Thai Noodle Salad

Thai Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
1 punnet of mixed small tomatoes (cherry, yellow, grape etc)
1 Carrot, grated roughly
Baby Spinach leaves
2 Spring Onions sliced on an angle
1/2 red capsicum charred,
1 small packet Vermicelli Noodles
1 wedge from a pkt of thin egg noodles
2 tbsp toasted peanuts
1 tbsp crunchy fried onions (packet as per picture)

Place entire packet of Vermicelli Noodles into a bowl and cover with boiled water.  Leave to soak while you prepare salad.. Half your small tomatoes, grate carrot and slice spring onions.  Combine in a bowl.  Char your capsicum over a gas flame and then chop into large squares and add to salad. Heat up a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frypan.  Drain Vermicelli noodles and using tongs add a couple of lots of noodles to the oil.  Fry until crunchy.  Don't allow to brown too long.  As soon as you take noodles out of pan, then add egg noodles and fry up quickly.  Pour them out into the salad and then add the peanuts to your almost dry pan and toast up briefly before also adding them to the salad. Break up fried vermicelli and add to the salad. Add a tablespoon of crunchy fried onions.


Dressing:

I have fresh chilli's infusing in oil in my kitchen and it's something I often use in recipes like this one.
Combine in a small bowl:
2 chopped chilli's (from the infused oil)
1/2 tsp chilli infused oil
2 dashes Fish Sauce
1 tsp chopped lemongrass (from the jar, and a little of the liquid)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp dark brown sugar (add to taste)
1 dash of sesame oil
1 dash white wine vinegar

This sauce is punchy, so make sure you add the sugar to taste or it will be too tarte.


Add your dressing to the salad mix and mix thoroughly.  Serve in a bowl on it's own or served as a side.  I have served this with Chicken Satay Skewers.  This salad would also be really lovely with beef strips folded through.

Marshmallow

Ingredients
2 Cups Sugar
3/4 cup water

Method
Boil Sugar and Water together.
Dissolve 2 dessertspoons of gelatine in another 1/4 cup of cold water.
Add gelatine mix to sugar and water mix when boiling and stir until dissolved.
Take off heat and beat with an electric beater for approx. 15 minutes until thick and glossy.
Pour into a greased shallow tin and when set cut into squares and roll in toasted coconut.

For sherbert cones:

Pour a little sherbert into the bottom of a square icecream cone.
(you can buy Wizz Fizz from some supermarkets)
Spoon marshmallow on top of sherbert until the cone is a little over-full.
Sprinkle with Hundreds and Thousands.
Allow to set and serve.

Megs Notes:   This recipe brings back so many memories.  Mum and I used to make the sherbert cones for school fete's.  This recipe is the one that we had in our school recipe book the year my colouring picture was chosen for the front cover.  I made the marshmallow squares some time ago and it feels like it's going to take forever to beat - 15 mins is a long time, but the yummy fresh marshmallow at the end is SO worth it.  Sometimes you just can't beat home-made.

Leek & Enoki Mushroom Wanton Soup

Eat your heart out Masterchef!  Last night I cooked all of this from scratch in less than 60 minutes - my own level of invention test.

I made Leek & Enoki Mushroom Wanton Soup, some chicken and lemongrass steamed gyoza's and lemon and honey chicken.   Leftover Soup for lunch today - YUM!   All inspired by finding the Enoki Mushroom's marked down at the supermarket - 50cents for a packet - what a bargain!  Never cooked with them before, but I will be again.

Eating this soup reminded me of the feeling I get when I eat a good homey Chicken soup - you know that feel that this is yum AND it's good for me.  It's like every mouthful you feel the goodness entering your soul. Well, that's how I feel about it anyway.

I didn't use a recipe, but I have written it out here for you:

Leek & Enoki Wanton Soup

1 Leek

1/2 Carrot - julienned

1 bunch Enoki Mushrooms

1/2 small Red Capsicum - Julienned

1/4 pkt Rice Noodles

1 tsp chopped lemongrass

1/2 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Garlic

2-4 litres water

1 tblsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tblsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp chicken stock powder

Salt, Pepper & more Soy to taste

1. Choose a large pot and put the 2 litres of water in it.

2. Chop Dark Green leaves from one end of the Leek and the roots from the other end.  Cut lengthwise and wash thoroughly. Chop the Leek in 1/2cm widths. Add to pot.

3. Julienne your Carrot and Capsicum and add to the pot. 

4. Add Chicken Stock powder, Soy and Lemongrass to pot and bring to the boil.

5. Simmer for about 15 mins until leek and carrot are soft. 

6. Turn down heat to a slow simmer and add the Rice Noodles and Enoki Mushrooms.  Leave on heat for another 5-10 mins until noodles are cooked and glassy.

7. Before serving season with Salt, Pepper and more Soy Sauce to taste.

Serve in bowls with or without Wantons.  I serve these wantons both in the soup and seperately with soy drizzles over them.

Chicken & Lemongrass Wantons / Gyoza.

1/2 Chicken Breast

1 tsp Lemongrass (from a jar as it is already softened)

2 tbsp Rice Flour

1 tsp Garlic

Pkt  Round Wanton Wrappers

Dice your chicken up super finely.  Then using a chef's knife chop through the chicken on a chopping board until it resembles chicken mince.  Alternatively you could just use chicken mince from the supermarket.  Personally, I liked this version with it slightly courser.  Chop the lemongrass up so it is quite fine.  In a bowl place all ingredients (minus the wanton wrappers) and stir until blended.

Put your bamboo steamer over a wok with some water in it and put on a medium high heat.  Line your bamboo steamer with baking paper.  I have found that a light spray with cooking oil stops the wantons sticking to the paper.  Brush wantons lightly with water and then put a small amount of the chicken mix on each one.  Gather up the edges of the wrapper into 4 sections and then squeeze together until it resembles a little money bag.  Place into the bamboo steamer and steam for about 15-20 mins, topping up the water in the wok as needed. 

Serve as Wantons in the soup or as Gyoza's with a little Soy Sauce.

I hope you love them as much as we have.

Susan Dorrington  ♥

Cheesy Veg Quinoa & Cous Cous Risotto

Ingredients:

4 pieces of Broccoli, 

1/2 cup Green Beans, 

1/2 cup Peas, 

1 Carrot - grated

Water to cover Vegetables

1/2 cup Quinoa, 

1 cup Cous Cous

1 tbsp Mixed Herbs

1 tbsp Vegetable Stock, 

1 Garlic clove - crushed, 

Sprinkle of Chilli Powder, 

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 cup Cheese to stir through at the end and then a few shavings on top (both optional)

Method

In a medium size Pot place all the vegetables and then pour enough water in to cover them.

Add Garlic, Vegetable Stock, Mixed Herbs and a sprinkle of Chilli Powder and salt & pepper to your taste to pot and stir through.

Bring to the boil and then turn stove down to simmer for about 5-7 minutes.  Add Cous Cous and stir through.  Simmer for another 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on water.  If it is a little dry at this point add a little more, but not too much as it will not be absorbed into the mixture.

When most of the liquid has reduced and the Quinoa and Cous Cous are cooked take off heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.  You can reduce this or leave it out altogether if you wish to reduce the calorie value of the meal.  

Serve up with a few shavings of cheese and a sprinkle of ground pepper on top.

Meal will serve 2 if this is all you are having, or will very easily serve 4 as a side.

Megs Notes:

This creation came about as I was putting the vegetable's on to cook for dinner and placed all the green veg in a pot with water on top.  It looked very green, so I added the grated carrot.  I then put water in it and placed it on the stove to cook.  Looking at it I couldn't help think it looked a little boring. I then added the vegetable stock and mixed herbs.  As I went to get the herbs out of the pantry I spotted the Quinoa and though ooh, that might be nice in it.  Then my creative side took over and added the garlic and chilli.  It wasn't until I thought about adding the Cous Cous that I realised this was going to end up a Risotto style dish rather than vegetables with Cous Cous and Quinoa mixed through.  That is when I decided to add the cheese, a bit of salt n pepper...and there you go....a very yummy creation had come to life!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Savoury Noodle One Pan Dinner

Elbow or Maccaroni Noodles
Carrots, Onion, Capsicum & 1/2 Potato finely diced or chopped
Peas
Sliced Mushrooms
Chopped shallots
1/2 cup red wine
500g Mince
3 1/2 cups water
Oil & Sugar
Tomato Paste
Garlic Powder
Parsley
Herbs & Spices (I like using chilli powder & cumin)
Salt
Oxo cubes (or beef stock powder)


Brown mince.  Add all ingredients.  Cover and simmer stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked.

Cranzac Biscuits

CRANZACS (A Festive version of the traditional Anzac Biscuit)
Ingredients:

125g butter
2 tablespoon golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicard soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 pkt Craisins (dried cranberries)
Melted Chocolate (milk or white) for drizzling

Method:

1. Combine butter and golden syrup in a medium pan. Stir over heat until butter is melted.
2. Stir in combined soda and water, then add to remaining ingredients. Mix well.
3. Drop rounded teaspoons of mixture about 4cm apart on greased oven trays & flatten slightly.
4. Bake in Slow Oven about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Cool on Trays
6. When cold drizzle with melted chocolate


Meg's Notes:

I was looking for something nice to give away as a gift, and Anzac biscuit have been one of my most baked and shared biscuits, so I thought about altering the recipe slightly and making Anzac biscuits into Cranzac biscuits! (Well, just adding cranberries to anzac biscuits...of course you are going to get Cranzacs! What I didn't do is check online to see if anyone else has made these before me...and guess what? - I'm not going to either! Mine were made on 15 Dec 2011. I like my version, they taste very special, and put into a lovely little biscuit tin, along with the recipe, made the perfect personalised gift.

Healthy Honey Muesli Slice

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup toasted muesli
3 cups Rice Bubbles
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
125g Butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raw sugar

Method:

1. Grease a 19cm x 29cm lamington pan
2. Toast sesame seeds on oven tray in moderate oven for about 5 minutes, cool to room temperature.
3.Combine muesli, rice bubbles, coconut, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in a bowl.
4. Combine butter, honey, peanut butter and sugar in a saucepan, stir constantly over heat without boiling until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
5. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered without stirring for 5 minutes.
6. Stir butter mixture into dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
7. Press into prepared pan.
8. Refridgerate until set before cuting
9. Cut into whatever size you like.
10. Store in airtight container.

Megs tips:

* Do NOT go anywhere while toasting the sesame seeds. They turn from perfectly toasted to nasty burnt up, bitter little things in the blink of an eye. Keep close watch on them!
* If you do not have toasted muesli, you can make your own using rolled oats (which you can toast briefly in the oven), sultanas, and any other kinds of dried fruits you like.
* Store in an airtight container - it will keep for some time (if you can resist eating it too quickly)!