Hamaggedon...... Buckwheat Galettes for a change?

And so it begins. Fridges up and down the country are filled with vast chunks of pork, some in fancy ham bags, others , like mine, in a old pillowcase doused liberally in vinegar. Chilled jenga, bottles balanced precariously on top of each other to make space for the porcine invader, hello Christmas Ham!
Last summer I declared it a personal challenge, could I get to the end of the ham, before a) we hated the sight of it, and b) it went off. 
I am pleased to say Hamaggedon was a success, so I thought I'd share an excellent hammy recipe for when one more ham & salad meal might push you over the edge......

Note: unless you are a true devotee, maybe limit your ham consumption to once a day? If ham & eggs is breakfast, don't flog the horse with ham sarnies for lunch.........you might get away with it once or twice, but revolt will surely follow.


So I've made a traditional Breton pancake, a galette, made in a non traditional way. If you do have a proper crepe maker by all means, but I have a large fry pan and that works just fine to. Buckwheat flour is available in most supermarkets, it has a lovely nutty flavour which makes the galettes much more interesting than a crepe made with all white flour. Buckwheat flour is also a key ingredient in blini, a light fluffy yet substantial type of pikelet (in the New Zealand not Yorkshire sense) which is perfect for a party (New Years drinks anyone?), I'll be sharing the recipe later this week.


Buckwheat Galettes     (based on a Rick Stein recipe)
makes 4 (enough for 2 people, easily scaled up)

50 gr buckwheat flour
25 gr plain flour
Pinch of salt
75 ml milk
75 ml water
1 egg
15 gr butter, melted
butter for frying

Topping

Ham, chopped into thin strips
Cheese, grated (Gruyere is lovely, but any cheddar style is good to)
1 egg per galette
Parsley, chopped

Put the flours and salt into a bowl , then whisk in the milk and water until the batter is smooth. Beat the egg with the melted butter, and beat into the flour mixture to combine. Leave the mixture to sit for at least 30 mins (you could pop into the fridge overnight for breakfast the next day if you wanted to)

When you are ready to eat , heat a large frying pan (non stick is best if you have one) over medium high heat. Your batter should be the consistency of double cream, so stir in a wee bit more milk or water if nessesary. Melt a knob of butter then add the batter, you want enough to make a thin coating over the whole pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is set and slightly browned

Flip over, and sprinkle on your ham and cheese. Break the egg into the middle of the galette , some people like the egg left whole, but if you prefer spread it out, try both and see what you like. Fold each edge of the galette into the middle, I use a spatula for this. 
The galette is usually flipped at this point, but I find it much easier to just pop a lid on the fry pan and let the egg set, it will be ready to go in just 1-2 minutes

Slide onto a plate, sprinkle on the parsley and serve. Crispy pancake, creamy egg, salty ham, melted cheese.......yes, really.
These are pretty filling, so unless you are feeding a big eater I find one or two is enough, perfect with a sharply dressed crispy green salad and a glass of Chardonnay.
All hail the pig!

N.B While NOT gluten free, buckwheat is often ok for those with a gluten intolerance (but still no good for those with coeliac disease), in which case I would just use all buckwheat flour, the result will be slightly heavier, but still delicious.

For the non ham aficionados among us, sauteed mushrooms are a great substitute, let them get quite brown and crispy over a high heat, maybe with a tickle of garlic? Ditto char grilled asparagus, with a squeeze of lemon. Egg, cheese and asparagus being a match made in heaven.....

Kung POW chicken!

Ok it's actually Kung Pao chicken, but Pow is more fun, especially if you do a fist pump at the same time. Whatever way you spell it, this is a delicious, easy dinner.
I don't normally cook a lot of stir fry's, I seem to have trouble getting everything cooked at the same time so if the protein is cooked the vegetables are either heading towards mushy or still rock hard. I also don't own a wok (actually my sister gave me one years ago, it was big enough to bath a small elephant, apparently she thought I was opening a Chinese restaurant and needed to cook for hundreds ...needless to say its in the garage somewhere...)

It does not matter with this recipe, the chicken is cooked separately, and is easily done in a standard fry pan. It is based on a recipe from Nici Wickes on World Kitchen, where she visits the Szechuan province of China. One of the ingredients of the dish is Szechuan peppercorns, confusingly these are not peppercorns at all but the dried berry of the Mountain Ash Tree.

They have a unique fragrant aroma and a distinctive, almost floral flavour. You could use plain peppercorns & still have a delicious dinner, but if you can get your hands on the real thing (I got mine at Farro Fresh , along with some Chinese Rice Wine, or try an Asian supermarket), they do make a difference.

So what are you waiting for?

Kung Pow Chicken
Serves 4 with rice and steamed vegetables

4 large chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

Marinade

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp soya sauce , I use dark Kikkoman soya
1 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine (or use sherry, or Marsala)
1 tsp oil, I use peanut oil

Sauce

2.5 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sugar, I use brown but any sugar will be fine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or use rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tbsp peanut or other oil
1 thumb size piece ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 dried chillis, or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (to taste, if you like it fiery go for it)
3 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns (or black/pink peppercorns)
3 tbsp roasted peanuts

Firstly, mix together your marinade ingredients, and add to your chicken, which has been chopped into small chunks. Leave to one side while you get everything else ready. It wont look terribly promising but stick with me

Now mix together all your sauce ingredients and also put to one side. Next chop the rest of your ingredients ready for cooking.

A thumb sized piece of ginger..rather depends how big your thumb is.....!

Yes, I do actually chop things up and put them into small bowls before I cook, it isn't just for the photo! It makes me feel much more organised, and I don't discover I haven't got an important ingredient half way through cooking dinner........

Put a med-large frying pan onto to heat with the 2 tbsp of oil. You want it reasonably hot to fry your chicken. Add as much chicken as will fit in one layer to your pan, and cook for about 6-8 minutes until golden and cooked through

Remove from the heat and put the chicken on a plate while you cook the rest of the ingredients. If there isn't any oil left in the pan, add a splash more

Add the ginger and garlic to the pan with the chillis (or flakes) and stir around until you can start to smell the spice, about 1 minute. add the spring onions and peppercorns, and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken back to the pan.

Finally, add the sauce, and stir while it thickens. You will be left with a deeply savoury coating on your chicken and vegetables, rather than lots of gloopy sauce.

That's it! I like to serve this with steamed rice and greens. If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend you get one, makes for a VERY easy life. For today's version (can you tell I make this recipe often...?) I cooked broccoli in a steamer bag in the microwave, to which I added lemon juice, chilli flakes and a tiny dash of sesame oil.

Super easy, and takes just minutes. Enjoy (fist pump optional)

A new salad for a new year.....

 

 

So its 2013 already.I am resisting the temptation to bang on about all my New Years resolutions, I am quite sure you don't really give a toss if I lose 10kg by my birthday or finally get around to learning Spanish this year.

See, you don't, I knew it. I will tell you I have resolved to create a new recipe every week for the year. By new I mean original to me. Perhaps not recreating the wheel (not every week anyway), but created in my own little kitchen all fresh & new and lovely. Actually the kitchen is going to be ripped apart at some stage this year, so we shall see how we go (that could be smoothie/microwave/raw food week....)

 

Right, new recipe we have. Inspired by the delicious Nigel Slater & his fabulous Kitchen Diaries Two, which I was very happy to see in my Christmas Stocking this year, this is a fresh fast salad using Bulgur wheat. It has a pleasant nutty flavour, only requires soaking (no boiling pans in my kitchen, given its about 97% humidity at the moment this is a Good Thing) and makes me feel like I am being much nicer to my body than several weeks of rampant vino consumption should allow. Nigel's version is a bit simpler, more a side salad than the main event, but the addition of the halloumi in particular means this is plenty substantial enough for lunch or a light supper.

 

 

Bulgur wheat salad with melon, mint & halloumi

 

Serves 2 with leftovers

 

1/2 cup Bulgur wheat (also known as Cracked wheat or Burghul wheat) I use the Ceres brand

Boiling water to cover

1/2 small rockmelon

2 spring onion, sliced

1/2 small red or green chilli, sliced thinly

2 radish, sliced thinly

3-4 asparagus spears, chopped

Tbsp pinenuts

1/4 block of halloumi ( I used a chilli version, but plain would be perfect to)

Splash of olive oil

juice of a lime

Handful of parsley

Handful of mint

 

Put your bulgur wheat into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to sit for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Peel and chop your rockmelon into small chunks and put into your salad bowl. Add the spring onion, chilli and radish. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain & cover in icy cold water (this stops it cooking any further). Drain again & add to your bowl.

Toast your pinenuts in a small non stick pan until just colouring, then add to your salad. In the same pan over medium heat put your helloumi slices and cook for a minute or two each side until golden and melting hot . While this is happening drain your bulgur wheat and add to the salad bowl with the oil, lime juice, herbs & some salt and pepper. Top with your cooked halloumi & devour, yum!

 

 

This is a very flexible recipe, so just add, remove or substitute as needed.

A ripe juice peach would be great in place of the melon, if you had the grill/BBQ going you could grill it, the asparagus and the heloumi all at once for a different flavor. Any nuts could be used in place of pinenuts, and feel free to substitute lemon or other citrus for the lime. If you don't want to use helloumi try feta, or leave it out all together and serve as a side to some grilled chicken or fish....

 

Now, to celebrate the New Year, and just because I can, some gratuitous cat shots. Tuppence does have a weight loss goal this year, I keep saying she is big boned but the vet suggested she is turning into a chubby so a little less food should be coming her way.........she isn't best pleased

 

Tommy is going to attempt to grow a brain this year. This is so he knows to not sit in the rain getting wet , or under the car when it is running, or on top of Tuppences head when she is clearly getting cheesed off............he has relied on his looks for too long.

 

 

Happy 2013 everyone, I hope you are looking forward to lots of good times this year, starting with a good meal!

Black Dog Cottage Cookbook: Sweetcorn, Spring Onion, Feta & Coriander Fritters

As you probably know by now, I am a girl who loves a cookbook. So when the publishers of the second Black Dog Cottage Cookbook by Adie McClelland (released this month throughout New Zealand) asked me if I would like to test drive a couple of recipes I said yes please.

I love fritters as much as I love books, so the Sweetcorn, Spring Onion, Feta & Coriander fritters were calling to me. The trick with a good fritter is to have the minimum of flour, enough to bind but no more, to avoid stodginess. You will think their isn't enough in this recipe, but trust me, it works a treat, and the end result is light, crunchy & moreish.

Sweetcorn, Spring Onion, Feta & Coriander fritters (from the second Black Dog Cottage Cookbook, published August)

3 cobs fresh/2 cups frozen sweetcorn (fresh is best, but these are still fab with frozen)
2 eggs, whisked
2 tbsp flour (yes, just 2!)
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful of coriander, finely chopped
80 grams feta, crumbled
Freshly ground pepper
Oil for frying (I used Canola)

If using fresh corn cut the kernels off the cobs. Whisk together the flour and eggs to make a batter. Combine the spring onions, coriander, feta, pepper and corn into the batter and mix well.
Splash some oil into a medium frying-pan and heat over medium. When hot add small spoonfuls of batter to your desired size, and turn over when golden to do the other side.
Drain on kitchen paper.

As you can see, they could not be easier. I served them for lunch with bacon , sour cream and more coriander. I had intended to add avocado also, but of course when I cut it open it was brown, why are so many avocados like that!? They would also be lovely made bite size & topped with sour cream and a flake of hot smoked salmon to have with drinks, yum!

The book also has a recipe for Zucchini , Mint & Feta fritters, which follow the same method, substituting grated zucchini and mint for the corn and coriander. As soon as zucchini come back into season I will be giving these a try also, maybe with a fresh zingy tomato salsa....

I have the first Black Dog Cottage cookbook and it is a cracker, so I am really looking forward to seeing the next one. I am getting around the cookbook buying ban by putting it on my Christmas list, clever no? If it is following the same format as the first book expect light, fresh, easy to prepare recipes full of flavour with minimum fuss. Hard to go wrong really.......

For more information please visit Phantom House Books or the book's Facebook page.

Cook My Books Challenge Two- new voices in food

For Cook My Books challenge two I have selected a really delicious book by young English chef Alice Hart. Alice is a chef, and was the youngest food editor at Waitrose Food Illustrated, as well as running a successful pop up "The Hart & Fuggle"............and she is still in her 20's! 

Her book, Alice's Cookbook is full of tempting recipes, sorted into categories such as simple wintry dinner, autumn film night, springtime camper van buy the sea.....the recipes are influenced by Alice's travels, and represent a variety of cuisines, all fairly simple with intriguing flavours. 

This book is one of a small series from Quadrille called New Voices in Food,  I am keen to get the other books in the series once the Cookbook Buying Ban expires! The layout is clear, and I love the matt finish to the cover and photos. Bear in mind there are not pictures for every recipe. This does not bother me at all, the pictures that are included are beautifully styled, with a real feel of the young hip author Alice is. This book would be particularly good for a younger person getting into cooking, the recipe are clear and easy for follow, with results that will encourage more cooking .

The first recipe I have chosen is a simple Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry. Actually where I come from this would be Chicken and Kumara Curry, but I wont confuse the issue.....Quick to prepare, this is the perfect midweek supper, full of flavour and goodness.

Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry (adapted from Alice's Cookbook)

Serves 4 

6-8 chicken thighs, skinned and boned

1 ½ tbsp medium curry powder

2 tsp palm sugar/light brown sugar

1 tbsp plain oil, I use canola

2 shallots, chopped (or 1/2 small onion)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, 

½ tsp chilli flakes (to taste, add more if you like more zip)

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

400 ml can coconut milk

coriander leaves, to serve

Mix half the curry powder, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Coat the chicken in the mixture and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok, and add the onion, garlic and lemongrass.I don't chop up my lemongrass,  but cut it into a couple of large chunks & bash with a rolling pin to release the flavour. I cant abide tiny bits of lemongrass in my teeth!  Cook for a couple of minutes, without burning the garlic, then add the curry powder, chilli flakes and chicken and cook for five more minutes. 

Add the sweet potato, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, coconut milk and 1/3 of the coconut can of water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken and sweet potato are cooked through. Taste and add more fish sauce if required. I also added a big squeeze of lime, but that's up to you

Serve with steamed rice and a sprinkling of coriander. Or as it would be in Vietnam, with baguette .

This is really tasty, savoury, sweet and salty, and I like the use of curry powder, which apparently is what they use in Saigon. I have never been so I defer to Alice on this one.


Alice's Cookbook
Quadrille Publishing 2010
New Voices in Food series

Kedgeree for a holiday......

As usual I left my packing for our holiday to the last minute (despite a staggering amount of list making the week prior), so supper this Friday needed to be quick, tasty & use up the vacuum pack of hot smoked salmon I brought for my sister’s birthday party & didn’t use. The solution proved delicious, a version of Kedgeree that was as good to eat as it was easy to prepare. It is also a fantastic way to make not very much salmon go a long way....

Kedgeree was created by the English in India during the Raj. It is a mildly spiced mixture of rice, eggs & poached smoked fish, usually smoked haddock. Generally served as a breakfast dish, it would have been prepared & served by servants into a lovely silver chafing dish, sitting on a Victorian sideboard already groaning with food, just the ticket to sustain a thrusting young East India Company man before he trekked off to an exhausting couple of hours at the office.
I have a distinct lack of servants, sideboards or chafing dishes, so my not terribly authentic recipe ( I was making it up as I went along, never having actually eaten Kedgeree before!) was instead served up to my husband & sister for supper. Hot smoked salmon is my favourite smoked fish, and eliminates the poaching, making this a very quick supper, even if your kitchen staff are on their hols & you have to cook yourself.....

Kedgeree              Serves 3-4

1 onion
Splash oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper or chilli powder
Good grind of black pepper
200 grams basmati rice
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated ( I just bung a jug in the microwave)
3 eggs
4 chopped spring onions
1 cup frozen peas
250 gram hot smoked salmon (or used any smoked fish you like
Handful chopped coriander or parsley

In a large frying pan melt the butter and oil together over a medium-low heat. Peel & finely chop the onion, and add to the pan with the salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat with the onion oil spice mixture, then pour in your stock, stirring to combine. Cover with a lid (or foil if your frying pan has no lid) and leave to cook on low for 10 minutes

Meanwhile put your eggs into a saucepan of water & bring to the boil. Boil for 7 minutes then drain & pour over cold water. Peel the eggs and slice into quarters.

After your rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the chopped spring onions, peas and half the coriander, stir through the rice, which will still be quite wet, cover again & cook another 10-15 minutes. When the rice is tender but not mushy, add the eggs & smoked salmon, gently folding through the rice mixture with two forks. Cover with a teatowel, then a lid (or foil) & leave to sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander and serve

It is actually quite a light meal, but sustaining at the same time, with a lovely smoky gentle spice. Very elegant with a glass of bubbly for brunch, and a whole lot easier to prepare then eggs Benedict!

I am writing this from our hotel in Fiji. We arrived to gray skies and pouring rain, which thankfully have stopped, I have already finished one book, and am about to start number two. This is the view from the patio, I can hear palm trees swaying in the breeze and behind me, the insistant,  profoundly irritaing twang of a games machine .......



But the best bit of the trip so far? Besides the in room Playstation? Mr PK just discovered the Sky channel in our room is playing Chelsea v Liverpool at 5am tomorrow morning. We can watch football on holiday without even getting out of bed. Wish you were here??

Fridge raid supper........

Or how to make one small chicken breast feed two hungry people. There were TWO pieces of chicken originally, but a lightening raid by one small, extremely naughty cat resulted, after a blast of the water pistol (the "Tommy" gun) and a few cross words , in a slight change of plan. To the rescue came the most unlikely of ingredients, pumpkin.
I had a small piece sitting in the fridge , which roasted with the addition of chilli & salt, I figured would work well with the chicken in a tortilla. Some red pepper, a simple salsa of red onion, tomato & lime, and dinner is on the way.

Chilli pumpkin & chicken quesadilla (NOT enchilada)
1 chicken breast
1 Tbsp Tio Pablo Spice Mix or make your own (see below)
1 small piece of pumpkin or squash (creates about a 1-1/2 cups cubed)
Salt & pepper
2 x Splash olive oil
Pinch chilli flakes
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
Handful grated cheese
Fresh chilli (optional)
4 flour tortillas

Spice Mix
1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Don't stress if you don't have every spice, what I was going for was a mixture of hot but sweet spicy, hence the inclusion of cinnamon, and you can adjust the amount of chili to suit, if you are cooking for kids or the heat intolerant. And if you really cant be bothered just toss the chicken with some spalt, pepper, chilli flakes & a squeeze of lime, it will be delish......

Now, for dinner.........

Preheat your oven to 190C
On a baking tray mix your cubes of pumpkin with salt, pepper, a splash of oil & a sprinkle of chilli flakes, then bake for approx 20 mins until soft & slightly charred

Chop your chicken breast into chunks, and mix together with another small splash of olive oil, and your spice mix. At this point your can put the chicken in the fridge until you are ready to cook, or fry immediately.

Heat a non stick fry pan to medium, and add your chicken , frying for approx 8-10 minutes until almost cooked through. Add the peppers & spring onions, and fry again for another couple of minutes until the peppers are cooked and starting to brown on the edges. Add your pumpkin chunks to this mixture & set aside onto a plate. Wipe out your fry pan with kitchen towel, and place back on the heat.

Lay your tortilla directly onto the pan, then put half the chicken mix on top. Sprinkle with cheese, and chilli if you want more spice, then pop the other tortilla on top, pressing down firmly.

After about 4-5 mins, carefully slide a fish slice or similar wide tool under the tortilla, and using your hand for guidance, flip over. You will think it is going to fall apart, but the cheese acts as a sort of glue, holding everything together, so don't stress. Give it another couple of minutes on the other side, then slide onto a board, and chop into quarters.

Great served with sour cream and the following salsa

Fresh tomato salsa

Simply mix together the following, tasting until you are happy with the zip factor

4-6 tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes, but whatever you have
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ -1 red onion, skinned and finely chopped (I don’t like huge chunks of onion) If you don’t have red onions, use spring onions
Big squeeze of lime juice
Salt & pepper

Perfect for eating while watching a game of rugby don't you think? Especially if you can get someone else to make them, very easy!

Pumpkin naturally should work with Mexican flavours. Pumpkin seeds have been found in Mexico dating back to between 7000-5500 BC, they have been cooking it for quite some time. I love the sweetness when it is combined with chilli and salt. In fact I use pumpkin roasted this way as a base for soup, and tossed through salads for colour and substance.

To finish, a shot of Spring colour, I love the combination of yellow & aqua blue, so pretty. Hope you are having a great week.

If you liked this, why not try Light Speedy Nacho's? Or maybe a Burrito for dinner? Or my favorite, Oaxacan Pizza, perfect for eating outside.......

Oaxacan Pizza......and tractor films

Before I begin Mr PK would like it noted he is putting the washing out while I post on my blog. He will then clean the cat litter tray, and the trap in the shower. Your a marvel darling, noted.
Now onto much more exciting things , a Mexican pizza. From Oaxaca to be precise. That's pronounced Wha-ha-ka. you may well already know this, I didn't the first time I saw it...apparently in Oaxaca these are a night time street snack called Tlayudas, that's clae-yoo-das..........I think I'll stick with pizza.

These are truly fantastic, cheap, quick and delicious. I had two flat bread left over from Burritos the other night, and various bits & bobs in the fridge. With not too much effort they produced a great Saturday night dinner, with a bottle of this new NZ ginger beer

The inspiration for this came from one of my favourite cookbooks, Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers. Her version uses chicken, guacamole and rocket. Instead I have used grilled fennel, mushrooms, chopped avocado & grilled prawns. As you will see this is a very flexible dish, go with what you like, and more importantly, have on hand.......

Oaxacan Pizzas ( from Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasine Miers)

I bag/bunch of normal or baby spinach
Knob of butter/splash of oil
Salt & black pepper
2 flat bread (I use fresh ones from my local Mexican, but any flatbread would be fine)
1 fennel bulb, sliced
Handful of Mushrooms
4 spring onions
1 avocado, peeled, chopped into chunks & splashed with lemon/lime juice
Handful of grated cheese (Mozzarella would be lovely, but anything that melts would be fine)
6 kings prawns (or you could use leftover cooked chicken)
Handful of semi dried tomatoes (in summer I would use fresh chopped tomato)
Handful of chopped coriander & parsley

Wash the spinach & shake off in a colander. Heat a medium frypan and add a the butter or oil. Add your spinach, and let it wilt for a couple of minutes. Take out and put back into the colander to cool off, then grab a handful of squeeze out the liquid (spinach has a lot of water!) . Put into a bowl & season with salt & pepper.

Using a griddle pan or the same frying pan, heat up again over a medium heat, then brush the vegetables roughly with oil, and griddle or fry your fennel, spring onions & mushrooms until charred & tender.

Sprinkle your prawns with salt & pepper, or use this spice mix recipe, I like to have in a jar in the pantry. You could also use a shop brought spice mix of course. Chuck your prawns onto the griddle pan/frying pan and cook for a minute or two until charred and pink. Take out and pop onto a plate.

To assemble your pizza use a medium sized frying pan (you can use the same pan for everything in the recipe, just give it a wipe with paper towel before your cook your flatbread) and pop your flatbread into it.
A sprinkle of water helps the flat bread heat up. When it is browned on the bottom, flip over & sprinkle with half your cheese. After a minute or two the cheese will start to melt, top with half of your spinach, then lay half of your grilled vegetables on top. Sprinkle over the chopped avocado, 3 of your prawns, some semi-dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of herbs.

Allow to heat for a minute of two, then fold one half over onto the other and slide onto a plate. Slice and serve with a ginger beer, chilli beer, beer beer............whatever.

There are lots of variations to this, if you don't have spring onions, some red onion finely sliced and doused in lime juice would be ideal. If you wanted to make this vegetarian simply omit the prawns and use a salty feta sprinkled over just before you fold. Griddled fish or Chorizo would also be fantastic. For an extra kick some chopped chilli sprinkled on just before serving is great too.........

My nephew is making this for his cooking night this week, if he can make it anyone can.......:)

Tractor films? About six years ago Mr PK and I went to see a movie at the film festival, I cant recall the name, but it was a Finnish film about a paraplegic who is travelling to the firm who made the tractors involved in his accident. I wont say it was terrible, ............well actually yes I will say that, what a dog.
The lead character was thoroughly unlikeable, the subtitles were in white, which on a snowy background is near impossible to read, and it went on.............and on.
Obviously there were Finnish people in the audience, they laughed away like drains while we struggled to decipher the subtitles........to make matters even worse the Springboks were playing the All Blacks that night, needless to say Mr PK was not impressed. So whenever we see a dodge film, it's a tractor movie. Luckily we have avoided any at this years festival, instead we have so far enjoyed.........

Submarine
Very funny, 80's Wales never looked so bleak. Cringe in parts, but a clever script, and great casting. Noah Taylor rocking the Jewish carpenter look, yikes........tractor recommends 7.5/10

Taxi Driver
I had not seen this before, so it was a treat to see it on the big screen. Robert De Niro is hotter than ever, the soundtrack is pure 70's funk, and it wasn't nearly as violent as I imagined. Cybil Shepherd, now I get what all the fuss was about, she is luminous in this film. Gritty is such a cliche, I'll get back to you when I have something better.........tractor recommends 7/10

Mysterious of Lisbon
At nearly five hours this would be the longest movie I have ever seen, but I think it is worth the length. The story is captivating, it looks beautiful, and has the time to fill in all the gaps. Just a shame the Civic, while a beautiful theatre, is a bit of a trial for a 6 foot 3 inch husband.....for this it loses a point Tractor recommends 6/10

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
I love documentaries, especially low key ones like this, Jiro has been making sushi for 75 years (the best in Japan according to many), in his 10 seat restaurant in the Ginza subway station, and his passion is captivating. Also an interesting look at father son relationships in Japanese culture. Tractor recommendation 8/10

The Trip
I laughed my head off, witty, funny, the impressions for both leads are beyond clever, see this film! Just a shame I saw the 9.15pm show, again at the Civic, again a bit cramped. Tractor recommends 8.5/10

Still a few more to see this week, plus of course Happy Potter, am I the only person who has not seen it yet??? Any one else been along to the film fest, let me know if you can recommend any more films......?

It's schniztel Jim, but not as we know it......

Mr PK was a tad perplexed when I served this for the dinner, apparently schnitzel should be crumbed, serving it "naked" was all too unusual. Does he need to get out more? Actually this turned out to be rather delish, quickly fried beef , garlic and herby tomato sauce with gnocchi, a very quick dinner which proved to be extremely satisfying. It is also a useful standby supper as everything you need is likely to be in the pantry.

The original recipe is in the latest Cuisine magazine, I added bay, capers and chilli to the sauce, and instead of bread, served it with gnocchi, surely one of the best store cupboard carbs around.

Beef in tomato sauce

2 large pieces beef schnitzel, cut in half and sprinkled with salt & pepper
Splash of olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of white wine (or red if that is what you have)
400 ml tin of cherry tomatoes (I use Delmaine, but Mutti are also excellent)
1 tsp of dried oregano
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp capers (I use salted capers, rinsed in water, but use brined if that is what you have)
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Pack of gnocchi
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat your oil over a medium heat in a frying pan big enough to hold your meat in one layer. When hot add the garlic, then your meat, and fry on each side for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine, and let it bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes more.

Add the tin of tomatoes, oregano, chilli, bay leaf and the capers, stir to combine, and cook uncovered for 7-10 minutes, until your sauce has thickened slightly. Add a splash of balsamic and check the seasoning.
While the sauce is cooking, heat a saucepan of water with a good tsp or two of salt. When boiling, add your gnocchi As soon as it floats to the surface, take out with a slotted spoon and add to you tomato sauce, stir to coat and serve with a good grating of Parmesan cheese. You could have a salad with this if you like, although we found it great as is.

I am especially pleased with this supper as it was cooked under some duress. Under my feet was one of our new arrivals. Let me introduce you to Tommy and Tuppence......

These two are best buddies, we met them at the SPCA a week ago and decided we could give them a happy home. Tuppence, the pretty grey miss, has had a bit of a rough start, and was found with her legs duck taped together lying dumped on a busy road. She is much shyer than Hurricane Thomas, but is proving to be a lovely wee girl, and a fantastic jumper. She greeted me from work today sitting in the window sill.
Tommy is curious (aka naughty!) beyond belief (don't let that innocent appearance fool you), and I basically spend my day removing him from cupboards, wardrobes, the fridge........his mission in life appears to be getting to the back of the dishwasher. He is also full of character, and quite delightful with Tuppence. Although when he jumped up on the Chair of Power the other day and plopped himself down on her head I did wonder.........

It is so nice to have a cat around the house again, although kittens are quite a change from sedate Pru. She would be horrified at the running around and general shenanigans.......

I hope you have had a great week, we enjoyed the royal wedding, well I did, Mr PK went to the pub to watch the Breakers. I feel a wee bit sorry for them, what a great achievement, just a shame it was the swallowed up by a rather big wedding! How fab was that dress?
The pressure must be immense, but they did look so very in love. I hope they are as happy as Mr PK and I , 12 years married next week, and we still quite like each other:) Even when I don't crumb the schnitzel.

Creamy beans with beef.....

What a busy week, month end, year end, sense of humour end, it's had it all. A quick healthy dinner was in order, something nourishing but maybe a little different? This hit the spot nicely, creamy beans, corn and carrots topped with tangy balsamic marinated beef, yum. The beans would also be great with fish or chicken, and are substantial enough not to require carbs .
This came by way of Jamie's America which I am enjoying on TV at the moment. I brought the book after seeing an episode the first time around, and it is one of my favorites. American food gets such a bad rap, sometimes rightly so. But they also gave us Mac n Cheese, Banana Splits and the Cheeseburger, for that alone I am prepared to cut some slack. This recipe featured on the Georgia episode, and originally contained Venison & Lima beans. Jamie substitutes Broad Beans, but I came across some frozen Edamame beans at the supermarket and used those instead, saves peeling, and they are not only tasty but very good for you.........and they look pretty.

Creamy beans with beef

Serves 2-3

1 large Sirloin steak
Clove crushed garlic
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
good grind of black pepper and salt

2 rashers of bacon (optional)
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 small onion finely chopped
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed and finely chopped
2 cups frozen edamame beans (or use broad beans)
1 cup frozen sweetcorn
1 cup chicken or veg stock
More salt & fresh ground black pepper
big splash of cream

First marinate your steak by mixing together the garlic, oil and vinegar & pouring over the meat. Let rest at room temperature while you prepare your vegetables.

Fry off the bacon rashers if using in a medium non stick pan until crispy. Take out of the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Pour most of the fat out of the pan, but leave about a tbsp to fry off your onions, celery, carrot & chopped rosemary. Cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables have softened, then add the beans, corn and stock to the pan, with a good grind of pepper.

At this point I would cook my steak.  I sprinkle my meat with salt, and on a preheated griddle pan, cook over a medium high heat for about 3 minutes a side until med-rare, then pop it in a warm place to rest while you finish your veg
Simmer your bean mix with the lid on for about five minutes, then take the lid off, pour in your cream, stir and let it bubble for a couple of minutes until it thickens. Add more liquid if there is not enough sauce to your taste, stock or extra cream. Taste and add salt if necessary.

To serve portion onto warm plates, slice the meat on an angle and put a few slices on top & sprinkle with your bacon. You may notice a lack of bacon in the picture, this is because I actually forgot about it, so maybe leave it somewhere visible....?

On an entirely different note, I have just finished a great book, written by a new New Zealand author called Tony Price. "Kicking Out" is Tony's first novel and it is a cracker.
If you like thrillers, give this book a go. It has a supernatural element, which isn't normally what I would go for, but the treatment is subtle and never feels unrealistic. I met Tony last year, and he not only can he write a good story, but he is a really  nice guy also. Tony has published this book himself, and if you click on the link it will take you to all the available stockists.

I have the utmost respect for anyone who has the perseverance to write 90,000 words, I have written much less, and it is hard! You write a page, read it the next day, wonder why anyone would want to read such drivel, write it again, read it the next day, and on it goes until you have a finished book or have lost your mind. I am still writing, so I clearly have not reached a decision on that one......