Edamame and Avocado Puree

So easy, versatile and cheap. Eat it as a dip, serve it with scallops and prosciutto, top it with tea smoked salmon (pictured) or pair it with a pan fried chicken breast.

1 packet of edamame
1 avocado
1 lime
1 clove garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Light olive oil (or similar)
Salt and pepper
Water

Shell the edamame. Shell the avocado and roughly dice. Blitz the edamame and garlic with the juice of half a lime, about a tablespoon of extra virgin, 1 tablespoon light olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the avocado and 1 tablespoon of water then blitz. Add more water as necessary until the mixture becomes a smooth puree or to your liking. Check for seasoning, adding more lime juice or salt and pepper as required.

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Phad Thai - Alex

There are a million versions of this, this is just here for my reference... What I can thoroughly recommend from this recipe however is covering the rice stick noodles in cold tap water to soak instead of hot water. When you drain them they maintain their integrity so much better and do not break apart after being added to the wok and cooked.


3 bulbs lemon grass bashed then finely sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger
2 stalks spring onion
1 handful mint leaves
1 bunch coriander
1 tsp shrimp paste
1/2 a mild chilli sliced, seeds removed
1 chilli sliced
1 tbs tamarind pulp
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
2 limes
Sesame oil
Extra light olive oil
1 kg chicken thigh
Salt
2 eggs
1 onion in wedges
1 pack bean sprouts
1 pack rice stick noodle
1 handful peanuts chopped
Fried dried onions (optional)

Cover the rice stick noodles in cold tap water for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl cover the tamarind pulp in warm water (about 1 cup) to steep.
Season the chicken with a little salt and dress in the olive oil and a little sesame oil.
Using a pestle and mortar make a paste from the lemon grass, chilli, ginger, garlic, one sliced spring onion, shrimp paste, half of the mint and the stalks from the coriander.
Pass the tamarind water through a sieve into another bowl and push as much of the paste through the sieve as you can into the water. Discard the pulp. Add the sugar, 1 tbs fish stock and the juice of one lime to the tamarind water and whisk to combine. Check for seasoning and add more sugar or lime or fish sauce as necessary. Set aside.
Drain the noodles.
Heat 1 tbs olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a wok over a medium high heat and cook the chicken batches getting some nice colour in the process then set it aside. Crack the eggs into the wok and scramble, remove to a clean plate. If necessary add some more oil then stir fry the onions until tender and with a little colour, remove and set aside. Take the wok off of the heat and slice the chicken thinly. Return the wok to the heat, cook the ginger/garlic paste for a couple minutes, throw in the chicken pieces and coat in the cooked paste mixture, add the onion doing the same, followed by the bean sprouts and noodle. Deglaze the wok with the tamarind sauce and toss the noodle and chicken through. Add the onion, egg and some chopped coriander and combine.
Spoon into bowls and top with peanuts, more chopped coriander, chilli, some sliced mint leaves, sliced spring onion, fried onions if using, a drizzle of sesame oil and squeeze of lime.

Harissa Paste

This is ace. This is one of those recipes that will evolve over time but I am very happy with it. 7 Pot Duglah's are a very fruity chilli which is great however, next time I think I might try and use a variety of chillis for more depth in the chilli taste. Bung this on chicken marylands, roast lamb, roast veg, go nuts. Easy and delicious.


5 - 7 Pot Duglah’s (or Carolina Reapers)

2 large capsicum

1 punnet cherry tomatoes quartered

1 red onion in wedges

6 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

Half a bunch or coriander stalks

Oil

Salt and pepper
1tbs chilli flakes

1 tbs cumin seeds

1 tbs coriander seeds

1/2 tbs fennel seeds

1/2 tbs caraway seeds

1/2 tbs dried mint

1/2 tbs paprika

4tbs red wine vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Coat the veg and chilli in oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme, chilli flakes,

mix about and roast at 170C. When the capsicum has good colour remove to a bowl and cover with cling film to steam, then peel. Take out the chilli when they have colour and the tomato and onions when ready too - set aside.

Dry roast the herbs until just fragrant then grind to a powder in a pestle or mortar.

Combine in a blender with 4 tbs red wine vinegar, 1/2 a tbs paprika, 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil and some more salt and pepper. Check for seasoning, add more oil if necessary - it should make a thick paste. Store in the fridge in clean jars with a layer of oil on top.

Hot Sauce

Too easy, goes on everything. I'll put a photo up one day...

3 - 7 Pot Duglah’s (or Carolina Reapers)

1 onion in dice

4 cloves garlic sliced

1 punnet cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 tbs sugar

Salt

Sauté onion garlic and chilli in oil with a little salt, when starting to stick, add in the tomatoes. When the onion, tomato mixture starts to take some colour, add in the sugar, some salt and the vinegar. Mix about and test for seasoning, adding more salt, sugar or vinegar as necessary. Blitz until smooth and bottle.