Lime Coconut Macaroons

Mmmmm, lime and coconut - one of those winning alchemic combinations that tastes seriously good.  These little guys are delicious and taste like you've had something really naughty when you haven't at all, really.  They are truly simple to make and take about 10 minutes from start to finish (plus cooking time, of course).  The length of time they take to cook will depend on your oven.  The first time you make them, have a look at them at 10 mins and then again every 5 mins until they are golden.  Once they start to brown they can burn very quickly so it's important to keep an eye on them!  This recipe has been adapted from one of Bill Granger's in Simply Bill, where he adds chopped macadamias to the mixture.

Makes 20-23 (2.5 points each)

Ingredients

200g shredded coconut (NB NOT desiccated but shredded)

100g caster sugar

2 egg whites

1 tspn lime zest

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix (with you hands is best) until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the lime zest is evenly spread throughout the mixture.  

Fashion into little haystack shaped piles and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake for 10-20 mins or until golden brown.

Simple Chinese Omelette

This is a bit of a hybrid recipe that I've cobbled together from the likes of Neil Perry, Kylie Kwong and Jill Dupleix (actually the ingredients are cobbled together but the method is Jill's - Neil and Kylie both like to use lashings of oil for their versions).  It takes only about 5 mins from beginning to end, the catch being that you have to make one for each person.  Resting the omelettes in a warm oven while you make the subsequent ones works well.  Once you learn the technique you can fill the omelette with pretty much anything.  I love this omelette with crab but it will work just as well with prawns, and would also be lovely with finely sliced chinese bbq pork instead.

Serves 4 (5.5 points per serve)

Ingredients

8 large eggs

4 tbsp chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 tspn sesame oil

4 tspn light soy sauce

4 tbsp oyster sauce

16 prawns, peeled, de-veined and cut in half lenghtwise OR 200g fresh crab meat

200g bean sprouts

100g snow pea sprouts

16 chinese chives, halved OR 2 shallots,  sliced finely on the diagonal 

Method

To make one omelette, crack two eggs into a small bowl and whisk lightly.  Whisk in the rice wine/sherry, sesame oil and light soy sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly spray a non-stick frypan or wok with oil and place over a high heat until hot.  Pour in the egg mixture and quickly swirl to form an even thin omelette.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the egg is firm, then lower the heat.

Arrange a quarter of the prawns or crab meat in the centre of the omelette, top with a quarter of the bean and snow pea sprouts and chives or shallots.

Loosen the edges of the omelette with a spatula and gently slide it onto a plate.  Fold it over twice so that it forms a ‘roll’.  Place it in a warm place while you make the three other omelettes. Drizzle with oyster sauce and some additional shallots to serve.

Slinky's Paella

This is the ultimate pleaser - so easy to make and it looks and tastes spectacular.  You don't need a proper paella pan to make paella - any large frypan with a broad base will do the trick.  I always take the pan to the table and then let people serve themselves - that way you get the full visual of the pan and lots of grazing potential.  While the recipe technically serves 4, they are enormous serves and you would have no trouble serving 5 or even 6 with it.  The recipe is adapted from one by Bill Granger in a magazine of old.  

Serves 8 (6.5 points per serve)

Ingredients

1 Tspn Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 Chorizo (the cured type, not the fresh type), cut into 0.5cm slices and then quartered

1 Spanish onion

1/4 Tspn Cayenne Pepper

1 Tspn Smoked Paprika

1/4 Tspn Saffron Threads soaked in hot water

(OR Substitute 1.5 Tspns Herbie's Paella spice blend: http://www.gourmetshopper.com.au/shop/product.php?productid=1678&cat=5&page=1

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped or minced

1 Cup Arborio rice

400g Chopped tomatoes

1 Red capsicum, cut into strips lengthwise

500ml Chicken stock

250g Green beans, chopped into 2-3cm lengths

250g Marinara Mix + 8 mussels (if you have a fishmonger you trust), OR:

8 Mussels

8 Scallops (I remove the roe but it's up to you)

8 Green prawns, heads removed and shelled

1 Medium-sized calamari tube, cut into small strips

200g White, firm fleshed fish such as ling or perch

A handful of Vongole (clams), if you can get them

1/2 Bunch of continental parsley, chopped

1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Method

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frypan, add the chorizo and cook until it begins to go crispy (about 5 mins).  Remove the chorizo from the pan, leaving behind the oil it has released.

Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 mins until golden.  Add a sprinkling of salt.

Add the garlic, cayenne pepper and paprika (or Herbie's spice mix if using), and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours.

Add the rice and stir to coat it with the mixture.

Add the tomatoes, capsicum, saffron (unless using the Herbie's spice mix) and stock.  Cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.  (This should take about 10 mins - if the rice is catching the bottom of the pan, add a little more stock or water to loosen it up.) 

Add the chopped beans, chorizo and seafood (all except the mussels) and stir through the rice mixture.  Push the mussels into the mixture (place them so they stand up with the wide side up), cover and leave over a low heat for 10 mins.  If the mussels have not opened by then, recover and turn the heat right up for 1 minute, which should cause them to steam open.

Finish the pan with the parsley and lemon wedges.  Remove from the heat and allow the pan to sit for 5 mins before serving.

Bon Appetite!  Or whatever they say in Spain.  Carmen, what do they say in Spain?!?

Buttermilk Pannacotta with Passionfruit

Pannacotta is one of my favourite things in the world.  I once 'pointsed up' the pannacotta in one of Neil Perry's cookbooks to discover the tally was 24 points for a single serve!  This one uses buttermilk instead of cream, and is based on a recipe in this month's Gourmet Traveller. If you don't have pannacotta moulds you could use small glasses or cups.

Serves 8 (1.5 points per pannacotta)

Ingredients

800ml Buttermilk

100g Caster Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthways and insides scraped

3.5 Gelatine Sheets OR 17g Powdered Gelatine

4-6 Passionfruit

Method

Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until softened (about 5 mins) and then squeeze out the excess water.

Combine Buttermilk, caster sugar and vanilla bean in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm.  It's important that you don't let the mixture get too hot or the buttermilk will separate, but it needs to be warm enough for the gelatine to dissolve.

Quickly strain the mixture and then stir in the softened gelatine sheets or powdered gelatine until dissolved.

Spoon into 8 pannacotta moulds or glasses and refrigerate until set.

To unmould the pannacottas, sit the moulds in warm water for about 30 seconds and then run a knife around the inside of the mould.  Cut the passionfruit and spoon some of the juice and seeds over the top of each pannacotta.

Enjoy!

P.S.  You could also serve this in a cup or glass, a la brulee, with the passionfruit spooned over the top.

Haloumi, Tomato & Green Bean Salad

With a wave to Jill Dupleix, whose recipe I have adapted in the interests of anti-boombarella.  The original can be found in Totally Simple Food.

Serves 4 (6 points per serve)

Ingredients

8 Roma Tomatoes

Bunch of Thyme

2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

400g Green Beans, trimmed

250g Haloumi Cheese

1 Lemon, cut into wedges

And for the dressing:

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Small Capers

1 Tbsp Chopped Flat-leaf Parsley

Method

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, place on a baking tray, drizzle 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the top, scatter the thyme sprigs and season with some salt and pepper.  Bake them for 30 mins at 180C.

Cook the green beans either on the stove top or in the microwave, whatever is your wont.  Leave them crunchy.

Rinse the haloumi and cut into slices about 5mm thick.  Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a shallow frypan and fry the haloumi until it's golden brown.  (Alternatively you might like to barbeque it...)

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together.  Drain the beans and toss them in the dressing.  Arrange the roasted tomatoes and beans on 4 plates, top with the haloumi and drizzle the dressing over the top.  Serve with the lemon wedges.

Bon appetite!