Summer salad days - with quinoa

Salads as a child tended to be the fairly dull wedges of iceberg lettuce, chunks of tomato and cucumber, with the occasional addition of some crisp green capsicum, slivers of red onion and a sprinkling of sprouts. Generally splashed with some vinaigrette. Vastly different from today. In fact, the only time I bought iceberg lettuce in recent years was when dad come for a visit as it was the only lettuce he liked. Having said that, the old iceberg is pretty good when drowned in a blue cheese dressing. Dad's favourite.

But I digress.

I was asked yesterday for some salad ideas that are more substantial than just a green salad. Two of my favourite ingredients for a salad are couscous and quinoa. And I generally use them interchangeably.

Quinoa salad

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is the seed of a pseudocereal (which means it comes from a broadleaf plant rather than a grass, which most grains come from) that originated in South America. It's gluten free, and it is a complete protein source as it has a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it a great alternative for coeliacs and vegetarians/vegans. It also tastes great - slightly nutty - and is delicious used as an alternative to oats in porridge or rice in creamed rice (yuk!) or as a savoury dish.

Quinoa is cooked in a similar fashion to rice - using the absorption method

Cooked quinoa has a white edge around it with a translucent centre

This salad is pretty simple, and can be either an accompaniment to meat or fish or a meal on its own.

What you need:

1 cup raw quinoa
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup of pepita seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped basil and/or Italian parsley (about a bunch)
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
1/2 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into thirds
1 piece of preserved lemon, finely chopped (optional)
juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
cracked black pepper

What to do:

1. Cook the quinoa according to directions on the packet. Once cooked, put it into a large bowl to cool
2. Dry-fry the pepita and sunflower seeds - I just do this on the stove in a fry pan with no oil. It takes about 2 minutes, but be careful to watch them so they don't burn
3. Steam the asparagus - I do it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. 
4. Once the quinoa has cooled slightly, add all the other ingredients and mix together. 
5. Serve as part of a meal - I love it with BBQ chicken or lamb. 

This makes enough for 4 people as a meal or about 8 as a side. It tastes even better the next day. 

Beautiful orange balsamic (left) and blood orange olive oil (right)

Options:

I have made it before using leftover roast veggies (pumpkin, fennel and beetroot are particularly good), adding some fetta or goats cheese and olives, using flavoured olive oils (my current favourite is a beautiful blood orange oil I bought from the Black Pearl Epicure warehouse sale) or flavoured vinegars (again, a gorgeous bright orange balsamic vinegar also from Black Pearl). 

While I have listed this as a summer salad, it's also great in winter. 

What are your favourite summer salads?

Eat. Drink. Blog. What I'm looking forward to...

Only 5 sleeps until Eat. Drink. Blog. The Australian Food and Drink Blogger's Conference.

AND. I. CANNOT. WAIT. !!!!

I have wanted to go to another food blogger's conference ever since I went to BlogHer Food in San Francisco last October {I also want to go again when it is on in Seattle in June 2012 - anyone want to sponsor me?}. I had SUCH A BLAST! I think the best part was getting to talk to a heap of other bloggers and learn what they love, what their blogs are about and, of course, getting lots of advice on how to be a better blogger. I came home so inspired!

But...

after a year filled with life, love and drama, that inspiration is waning a bit.

So I was SO EXCITED to be told I had a spot at Eat. Drink. Blog.

This is what I'm looking forward to the most:

• actually getting there. Shouldn't be a problem. I now have flights booked with Qantas AND Virgin. Yes, I panic booked Virgin flights on Sunday. 
• meeting bloggers who to date I've only been chatting to on blogs or on twitter 
• being inspired by the amazing line up of speakers 
• learning more about food styling and food photography - two areas I am aware that I lack a few {ok, a lot} of skills in
• meeting Jules from Stonesoup - her blog is one of my favourites despite my having no idea how to cook with only 5 ingredients... and her photography is just gorgeous
• meeting Valerie Khoo who I sometimes talk to on twitter, because we have many mutual friends. And because I want to be a better writer. 

Mostly though, I'm looking forward to being inspired again. To get my blogging - and my food - mojo back. It's been hiding for a while and I miss it. 

As I sit here writing this, an email pops into my inbox from the organisers of Eat. Drink. Blog. With more information. And a list of attendees. I'm off now to check out some more blogs. And to say hi to a few new-to-me food bloggers on twitter. 

Only 5 sleeps to go. Not that I'm counting. 

Are you going to Eat. Drink. Blog.? What are you looking forward to? 

And the winner is... {Vita-Wheat lunch slices comp}

Thanks to all of you who entered! Sadly we can only have 1 winner, and the winner is...

Blithe!

I have to confess, anything with gorgonzola is a real winner for me. And teamed with proscuitto and fresh fig made it pretty compelling. I also loved that it was her fantasy topping. I have fantasy versus reality foods too. Usually at breakfast when I want bacon but end up having no-fat yogurt. *sigh*

Blithe, can you please pop me an email {mel@melkettle.com.au} with your contact details and I'll arrange for this gorgeous hamper to be delivered!

HUGE thanks again to Vita-Wheat Lunch Slices for providing the prize, and my samples. Nom nom nom...

New! Vita-Wheat Lunch Slices - and a competition {sponsored post}

Argh! What am I going to have for lunch! It's a frequent question I ask myself, generally around 11.30am. As I work from home I often have leftovers, or, even better, take the time to cook something yummy. But leftovers can sometimes be a bit boring {especially on the 3rd day...}. And I don't always have time or desire to cook. 


So when the lovely people at The Soup asked me if I wanted to try the new Vita-Wheat Lunch Slices, OF COURSE I said yes.

So. What are they like? Well, they are basically like regular Vita-Wheat biscuits on steroids! More than twice the size, and packed full of seeds and grains, they are a great alternative to bread for lunch.

I was sent sample packs of each of the four varieties - soy and linseed; sunflower, oats and chia; poppy, sunflower and rye; and sunflower, pumpkin and canola. I'd tell you my favourite but they are all pretty good! What I REALLY like is that I can pronounce all the ingredients. And yes, my grandmothers would have been familiar with them all too.

As well as sending me a bunch of samples, I've also been given a fabulous prize to give-away. This GREAT hamper will go to my reader who comes up with the most delicious sounding topping combo. So get your thinking caps on!

The prize!

To get you started, these are two of my favourites:

• avocado, smoked salmon, red onion and capers
• baba ganoush, leftover BBQ chicken and tomato

Baba ganoush, leftover BBQ chicken, tomato - I added a bit of lime salt. SO GOOD!

Avocado, smoked salmon, red onion rings and a couple of capers. 

So. To be in the running to win, tell me your favourite topping combo to go on the new Vita-Wheat Lunch Slices. The best answer will win the hamper of goodies. 

Competition closes at 5pm Brisbane time, Monday 24 October 2011. ENTER NOW! 

Read the fine print. 

P.S.  Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you if you want to enter the comp {so I can contact you if you win!} - either link to your website or email me mel AT melkettle.com.au 

Maple crunchola breakfast

It's no secret that breakfast is my absolutely all time favourite meal. Especially when bacon is involved. Sadly though, my body rebels when I eat bacon every day. I know. I don't know why either. Pesky extra kilos. Grrr.

So in my attempt to shed a bit of bacon-induced flab and to get a few more nuts, seeds and grains into my bod, I'm eating this a couple of times a week for my break-the-fast meal.

mmmm breakfast mmmm

I first had a version of this when hubby and I had a romantic weekend at Coolum about 4 years ago. We stayed at The Dome House, an absolutely sensational B&B near the base of Mt Coolum. We had a few gorgeous weekends here, and Di and Pete were fabulous hosts. Sadly (for us, not for them) they packed up a couple of years ago to go travelling, so The Dome House no longer operates as a B&B.

But I digress.

Breakfast each morning was a total smorgasbord of delight. The type I always say I'll make at home on a Sunday but never do. This however, I have made many times. And it's always a winner.

I've always thought this was gluten free, but was horrified to read that the packets of a few ingredients "may contain gluten" when I made it recently. I can only assume that is from processing on machines that have wheat through them. Luckily I'm not a coeliac, although I have fed it to a few who are. SORRY if you had any horrible side effects...

In this version I used:

• 2 cups puffed corn
• 2 cups puffed kamut
• 1 cup puffed millet (this was a new addition this time - DELISH!)
• 1 cup rice flakes
• 1 cup pepita seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 cups macademia nuts (or any mixed and unsalted nuts)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup (none of that fake horrible kind! And definitely NOT the sugar free kind! ICK. WHO buys that? and why.......)

Preheat oven to 180c.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, adding the maple syrup last, mix well.

all in the bowl

and now with the maple syrup...

Spread out on a baking tray (I use the grill tray as it's a bit deeper and can hold the whole amount) covered with a silicon mat or baking paper. Bake for 5 minutes, give it a stir, bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

after baking

The baking makes all the ingredients lovely and crunchy.

Store in an airtight container for up at a month. If it lasts that long.

Variations:
I have used all sorts of nuts in this, and I normally use at least 2 types - other favourites are pecans, unsalted cashews and almonds.

I have also used rice puffs or any other type of puffed cereal. And if you don't have maple syrup or it's too exxy, use honey instead. Or golden syrup.

For breakfast I have it on top of plain yogurt (my current favourite is Tamar Valley - have you had it? Just sensational!) with a bit of fruit - berries, mango, banana or whatever you like that is in season. It is soooo good! While I normally have a larger serving than the one pictured above, you don't need a lot of the crunchola to get the flavour and texture.

What is your favourite breakfast that doesn't involve bacon?

Cookbook review: South East Asian Food

They say never judge a book by its cover, and I really, really try not to. But for this book make an exception. Please. The cover is absolutely stunning. As everyone who has seen this book on my dining table has commented. The recipes throughout are equally gorgeous.

Other than the cover, a couple of things struck me about this book. There are no pictures. Rare in cookbooks in Australia these days. PLEASE don't let that put you off! And as I looked through it, seeking a couple of vegetarian dishes to cook for my photographer friend Jen (who took these stunning photos), I discovered that there aren't any. BUT don't let that stop you from enjoying this book either!

So many of the mouth-watering pastes and sauces can just as easily be used with veggies. Such as the couple I made. But more about those soon.

Rosemary Brissenden {read here for an interview} originally wrote this book over 50 years ago, when it was the among the first to discuss and characterise food from South East Asia. Additions to this edition - which has been completely rewritten - are sections on Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Countries that were less than accessible in the 1960s and 70s! Rosemary's background in international relations is apparent as each section includes a fascinating overview of the cultural and historical context of food in these countries.

While there are many books around with 30-minute Asian dinners, this book is not one of them. There are no "short-cuts" to be had with pre-made spices or sauces. All these are made from scratch, mostly with a trusty mortar and pestle {although I did cheat with one of them and used my thermomix to grind the spices}. Which means you also need to have a bit of time. And plan ahead.

Some of the spices used - ginger, garlic {grown outside Brisbane}, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cumin, chilli, fennel

The three recipes I made were all from the Malaysia and Singapore section:

• Dry chicken curry
• Tandoori chicken {Malaysian Indian} 
• Cucumber raita {Malaysian Indian}

Tandoori chicken is a favourite in this house. Usually courtesy of Patak's. But not any more! The flavours of each of the spices in this dish - coriander seed, cumin seed, chillis, garlic, ginger - were all so subtle yet blended to give a zing you just don't get with a pre-made paste.

Tandoori chicken with rice

The second dish, Dry Chicken Curry, was even more powerful on the tastebuds. The cardamom and cinnamon flavours lingered throughout our house for hours, creating a warming, Christmassy feel {which was a bit odd for an overly hot day in early Spring!}.

To make the Dry Chicken Curry:

• 1 chicken, skin removed, cut into curry pieces {I cheated a bit here and used 1kg of thigh cutlets}
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 cup water
• 2 small potatoes, quartered
• salt to taste

Paste spices

• 2 tbs ground coriander
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
• 1/2 tsp ground chillies (or more to taste)
• 3 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2.5cm piece of ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 6 shallots, sliced

Quite cleverly I didn't clearly read the recipe before I shopped, so I didn't have any curry leaves {and sadly neither did the curry tree in the back yard} and I forgot to buy shallots {I used a small brown onion instead}.

To make the spice paste, grind the dry spices to a powder in a mortar or a food processor {I used my trusty thermomix}. Add the garlic, ginger, shallots {onion...} and mash to a paste. Mix with the chicken pieces, cover bowl, pop in the fridge and let it marinate for 2 hours.

This was my tandoori paste before adding yogurt. Looks good doesn't it!

Once marinated, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and curry leaves until the onion is golden. Add the chicken and all the spice paste and fry until fragrant {the fragrance will hit  you immediately! So fry for 5-6 minutes, making sure each piece of chicken browns all over}.

Add water, salt, potatoes and cook until chicken is tender, potatoes cooked, and gravy is almost dry. Stir well and serve with rice and cucumber raita.

What I loved about this curry is that it would be equally good with a firm white fish or pork or a big mound of veggies.

Dry chicken curry - sooooo good.....

There are so many mouth-watering recipes in this book. Especially in the Vietnamese section. And the Thai section. And the Cambodian section. Oh you know. The whole book!

What is your favourite South East Asian recipe? And cookbook?

Two big thank yous:

1. Jen Dainer, who took all these gorgeous photos - check her out at Industrial Arc Photography
2. Hardie Grant - who sent me a copy of this stunning book. 

THANK YOU!!!

Date and pecan loaf

For those who haven't seen my tweets, this week I'm on special at Woollies. OK, so not ME per se, but this recipe is included in the recipe booklet that is included with the special offer by Lurpak - a special pack with a Lurpak branded loaf tin, 2 x 250g packs of delicious Lurpak unsalted butter and the booklet! 

Lurpak special baking tin offer - at Woolworths. GO NOW!

Many of you know that I was invited to be a Friend of Lurpak, and part of this was to provide a recipe. The other part was to judge their baking competition - thanks to everyone who entered - you can see some of the amazing creations here and the winners here. 

When Lurpak asked me to provide a recipe that could be baked in a loaf tin, I immediately thought of this. I made quite a few varieties of this during #bakedrelief, and it was always a winner! 

However the main reason I love this recipe is that gorgeous and hard-to-pass-up combination of dates and pecans. Also because it’s easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes to mix all the ingredients together before throwing it in the oven. It’s perfect for the office morning tea, the 3pm snack, or just to have with a cuppa!

Afternoon tea. 

Ingredients

200g dates, chopped

100g brown sugar

60g lightly salted Lurpak butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup boiling water

260g self raising flour, sifted

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp cinnamon

75g pecans, chopped

Method

• Assemble all your ingredients
• Preheat oven to 180c
• Fill the kettle with water and turn it on to boil
• Grease Lurpak baking tin with Lurpak butter and line with greaseproof paper
• Place the dates, brown sugar, Lurpak butter and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl
• Pour in the boiling water and stir until the Lurpak butter has completely melted
• Add in the flour, bicarbonate soda and cinnamon and mix together using a wooden spoon - be careful not to over-mix
• Stir the pecans into the mix
• Scrape the mixture into the Lurpak baking tin

Pre-cooked. I challenge you to resist eating that raw batter. mmmmm 

• Bake for 50-55 minutes. 
• Leave to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cake rack and remove the baking paper. 

So, so good. 

• Serve in slices, spread with Lurpak butter. Delicious with a cup of tea! 

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This also freezes really well for up to 3 months - I ALWAYS have one in the freezer for when friends unexpectedly drop in! 

Note: The pecans could easily be swapped for walnuts or left out if you don’t like them

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Lurpak for providing me with the butter and the baking tin to make this recipe. And of course, for inviting me to be a Friend of Lurpak. 

Chunky oatey choc-orange biscuits

These are one of my favourite bikkies and sooo easy and quick to make. And they are sort of healthy too. At least, that's what I tell myself. Dark chocolate is good for you. Right? And I love how the orange zest adds a bit of zing.

What you need:

• 150g unsalted Lurpak* butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 130g rolled oats
• 70g oat bran
• 200g block of dark chocolate (I like the 70% cocoa)
• zest of 1 orange

What you do:

• Turn the oven onto 180c to preheat
• Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper
• Break the chocolate into chunks and set aside {this is my favourite step as I normally give it a couple of big thwacks with a heavy-duty rolling pin - great if you are irritated with anyone...}
• Place the butter and sugars into a large-ish mixing bowl and beat until creamy {using an electric mixer if you have one, or a wooden spoon if you want to give those arm muscles a good workout}
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined into the butter/sugar
• Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and add the oats, oat bran,chocolate chunks and orange zest {I usually zest the orange over the bowl rather than prepping it earlier}
• Stir until it's well combined {I normally roll up my sleeves and mix with my hands as it's too thick for most electric mixers}
• Shape the mix into walnut sized balls and place on the lined baking tray and squish them a bit with a fork {sorry - no photo of the squishy balls - forgot...}

Pre-squish. 

• Bake them for about 15 minutes or until a light golden colour
• Once cooked, leave them on the tray to cool for a few minutes before popping them onto a wire rack to completely cool

These should last about 4-5 days in an air-tight container. Assuming no hungry kids, hubbys or girlfriends find them first. And eat them all. As once happened to me. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! 

What are your favourite bikkies? 

* DISCLAIMER: I'm a Friend of Lurpak, but I've loved their butter for a long time. Especially on toast with Vegemite. Check out The Lurpak Challenge - entries close soon!

Veggies for breakfast - my scrambled-omlette

I have a few friends who will recoil in horror from this post {no need to name names - you know who you are!} as they believe veggies are disgusting. Well, I don't. But like many, I certainly used to! When I was a kid. And yes, there are still a few that make my stomach churn. But that's a topic for another day.

Back to veggies for breakfast. I'm really lucky to work from home, which means I have the luxury of taking a bit of extra time to make breakfast. As I don't have to bolt to the train while scoffing that second piece of Vegemite on toast. Because I'm late. Again.

One of my favourite breakfast foods would have to be eggs. These little protein pellets fill my belly in a way toast or cereal never could! Especially when cooked with a few veggies. AND this helps my eat my 2+5 every day.

One of my favourite breakfasts is what I like to call a scrambled-omlette. I'll never be a chef as the perfect looking omelette has ALWAYS eluded me. Hence my scrambled-omlette.

This was todays version. And yes the photos are terrible, but I was STARVING. And it was cold this morning and I wanted to eat my breakfast while it was hot!

Feeds 1.

What you need:

• small blob of butter (I love Lurpak*!) or spray of olive oil
• half a zucchini, sliced thinly 
• 3-4 mushrooms, sliced (depends a bit on size - I used button mushies today)
• 1 egg
• splash of milk 
• 3 teaspoons of cottage cheese
• parmesan cheese for grating
• salt and pepper

What you do:

Turn the stove onto a medium heat. Spray your small skillet with olive oil or melt the butter and saute the zucchini and mushrooms until soft, stirring often.

While they are cooking, mix the egg with a splash of milk {about the amount that would fill 1/2 an eggshell at the MOST}, mix in a taste of salt and pepper. Once the veggie mix is cooked {this normally takes 3-4 minutes}, turn the stove down to low, add the egg mix, plop about 3 generous teaspoons of cottage cheese on top and cover until cooked {this takes 1-2 minutes, depending on how hot the stove is and how runny you like your egg}.

Once it's cooked, serve it up and grate a bit of parmesan on top! Add extra cracked pepper and/or salt {although I find the cheese gives it enough of a salty taste}. You could have it with some toast, but I normally just have it on it's own.

Scrambled-omlette with zucchini and mushroom. Yumbo!

A few variations - I often add red capsicum instead of zucchini, or a bit of bacon, or whatever veg I have in the fridge. If I'm extra hungry I'll use two eggs {but I'm trying to limit my eggs to only 1 most days as my cholesterol doesn't like me to eat more than about 6 eggs a week ...}.

What's your favourite way to incorporate a few veggies into your breakfast?


* DISCLAIMER: I'm a Friend of Lurpak, but I've loved their butter for a long time. Especially on toast with Vegemite. Check out The Lurpak Challenge - entries close soon!

Lentil-bol

I love lentils. And I really don't cook with them often enough. And I don't know why. They are easy to cook, cheap, full of fibre and other stuff nutritionists love, low in calories, and really, really yummy!

When I was a kid, mum used to always add lentils to her spag bol to add extra "goodness" and to make the mince go further. I say "goodness" because I really wasn't a lentil lover until probably my early 20s. However I did love her spag bol. Despite years of trying I've never been able to replicate the flavour. Maybe one day...

Anyway, this dish is my version of lentil-bol. Sans mince as I'm trying to cut down the amount of meat I eat.

Lentil-bol. All it needed was a glass of red!

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 150g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 x 400g can of lentils, drained and rinsed
• 2 x 400g cans of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water or red wine
• dash of tabasco
• teaspoon or 2 of herbs/spices - I used chipotle spice, but you could use Italian herbs, paprika, cumin or whatever takes your fancy
• pasta {I like spaghetti or linguine or fettucine}
• parmesan cheese for serving

What you do

• Heat the oil in a medium-large frypan on medium heat
• Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until pale {stir so it doesn't catch}
• Add the red pepper and mushroom and stir through for 2 minutes
• Add the lentils, tomatoes, water/red wine, tabasco and herbs and spices, stir to combine
• Lower the heat, cover the frypan and let the mixture simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes or so
• About 10-15 minutes before you want to eat, cook the pasta according to directions. 
• Serve up and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top. 

This is even better a day or two after it's been made {I love it for lunch too}. It would be PERFECT with a glass of red, but as I'm trying to have 5 alcohol free days a week while I'm doing my 12 week body transformation challenge, I refrained. Yes, I know. Very unlike me.

This serves 4, and if you are doing the 12wbt, it's about 160 calories per serve - without the wine, pasta or parmesan {I know, I know, all the good stuff *sigh*}. Also very yummy served over a baked potato or sweet potato. 

What is your favourite way of eating lentils? 

Eating healthy - Thai beef salad

So I know that it's nearly winter, and that winter is really not the time for salad, but I'm trying to be healthy and lose weight. So salads it is! And with the glorious weather we have been having in Brisbane lately, you would never know that next week marks the official start of winter. {I'm discounting that it's currently bucketing down outside, and mentally transporting myself back to yesterday when I wore shorts and a tank top. And made this salad.}

Thai beef salad - yummo!

So, the health kick. I've decided that since my hubby has recently lost a heap of weight and looks great, that I need to get into gear and play catch up. And sadly my hips seem to have found a few at least 2-3 of the kilos he lost {don't you just HATE that?}. Like many, I have signed up to do the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation {#12wbt if you are on twitter}.

Today is day 1. And I'm determined to get off to a good start! Despite just accepting an invitation to attend the Brisbane Cheese Awards announcement breakfast {if you love cheese then pop along to the People's Day on Sunday 5 June at Portside - it will be a great day! With a lot of cheese}.

But back to my salad.

It's sooo easy and so full of flavour.

What you need:
400g beef fillet
salt and pepper
150g Vermicilli bean thread noodles (the Asian variety - I normally use the Pandaroo brand)
1 cucumber, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large red capsicum, deseeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced finely
1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped (stalks and leaves only)
1 bunch of fresh Thai basil, remove the leaves and tear them into smaller pieces


For the sauce
juice of 1-2 limes (start with 1, add extra to taste)
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli chopped finely

What you do:

• Heat the oven to 180c. 
• Season the beef on a baking tray with salt and pepper. 
• Roast the beef for about 20 minutes so it is still pink (I usually use a larger piece of beef so there are leftovers, but you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly).
• Remove the beef from the oven once it's cooked to your liking (rare, medium, well done) and leave it to rest for 15 minutes while you make the salad and the sauce.
• Once the beef has rested, slice it thinly
• To make the sauce - stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Let it sit for 15 minutes at least for the flavours to develop. Add extra lime, sugar or fish sauce as necessary to taste. 
• Cook the bean thread noodles according to the directions on the packet (it takes about 2 minutes in a pot of boiling water). Drain and leave to cool
• To make the salad, place all ingredients into a large bowl and gently toss together. 
• To assemble - place the bean thread noodles on the bottom of 4 plates,  add the salad, add the beef, spoon over the dressing. 

This is also gorgeous as leftovers for lunch the next day. 

What's your favourite healthy meal? 

Bone suckin' good!

OMG this stuff is AMAZING. A massive thanks to Black Pearl Epicure who invited me to trial a new product (new to them that is!) and if I liked it, would I blog it. LIKE it - I LOVE it!

IT is an American product called Bone Suckin' Sauce. Now, I hear what you are saying. It's American. It will be full of ghastly high fructose corn syrup {a scourge of waaaay too many foods}. Well, no, it's not! I know! Quel surprise! {oops wrong country. Really meant to say "holy smokes Batman!"}.

AND there are no preservatives and it is gluten free. Win all around.

There are loads of ways you could use this sauce - I kept it simple, and just used it to marinate some chicken drumsticks, so I could get the full and unadulterated flavour. Sooo simple. The 10yo stepson {readers will be aware of his pickiness when it comes to so many foods} LOVED it. And has requested it again and again.

So, what I did was this:

I scored {actually, I forgot, but you should score} the chicken drumsticks, placed them in a bowl, then added about 1/3 jar of the sauce. Rub the sauce over the chicken pieces making sure the sauce gets into the scored bits.

Cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge for 3-4 hours {I didn't actually do this bit either - it was Friday night, we were hungry, it was getting late, I was a bit disorganised - we've all been there!}.

Preheat your oven to 180c, then pop the chicken pieces onto a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, turning the drumsticks every 15 minutes or so.

You can see here there are only 7 drumsticks. That was perhaps my biggest mistake with this dish. I should have cooked 70. Or at least 17. They were bone suckin'ly good.

I served them with roast potato pieces and a simple salad. Delicious.

There is also a hot version of the Bone Suckin' Sauce. We haven't tried that yet - will do so soon. I've also made this using chicken thigh fillets that I cooked on the BBQ instead of in the oven. They took about 15 minutes on the BBQ.

Home made baked beans

OK. It's confession time. I've never liked baked beans. There. I've said it. Ick. No, double ick. Which was unfortunate growing up because they were loved by a particular member who used to "encourage" me to try them in the belief that sooner or later my tastes would change.

Well, the good news is that my tastebuds now DO love baked beans, but only the homemade variety, not the ones out of a can. Sorry Mr Heinz.

The first time I tried proper baked beans was when I lived in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada {I won't be surprised if you haven't heard of Brandon - it's a small city in the middle of Canada. Freezing in winter, very hot in summer. I loved it.}. I was there on a Rotary Exchange after high school, and one of my host mums {moms} was from Quebec where baked beans are revered.

I'm sure you can imagine my "delight" when I came home from school one afternoon to be excitedly told by my host sisters that we were having baked beans for dinner.  All I could think of was "gee, yum" {insert appropriate sarcasm levels}.

Well, I was SO WRONG. They were AMAZING. Made from scratch {soaked, cooked beans and all} and baked for at least 8 hours in the oven.

My baked beans recipe below is quite a bit spicier than I remember Odette's being. I also cheated and used tinned beans, and cooked them on the stove top rather than in the oven - it was a hot day in February rather than the -30c it was in Brandon! So it took about 2 hours not 8.

Simmering on the stove - I used a flattish casserole dish

What you need:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped into smallish pieces
• 150g bacon, rind and fat removed, diced {or chopped into smallish pieces as per my description above when my brain forgot the word I was looking for...!}
• 3 tins cannellini beans
• 1 tin crushed or chopped tomatoes
• 1 chipotle chilli in adobo sauce, chopped finely {optional, but try and find them as they add a gorgeous smokey heat to the dish}
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbs golden syrup
• 2 tbs tomato sauce {ketchup}
• 1 tbs Worcester sauce
• salt and pepper

What you do:

• In a large frypan or casserole dish heat the oil {using a medium heat}, then add the onion and bacon. Cook, stirring every minute or so, for about 5-6 minutes, until cooked
• Add all the other ingredients {in the order listed above} and stir gently. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat all the way down to low so the mixture is simmering slowly. 
• Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes. If it looks like it is drying out, add some water. 
• My favourite serving option is to have it with a poached egg for breakfast. You could also serve it with crusty bread or a salad. 

If you are a vegetarian or don't eat pork products, just leave out the bacon. And if you require gluten free, just make sure the bacon and the sauces comply.

Makes enough for a crowd. Or breakfast everyday for a bit over a week. The next batch I'll be portioning and freezing.

With the perfect poached egg on top - a completely sensational breakfast that keeps me full for ages!

I'll be making these again this week, as the aforementioned family member is coming for a visit. Let's hope he loves this version as much as I do.

WIN Melinda's Gluten Free Goodies {SPONSORED}

Did you know that about 1 in 100 Australian's have coeliac disease? And, staggeringly, 75% of people don't know that they have it! {or 157,000 of us - sheesh!}

What is coeliac disease I hear you ask - well, it's an auto-immune disease (simply, the body attacks itself - ick!). Coeliacs need to avoid gluten - a protein that is in heaps of foods including wheat, rye, barley and oats. Basically their bodies don't like these foods.

Imagine how hard it would be if you couldn't eat any of those foods! I know that I am just very grateful for my not-so-serious wheat and dairy intolerances.

But I draw this to your attention for 2 reasons. First, next week (13-20 March) is Coeliac Awareness Week.

And second {and MOST importantly}, my friend Melinda - from Melinda's Gluten Free Goodies - has launched a new iPhone app to help all of you who have friends who are coeliac {or have other food allergies}. YAY I hear you say! A simple solution for those of us who scratch our heads and wonder what to cook when entertaining our food-allergy-prone friends.

You can download the Allergy Free Entertaining app for the low, low price of $5.99 OR you can WIN a copy by entering the competition below.

But if this all sounds too hard, you can also buy one of Melinda's delicious sweet or savoury pre-mixes. Now, you mostly know that I'm not a fan of the pre-mix, but when Melinda gave me a few samples, I had to try them {actually, I delegated the cooking bit!}. My coeliac cousin was visiting, spied the pretty pink boxes, and whipped up the Sweet Caramel Cakes and the Lemon Curd Delights. In about 2 minutes flat. For afternoon tea. Her verdict - quick, easy and so, so delicious. 

Melinda's savoury range - the pepper and chive crackers are my favourite!

YUM! Home-baked Melinda's goodies. 

So, down to business. The competition. Tell me in 25 words or less what your biggest challenge is when cooking for people with food allergies or intolerances.

The best answer will win a $100 worth of Melinda's Gluten Free Goodies. The next 4 top answers will win a free download of the Allergy Free Entertaining App.

Competition closes on Thursday 31 March 2011. ENTER NOW!

Read the fine print. 

PS Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you if you want to enter the comp {so I can contact you if you win!} - either link to your website or email me mel AT melkettle.com.au 

Hear me speak - twitter for food biz

Over the next few weeks I'll be speaking at events in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Toowoomba on how businesses in the food industry can use twitter to grow, engage with clients, and increase sales.

Social Networking Connect is coordinated by Food Q and the Food and Wine Unit of the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Economic Development and Industry (DEEDI).

Details for the Brisbane event, Social Networking Connect II, are:

When:   Wednesday 23 February 2011
Time:     8.45am - 1pm (includes networking lunch)
Where:  Summit Events Centre, Iceworks Building, L1, 157 Given Terrace, Paddington
Cost:      $59 per person {an absolute bargain!}
RSVP:   by Friday 18 Feb

Payment is by EFT to The Summit Events Centre

BSB 084-424

Account 16 613 1289

Reference SNC2302

Please email David Jordan at david.jordan@deedi.qld.gov.au to confirm your registration and payment. 

The program will be:

8.45am - register and connect laptop/iPad to wifi (optional)

9am - Introduction (speaker TBC)

9.45am - Simon Dell, Making the most of facebook to grow your business

10.30am - morning tea

11am - Mel Kettle {moi!}, Using twitter for business - can you afford not to

11.45am - Simon Dell, Next generation technology: what businesses can expect in the future

12 noon - Business case study and Q&A

12.30pm - networking lunch 

Details are being confirmed for the Gold Coast (on Wed 2 March) and Toowoomba (Wed 9 March). 

I hope to see you there! 

For information on other events I'm speaking at, or for information on how to book me as a speaker, check out my marketing site, www.melkettle.com.au {my day job}.  

If you are a food or wine business owner, what do you want to learn about using social media for running your business? 

Food challenge - my first foray into jam...

I decided that this year I would challenge myself a bit more with food. Make a few things that had previously scared me. High on that list is {was} jam.

Seriously folks, this is so easy. I don't know WHAT I was scared of!

I decided to give it a go when I received a HEAP of plums and nectarines in my CSA box. There is no way I was going to eat them all {who was I kidding - I wasn't going to eat even 1 plum! Not my favourite fruit...}, so, a perfect excuse for jam.

I also called on twitter for help! My friend Johanna (@johannaBD) who recently moved to Tassie {and who has seriously discovered her inner jam and preserve making self! Just check our HER blog!} and my BlogHer Food bus buddy, Marisa from the US, who writes the very inspiring Food In Jars blog, answered my call!

I used:

1.5kg mixture of plums, nectarines and a couple of squishy peaches {washed, stones removed and chopped}
1kg  sugar
2 lemons, juiced but throw the squeezed lemon bit in the pot too!

On advice from twitter friends, I didn't bother peeling any of the fruit. However if I had more than 2-3 peaches I may have peeled those.

Everything in the pot! SO EASY! What WAS I scared of??

Throw it all in a heavy bottomed pot {I used a Le Crueset given to me a few years ago as a combined Christmas and Birthday gift for about 2 years! BEST GIFT EVER} and bring it slowly to the boil, stirring so the sugar all melts. Once it's boiling {after about 20 minutes}, turn down the heat and simmer for an hour, with the lid off, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

Bubble, bubble, bubble...

After an hour give it the saucer in the freezer test. Place a spoonful of jam on a saucer, place in the freezer for 5 minutes. If it's wrinkly when you run your finger through it, it's good to go. If it's runny, let it keep simmering. Give it the saucer in the freezer test every 20-30 minutes until it's done.

OK so technically this didn't really pass the wrinkle test, but I was ready for bed! As a result my jam is a bit runny. But just as tasty!

CAREFULLY pour the jam into sterilised jars, seal and leave overnight {take out the lemon pieces}. There are a few ways to sterelise jars - the easiest is to pop them in the dishwasher for a cycle, then fill them with jam while they are still hot.

Serve the jam on crusty sourdough with butter and a cup of tea.

A perfect Sunday afternoon snack while catching up on the papers

The only challenge I now face is what to do with my 8 jars of jam? I really don't have a sweet tooth... as the 2005 use by date on the strawberry jam in the fridge will attest to... if you're in Brisbane let me know if you want a jar.

Is there a dish that used to scare you until you made it and discovered how easy it is?

3 ways with... poached chicken

I love chicken, and would eat it at least 3-4 times a week. Often for breakfast as well as for lunch and dinner {well, ok, maybe not THAT often for breakfast}.

Having a couple of poached chicken breasts in the fridge makes it super easy when it comes to throwing together a quick meal for dinner or to pack for lunch. And it's a LOT healthier than rushing to the nearest supermarket to buy a BBQ chicken {although they do taste good!}.

Poaching chicken (and fish) used to seriously scare me. Until the first time I tried. WOW! How easy was it! Made me feel a bit foolish for not trying sooner!

All you do is this:

Almost fill a skillet or fry pan with water and bring it to the boil {leave about 2cm for the water to rise once the chicken is added}.

I generally only poach in water, but you can poach in most cooking liquids including stock and coconut milk. You can also add herbs and spices such as ginger, star anise, peppercorns, fresh herbs, wine, vinegars, fruit juice or anything else to flavour the chicken.

Once the water is boiling, add the chicken breasts so they are fully submerged in the water {or at least 90%}.

These are  not quite submerged, but I turned them over about 15 minutes into cooking.

Once the water is boiling again, turn off the stove, put the lid on the pan and leave it!

Allow the chicken to cook in the hot water for about 20 minutes, turn it, then give it another 20 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, it should be cooked. If you're not sure, give it another 10-15 minutes. As it's sitting in water it won't dry out. Once it's cooked, remove from the water and put the chicken on a plate to cool.

For food safety reasons, don't leave the cooling chicken out of the fridge for more than an hour or so

Once it's cooled, put it apart along the grain, tearing the chicken into shreds with your fingers {if it hasn't cooled that's OK, but you'll burn your fingers!}.

3 chicken breasts are a lot of shredded chicken! This container is larger than it looks.

Store the shredded chicken in the fridge in an airtight container until you're ready to cook with it - it should keep for 3 days.

NOTE - you can poach fish the same way {I love poached salmon} but it only takes about 10-15 minutes in total, and a bit less if you're poaching salmon and you like it quite rare.

One the chicken is poached, there are SO MANY RECIPES you can use it for!

Some of my favourites are:

1.  On a sandwich or bread roll with lots of whole egg mayo, lettuce and a bit of salt and pepper

2.  In a simple salad with sliced or chopped cucumber, tomato, red pepper, red onion, baby spinach leaves, splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Those with eagle eyes will notice this is not shredded chicken! It's actually leftover BBQ chicken, but just imagine it's shredded... 

3. In a toasted wrap with basil pesto, grated parmesan cheese, tomato, mushrooms

I used a lavosh style bread for this, but a tortilla works well too. Just wrap and toast in a toasted sandwich maker 

Deceptively filling!

4. In a simple - and speedy - pasta sauce with sauteed mushroom, red onion, tomato, red pepper, basil pesto, grated parmesan on top - the slowest part of this meal is waiting for the pasta to cook

This is possibly one of THE ugliest photos I've ever taken, but this meal was sensational! 

What's your favourite way to eat leftover chicken (whether it's poached, grilled or BBQ)?