Chilli and garlic prawn kebabs

Tails on, if you serve on a bit of rice like this the marinade drips onto the rice-yum!

During the summer these are great to fire on the barbie, once winter rolls round just cook them inside in a big cast iron pan. These are fantastic on their own but the best is to cook them up and serve them with steak for a surf 'n' turf. I serve them with a bit of aioli too. You can buy prawns frozen or fresh, if you can get them fresh- then do, if not just make sure you defrost them correctly otherwise they can be a bit tough (read the packet for instructions).

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• 750g raw king prawns, peeled, de-veined, tails intact (or not, read tips)
• Lime wedges, to serve
• Aioli or mayonnaise, to serve

METHOD:
Place the garlic, sweet chilli, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large non-metallic bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the prawns and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat a barbecue grill plate to high, or large cast iron pan/skillet. Remove prawns from marinade and thread onto metal or bamboo skewers (see tips).
Grill prawn skewers for 2 minutes each side or until prawns are cooked through and golden (they will change colour to orange). Serve skewers with lime wedges and aioli or mayonnaise.

I threw these together to show them made with prawn meat, no tails. Poor photo- apologies!

 TIPS:

• If using bamboo skewers, soak then in cold water for at least 30 minutes before threading prawns to prevent burning while cooking. If you prefer, do not remove the seeds from the chilli for some extra heat.
• If you like a bit more a of a kick, replace the sweet chilli with a fresh seeded and finely chopped chilli
• If king prawns are a bit over the budget then prawn meat is fine (these are a bit smaller and have already been skinned and de-veined for you) , they don't look as pretty but they still taste great

Pepperdew treats

Cream cheese and basil at front & roasted garlic hummus at back

These little treats are so good and so easy! They look so impressive and I must say they have sort of changed my life, because they are such morsels of peppery, spicy, sweet goodness! My sister introduced me to them in Melbourne and I have been a lover of them ever since. You can stuff them with pretty much anything and they are good even on their own. So find a jar, or look at the deli because you have to try them!
INGREDIENTS:

• Peppadew mild whole piquanté peppers (as many as you like)
• 100gm cream cheese (will fill about 25)
• 2 Tblsp basil pesto

METHOD:
Mix the cream cheese and basil pesto ina bowl. Spoon mixture into a piping bag (or small plastic one with the corner cut off it) and 'pipe' the mixture into each pepper until it is full. The best way is to put the piping bag all the way to the bottom and let the mixture push the bag out the top, that way it is nice and full.

TIPS:

• Other flavours to stuff pepperdews are:
• 50gm blue cheese & 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and then bake them for 10mins
• Roasted garlic hummus
• seasoned natural yoghurt and cucumber
• any dip mixture
• shredded chicken & mayo
• smoked salmon blended with cream cheese
• guacamole

Fresh, Homemade Hummus- 4 flavours

Great for a dip with fresh carrot sticks

Hummus is a great healthy snack option and is really easy to make. I like to make it for dipping carrot sticks. Making your own gives you the choice of what you put in and how seasoned you like it, none of the recipes below have salt but I find that they all need a bit added at the end or sometimes a bit more lemon juice- taste as you go and see what suits you. Also making your own is heaps cheaper than the store bought stuff and if you are like me and only shop every few weeks (I know it's a crazy rural thing, my city dwelling sister can't believe it either!) then making your own means it is fresh for Friday night guests or as a healthy snack to take to work instead of all that unhealthy crap (that is my little rant about lunch box fillings done for the day also) .

INGREDIENTS: plain hummus

• 300g can Chickpeas, well drained
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp oil
• juice 1 lemon (3 Tblsp)

Roasted garlic hummus

INGREDIENTS: Roasted garlic hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, well drained
• 2-4 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

INGREDIENTS: Spinach and feta hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 150gm crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tblsp lemon juice
• 2 Tblsp tahini (optional)
• 1/4 cups red pepper flakes (optional- it's HOT!)
• 1 tsp garlic

INGREDIENTS: Sun-dried tomato hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 3 Tblsp sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice

 METHOD:
Chickpeas and all other ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth.

TIPS:

• Tinned chickpeas are great because they are fast, however it is about 1/6 of the price if you buy them out of the bulk bin and soak/cook the chickpeas from dry.
  This is how:
  Before cooking dried chickpeas, the first thing you will have to do is soak them. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Allow to soak overnight, about 12 hours.
  Once chickpeas have soaked, drain and transfer to a large cooking pot. Cover with water twice the amount of chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for approximately one hour. Do a taste test at this point to make sure they are tender enough for your liking (I smush one with a fork and you should have to push a little to break them). Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Once chickpeas are cooled they are ready to be used. Cooked chickpeas can keep covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for about a month.

Rustic homemade garlic bread

As I write this post, I am actually eating garlic bread. That is how fresh the bread and the post are. Garlic bread isn't really a recipe, it's more of a putting together of a few things to make garlicky goodness.
Today I went to the Geraldine Orchard farm shop and bought some of Derek's (that's the local baker) baguettes and thought that I would make some fancy bruschetta for tea, bit then I decided that garlic bread, homemade chips and steak would be pretty darn good for dinner instead.
So far, I have just made garlic bread and written this blog. The farmer usually has a beer on Friday night after work so I have a bit of time spare to cook the rest.
Anyway back to the point. Garlic bread. The amount of garlic you use is totally up to you, the size of the bread you have and how much you love garlic will determine the amount you use. I use HEAPS. Also the type of bread you choose depends on whether you like crunchy bread or a good ratio of white 'flesh' that can absorb all of that lovely garlicky butter. I have chosen baguette , ciabatta is also good or French stick- whatever you have on hand- or go and see Derek at the Tin Kitchen!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 loaf artisan French bread or wide baguette
• 1 - 2 heads of garlic
• 50g of  butter (again depends how big your bread is)
• 1 bunch of chives (optional)
• zest of one lemon (optional)

METHOD:

Using a serrated knife slice that loaf of bread right up the middle so you have two halves . Set them on their backs, cut side up. Mince the garlic or chop it really finely and add it to the butter you should be melting in a small saucepan.
Using a basting or pastry brush, slather the butter and garlic across the bread. Lets be honest I usually pour it over and then spread it around! Make sure your garlic chunks are evenly distributed.
Bake the bread for 10 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius. Turn your oven to grill and crank it up to 250 and grill it until the bread goes golden and crunchy around the outsides.
Let your bread cool for a bit and then sprinkle the chives and lemon over the top. The lemon is definitely optional but I think you will be sorry for missing the chives.
Slice and serve.

The short version of this recipe:
Cut, slather, bake, brown, slice.

Enjoy xx
A

Fresh Smoked Salmon

I hope you enjoy this step by step guide to smoked salmon which is an easy treat to add some variety to your summer BBQ's. The Farmer and I try to catch the fish ourselves, however I am not above stopping at the salmon farms in the Mackenzie to pick up a few fillets either!!
The farmer has requested that I tell you that he usually smokes the salmon and he would like some credit please.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Salmon (I like using boned out fillets, but a whole fish is just as good)
• 3 Tblsp brown sugar
• 3 Tblsp lemon juice
• seasoning (I usually use smoked salt and cracked pepper)
• Smoker 
• Smoking wood chips (easy to buy at your local hardware/outdoors store)
• Tin foil

METHOD:

First take your salmon fillet and pull out the bones with kitchen tweezers (clean pliers also work really well). Then mix the sugar, lemon and seasoning in a small bowl. Brush on with a basting brush to cover the entire fillet. Rub all over, just like you would do to a pork roast skin. If you are patient it is great if you do this bit the night before and let it marinade overnight, but we have had good results doing this right before smoking it.
Place the fillet onto some tin foil, I usually make the tin foil a couple of layers thick so that it doesn't break.

Place the wood-chips in the bottom of the smoker and put it (with the lid on), over the heat. We just put ours on the BBQ  with a couple of burners on the lowest setting, but you can do it over a fire (it is much harder to get consistent low heat over a fire tho). When the wood-chips start to smoke place the fish into the smoker. The trick is to try and keep the heat as low as possible while still making the chips smoke, you are trying to smoke it, not cook it.
Check the fish occasionally for the next hour or so, the time it takes will depend on the size of the fish. It will go a light pink colour and fall apart easily.
Take the salmon off the smoker and allow to cool. After 10 minutes or so you can use the salmon for whatever recipe you are making or just enjoy straight off the foil!! 

TIPS:

• Serve with crackers and cream cheese on a platter- this makes a great starter for a dinner party
• Smoked salmon is very versatile, I use it in quiche, salad, pasta, eggs Benedict, omelettes, canapés or straight off the tin foil.
• Salmon is a great way of getting omega 3 into your family, it is really really good for you and the best thing is, you don't need to eat a huge amount because it is very filling, so it makes a really affordable meal option
• Smoked salmon keeps for about a week in the fridge but it freezes well, so I usually cut up a large fillet into meal size portions and freeze them. Just make sure you defrost them slowly in the fridge otherwise it can dry out

Devils on horseback

These are a great hors d'oeuvre to take along to a pot-luck dinner as a starter or just to put out with drinks for friends (and then you can say "help yourself to hors d'oeuvres" which is better than "want some onion dip with those chips Cheryl"). They are super easy to make and are really yum!
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 24 large prunes
• 24 pieces of streaky bacon cut in half
• 1/3 cup crumbled cheese (blue or Stilton is best)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place 24 toothpicks in a small bowl filled with water; let soak 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper and put a wire rack into the tray (a wire cake rack works really well) set aside. The paper is so you don't spend the rest of the afternoon scrubbing the tray when you should be getting ready for your guests.
Halve prunes lengthwise being careful not to cut all the way through. Place a small amount of cheese in the centre of each prune. Wrap a piece of bacon around each date. Secure bacon with a toothpick.
Place dates onto the wire rack. Bake until bacon is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy xx
A