Rhubard Salad

This may sound like an odd mix and I wasn't totally sure until I sat down to eat it. Let me just say this is our new top salad! Really tasty and filling. I served with lamb chops and I think they really complemented each other. This needs to go top of your list for any summer BBQs this year. How great would this colourful delight look as a gift to the host?

Pretty simple to make

3 sticks of rhubarb, cut to 2cm cubes
A good drizzle of honey
Pickled beetroot (in a jar or make your own)
Fresh spinach leaves
100g goats cheese
Good handful chopped walnuts

Dressing made with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper


Pop the rhubarb onto a baking tray and drizzle with honey. Into an oven to soften. This won't take long. Maybe 10 mins at 180C. Keep an eye on it. Allow to cool.

If not already done, quarter the beetroot

In a bowl whisk 3 tbsp of olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Into a large salad bowl add spinach, 3/4 each of the nuts, rhubarb, beetroot, crumbled goats cheese and dressing. Toss gently with hands

Top with the remaining goats cheese, walnuts, rhubarb and beetroot

Drizzle remaining dressing on top

Fish Cakes

OK so I'm not a huge fish fan. I may manage fish fingers or some take out fish when we are at the beach but even at that I will pick at it. Its the fishy smell I'm just not the person for fish! My husband created an awesome Salmon dish for me to try. Full of flavour. The sauce was wonderful but the salmon...well it didn't stay down :/

We have had fish cakes on our menu for weeks and I never made them. I honestly think I wrote them down about 4 weeks ago. So this week I bit the bullet and WOW I can't believe I waited this long to put them on. Fresh, nothing processed and SO good! Our mini taster gobbled them with her salad!

You can use any fish you like. Ensure there are no bones. I used the food processor but feel free to not be as lazy as I am :)

You will need

500g Fresh or Fresh Frozen fish of your choice
(we used basa)
500g of mashed potato
2 tbsp Creme Fraiche
500ml Vegetable/Fish stock
1 tbsp Parsley
1 tbsp Coriander
2 tbsp dark Soy Sauce
Flour for dusting

Pop the fish (defrosted) into the food processor and blitz until broken

Add mashed potato, creme fraiche, stock and blitz

Gently mix the parsley, coriander and soy sauce


These are best shallow fried but you can pop them in a fryer if you have one

Use your hands to form patty shapes and coat lightly in flour. Gently lower
into the hot oil.

They will cook in about 20 minutes


Serve with a Rocket salad (arugula)

Pineapple Pudding

Oven Baked


Ingredients

1 Small tin pineapple rings
3oz / 85g brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
Zest of an orange

Topping
140g / 5oz flour
50g / 2oz ground almonds
85g / 3oz caster sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
5 tbsp plain yogurt
85g / 3oz melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Pre heat oven to 190C

Toss sugar, pineapple, flour & orange zest in a bowl

Using a shallow baking dish (I used round) line the base of the dish
with the pineapple rings

In a second bowl, mix dry then wet ingredients for topping

Spoon mix over the pineapples in the dish


Bake for 50mins or until skewers clean

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Asian Lettuce Wraps

So I decided this week we would be avoiding meat. I wanted to introduce my husband to an apple and considering he bought be a food processor, decided to make use of it and bring in a daily fruit/veggie juice to boost the healthy food intake! Alas I believe he has eaten one apple. One lonely apple... *sigh*

The meals however have gone down much better. I banned processed foods,at home at least *shakes fist at husband* and stocked the fridge with fresh produce. Boy it looked and smelled amazing! As an extra bonus the yummy fresh produce has been USED not wasted and I sure an feeling good. I have a few meals to share *hangs head for being a bad blogger* and I cannot think of a better place to start.

The ever amazing Miss A has shared this with me when I demanding meat free ideas from some fantastic ladies. I've slightly altered but nothing major :)
Wait till I share the rest :)

OK so here are the Asian Lettuce wraps

Serves 4

Sauce:
1/3 cup orange juice (about 80ml, fresh if possible)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes *optional*

Make this up, whisk in a bowl and leave to stand. I left mine for about 2 hours

Wraps:
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
400g minced turkey, tofu or beef
2 tsp very fine chopped garlic
2 tsp very fine chopped fresh ginger
1 lrg red pepper, cut to thin strips
6 spring onions, sliced thin
2 tbsp hoisin sauce (or 3 *snigger*)
8 lettuce leaves, Iceberg works well


Before doing any prep, cook the rice. Add it to boiling water and it will take up to 20 mins

Prep away!

Pre heat a wok. Add your choice of meat or "meat" with the garlic and ginger
Cook through. Break up the meat as you cook

Add the red pepper to warm

Drain rice

Add the spring onion & hoisin sauce

To serve, add rice, meat mix to the lettuce "cup" and drizzle the sauce over


I want to eat this again just typing about it!

The Pancakes / Crepes

Here is a pancake recipe to try. This makes really light fluffy pancakes that are really easy to eat. To use this recipe for crepes you can add water to get the runnier batter

**TOP TIP**
Only flip once!

You will need

225g flour (roughly 3/4 cup)
2tsp baking powder
1tsp sugar **optional for sweet pancakes**
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter

I like to make my pancake batter the night before but leaving it for at least an hour to rest and thicken will help too. You can of course use it right away but the batter will be more runny

Pop the butter into a small dish and melt either on the stove or in the microwave. 15seconds in the microwave will do it. Set aside to cool

Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add your milk and give it a quick mix with a whisk. Add the two eggs and mix well. With the butter you have two options. Add the melted butter right before cooking


There are a million and one ways to make crepes and pancakes. The main points are for thick American style pancakes you need a thick batter that doesn't run too much when you pop it into the hot pan. For thin crepes you want a runny batter that will easily coat the whole pan in a thin layer. Don't be afraid to try the savory ones! Many people stick to the lemon and sugar but hey this day comes every year so why not try something different this year? :)

Enjoy!

Pancakes!

How how I love pancakes or should I say crepes!

Pancakes have always been a huge favourite of mine. Something that is shared in our household! This year I have been toying with the idea of doing a breakfast pancake, a lunch pancake and a dinner pancake! Of course really I will probably not be able to resist topping mine with strawberry and icing sugar for each meal... Ooops

So considering Tuesday is fast approaching, here are our top pancake ideas :)


The Grill Master
Top a crepe with cooked bacon, mushroom and onion
Fold over into a triangle
Top with grated cheese and grill until deliciously melted

The Flip Flop
Cook one side of the pancake/crepe
Flip and top with grated cheese
Cook until the underside has cooked through
Add prosciutto & wilted spinach

The Great Breakfast
American style thick pancakes (say 3)
Top with crispy bacon
Drizzle with maple syrup


A Pine Party
Pancakes or crepes
Thinly sliced pineapple rings
Sprinkle powdered sugar
Drizzle with chocolate sauce

The Trusted
Lemon & sugar

The second in command
Cinnamon & sugar

Get it into Greek **healthier option**
Top with Greek yogurt
Sliced orange segments (or fruit of choice)
Drizzle with honey

Grow Your Own

So the last while my husband and I have been talking about and planning growing a lot more of our own food. We always SAY it but this year we will DO it. Of course the herbs are there but I want to find an interesting way to display/grow them.

I am hoping to start growing peppers because we buy SO many that I would love to try saving some $$ on that.

I am considering tomatoes, courgette (zucchini), potatoes *insert Irish joke*, onions and shallots.

I want to do this mainly in pots because the soil isn't great here and I have no plans to dig up the entire garden!

I want to create a fun place for our daughter to learn how to grow her own food. I am hoping to give her a few pots for her to look after. With help obviously. I think giant sunflowers will be a must because I think they will have a great impact when she sees them grown. Plus what kid doesn't like digging in the dirt?!


I'm really looking forward to this and I can't wait to post recipes grown with OUR produce from OUR garden. *excited*


I am so ready to the rain to stop so I can get out in the garden and clear up the sad forgotten plants who have fumbled their way through the winter.