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)?