Carrot and Orange Salad

Carrots are on special at The Fresh Ingredient and Summer showed her face today (if only briefly). I was inspired to pull out this recipe. It is my version of a dish served by a close friend at every summer BBQ.


Ingredients (serves 4 as a side dish)
4 small carrots
Juice of 1/2 orange
2-3tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil - use Australian.
1tbs Red Wine Vinegar
Sprig of fresh mint, leaves picked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Peel and remove the tops of the carrots. 
2. Shred or grate the carrots as finely as possible into a serving bowl.
3. Mix together orange juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss to coat.
Serve

Seasonal Eating - Asparagus

Australian asparagus comes into the market throughout Spring and Summer. 

This easy, healthy recipe is perfect served either warm or chilled, as a side dish with grilled fish or chicken.

Roast Asparagus

Ingredients (Serves 4)

3 bunches asparagus

1 lemon – juiced and zested

3 cloves of garlic – peeled and sliced

3 tbs olive oil

100g shaved parmesan cheese

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
2. Trim woody ends from the asparagus then place spears in a single layer in a baking dish. Add the garlic slices and lemon zest, coat with the olive oil. Cover the dish (use foil if you don’t have a lid) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.
3. Dress the roast asparagus with 1tbs lemon juice and the shaved parmesan.

Enjoy!

BBQ Season - Potato Side Dish

We've been extremely busy at The Fresh Ingredient, so I must apologise for lack of blog posts. We have moved our little shop to a much bigger premises. This has meant more hours, more stock, more staff, a few more headaches and a lots less time to cook and blog. But, the teething problems seem to have eased, so here is one of my quick, standby recipes.

Spiced Potatoes

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

1kg chat potatoes
2 -3 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
30g butter melted
1 tbs Herbie’s 32° Spice Mix. (This spice mix contains chilli, so if you want to up the heat, add ore spice mix, or if you want to bring the intensity down a notch decrease the amount of spice mix used.)

Method

1.       Pre-heat oven or covered BBQ to 180°.

2.       Wash & dry the potatoes, then cut into quarters.

3.       Put potatoes, butter, olive oil and spice mix into a baking dish and mix together with your hands until the potatoes are well coated.

4.       Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the potatoes look and feel crisp.

Enjoy with your favourite BBQ meats or vegetables.

Caramelised Onion & Roasted Sweet Potato All-In-One Quiche

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

¾ cup pastry mix
¾ cup grated Mainland Tasty cheese
4 Free Range eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup Udder Farm Pure Cream
½ cup Udder Farm Full Cream Milk
1 tsp softened unsalted butter
2 tbs Binnorie Marinated Fetta
1 medium brown onion
1 medium red onion
1 medium sweet potato
2 tbs continental parsley, chopped
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs brown sugar
pinch salt
good grind of black pepper

Method

1.    Pre-heat oven to 180C.

2.    Peel sweet potato and chop into 2cm pieces. Using 2 tbs olive oil coat sweet potato & place in baking dish. Roast for 20 mins or until lightly golden. When cooked, set aside.

3.    Thinly slice red & brown onion.

4.    Heat 1 tbs olive oil & 1 tbs butter in a non-stick fry pan, when butter has melted reduce heat to minimum & add sliced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15mins or until onion is soft. Add brown sugar, cook for 2mins, stirring, until onion caramelises. Set aside.

5.    In a large bowl combine pastry mix, grated cheese, cream, milk, 1 tsp softened butter, marinated fetta, eggs and salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add caramelised onion, roasted sweet potato and chopped parsley. Stir to combine.

6.    Pour into a greased 6 cup oven-proof dish. Bake for 40 mins, or until golden & set.

Serve with a green salad.

Pastry Mix is available in flour section of supermarket. I use Lion Brand.

Beef Stroganoff

Mushrooms are on special at The Fresh Ingredient, it's a perfect time to make Stroganoff. Supreme comfort food for these cool evenings.

Source your mushrooms, paprika, tomato paste, eschalots (or baby onions), parsley & sour cream from The Fresh Ingredient. I use either Joslin Street Kotara Butcher or Sellers Meats at Merewether for my meat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g thinly sliced beef (if you have a good butcher, buy eye fillet & ask them to slice for you)
2 tbs Herbies Sweet Paprika
ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain flour
¼ cup olive oil
3 eschalots or 2 small brown onions finely diced
400 g button mushrooms thinly sliced
2 tbs tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbs finely chopped fresh continental parsley

Method

1. Combine paprika, flour and a good grind of black pepper in a bowl, add beef strips and toss to coat beef. 
2. Heat 2tbs oil in a large frying pan. Cook meat quickly in small batches over a med-high heat, remove & set aside.  
3. Add remaining oil to pan, when warm add onion & cook over med-high heat for 3 minutes or until soft.
4. Add mushrooms to pan, cook over med-high heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste, wine, stock & Worcestershire sauce to pan, bring to the boil.
6. Reduce heat & simmer for 5 minutes uncovered, stir occasionally.
7. Return meat to pan, add sour cream, stir until combined and just heated through.
8. Sprinkle with parsley & serve with fettucine.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Carrots are on special this week at The Fresh Ingredient - so stock up, make this soup & freeze for later use.
This soup is fast & easy to make, tasty, and helps stave off colds.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
5cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1kg (approx. 6) carrots, peeled, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
sour cream and chopped coriander leaves, to serve

Method
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is soft.
2. Add carrots, stock and water to saucepan. Simmer, partially covered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until carrots are very tender. Remove from heat.
3. Using a stick blender, process soup until smooth. Return saucepan to low heat and stir until warmed through.
4. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with sour cream and coriander. Serve.

Watermelon and Fetta Salad

It's been so hot that the thought of turning on the oven, or going outside to turn on the BBQ is just horrendous. I find when it's hot that my appetite disappears and all I want is something light to eat. Therefore tonight's dinner had to be something light, cooling, easy, with minimal cooking required.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/4 fresh, juicy watermelon

1/3 jar (100-150g) of Binnorie Marinated Fetta

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tbs fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup walnuts

Method

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry frypan for 2-5 mins, tossing continually. Allow to cool.
2. Cube the watermelon. Place in salad bowl.
3. Crumble fetta over the top of the watermelon.
4. Ball up the basil leaves and shred with a sharp knife, repeat with the mint leaves, reserving a few for presentation. Sprinkle herbs over the fetta and melon.
5. Roughly chop the cooled walnuts and sprinkle over the salad.
Serve immediately.