So firstly I should begin with an apology (again) so not having updated in yonkers. Much has happened since the last post, including a fabulous trip to Peru where I was able to tick off a couple of items on the bucket list, namely the Inca Trail and a visit to the Amazon. More related to this blog however, has been the fact that all the stuff I was growing in my garden is now being harvested, meaning I can now cook with real, garden fresh produce! First cab off the ranks was the beetroot! We literally have beetroot coming out of our ears, and I wanted to make something exciting but not daunting with it! I have developed a certain affinity for couscous recently, so I thought who not put the two together, and this is the result...
Ingredients:
1 large beetroot, peeled and cut into largish cubes 1 cup couscous 1 cup water 1/2 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, finely sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives salt and pepper to taste
1. Lightly toss the beetroot in some olive oil, salt and pepper and put in the oven to roast. Mine took about 15 mins in a moderate oven.
2. Bring the cup of water to the boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the butter to this, give it a super quick stir and cover the mixture for about 5 mins. At the end of the 5 mins, the water should be fully absorbed, and using a fork, fluff up the couscous.
3. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and caramelize the onions over a low heat. This can take up to 10 mins. Be patient.
4. Take the onions off the heat, add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and beetroot and mix well.
5. Add the onion mixture to the couscous and mix well. Add the chives and salt to taste.
For a month or so, I've started my own little garden. It all began with a desire to have my own herbs growing on the patio, so that if I should need them whilst cooking, I could just pop out and grab some.. I started with coriander, which is one of my favourite herbs, and also very prevalent in Bengali cooking..
I started with nothing..
Which then became something...
(If you look really closely, you can see something...)
And now I have lots!
I'm also growing chives, beetroot, carrots and peas, so let's see how they turn out!
Apologies people. I haven't updated in yonkers. However there has been a lot going on. Not necessarily in the kitchen, but in the garden and on the restaurant front. Confused? Don't worry, I shall explain in subsequent posts, however for now, a few photos from our adventures last night, at Mamasita's...
Mamasita's doesn't take bookings, and is known for being packed and tricky to get a table at. We got there just after 6, and already there was a long queue. When we got the head of the line, we were told there was a 2 hr wait for a table. We decided to opt for the 2 hour wait, and spent the next few hours at Kri Kri on Little Bourke St, which is a greek restaurant that has vegetarian mezze. it wasn't bad, however the service was a bit poor.
Anyway, once we got a phone call from Mamasita to say our table was ready, we were out of Kri Kri so fast, that it wasn't funny...
And so our Mexican night began... This was the Mexican manderine soft drink... there was also guava and lime variants, and a tamarind flavour that everyone was curious about but no one was game enough to try...
Quesadillas de Huitlacoche. Basically a tortilla sandwich with mexican truffles, mushrooms, and other yummy things.Tostaditas de Maiz. Mini taco thingies with corn and beans and this awesome chilli hit. Basically the Mexican version of pani puri. We told you it was all Indian. Chilli Relleno. Stuffed peppers. Super yummo.Tamales de Flor de Calabaza. This dish was a touch average. A bit dry, had to add the salsa (which was really great btw) to spice it up.Ensalada de Quinoa. I hadn't had quinoa before, but this salad was bloody good. Looks like I'm a quinoa fan now.After significant umming and ahing over whether we would get dessert, me and Lavina bit the bullet and went ahead. I have no idea of the Mexican name of this dish, but it was a black pudding with quinoa (yes more quinoa) and fresh figs. I HATE figs, but this dessert was awesome... Mals, Bazz and Shazz bad a pineapple platter with mint and lime... also yummo...
The end of a very satisfying evening. Six great friends, 2 great restaurants, 1 great night :-)
I adore Indian food, which is probably a good thing since we have it just about every night! But in particular I love Indian street food, or chaat as it is known in India. Unfortunately I don't get this as often, and in any case, it can never taste as good as it does on the side of the road in India, made by a guy with dirty hands and non purified tamarind water! Nevertheless, I never cease to try and replicate that taste sensation at home. While it's never the same, this pav bhaji recipe comes close...
Pav bhaji is basically a curried vegetable roll. The filling, or bhaji, is made fom all sorts of vegetables and flavoured with beautiful, pungent spices that absorb into the mixture. The pav, or Indian equivalent of a bread roll, is a small white bread roll, but usually quite sweet, similar in taste to a Maccas burger bun, which is coated in butter or ghee and lightly toasted. Combined, the two make a party in your mouth happen...
Ingredients (makes about 16 small rolls):
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into a simialr size to the potato
1 tbs oil
1/2 cup capsicum, finely chopped
Finely chopped chilli (optional, if you like it hot)
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 tsp minced ginger
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 heaped tbs pav bhaji masala (this can be bought at any Indian grocery store)
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste
Lemon juice and finely sliced onions to serve
1. Boil the potatoes and carrots, and then mash them.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai. Once it is hot, add the capsicum and chilli and saute. After a minute, add the ginger and continue sauteing.
3. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Allow to cook until the tomatoes have become soft.
4. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and pav bhaji masala and mix well.
5. Add the peas and corn to this mixture.
6. Lastly, add the mashed vegetables, butter and salt. All the mixture to cook well, so the flavours can combine properly together. The mixture should be a thick, paste like consistency. If it is too dry, add some water; if it is too runny, allow it to cook on a high heat so that it dries off. Keep tasting the mixture to make sure it is the right balance of tangy (tomatoes) and spicy (pav bhaji masala). Once done, remove from the heat.
7. Take the bread rolls, cut them in half and smear the inside and outside with butter or margaring and put them in an oven to toast lightly. This can also be done on a non stick frying pan or tawa on the stove.
8. Once the bread is done, fill it with the pav bhaji mix and a squeeze of lemon juice. If you like, raw onions can also be added.
Note: I didn't have the correct bread rolls, so I just used wholemeal rolls we had in the fridge. Works just as well!
I am not a fan of bananas and so, whenever we buy them, they will invariably get overripe, go black and start to smell. These feral bananas however, make the most amazing muffins... Ingredients (makes 12):
2 and 1/2 cups self raising flour 3/4 cup raw sugar Handful of chopped walnuts (I have no idea of the exact measurement, but let's just say 1/2 cup)2 cups milk 3 overripe bananas 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Line a muffin tin with patty pans. You could grease them, but I hate washing muffin tins, so I always use patty pans.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and nuts in a bowl.
4. In a blender, whizz up the milk, banana and vanilla essence.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well. The batter will be a very heavy, thick consistency.
6. Spoon the batter into the muffin tray and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
