There was a young sprout from Brussels...

Polled as the most hated vegetable in the UK, the poor Brussels sprout seems to be as popular as a plate full of raw offal. Apologies to those who feel that raw offal is appealing.

I must admit, I've never craved these mutant cabbages. If they're served up to me I'll politely eat them, but I can honestly say they have never created a "taste sensation" worthy of remembering.

I'm not sure if it is the smell of them, the texture, or the bitter flavour that I've endured in the past that make these cute little fellas so offputting.

There is no way that I could even bribe, cajole, coax, or trick (sneakily poke one under the mashed potato) my family into eating them....eeeeewwww. I've managed to successfully serve steamed zucchini to my husband, after 25 years, without having to listen to the barrage of "why eat this stuff? It's tasteless", but when I showed him the packet of adorable baby sprouts, he emphatically "drew the line in the sand" and shouted "I'm not eating them". He was like a 3 year old, and it visibly upset him that I was going to force him to eat his sprouts. So after a 30 minute heated "discussion" on the foods he disliked when I married him which he now eats, the sprouts were sitting on the bench, developing an even bigger inferiority complex than they had before.

So it was Brussels sprouts for one that night.

This is my entry for this Weekend's Herb Blogging event #94, hosted this week by the creator, Kalyn, from Kalyn's Kitchen.

I wanted to keep the flavour simple, and not mask it with bacon, or onion or some type of sauce. To maintain the bright green colour of the sprouts, boil in plenty of water with the lid off, for no more than 8 minutes. This is due to the fact that the chlorophyll in the vegetables react with acids in the cooking water (remember the dull almost opaque sprouts we had to endure as kids?), so lots of water dilutes the acids, and leaving the lid off while boiling allows the acids to disperse.

I simply served mine drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and crumbled feta cheese. I am now a member of the ever increasing "sprout convertee" list. If only I could overcome my loathing for offal!

Seafood and cheese? Don't tell Mario Batali

Apparently it is a cardinal sin to serve seafood with cheese. It's just not Italian. A big Italian no-no. Well, it's a good thing that this starter dish is inspired from Greece. No set rules for this one. The saltiness of the Greek Feta cheese enhances, rather than overpowers, the delicate flavour of the prawns. This dish can be cooked in individual gratin dishes, or as a whole, in a large shallow dish. The flavour was...WOW. The sauce mopped up with fresh crusty bread is so good, it should be bottled.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, a wonderful event foundered by Kalyn and hosted this week by Anna from Anna's Cool Finds.

BAKED PRAWNS WITH GREEK FETA

500 gm shelled prawns, tails intact
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
4-5 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
200 gm greek feta, crumbled
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and thyme and pour over prawns to marinate
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Pre-heat oven to as hot as it goes
Mix the remaining ingredients, sprinkle over prawns then divide into individual gratin dishes, or in one large shallow flat heatproof dish
Bake in the oven until sizzling
Serve immediately with lots of crusty bread.

Oraya!

Rare Kaffir Limes

In temperate parts of Australia, fruit on a Kaffir lime tree is very rare. Well I've got a rare one. My tree is currently sporting about 6 limes, although they are very small. They are suited best for tropical areas in the north of Australia, but I'm growing the tree for the delicious leaves it bears; the addition of fruit is an added bonus. I'll see how large they become, then use the gnarly zest for added zing.

The leaves, shaped like an "8", have a flavour similar to lemon verbena, and there is no substitute for fresh leaves. The dried and frozen leaves don't compare to the fragrance and flavour of fresh leaves.

This recipe only uses 8 kaffir lime leaves, so I still have about 19,992 leaves on my tree. Always a constant supply if I feel like an Asian dish for dinner.

This is my entry into this weeks Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by The Chocolate Lady from In Mol Araan, for Weekend Herb Blogging.

Chickpea & Pea Fritters with Chicken Salad

155 g cooked peas

75 g plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tblsp milk

1 (300g) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

salt & pepper

1 tsp canola oil



Chicken Salad

8 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn

375 ml of chicken stock

250 ml water

2 single (large) chicken breast fillets

1 tblsp sesame seeds

1/3 cup loosely packed coriander leaves, chopped coarsely

1/4 cup loosely packed mint, chopped coarsely

1 tblsp light soy sauce

1 tblsp lime juice

2 tsp sweet chili sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Cook peas until just tender



2. Combine flour and egg in large bowl



3. Gradually stir in the milk



4. Add peas and chickpeas (I also added extra coriander to the fritter batter), salt and pepper



5. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest



6. Meanwhile make the chicken salad, combine the stock, water and lime leaves in a frying pan over medium heat



7. Add the chicken and simmer, turning occasionally until cooked through



8. Remove from heat



9. Transfer chicken to a heatproof bowl, aloong with 1 tblsp of the stock mixture



10. Chill for 30 minutes



11. Shred chicken



12. Toast sesame seed in a dry frying pan until toasted, about 2 minutes



13. Add to chicken with coriander, mint, soy sauce, lime juice, chili sauce and sesame oil



14. Gently toss to combine



15. Heat oil in frypan over medium heat



16. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan, making 4 fritters, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden underneath



17. Repeat to make 4 more fritters



18. Place 2 fritters on each plate and top with the chicken salad

SNAG curry

Now before you gasp in complete horror, I have not cooked up members of the Society of North America Goldsmiths, or for that matter a Sensitive New Age Guy. I'm talking about snags...the kind we throw on the barbie, wrap in sliced bread, and slather in tomato sauce. The Australian term for a sausage. Wikipedia explains it as: In Australia and New Zealand, a snag is a link sausage, a snarler, a British banger, a brat or a sausage.

Whilst I endeavour to occasionally make my own sausages, sometimes it's more convenient to purchase the "plastic" variety at the supermarkets. Tasteless, full of fat and whatever offal they can find to throw into them.

So, after making a decision this weekend to start using up the supplies I have in my freezer, in preference to choosing a dish, then going out to buy the ingredients for, I uncovered a tray of "snags", a very large tray. to boot. I couldn't bring myself to grill them or BBQ them, they had to be disguised in a big way.

These fellas were off to a masquerade party.

I didn't really follow any set recipe, but I'll try to recreate what I did in a roundabout way.

1.5 - 2 kg (approx) of beef sausages
1 onion, sliced in half rings
4 cloves of minced garlic (or to your taste)
Small piece of minced ginger (or one heaped teaspoon of preminced ginger from a jar)
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder (depends on your taste again)
1 heaped tsp turmeric
I heaped tsp of garam masala (I use a unique South African mix that my girlfriend has shipped over) but any garam masala would be OK.
1 440 gm tin of tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of beef stock
Splash of soy sauce
Coriander leaves for garnish.

Boil the sausages in a large pot of water for 7-8 minutes (you could add the turmeric to the water if you wish, I added it later)

Drain and keep aside.

Fry onion till golden brown, add tin of tomatoes and cook for about 4-5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger.

In a large pot fry off your spices (coriander, chilli, garam masala and turmeric if you haven't already added it to the water for boiling the snags in)

Slice up your sausages into 1/2 inch pieces, and add to spices, stirring to coat. Add the tomato and onion mixture and mix well.

Add the beef stock and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

Finally add a splash of soy sauce and season with salt and pepper (do a taste test, it may not need any)

Serve on a bed of mashed potato and sprinkle with finely sliced corrander leaves

Chicken Basil Pesto Pasta

Presto Pasta Night, an event organised by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast, is turning 21 this coming Friday, so I just had to come to the party with Chicken Basil Pesto Pasta, and to congratulate PPN on reaching its majority.

This is one of the easiest weeknight meals to make, as with a lot of pasta dishes, but it is also a family favourite.

Freshly made basil pesto is best, but my supply from the freezer sadly ran out ages ago, so I'm using a storebought one. I'm going to plant twice as many basil plants this year, if the rainfall we're having now lasts until the summer. It's bucketing outside, but we are still on water restrictions until our reservoirs and water catchments start to get back to an acceptable level.

Jorja likes her variety just plain without any salad, as shown above.

I, however, like mine with slightly more upmarket, topped with tomato and avocado.


1 kg chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, and sliced into small chunks

2 cloves of minced garlic (or to taste)
3-4 tblsp basil pesto (or to taste)
500 mls thickened cream
olive oil
Dried pasta
Freshly grated parmesan

Bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Add pasta and whilst that is cooking, brown chicken in oil until golden (you may have to do this in batches to stop it from stewing)
Add garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes
Add pesto and fry for 1-2 minutes
Add the thickened cream, and simmer gently, don't let it boil
Add a good handful of the grated parmesan

Drain cooked pasta and add to the chicken mix. Serve topped with additional grated parmesan, and/or tomato and advocado. Pepper to taste.

I'm livin' in the 70's

Skyhooks, Village People, Abba, flares, bad hair styles and smoked trout pate...welcome to the 1970's Mr. Power.

When my next door neighbour offered me two trout from his freezer, I jumped at the chance and accepted willingly. I knew he would expect me to make trout pate out of them, hoping that I would repay his kindness with a tub of pate placed in his fridge for him to find after yet another weekend of trout fishing.

This specimen thawing on the bench is a brown trout. Don't you just dig his polka dot jacket? The smaller version was a rainbow trout, not as snappy a dresser as the spotty brown, I must say.

Out with the smoker (that's my BH's job) and he chose some Australian Redgum sawdust for the smoke "flavour".

Thirty minutes later and they're all done.

All up, I flaked approximately 700 gms of pink, juicy flesh from these guys.

I sorta followed this recipe from here but adjusted the ratio of ingredients to match my 700 gms of trout. I didn't add all of the butter as stated, only 250 gms, because I was going to use gelatine to set the pate into my mould, which has been sitting in the cupboard since the '80s at least (the mould that is, not the gelatine). I used dried dill rather than fresh (because I didn't have any), and used a combo of horseradish cream and a horseradish dip, which had quite a variety of different mustards incorporated. I also used a whole tub of creme fraiche...naughty.

And after great difficulty getting this fish onto the plate (I'm sure every fisherman can relate to that statement), here is the final, albeit scraggy around the edges, result.

Well crazy cats, I'm blowin' this scene and chowin' out. Time to eat.

What does this photo tell you?

Two things. It's bloody cold here this morning (sub zero), and I really need to prune my roses today.

The Pizza Palace

Whilst on a recent short break to Perth, I was lucky enough to chose an apartment in East Fremantle that was renowned for having the best wood fired pizzas in Perth, and only a short stroll from my front door.

Their menu consisted of chicken marinated in garlic, honey, soy & chilli, tossed sesame seeds, mature cheddar, shallots and chives. Or you could try chilli coconut prawns, served with fresh rocket. Or even calzone filled with ricotta, mushroom, spinach and basil - chef's recommendation is to add chicken, pepperoni or pumpkin. Just to name a few. There are over 20 mouth watering pizzas to chose from. You can find these guys at 133 George St East Fremantle WA. Remember Fremantle was where the Aussies "stole" the coveted Americas Cup with their controversial "winged keel" back in 1983. An event we can never forget, simply because the Cup hasn't been back since!

The girls opted for the chicken of course, but I preferred something a little more grown up if this Pizza Palace was as good as people told me.

I chose the Smoked salmon, capers, red onion, avocado and topped with fresh rocket and sour cream.

My copycat creation doesn't look quite the same, but the flavour was very similar.

Ready for the oven.

Where is that food stylist and professional photographer when you need them?

This is my entry for this Weekend Herb Blogging event, hosted by Susan at Food Blogga. Check out the size of that lobster on her blog! I'm green with envy

When the moon hits your eye

Like a big pizza pie ...you know how it goes. This pizza "pie" was dinner one night during the week. Normally I wouldn't have time to make the dough and wait for it to rise, but this recipe from The Fresh Loaf really caught my attention. Anything with the word ciabatta attached, and I'm hooked immediately.

I've made many loaves of ciabatta, but none in less than 2 hours. This method is a cinch. If you look at the link, it has a picture tutorial, showing step by step photos.

I used a 9" cast iron frying pan to cook this pie in. WARNING Don't bring the pan out of a 450 degree oven, with a tea towel. I have the 3rd degree burn on the palm of my hand as proof of what not to do.

Top your pie with any ingredient you have on hand or desire. I chose sopressa salami, oven roasted capsicums, semi sundried tomatoes, the leftovers from a jar of marinated champignons, basil, mozarella and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The crust was beautiful and light, chewy as well. I normally like a thin crust pizza, but for a pleasant change I'll be using this recipe frequently.

I just have to remember to use steel plated gloves to get the pan out of the oven next time.



Now that's amore.

Unseasonal Insalata Caprese

It's winter time. The time for casseroles, roasts and hot steamy soups. Why on earth would I crave a summer salad you may ask? The Black Russians made me do it. I picked these up at the local growers market last weekend, and was ensured by the vendor that they will be the best tomatoes I will ever eat. Whilst they don't compare with home grown tomatoes plucked straight from the vine, I can vouch that they are good. Even to find a decent tasting tomato in July is an added bonus. They don't contain acid, which is great for those who suffer from gout. They definitely are sweet, but with a salt and peppery kind of flavour.

The vendor told me about a prior customer, who had obviously just had a tiff with her husband. She asked the lady if she would like to try a Black Russian, and her response was "No thank you. I'm sick of men"!!

My all time flavour combo favourite is tomatoes, baby mozarella, basil and EVOO. I could eat my way through a barrel of Insalata Caprese. So this is my entry for Kalyn's Kitchen Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Chris from Mele Cotte.

No need to post a recipe. Just layer the tomatoes, mozzarella (I only had baby mozarella so I tore it into pieces) and poke torn basil in between. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Buono appetito.

What's for dinner Jorj?

Parenting certainly has it's ups and downs, and with teenagers, there can be more of the latter than the former. However, when something finally happens that makes you proud, the downs are somewhat insignificant. After all of the nurturing and caring for them over their growing up years, the roles are starting to reverse at last, and now I can say "what's for dinner?" the moment I wake up each morning.

When my girls were growing up, cooking never interested them. I wasn't one for "baking" as such, although they often requested Anzac biscuits, only so they could eat the raw dough before it was put in the oven.

Last night, my youngest daughter, at the ripe old age of 18, insisted on cooking dinner. As we all know, the cooking part is enjoyable, watching a bunch of raw ingredients simmer into something edible. It's the preparation and the clean up that become a chore.

Jorj leans to the vegetarian side of eating, not enjoying red meat, but can eat anything with chicken and pasta in it. So the recipe was chosen, and she "created" a vegetarian pasta bake, made with wholemeal pasta, carrots, leeks, celery, basil and tomatoes. Chicken was omitted because I didn't have any!

Her chopping technique needs a bit of practice, and her cleaning up routine needs a LOT of practice, but the pasta bake was delicious. Now if only I can encourage her to take one more step on the path of domestication, and get her to "clean up her room". My job as a parent would be complete then.

GNT Sorbet

My all time favourite summer "slurp" would be a cool, refreshing gin and tonic, with a dash of lemon. It is a pique to the tastebuds.

So, what better way to have your sweets and drink it too, than a GNT sorbet? This is my entry into Hay Hay it's Donna Day for this month, hosted by Laura at Eat Drink Live. I've never made sorbet before, so this event was a great excuse for me to run out and buy an ice cream machine, that I had been secretly yearning for ;) As well as some new sundae bowls..oh, and a new ice cream scoop..ssshhh, don't tell my husband!

400ml cold water
300g caster sugar
300ml tonic water
50-60 ml gin
juice of 2 lemons
1tbsp glucose (this stops it from forming icy granules)

1. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.
2. Add glucose and tonic water, chill in fridge until cold.
3. When cold add the gin and lemon juice to taste. NB: don't be tempted to add too much gin because when it is frozen the flavour intensifies.
4. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until set. Freeze for at least 2 hours after churning, then it is ready to slurp, I mean serve.

WBH #89 - Brie and Coriander Pull-apart Bread

Reading all of the amazing food blogs that are about, I envy those of you who are heading into the warmer months, with fresh salads, home grown tomatoes and herbs. Because we are in the depths of winter at present, whilst I miss the days and tastes of summer, I do enjoy soups and casseroles, but especially yearn for home baked bread to have as an accompaniment.

This is a pull-apart bread, which is self explanatory in the way it's served...so if you snooze, you lose. One loaf is never enough, and it's great to take to a BBQ in lieu of a salad.

Kalyn, from the infamous Kalyn's Kitchen is hosting this weeks Weekend Herb Blogging event, and I know that her fondness for cilantro matches my own. I make a special trip to the Grower's Market each Sunday morning for my bunch (or two) of coriander, and always find that I have run out by the time the next Sunday comes around.

This loaf isn't the prettiest girl at the party, because I had some left-over mozzarella which needed to be used, and threw that on top for the last 10 minutes of baking, obviously 5 minutes too long. Messy loaf. Messy oven.

Brie, coriander (and mozarella) pull-apart

Adapted from this recipe

7 g dried yeast (1 sachet)
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/2 large wheel of brie, chopped
100 gms of shredded tasty cheese
Grated mozarella (optional). If not using the mozarella, glaze loaf with milk.

Combine the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water in a small jug or bowl.
Leave in a warm place until frothy (about ten minutes).
Put the flour, salt, milk powder and oil in a large bowl or bench mixer. Alternately you could make the dough in a breadmaker.
Stir to combine and then add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of warm water.
Mix to a soft dough and then knead for about ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
Leave the dough in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
Punch the dough down and knead for 1 minute.
Divide in half and out of each half make 10 x 6 cm (2 1/2 inch) flat discs (they need not be perfectly shaped).
Mix the herbs with the cheeses and place approximately 3 teaspoons of the mixture onto ten of the discs.
Press the remaining 10 discs on top of the cheesey ones.
Grease a loaf tin (21 x 10. 5 x 6. 5 cm) and stand the discs upright in the prepared tin.
You will have to gently squash them together to fit them all in.
Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C - 400°F.
Glaze the loaf with a little milk (or add the mozarella topping in the last 5 minutes of baking) and bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown and crusty and cooked through.

One with the lot

During my frivolous teenage years, a regular occurence after a Saturday night at the "pub" would be for a group of us to drive for 20 minutes down the highway to an "open all night" truck stop, or service station, to grab a hamburger "with the lot". This towering monstrosity was about 6 inches high when complete, combining home made beef rissoles with lettuce, fried onions, tomato, sometimes grilled pineapple rings, beetroot and a fried egg on top, either enclosed in a hamburger bun, or just plain toasted bread on the top and bottom. Inevitably, most of the fillings would fall into the paper bag after the first bite, egg would ooze down the sides of your mouth, and very little conversation was had on the way home.

The humble burger is still one of my all time favourite meals, offering a wide range of fillings to suit all types of fussy eaters. It can either be blatantly wholesome or wickedly evil, depending on your mood or ingredients you have on hand.

I opted for a healthy version as a midweek dinner after a hectic day at work, and would like to submit this as an entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging event, hosted this week by Astrid at Paulchen's Food Blog

Chilli Burger

500 g lean beef mince

4 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tblsp sweet chilli sauce

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tblsp tomato paste

2 tblsp chopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 large onion sliced into rings

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tsps soft brown sugar

Combine mince, spring onions, chilli sauce, garlic, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, coriander, salt, pepper and tabasco in a large bowl. Mix with hands until well combined. Divide mixture into 4 patties.

Heat a large frying pan or grill plate, brush liberally with oil,. Cook patties 3-4 minutes each side or until brown and cooked through.

While patties are cooking, cook onion rings, brushing with combined soy sauce and brown sugar until onion is tender and caramelized.

Toast hamburger buns or Turkish bread. Spread with mayo, or sauce, or pesto...whatever takes your fancy, lettuce, tomato, cheddar etc. Top with meat pattie and onions..enjoy.

Cauliflower Au Gratin - Au so good

The humble cauliflower is either a love or hate vegetable. Whilst growing up, she wasn't my friend at all. She was dull, plain and boring, with no taste whatsoever. Over the years, however, she has learnt to accessorize, and bloomed into one of the prettiest flowers of all. My all time favourite is cauliflower au gratin, which is my entry in this Weekend's Herb Blogging event, hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen, the founder of this wonderful event.

Up until I tried this version last night, I always boiled the florets with sliced celery, placed them in a baking dish, covered it with a bechamel sauce, breadcrumbs and cheese and baked until the topping was golden. Nothing wrong with that version, simple, creamy comfort food. However, this version is the tarted up cauliflower that I always knew she could be....seductive and raunchy in fact.

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

4 ounces chopped, fully cooked ham (I used ham steaks)
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 tablespoons plain flour (all purpose flour)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded tasty cheese (I used fresh parmesan)
2-3 tablespoons shredded parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet.
Saute ham and garlic for 2 minutes.
Add cauliflower and cook just until crisp tender, about 10 minutes.
Combine flour and cream until smooth; stir into skillet and blend well.
Add salt, pepper and cayenne.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Transfer to an ungreased baking dish.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Place under preheated broiler until lightly browned, about 2-4 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve immediately.

Mushy Madness

The 1st of June marks the start of Mushroom Mania here in Australia. This event is a food service campaign to help the restaurant and food industry sell more mushroom dishes. After much welcomed recent rain falls in this part of the our parched country, wild field mushrooms are in abundance here. I even have a regular crop growing on my front lawn, which up until 2 weeks ago, was a dust bowl.

Whilst my "crop" could be more abundant, I try and pick them before the slugs, worms and snails steal them. If you're wondering whether they are safe to eat, perform the scratch test. Scratch the skin and if there is any yellowing, reject it. You probably have picked Agaricus xanthodermus, which is commonly known as "yellow-stainer", and it is poisonous.

I have chosen a recipe from here, as my entry into Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Ellie from Kitchen Wench, which ends today, so I had better get my tail moving. (For someone that entered her first event only Thursday, I'm obsessed already!). As time is very limited, this recipe calls for ingredients I have growing here in my own backyard, apart from the mushies from the frontyard. Does this class me as an organic producer?

Sage that has survived the drought

Rocket which has come up from the dropped seeds only after the rain

BAKED SAGE AND BACON MUSHROOMS

Serves 4

12 small flat mushrooms

2 tbs olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

8 thin rindless bacon rashers, finely chopped

2 tbs chopped fresh sage leaves

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

baby rocket leaves to serve.

Preheat oven to 200 C (392 farenheit if you want to be exact). Line tray with baking paper

Brush both sides of mushrooms with oil & season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium frypan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp. Add sage and breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.

Remove mushrooms from oven and top evely with breadcrumb mixture. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve with rocket leaves, drizzled with olive oil.

The verdict? Delicious, but try to get the meatiest flat mushrooms available. The topping overpowers the mushroom bite otherwise, but who am I to complain when they are a gift from nature?

Seize the salad

I think it's time I dipped my big toe into the pool of blogging events. There are so many going on each week or month, that to be involved in merely half of them, I would have to give up my day job or even worse, heaven forbid, my social life.

Hay Hay it's Donna Day this month is hosted by Katie of Other Peoples Food and the theme is Caesar's salad. Even though we are staring Winter down the barrel here, a Caesar is always welcome at any time of the year.

My eldest daughter especially loves a Chicken Caesar salad, which she orders everytime we eat out at a restaurant...except she specifies "no bacon, no egg and definitely no anchovies"! The waiter/waitress usually raises their eyebrows at this request, so I put them at ease and say "just a chicken and lettuce salad please" $27 for a plate of lettuce, a few morsels of chicken and a couple of croutons...ouch.

Here is my version, with a few minor alterations to the original, depending on what ingredients I have on hand

CAESAR SALAD

3 eggs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 anchovy fillets (I use the ones in tins covered in oil...there isn't much more than 3 in the tin)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
185 ml (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
3 slices of white bread (I didn't have any so sliced up one of these* that I had in the freezer)
20 g butter
1 tablespoon oil (extra)
3 rashers of bacon (I used prosciutto instead)
Cos lettuce leaves (I only had a butter lettuce on hand, not as crispy as the Cos sadly)
75 g (3/4 cup) shaved Parmesan cheese

Process the eggs, garlic, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and mustard in a food processor until smooth. With motor running, add the oil in a thin, consistent stream until a creamy dressing is produced. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Cut the crusts of the bread (in my case, slice it first), then cut into cubes. Heat the butter and extra oil in frypan over medium heat, add the bread and cook till golden, then remove from the pan. Add the bacon (or prosciutto) to same pan and cook until crispy, then break into bite size pieces.

Toss the lettuce leaves with the dressing, then stir through the bacon and croutons, topped with parmesan cheese.

* Marie from Breadbasketcase made the same loaves last weekend, and was clever enough to take a photo of hers. However her photo links are down at the moment, but should hopefully be back soon. My kids call this snail bread.

A monster in the making?

This dough was supposed to have a SLOW retarded overnight rise in the fridge. I'd hate to think what it would have looked like if left to rise at room temperature, unattended. I can't remember how the loaf turned out, but I'm sure it was one of my better ones.

NOTE TO SELF - write down your *%@# passwords

I've been really ignoring you blog, not intentionally, just through my own lack of organisational skills. You see, I forgot my logon and password, and even though I made several half hearted attempts to remember it in the past few months, I thought "what's the point?", nobody reads it anyway. But today I have time on my hands, for a change, and I actually DID remember your logon.

I'll fill you in on what's been happening in the last 5 or so months. Lots of cooking of course, but a memorable moment was being introduced to Bunny Chow by my dear friend Yogie from South Africa, now residing in Australia. Bunny Chow is a loaf of bread, with the middle scooped out, and filled with a curry of any type. Yogie's curries are notoriously hot, hot, hot due to her Indian ancestry, but for the sake of avoiding tongue transplants, I need to tame mine down a bit to suit the family. When I first witnessed a couple eating one of Yogie's Bunny Chows, the guy had beads of perspiration pouring out of his forehead and his face was as red as a tomato. I thought he was going to breath flames.

Any shape loaf can be used, but I made a round pipe loaf for my first attempt at a Bunny.

Any favourite curry recipe can be used, but a lamb curry is preferable.

This is one from Recipezaar #27864

BUNNY CHOW CURRY
700 gms or 1.5 lb diced lamb or chicken, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 black cardamom pod
1 10 cm or 2" cinnamon stick
10 peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 green chile pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons corriander powder
1 teaspoon cayene pepper (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro/corriander leaves
Salt

Heat oil in large pan; add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves.
When leaves begin to sizzle and fragrance starts to release, add onions and saute until light golden, about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the ginger paste, garlic, chile pepper, and lamb.
Season the lamb with salt; continue cooking, stirring mix, for about 20 minutes more, adding a little water if necessary to keep food from sticking.
Add turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne, and garam masala; stir for 5 minutes, adding 2 tbsp water.
Add diced tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add 4 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes, or until meat is getting tender.
Lower heat.
Whisk the yogurt with a fork; and add to the pot slowly.
Then cook until meat is done to your liking and sauce is thickened. Slice pipe loaf in half and scoop out inside. Reserve this part for dipping. Add curry and garnish with fresh coriander.