samskitchen | Sam's Kitchen | Page 2

Author Archives: samskitchen
- Pork and Vegetable Parcels
  
  Posted at 3:55 pm by samskitchen, on November 20, 2016
  Sorry folk, I’ve been awol. Big things are happening in da house and all over the place. My kitchen is almost ready, another 2 weeks and we will be back in our home, and I will have wi-fi!
  I promise to post a photo or two of our new kitchen once we are back in da house.
  
  But regardless of being very busy, I have finally started my cooking workshops! My first workshop here in Australia went so well; it was truly inspiring and was so lovely meeting all the beautiful and enthusiastic ladies. I will have to do a post on that one too and share a few photographs of course.
  
  In the meantime, while we await for the renovation to complete and to have full-time wi-fi back, I will try to share a recipe or two, or even three if I’m lucky enough to find a spare minute to go visiting places with wi-fi.
  
  These little parcels are a cute version of spring rolls, a real keeper for upcoming Christmas festivities.
  I loved the delicate flakiness of the filo pastry, and the fact that putting the parcels together seemed a little less fiddly than rolling the spring rolls, and that there was no need for deep frying.
  The filling in the parcels is very simple, consisting mainly of minced pork, cabbage and carrot. But isn’t the absence of complication a key to all things fabulous?! I believe it is.
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 tbsp peanut oil
  1 shallot onion, finely diced
  2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  1 tbsp minced ginger
  2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
  500g pork mince
  500g savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
  1 large carrot, grated
  1-2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  1 tbsp plum sauce or sweet chilli sauce
  1 tbsp oyster sauce
  1 tsp sesame seed oil
  1/2 tsp white pepper
  
  16 Filo sheets
  4-5 tbsp light olive oil for brushing
  
  Thai sweet chilli sauce to serve
  
  Method
  1. Heat oil in a frying pan or a wok. Add shallot, spring onion, minced ginger and garlic, saute over a medium heat until fragrant. Add minced pork and cook frying over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add cabbage and grated carrot, cook over medium-low heat occasionally stirring until cabbage is soft 10-15 minutes. Add coriander, plum and fish sauce, sesame seed oil and white pepper. Cook stirring for another 5 minutes. Set aside and let to cool completely.
  2. Preheat oven to 175C fan forced and prepare a lined tray.
  3. Lay a filo sheet on a bench top and brush it with olive oil, then lay a second filo sheet on top and brush it with olive oil. Continue until there are four filo sheets. Lightly brush the top sheet with oil.
  4. Cut the layered filo sheets into squares; there will be 6 squares ( see notes ).
  5. Place a tablespoon of the cabbage mixture into the centre of each square, then bring all sides together and pinch them closed. Lightly brush all sides with olive oil.
  6. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and mixture.
  7. Arrange filo parcels on a prepared baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
    Remove from oven and serve once cool enough to eat. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.
  Notes
  
  Few hours prior cooking, defrost frozen filo in a refrigerator. To avoid overdrying while working, use a damp kitchen towel to cover the filo sheets.
  
  To cut the stacked filo sheets; cut into two parallel strips lengthwise, then cut each of the strips into three equal size squares.
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  Posted in Breads&Pastries, Starters & Antipasto | 1 Comment | Tagged baked springrolls, cabbage, filo parcels, food, party food, pork, spring rolls, springrolls, starter, vegetables
- Turmeric Spiced Banana and Pumpkin Muffins
  
  Posted at 11:12 am by samskitchen, on October 31, 2016
  These sunny looking spiced pumpkin and banana muffins with the piquant scents of turmeric and cardamom made a cute addition to our breakfast and lunchbox menus.
  
  They are loved by all members of our fam bam including our furbaby Marley. Who, sometimes falls into the trap of his food thieving tendencies and steals muffins right from under my nose!
  
  I loved the fact that turmeric worked well along with the other spices. I’m fond of turmeric for its incredible healing and anti-inflammatory properties and am excited to introduce it into my kids’ diet by adding it in small quantities into sweet and savory meals.
  
  The crunch from the seeds and walnuts added a great contrast to the soft texture of the muffins.
  I used some wholemeal flour in the batter, for its earthy flavour and the additional wholesomeness and nutrients it brought into this already incredible combination.
  
  I had a bit of help when making the muffins. My little pumpkin who was channelling a pussy cat for the Halloween, lend me his helping hand to clean up the bowls and taste the muffins. His big sister did the face-art for him, and what a good arty-job she did with a pinky nose, little whiskers and all! I was relieved she didn’t paint his face black, or we might have ended up all over the news!
  
  Preparation time 30 minutes
  Cooking time 25 minutes
  
  Ingredients
  
  350g grated butternut pumpkin
  1 ripe large banana mashed (175g peeled)
  1/2 cup filtered water
  100g butter
  3 eggs lightly whisked
  1 cup self-raising flour
  1 cup self-raising wholemeal flour
  1 cup caster sugar
  1 tsp bicarb soda
  2 tsp cinnamon
  1 tsp ground ginger
  1/2 tsp turmeric
  1/2 tsp cardamom
  1/2 tsp ground cloves
  1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  1/2 cup mixture of pepitas ( pumpkin seeds ) and coarsely chopped walnuts
  
  Method
  1. Preheat oven to 175-180C
    Prepare a 12 hole muffin pan and line it with muffin wraps.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, leaving the walnuts and pepitas out.
  3. Stir grated butternut, mashed banana and water in a large pot and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter until it melts and blends in with the butternut and banana. Stir in the lightly whisked eggs and the dry ingredients. Do not overstir, keep the batter lite and airy.
  5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin wraps, 2-3 soup size spoons each so the are just a little more than half full.
  6. Sprinkle with the walnut and seed mixture and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
  Notes
  
  Use spatula in a circular motion to fold the flour into the batter. The batter should be light and airy for the muffins to rise.
  To check if they are cooked through, insert a skewer and it should come out clean.
  
  Leave the nuts out if planning for lunchboxes, in case your child’s school has a no-nut policy.
  
  Store the muffins in an airtight container. Freeze or refrigerate. Heat in a microwave to warm up prior serving.
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  Posted in Breakfast, Sweets | 6 Comments | Tagged baking, easy muffin recipe, muffins, pumpkin and banana muffins, recipe, wholemeal muffins
- Fragrant Pumpkin Pilaf
  
  Posted at 5:45 pm by samskitchen, on October 23, 2016
  The glorious Pilaf! So satisfying with its nourishing wholesomeness and its taste bud pleasing savour. The dance of fragrant spices, colours and textures are still playing out on my palates’ memory weeks after the pilaf has been all but eaten. I remember the burst of semi-sour pomegranate kernels, the softness of pumpkin, sweetness of fried sultanas, the taste of caramelised onions and butter. Stunning scents of cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. Rice – beautiful, fragrant and filling basmati; how could anyone possibly call basmati an empty grain?! I loved this pilaf for so many reasons. It reminded me of my childhood, of weddings and family reunions, birthdays and visits to friends. It reminded me of my home and my origin.
  
  I cooked my first pilaf when I was 12. I don’t recall how good it was or if it was any good at all, but I remember my darling Papas’ reaction, he was so proud of me.
  
  The inspiration for the recipe I’m sharing today comes from my Mamas’ love of pumpkin and rice. She would often boil the rice and add some steamed or fried up pumpkin pieces to it. The dish wasn’t one of my favourites back then but as I’ve ascended into adulthood it has grown on me.
  
  Prior baking, I have coated the pumpkin in honey and oil and sprinkled it with sesame seeds for their nutty flavour and the dressy look they added to the pumpkin.
  
  Chestnuts are traditionally added to many pilaf recipes. I hear stories of attempts to peel the chestnuts, mostly they are very funny since chestnuts generally have a tendency to explode when cooked incorrectly. Yes, they have to be cooked before they are peeled.
  I made a small cross-shaped incision on each chestnut, then boiled the chestnuts for 20-25 minutes and peeled them once they have cooled down.
  
  I used an absorption method to cook the rice since I find it a little less fiddly to boiling and then straining the rice. I also believe cooking it this way preserves the fragrance of the rice.
  It is said that frying the rice prior to adding the water to it helps prevent it from becoming gluggy and clumpy. As well as doing that, I used another traditional trick and wrapped a tea towel around the lid I used for covering my rice pot, to let it soak any excess steam.
  
  Pomegranates are optional but they will add a more exotic look, surprising texture and a zing to this beautiful celebratory dish.
  
  I hope this pilaf will bring as much jubilation to your dinner table as it did to mine!
  
  Serves 6
  Cooking and preparation time 1 hour 30 minutes
  Cuisine – Azerbaijan
  
  Ingredients
  
  500g kent pumpkin, peeled and cubed
  500g kent pumpkin, cut into 6 crescents
  1 tbsp olive oil
  1 tbsp honey
  1 tbsp sesame seeds ( optional )
  
  3 cups basmati rice
  1 tbsp butter
  1 cinnamon stick
  3-4 cardamon pods
  10-12 saffron threads
  Water ( see method and notes )
  Pinch of salt
  
  1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  3 tbsp butter
  2 medium size onions, thinly sliced
  1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  1/3 cup sultanas
  150g cooked and peeled chestnuts ( see notes )
  1/2 pomegranate kernels
  
  Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare and line a baking tray.
  2. In a bowl toss pumpkin, both cubed and crescents, with 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Evenly spread pumpkin cubes and crescents over a lined baking tray, sprinkle with 1 tbsp sesame seeds and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
  3. Rinse basmati rice under running cold water until water runs clear. Melt butter in the pot for the rice. Add rice, cardamom pods, cinnamon and saffron threads. Fry stirring until some of the rice granules become translucent. Add water, the required amount as says per package instruction for the absorption method (see notes at the end).
    Once rice is cooked, wrap the lid with a clean tea towel, cover the pot and set aside. Tea towel will absorb the steam and help prevent rice from becoming clumpy.
  4. In a large pan dry fry the cumin seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute on a medium-hot flame. Add butter and sliced onions. Cook the onions stirring occasionally until caramelised, 7-10 minutes. Add sultanas, chestnuts and turmeric powder and cook stirring over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat.
  5. Move the cubed pumpkin into the pan with the caramelised onions, gently fold the rice in with the pumpkin, onions, chestnuts and sultanas.
  6. Cover the pan with a lid and return to a very gentle heat, just to keep warm. In the meantime, return pumpkin wedges into an oven to warm.
  7. Mix pomegranate kernels with the pilaf and move the pilaf into a large serving dish. Arrange the warmed up pumpkin wedges over the top and serve.
  Notes
  
  To cook chestnuts – make a small cross-shaped incision on the flat side of the each chestnut. Cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Cook simmering for 20-25 minutes then let cool in the water they were cooked in, do not strain. Once they are cool enough to handle remove one chestnut at a time and peel with the help of a small knife.
  When cooking rice, I suggest adding a little less water than it calls for on the packaging for the absorption method ( 2-3 tbsp less ). Doing this will balance out the added extra moisture that will come from the vegetables and dried fruit.
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  Posted in Mains, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged easy cooking, pilaf, pilau, pilav, pumpkin pilaf, recipe, traditional pilaf, vegetarian pilaf
- Thai Green Curry and Pumpkin Pie
  
  Posted at 5:06 pm by samskitchen, on October 1, 2016
  I’m starting my October pumpkin bonanza with this beautifully tasting pumpkin pie. Filled with creamy, sweet and sour thai chicken green curry with pumpkin, leek and peas, this pie tasted divine. It became a real hit with my family and even more so, with a bunch of lovely sisters I had a pleasure to host in my kitchen a few weeks back.
  
  The sweetness of pumpkin in combination with the zing from the lime juice and scented flavours of the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves were simply mouth-watering.
  I used my homemade thai green curry paste and along with it added an extra lemongrass stalk, kaffir lime leaves and more lime and lemon juice to bring in an extra zing into the curry.
  
  Once there is a curry paste available on hand, it is a fairly quick dish to throw together.
  I used diced chicken thigh fillets for the curry, but any other preferred part of the chicken or none at all should also be fine.
  
  I used my kid-friendly homemade green curry paste for this pie, by calling it kid-friendly I mean that there is very little heat in it. You can find the recipe for my green curry paste here. But in the case you wish to not make the curry paste yourself, it is just as fine to use a shop bought variety. In this case, you may need to use less of the paste to the amount it calls in the recipe since shop bought varieties can be very hot.
  
  As a compliment to the pie and its zingy flavours, I served it with fragrant jasmine rice.
  To make the rice I added a bruised lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves to it and cooked it using an absorption method.
  
  This pie is best to be eaten on the day.
  
  Serves 4
  Preparation 30 minutes
  Cooking 1 hour
  
  Ingredients
  
  500g diced chicken pieces
  6 tbsp green curry paste ( see note at the end )
  1 tbsp coconut oil ( peanut or
  1 large leek, thinly sliced
  400g pumpkin cubed
  2 cups coconut milk
  2 kaffir lime leaves
  1 lemon grass stalk
  1 cup frozen peas
  1-2 tbsp fish sauce
  1 lemon or lime juice or to taste ( both id desired )
  200-300g pumpkin thinly sliced
  1 tbsp oil or spray oil ( for coating pumpkin slices )
  
  Method
  1. Preheat oven to 175C Fan Forced
    Prepare an oven proof dish ( ceramic 1L to 1.5L capacity; 4-6 cups )
  2. Mix chicken pieces and green curry paste in a bowl, cover and leave to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add marinated chicken pieces and cook stirring for a few minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add sliced leek and fry stirring till leek has softened, then add pumpkin, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass stalk and coconut milk, stir and cook for 15 minutes over a medium-low heat.
  5. Add frozen peas and cook stirring occasionally for a further 15 minutes or till thickened.
  6. Add lime or lemon juice and fish sauce, stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat and set aside.
  8. Coat pumpkin slices in oil.
  9. Move curry into the prepared ceramic dish and arrange pumpkin sliced on top.
  10. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or till lightly browned and pumpkin is cooked.
  Enjoy with fragrant steamed jasmine rice.
  
  Notes
  
  In this recipe I used my homemade Thai Green Curry Paste, but you may wish to use the shop bought variety. In this case, you may need to use less of the paste to the amount it calls in the recipe since shop bought varieties can be very hot.
  
  I highly recommend adding fresh lemongrass and fresh kaffir lime leaves to the curry. They will add more authenticity to the flavours of the curry.
  
  To make fragrant rice, simply add 1 kaffir lime and 1 bruised lemongrass to the rice when cooking it. To bruise lemongrass stalk lightly pound with a meat tenderizer or any heavy and solid object.
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  Posted in Mains | 2 Comments | Tagged Chicken, chicken curry, cooking, curry, dinner, easy recipe, lunch, pumpkin curry, pumpkin pie, recipe, thai green curry
- Thai Green Curry Paste (Easy Recipe)
  
  Posted at 5:35 pm by samskitchen, on September 27, 2016
  I’m very fond of Thai food. It possesses an amazing bouquet of fragrant flavours; from sweet to zesty-sour and spicy-hot, all bundled up together in a piquant bunch.
  I have had Thai food in Baku ( the city where I was born and grew up ) but it was in Thailand where I got the taste of real authentic Thai food and instantly fell in love.
  
  It was in the beginning of the year 2004 when I first landed in Bangkok, a few days stopover on the way back from Perth to Baku. I was a young maiden, a very innocent one, travelling with my then much older, seasoned traveller boyfriend (whom I married a few years later). I remember stepping out of a hotel lobby onto the street and the feeling reminiscent of a cold beer bottle just pulled out the fridge on the hottest summer day swamped my body; the feeling of tiny droplets of sweat rapidly forming all over my skin! The mixture of aromas from frangipani, steaming jasmine rice, lemongrass combined with the stench from gutters and decaying fish had sent my smell senses into confused overdrive.
  Lively streets, bars crowded with drunken tourists and young looking girls draping their tiny arms around strange men covered from head to toe in tattoos. Feminine ladyboys with porcelain skin and lush lips strutting outside bars in small groups. Hungry locals buying bags of roasted grasshoppers and sun-dried frogs from a motorcycle cart pulled over by the side of the road. Another memory is of a bunch of young women standing in a line for what seemed like a bus stop, and a question “are they waiting for a bus?” leaving my lips, a cheeky smirk on my boyfriends face and his response: “ something like that sweetheart; they are waiting for a lift “… I was a slow thinker back then…, not sure if the speed of my thought is any more rapid these days, but I certainly am a lot less innocent.
  
  Next four days were spent wandering the streets, visiting temples, markets and my favourite of all – eating! The food was amazing everywhere we ate. Deliciously juicy, cold fruit sold on the sides of streets were my saviours from the heat. I enjoyed slices of green mango dusted with spicy sweet and sour powder and barbequed pork skewers brushed with flavoursome tangy sauce. I even got to try the roasted grasshoppers sprayed with hot sauce – they were crunchy.
  
  I remember tasting the authentic green curry for the first time at dinner on our first night there. The light green coconutty sauce, thinly sliced chicken breast, tiny Thai aubergines, mushrooms, green peppercorns, kaffir lime, ginger and lemongrass – the magical ingredients birthed the unforgettable flavours as they hit my taste buds.
  
  After my trip to Bangkok, I was obsessed with cooking Thai food and getting it to taste the authentic way. I cooked curries using curry pastes from the jars bought in local Asian grocery stores. They didn’t taste near as good as the curries in Thailand. It was only after a few years and few more trips to Thailand, and extensive experimenting in the kitchen I realised I had to make my own pastes using fresh ingredients. That was when I began making my own curry pastes and my homemade curries started to have that real authentic taste I was looking for.
  
  The hardest part in making homemade curry pastes, it is obtaining all of the required ingredients. Growing some of the ingredients, if possible, is the greatest of options and I’m fortunate enough to be able to do just that.
  The benefits in making homemade curries don’t end only with the achievement of the flavours; the lack of preservatives, artificial flavours and emulsifiers in homemade goodies turn them into real health-boosting treasures. Another favourable side of making your own curry pastes is the control you get over the amount of heat that goes into the paste by adding as many or as fewer chillies as you like.
  
  Preparation time 15 minutes
  
  Ingredients
  
  7cm fresh ginger, peeled roughly chopped
  2-3 cm galangal ( see note )
  3 lemon grass stalks, white part only, chopped
  4 shallot onions, peeled, roughly chopped
  2 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
  1-6 green chillies, roughly chopped
  6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  3 lime juice ( 1 lime zest )
  1 bunch coriander ( stems and roots included )
  2-3 tbsp fish sauce
  2 tbsp coconut sugar ( raw or brown sugar )
  2 tsp ground coriander seeds
  1 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
  1/2 tsp ground white pepper
  1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  1 tsp sea salt
  1/2 tsp sesame seed oil ( optional )
  
  Method
  1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until curry paste forms.
  2. Move into jars and refrigerate or freeze for a later use.
  Note
  
  Galangal is a root, in appearance it resembles ginger but with a much tougher texture and it has a strong fruity-earthy flavour. Even though ginger doesn’t have the piquant flavours of galangal it is often used as a substitute when galangal isn’t available. Since galangal has a tough texture it can add a hard, crumb-like consistency to the curry paste, in this case, the use of a good grinder is recommended for the best result.
  Taste your curry paste as you make it, add more lime (lemon) juice, fish sauce, spices, salt or sugar if desired.
  I like adding little bit of lemon juice to my paste. I think it adds more to the flavour and is a bit sweeter than lime.
  Curry pastes will last for up to 1-2 months when refrigerated and longer when frozen.
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  Posted in Mains, Pickles & Preserves | 9 Comments | Tagged curry paste, easy recipe, green curry, homemade curry paste, recipe, thai food, thai green curry paste
- Thai Steak and Noodle Salad
  
  Posted at 12:48 pm by samskitchen, on September 24, 2016
  I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Thai Steak Salad. It is impossible to forget the mouth-watering flavours once you have tried it!
  Over the years, I have had some wonderful opportunities to try this salad in different parts of Thailand. The ingredients slightly varied but the flavours always stayed equally as amazing regardless of the region.
  
  My most favourite version of the beef salad I had was in Bang Saray, a small fishing village south of Pattaya. It was a shabby little cafe by the side of the road across from the beach, with only two staff. One of them, a ladyboy, stayed stuck in my mind for a while after I left Bang Saray. He often wore a bright red lipstick to match the colour of the varnish on his pointy fingernails and a daring tiny mini skirt. He was very friendly and had a big smile with colourful braces covering his teeth. He looked out of place there, almost like a Gulliver in Lilliputia.
  I ordered my salad religiously every lunch time for the 10 days I spent there. By the end of my trip, staff at the cafe already knew what I was going to order for lunch and just served me my salad. It was so good!
  
  This recipe is my take on that same salad from the shabby cafe on the side of the road.
  I love the crunch the peanuts and fresh vegetables add to the texture of this salad. The spicy dressing is incredibly flavoursome and virtually explodes on the taste buds.
  I added avocado to my salad simply because I have about 10 ripe avocados in the fridge waiting to be consumed!
  The combination of mint and coriander leaves is my favourite and I use them a lot, particularly in the Asian-inspired salads, hence growing them in my veggie patch.
  
  Serves 2 ( large portions )
  
  Preparation and cooking time 30 min
  Marinading time up to 2 hours
  
  Ingredients
  
  Steak marinade
  
  1 stake ( 300G )
  1 tbsp fish sauce
  1 tbsp soy sauce
  1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed or grated
  1/2 tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
  1 tsp sesame seed oil
  
  Thai chilli sauce
  
  1-5 bird eye chillies ( thai chillies )
  2-3 cm fresh ginger, peeled
  1 garlic clove, peeled
  1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves , stems and roots included, all roughly chopped
  2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn into small pieces
  2 tbsp lemon juice
  1 tbsp lime juice
  2 tbsp fish sauce
  2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  1 tsp sesame seed oil
  1-2 tbsp coconut sugar
  
  The salad
  
  100g egg noodles + splash sesame seed oil
  1 cup shredded red cabbage
  1 cup shredded savoy cabbage
  1 celery stick, julienned
  1 carrot, peeled and julienned or grated
  1 small punnet cherry or medley tomatoes, halved
  1 cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced
  1 shallot onion or 1/2 spanish onion, thinly sliced
  1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  1 cup ( loosely packed ) fresh mint leaves
  1 cup ( loosely packed ) fresh coriander ( cilantro ) leaves
  1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
  
  Method
  1. In a bowl mix the marinade ingredients together and rub them on both sides of the steak. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
  2. Combine all ingredients for the chilli sauce in a blender or a food processor and pulse a few times. Taste, add more sugar, fish sauce, lemon or lime juice if desired.
    (To control how hot your sauce will be, add 1-2 chillies at the beginning and increase the amount if desired.)
  3. Cook noodles as instructed on the packaging. Rinse under running cold water and toss them with a splash of sesame seed oil.
  4. Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl, saving the noodles, avocado, peanuts and fresh herbs for later.
  5. Bring steak to room temperature.
    Preheat grill to hot and cook the steak as desired – well done, medium or rare.
    I prefer medium, on my grill it takes me 3 min on each side for my steak to cook.
    Allow the steak to rest for a few minutes before thinly slicing it across the grain.
  6. Mix steak slices with the salad, add noodles, slices of avocado, herbs and half of the peanuts and toss well.
  7. Serve salad in shallow rimmed bowls, sprinkled with peanuts and drizzled with plenty of sauce.
  Notes
  
  The steak I used for the salad was porterhouse. I marinated it in garlic, ginger, soy and fish sauce marinade for at least two hours and brought it to room temperature prior to grilling.
  The doneness of the steak is personal preference – rare, medium or well done.
  Two centimetres thick piece of steak should be cooked for 2-3 minutes on each side for rare, 4 minutes on each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes on each side for well-done.
  It is best to allow the steak to rest fro a few minutes before slicing it.
  Like many Thai cuisine dishes, this salad is best to be enjoyed fresh.
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  Posted in Mains, Salads & Sides | 3 Comments | Tagged asian cuisine, bird eye chill sauce, easy recipe, healthy, hot chilli sauce, recipe, steak salad, summer recipe, thai beef salad, thai chili sauce, thai salad
- Hummus Bi Tahina
  
  Posted at 12:40 pm by samskitchen, on September 22, 2016
  Hummus Bi Tahina, or simply Hummus, is one of the most known Middle Eastern dips throughout the world. It is largely made with chickpeas, olive oil, sesame seed paste and lemon juice. It has a lovely smooth texture and a tangy-zesty flavour.
  Since no one knows the true origin of this delectable dip (but, according to historical information, hummus most likely originated in ancient Egypt) some countries, such as Israel, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and others in the Middle East and Mediterranean have been claiming to be the home of its origin. I have even heard about scuffles breaking out in Jerusalem over who makes the best hummus! Apparently, it has been a very hot topic for debates among the local men there for a long time. I decided to undertake my own little research regarding the subject and have a good read about this centuries old hummus. I went as far as reading comments from the men on the internet-sphere, to find out what country in fact is responsible for making the best hummus. So far I have found no clear answer to that, but few of the comments gave me a good chuckle!
  
  Another interesting fact about hummus is that the main ingredient in it, the chickpea, acts as an aphrodisiac.
  I can see it becoming a real game changer for the newly coupled – asking someone over for a cup of coffee will become a thing of the past, and youngsters, (or the slightly older ) will be inviting each other over for a dip, ahem, the sexy hummus!
  
  Words from Angela on the health benefits of the ingredients –
  
  “Besides being an aphrodisiac hummus is very nutritious and nourishing too. The different ingredients all provide their own unique health benefits.
  
  Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are dense with vitamins and minerals, such as iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, manganese and are rich in protein and fibre. Oils in the tahini and olive oil provide us with good quality fats which are highly nourishing for cardiovascular, skin and hormonal health. Lignans from sesame seeds (tahini) also help to lower cholesterol and have anti-cancer properties. Garlic has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and the spices, seeds and dry herbs often added in or sprinkled on top carry health boosting effects too.”
  
  Recipes for hummus slightly vary from country to country, but the main ingredients – chickpeas, tahini paste and olive oil remain the same. Chilli, roasted peppers and yoghurt are often added to hummus.
  
  The recipe I’m sharing here has been inspired by the Hummus Bi Tahina I had in Dubai many years back. It was the best hummus I have ever tried; silky and incredibly smooth with delicious zesty flavour.
  I have been making my version of this hummus for few years and have been asked for the recipe numerous times.
  I avoid adding water to my hummus at all costs, in fact, I think adding water is a crime!
  Good quality extra virgin olive oil, organic hulled tahini paste and a lot of lemon juice are the key ingredients in this hummus.
  For the best result, I suggest adding ingredients, such as garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini gradually. Start with the full amount of the chickpeas, add half the amount of the rest of the ingredients and continue adding them in gradually until your hummus tastes to your liking.
  
  There are a few ways to serving hummus – it can be served as a dip or as a spread. It goes well with any grilled meat and I love it served with middle eastern pulled lamb, tabbouleh salad and labneh all wrapped in a flatbread.
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 1/2 cup home cooked or 1 canned chickpeas ( see note at the end )
  4 tbsp tahini ( sesame seed paste )
  1/4 tsp lemon zest ( optional )
  1 1/2 large lemon juice
  3-5 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
  1 small garlic clove, peeled and sliced
  1/2-1 tsp cumin powder
  1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
  
  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  Dukkah ( optional )
  
  Method
  1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse well under running hot water.
  2. Place the chickpeas, half of the tahini paste, half of sliced garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt and cumin into a food processor.
  3. Processes until smooth, taste, keep adding tahini paste, lemon juice and olive until reaches desired taste.
  4. Move hummus into a shallow rimmed wide bowl.
  5. Make a swirl with the back of a tablespoon, drizzle with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with dukkah.
  Serve with vegetable sticks or flatbread of your choice.
  
  Notes
  
  Prior to cooking chickpeas, pick over your peas to remove any discoloured ones out. Rince and soak in water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and place in fresh water. Add 1 tsp of sea salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender.
  For the smoother hummus, it is recommended to shell the chickpeas once they are cooked and cooled. I think the shelling of the peas is for the adventurous foodie folk and those with extra minutes on their hand.
  If hummus appears to be too thick add extra olive oil and lemon juice.
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  Posted in Salads & Sides, Starters & Antipasto | 6 Comments | Tagged cooking, dip, dukkah, easy recipe, healthy dip, hummus, hummus bi tahina, party food, recipe, tahini dip
- Naan Bread
  
  Posted at 9:45 pm by samskitchen, on September 16, 2016
  I believe nothing beats the aroma of a fresh homemade bread. Making these naans together with my little assistant was a Deja Vu experience of sorts. The scents of flour, toasting dough and melting butter filled my little, temporary house. They took me straight into my childhood to the time when I was a tiny Sam, sitting next to my nanna watching her perform her rolling pin on dough magic.
  I think most of my dough “expertise” and passion for cooking are coming from those days of the early childhood when many of my school-free hours were spent watching and helping nan in the kitchen.
  These days, it is me who has taken on the role of a culinary mentor. It fills me with so much joy having my kids join me in the kitchen, there is so much fun in cooking all together. Although, things do not always go smoothly with my munchkins bickering over silly things and creating a mountain of mess for me to clean up later. But it’s a homely mess – it smells of fresh vegetable peels, olive oil, flour, spices and sticky little fingers.
  
  I had to fiddle for a bit with the settings on the cooktop here to get the temperatures right for my naans. It’s an induction cooktop and I haven’t cooked on one before we moved into this house. Settings between 6-8 seemed to work the best depending on the pan; for stainless steel it was 6-7 and for cast iron it was 7-8 and perhaps the settings could differ depending on the brand of the induction cooktop too.
  I’m not a fan of the induction cooktop. Maybe it is because I’m so set in my old ways ( I’m turning 35 next month and have just discovered a few silvery hairs sprung out of nowhere on my temples and feel I can now confidently use the word old in reference to myself ) or maybe I haven’t cooked on it long enough to start loving it. But regardless of the little setbacks with the cooktop, the naans turned out great. I have to thank my little assistant for his mighty rolling pin skills, I struggled to keep up with him!
  
  I suggest rolling your dough out right before toasting it. Doing that will ensure the naan to have a beautiful bubbly surface. If the bubbles are too big it’s ok to prick them with a pin or with a tip of a small knife.
  Once the naan is removed from a hot pan, brush the top with softened butter. I bring butter to room temperature and use a butter knife to butter my naans, then stack the cooked naans one on top of another.
  
  Serves 6
  
  Preparation time 15 min ( additional 2 hours in total for the dough to raise )
  Cooking time 45 min
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 cup filtered water
  1 sachet yeast
  1/2 tsp sugar
  3 tbsp unbleached flour
  
  2 1/2-3 cups plain unbleached flour
  1 tsp salt
  1/2 cup plain or greek yogurt
  2 tbsp olive oil
  
  Butter for brushing ( at room temperature )
  
  Method
  
  In a bowl mix water, yeast, sugar, and 3 tbsp of flour. Cover and leave in a warm place for up to 1 hour or till raises and bubbles appear on the surface.
  
  In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups of flour with 1tsp of salt.
  Add yoghurt, olive oil, and the yeast mixture, and knead into a soft dough.
  If the dough is too tacky add some more flour.
  Place the dough into a lightly greased with olive oil container, cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or till doubled in size.
  Divide the dough into 10-12 equal size balls.
  Cover them with a damp tea towel, to prevent from drying.
  Heat a nonstick frying pan over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
  Roll out dough balls one at a time into 1.5 cm thick round or oval shaped patty and toast them on both sides in a preheated pan till browned ( about 2-3 minutes each side ).
  Brush with softened butter while they are still hot stacking one on top of the other as you cook them.
  Serve while still warm with your favourite dips, curries and soups.
  
  Notes
  
  Traditionally in South Asia, atta flour ( a very finely milled whole wheat flour ) is being used in making most of the flatbreads, such as naan, chapati, puri and roti. However, in this recipe, I have used plain unbleached bakers flour and it worked just fine. I have bought a bag of atta flour today to make more naan later, I will add about the difference in a taste and quantities in a little while.
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  Posted in Breads&Pastries | 11 Comments | Tagged bread, chorek, easy recipe, flatbread, lavash, naan, recipe
- Spiced Broccoli and Silverbeet Soup with Fried Paneer
  
  Posted at 11:00 am by samskitchen, on September 15, 2016
  This soup is inspired by Palak Paneer. Palak Paneer is a popular dish in Indian cuisine and it has been one of our old time family favourites. It is made with spinach (a lot of it) paneer cheese, buttermilk or cream and spices.
  The soup has a combination of mild flavours of spices, lemon juice, cream, paneer cheese, pine nuts – for a little crunch, and a little sprinkle of chilli. All of these ingredients make this soup a lovely warming fuel for the body.
  
  It has been a very busy and hectic few weeks here. As I have mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, we have moved house and currently are in the midst of a major, and I mean MAJOR, renovation. It is very exciting! Of course, I’m particularly excited about the future new kitchen with two ovens, an island bench and no more orange walls! But all of the packing, moving and settling into a temporary house ( all done with two little kids and a very silly labradoodle puppy in tow ) has been taking it’s toll, as it does. As a result, I have been feeling a bit tired and sluggish and that means it’s time to recharge. Of course, the best way to recharge is rest, but I’m not seeing it happening just yet, so I’m using the ole good food to put myself back on track.
  It is incredible just how much the food we eat affect our bodies, our wellbeing, and even our mental health.
  My wonderful friend Angela, an Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine practitioner, Naturopath and Acupuncturist (yes I’m very lucky to have a bestie with such amazing knowledge, along with many other beautiful qualities) has been helping me over the years to understand the effects of food on body and how I can help myself overcome certain ailments by altering how I eat.
  Ange has helped me on so many occasions I’ve lost count. She is the most caring, genuine and beautiful person in every way and has supported me throughout some very tough times. She has shared her wisdom in the most caring and uncomplicated way, listened patiently and with much compassion and understanding. Having Ange as a friend ( more like a sister ) is a true gift I’m so grateful for.
  And, in saying all of the above, Ange and I have decided to join our powers and create something wonderful and helpful for the foodie folk who are interested ( I’m certain many of us are ) in finding out more about the food we eat and it’s powerful effects both on our body and mind.
  
  I will be posting my recipes as per usual and Ange will be adding in her words of wisdom on the health benefits of certain ingredients and their combinations on some of the recipes from time to time.
  Today, I’m fortunate to have Ange by my side and have her insight on the health benefits of some of the combination of ingredients in this soup.
  
  I would like to say huge thanks to Ange for her input into this blog post. Being a very busy mum to two little munchkins, working in and running her own clinic, doing regular talks and workshops around Perth, she managed to make the time to share her thoughts here with us all.
  
  Angelas words of wisdom
  
  The beautiful blend of ingredients in this soup make it a great recipe to enjoy in spring!
  The beginning of spring is a time when the air is still crisp and cool but the coldness of winter is finally dwindling away with the promise of the warmth of the new season.
  Spring is the time when we can still be carrying some of that excess mucus from colds and flu’s in the winter months and perhaps experiencing some of those irritating hayfever symptoms.
  Therefore food at this time still needs a little bit of warmth that can be achieved by cooking foods using slightly warming spices, and ingredients that are a little pungent such as onions, garlic and ginger. The warm and pungent qualities help to dry up and break through the mucus whilst also keeping our bodies just warm enough for this last spell of cooler weather.
  Adding spices such as cumin, coriander and turmeric not only tantalise our taste buds but also aid in digestion and nutrient absorption.
  At the same time we should also be starting to add in some lighter spring vegetables and leafy greens that help to cleanse the body and support the liver in the spring season. The broccoli and silverbeet in this soup are perfect examples of this.
  Paneer provides a highly nutritious good source of protein – a great choice for vegetarians. It is rich in calcium and Vitamin D, which supports bone health, as well as being high in vitamin B12.
  Protein also helps to balance blood sugar levels, and keeps us feeling fuller for longer, making it less likely to be reaching for extra snacks after!
  The great thing about paneer is that it takes on whatever herbs, spices and flavours it is cooked with making it a very versatile ingredient.
  
  Note
  
  Those of you who are more prone to mucus conditions and hayfever are best to skip the buttermilk or cream and go the coconut milk option instead. It would also be best to replace the paneer cheese with firm tofu until any congestion clears
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 large brown onion, diced
  2 garlic cloves, crushed
  2 tbsp olive oil
  1 tsp garam masala
  1 tsp ground coriander
  1 tsp ground cumin
  1 tsp ground ginger
  1/2-1 tsp ground turmeric
  500g broccoli, roughly chopped including the stem
  300g cauliflower, roughly chopped
  1 bunch silverbeet, hard stems removed, roughly chopped
  6-8 cups vegetable stock
  1 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves ( Kasoori Methi )
  1/2 lemon juice
  1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  
  200g paneer cheese, sliced into 1 inch long and 1/2 inch thick slices
  1 tbsp olive oil
  1 tsp chilli flakes ( optional )
  1 cup buttermilk or pouring cream ( see note at the end )
  2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
  1 tsp coriander or cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
  Lemon wedges and handful mint or coriander leaves to serve
  
  Method
  
  Heat oil in a large saucepan or a pot.
  Add onion and garlic and cook till fragrant and golden, then add spices and cook for a further minute or two.
  Add broccoli, cauliflower, silverbeet and fry stirring till silverbeet has wilted.
  Add stock, fenugreek leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  Cook for 40 minutes on medium-low heat or until vegetables are tender.
  Blend in a blender or using a hand blender till smooth, add more stock if the is too thick.
  Add lemon juice and olive oil, then stir well.
  
  In a bowl toss paneer, 1 tbsp oil and chilli flakes coating the slices of paneer well.
  Heat a nonstick frying pan over a high heat and fry paneer slices till golden brown on both sides.
  
  Serve soup drizzled with buttermilk or cream, lemon juice and sprinkled with lightly toasted ground seeds, nuts, coriander or mint leaves and topped with fried paneer cheese. Add more chilli flakes if desired.
  
  Notes
  
  Add more vegetables to the soup if desired, such as carrot or potato . Carrots will add a hint of sweetness and further thicken the soup.
  Use cream instead of buttermilk for a sweeter taste. Replace buttermilk with plain or greek yoghurt if buttermilk is not available. For a dairy free version use coconut cream or milk.
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  Posted in Recipes | 10 Comments
- How to Make Kimchi (Easy Recipe)
  
  Posted at 9:12 am by samskitchen, on August 23, 2016
  I have lived on the land of kimchi, walked the soil of its origin and tasted many different varieties of it.
  My memories of South Korea are of the warmest; possibly they were the happiest times.
  For a long time after my departure, I dreamed of going back there. For the uncanny reasons, it felt like I didn’t spend enough time there and something paramount was left behind.
  I missed my friends, people, and that incredible, deep sense of cultural pride South Koreans carry.
  The food was great! We had a little family tradition; nearly every Sunday we would walk to a local beachside restaurant (wish I could remember the name) for our usual meal. The habitual menu was contained of barbecued smoked duck and pork sausages with an array of side dishes. There were other dishes on their menu as well, those we would normally try only once. They all tasted great, though, were very spicy. It was a funny pursuit trying to explain our sense of “not too spicy” to the local waiters. I was never sure, was it the language barrier? Or the fact their understanding of “not too spicy” was very mismatched to ours.
  
  I had tried kimchi long before I went to live in South Korea, but it was in South Korea where I learned to appreciate it.
  There are many varieties of kimchi. Vegetables such as radishes, cucumbers, scallions and many other are pickles in kimchi sauce, the Napa cabbage kimchi being one of the renown.
  
  This is a very simple napa cabbage kimchi recipe. I think I might’ve broken a rule or two when making it. I didn’t add any pickled fish or shrimp that many recipes call for. But despite omitting the above, the fish sauce still gave it plenty of fishy flavours and the taste was very authentic.
  
  Kimchi possesses many healing properties. The naturally occurring lactobacillus act as a gut healing force. And my favourite; the vitamins and antioxidants and healthy bacteria in kimchi encourage the production of collagen which aids in improving skin elasticity, delaying skin aging.
  
  So, let’s eat kimchi, stay healthy and youthful!
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 (approximately 2kg) napa cabbage (also known as wombok or Chinese cabbage)
  1/2 cup coarse sea salt (I used unionized cooking sea salt)
  
  For the hot chilli paste
  
  1 tbsp glutinous rice flour
  1/2 cup water
  2 tsp raw or brown sugar (optional)
  4-6 garlic cloves minced
  1 tbsp minced ginger
  1/2 cup chilli flakes (Korean red pepper flakes- Gochugaru, if available)
  1/3 cup fish sauce
  
  Vegetables
  
  1 daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  1/2 tbsp sea salt
  1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  3 scallions ( spring onions ) sliced
  
  Large crock pot or a large jar thoroughly washed with hot water.
  
  Method
  1. Rince cabbage and cut in half lengthwise.
    Lifting each leaf rub salt between the cabbage leaves.
    Place salted halves into a sink or a large bowl and leave till the leaves of the cabbage start to wilt, about 2-3 hours.
    Rince well ensuring no salt or dirt left between the leaves and leave cut sides facing down to drain any excess water for 30 minutes. Once the cabbage has drained, cut it into 2-3 cm squares.
  2. Mix 1 tbsp rice flour and 1/2 cup water in small pan. Cook stirring over a low heat till thickens (it takes only few minutes and it may not get to the simmering stage before it is thick). Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
  3. Mix the daikon radish sticks with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and leave to sit for 30 minutes, then squeeze well (reserve the left juices for later).
  4. To prepare the chilli paste, place ginger, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, chilli flakes and the rice paste into a food processor and process till paste forms.
  5. In a large bowl mix cabbage, vegetables, and the chilli paste.
  6. Tightly pack kimchi into the prepared jar or a crock pot. Add the reserved radish juice to the bowl where kimchi was mixed and give it a good swishing around to remove all the leftover paste, pour over kimchi.
  7. Weigh kimchi down, so it is covered in juices. Place jars into shallow bowls to catch any spillage. Once kimchi will start to ferment, fluid can bubble over.
    Leave jars on the kitchen counter bench or in a pantry.
    In a warmer climate, it will take two days for the kimchi to be ready, in a colder climate it may take up to 5 days, but it’s fine to eat this kimchi straight away.
    I had my kimchi sitting on a kitchen counter for a day where temperatures were 20-22C, and then I moved into a shed where temperatures were a bit lower 12-15C. It tasted ready on day 4-5, then I moved it into the fridge.
  Notes
  
  Check on your kimchi regularly while it is fermenting. Having kimchi submerged under its juices will prevent from mold developing on top of exposed vegetables.
  If your fermenting kimchi has developed mold, has a foul smell and is slimy, it indicates that the harmful bacteria made it’s way in and the best is to throw it away and start over.
  Personally, I have never encountered the issue when fermenting cabbage. High sugar content may be the reason for slime to develop.
  
  Once kimchi is in the fridge, it still continues to ferment but at a much slower rate.
  You may wish to leave it out to ferment longer; longer fermentation has a positive effect on the growth of healthy bacteria. I find kimchi tends to get fairly sour when left out longer than seven days.
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  Posted in Pickles & Preserves, Salads & Sides | 8 Comments | Tagged fermented kimchi, keemchee, kimchee, kimchi, korean, lacto fermenting, recipe
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