Tom Yum Yum.

Tom yum is a classic Thai soup. If you've never tryed tom yum. (I'm sure everyone has). But just in case, it is vitally importaint that you march straight out the front door and get yourself to a tai restruant as fast as possible.

Good tom yum is an art form. Luckily even shit tom yum is still shit hot. Imagine a sea food curry with corriander chilli and lemmon grass, chuck in a few mushys, the odd tomato, a bit of fish stock and your getting close.
The whole thing starts with an exceedingly hot curry paste. I will admit that most people dont want to go to the trouble of makeing this somewhat technical curry for themselves. So on this rare occation I will allow a tom yum paste from a jar. (If you feel you want the whole hog and go all fresh on me, just ask I'll be happy explain how).

Ingredents:

Hand full of peeled Crystal bay prawns.

1/2 hand full of callamari.

1/2 hand full of steamed shelled mussles.

4 or 5 Baby octopuss.

200g of oyster mushrooms.

150g of champinong mushrooms.

6 Cherry tomatoes. Halfed.

1/2 cup of corriander leaves.

3 Table spoons of tom yum curry paste.

1 Table spoon of fish sauce.

Method:

Bring about 1250ml of water to the boil. Add the tom yum paste. boil for 3 minutes. Chuck in the sea food, after it's come back to the boil add the mushrooms and fish sauce. Return to the boil, after 30 seconds, remove from heat and add the tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with corriander in the sreving dish. Best on a hot night with a cold beer.

Roo Shmoo, Or The Like.

Carrot & Butter Bean Salad.
Rosemarry Roosoles.

This one was an unexpected suprise. I had just got home from work and was in a hurry so I just slaped this one together. The salad was quite good. But the Rissoles were fully shit hot mate! You've just gotta try this one. Listed ingredents will serve 4.

Ingredents: Salad.

2 Medium carrots. (Very thinly sliced).

440g Tin of organic butter beans.

250g of cherry tomatoes. (Halved).

1 Cucumber. (Diced).

1/4 Cup of fresh choped flat leaf parsley.

Dressing: (Classic French vinagret).

Method: Salad.

Combine all ingredents. Dress to taste.

Ingredents: Roosoles.

1kg Minced kangaroo.

1 large brown onion. (Diced).

6 Cloves of garlic. (Finley choped).

1&1/2 table spoons of fresh rosemery. (Finley choped).

1/2 Table spoon of salt flakes.

3 Table spoons of bread crumbs.

Good cracking of peper.

Method:

Combine all ingredents. Form into 6 patties. (Nice and big). Cook on a hot, hot plate. Give em 3 minutes on each side. Don't over cook because they will easily dry out. Rest for one minute before sreving.

I feel that it is importaint to reiterate the need for fresh roesmarry. You'll find that it is the combinary flavor that brings the whole lot home. Don't be tempted to skimp and go all half assed on me by useing a dryed equivilant, coz it don't work.... Good.

Wash it down with a full bodied red.... Thanks for reading.

Tarted egg with Mozarella.

This ones a ripper. Looks good. Costs stuff all. Win, Win, Win. Oh yeah, tastes shit hot to.

Tarted eggs are open to interpretation, here I will list ingredents as pictured. Please feel free to tart up as desired...

Ingredents:

12 fresh free range eggs.

6 Rashers of middle belly bacon.

120g Mozarella.(Cut into 10g peices).

1/2 Cup of choped spring onions.

1/4 Cup peas.

1/4 Cup fresh basil. (Finley choped).

6 Cloves of garlic. (Finley choped).

2 Roma tomatoes. (Sliced).

3 Sheets of puff pastry.

Olive oil, Salt, Peper.

Method:

Slice and fry off the bacon. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Help it along by adding some frozen peas, basil, garlic, salt, and peper. When cool enough to not cook the eggs, crack em in and mix the lot together. You'll have to season now because once it's cooked it will be a bit harder.

Brush a muffin tin with olive oil. Cut each sheet of pastry into quaters. Stuff them into a muffin tin. (12 cup). Place a peice of cheese into each cup. Now tip in the egg mixture, and place a slice of tomato on top. Fold over the edges of the pastry. Brush with a bit of extra oil if you need to. Other wise bung en in the oven at 200c for 20 minutes, or untill the tart rises, and the pastry becomes golden brown................................................Dig in!!!!

Spagetti a la fungi

Quality fungi is readily avalible in Australia. Allthough in only a limeted range. That being the case, only 20 years ago 96% of all mushrooms consumed in Australia were tined. How times have changed!

Ingredence:
500g Blade of beef. (Minced).

500g Portabello mushrooms.

440g Tin of crushed tomatoes.

3 Table spoons of tomato paste.

4 Colves of garlic. (Minced)

1 Large brown onion. (Finley choped).

Salt flakes & Fresh cracked peper.

Pasta of choice!..

Method:

In a large heavy based pot fry off the onion in a little olive oil. As they become translucent reduce the heat and gently cook for an extra 8 minutes or so. At this time add One or two of the mushrooms. (Diced or sliced). This will form the base of the mushroom flavor. Bring the heat back up to the max, add the beef and garlic, cook untill the beef is almost done, add the tomato paste and fry it off for about 30 seconds. (Frying the tomato paste will help to release it's flavor). Now add the crushed tomatoes along with a little water if it looks alittle dry. Simmer the sauce uncovered for about 30 minutes untill it thickens. In the last ten minutes add the rest of the choped mushrooms, be kind to your fungi, don't over cook your mushrooms. Make sure your pasta is ready when your fungi are. Season to taste. Enjoy.....

A Lamb Shoulder To Cry On

Evening valued readers. Usually when it's stinking hot & humid I like to cook something with an Asian theme. But tonight I thought I'd try something a bit Moroccan... So for dinner tonight: It's sholder of lamb with red capsicum and faggoli beans.

Ingredence:

Organic shoulder (Butterflyed) of lamb or kid.

1 Large red capsicum.

2 Large red onions. Diced.

6 Cloves of garlic. Finley choped.

440g tin of Faggoli beans.

800g tin of diced tomatoes.

2 tea spoon of paprika.

2 tea spoons of ground cummin seeds.

1 tea spoon of cracked peper.

2 preserved quarters of lemon.

2 tea spoons of salt flakes. Not rock salt; It's shit.

Method:

Marinate the shoulder in the diced onions, garlic, and peper with a little olive oil added to spread the flavor. Try to marinate overnight if you can. Remove meat from the marinade, reserve the marinade. In a pre heated large thick based pan add the shoulder, sear well on all sides. Add the onion garlic marinade, and saute for a good 5 minutes. When the onions have caramelised, add the capsicum that has had the placenta removed and the flesh cut into long strips. Also dice and add the preserved lemons. As the capsicum starts to become soft add the tomatoes and the spices, include 1/2 the salt. Now would be a good time to start some rice to to use as a bed at plate up time. At a fast simmer add the beans then reduce the sauce on the move. As the sauce thickens test the meat for doneness. Don't cut the flesh. Press it and use the finger thumb method. (The technique for the finger thumb method is listed in a preveious posting. Have a look if your not sure). If the meat is done, taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

Plate up:

On a large plate spoon the sauce over a heaped bed of rice. Rest the meat, then thinly slice and fan it on top. Serve promptly. For this one I added a few peices of sour doe bread to mop up the juices and act as a simple bruschetta when heaped with meat and sauce.

Beverage is up to you. But I liked a quality Merlot. If it's winter I would suggest a robust not to dry larger..........

Fillet of Lamb & Stuffed Mushrooms.

Sub Blogers? Tonight I got a full 12 point fillet of lamb, (Organic & Biodynamic). With extra large and fully matured Portabello mushrooms. The lamb was bound with fresh spriggs of rosemary. The mushrooms were lightly smoked. The resulting flavors are robust and well structured. Although this meal doesn't take long to prepear and cook, all of the ingredence must be of the highest quality. As with any dish that only a few ingredence, all of them should combine to form an overall taste, yet each one should be seperate, to be tasted apart from one another. As such, substandard ingredence will stand out like a dogs balls. So by now your thinking. 'How can I afford it?". Easy, the listed ingredence will serve 3. The total cost was $29. 10 bucks a head for wicked gourmet ingredence, and a top meal to boot. Not bad!

Ode To Cabbage/ Crispy Skin Salmon.

Back to cabbage tonight. Some blogs ago I was asked how to cook Salmon steak. At the time I just wrote what I knew, but I couldn't post a photo because I didn't have one. So because I love my blog fans so much, I thought I should cook some salmon and take a photo for all to see. Plus I got in cabbage as an ingredent, wicked.... Look, I do actually understand that not all of you will be heading out with fishing rod in hand to catch you own salmon. So I will forgive you if you decide to buy farmed fish. All I will ask is that you insist on ultra fresh and nothing else. If your not sure ask for a smell, If it stinks of fish. Say."No , I asked for fresh, this is not fresh". If they don't bring out the good stuff after that. Just go somewhere else.

Ingredence:

2x 300g super fresh salmon steakes.

1/8 green cabbage.

1/4 red capsicum.

1/4 Cup of finley sliced spring onoins.

1/4 cup of red basil leaves.

1 tea spoon of quality red wine vinagar.

Juice of 1 lime.

1 table spoon of olive oil.

1/2 tea spoon of salt flakes.

5 good cracks of peper.

Extra salt, peper, olive oil.

Method:

First prepare the salad. Shred the cabbage as finley as you can, discard any thick stalk peices. Do the same for the capsicum, and spring onions and basil. Chuck in the vinagar and olive oil along with the lime juce, salt, and peper. Give the lot a toss and set aside. Rub the skin of the salmon with salt and peper, then drizzle with olive oil. Pat the flesh side lightly into some plain flour. On a medium hot plate, place the salmon skin side down. Cook it for about three or four minutes depending on how thick it is. Turn and give one more minute. Remove from heat and let stand for one minute. Serve skin side up with the salad. Extra squeeze of lime on the fish if you wish.....

Pizzza

Weclome blogettes. Ok no cabbage tonight but thats coz I cooked some totaly wicked pizza. I'm not going to tell you what to put on top of them, but I hope I can pass on a few tips on how you can get that traditional Italian pizza taste at home.

OK:

First thing is: Don't over load your pizza with two many toppings. If you go over board and pile on the toppings you'll end up with a kinda open pie. Just take a look at what they do in Italy! It's all about the base with just a few ultra fresh bits on top. It's like; In Australia we have a toasted cheese sandwich; Over there they have a quicky pizza. OK. Now you got the picture. Lets get to the base. Listed ingredence will make 4x30cm diameter pizzas. Please note: This is just a recipe for a basic base. Jazz it up a bit if you want.

Ingredence:

900g Organic white flour.
500ml of tepid water.

1 Table spoon of brown sugar.

2x 7g packets of bread yeast.

1 Table spoon of salt flakes.

Extra flour for dusting.

Method:

Activate the yeast by adding it to the tepid water that has had the sugar disolved into it. (This should take about 10 minutes, Don't have your water to hot or you will kill the yeast). Once activated: On a pre cleaned surface, Plonk down the flour. Make a well in the center large enough to take the half the activated yeast water. Use a fork to work the flour into the water. As it thickens slowly add the rest of the water. Work it well into the dough. As it starts to form up, dust the working surface and kneed well for about ten minutes to incorpirate all the flour. (If you can't be assed doing all that kneeding, do what I do. That is, run it through a pasta machine 5 or 6 times. Does the same job). After kneeding alow it to prove for about 20 minutes in a warm place. Now all you have to do it roll it out and add your toppings.

To cook the pizza. I used the good old Webber. I recomend it as the closest thing most people will have to a wood fired pizza oven. Just make sure all the coals are pushed up to one side, as direct heat will fuck your pizza up in no time flat. Fresh made bases don't take as long to cook as store bought ones. If you're Webber is at about 220C. (Thats average in summer time). It should take about 17 minutes to cook. What I do to simulate the bed of a pizza oven, is to rub a peice of foil with olive oil then dust it with flour. Place your base on the foil, then do your aessambly, once aessembled, drag the lot over to a chopping board or something big and flat so as you can drag it off again into the BBQ.

Try it and let me Know how it worked out......

Pork & Cabbage Stir Up

Ok. By now it's become clear that I'm on a cabbage oddyesy. Tonight is Ginger pork meat balls with stir fryed cabbage.

Ingredence:

500g Minced pork.

1/4 cabbage.

400g Champinong mushrooms.

1/2 green capsicum.

1 cup of chopped spring onions.

2x2x5cm peice of fresh ginger.

4 cloves of garlic.

2 table spoons of bread crumbs.

2 table spoons of fish sauce.

1 finley choped red chilli. (Optional).

1&1/2 table spoons of ket chap mannis. (It's a kind of soy sauce).

Method:

Finley chop the ginger, garlic, chilli, and spring onions. Add this to the pork along with the bread crumbs, and 1 table spoon of ket chap mannis. Mix the whole lot together. Give it a squeeze to test for stickyness. If you form a small amount into a ball, it should hold together nicely. If it falls apart just add more bread crumbs.

Dice the capsicum, Very finley slice the cabbage. Set aside.

On a slow hot plate or thick pan, cook small roled balls of pork untill golden brown all over. Set aside.

Heat your wok untill it's smokeing hot. In a little oil flash fry the cabbage, capsicum, and mushrooms for about 50 seconds. Now add the meat balls and give it another 30 seconds to warm them through. Sprinkle over the remaining ket chap manis and serve promptly. Drink beer with this one.

Mango Tango

Welcome readers. Tonights dish is a mango and cabbage salad. At this time of year mangoes are cheap and good. I find that the sweetness of mangoes marries well with tart or bitter flavors. I know I've done a mango salad recently, but I feel this one is a significant twist on the one before. I wanted to use cabbage in this way. (Raw, and very thinly sliced). this is because I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner by an avid reader of my blog. (Hi Stef & Seb). Whilst there I enjoyed an incredible traditional German meal of pickled and boiled beef, dumplings, and the most incredalble boiled cabbage I have ever tasted. So in appreciation of German cooking, I wanted to present cabbage in a way that shows off another angle of the great vegatable that is Cabbage.

Ingredents:

2 ripe mangoes.

1/4 of a large green cabbage.

2 small carrots.

1/2 cup of mint leaves.

1 clove of minced garlic.

2 Table spoons of red wine vinager.

1 Table spoon of fish sauce.

2 Table spoon of olive oil.

Good crack of peper.

Pinch of salt.

Method:

Slice the manges into fingers, set aside. Slice the cabbage very finely, (About 2mm if you can). Diccard any of the thicker stalk or stem peices. Try to just use the leaf sections. Add this to a salad bowl. Next roughly chop the mint, mince the garlic, add this also. Now return the mango and pour the dressing components over the top. Gently toss it through, being careful not to break up the mango to much. Serve with what ever you damed well please. But I recon this one is good enought to eat on it's own. Gota dig the cabbage...... OK

Webber Veg Out!

No meat tonight. What I got for you is my special roast vegtables, Webber style. Pictured is roast potato, pumkin, and corn. If you don't have acces to a webber or a kettle style BBq, use a tray of water under the bakeing tray in your oven.

Ingredence:

4 Large Desere potatoes.

1/4 of a butter nut pumkin.

1 cob of corn.

Paket mixed herbs

4 cloves of garlic.

1/4 cup of flat leafe parsley.

3 or 4 sprigs of sage.

A few tips of mint.

Salt and peper.

Olive oil.

Beef stock.

Method:

In a pot bring the stock to a boil. Add the choped parsley, sage, garlic, mint, 1 tea spoon of salt, and the same of peper. Peel and cut the spuds length ways into eighths (they should look like fat wedges), bung em in. Peel the pumkin, cut length ways, then into 4. Cut the cob of corn into 4 even pieces. When the potatoes have boiled for about 3 minutes add the pimkin and corn. Boil for a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, now add a good few splashes of olive oil, plus a good sprinkle of salt and peper, along with a healthy dose of mixed herbs. Replace the lid and give the lot a swirl and toss, this should coat everything with the oil mixture. Now their ready for the BBQ. In a ready to cook webber add the potatoes and pumkin. They wil take about 1&1/2 hours. With about 45 minutes to go, add the corn. when they're ready pull em off and servr promptly... As a beverage I liked a Little Creatures Pilsner...... Enjoy.