recipe: Lamb pasties with garlic spinach

These are really YUM!!!, great for a light meal, or for a dinner party, I am sure you will love them. I made 4 and since we are reducing our portions they will serve 4, but they are quite small and I almost couldn't resist eating another so...it's your call.

1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 2/3 cup water, 150g lamb mince (or lean beef mince), 1 tbs olive oil, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1 small brown onion, 2 tbs tomato paste, 1 tbs ground cumin, 1 1/2 tbs ground coriander, salt & pepper, 1 garlic clove, 500 g spinach, lemon juice

1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt and olive oil. Make a well in the centre, add water and combine to make a soft dough. In a floured surface, knead the dough for 5, 6 minutes, place back in the bowl and cover with cling film. Rest for half an hour;
2. In a fry pan heat olive oil in medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes;
3. Add onion chopped finely and cook until soft. Add spices and combine. Add tomato paste;
4. Add mince and cook breaking lumps with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, remove from heat and let it cool;
5. Heat the grill in your oven and line a baking tray with baking paper;
6. Divide the dough in 4 pieces. In a lightly floured surface roll each piece to a 26cm diameter round.
7. Divide the mince mixture and place it in each dough circle, leaving a 5 cm border;
8. Fold two sides on top of the mince and fold the remaining extremities on top of the previously folded ones to create a square;
9. Brush the pasties lightly with olive oil and place on the baking tray; Grill for 3/4 minutes each side or until cooked;
10.
6. Place spinach in boiling water. Drain and chop coarsely. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and spinach. Season with lemon juice.
7. When pasties are ready cut them diagonally, serve with the spinach and chopped tomatoes, and if you want to be decadent, they will go great with some tzatziki or just Greek yoghurt.


Enjoy!!

recipe: Eggplant Spaghettini

This recipe is really easy and I am sure it will be a hit, plus, it's really healthy and full of flavour.

It serves 4 (or 2 is you are not on a calorie control diet):
250g spaghettini or angel hair pasta, 1 small eggplant, 1 red or green capsicum, 2 tomatoes, 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water, 1 garlic crushed, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs chopped basil, 1 tbs chopped dill, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, salt & pepper

1. Heat the grill of your oven and line a baking tray with some baking paper or foil; 2. Slice the eggplant in 1 cm rounds and cut the capsicum in 8 pieces. Place them in the baking tray, drizzle half the oil over it and grill for a couple of minutes on each side, or until they are a bit charred;
3. In the meantime, crush garlic, chop tomatoes in small cubes;
4. When eggplant and capsicum are ready, let cool and chop in small pieces;
5. Heat remaining oil in a large fry-pan. Fry garlic for a couple of minutes, add tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes in medium heat. Add eggplant and capsicum and stir to combine. Add chilli flakes, stock and let simmer for another 5 minutes;
6. Cook pasta in boiling/salted water, drain and divide among serving plates;
7. Add basil and chives to the sauce, correct flavours (I didn't add salt) and divide portions on top of pasta;
8. Top with freshly ground black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil (optional) and you are ready to go.

WEEK 10

Eat plan Survive is back and wishes everybody a great 2011 with lots of happiness and always, always, good food.

Another great news for the main business is that we have a website for our Architecture Pratice!!! yes, its great and beautiful and you should all go there and have a look, although it still needs some adjustments. Visit us on www.studioindex.com.au and since we are looking for clients, give us a ring on the contact nr. or email in there if you are interested.

Now, because at the end of the year we always put on some weight the blog will focus on recipes with smaller servings and lower calories (with the occasional treat, cause I can't diet forever...) and we start like this:

Sunday:
_dinner: Eggplant spaghettini

Monday:
_lunch: Eggplant spaghettini
_dinner: Lamb pasties with garlic spinach

Tuesday:
_lunch: Lamb pasties with garlic spinach
_dinner: Stuffed Eggplant


Wednesday:
_lunch: Stuffed Eggplant
_dinner: Curried Vegetable Stew


Thursday:

_lunch: Curried Vegetable Stew
_dinner: Vegetable Quiche

Friday:
_lunch: Vegetable Quiche

extra recipe: Lemon & Cardamom Cake

Because it is Christmas and I just had to do something, I decided to try this recipe I found recently in a magazine:

base:
1/2 cup Plain flour, 2 tbs baking powder, 1 1/4 cups fine semolina, 1 tbs lemon zest, 2 tbs lemon juice, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 x 175g cup natural yoghurt, baking paper and butter to grease
syrup:
3 lemons, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, 3 cardamom pods lightly bruised

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C;
2. Mix oil, yoghurt, eggs, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and mix with a mixer;
3. Place flour, baking powder, semolina and sugar in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the egg mixture; Mix everything well with a wooden spoon;
4. Bake for 35/40 minutes or until a straw of pasta inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile peel the lemons and slice the peel very thinly into long stripes;
6. Place the sugar and water in a bowl and let it simmer. Add the lemon rind and cardamom and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until it is thick;
7. Place your cake in a plate (after is has cooled for a bit) and insert a skewer making holes all over it. Pour your syrup over it and your cake should be ready and pretty to serve!


Merry Christmas!!!
Feliz Natal a todos!

extra recipe: Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Bread

So, I found a recipe from Margaret Fulton on a magazine for Olive Bread, thought it looked pretty easy and decided to give it a go... but I don't like olives so this is my version using roasted garlic and rosemary instead. the bread is in the oven as I write this, so hopefully it will taste as good as it smells!!!

for 2 loaves: 4 cups plain flour, 1 x 7g sachet dried yeast, 2 tbs salt, 1 tbs sugar, black pepper, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 cups warm water, flour to dust, 1 whole garlic head chopped on the top, chopped rosemary

1. Heat the oven to about 180C and place the garlic head (minus 2 cloves) with some olive oil on top and roast your garlic for about 15/20 minutes. When ready, just remove the cloves and slice them.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl with the sugar, salt and yeast. Make a well in the middle, add the olive oil and warm water and mix until you get a soft dough;
3. Transfer the dough to a surface dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes until you get an elastic dough. Add the chopped garlic and chopped rosemary;
4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cling warp and a towel and let it rest for an hour in a warm, dark place; 5. Heat the oven to 180C fan forced; Prepare a baking tray with oiled baking paper and dusted with flour;
6. Chop the 2 garlic cloves and fry them on a fry pan with a bit of oil until they are golden. Add the sesame seeds;
6. Knead the dough (doubled in size) lightly and make two 25 cm loaves. Place them on the tray and cover with a towel for about 15 minutes until they double in size again;
7. Top the loaves with the fried garlic and sesame seeds, slice the tops with a knife and bake for 20 minutes;
8. Reduce the heat to 160C and bake for another 25 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped;

P.S. It was good...it was gone in a flash...

recipe: Lamb & Quinoa Salad

I really liked this salad, I am getting quite addicted to lamb and nuts of all kinds so this was sweet!

Serving 3/4 people: 450g lamb cut into thin strips, 1 cup burghal (or couscous ), 1 handful of baby spinach, 200 g green beans cut into 3 cm pieces, 1 small avocado chopped coarsely, 1 long red chilli finely chopped, salt & pepper, 2 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs honey, 1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts, 1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds

1. Season the lamb with salt, pepper and some olive oil. Place it in an oven tray and turn your oven to the grill. Grill the lamb for a couple of minutes until cooked to your liking;
2. Place the burghal in a heat-proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water to cover it and stir occasionally with a fork to make it fluffy. When cooked, add some salt, drain and place in a large salad bowl;
3. Cook the green beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the bowl;
4. Wash the spinach, drain and add to the salad. Chop the avocado and add to the bowl. Stir to combine burghal mixture;
5. In a small bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, honey and chopped chilli;
6. Add the lamb to the salad, top with the dressing, roasted hazelnuts and sesame seeds. Correct flavours if needed and serve.

Enjoy!

recipe: Prawn, coriander & Rice Salad

This recipe is one of the easiest I made recently and full of flavour.
Serves 4:

12 raw prawns (I used ones marinated in lemon/garlic/herbs), 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice, 1/2 cup coconut cream, 1 lime - both the zest and the juice, 1 bunch fresh coriander, 2 tbs brown rice, 1 long red chilli, 1 cucumber chopped in small cubes, 4 spring onion finely chopped, 2 tbs olive oil, 1/4 cup roasted peanuts crushed

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Wash with cold water, drain and place in a large bowl;
2. Place the lime zest, juice, coconut cream, coriander and sugar in a blender and blend until you get a smooth cream;
3. Finely chop the chilli (after removing the seeds) and add to the coconut cream;
4. Sauté your prawns on a fry pan a couple of minutes each side until they are cooked (careful not to overcook them);
5. Place the chopped cucumber, prawns and cream in the bowl and mix to coat;
6. Throw the spring onions, the olive oil and mix again;
7. Serve in plates, top with the crushed peanuts and some coriander leaves.

Perfect, delicious, yuuuuummmm!!! I was really happy with this one!

recipe: SOY BRAISED STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS

This was a really nice meal touching the restaurant feel I wanted to get, it took a bit of time, but nothing crazy. You can do everything in less than an hour and it will taste and look great.

serves 2:

2x 180g eye-fillet steaks, 9 button mushrooms (would love to use enoki or eringi but couldn't find them...), 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin, 1/2 tbs rice vinegar, 1/2 tbs sesame oil, 1 tea spoon grated ginger, 1 1/2 cups water, 2 cups salad greens, 3 small potatoes (I used purple organic potatoes from the garden), chopped rosemary, 2 tbs honey, salt, pepper and a pinch of 5 spice (if available), pinch of oregano, 5 tbs olive oil

1. Season the steaks with salt & pepper and trim any fat (use the 5-spice if you have - rub a pinch of it on each side of the steaks);
2. In a bowl, mix soy, mirin, vinegar, ginger, sesame and water. Add the mixture to a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer; add honey and quartered mushrooms simmering for about 5 minutes until they are tender; (taste and correct flavours if needed)
3. Heat some water in another sauce pan and boil the potatoes with the skin for about 10 minutes; then drain and transfer to an oven proof dish, season with salt, chopped rosemary and 1 tbs olive oil; bake for about 15-20 minutes at 190 C;
4. Wash the salad greens and season with 2 tbs olive oil, a bit of lemon or balsamic vinegar and the oregano;
5. Heat 2 tbs in a fry pan. Cook the steaks for about 5 minutes each side or until they are cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil to rest for 5 minutes;
6. Place half of the mushrooms on a place, top with the steak and some of the soy sauce. Serve with the salad and the potatoes.

recipe: Rissois de Bacalhau with Tomato Rice

So, this is the good thing about cooking too much stuff. I had really no time to cook last night and the first thing I thought was to head down to the freezer and see what was there...

1. Rissois de bacalhau (see recipe in previous posts)

2. Tomato Sauce (see recipe in previous posts)

and more than enough to make dinner and lunch today. Just have to fry the rissois directly out of the freezer, unfreeze some tomato sauce and add it to cooked rice.
No worries!

WEEK 9

This is a special week, the last one before Christmas and a very busy one at work or buying last minute presents. Also, its the last one before the blog goes on a week holiday and the menu is slightly shorter.
Hopefully work doesn't get much in the way and I am actually able to write the recipes on time...fingers crossed, and for you all, a very happy Christmas!

Monday:
_dinner: Rissois de Bacalhau with Tomato rice

Tuesday:
_lunch: Rissois de Bacalhau with Tomato rice
_dinner: Soy braised steak with mushrooms

Wednesday:
_dinner: Prawn, coriander and rice salad

Thursday:
_lunch: Prawn, coriander and rice salad
_dinner: Lamb & quinoa salad

Friday:
_lunch: Lamb & quinoa salad

recipe: Fragrant Lamb Pilaf

This one is a definite winner! At least for me...really easy, and quite comforting. You can use Lean Beef mince instead if you don't like lamb. For 4 serves (or more):

500g lamb mince, 1 brown onion, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs ground cumin, 1 tbs moroccan spice, 6 dried apricots, 2 oranges, 2 chicken stock cubes, 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, chopped mint, salt & pepper, flaked almonds

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, fry the onion until it's golden;
2. Add the mince breaking it with a wooden spoon;
3. Add the spice, chopped apricots, rice and the juice of 2 oranges. Stir. Add the water and the stock cubes.
4. Cover in low/medium heat and let it cook until the rice is done; (Stir it occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom)
5. When ready, add the chopped mint and adjust the salt;
6. Serve topped with flaked almonds;


Yummmm!!!

recipe: Salmon & Kumara Burgers

This recipe isn't good if you don't like fish...it was an experiment, and probably works better with tuna, but I gave it a go anyway and wasn't disappointed.

for 4 serves:

1x 210g canned salmon, 350g chopped kumara (orange sweet potato or any other potato you like), 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon rind, half a lemon's juice, 1 egg lightly beaten, 2 tbs chopped parsley, salt & pepper, bread to serve (we used burger buns), aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and baby spinach, 2tbs oil to fry

1. Heat salted water in a sauce pan, cook the kumara until its soft;
2. In a bowl mix lemon rind, parsley, breadcrumbs;
3. When the kumara is cooked, drain and let it cool for 5 minutes;
4. Add the kumara and salmon to the breadcrumb mixture, and mix. Add the egg and adjust the salt.
5. Make 4 patties (you might need more breadcrumbs to make them solid enough for this)
6. Heat the oil in a large frypan and fry the patties for about 3/4 minutes each side until they are cooked;
7. Heat your buns, spread half of it with some aioli, top with some baby spinach, the pattie, some more aioli and you are done.

We served them with chips but you don't really need them!

recipe: Noodle Salad

It has warmed up again in Melbourne and cold food is a must. This recipe remind me of Japan so it must be good.

For 4 serves:

2 bundles of Japanese Somen (any other noodles of your liking will be fine, just bear in mind they are supposed to be eaten cold), 2 tomatoes chopped in cubes, 5 mushrooms, 1 long cucumber cut in short stripes, fried onion (bought ready, but you could fry your own), chopped coriander (I couldn't find it so I used parsley), 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 4 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbs sesame oil, 3 tbs rice wine vinegar, 1 tbs mirin, 3 tbs warm water ( I used the same used to cook the noodles), 1 teaspoon brown sugar

1. Cook noodles according to packet intructions. Drain and divide into serving bowls;
2. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber and divide amongst the bowls;
3. Cook the mushrooms in a frypan with a bit of oil until they are soft. Top the noodles with them.
4. In a bowl mix ginger, garlic, soy, sesame oil, vinegar, mirin, water well;

5. Place some fry onions amongst the bowls, top with the sauce and chopped coriander. Perfect for a summer night.

recipe: Laura's Special Rice

This recipe seems as old as I am and it was my first favourite dish ever when I was a kid, I use to have it in a little restaurant in Odemira (Alentejo, Portugal) and forced my mother to make it for me. When she asked how, I (who must have been 5 or 6 years old) promptly told her in a very proper way the recipe from the top of my head! I was no culinary genius as you will notice soon when you read the recipe, but I thought I was so smart back then and today, this continues to be one of my favourite dishes.

Serving 4:

1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice, 4 eggs, 3 tuna cans, olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 brown onion, 1 green capsicum, 6 small tomatoes, 1 can of diced tomatoes, dry oregano

1. Cook the rice in salted water. When ready, transfer to a colander, wash and drain;
2. Heat some olive oil in a large sauce pan, add the chopped garlic cloves and onion and cook in medium heat for about 5 minutes;
3. Chop the capsicum and add to the sauce pan, cooking for another 5 minutes;
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes and finally, add the diced tomatoes from the can;
5. Let the sauce cook for a while until the vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and blend everything together with a mixer. Transfer back to the pan, add salt to taste and some oregano. Your tomato sauce is ready.
6. Put the eggs in a small bowl, mix them all together with a pinch of salt and cook them in a frypan (basically make scrambled eggs!);
7. Now you can start assembling: Get a small bowl and pack about 2 spoons of cooked rice on the bottom, next add 1/4 of the egg mixture and you have your second layer, next another 2 spoons of rice, 1/4 of the tuna (previously drained) and finally top with enough rice to cover it all.
8. Place a plate on top of your bowl, turn everything around carefully and remove the bowl. Top with the tomato sauce and voilla!

WEEK 8

This weeks menu is as follows:

Monday:
_dinner: Laura's Special Rice

Tuesday:
_lunch: Laura's Special Rice
_dinner: Noodle Salad

Wednesday:
_lunch:Noodle Salad
_dinner: Salmon & Kumara Burgers

Thursday:
_lunch: Salmon & Kumara Burgers
_dinner: Fragrant Lamb Pilaf

Friday:
_lunch: Fragrant Lamb Pilaf

Chicken, Mushroom & Leek Pie with Tomatoes and Tzatziki

I love this pie and usually make it when I have guests and can't remember anything else to make... This was the case yesterday. My brother in law and his girlfriend stayed with us and the old Chicken & Leek Pie was the only thing I could remember to put on the menu. It was gone fairly quickly so I guess it was a success. Besides its quite easy to make and doesn't take that long (less than an hour).


Serving 4 (hungry people):

1 pie plate of about 20 cm diameter, 4 sheets puff pastry, 3 chicken breasts marinated, grilled & chopped into small pieces, 1 leek thinly sliced, 5 large mushrooms thinly sliced, 2 tbs olive oil, thyme, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, milk or lukewarm water, 1 tbs plain flour, salt & pepper, 4 tomatoes thinly sliced, tzatziki (bought in the supermarket but can give you the recipe if needed)

1. Place the chicken in a bowl and marinate it to your liking ( I used 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, lemon juice, a bit of olive oil and some paprika). Heat the grill on your oven or a barbecue and grill the chicken breasts until they look golden. Chopp them in small pieces;
2. Line the pie plate with 2 sheets of puff pastry previously thawed and adjust them to the place;
3. In a bowl mix the mustard with about 1 cup luke warm water or milk and dissolve the flour in it;
4. Heat some oil in a fry pan and cook the mushrooms until they are soft;
5. Add the leek and cook for another 5 minutes in medium heat;
6. Add the chopped chicken, stir and pour the mustard mixture in; Stir it all together and add more water if necessary; (it shouldn't be very liquid)
7. Remove from the heat, add thyme, salt and pepper and place in the pie tray;
8. Cover with the remaining 2 pastry sheets and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 30/35 minutes (200C);
9. When ready, place some tomato slices in your plate, season with salt, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, add a dollop of tzatziki and a slice of your pie.















It will surely be a success!

Basa Fillets with Vegetables & Basil Couscous

Serves 4: 2 large Basa fillets cleaned of bones, 4 tomatoes, 2 zuchinni, 1 red capsicum, 1 red onion, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 2 cups vegetable stock, 3 tbs olive oil, 1 cup couscous, chopped basil leaves, lemon juice, salt & pepper

1. Heat the stock and bring it to a boil. Place the couscous in a bowl and pour half of the stock on it. Stir occasionally with a fork and add more stock if needed until the couscous is fluffy. Add the chopped basil, 2 tbs olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste. Reserve.
2. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large fry pan, add the chopped onion and cook in low heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the capsicum chopped in small squares and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the zuchinni chopped in small squares, cook for 5 minutes and add the remaining stock and chopped tomatoes.
5. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, add the fish fillets, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until they are done.
6. Place some couscous on a place, top with the fish and vegetables and enjoy.

Minted Grilled Lamb & Quinoa Salad

Some people don't like lamb so much, but I surely love it. Especially here in Australia...it seems to be everywhere and its so easy to buy...so, this was a light dinner and I marinated the lamb the day before. If you don't have quinoa, you can use couscous, but if you do use quinoa, careful with overcooking cause it gets quite sticky.

For 2:

3 small lamb steaks ( or 2 big ones), chopped garlic, olive oil, dried mint, lemon juice, 1 1/2 cup of quinoa, mint leaves, chopped chives, 1 handfull of baby greens for salad, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper, a bunch of asparagus; half an avocado.

1. Cook the quinoa until its fluffy. Drain it and place it in a large bowl;
2. Meanwhile, grill the lamb steaks on a barbecue or your oven grill for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked to your liking;
3. Cut the asparagus in 5 cm pieces and boil them in hot water;
4. Add come mint and chopped chives to the quinoa, the baby greens, some olive oil, juice of a lemon, salt & pepper to taste and your salad should be ready.
5. Place some of the quinoa mix into a plate, round with some asparagus, a quarter of the avocado, top with the steak, drizzle some more olive oil, and top with black pepper and you're done.

Brown Rice & Chicken Salad

So, its getting really hot in Melbourne and my appetite sort of disappears a bit. Furthermore i feel like eating light & fresh meals and after holidays in portugal and Spain we certainly need to curb on our carbs...and fats and everything heavy! And this salad is quite filling, healthy, fresh and full of fiber so...go crazy!

for 4 serves:
3/4 cup brown rice, 2 chicken breasts cooked & shredded, 1 onion, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 lemon: juice & rind, 1 tbs chopped dill, 1/2 cup chopped basil, 2 cups frozen peas

1. Cook the rice, drain and place it in a large bowl;
2. Cook the peas quickly in boiling water, drain and add to the bowl;
3. Finely grate the lemon, juice it and place everything in a small bowl. Add 1 tbs olive oil and the chopped dill;
4. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a fry pan and cook the onion previously cut in half moon slices. Cook it in low heat until its browned;
5. Add the chicken to the bowl, the onion and stir to combine.
6. Add the lemon juice mixture, the basil and some salt.

WEEK 7

So, I am back from my holidays and although completely "jetlagged", I am quite excited to start cooking and writing again, so this week the plan is to write as I do it since there was no time to plan a proper weekly menu.
Hope you enjoy it!

Monday:
_Brown Rice & Chicken Salad

Tuesday:
_lunch: brown Rice & Chicken Salad
_dinner: Minted Grilled Lamb & Quinoa Salad

Wednesday:
_dinner: Basa Fillets with Vegetables and Basil Couscous

Thursday:
_lunch: Basa Fillets with Vegetables and Basil Couscous
_dinner: Chicken, Mushroom & Leek Pie with Tomatoes and Tzatziki