fruity Inspiration

You guys are all aware by now that baking isn't really my bag. I will happily spend 3 days making a master stock, or painstakingly put together a 9 course degustation menu, but setting aside half an hour to make a cake just doesn't do it for me. Well, the Goddess of baking and sweet things must have aligned all the planets of something, because this week I had an idea for a cake recipe buzzing around in my head that just wouldn't go away. I took this as a sign from the universe that I should head to the kitchen and give this cake experiement a bit of a whirl.

I don't eat cake really - but when I do, my sweet thing of choice is lemon syrup polenta cake. I love the texture that the polenta has, and the tang of the lemon. Yum. My recipe idea is a bit of a variation on that type of cake, using fresh lime and lashings of passionfruit. I decided to add some almond meal to the equation, as well as using olive oil instead of butter. The result is a beautifully textured but very moist crumb and a sticky, tangy, fresh tasting syrup.

These cakes are lovely by themselves with a hot cuppa, but I think they would work really well as a do-ahead dessert. I'd serve them slightly warm with some clotted cream, creme anglaise or maybe some marscapone with some fresh lime rind folded into the mixture. You could also use those very small muffin tins and serve them as tiny sweet petit fours after dinner.

Sticky Passionfruit and Lime Polenta Cakes

As this was an experiment, it was all a bit free form. I used the quantities that I hoped would work, based roughly on the proportions I use when making normal muffins - and on the amount of almond meal and polenta I had in the pantry. Once I had that in mind as a starting point, I added some other ingredients and let my instincts take over. I was really happy with the result - the proportions worked a treat and I ended up with the texture I was hoping for. Dealing with the egg whites seperately really helped with this I think. I wasn't going to bother with the egg white thing, but it only took an extra two minutes and was worth it.

These cakes were fast to make and only take about 20 minutes to cook, so they aren't too much of a stretch for someone like me who doesn't usually have the patience or inclination for cake baking. Hell, I whipped up these on a Saturday morning while I stacked the dishwasher and sipped my morning coffee! Very do-able indeed.

You will need:
For the cake - 4 free range eggs, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup fine polenta, 1/2 cup plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Juice and rind of 1 fresh lime, Pulp from about 3 passionfruit.

For the syrup - 1 cup caster sugar, Juice and rind of 1 fresh lime, Pulp of 2 passionfruit, 2 tablespoons water.

Method:  First, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease your muffin tins if you are not using silicone tins like I did.

Separate the eggs and put the yolks in one mixing bowl and the whites in another. With an electric beater, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Set aside. (Hint - it is always better to beat egg whites in a metal bowl, or a ceramic one as a second choice. Plastic bowls tend to retain grease and oil, which is the enemy of fluffy egg whites!)

Combine the half cup of caster sugar with the yolks and beat until the mixture is lighter in colour and increases slightly in volume.

To the egg yolk mixture, add the almond meal, polenta, plain flour, baking powder, olive oil, lime juice and rind. With a spatula, combine all of the ingredients.

Now gently fold a third of the egg white into the cake mixture. Put in the rest and fold in until combined. Don't be too heavy handed with the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, remembering that these cakes do not rise a whole lot, so you can fill them almost to the top.

Bake at 1080C for 15-20 minutes. The cakes are cooked when they are slightly brown and the mixture springs bak a little when you touch the top of them.

While the cakes are cooking, put together the syrup - just combine all of the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer gently for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved completely and the syrup thickens slightly.

When you remove the cakes from the oven, spoon over about half of the syrup while they are still warm. When you are finished, run a knife around the edges so that they don't stick to the pan. Spoon over the remaining syrup and allow the cakes to soak up the mixture.

Serve warm or cold with cream, marscapone or icecream. Or scoff them without the extras.

Makes 10-12 small cakes

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An express Asian feast, dreams - and who stole my quails!!

Evening eveyone. I am happy to report that I am pretty much over this illness and that I am feeling almost normal again. Boy did that flu knock me out! I am not at all prone to sickness, so it was a bit of shock to be forced to pretty much take to my bed for two weeks. Not my idea of a good time, I can tell you! AND it kept me out of the kitchen!

As well as my flu symptoms, this sickness has been giving me some seriously crazy ass dreams too - the most amusing (and food related) being that I had dreamt I was competing in a cross between Masterchef and Iron Chef and it was a French themed challenge. I had this gorgeous quail dish worked out and all was going well, until someone stole my quails. How very dare they! I was bordering on hysteria, running up to strangers demanding that they give back my quails immediately, while the rest of my side dishes overcooked on the stove. When I woke up from the dream my heart was actually pounding, but would you believe it - I remembered my recipe for the quail dish! Now, I've never been inspired to cook a dish by a dream before, but I fully intend to turn the French quail dish into reality in the GG kitchen very soon. Many thanks to my kooky subconscious for the recipe idea - but do any of you dream interpreters know what it means when you dream about stolen game birds? Anyhoo.....

So it's Sunday night, my appetite is back after nearly 2 weeks with the flu and my tastebuds have a hankering for something with an Asian flavour. I also didn't want anything that was going to keep me away from the heater and the couch for too long (it's freezing!) I did toy with the idea of a sneaky Chinese home delivery, but instead I checked out the fridge and the pantry and came up with an easy Asian tasting plate that I managed to throw together in about 40 minutes. The result was three simple dishes - some fish, some greens, and some tofu - served with a couple of warming bowls of miso and seaweed soup on the side (not pictured - sorry, I completely forgot to photograph them, but they were your garden variety, instant Miso soups) Very yummy and a perfect accompaniment to any Asian meal.

I really love the concept of tasting plates - I like the sharing aspect, as well as the fact that you get to have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Variety and generosity is good. Tasting plates also look great, providing a lovely visual contrast of colours and textures. They are a great way to entertain too, allowing everyone to just help themselves - and any of those pesky, fussy eaters to pick away at what they like and leave what they don't. 

Tonight's recipes are so simple and fast that I have just written them below in note form. Feel free to modify them to suit you. Here is what we shared for dinner on this chilly winter Sunday night, rugged up on the couch.....

Sunday Night Asian Tasting Plate

Crispy Seasame Barramundi with Wasabi Mayonnaise, Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Oil and Soy Dressing, Fried Spiced Coriander and Pepper Tofu with Chilli Sauce

Method

For the Barramundi - I simply dusted the Barramundi with seasoned flour, dipped them in lightly beaten egg and then coated them in a mixture of 1/2 Panko breadcrumbs (you will find these in any Asian grocery store) and 1/2 sesame seeds. I then shallow fried the fish in peanut oil. The Wasabi mayo was just a couple of tablespoons of good quality aoli (garlic mayonnaise) I had in the fridge, mixed through with a generous amount of Wasabi paste. It can be as mild or as hot as you fancy.

For the Sugar Snap Peas - I steamed these for about a minute in the microwave and drizzled them with a couple of teaspoons each of soy sauce and sesame oil just before serving. I seasoned them with cracked pepper and sesame seeds to finish them off.

For the Tofu - I pounded together 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon of Szechuan pepper, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon sea salt. When it was finely ground, I added it to 2 tablespoons of plain flour and mixed it well. I tossed the cubed tofu in the flour and then shallow fried it until it started to turn golden and puffy.

While the tofu was still warm, I tossed through some chilli sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, a tablespoon of spring onion and seasoned well with salt and pepper. That's it - dinner!

******

Lovely Linguini

Today's menu combines my love of fresh seafood and pasta in a delicious, fresh tasting and easy to put together dish. I have used lovely new seasons local mussels and fresh prawns and teamed them with vine ripened tomatoes, a hint of chilli, crisp flat leaf parsley and the tang of lime. Finished off with a little butter at the last minute, it is rich tasting without being too heavy. You could of course us any seafood you like - scallops, clams, fish and calamari would work really well too. Add other herbs if you want to - dill, lemon thyme or chives would be a nice addition.

I made this dish for dinner last night and it took about half an hour from start to finish, including the cleaning of the prawns and mussels, so it is an ideal midweek dinner. It is also good looking and special enough to serve up to guests. As always, make sure that the seafood you have selected is absolutely fresh - anything less than first rate seafood will result in a second rate dish. This dish is not suitable to make ahead or freeze.

A note about the mussels - I prefer to use the black, local mussels - although it seems that the large, green lipped variety from New Zealand are more popular. Our local mussels are smaller, but they are also beautifully sweet and I find the flesh more delicate tasting. I will choose the local product over imports every time. A few years ago when I was visiting the South Island of New Zealand I ate their green lipped mussels and they were stunning, but shipping them thousands of kilometers from New Zealand to eat them in Australia really loses something taste wise - as well as the environmental impact of transporting them.

I am actually off to New Zealand for work next week (North Island this time) and I'm hoping to sample some of the beautiful produce they have to offer while I'm there. If the quaility is anything like the last time I visited, I will be in for a treat. Stay tuned for a report on what I find there and some pretty pics.

In the meantime, enjoy this lovely simple seafood pasta. Bon Appetit!

Mussel and prawn linguini with chilli and lime

 

You will need: About 150g dry linguini or pasta per person, 5 mussels per person, 5 whole raw prawns per person, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon minced chilli, 1 clove minced or finely grated garlic, grated rind of 1 lime, juice of 1 lime, 1 cup chopped continental parsley, 2 large tomatoes with the seeds removed and diced finely, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, extra olive oil.

Method: First, clean and debeard the mussels, then remove the heads and shells of the prawns (I leave the tails on for flavour and presentation) Don't forget to devein the prawns - no one likes to have a delicious dish ruined by having the gritty digestive tract left in!

Combine the paprika, a splash of olive oil, chilli, salt, garlic, lime rind and half of the lime juice in a bowl. Add the prawns and allow to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

In a seperate bowl, combine the tablespoon of olive oil, parsley, tomato, cayenne, the rest of the lime juice, parsley and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta until it is al dente - don't overcook it - it should by slightly firm to the touch. Drain the pasta and set it aside while you quickly finish the dish.

Put the empty pasta pan back on the heat and turn it up high. Add a splash of olive oil and when it is smoking add the prawns. Quickly cook the prawns (this should only take a minute) and then remove them from the pan. Turn down the heat a little. Add the mussels and put the lid on. Cook the mussels for a minute or so, until they steam open. Remove them from the pan and disgard any that do not open.

Return the cooked pasta to the pan and add the butter. Toss through until the butter is melted. Add the tomato mixtutre and all of the seafood. Mix gently until combined and season with salt and pepper.
Serve right away.

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The Spice Girls

Tonight's recipe is the result of another request from friends, who asked for a spicy beef salad that they could enjoy with the steamy hot weather we have been experiencing here in Sydney over the last few days. There is a very good reason that the hottest countries consume lots of chilli and their request made complete culinary sense given the season and the weather. So, Susan and Mary-Lou, spice girls that you are - this one is for you :)

This dish is very easy to throw together and it is also very versatile. Feel free to use spring onion instead of red onion, add sliced butter lettuce, a handful of bean sprouts or some snow peas if the mood takes you. If you want something a bit more substantial, then include some cooked rice noodles or vermicelli. Add bucketloads of chilli or just a touch and adjust the dressing to just how you like it - the measurements I have given are a starting point. I personally think this dish really works best with a decent amount of heat to it, but that's just me - I never feel I'm having a proper chilli experience unless I'm getting a bit of a sweat on :)

The key to this dish is to use super fresh ingredients - particularly the herbs. And please, if you don't have fresh limes, use fresh lemon. Don't be tempted by that hideous faux "lime juice" in the garish green bottles that you can buy on supermarket shelves. It is the work of Satan. Resist at all costs!!! I used topside steak for the recipe today, but if you are feeling a bit posh, then you can use fillet or another more premium cut. I personally think rump or topside is just fine though. It has a lot of flavour and as long as it is rested, it is succulent and tender. I cooked the meat in my grill pan, but of course if you have a BBQ, then it is perfect cooked that way. Actually, if I had a BBQ, that would be my preferred cooking method.

Okay, enough chit chat - here is tonight's dinner.....

Spicy Beef Salad

You will need:
For the salad: 500g rump or topside steak, 1 large lebanese cucumber deseeded and sliced, 1/2 finely sliced red onion, 1 small red capsicum or large bullhorn chilli deseeded and sliced, handful of cherry tomatoes sliced , handful of mint torn into pieces, bunch of coriander chopped roughly.

For the marinade: 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 tablepoon fish sauce (nam pla), 1 tablespoon palm sugar, pepper.

For the dressing: 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla), Juice of 1 lime, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 1-3 chopped red chillies ( I used 3 - I like it spicy)

To serve: 1 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts crushed roughly, wedges of lime

Method: Combine the marinade ingredients and add the meat. Season generously with pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 30mins (Overnight is even better)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add more chilli, pepper or sugar if required. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan until hot and cook the steak in one piece for about 3 minutes each side. I like my meat fairly rare, but if you prefer your meat a little more done, then allow another few minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and allow if to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

While the meat is resting, assemble the cucumber, capsicum, tomato, coriander, red onion and mint on a serving platter or individual plates.

Slice the steak into reasonably thick slices, being sure to cut across the grain. This will make for a much more tender result. Toss the meat through the salad ingredients and drizzle with the dressing. Serve topped with peanuts, a wedge of lime - and if you are a chilli masochist, extra chilli.

Serves 2-4 people

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Summer Sensation

I'm heading off to a BBQ this afternoon and when I asked my friend, the always delightful Jan-Jan (no, that's not her real name!) what I could bring, her request was this salad. It is probably the most popular salad I make and it always makes me think of Christmas, as I usually end up making it in December when the nectarines are in season. I have also served this dish as a beautiful summer entree and in a miniature form as a degustation course. It is very simple to put together and as well as tasting delicious, it looks lovely too.

This dish depends entirely on having good fresh ingredients - don't even consider making this dish if the nectarines are not great. This is a dish I only ever do at the height of the necatrine season when I know the flavour will be perfect. You can also substitute peaches if you like, and if watercress is tricky for you to buy where you live, then rocket is a good substitute. You want something a bit peppery to contrast with the sweetness of the nectarines and the saltiness of the proscuitto. Other forms of lettuces or greens with a milder flavour won't really do the dish justice, so it is really worth using either watercress or rocket.

This salad would be a really great addition to your Christmas table if you want something a bit out of the ordinary. It is fantastic served with chicken, turkey and all kinds of seafood.

You will need: For the salad 1 bunch watercress, 4 ripe nectarines sliced , 8 thin slices Prosciutto, 1/2 red (Spanish) onion sliced thinly, 1 lebanese cucumber (cut it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then slice to form half moon shapes), 2 Bocconcini (or a handful of baby bocconcini)

For the dressing 3 tablespoons each of extra virgin olive oil and maple syrup. Juice of half a lime, 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (if you can't find this you can substitute white wine vinegar but only use 1 1/2 tablespoons of it), generous dash of tabasco sauce, generous pinch of salt, plenty of freshly ground pepper, 1 clove crushed garlic.

Method: Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until it thickens (a fuss free way to make this is to throw it all into a jar and give it a good shake)
Arrange the watercress, then onion, cucumber, nectarine and bocconcini on a large, fairly flat serving platter. Tear up the prosciutto and arrange over the top of the salad. Just before serving, drzzle with the dressing.

Serves about 8 people.

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Cocktail Hour

Here at Gourmet Goddess central we love a cocktail. And being officially Christmas party season (and the fact that I have had a really shitty few days at work this week) I thought I would indulge in a sneaky bit of Friday afternoon cocktail action. So, here is a little Gourmet Goddess creation known as a Lychee Blush, made with my very own homemade musk vodka. (Recipe below) My musk vodka is a great addition to a whole range of cocktails - perfect with slightly tart juices such as cranberry and pomegranate. Tonight's cocktail combines lychee juice, lime and a decent slug of vodka and gin to make a gorgeous looking, delicious cocktail perfect for those Christmas drinks parties. Be warned though - easy to drink and yummy as it is, it packs a punch, so keep yourselves nice!

Lychee Blush

1 measure of Gin (I prefer Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire)
3 measures Musk Vodka*
4 measures lychee juice
A squeeze of lime
Lime slice to serve

Combine ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake well and serve in a martini glass with a slice of lime.



To make Musk Vodka: Take a bottle of Vodka and decant about a fifth of it. (Preferably into a waiting ice filled glass with lime and soda, but that's just me!) then, take a couple of packets of musk sticks - yes, those lollies you used to eat as a child. Put the musk sticks in the bottle and put the lid back on. Shake well. Over the next couple of days, give the Vodka a shake. The musk sticks will dissolve and you will be left with pink, musk flavoured vodka. You will notice a little bit of pale coloured sediment as the vodka settles. Just strain it out when you come to use it.

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Very Vietnamese

Michael and I are in the midst of planning a trip to Vietnam (and Cambodia) in February 2010 and I must admit that the last few days of reading about the place, talking about it and looking at pictures of it has inspired me to post today's recipe. I am fortunate enough to live in a place that has a large Vietnamese population, which means I am very spoilt for Vietnamese restaurants, butchers, fishmongers, coffee houses and markets. Ingredients are very cheap and accessable and I eat Vietnamese food regularly. It is by far my favourite Asian cuisine- light, full of flavour and beautiful textures. I'm very excited about the prospect of eating Vietnamese food in Vietnam and seeing how different (or not) it is from what is made here by the Vietnamese in my own neighbourhood.

In warm weather, there is nothing nicer than a fresh Vietnamese salad, full of fresh herbs, chilli and the tang of lime and fish sauce (Nam Pla) My recipe today also includes prawns, baby calamari and lean pork with lightly pickled vegetables. The dressing is based on Nuoc Cham, which is a common Vietnamese dipping sauce served with a whole range of dishes, spring rolls, fried chicken and salads. Today's dish would make a lovely addition to a BBQ, plated individually as an entree or even as something different for your Christmas lunch table. You can prepare all of the components a few hours ahead and then cook the pork and seafood at the last minute and just assemble and dress the dish at the last minute. As always, go as light or as heavy on the chilli as you wish. I love this salad - hope you do too.

Vietnamese pork and seafood salad

You will need: (For the salad) 2 pork chops trimmed and boned, 6 raw king prawns peeled and cleaned,1 medium or 2 small Calamari cleaned and cut into rings, 20cm piece lemongrass cut into thin slices, 3 chopped cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons vegetable/peanut oil, 1 teaspoon chilli oil, salt, pepper, A handful each of fresh coriander, mint, snowpea/bean sprouts, 1 small cucumber, 1 small carrot, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts, lime wedges to serve.

(For the dressing) 2 tablespoons each of fish sauce (Nam Pla), rice vinegar and palm or coconut sugar. 1 - 2 redchillies finely chopped, juice of 1 lime.

Method: In a food processor or mortar and pestle (I use the latter - less hassle) combine the lemongrass and garlic with a generous pinch of salt. The mixture does not have to be fine - this is a rustic dish, so it can be quite coarse. Add the vegetable and chilli oil. Divide the mixture in half and combine with the pork and the seafood in seperate bowls. Cover and allow to marinate for at least half an hour (or overnight)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

De-seed the cucumber and chop into juliennes along with the carrot. Combine with the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to pickle for half an hour.

When you are ready to serve, pan fry or BBQ the pork and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips. In a very hot pan, hotplate or wok, cook the seafood - this will only take a couple of minutes. Be careful not to overcook it.

Drain the excess rice vinegar from the vegetables. Combine all of the ingredients together, add the dressing and serve immediately with wedges of lime, peanuts and extra chilli.

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Spring Zing

I was craving something fresh tasting and easy for dinner this week and nothing says fresh to me like lime. Limes are lovely at the moment and are so packed full of delicious flavour so I decided to put together a dish with the new season's limes as a centerpiece. My local Greek deli had some pretty gorgeous looking Haloumi cheese in stock on the day, so I thought I would include that too. I am a total salt junkie and I find the briny tang of Haloumi cheese delightful. If you are unfamiliar with Haloumi, it is a mild, salty cheese from Cyprus, traditionally made with a mixture of goat and cow's milk. (I have also seen Haloumi made with just cow's milk in Australia) It frequently contains a touch of mint which just adds to the great flavour. Because Haloumi has a high melting point, it is ideal for grilling or pan frying.

This dish is really fast to throw together and is ridiculously easy to make. The key to the dish though is to cook the skewers almost completely before basting it with the marinade. The maple syrup in the basting sauce will caramelise really quickly due to the sugar content in it, so if you baste too soon you are going to end up with horrible burnt skewers that will probably still be raw in the middle. Not good.

Feel free to play around with the marinade - you could add chilli or ginger, or even five spice or ground coriander for a more Asian vibe. My version below is a simple one because I was starving and didn't want to mess around too much! These would make a lovely finger food or just something tasty for the BBQ. Prawns or fish would also taste great. And if you are vegetarian, just omit the chicken and use chunks of Haloumi and zucchini instead. Delicious.

Chicken and Haloumi Skewers with caramelised lime

You will need (For 6 Skewers) 6 wooden skewers soaked in water for 30mins, 2 boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks, 1 piece haloumi cheese about 5x10cm long, 2 limes, 3 cloves garlic chopped finely, 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus 1 teaspoon extra), 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, generous pinch cayenne pepper or chilli, generous pinch salt.

Method: Combine a third of the garlic with the teaspoon of olive oil and combine with the chopped chicken. Season well and allow to marinate for about 10mins.

Juice one of the limes and mix together with the remaining olive oil, maple syrup, paprika, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper. Whisk together well and set aside. This will be your basting sauce.

Slice the remaining lime into 6 wedges. Cut the Haloumi into cubes around the same size as the chicken. Gently thread the chicken and haloumi onto the skewers, alternating ingredients and ending with a wedge of lime.

Cook the skewers on a hot BBQ, grill or frypan until almost cooked through. Be careful when you turn them so that you do not break up the Haloumi. When the chicken is almost cooked through, baste the skewers with the lime and maple basting sauce, turning often. The maple will begin to caramelise and turn brown at this stage. Watch that the heat is not too over the top - the sugar in the maple syrup will burn easily so keep an eye on it.

Let the skewers rest for 5 minutes before serving. See, wasn't that easy??? Now sit and have yourself a nice gin and tonic. Just to use up any lime of course :)

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Zing! Zing!

The weather has really warmed up in the last few days (despite it supposedly being winter!) so last night I was really in the mood for something that was light and fresh, instead of the heavier winter food that I have been eating lately. I was also in a seafood mood so I stopped by the fishmonger on the way home to see what was on offer. He had some beautiful fresh whole calamari as well as scallops (my favourite) and some ocean caught prawns. I used these as the basis for today's recipe - a light seafood pasta dish, flavoured with chilli, lime, mint and fetta. This is quick and simple, with lovely zingy flavours that work well with the fresh seafood. Don't be bound by the amounts I have given in the recipe - feel free to use as much or as little seafood as you like. It is a very forgiving dish, so do it your way. Enjoy!

Zingy Seafood Spaghetti with Lime,Chilli, Mint and Fetta

You will need: Spaghetti, 2 tomatoes de-seeded and diced finely, 1-2 hot chillies finely chopped, 1 tablespoon each of fresh mint and continental parsley chopped finely, Juice of 1 fresh lime plus extra lime wedges to serve (Please don't even think about using anything but fresh lime for this - say NO to the one in a plastic container off the supermarket shelf!!!) , 1/3 cup crumbled Fetta cheese, olive oil (I used a good fruity extra virgin one) 100g scallops, 6 large prawns shelled and deveined, 1 large or 2 smallish calamari - cleaned and cut into rings. (Don't throw out the tenatcles - use them too), 1 tablespoon plain flour, salt, pepper, A few drops of Tabasco or hot sauce (optional), A few tablespoons vegetable oil for frying.

Method: Combine the tomatoes, chilli, mint, lime juice and parsley in a bowl with a generous splash of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put your spaghetti on to cook in plenty of salted boiling water. While the spaghetti is cooking, move your attention to the seafood. Place your seafood in a bowl, season well with salt, pepper, tabasco and sprinkle with the flour. Mix it through well.

Heat the vegetable oil in a hot frypan and cook the seafood in batches till golden. Be careful not to overcook it, it will only take a very short time to be ready. Set the seafood aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then return it to the pot. Add the tomato mixture, seafood, a generous splash of olive oil and Fetta cheese - combine well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if required.

Serve right away with extra lime wedges. Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are!

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