All posts filed under: Recipes

Make A Chowder (Salmon Head and Mussel Chowder)

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Salmon. I love it raw. I love it cooked. I love it smoked. I love it poached. I love it pan fried. I love it baked. I love it steamed. It is creamy, fishy and super rich. Everything I’ve read says that salmon makes too strong a stock. I’m not afraid of a strong fish stock, but if a strong stock makes you queasy, this recipe is not for you. I’ve wanted to make a chowder for the longest time and a quiet, Autumn weekend at home last month was a good time for it. You can easily spend too much on seafood for a chowder. Sure, it will be delicious, but what about making a delicious chowder using cheaper ingredients? I picked up 2 salmon heads for cheap at my local asian market. Fish heads are usually cheap and I’ve been eyeing these up for a while now, wondering what to do with them. To prepare, make sure the gills are removed – they usually are. Cut the fins off with a pair of …

Individual Steak and Guinness Pies

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In honour of  St. Paddy’s Day, I invited my friends over for a pot luck dinner. The theme for the dinner was green or Irish and we had a pesto green starter and several green desserts. I made individual steak and Guinness Pies and we also had a green hued potato and pea mash. I confess. I’m not a huge fan of Guinness. I can drink it, but I find it heavy and savoury and pint or bottle is usually enough for me. I do however, enjoy it in a pie. You will need a lidded pot for this recipe (I used a dutch oven) and a 6up muffin tin. This is not the time for a dainty cupcake tin. My muffin tin makes large muffins about 3 inches or 8 cm wide at the base. To measure out how wide I needed the pie cases, I first measured across the wall+base+wall of a muffin tin with the edge of a teatowel and matched this measurement across the mouth a bowl. This bowl became the “cookie …

Farmhouse Pasties

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I’m glad I gave the traditional Cornish Pasty recipe a whirl already this autumn. Now I’m inspired to do some weird, non-authentic pasties. This next recipe uses some of the original ingredients like beef, lamb, onion and potatoes, but also puff pastry, bacon, carrots and cheese. You can put the cheese inside the pastie if you prefer, but I’ve sprinkled cheese on the outside. I thought it would look prettier, but it only looks ok.  I’m loving smoked cheddar at the moment. It has a distinctive smokey flavour that is divine with streaky bacon. I’m buying ethical meat when it’s convenient, even though free range vs organic vs free farmed can be confusing to the average home cook. It’s nice to remember that at least here in New Zealand, lamb and beef are free farmed at minimum. At best, they’re free range. I don’t think there are any wild cows or wild sheep out there. Although that might be interesting! Lamb and beef I consider my “happy meats”. It’s only chicken and pork you have …

Make Cornish Pasties

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After trying both venison and beef versions of Sarah’s Cornish Pasties at Splore a few weeks ago, I was hell bent on making some of my own. For those that aren’t familiar with Cornish Pasties, they’re a submarine-shaped pie and traditional ingredients include beef or lamb, potatoes, swedes and onion. These  parcels of goodness were originally baked for tin miners who worked underground and didn’t come up  to air at lunch. They ate these pies and with their dirty, arsenic laden paws. They clutched the crust, ate the pastie and discarded the soiled crust at the end to avoid poisoning. Cornish pasties are baked from raw ingredients and it surprised me that both the meat and the vegetables cooked perfectly in these parcels. Short crust pastry is traditional but after eating these, I may retry with puff pastry because I adore puff pastry. I find short crust to be a bit heavy. I used both lamb and beef (why pick one when you can have both), potato, swede and onion. This recipe adapted from the NZ …

Make Cornbread – Savoury and sweet

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Cornbread. Southern States. The Green Mile. Comfort food. Wholesome. The word cornbread just feels round and nice in your mouth. You say it with warm, drawn-out Rrrr sounds. Southern States remember? I think of the movie The Green Mile and how cornbread was presented as a heartwarming thank you present. John Coffey: I’m smellin’ me some cornbread. Paul Edgecomb: It’s from my missus. She wanted to thank you. John Coffey: Thank me for what? Paul Edgecomb: Well, you know… Paul Edgecomb: For a helping me. John Coffey: Helping you with what? Paul Edgecomb: You know. John Coffey: Ohh. Was your missus pleased? Paul Edgecomb: Several times. We don’t eat cornbread here in New Zealand but they talk about it so much in the movies that I’ve always wanted to try it. I always assumed it was a bread eaten in place of a bread roll for hearty meals. But now I see that it has more of a cake texture. I used the basic cornbread recipe over at The Fresh Loaf only I used polenta …

Make a big pot of chili

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I’ve made various short-cut variations of chili over the years, always in a frying pan, always just enough for two and always with a minimum of fuss. I wanted to make a bit ‘ol pot of the stuff so we could eat our way through it for as long as we could bear. Chili con carne literally translates to “chili with meat”. You know, carne, as in carnivore. Looking online, there are many variations and I was quite surprised that beans in chili is not regarded as authentic. Chili always appears with beans around here and I’ve never had chili without beans. It seems that in poorer areas, beans were added to make the dish go further and it became more common. A chili purist’s proverb goes “If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans”. My chili is mild and includes beans. Add more hot sauce or chili if you prefer something with more kick. A Big Pot of Chili Makes about 3 litres or 12 cups. A serving is …

Roll Sushi

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In the very early ’90s, sushi became popular in New Zealand and I found out the sushi that I already loved, wasn’t cherished among my peers. Not then anyway. Before this discovery, my sister and I had been happily enjoying raw fish sushi in uncool bliss. At school, instead of bags of chips, we snacked on small packs of dried seaweed. When The Koala and I visited Osaka, Japan in 2008, we were surprised to find sushi we are familiar with here in NZ, is quite different to Japanese sushi. Like so many imports, sushi has morphed away from tradition. Tried and true is great, but weird reproductions can be great too. NZ was not ready for raw fish in early ’90s. There had to be another way. Chicken sushi, which is novelty in Japan, converted hoards of New Zealanders to sushi and it’s unlikely you’ll find a sushi joint in NZ that doesn’t offer it. Where would we be without wacky combinations to humour our palates? Some less than authentic sushi I’ve enjoyed over …

Summer is Peachy

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As we officially set upon the final week of the New Zealand summer, it feels like the climate is stubbornly refusing to let go of the heat. Sometimes I can’t decide if it’s hotter inside than out. Things are sticky. Especially after a hot afternoon nap. We’ve been cheated of summer this year with monsoon rainfall that is common in other exotic islands. So while Autumn will hit us in a couple of weeks, it still feels like mid-summer. Who knows? Maybe we’ll still be picnicking in April. It is peach season and I have no hard feelings for the fuzzy skinned fruit. I can eat it without peeling. But the salsa I made this week is more about flavour than the texture. This salsa tastes zingy and fresh. I haven’t added any chili to it, but you can add a sliced chili if you prefer. Serve with fish, chicken, steak or sausages. Tasty enough to add just a spoon but moorish enough to eat like a side salad. Use a nectarine if that’s all you have handy. Peach Salsa …

Do something with rhubarb

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“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” – Brian O’Driscoll I think you can consider a rhubarb as a vegetable in the same way that a tomato is a fruit. Rhubarb is completely alien to me. I recognise the word, but I I can’t say I have eaten rhubarb before. If I have, I mustn’t have been paying attention or maybe it was cooked with fruit and I wasn’t sure where the fruit ended and the rhubarb began. I was determined to do something with rhubarb this summer, and to know for sure what it was (and if I liked it). It’s a bit embarrassing that I wasn’t  sure what rhubarb looked like. I couldn’t identify it in the wild, although I’m generally pretty good at identifying edibles in the ground. I thought maybe it looked like silverbeet or celery only bright red. I was on the right track. I even claimed that I’d never seen rhubarb in any shops. Surely if I …

Summer Rolls with Surimi and Nectarine

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When I was a kid, many weekends involved a family visit to at least one fish market. Sometimes, cousins, uncles and aunties and grandparents came along. It was a social occasion. It was sight seeing. A big aquarium alternative where everything can be fashioned into a meal. To quieten us and keep us content until our yum cha lunch or dinner, our parents would buy us crabsticks to snack on. I think they were 50 cents and I’m sure we knew they weren’t real crab, but it didn’t matter. According to Wiki, the word “surimi” literally translates to “fish puree or slurry” and I suppose things like other kiddie favourites like chicken nuggets, hot dogs and cherrios (saveloy) are similar in build. These days I forget often about surimi as an ingredient. At my market, surimi comes in frozen vacuum sealed packs of 500 grams ($4) and 1 kilo ($7). This week the big Australian supermarket chains have frozen 1 kilo packs for just $5. Maybe that’s too cheap. You can often find surimi from …

Easy bacon and egg pie

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I’m completely obsessed with hot English mustard. I’m not eating it with a spoon…yet. It’s a fairly new obsession, which began late last year, when as part of a month-long, shared-eating RWC season when we gorged on sizzling bacon and hot English mustard sandwiches at work. Since then, my taste for hot English mustard has steadily grown more ravenous. I’ve recruited The Koala and we’ve been enjoying mustard on almost everything. In New Zealand, we use both baby American mustard and real hot English mustard and if you ask for mustard, you would be presented with either one or asked for your preference. American mustard is very mild while hot English mustard has a mean kick that I liken to wasabi. Unlike the heat of a chili, mustard  doesn’t keep building up in heat as you eat burning so much that you can no longer enjoy your food. Here’s a super easy pie to eat with mustard. It’s got everything you want in it and nothing you don’t. We split this between 3 of us but in hindsight, between 4 would …

Surf & Turf Mac & Cheese

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Surf and turf is an American export and combines seafood and meat together in a single dish. It has gluttonous origins and suggests extravagance by combining two of the most expensive things off the menu. Can’t decide between the steak or the lobster? Have both! Gluttons unite! Here in New Zealand – a country that has an abundance of great seafood and meat – we don’t really do surf and turf. In true kiwi style, extravagance only goes with a slice of humble pie and what is more humble than mac and cheese? This recipe uses 3 elements and the oven but as long as you read the recipe through before you start, you’ll be ok. There’s plenty of time to do everything even if there is a little multi-tasking involved. Clean up as you go, there’s 15 minutes of downtime at the end to take care of the dishes and throw together a quick salad. Surf & Turf Mac & Cheese Enough for 2 dinners and 2 lunches (or a nuclear family) Ingredients 250 …

Make an edible gift

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Fudge When my sister and I were kids, we used to go to the Takapuna Flea Markets and 50 cents would buy us a small paper bag of russian fudge to share. It was buttery, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I never knew russian fudge actually contained butter until I decided to make it this Christmas as an edible gift. Plan A I used the classic Edmonds Cook Book recipe, but tried and true it may be, after over 24 hours, including some freezer time, it just wouldn’t set for me. Big fail! What to do with squishy russian fudge? Well, of course, there was always ice cream or sauce. But what about using it as a spread? A few ticks later, I devised a Plan B. Plan B I cut out puff pastry shapes using cookie cutters, sprinkled with raw sugar, baked at 170°C for  10 minutes until just done, cooled for a bit, cut in half and filled with the still soft russian fudge. Serve with coffee for Christmas afternoon treat or with Christmas breakfast. …

Make Ice Cream

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Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your day is filled with yummy treats and that your stretchy pants look as good this year. I look forward to catching up with family and eating lots of delicious things. Namely, a glazed ham. I dream of ham year round. The weather has really turned bright and hot for us this Christmas and with summer weather comes demand for ice cream. I successfully made ice cream for the first time and I stirred in a bit of home made russian fudge for a buttery flavour boost. No ice cream maker required, just an egg beater and plenty of bowls. I found this easy ice cream recipe online here by a user named Marble. I’ve reblogged it just in case that page ever disappears. I have very limited kitchen space so never had the desire to hoard a food processor or an ice cream maker. I love how the fanciest tool required for this recipe is an egg beater. No food processor or ice cream maker required! ICE CREAM Use 3 bowls …

Salad for Super Skin

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With my skin still in the wars and a list of things NOT to eat, I decided to eat foods I should include. Most of the stuff I read about eczema is about stuff to avoid, but finding foods to eat is much more fun. I really enjoy cooking from a list of superfoods that I keep stored in my memory and more so when they’re delicious superfoods. There are a few foods out there that are good for your skin. These include salmon, avocado, olive oil and pinenuts (in pesto) which are all in this recipe. With half a bag left of orzo, I made this delicious salad for super skin. For those not on a restricted diet, some halved cherry tomatoes would be a lovely addition. Add some parsley too and hey look! You got yourself a red and green festive looking dish just in time for Christmas. Is this health food? Maybe. Does it work on eczema and other skin problems? I don’t know. Would I eat it regardless? Yes. Orzo Salad with smoked …

Prepare Ika Mata (Cook Islands raw fish salad)

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Raw fish is delish I fell in love with Ika Mata during our honeymoon in Rarotonga a couple of years ago. This raw fish and coconut cream salad is “cooked” in lemon juice and confettied with diced vegetables. I’ve eaten it a couple times in New Zealand, but never had the guts to make it at home until now. It’s absolutely a summertime dish and I’m glad to be able to cross it off this summer’s to do list. It was much easier than I anticipated. I don’t know what I haven’t made it sooner. Some raw fish dishes from around the world (alpha): Crudo, Italy Ceviche, South America Ika Mata, Cook Islands Kelaguen, Mariana Islands (Micronesia) Kinilaw, Philippines Kokoda, Fiji Ota ‘ika or Oka i’a, Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa Poisson Cru or E’ia Ota, Tahiti Poke, Hawaii Tiradito, Peru This recipe uses yellowfin tuna because it happens to be on special this week at Nosh, but you can use firm white fish such as kahawai or gurnard if the price is right. This is good eating, but can feel on the light side. If you are like …

Cook Ribs

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Ribs The ribs at Al Brown’s new restaurant, Depot are incredible. Lamb ribs with harissa sauce sounded great and I liked the inclusion of roasted capsicum. Al’s recipe can be found on his restaurant website for those that live outside of Auckland or just want to be able to make the dish at home. What a giver! I also have a soft spot for Lonestar ribs. It’s the only thing we go to Lonestar for these days. Ribs shouldn’t be a special occasion food, so I figured that was time to attempt to cook ribs at home. I put together this recipe after reading a bunch of recipes online and also incorporating some flavours that would work well with pork. Roasted capsicum is easy to do. Just cut a capsicum into quarters, remove the seeds, smear with a little oil and bake at 180°C for 40 minutes. In hindsight, this sauce would be badass with a slow cooked hunk of pork. Think pulled pork with coleslaw, potato salad and fresh buns. Oh boy. Kaitaia Fire Kaitaia Fire is …

Roasted Garlic

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Garlic is always unreasonably cheap and I use a lot of garlic in my cooking. Sometimes though, I do buy too many bags of garlic to use before it starts sprouting, so roast garlic is a great way to eat up garlic quickly. Roast garlic is some kind of voodoo magic where the flavour vastly differs to the raw stuff. Roast garlic is really mellow, smooth and sweet. The cloves shrink inside their pods making them easy to remove from the paper. They are squishy, so you can either dig each clove out with a butter knife or use your fingers to squeeze them from of their papers. Or as I do, squeeze them out and pop them into my mouth. To use, mash with a fork, or crush with a knife to make a roasted garlic paste. If you are smearing into toast, you can just spread a whole roasted clove as you would a pat of butter. This recipe makes 4 bulbs of roast garlic but you can easily do more or less, just …

Bacon Burger Summer Rolls

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Foodie purists look away now. I love bacon. I looove hamburgers. I loooooove summer rolls. I’ve learned a few things since I posted  The secret To Making Vietnamese Spring Rolls. It’s surprising that what some have known pretty much all their life, second nature that is so simple that it’s just a given, can be foreign to others. So a big thanks to all the summer roll pros for the feedback. Now I have learned that drying on a teatowel isn’t required at all for the rice paper and if you just roll it up went it is pliable, it will continue to soften to perfection. Here in New Zealand, it’s not uncommon to put random ingredients into an exotic dish to make some oddball fusion monster. Think green curry chicken sushi and butter chicken pizzas. Maybe it’s the same in other countries too. I’m totally into it. If it tastes good, I’ll eat it. So, with a bit of streaky bacon and ground beef in the fridge, I decided to use them to make summer rolls. …

Crunchy Roast Potatoes

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I had these with pan-fried flounder, but these potatoes are great with just about anything. Very easy. I  give these potatoes a little once over with the peeler if they are developing eyes. Keep your eyes peeled! But you can fully peel them if you prefer. Crunchy Roast Potatoes Ingredients 4 medium potatoes 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado oil, but use whatever is available) 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs Salt and pepper  Preparation Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Cut potatoes into thick 2 cm slices and then cut again so you get small cubes. Transfer potatoes to a shallow roasting dish. Add oil, garlic, paprika and breadcrumbs. Salt and pepper generously. Mix well. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.