TERIYAKI BEEF WITH SUSHI RICE

Three days before New Years 2011 I spend a crazy day running around, getting myself ready for my departure. It was around 7pm when I realized I had not yet thought of what I would make me, my boyfriend, my sister and her boyfriend for dinner. Now, I cannot stress how much of a strange occurrence this is for me as I usually think about what I am going to make for Thursday night dinner on Sunday night (I wish I was kidding). As I pondered over what to cook, I rummaged through my freezer and located a sealed package of beef strips. On a whim I decided to create my own recipe of Teriyaki Beef by mixing together different types of  Asian sauces and vinegars that were in my fridge. The meal turned out to be delicious and moreish. I love that my kitchen is there for me to CREATE and not follow rules or constraints of any kind.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g beef strips
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 50ml salt-reduced soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin (this is a rice wine similar to Sake, and is available in the Asian isle of major supermarkets). 
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
• 80g brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups of doongara rice 
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 

COOKING 

1. Combine beef, oil, soy sauce, mirin, garlic and teriyaki sauce in a medium bowl. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water to the boil in a large saucepan (with a lid). Reduce heat and simmer until rice is absorbed. Using a fork, fluff the rice and add the rice wine vinegar, stirring well to combine. Place saucepan aside with the rice; make sure the lid is on top to keep the rice warm. 

3. Heat a medium to large frying pan on medium heat. Add marinaded beef and cook, stirring well, until beef has browned and no red flesh remains.

4. Serve beef on top of a bed of rice. 

 x E

LAMB WITH CHUNKY HOMEMADE HUMMUS

I am pleased to say that I have perfected the art of making hummus, after numerous failed attempts. The recipe below is for reduced-fat hummus; as you can see I have used a smaller amount of oil than other recipes do. As a result the hummus is rather chunky in texture, but still tastes delicious. The parsley, ground cumin and ground coriander give this chickpea dip a zesty and spicy quality. To serve 4-6 people, simply double the quantity of all the lamb ingredients (except for the olive oil). The hummus recipe makes a decent serving so you will most likely have some left over, which can be served with any type of lamb or with crackers or raw vegetables.

INGREDIENTS 


For the Lamb 

• 250g lamb fillet, cut into 3cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 50g red onion, finely chopped
• a pinch of sea salt
• 4 tortillas, preferably gluten free 

For the Hummus

• 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon tahini paste 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

COOKING 

1. Combine all the ingredients for the lamb in a non-metallic bowl. Toss well to combine and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the hummus in a blender or food processor and blender/process for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are roughly combined in the mixture. (Due to the small amount of olive oil in this hummus, the dip will be quite chunky in texture). 

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the lamb mixture to the pan and stir, cooking for 4-5 minutes or until just cooked (when the red flesh of the lamb has become brown). 

4. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds each. 

5. Serve the lamb in the middle of the tortilla and add hummus on top.

Serves 2-3

Preparation time- 30 minutes, plus marinating 

Cooking time- 10 minutes 

x E 

SWEET POTATO & FETA SALAD

After not one, not two, but THREE Christmas lunches and dinners over the last few days, I decided that I needed a decent break from heavy meats, or meat in general. Hence came the idea for a sweet potato salad for dinner tonight. Now I know that as soon as I mention the word salad I may lose the interest of male readers, however hear me out boys. The dish below is one of the most filling and satisfying salads that I have eaten without the addition of meat. The chickpeas provide a substantial amount of protein, whilst the sweet potato has low GI which keeps you filled for longer. The pine nuts give the salad a little extra punch; they can be omitted for other nuts such as walnuts or almonds. If you are in dire need of detoxing that Christmas/Holiday season body I highly ecommend this salad!

INGREDIENTS

• 750g sweet potato, peeled & sliced into thin wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained 
• 150g reduced-fat feta, crumbled into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 75g baby spinach leaves 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• pinch of sea salt 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine sweet potato, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ground cumin and coriander in a large bowl and toss well. Spread sweet potato out in a single layer on prepared baking tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, combine feta, lemon juice and parsley in a medium bowl. Toss well. 

4. After the sweet potato has been in the oven for 10 minutes, scatter the pine nuts on the oven tray amongst the sweet potato and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. 

5. Remove sweet potato from oven and allow it to cool for around 10 minutes. Place baby spinach leaves, chickpeas, feta mixture and cooked sweet potato in a large salad bowl and toss well to combine. 

x E

GLUTEN FREE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

In keeping with the gluttony that is Christmas, I thought it only fitting that I share a recipe for a delicious chocolate cake. This recipe was passed down to me a few months ago from my lovely boss. Due to her numerous allergies she has become quite the expert at finding appealing gluten free, nut free and dairy free recipes. I must say that after tasting this sweet treat you will wonder why anyone finds it a necessity to use flour in cakes! I have made this cake for two birthdays so far and have received delightful compliments. Do not let the amount of cooking steps deter you, as this is one of the simplest cakes I have ever had the pleasure of baking! This cake is best made a day before eating, as it needs time for the chocolate in the centre of the cake to set. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs, preferably free range
• 250g caster sugar
• 200g almond meal
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 250g dark chocolate- Lindt 70% cocoa preferred. Optional- extra 50g, roughly chopped
• Pure icing sugar 
• Cooking oil spray. 

COOKING 

1. Beat together the eggs and caster sugar. 

2. Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius, then turn temperature down to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. 

3. Grease a baking tin lightly with cooking oil spray. The tin I used was round and 23cm in diameter. 

4. Combine all the ingredients, except the chocolate, in a large bowl and mix well until the mixture has the consistently of batter. 

5. Melt 200g of the chocolate. Chop the remaining 50g of chocolate into small pieces. 

6. Add the melted and chopped chocolate to the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. 

7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. 

8. Remove the cake from the oven and leave in the tin until the cake has completely cooled, as the centre of the cake will be very gooey. Not to worry, this will set when the cake has completely cooled. 

9. When cake has cooled, sift icing sugar onto the top of the cake. If desired, add 50g of chopped chocolate, like I did in the picture above. 

x E

SPICY CHICKEN, FRIED RICE & VEGETABLES

This is a bit of a different stir-fry compared to what you usually see. I purchased a red cabbage a few weeks ago and have had the hardest time using it all up, even though I have cooked this vegetable in at least 3 recipes! I decided that a stir-fry would be an excellent idea to use the remaining cabbage. The chilli and smoked paprika give this dish a lovely spicy quality, and the lime juice adds an unexpected zest to the meal. Make sure that you do take the chicken out of the wok when you cook the vegetables, as this extra step will preserve the tenderness of the chicken. Would you believe that I still have red cabbage in my fridge! 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breast, cut into 3cm pieces
• 300g doongara rice
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
• a pinch of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 small brown onion (100g), finely chopped
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 head of broccoli (250g), trimmed into florets and stalk sliced thinly
• 150g red cabbage, shredded finely 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 

COOKING 

1. Place rice in medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes or until rice is absorbed. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the hoisin sauce, garlic, lime juice, white vinegar, paprika and chilli flakes in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss to combine, until chicken is well coated. Place in fridge to marinade for 30 minutes. 

3. Heat a wok over medium heat and add sesame oil. Place chicken in the wok and cook for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is coloured and tender. Remove chicken from wok and place in a bowl. Add cabbage, broccoli and carrot to the wok and stir for around five minutes or until vegetables start to become tender. Add cooked rice and toss well to combine. Add chicken to the wok and toss well until all the ingredients are combined. 

x E

BLACK BEAN & CHEESE QUESADILLAS

My obsession with black beans continues! These tasty beans made an appearance a few weeks ago in a blog post of mine and I have been craving them ever since. Loosely based on a Bill Granger recipe, the quesadillas below were constructed from the last remains in my fridge before the eating festivities of Christmas begin this Saturday. The pinch of chilli powder really gives them a kick of flavour as does the two different types of cheese. These quesadillas were unexpectedly filling and I found myself struggling over finishing my 4^th quarter (this is coming from the girl that can eat grown men under the table). Being so simple to cook and barely any preparation time required, this is a perfect after work meal to whip up- it sounds much fancier than plain old tacos and tastes infinitely better!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 400g tin blacked beans, drained & rinsed
• 75g reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
• 50g light tasty cheese, grated
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• sea salt
• pinch of chilli powder
• pinch of sea salt 
• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 

COOKING 

1. Combine the black beans, spring onion, parsley, both cheeses and sea salt in a medium bowl. Divide the mixture between the 8 tortillas evenly. Spoon mixture onto half of the tortilla, then fold in half, covering the filling. 

2. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees celsius. 

3. Heat a medium frying pan on medium heat, adding 1 teaspoon olive oil. Swirl oil to cover pan, then place 2 folded tortillas in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned. Place cooked tortillas on a lined oven tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you finish cooking the other quesadillas. (I found that I had to lower the stove heat to low after a few repetitions with cooking the quesadillas as the tortillas were browning very quickly. Also, try to only add olive oil twice in the cooking process, once to start cooking the quesadillas and once again when you are putting the 4th batch in the pan). 

4. Serve with avocado salsa (how to make this is on the 'Chicken Faijtas' post) and or light sour cream. 

x E

VERMICELLI MADE EASY

 I make this dish several times a week and eat it for lunch.  Whilst I love Vietnamese food, I have yet to find more than one Vietnamese restaurant in Brisbane that has great value for money and great vermicelli noodles. I wish I could eat at said restaurant twice a day, but as my finances restrict me, I decided to make my own, very simple vermicelli dish. I find it fun to play around with the vegetables and throw in whatever is looking rather sad in my fridge, such as lettuce, chives, red cabbage. My boyfriend likes to add copious amounts of Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise to this noodle dish; I suggest either going with out as the taste is still great with the sesame oil, lime juice and soy sauce, or just adding a tiny dash of mayonnaise! 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g vermicelli  (thin bean thread noodles)
•  3 green onions, diced finely
• 1 large carrot (100g), grated finely
• 250g chicken breast, cut into 3cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4-5 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably salt-reduced)

COOKING


1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring for around 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and coloured. 


2. Meanwhile, either bring 11/2 litres of water to the boil in a saucepan on the stove or in an electric kettle. Pour boiled water over the vermicelli, making sure to cover all of the noodles. Use a fork to gently detach the noodles from one another. Leave to sit for a few minutes, then drain vermicelli in a colander. 


3. Place cooked vermicelli in a large serving bowl and add chicken, green onion, carrot, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss ingredients well to combine. 

x E

FETTA & SWEET POTATO FRITTATA

This is easily one of the best tasting frittata's I have ever cooked. Whilst sweet potato and feta may sound a little strange as a combination, they work incredibly well together in this dish. It may have something to do with the honeyed taste of the sweet potato and the sharp flavour of the cheese. You know what they say, opposites attract. After cooking countless frittatas (the majority which will never appear on this blog due to their dodgy appearance!) I am happy to say that I think I have finally mastered the skill of making them, which I believe is two-fold. Step 1- use a few tablespoons of a fresh herb, such as parsley, chives or coriander. Step 2- cook the frittata on the stove until the edges have set, then place in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the egg has just set. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 800g sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin, even slices
• 9 eggs, free-range preferably, beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley and/or chives, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• a handful of baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped 
• 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbed or cut into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 160 degrees. 

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add sweet potato and cook for around 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain in a colander.

3. Meanwhile, combine the beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of water and the parsley and/or chives in a large bowl or jug. Season with a pinch of ground black pepper. 

4. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until it has wilted. Add the cooked sweet potato to the pan, scattering it around evenly. 

5. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the vegetables in the pan. Scatter the pieces of feta over the top of the egg. Continue to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the edges of the frittata have set. 

6. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until egg has completely set. Serve whilst warm. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 25 minutes 

x Emily