Thai-style Salmon & Salad

This is a delicious recipe I have adapted from this original one. I have been having so much fun cooking and experimenting! This one is a definite winner.  It serves 2, but is very easy to adapt for more (in fact, the marinade will probably do for up to 4 salmon fillets).

Ingredients:
Salmon:
Small bunch coriander, washed
2 cloves garlic, crushed (Always try and keep fresh garlic in the house, it has along shelf life and has an extra something special over the jar kind)
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger (the ginger in a jar is OK too, but fresh is always better)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 salmon fillets

Salad: 
100g thin vermicelli noodles
150g snow peas, washed and cut in thin strips
Small handful cherry tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup peanut oil

Method:
1. In a food processor blend together the coriander leaves and stalks, ginger, garlic, chilli, lime juice and fish sauce and process until smooth.

2. Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish and pour over the sauce. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, to make the salad place the rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 8 minutes or until noodles are ready. Drain and rinse with cold water.  Combine rice noodles, snow peas and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. To make the salad dressing combine the red chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and peanut oil in a glass dish (I just use a small Pyrex measuring jug). Put to one side. Dress the salad immediately before serving. (Both of these items can be make in advance, simply cover and place in the fridge.)

4. Heat a small amount of peanut oil in a frypan over med-high heat and place the salmon, skin side down, scraping off most of the marinade. Cook for around 5 minutes, turn, and cook for a further 5 minutes. You can cook for more or less time depending on your preference. (I like to cover the frypan with a makeshift lid so the salmon cooks in the middle faster as the husband doesn't like rare fish.)

Serve and enjoy!

Sichuan Beef with Chilli & Capsicum

I made this delicious recipe the other night for dinner and would love to share. It was very easy and because it's a stir fry - quick!

Ingredients:
700g beef fillet, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger [I just used the jar in my fridge]
2 Tbsp peanut oil
4 shallots, ends trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 red capsicum, seeded & thinly sliced
1 yellow capsicum, seeded & thinly sliced
1 fresh long red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
1 fresh long green chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Steamed rice, to serve
Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve

Method:
1. Combine the beef, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and half the garlic and ginger in a medium bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate. Drain the beef, reserving any of the marinade.

2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add half the oil and heat until just smoking. Swirl to coat. Stir-fry one third of the beef for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a place. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining beef, reheating the wok between batches. [I just cooked mine in 1 lot, I'm not 100% sure what the difference is with the cooking in batches. I'll try it next time to see]

3. Heat remaining oil in the wok. Add the shallot, combined capsicum, combined chilli and remaining garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until capsicum is tender crisp. Add the beef, remaining soy sauce, reserved marinade and hoisin sauce. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Serve with steamed rice and coriander sprigs.

Chicken, chorizo and tomato paella

This is another amazing Donna Hay recipe I made. Lovely and so very easy for a weeknight meal. Very little mess and clean up too - all cooked in one pot!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 x 100g chorizo sausages, slices

400g chicken breast, cut into large chunks

1 1/2 cups medium grain rice

400g can diced tomatoes

2 cups (500ml) chicken stock

1/2 cup oregano leave

2 cups baby spinach leaves

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, paprika, chorizo and chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes, until golden.

Add the rice and tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add the stock, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is cooked. (For me this took a little over 20 mins)

Stir through oregano and spinach.

Serves 4.

Chilli-caramelised pork on cucumber salad

I have made this amazing recipe twice now and it is delicious and easy! Less than 30 minutes from start to finish (if I don't get distracted by the TV).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

750g pork fillets/steaks

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 mild red chilli, seeded & chopped

1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce

2/3 cup (125g) brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

Cucumber salad:
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced (my note: I peeled them into think strips)

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup coriander leaves (my note: I didn't use mint or coriander leaves. Instead I added about 1/2 cup of baby spinach)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large non-stick fry pan or wok over high heat. 

Add the pork and cook for 2 minutes each side or until just cooked through. 

Remove pork and set aside.

Reduce the heat to low and add the ginger, chilli, soy, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice to the pan. (my note: I mixed these together beforehand to make it easy to add all at once)  

Stir to dissolve the sugar and then simmer for 8 minutes or until thickened. 

Add the pork and toss in the sauce to coat.

Serve with the cucumber salad. (Serves 4)

I need to credit this delicious recipe to the amazing Donna Hay. Her recipes are amongst my favourites, and some of the easiest to follow. If you haven't already, check her out.

Honey Pumpkin & Couscous Salad

I love trying new recipes. I was never much into cooking until I moved out of home over 3 years ago, then it became a necessity. And so I have learned to enjoy cooking (mostly) and trying different things from the various recipe books I have bought and been given.  This is something I made for dinner tonight and it was delicious!

Honey Pumpkin & Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

600g pumpkin, peeled & chopped (small pieces)

1 red onion, sliced

2 Tbs honey

1 cup couscous

20g butter

3Tbs flaked almonds

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180*C

1) In a bowl, place pumpkin, onion, honey and a good splash of olive oil. Toss to combine. Place on a baking tray to roast for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, place couscous and butter in a bowl. Pour over 250ml boiling water and cover tightly for 10 minutes. Fluff once or twice then cover again for 5 minutes.

3) Add the pumpkin mixture to the couscous with slightly toasted flaked almonds. Toss and enjoy.

My notes:

Maybe I cut the pumpkin too big, but it needed 40 minutes to roast properly - keep this in mind. I also forgot to add the almonds, but it was still delicious!

I served it with lamb chops, and it would feed 3 people comfortably.