Summer Salads

Bought a new cookbook the other day, just to inspire me away from the same old dishes that I had recently fallen into the habit of preparing.

It's "fresh + fast" by Michele Cranston, A Marie Clair cookbook, and it certainly lives up to its name, you can check it out here http://www.murdochbooks.com.au/mcfreshfast.htm .

I got my copy from Big W for just over $20 and I know that it is going to supply some new family favourite recipes.

I made the Ham Salad with peach and pecans but instead of whole pecans I ground some and sprinkled them over the top.

I peeled the peaches and put them in the balsamic and olive oil dressing about an hour before the Darling got home, so the peaches are a little coloured by the balsamic, but the flavour was wow!, I also pulled the mozzarella cheese apart ahead of time, so at the last minute was able to layer the rocket, mozzarella, peaches and ham and then sprinkle the pecan meal over the top. A fast but tasty and satisfying meal for the end of a busy day.

The Apple & Crasin Salad is my own creation and the potato salad is inspired by Stephanie Alexander, using olive oil and herbs instead of a mayonnaise dressing.

APPLE CRASIN SALAD:- so fast and easy, just finely slice half a crisp apple, I used Granny smith but any other apple would be fine. Half a celery stick, finely sliced and about a Tablespoon of crasins, for a dressing I mixed a dash of apple cider vinegar into a Tablespoon of plain yoghurt, Tossed the apple,celery and crasins through the yoghurt and done.

The POTATO SALAD was peeled and steamed Kipfler potatoes, chunked and while still hot,coated with a dressing of olive oil, Thyme, Oregano and Parsley all whizzed together in the mini-processor, put into a serving bowl, covered and left to come to room temperature.

For some reason every new line is a double line so have had to type the recipes as above, otherwise this post would be so long you would fall asleep getting to the bottom.

Wednesday night we had Minted Lamb Kebabs from the butchers and a lovely Watermelon and feta Salad from 'fresh + fast',

It was so easy, just the watermelon, feta, olives, mint leaves and celery with dressing.

Roast Pork Fillet with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Too busy enjoying my early birthday pressie to shop, so another quick grab from the freezer, thawed a pork fillet while the Darling was teaching me the odd thing or two (or ten) about download, uploads or even side loads, boy am I confused.........
Yep you guessed, clever you, I got a new computer, my old one had 40 thingies and this one has 360 thingies, so it is expected that there will be no more screaming conniptions about lack of storage space or operating space, or whatever.
Now I know you will find this hard to believe, but somehow or other between retrieving the recipe and then activating the net, I have actually lost the recipe for this dish, so this is what I did, not an actual recipe.

Mustard Crumb Coating
1 45grm egg, whisked with
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Process together in mini food processor
1 1/2 slices white bread,
1 large sprig curly parsley
1 small clove garlic
salt & Pepper

Trim the pork fillet from all sinew and fat, cut into 2 serving portions, coat each portion with egg-mustard mix, then coat with the crumb mix.
Place in oiled baking dish and bake for 30 mins.

Creamy Mustard Sauce
1 tiny onion, finely chopped,
1 teaspoon oil
1 Dessertspoon Sherry Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream

Soften onion in oil over medium heat, add Sherry Vinegar and simmer until reduced a little, add Mustard and Sour cream, stir over heat until combined. Serve over Pork Fillet.

I served the pork with roasted Vegies at the Darlings request, but as a little extra for Moi, (like I need any extra) I did a cauliflower crisp dish which is just little cauli flowerettes, a teaspoon of each oil and butter, 1 tablespoon fresh breadcrumbs and a pinch of finely chopped parsley, salt and peper, Mix all together in a hot pan, then into a small gratinee or other dish, pop it into the oven with Pork and Vegetables for 15 mins. Crispy and nicely flavoured.

Lunch with a young man

Lunch at Merlots Cafe in Buderim with youngest Grandie ordering pancakes with Maple Syrup, the rest of us opted for a selection of Burgers, all nice, fresh food and certainly lots of it









Breakfast and Lunch in one meal. Dinner tonight will be something very simple.

Minced Beef Curry with Vegetables.

End of the week and not fussed on cooking, but wanted something warming, so scratched this together with what was in the fridge. Surprisingly it came together quite well, would have been so much better with cubed beef but the mince worked quite well.

Grandson's 7th. Birthday

Tonight is Party Night, lots of kiddies party food, lots of yummy chicken nibblies, on sticks and in other guises.
But what took the cake was...........the cake. His Mum made him this great cake, only a few crumbs left it was such a hit.

Blue Jelly stars in Lemonade makes for very glamorous drinks for the younger folk.

Not a Keeper..........Linguini with Chicken and Semi- Dried Tomatoes

Got this little Gem off the net. The flavour, which should have been so good was a little flat. So not a keeper, the Darling said it wasn't bad, in fact he would be happy to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, but really not under the heading of "Lets have that again"

Beef and Mushroom Casserole - A Blessed Meal

Today was present shopping day for our Grandsons 7th. Birthday. Started out at 9a.m., we managed to pull into the driveway at 2.30 p.m. I was pooped and he wanted to open "just one Pressie", which, after a phone call to Grandad he did. He then helped prepare dinner, very, very, carefully learning how to handle a sharp knife and cutting meat into cubes. Another milestone moment in his life. He has always sat on the bench by the stove and helped to cook, and when his baby brother joined him on the bench, he was the one to show the way, just how you hold a spoon to carefully stir, just how quick you give a burst of power to the mini food processor and then a longer burst and then just let it go until the job is done. Ahh, wonderful memories.

Beef and Mushroom Casserole
1 slice round steak, trimmed and cubed
5 mushrooms, quartered
1 onion cut into large chunks
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup red wine
1 - 2 cups stock or water
Salt and Pepper
2 teaspoons plain flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oil, add onions and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Remove to casserole dish
Add beef in small lots to fry pan and brown well, removing each batch to casserole dish
Deglaze fry pan with red wine, add a little stock if needed and scrape up all browning's, add to casserole. Add remaining stock. Season and place in oven for approx. 1 hour., 15 mins prior to serving, mix plain flour with extra water or stock and stir into casserole, allow to thicken and then serve.

Crumbed Parsnips
2 baby or small parsnips
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 slice white bread, crumbed in processor
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Peel and cube parsnips, steam until beginning to soften
Melt butter in pan, add parsnips and breadcrumbs, stirring and turning until browned, add half of the parsley.
Keep warm and when served top with a little extra chopped parsley.