The famous Laura Thai Marinade

My thai marinade has become infamous with those who frequent our dinner table and also when we are invited to barbeques. I get asked for the recipe all the time, so finally folks, here is the secret to my Thai success!

This amount makes enough marinade to coat 6 chicken skewers, or 2 pieces of meat.

Combine the following in a bowl or measuring cup:

• 1 stalk lemon grass, end roughly chopped
• 2-3 Tbs olive or peanut oil (I use olive)
• 1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded if desired
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 Tbs fish sauce
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Mix well, so the sugar dissolves. Pour over your favourite meat - I have done this with chicken, turkey and fish and all have turned out superbly. I think it would taste good on pork, but unsure about red meats.

The marinading can be done an hour before cooking the meat. I usually give it 4 hours.

The meat can then be grilled, barbequed or baked.

Thai marinade in action!

On Tuesday night I had 3 of my gorgeous girlfriends over for dinner and we were having so much fun and laughing without the need for alcohol!

Our dinner was detox friendly, pregnancy friendly and dairy free. 

Not only did we have Thai marinade chicken, but we also had sweet potato slices shallow fried in coconut oil, garlicky goodness snowpeas and a simple & delicious salad provided by Kate & Erin - toasted almonds, broccolini, avocado, tomato and lettuce mix in a balsamic dressing.

Spicy garlicky cripsy goodness snow peas & salmon

Ok, I think the title gives you the idea on what this is all about.

Recipe inspired from myrecipes.com, snow peas fresh from my in-laws garden :)

Tonights meal - hoisin glazed salmon, with steamed vegies and spicy garlic snow peas!

Hoisin salmon: 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons of tamari (or soy sauce) and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Marinading only needed to be done 10 minutes prior to cooking. I cooked mine in a fry pan with a bit of coconut oil, but it can also be baked.

The snow peas were the star of this dish and I had to share how to make AMAZING snow peas in 5 minutes!

Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add snow peas and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves and your choice of spices (I used Shichimi pepper mix); sauté for 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon sugar; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil. Spicy, garlicky, sweet, crispy goodness.

And the steam vegies on the side, look to my steam vegies blog for more on those!

Coconut & Nut-crusted Barramundi with lime & chilli oil, served with Roast Vegetables

Whats on tonights menu?

I make sure I have fresh fish at least once to twice a week, so to help inspire everyone, I will be blogging different fish recipes for you all to learn to cook! This recipe is originally from my other blog - detoxober, a detox survival story. Although I'm not detoxing at the moment, this meal is still delish and fantastic for Winter!


The vegies.

I’ve roasted some sweet potato, beetroot, zucchini, garlic and onion.

How to roast: toss the sliced raw vegies in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for a total of 45 minutes in an oven at 180C, with a 2^nd seasoning and added fresh rosemary after 25 minutes. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top before serving.

The barramundi.

The crust: Sounds more fancy than it actually is. We have a jar full of mixed raw nuts (almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts). I grabbed 3 handfuls of nuts, with 2 handfuls of dessicated coconut, then whizzed up in a coffee grinder until fine.

The cooking: Rub some olive oil into the slices of barramundi, then coat in the nut mix.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked.

(I put the fish in the oven after 25 minutes of vegie cooking, so its done at the same time)

The dressing.

Olive oil... lime juice... chilli powder... pepper. Too easy. Very tasty.  These flavours are very much to taste and should be experimented in your own kitchen rather than following a recipe. You only need enough to drizzle on the fish, so don't overdo it. 

The result.

Ta da! a chef is born!

The verdict.

The fish was to die for. The use of the coconut in the crust added a greater dimension to the flavours. Normally I have a blob of butter with my roast vegies, so using the olive oil was a bit different, but gave the same enjoyment. I think this will be a regular new favourite.

Want another fish recipe? heres a link to my blog for pesto-crumbed salmon!

Steamed Vegetables

Whats on tonights menu? Steamed Vegetables!

I’m sure I just heard a resounding  sigh and “errr, I don’t think so” from my readers.  Yes, steamed vegies! They don’t need to be as bland as the reputation they have!

Whats so good about steamed vegies?

• Avoids heating oil increasing oxidation, toxicity and DNA damage.
• Steaming avoids fat and cholesterol intake
• Increased digestion and absorption of protein in steamed fish vs. fried 
• Steaming more alkaline less acidic
• Overcooking or burning food is easily avoided when steaming it.
• Steaming also results in a more nutritious food than boiling because fewer nutrients are leeched away into the water, which is usually discarded.
• When comparing steamed vegies to boiled ones, steamed vegetables retain more vitamin C and folate, so making them more nutritious!
• Versus microwaved vegies, steamed vegetables retained their antioxidant properties better.

How to steam vegies:

Never steamed vegies before? Heres how to do it.

• Use a bamboo steamer – fill a saucepan with water and put a bamboo steamer on top (these are fairly cheap and can be bought at the supermarket and reused)
• Some woks come with a steamer plate (like I have!) – fill the bottom of the wok with water, then put the steamer plate on top.
• Some rice cookers have a steamer accessory – your steamer manual will have instructions on how much water to use.
• The pan method: put about 1cm of water into a pan. Once the water is boiling, add the vegies to the pan. Because there is only a small amount of water, the steam will do the cooking.

  

      You can also steam in the microwave, however this is how to traditionally steam.

Carrot, capsicum, kale, zucchini and onion ready to be steamed!

1. Wash your vegetables and chop them up. The thicker the vegies, the longer it takes to cook.
2. Allow the water to boil, then put the vegies on top on the steamer, which allows the steam to cook the vegies without getting wet.
3. The cooking time changes depending on how thick the vegies are cut. I have found that once the colours start to look more vibrant, it means they are ready. You still want some crunch in them.
4. Some people like to rinse their cooked vegies under cold water to stop the cooking process. I haven't tried this yet, so am not sure how much of a difference this makes.

What can you steam?

Heaps of vegies are steamable! Carrots, capsicum, broccoli, spinach, kale, onions, corn, zucchini, bok choy, asparagus, cauliflower, peas, snowpeas, green beans, artichokes, brussel sprouts...

Take note! Different vegetables will take different amounts of time to be ready. A thinner leafy vegetale, such as spinach, will only need a small amount of time, wehere as a more hardy food like a carrot would take longer.

How to add some extra taste to your steam veg..

To keep the nutrition of these foods, avoid putting a heavy sauce on them, like butter, white sauces or cheese sauces.

Some ideas for you...

• Olive oil
• Tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
• Sesame Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Cumin
• Fresh ginger grated – put your vegetables on top of grated ginger to allow the flavour to seep through!
• Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, thyme)
• Crushed garlic
• Lemon juice
• Chilli
• Balsamic vinegar
• Coconut oil

I love to make a mix of tamari, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and pepper. I then toss the vegies in this mix and serve. Yum!

Whats on Tonights Menu? Tomato and Lentil Soup!

Its almost winter, which is officially soup season! Making soups are a great way to get nutrients in a delicious form and are so easy to make. Tonight I experimented to make a tomato and lentil soup, based on a recipe I found online and then I changed it to spice it up a little.

Message me if you want the original recipe, but heres what I made...

Serves: 6 large serves, 8 normal serves

Ingredients

• 2 brown onions, chopped roughly
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 10 roma tomatoes, chopped roughly
• 2 cans of lentils (800g), drained and washed thoroughly (you could also use non-canned as well!)
• 1 teaspoon dried hot chilli powder
• 1/3 bunch of fresh basil
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 stalks of celery 
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed but not chopped

Preparation method

1. Heat the butter in a large heavy based saucepan. Cook the onion and celery until onion starts to go translucent and celery is slightly aromatic.
2. Add the tomatoes, lentils, garlic, chilli, basil and cumin, stock and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Stir, then bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and get a whiff of the awesome concoction you are making. Enjoying food can start with the aroma!



Simmer, simmer... sniff! sniff!

3. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then purée the soup with a hand-held blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For a special touch, garnish each bowl with a dollop of natural yoghurt or cream, plus some finely chopped spring onions. Serve with a crusty seeded wholegrain roll if you want some bread with it as well, as pictured.

This has been quoted by my husband to be “Best. tomato. Soup. Ever.” My brother who rates his palate for good food on par with Matt Preston said that the soup was "well balanced, a good flavour hit without being overpowering and leaves you feeling full but not bloated". Not bad for very little effort! I often make a large batch when making soups, then keep it for lunches during the week, or freeze it to use later. Bulk cooking saves time and money, so is a great option for those who are busy!

The real hero of this soup is the cumin, a spice native to India and the Eastern Mediterranean.  It is an aromatic warming spice commonly added to curries, stews and soups.

Medicinally speaking, cumin is used and highly valued is Ayurvedic (Traditional Indian) medicine. It is a known carminative, which means it helps soothe intestinal spasm, relieve bloating & flatulence and improve peristalsis (your intestinal digestion movement). It has also been shown to improve liver detoxification, help pancreatic enzyme stimulation, be a potent antioxidant and help fight colds. Keep in mind, this would be at a much higher dose than a couple of teaspoons in soup, but with regular eating, may help digestion long term.

Another kitchen experiment success! 

Whats on tonights menu? Quinoa Tabouli!

Ok, so its not really tabouli. Tabouli is traditionally made with bulgur, parsley and tomatoes chopped up. This is a bunch of other things chopped up, but its pretty and green and still just as nice to have as a side.

With winter approaching, its important to keep up our leafy greens. They are still out there growing, but because we associate making salads as a summer affair, we tend to skip our raw crunchy fresh veg and replace it with roasted goodies. Don’t get me wrong, roasted vegetables still are a fantastic source of nutrients, however some nutrients can be lost in cooking, so its important to keep up the raw stuff as well!

This salad is chock full of leafy greens, which are a powerhouse of nutritional goodness and are one of the most concentrated sources of nutrients in foods. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium) and vitamins (including vitamin C, E, K and many of the B vitamins). They also contain a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin which are important for protecting cells from eye damage and age-related problems.  The darker the green, the richer the nutrients. Kale (also known as Tuscan cabbage) is a favourite among naturopaths and healthy food followers as it very dark green and therefore very nutritious (and delicious!).  To learn more about kale, goto my friend Natalies brilliant blog, where she shows you how to cook kale in 5 ways... http://nataliethenaturopath.tumblr.com/post/21426066710/kale-five-ways-part-i-kale-smoothie

Now its salad making time!

How to make...

1. Cook up ¾ cup of raw quinoa (pronounced keen-WAH) in a rice cooker (the ratio of water to quinoa is 2:1) or saucepan. It should take about 20 minutes to cook. Drain (if cooked in a saucepan) and allow it to cool.
2. Toast a handful of pine nuts in a frypan on a low heat. Once they start to be aromatic and turn golden, take off the heat, they can burn quite quickly. Set aside to cool. *This is an optional extra, but adds new dimensions when added to foods!
3. Using a knife or food chopper (not sure if thats the official name of it, but it chops food, so therefore I name it this!), chop up finely your greens. This can be whatever greens you want. Tonight I used a mix of spinach, rocket, kale and basil. I used a few handfuls of spinach, 1 handful of rocket, a handful of basil and 10ish kale leaves (stalks removed).You could also add parsley, mint (if you’re after a freshness, but I wouldn’t add much), beetroot greens, coriander, mustard greens, carrot tops, celery leaves, bok choy...  Once finely chopped, put into your salad bowl.
4. Chop up any extra ingredients you want. This not only gives you colour, but provides the extra flavours which will complement your greens. Tonight I added pine nuts (see above), sundried tomatoes, red onion and capsicum. Stuck for other vegies to add? I’ve also used tomatoes, carrot and celery. Use your palate to decide what you want. Add the chopped extras to the bowl with the greens.
5. Just before serving, combine all ingredients, add cracked pepper, olive oil and a dash of sesame oil (if you have it), then toss.

Serves 4.

This can served as a side (as pictured above), or by itself. Tonight I served it will salmon cooked in coconut oil and topped with salt, pepper and shichimi (Japanese pepper mix).

Don’t be afraid of your kitchen, it can smell your fear. Instead, face it head on armed with a bunch of ingredients and show it what you can do!

 –Laura x

Whats on tonight's menu? Ridiculously Easy Pasta!

I grew up on supermarket pasta sauces. Ads make them look delish, showing a saucepan filled with tomato, garlic, onion and other herbs which have been gently simmering together.  Apparently this saucepan of goodness is the sauce you buy in the jar.  I don’t know what half of the ingredients are on the back of those sauce jars, but I know its not like an Italian mamma used to make!

People buy stuff in a jar because its convenient and easy. I offer you a pasta sauce which is ridiculously easy, 100% real food ingredients and healthy for you too!

All you need...

• Roma tomatoes (2-3 big ones, or 5-6 small ones)
• 1 Red onion
• Fresh basil leaves,torn up (a small handful should do)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

*****

1. Chop up your onion and gently fry.
2. When onions are translucent, add the tomatoes (which are diced up to your desired level of chunkiness), plus some salt & pepper to taste. Allow it to simmer gently (just like the ads!)
3.  Add the basil a few minutes before the pasta is cooked.
4. Once the pasta is drained, put the pasta back in the saucepan, add the sauce plus a few drizzles of olive oil. Toss, then serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese.

Yep, thats it.  And you can improvise with this too – pine nuts, garlic, carrot, fresh mince, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, chilli, beans, rosemary, oregano, parsley – all these can be added to the sauce.  My sauce tonight has added sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and garlic.

Simmering up a storm!

 To keep the healthiness going in this dish, avoid using white pasta. There is little nutritional value in white pasta and it has a high glycemic index (which means it will give you a high energy boost quickly, followed by a quick energy drop). Wholemeal pasta, buckwheat pasta or spelt pasta has a lower glycemic index (lower energy release) and contains fibre. Did I mention that they taste good as well?

Bon appétit!  

-Laura x

Creamy sauces on a non-refrigerated shelf... anyone else think this is just plain wrong??

Whats on tonights menu? Rainbow Salad!

Whats on tonights menu?

It’s getting colder outside, so its good to have a nice hearty meal! Winter doesn’t mean you should give salads a rest either! You can make lighter salads for summer and use more root vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, beetroot) in winter. This is one of my favourite winter salads, which I named rainbow salad because its o so pretty to look at! It is a tasty side dish for most meats. I usually have it with fish or chicken.

How to make...

1. Lightly fry up 1 sweet potato, which has been chopped into 1cm cubes. Add salt and pepper to taste.When the colour starts to change (it will go a deeper orange when cooked) and it starts to go a bit brown, add in 1 chopped red onion and 4 chopped broccolini stalks (broccoli also works well). Cook until onion is transluscent and broccolini is a brighter green. Take off the heat and allow it to cool.
2. Grate up 1 medium sized raw beetroot. Add to the bowl.
3. Chop up 4 cups of leafy greens. I use 2 cups of baby spinach, 1 cup of kale and 1 cup of rocket. Use whatever combination you want, but avoid iceberg lettuce! Add to the bowl.
4. Finely chop up 100-150g of sundried tomatoes. These add a fantastic flavour to the mix.  Add to the bowl.
5. Once cooled, add your sweet potato mix to the bowl, then add some cracked pepper and drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Toss just prior to serving (otherwise the beetroot tends to overtake the colour!)

Serves 4.

Another success which shows that experimentation in the kitchen can take your taste buds on an amazing journey. –Laura x

Whats on tonights menu? Pesto crumbed salmon!

Whats on tonights menu?

Tonight its roast vegies (beetroot, zucchini, capsicum and onion) with pesto-crusted salmon. I make my own pesto and breadcrumbs, so heres the recipe for one of my favourite dinners:

Pesto:

In a food processor, blend up:

2 cups washed, fresh baby spinach leaves and rocket mix

2 garlic cloves

¼ cup pine nuts

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbsp parmesan cheese (use fresh stuff, not powdered!)

Small handful of fresh basil leaves

Pepper to taste

I make my own breadcrumbs in a coffee grinder. After looking up the ingredients on the back of pre-made crumb mixes,  you will be motivated to make your own crumbs too!

Smear the pesto on your salmon, then sprinkle with crumbs. Cook for 25 minutes in a 180 degree oven.

Too easy and tastes great!