Tag: mint

Vefa Alexiadou’s Fried Cheese Balls from Crete

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 6 as a starter

Vefa Alexiadou’s book ‘Greece – The Cookbook’ by publisher Phaidon is the sort of wonderful cooking tome you’d expect from one of the world’s best publishers of cookbooks.

The recipes are traditional and numerous. No doubt every dish would be marvellous.

Nat served these cheese balls as a starter before a long Greek, Sunday lunch.

And what a traditional treat.

Ricotta and mint is such a great savoury combination and here you have it in spades.

It’s winter. Do a Greek lunch and start here.

Beautiful.

Ingredients

500gm anthotiro or ricotta cheese
1 – 2 eggs
4 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus extra for coating
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for deep frying*

Method

  1. Place the cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the eggs, flour, mint and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and blend to a thick, pliable mixture. If it is soft and sticky, add more cheese.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and put the mixture in the refrigerator until required.
  3. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 180c – 190c. Pinch off small pieces of the cheese mixture and roll between your palms to form balls the size of a small walnut. Coat with flour and fry in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden all over. Drain well and serve immediately.

Ajoy Joshi’s Murgh Hara Masala

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

Here we are yet again with an Ajoy Joshi recipe.

Trademark whisked yoghurt. The browned onions. Roasted cashews.

But then we add the herbs and chilli.

It takes a trademark Joshi dish in yet another direction and it is predictably wonderful.

As Nat put it, the onions give a depth, then flipped on its head by the fresh green chilli.

You taste the hint of cashew.

And the sum of the parts of just a beautifully warm and complex curry, as unique as every Ajoy Joshi curry is.

Incredibly clever.

I’ve only adjusted by adding one extra tbsp of double cream and using 1kg of chicken thigh instead of a whole chicken.

Ingredients

5 tbsp vetegable oil
3 brown onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1kg chicken thigh cut into 3cm pieces
1/2 c plain whole-milk yoghurt, whisked until smooth
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp garlic, minced
Cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
8 whole black peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 fresh mild long green chillis, roughly chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh coriander
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint
1 tbsp unsalted roasted cashew nuts
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp double cream
Steamed basmati rice to serve

Method

  1. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over a medium low heat, add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are dark golden-brown. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine chicken, yoghurt, ginger and garlic and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.
  3. In a spice grinder, process the spices to a fine powder.
  4. In a food processor, combine chillies, coriander, mint, cashew nuts and fried onions and process until well combined.
  5. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat remaining 3 tbsp oil over a high heat and add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally until all moisture evaporates and chicken is lightly browned.
  6. Add the turmeric and 1/2 c hot water and stir until almost evaporated. The chicken should be cooked and tender by now.
  7. Add the ground spices, stirring until fragrant. Add the chilli mixture and cream, stirring through until well combined and heated through. Season and serve with steamed rice.
  8. An ale, riesling or pinot a must at this point. Trust me on this one.

Sylvia Fountaine’s Lemongrass Chicken

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

I don’t cook or eat a lot of stir fries.

In fact, this is the first I have ever typed up.

Which means it must be good, and it is.

It’s also simple. Mid-week dinner simple. Vietnamese hump-day stuff.

Perhaps closer to a larb than a stir fry and maybe that it why it is soo good, though stir fry it is and worth typing up, very much.

Ingredients

1 – 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 fat shallots, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c lemongrass, finely chopped
4 – 5 dried Thai chillies (or 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes)
500g chicken mince
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp cracked pepper
1 bell red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 baby bok choy sliced
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1/4 c mint leaves or Thai basil
Lime wedges
Jasmine rice to serve

Method

  1. Cook your rice.
  2. In an extra large skillet, heat oil over a medium-high heat and one hot, add shallots and stir fry until tender, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add garlic, lemongrass and dried chillies, stir frying until fragrant. Scoop all into a bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add a splash of oil, increase heat to high and add the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, breaking it apart and browning once all the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Add the five spice, peppers and bok choi, lower heat and stir fry until peppers are just tender, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and honey alone with the cook shallot mixture, removing the Thai chillies. Taste, adjust and add some fresh herbs to serve.

Coco’s Green Smoothie

.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Serves: 2

My sister in law Court (Coco) shared this awesome breakfast smoothie with us.

Perfect for our new year’s resolution!

Highly commend and can be made the night before ready to be blitzed with ice in the morning.

Ingredients

1 cucumber
1 stick celery
1 banana
Kale (or baby spinach)
Dollop of Greek yoghurt
Minced ginger*
Splash of cold water or almond milk

Method

  1. Blitz together all the ingredients in a blender and serve with ice.

* Pro tip. Cut up your ginger, peel and put in a ziplock bag in the freezer ready for this smoothie, or any meal. Ready to grate when you need it!

Mint Sauce

.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Serves: 1 cup+

There is more to mint sauce than mint.

Ingredients

1 c full fat yoghurt
1/4 c coriander leaves
1/4 c mint leaves
1 green chilli
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 – 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Method

  1. Place coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli in a blender and process until smooth, adding 1 – 2 tbsp water to bring it together.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, spoon in the yoghurt.
  3. Now add the green herbs mixture, salt, sugar, cumin, garam masala and lemon juice to the yoghurt. Whisk together until well combined, cover and chill until needed.

Christine Manfield’s Mughlai Chicken

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

Christine Manfield‘s Mughlai Chicken is just another brilliant curry from her wonderful book, Tasting India.

It was just luscious, so unique and perfectly executed by Nat. Local Indian restaurant this is not.

Served alongside another wonderful cauliflower and potato curry, we had an old friend over for dinner, decanted a cracking red and had a memorable Saturday night in.

Doesn’t get much better than this.

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
50gm finely sliced white onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
500gm chicken thigh, cut into 2cm cubes
100gm thick plain yoghurt, whisked
300ml white chicken stock
3 tsp mint chutney
50gm finely chopped spinach leaves
100gm spinach puree
2 tsp salt
20 fried curry leaves, slightly crushed
1 tsp ghee, melted

Mint Chutney

100gm mint leaves
75gm coriander leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 small green chilli, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
5 tbsp thick plain yoghurt
2 red shallots, finely diced
2 tsp chat masala
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch of chilli powder

Method

Mint chutney

Blend the mint, coriander, lemon juice, chilli and ginger to make a smooth paste. Stir in the yoghurt, shallot, chat masala, salt and chilli powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spinach puree

Blanch spinach leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and chop then puree in a food processor.

Fried curry leaves

Heat some vegetable oil to 170c and fry fresh curry leaves in small batches for 20 seconds

The Curry

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli over a high heat until softened. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Fry for a minute and then add the yoghurt.
  2. When the mixture starts to simmer, add the stock. Bring back to the simmer and then stir through the chutney and spinach leaves. Cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy reduced.
  3. Add the spinach puree and salt and stir until combined and heated through. Stir in the curry leaves and ghee and serve with steamed rice.

Bulgar with Pomegranate Salad

.Reading time 1 minute.

Bulgar with Pomegranate Salad

Serves: 4 – 6

This is a recipe I pulled from the Weekend Australian Magazine by David Herbert and it is really quite good. I’ve been more hit than miss with his stuff in the past, though as far as a clean, healthy, spring salad goes, this is a winner.

If you haven’t cooked with bulgar, it is worth the effort to find it in your local organics shop.

It is less abrasive than quinoa, healthy, packed full of protein and fibre, and filling. Add the fresh herbs and vegetables and you have a salad that looks great, tastes great and is easy to prepare.

Try it with steak or lamb and you’ll be pleased you did.

Ingredients

150gm bulgar
¾ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
200gm cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
Seeds 1 pomegranate
3 spring onions, chopped
Juice, 1 lemon
2 – 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Place bulgar in a bowl and cover with 500ml boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes and then drain well, removing all excess water.
  2. Combine cooled bulgar, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, pomegranate, spring onions and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season well with the salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour over olive oil and toss well.

Herb-Marinated Rack of Lamb

.Reading time 1 minute.

Herb-Marinated Rack of Lamb

Serves: 4

An easy, spring dinner… that looks a bit fancy and tastes just great, like any rack of lamb is prone to do.

I’d consider doing it on the BBQ next time to get a char-grilled crust going, though as a set-and-forget, see you in 30 minutes number, the oven is just fine.

Served with some twice-cooked roasted baby potatoes and a wonderful salad of Bulgar and Pomegranate.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Pinch or two of dried chilli flakes
Pinch or two of salt
6 tbsp olive oil
2 well-trimmed racks of lamb (8 bones each)

Method

  1. Combine garlic, mint, basil, chilli, salt and oil in a food processor to form a thick paste.
  2. Coat the lamb in the paste and marinate for a few hours.
  3. Heat the oven to 180c; transfer the lamb to a baking tray ad roast for 35 – 40 minutes.
  4. Rest for 5 minutes and slice the lamb between the bones for individual cutlets.

Adam Liaw’s Walnut and Watercress Salad

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 4

This is a really wonderful salad. So good in fact, that Nat wants to bottle the dressing for friends.

The nuttiness of the walnut with the freshness of the watercress and mint is special.

Even the boys hoovered it up.

Sophisticated, clean, healthy and fresh.

A must do.

Ingredients

½ cup peeled walnuts*
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets (or ½ tsp salt)
1 bunch watercress, picked and washed
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

Method

  1. Place half the walnuts in a small food processor with the vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard and anchovies (or salt), and process to a smooth dressing.
  2. Toss the watercress, mint leaves and remaining walnuts in the dressing.

* Toast the walnuts – either in the oven or in a pan – until darkened and the skins are starting to flake. In a kitchen towel, rub the nuts together until the skins separate and then in a colander, shake to separate the skins from the nuts.

Tzatziki

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 4

A bit boring I know, though a good, home-made tzatziki is pretty cool.

Low fat – if you do it with low, or zero fat yoghurt – and tasty with pretty much anything you can throw at it. Meat, crackers, vegetables.

No guilt.

Ingredients

1 Lebanese cucumber, coarsely grated
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
200gm low-fat (or fat free) Greek-style yoghurt
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

  1. Put the grated cucumber in a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl and sprinkled with a pinch of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes or more to drain off the excess moisture.
  2. Place the salted cucumber, yoghurt, mint and garlic in a bowl and mix to combine. Season and enjoy for the next few days.