Author: Two Old Ducks (page 3 of 5)

PANCAKE DAY – RECIPES TO CELEBRATE 23/02/2020

A really easy recipe for children  to make pancakes as TWO OLD DUCKS have used in our book is so simple and works a treat, just allow the batter to sit

Using 1 +1 +1 its easy for children to remember

1 egg + 1 cup SR flour + 1 cup milk

But lets get a little bit fancy……

RICOTTA FRITTERS  (page 78 Two Old Ducks – Sweet Celebrations)

  • 3/4 cup plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tabs icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 500 gr tub of ricotta
  • zest of 1 orange or lemon
  • 2 eggs, beaten to a thick consistency
  1. Mix flour, baking powder and icing sugar together
  2. Add ricotta, vanilla and zest
  3. Fold beaten eggs into mixture
  4. Put in refridge to firm up
  5. Heat oil in pan, scoop spoonful of mixture into hot oil until golden brown
  6. Serve with your choice of coulis, or syrup or a little tip of maple syrup cooked with blueberries

Rick Steins recipe from Le Garage in Trezsac in France

  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 8 tabs SR flour
  • small amount of milk
  • local hard cheese Cantal
  1. Beat eggs, then add flour to make a thick batter
  2. Thin with a little milk or water of your choice just until thick cream consistency
  3. Heat pan with a little oil
  4. Drizzle batter over the pan to cover base
  5. When golden turn and add cheese and ham
  6. Turn onto plate and enjoy
  7. Sprinkle with parsley or spring onions

Rick Steins buckwheat pancakes with mushrooms and eggs – Makes 4

  • 90 gr buckwheat flour
  • 90 gr plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 gr fast action yeast
  • 1 large egg
  • 3235 ml milk
  • 225 ml warm water
  • 4 large mushrooms
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 150 gr Cantal or Gruyere cheese, finely grated
  • black pepper
  1. Make the batter – pour the flours into a bowl, add the salt and yeast.
  2. Make a well in the centre, break in 1 egg and whisk into the flour.
  3. Then whisk in the milk and water to make a smooth batter
  4. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to rise
  5. It will be frothy and sweet smelling
  6. Now fry the mushrooms in the butter – Set aside
  7. Heat your pan for the pancakes – approx 26 cm
  8. Pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan – turning when its golden brown
  9. Break an egg in the centre of the pancake, surround with 1/4 of the cheese
  10. Cook until the white of the egg has set – fold in the sides to make a square
  11. Cover the egg with 1/4 of cooked mushroom
  12. Keep warm while you make the remaining – season and enjoy!

 

HERB DAY TODAY WITH SARAH from BASILEA 23/02/2020

Always a monthly Welcome guest on Community Kitchen – Sarah Heath brings such experience to the radio. Running a busy edible herb and flower farmlet from her property at Burpengary, Sarah not only supplies local restaurants and fruit shops with her product but has ventured out of the local Moreton Bay and spread her wings to eatery all over. Of course we had to mention the weather and Sarah suggested trimming and pruning those water logged herbs especially sage, thyme and rosemary. Seedlings may not survive the bigger rains so try and protect them the best you can. Broadcasting seed is a great suggestion for this time and I have noticed that my zinnia flowers have self sown into the garden. I didn’t realize that zinnias are an edible flower but Sarah did mention that the taste is an acquired one. And not forgetting it was International Coriander Day yesterday, another acquired taste, one that I love but some people go so far as to make it the ‘h’ word, but we think there is enough hate in the world so lets leave the poor coriander plant to those who enjoy.

Pancakes and more pancakes – our recipes for this week so venture to the RECIPE page to follow the shared recipes…………..

Fluffy Ricotta , Rick Steins buckwheat pancakes with mushrooms and eggs and a little batter picked up from a garage in France where you eat while waiting for your car to be serviced or filled which sounds like a great idea.

Also joining us today from North Lakes, Marney Perna brings Soroptimist International to the studio. This group is hosting a Complimentary High Tea to celebrate International Womens Day on Sunday  8th March @ North Lakes Sports Club from 3 – 6 pm. In true form Community Kitchen invited the group to chat about the Recipes from our Kitchen Table book to be launched on that day. It was a pleasure speaking with Marney and for those wanting to be involved with this group please email simoretonnorth@siswp.org

LOCAL FISHING & SEAFOOD IDEAS 18/02/2020

After talking with Natalie Savige from Saviges Seafood @ Bribie Island thought I would share some accompaniments and cooking ideas.

We all love seafood, well most of the population but stats show that vegan based diets are on the turn and @ our Community Kitchen Recipe content we love to share both.

After chatting with Natalie from Savige’s Seafood even peeling a green prawn sounded easy.

With a little experience and trial testing we can all provide our family with seafood as part of our family meals.

Calamari for me is one thing that daunts me, is it going to be tough, how long do I cook it for, and the list goes on.

Savige’s Seafood recommends being kind to this seafood, gently move it around the griddle or flat plate until it becomes white – remember its translucent when raw, its not a tricky cook ….. add your garlic, chili on the go – and a squeeze of lemon.

Fish changes its cooking times to the thickness of the fillet to the variety of the fish…. for me the whiting is the gold star but you make your choice, its all about season and supply.

The retail outlet has upgraded its customer demand and salmon kebabs with Asian glaze are popular, followed by Moreton Bay Bugs grilled with garlic butter……who would have thought the local accommodated such sophisticated tastebuds!!!!!

I called in on a hot Sunday and bought a take-a-way Prawn salad, generous and a waterfront experience.

I still love whiting fillets – my fave fish.

And as an addition to the seafood – evidently Seaweed is the new Kale so as usual I have added a simple recipes that will sit beautifully with seafood or just be itself as a Summer salad

Seaweed with vermicelli and Asian Dressing (inspired by a recipe from Community: New Edition by Hetty McKinnon)

  • 100 gr dried seaweed threads
  • 200g vermicelli noodles
  • 1 long red chilli- deseeded and chopped
  • 200 g mung beans sprouts
  • 1/2 cup spring onion
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  1. Make sesame dressing
    • Combine 2 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
    • 1 tbsp tamari
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • seasoning to suite
  2. Prepare the seaweed – soak in hot water for 10 mins then rinse really well using cold running water
  3. Soak the vermicelli in boiling water for 5 mins, drain
  4. Blanch the vermicelli in large pot of boiling water with pinch of salt for 1 min, drain and refresh under cold running water
  5. Combine all the ingredients and dress with sesame dressing

Whilst this recipe called for tofu – i thought as its seafood day – topping with either calamari or scallops would be delicious.

Support your local and Enjoy….

LOCAL FISHING with the SAVIGE FAMILY 18/02/2020

Sometimes we forget to recognize just what wonderful businesses we have on our doorstep. Since the fast lane of life has been adopted into most families lifestyles we filter what we want to see, what we want to eat and what we want to hear.

Well 2020 brings new opportunities to COMMUNITY KITCHEN with MY WANDERINGS around the region ( and sometimes beyond) to bring stories of family businesses, innovative food ideas, small farms, highly productive farms but most importantly FOOD .

Today I invited the Savige Family to the table and talked retail and commercial fishing. This is a family of fishermen, fisherwomen and seafood cooks. They know their business.

Three generations of living off ocean farming brings worrying discussions to the family table. John Savige has fished for 45 years, has always adopted sustainable farming practices but with 80% of his ocean farmland in the yellow zone is this a sustainable industry?

Would educated discussion help support this industry?

Will adopting different farming styles for commercial fishing help to keep local regional seafood on our food list?

Is it time to listen to the farmers of the land and the sea?

How do we adapt closures, rules, restrictions into such a delicate integral system to maintain a balance and sustainable food supply for our future generations?

I think this snip from Natalie Savige’s email capped it all:

 

I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity this morning on your show.

I’m so pleased we were able to highlight the produce we have right in our own very back yard, as well as the importance of maintaining access to it for the community.

Its an issue that not many people are aware of- that if Commercial Fishermen are no longer able to harvest the wild caught product, we will have no choice but to rely on either farmed product or imported product- both of which pose a serious danger to not only our waterways, but our health.  We always struggle to get this message across to the general public as our public image is not good due to either environmentalists who claim that the practice is not sustainable, or the Recreational Fishing Sector; who believe we are over fishing.

At the end of the day we are just another Aussie family trying to make a living, also carrying on a family legacy and doing what we love doing.

It’s the first time in a long time that our public image has been a positive one, thanks to you Annette.

 

 

MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVOURS using SIMPLE GARDEN PRODUCE 11/02/2020

SMALL SHARED PLATES bring  extra taste, colour and texture to your family table

I found some wonderful recipes from Adam Koor that will get the taste buds going https://adamkoor.com/

 

LEMON POTATOES WITH HERB LABNA

  • 1 bunch parsley – discard stems and chops leaves – set aside
  • 1 bunch coriander – discard stems and chop leaves – set aside
  • 5 cloves garlic – peeled and finely slices
  • 800 gr potatoes – peeled and cubed
  • 4 tbls lemon juice
  • oil to fry
  1. Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes – fry for 10 mins medium heat until crisp and golden
  2. Fry finely slices garlic in pan – add lemon juice and bring to the boil
  3. Season sell with salt and pepper
  4. Add the herbs and the cooked potatoes
  5. Toss to combine

PREPARING THE LABNA – preferably the day before (and do extra for use in other dishes)

  • 400 gr Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tabs lemon juice
  • 100 gr mixed herbs (parsley, dill and mint)
  1. Chop the herbs and place in bowl
  2. Add yoghurt and lemon juice
  3. Season  to taste
  4. Place sieve over bowl and line with muslin cloth/ cheesecloth
  5. Spoon in the mixture, fold cloth over and weigh down with plate or lid
  6. Leave overnight in refrigerator to drain

TO SERVE – place the labna on a platter or individual plates and spoon over Lemon potatoes

 

Last week I left recipes for my BABA GHANOUSH  – Adam Koor presents a SWEET POTATO BABA GHANOUSH by adding roast sweet potato – 300 grams to the mixture for a different flavour and definitely worth trying.

I also loved the ORANGE  TABOULI WITH HALOUMI  featured in the article in Mindfood Magazine https://www.mindfood.com/all-recipes/

By adding orange slices and juice along with fried halolumi adding protein to a wonderful recipe is always a winner. I usually use burghul which is cracked wheat but this recipe calls for couscous  and sounds delicious.

Tabouli is filled with fresh herbs, usually parsley and mint, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.

Adam Koor serves a Carrot Falafel with ZHUG (a green sauce usually found in Chinese cuisine) but love the adaption to sit with the Falafels. I have added my recipe shared last year and encourage you to be adventurous, use what is available to you and create a unique recipe to share with friends and family.

ZHUG

  • 2-3 jalapenos – remove the seeds
  • 2 sprig of mint – use leaves  and chop finely
  • 3 bunches of coriander – use leaves and chop finely
  • 2 cloves garlic – peel and chop finely
  • 2 tbls lemon juice
  • 2 tbls olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  1. Place the jalapenos, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, honey and olive oil in bowl
  2. Use a stick blender to puree, season well with salt

 

ZHOUG (Zhug) – A RECIPE from my post 15/10/2019

  • 1 1/2 bunches of coriander or parsley
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 8 small hot chilli
  • 3 cardamon pods
  • 2 tabs olive oil

Process together – store in sealed jar

All these flavours transport the taste buds to a better place but changing the ratios can bring a different depth and that little extra deliciousness.

 

ENJOY YOUR CREATIONS!!!!!!

 

 

GARDENING with GARY – Step 1 in creating the garden with KOOKABURRA ORGANICS 11/02/2020

Community Kitchen Welcomes our Gardening Guru back to the mic for another year of sharing gardening tips, ideas and encouragement. Australia has seen drought, bush fires, flooding and threat of cyclone in the last 3 months. What does this do to the farmers, the food costs and destruction of crop?

We can no doubt expect to see a rise in fresh food prices, whether its our beef and lamb because our farmers were so affected by drought and we know how lack of water has such an ongoing effect. We now face the flooding of crops and Gary so rightly mentioned that not only does the water effect the crops but also the inability to work on the fields and harvest or pick is just another hurdle.

Is our disconnection to farming and growing foods creating a short sight into what to expect with food prices?

Do the big chain supermarkets really feel the effort when most farmers contract supply at a set price?

Are we aware that smoke haze affects pollination?

Vineyards and two days of smoke haze don’t create a happy crop?

Sometimes I think its worthwhile to put ourselves in the farmers shoes and walk the miles, think of the potatoes in the sodden ground, the lettuces drenched and the snails approaching, the cabbage moth hovering looking for a home and the humidity sucking all the goodness out of the cucumbers and squash.

Gary thinks we have to think outside the box and change our plants to suit the climate, maybe adding Brazilian spinach, gourds and loofas for a more hardy crop when we face such extreme weather conditions.

BUT in saying that he has shared a step by step GETTING STARTED guide for a 1 metre share area, low cost and NO dig.

YOU NEED for 1 metre square garden

  • 2 bags of mushroom compost
  • 2 dozen dried egg shells
  • 1 kilo coffee grinds
  • 2 cups of wood ash
  • 1 bale of rough sugar cane mulch
  • cardboard or newspaper (no glossy pages)
  1. Sprinkle the egg shells (for calcium)
  2. Spread the coffee grinds (for slow release nitrogen and ph neutral)
  3. Spread the wood ash (or pot ash)
  4. Cover the area with a thick mat of newspapers and cardboard that has been soaked or dampened – be generous
  5. Repeat the process
  6. Cover with mushroom compost
  7. Cover with minimum of 2 biscuits of mulch – make sure its well covered to keep in moisture
  8. Walk all over and pack it down to get all the lumps out
  9. Use a paddle pop stick or wooden disposable utensil to test the moisture level – leave it in the bed and check to make sure there is moisture content otherwise hose in the early morning or late afternoon
  10. You can then plant in your healthy seedlings

https://www.kookaburraorganics.com/  Gary provides a wealth of knowledge thru his work shops and joins me each month- 2nd Tuesday @ 10 am on Community Kitchen

RECIPES – from FAMILY TABLE YOUR LUNCHBOX – 4/02/2020

  • Baba Ghanoush – easy dip based on eggplant.
    • Use as a side with roast lamb or chicken
    • As a sauce for rice , roast vegetables, lamb koftas, lamb souvlaki
    • Spread as a base for a sandwich
    • Serve with pita chips  as a dip

Baba Ghanoush

  • 1 large eggplant( roasted on top of BBQ or in oven @ 200 until soft – discard the skin and use the soft flesh)
  • 1 tabs tahini
  • 1/2 lemon – juiced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3-4 tabs olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic (roast a knob of garlic along with the eggplant until soft and creamy – keeps in the refrigerator for other recipes)
  • season to taste
  1. Blend all ingredients – adjust your flavours to suit
  2. Store in a clean sealed container

 

  • Pesto – based on basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.
    • Use your creative side to change the combinations – use kale, parsley, coriander, roasted almonds, cashews
    • Delicious with steak
    • Tossed thru pasta
    • Boil baby potatoes and add pesto and olive oil to finish
    • Use as a salad dressing base
    • Enjoy with vegies as a dip

Pesto

  • 1 large bunch of basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts – roasted
  • 1/2 lemon – juiced
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup parmesan – grated
  1. Blend the basil, garlic nuts
  2. Drizzle in oil and add parmesan
  3. Finish off with the lemon juice and adjust to your liking

Remember to change the method if you want a little chunkier and add the nuts with the cheese

  • Hommus – chick peas are the champion with this dip.
    • As a base for Greek inspired flatbreads
    • Use like butter on sandwiches or burgers
    • As a side for falafels along side yoghurt and taboulli
    • Use beetroot, pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato as an addition to the recipe for a different flavour (bake or steam)
    • For a dip with crackers, vegies or pita bread

Hommus

  • 1 can of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
  • 2 tabs tahini
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tabs lemon juice
  • smokey paprika / or cumin to taste
  1. Blend or mash chickpeas, add tahini, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice until creamy
  2. Put into dish and pour over a little olive oil and sprinkle with either paprika or cumin

 

  • Carrot and Cashew – tasty and colourful using roast carrots and cashews.
    • Add to a curry for colour and flavour
    • Stir thru steamed brown rice or soba noodles
    • Use as a base for salad dressing
    • As a sauce for roast chicken
    • Dollop onto roasted vegies and top with greek style yoghurt and fresh herbs

Carrot and Cashew

  • 2 large carrots – roasted until soft
  • 4 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1/2 cup cashew – roasted for a nuttier flavour
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Taste changers:
    • Herbs – use fresh coriander or dill
    • Spices – use tumeric, ground coriander or cumin
    • Sesame oil, soy sauce or chilli sauce
  1. Blend the roasted carrot ,garlic and cashews until smooth
  2. Add olive oil and your choice of herbs, spices or sauces to change the flavours OR just as it is

Enjoy cooking and most importantly ….. EATING !!

FAMILY TABLE to your LUNCHBOX – 4/02/2020

Community Kitchen is all about the family table this week whether its the family with children or the grown ups who love a lunchbox rather than takeouts.

The Parents Voice joins me to talk about the transition into school how to make life a little more chilled with a few easy tips.

Taking just a few simple recipes (which you can find on the Recipe post) can make that mid-week meal a little more tasty, interesting and inviting for the family table. This week I have selected a few simple DIPS – home made to lift the night meal, add a snack to the lunch box and leave in the refrigerator to enchance another meal by changing the protein, salad or vegetable base.

Four dips for starters:

  • Baba Ghanoush – easy dip based on eggplant.
    • Use as a side with roast lamb or chicken
    • As a sauce for rice , roast vegetables, lamb koftas, lamb souvlaki
    • Spread as a base for a sandwich
    • Serve with pita chips  as a dip
  • Pesto – based on basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.
    • Use your creative side to change the combinations – use kale, parsley, coriander, roasted almonds, cashews
    • Delicious with steak
    • Tossed thru pasta
    • Boil baby potatoes and add pesto and olive oil to finish
    • Use as a salad dressing base
    • Enjoy with vegies as a dip
  • Hommus – chick peas are the champion with this dip.
    • As a base for Greek inspired flatbreads
    • Use like butter on sandwiches or burgers
    • As a side for falafels along side yoghurt and taboulli
    • For a dip with crackers, vegies or pita bread
  • Carrot and Cashew – tasty and colourful using roast carrots and cashews.
    • Add to a curry for colour and flavour
    • Stir thru steamed brown rice or soba noodles
    • Use as a base for salad dressing
    • As a sauce for roast chicken
    • Dollop onto roasted vegies and top with greek style yoghurt and fresh herbs

Loved the mix and match chart I found in a Supermarket give a way recipe book which makes Salads a lot more interesting. By using 4 categories and I’ll list them below it give ideas and helps when you look in the crisper for inspiration.

The bulk (or Protein) base for the salad:

Chicken, Beef, Tofu, Chickpea patties, Prawns and Chargrilled veg

The greens:

Rocket, spinach, lettuce, kale, silverbeet, green beans, bean sprouts, salad leaves, zucchini ribbons

The vegies:

Slaw, tomatoes, onions, avocado, capsicum, grated carrot, grated beets, fresh herbs

The toppings:

Toasted seeds, nuts, croutons, proscuitto, olives, bacon, cheese, boiled eggs

Parents’ Voice

Wonderful to have the Parents’ Voice join us this week and Alice Pryor is an active mother herself who shared alongside some handy tips a snap shot of sending her youngest child off to school. I guess as parents or adults we can sometimes assume that the confident child we see at home is going to fit into  school easily but Alice spoke about the new rituals, eating at  different times and a new environment and some handy hits to help out.

The Parents’ Voice January newsletter talks about GETTING BACK-TO -SCHOOL READY and I’ve listed below the key points but go onto the web and check our the information they offer. I am a Grandmother and still find the reading is useful and I love the passion this group has.

  1. Pack early – from lunches, to notes and to uniforms- helps with the morning rush
  2. Be consistent – from drop off times, to dinner and bedtime – new routines to create
  3. Travel training – for those who travel alone to school
  4. Pack healthy – helps them to stay alert during school hours  – visit Cancer Council’s ‘Healthy Lunch Box Builder’ https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/media-release/cancer-council-nsw-launches-interactive-healthy-lunch-box-website-families/
  5. Be prepared – familiarise yourself with the schools rules, timetables, pick up points – great for both parents and children
  6. BE POSITIVE – kids normally take their cues from their parents 🙂

WELCOME TO 2020 – a NEW YEAR OF FOOD with COMMUNITY KITCHEN – 28/01/20

Last year we ventured into your backyards, lunch boxes, family table, your well being, travel and more……………….And this year the same & more!!

With natural and man made disasters behind us (we Hope) the damage and repair in front and lets hope for a more united, considerate and NO BLAME reaction recovery.

This year Community Kitchen ventures into the regions with OUR RADIO bus, so if you see us in the next few months cooking, bringing local produce into the limelight, supporting local businesses call in and say Hi.

Gardening tips with our guru Gary (from Kookaburra Organics) , wellness with Mandy, my wanderings and travel with local foodies and Jacinta from Hello Travel and Sarah from Basilea, an edible farmlet of flavour filled with flowers and herbs…………………….But that just our regulars. Each week the chat is filled with food, whether its recipe ideas, food facts, history or trends we love to spread and share the world of food.

So lets talk trends and each year in New York the Summer Fancy Food Show hosts an event for purveyors of specialty foods, foods that you and I will see on the shelves of supermarkets and health food shops to follow the food trends we all seem to love. Start to look out for Puffed Snacks, Collagen, Boozy Teas, Lotus and Water Lilly seeds, fancy Gatorade, Oat milk, cheese bowls, snack Balls and CBD (non- active hemp) products. The list goes on and dining takes another bow with trends for Booze free bars, more table to farm, small Cocktails, pasta straws, small casual dining experiences, Pegan diets, time warp desserts, ethical meat revolution, Mezcal, regional round bite size tasters, dark moody bars, heirloom vegies, locally made Sake, mainstreaming Indigenous ingredients and last but not least PESTATARIANISM (eat the problem not our native animals).

Fantastic that we all have the opportunity to be so whimsical with our foods!!

But according to global trend statistics Australia is projected to be the 1/3 fastest vegan market in the world. According to Euromomitor Australian packaged vegan food market is set to reach $215 million this year. Australian Financial Food Editior, Jill Dupleix predict Chefswill enjoy the challenge to create new food trends in the fine dining sector with the introduction of vegan and vegetarian dishes, while the younger market for more casual eating will enjoy different plant based vegan snacks. The reasons for the shift appear to arise from the ‘need to know’ mentality of food origin, health benefits and I feel the introduction of bringing interesting flavors and tastes into the daily diet. Lets face it we all enjoy to eat interesting foods and the only thing holding us back is the creative drive to cook and enjoy.

Each week I bring recipes to the show for you to try at home and this week I have selected 2 vegan based either to be eaten as a meal or as an accompaniment to your meat based protein.

Enjoy !

VEGAN DISHES FOR YOUR FAMILY TABLE – 28/01/20

Asian Favourites (Cherie Tu @ Nourish Magazine)

 

PAD THAI

(serves 2)

  • 250 gr Thai rice noodles
  • 2 tbls soy sauce
  • 3 tbls coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbls cooking oil
  • 200 gr firm tofu
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small shallot or red onion
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, plus extra to serve
  • 1 bunch garlic chives or spring  onions

To serve

  • 2 tbls roasted peanuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 lime
  1. Place the noodles into a baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to cover – leave until soft for 5 mins or semi- soft. Drain then rinse in cold water and set aside
  2. Place the soy sauce, coconut sugar, tamarind paste, sriracha and water in a small bowl and whisk together
  3. Heat the oil in a pan or wok over medium to high heat. Add the tofu and fry for 5 mins or until golden, add the shallots and carrot and fry for 2 mins
  4. Add the noodles and sauce and cook until noodles have softened and sauce has been absorbed. If the noodles haven’t softened just add 1-2 tbls water
  5. Toss in bean sprouts and garlic chives – cook for another 30 secs
  6. Transfer onto serving plate and serve with extra bean sprouts, 1/2 lime, chili powder and chives or spring onions

VERMICELLI NOODLE SALAD with  CHILLI LEMONGRASS TOFU

(serves 4)

  • 500gr vermicelli 
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 cup iceberg lettuce – shredded
  • 1 carrot – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil

Chilli Lemongrass Tofu

  • 400 gr firm tofu
  • 1 clove garlic – minced
  • 2 tbls lemongrass – minced
  • 2 tbls soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbls coconut sugar
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Nuoc Cham

  • 1 tbls light soy sauce
  • 1 tbls rice vinegar
  • 2 tbls lime juice
  • 2 tbls maple syrup
  • 1/ tsp salt
  • 1 large clove garlic – finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli – finely chopped

To serve

  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts – crushed
  • 1/4 cup fried shallots
  • lime wedges
  1. To Make the Nuoc Cham – combine all ingredients in a small jar, refrigerate and allow to infuse – dressing keeps up to 5 days refrigerated
  2. Cook the vermicelli according to packet instructions – drain and rinse with cold water and set aside
  3. For the chilli Lemongrass tofu, preheat a non -stick fry pan over medium heat and fry tofu on each side until golden brown – remove from pan
  4. Clean the fry pan and return to medium heat. Saute the garlic and lemongrass for 2 minutes until fragrant – add the soy sauce, coconut sugar and chilli flakes – then increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Once boiling, return the tofu to the pan and stir for 1 min until the tofu is evenly coated with the sauce
  5. To serve – divide the cooked vermicelli noodles between the 4 bowls
  6. Add the ingredients clockwise on top of the noodles – chilli lemongrass tofu, cucumber, lettuce, carrot, bean sprouts, basil and mint. Top with crushed roasted peanuts, fried shallots and a lime wedge. Generously spoon on the nuoc cham, mix through and Enjoy.

Now for those who want a Meat Protein as a side………..

TWO OLD DUCKS – Savoury Celebrations

ASIAN GARLIC CHICKEN  (page 123)

  • 4 chicken thighs – bone in
  • 1 tbls crushed peppercorns
  • 4 cloves garlic – grated or finely chopped
  • 5 cm ginger – grated
  • 1/2 cup corinander – coarsely chopped
  • 3 tbls lime or lemon juice
  1. Combine black pepper, garlic, ginger, coriander and lime juice
  2. Rub into chicken thighs and marinate for 1 hour
  3. Grill on BBQ
  4. I usually suggest we serve this with our Lemon Grass and Coconut dressing but I think it would do nicely with the Vermicelli Noodle Salad

Enjoy the  meals you create

Remember to write them down for future use – many a good recipe is lost to memory

Don’t be afraid to experiment – not all is lost if it fails but just more experience for the next setting !!!

 

 

 

 

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