Category: cooking

• 

  Avocado, Cheese And Pine Nut Pasta Salad

  The creamy avocado paste,  grana padano cheese and pine nuts make  this cold pasta salad a real hit.  Throw in some cherry tomatoes  to make the colours pop and you will have an irresistibile crowd pleaser.   

  I’ve used  tagliatelle here but it works well with short pasta shapes like  fusilli.

  

  Simply

  Cook  about  120 grams of tagliatelle until al dente. Whilst the pasta is cooking, mix an avocado with some garlic infused olive oil and a handful of grated cheese in a blender.

  When the pasta is cooked add it and some of the pasta water to the avocado mixture. Gently fold the pasta through the paste until  you have an even coating. 

  Throw in a handful of cherry tomatoes, a generous amount of pine nuts and  chill the salad until serving time.

   

   

  Serving

  I make this for family barbeques and eating al fresco  on hot Perth summer nights. 

  It doesn’t seem to matter how much I make. There is never anything left 🙂

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more pasta recipes and pasta shapes: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 18, 2020

• 

  Chive And Garlic Oil Seasoning

  Chive oil is a great way to add a zing to a wide range of dishes. 

  It is so easy to make and extends the life of your fresh chives for weeks in the fridge.  See how below 🙂

  

  Simply

  Take a good handful of chives, wash them and pat dry.  Now add them to a blender with your choice and quantity of oil. I used mostly pure olive oil with a splash of garlic infused olive oil.

  

  I went for this ratio to get a real kick. 

  

  You can use it straight away and store the rest it in the fridge.

  Here is a little tip if you are using the oil where you don’t want to add extra water. Wait for the paste to separate (see left picute below) and then scoop the tiny fraction of water that will rise to the top. Then shake and you are good to go  for salads , toasted sandwiches and the like.

  Serving

  It might be easier listing  where this paste can’t be used 🙂

  However here  are some of my favourite uses:

  • drizzled on pizzas, toasted sandwiches etc
  • mixed through pasta and noodles
  • on cheese platters
  • a dipping sauce for spring rolls, chicken wings, wontons ….
  • drizzled on salads

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more cooking ingredients and and a range of my favourite sauces: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 2, 2020

• 

  What Does The Cooking Term Maceration Mean?

  Maceration is the technique of soaking fruit or vegetables in a liquid. This liquid is  often their own juices that are drawn out using salt and or sugar.   The  goal  of maceration is to enhance flavour, improve texture and aid in digestion.

  A good  example is Friggione, an Italian slow cooked tomato and onion relish where the onions are macerated for 4 hours. The drawn out water is retained in the dish for flavour and the onions take on a creamy texture  when cooked.

  

  You can also use  this technique on vegetables that have a high water content such as egg plant or cabbage. Cooking these types of vegetable can make them become a soggy mess. 

  Macerating cabbage for  30 minutes is great for salads  too.

  Simply  

  Use a colander with a bowl underneath to catch the juice. Sprinkle some salt and sugar on the cabbage.

  

  Discard the water that is extracted.

  Rinse the cabbage and pat dry to get  nice crispy shreds with an enhanced flavour.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more cooking techniques:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 20, 2020

• 

  Basic Kitchen Skills: Broiling And Grilling

  Broiling and grilling refer to very similar processes in the kitchen or outdoor cooking scenario. Both involve placing food near strong heat sources and turning the food to cook one side at a time. Both methods cook the food relatively quickly and are considered somewhat healthy as the fats and juices drain away.

  So what’s the difference?

  Broiling generally refers to cooking food using a heat source above the  food:

  Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis 

  Grilling  sees the heat source below the  food like on this barbecue:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more cooking techniques:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 5, 2020

• 

  Cheese: Grana Padano

  Grana Padano is a hard cow milk cheese that hails from northeastern Italy. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano is aged and is similarly grainy in texture and flaky. Indeed, grana in Italian means grain.

  It is full of flavour with a distinct but pleasant bight.

  As such it is the perfect table cheese and can also be used in salads, sandwiches and grated on stews and pasta. The list is endless.

  

  Milk

  Cow

  Origin

  Italy

  Aged

  Yes, 16 months to 2 years.

  Aroma

  Fruity  and savoury

  Taste

  Deep savoury goodness.

  Texture

  Hard gritty texture but not as much as Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Very crumbly.

  Look

  Yellow interior with little to no  openness. 

  Natural straw-coloured rind.

  

  Serving

  Grana is so versatile you can use it anywhere. I even love munching on it as I cook.

  And of course any and all pasta 🙂

  

   

  Manufacturing and Salting Method

  Handmade/traditional cheese making methods are used. The curds are partially cooked, then  pressed into moulds, dry salted and finally brine salted prior to a long ageing process.

  Wine

  Cheese.com says ‘ Wines such as Barolo, Zinfandel or Gavi white wine make a perfect match.’

  Here are some more posts about cheese: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 29, 2020

• 

  Italian Crumbed Chicken Fillets

  I got this Italian styled crumbed and shallow fried chicken breast recipe “Petti di pollo impanati e fritti” from my favourite Italian cooking website  Giallo zafferano.

   The chicken breast fillets are marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and parsley for several hours and then coated in breadcrumbs.

  The result is moist tender chicken with a noticeable citrus taste and aroma. Heaven.

  

   

  Steps

  1. Marinating the chicken
  2. Coating the chicken
  3. Shallow frying
  4. Serving

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 bowl or plastic bag for the marinade
  • Several plates
  • 1 frypan

  Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, skinless, cut into 4 fillets length-ways
  • Flour, enough to coat the chicken breasts
  • breadcrumbs (I used panko)
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • 60g butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp grated parmigiano/parmesan or grana padano (optional)
  • Juice of a small lemon
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp parsley. finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

  Marinating the chicken

  1. Combine in a bag (or bowl) the juice of 1 lemon, 4 Tbsp of oil, the chopped parsley and black pepper to taste.
  2. Add the chicken fillets , close the bag and  gently massage it until all the meat is covered by the marinade.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

  

  Coating the chicken

  1. On each plate put the ingredients required to coat the chicken.
  2. One plate each for the flour, the  whisked egg (with finely grated cheese mixed in if you like) and finally the breadcrumbs. 
  3. Place each fillet in the flour and turn it over to coat each side.
  4. Do the same in the egg and then again in the breadcrumbs.
  5. Pop the now coated fillets back in the fridge if you are preparing ahead of time. 

  Note: the crumbed fillets can be frozen at this point.

  

  

  Shallow frying

  1. Over medium heat melt the butter and oil in a frypan until the butter starts to foam.
  2. Reduce the heat and cook the crumbed fillets until they are golden brown and cooked through  (~10 minutes each side).

  

  

  

  

  Serving

  My suggestion is to serve them with a green salad and some potato thins. They also make for an awesome chicken and salad sandwich. 

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more Italian cooking content and a wide range of chicken recipes : 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 25, 2020

• 

  Looking For Inspiration In The Kitchen?

  Perhaps, like me, you are always looking for something new to make.

  When I start thinking about my next dish I might start with a main ingredient in mind and go from there.  It is just as likely though that I feel like a particular cuisine or I just discovered a new cooking technique……I tend to go through phases 🙂

  With the cards below I have tried to group the blog’s ‘cook it’ posts  in the hope it helps you try something new or remember an old favourite.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 16, 2020

• 

  Soga Citrus Lever Hand Press Review

  As usual around this time of year I am drowning in lemons, limes and oranges.  A great problem to have!

  Apart from eating them fresh you  can do so much with them.  Making  jars of preserved citrus,  drying slices of them and  making home-made salad dressings are just a few examples. I have many more here. 

  Best of all is making fresh juice and lemonades.  I’ve had a variety of presses and  juices over the years but they are either hard work and  or messy. So this year I bought a Soga hand operated lever press that makes short work of any citrus glut. I am not endorsed to say this  but I love it because it doesn’t use electricity, is not made from plastic and actually cleans up as easily as advertised. 

  

  The unit is well made and  has a nice heavy stable base. The lever action is  powerful, you  don’t even need to cut the larger fruit into pieces. 

  Just look at how much juice was extracted from this lemon: 

  

  It breaks down easily for cleaning. The metal  sieves wash up easily in soapy water and I wipe the rest of the press down with a wet cloth.

  So, any negatives?

  I  am keeping an eye on the bolts that hold the lever in place. I noticed a bit of surface rust after a few months. So I am protecting them with a bit of olive oil after each use.

  At the end of the day though I feel  that I have tried everything else including electrical cold press juicers but I prefer my hand press for a steady supply of cold juice.

  

  I hope my review helps you,

  PK

  Here are some more of my reviews: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 10, 2020

• 

  Chinese Minced Pork And Corn

  This basic pork mince and corn recipe is  light, full of umami favours and ready for your personal touches.

  I find that my favourite meals have  a few ingredients whose combination belies their individual simplicity. 
  This dish is the perfect example.  Serve with rice, noodles or potatoes and you are good to go!

  

  Ingredients

  • 500g pork mince
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • A good slug of sesame oil (the secret ingredient)
  • 1 can corn kernels or ~400g cut from cobs
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 – 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 sticks  celery, sliced
  • A sprinkle of white pepper
  • A sprinkle of salt
  • Chillies  , to taste, sliced, chopped,  whole…..
  • Water, just a little if the mince looks to be  sticking to the frypan

  Simply

  Heat  some sesame oil in your frypan  and prepare the vegetables.  Saute the onions and garlic. 

  Add  the pork mince and cook until browned.  Add the  rest of the chopped vegetables  and cook until the vegetables have softened a little but still have a bit of crunch. 

  A little bit of liquid will come out of the pork and corn kernels as they cook. I also keep a little bit of water on hand if  the ingredients are sticking to the pan.  I think it is nice for the finished dish to have a little sauce.

  

  Serving

  I like to serve it on a bed of rice and have condiments such as fish sauce and Sriracha on the table.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more Chinese cuisine  inspired dishes and simple meals: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  July 19, 2020

• 

  KT’s Potato Wedges

  KT has a full proof method for making potato wedges and she is going to share it with us.

  Simply:

  Cut the potatoes into wedge shapes. Peel them or not 🙂

  Preheat your oven to 240C.

  Drizzle some olive oil (be as sparing as you like) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  

  Cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

  

  Serving

  Wedges go with almost everything. Add them to meat and vegetables or simply serve them with dipping sauces.

  

  KT

  Here are some more potato dishes and posts by KT:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 30, 2020