Somewhere over a Beef Salad Rainbow....

Understandably my title might put you off with its ridiculous try at irony. But when you look at the rainbow of colours loosely formed on the blank white plate, dressed and dripping with oozy special soy-sauce dressing and thinly sliced pieces of rare beef, all should make sense. 

This is a salad of a rainbow. 

Yellows, reds, greens and oranges dance on the plate as they tease the eyes with a circusy performance of summers flavours. 

This beef salad is not only good on the eyes, but sends you on a foodified sabbatical to learn new flavours with deliciously balanced slurpings of juicy tangy sauce that coats crunchy, slippery vegetables and even sickly sweet mangoes. With every mouthful comes an out-of-body experience of pure invigorated deliciousness. 

For this salad i used a mango some beans, a cucumber some carrot and capsicum. But you can swap and change with whatever you like. The key is the dressing and the marinated beef. I aslo used a scotch fillet but you could try another cut of meat, like the skirt or backstrap. 

Rainbow Beef salad recipe:

Cucumber

Carrot

Beans

Mango

Capsicum

Mint

Rice noodles

Scotch fillet

Szechuan pepper 

Garlic

Soy sauce

Dressing: 

4 tbs soy sauce

2 table spoon sweet chilli sauce

1 tbs Lime juice

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbs vegetable oil

Method:

Marinate your beef, for minimum 30 mins, with 3 tbs of soy sauce and some smashed szechuan pepper and garlic. 

Cook the rice noodles via the packet and set aside to cool. 

Chuck some boiling water on your beans for 2 minutes to flash cook, and set aside to cool for chopping. 

Julienne all your vegetables and the mango. 

Shred your mint and toss all together in a bowl, set aside.

Make your dressing by putting all the measurements into a jar then pop the lid on and shake

Cook your meat to your liking. And toss with the salad prepared. 

 Fresh, tasty and quick. Follow the rainbow and whip up a beef salad.

It's a Bowl of Gold! 

Sharing Christmas Cheer With Pineapples!

With a trip planned to America in only a months time! I am celebrating Christmas with my family in November, so i don't miss out completely. With so much saving for the trip i've left little money for presents, but nothing beats a present made by hand. This year i've made a delicious pineapple chutney, that is spiced-up with whole Sichuan Peppers. These fiery tangy peppers are sometimes referred to as 'Prickly Ash' or 'Fagara' and are used a lot in asian cooking to replace black pepper. They add a needed punch to this chutney and take the pineapple to a whole other level of sweetness with a lingering robust heat of peppery goodness. 

To make 6 chutneys cost me just $14, but nothing can replace the love that i put into these glass jars of deliciousness. Just look at the effort i went to with the decorating! Twig of rosemary fastened by a small red peg and all! These little touches go a long way, and make my chutney look so Legit! 

The recipe for this is one i've learnt at work. Taught to me by my Head Chef Leo, who knows a thing or two about spices. It goes perfectly with roasted pork, could go nicely with your christmas ham or anywhere else you want a deliciously sweet condiment to balance out richness. Living in a household that always saves jars, i had a few on hand to bottle up a yummy present that just keeps giving. This truly is the best present you can give.

Recipe:

2 pineapples

450ml of white wine vinegar 

400g brown sugar

400g castor sugar

300g raw sugar. 

300ml apple juice

1 tbs sichuan pepper (you can add more if you like a kick)

2 cloves

Method:

Skin your pineapples and cut the whole pineapple into quarters

Take the core out, by cutting down on an angle on the inside of the quarter. 

Dice the pinapple into 1 cm chunks and chuck in a large pot. 

Cover in sugars, juice, vinegar and spices. 

Cook over medium heat for 1-2 hours

When the pineapple has become translucent it is ready to be bottled. To make life easier use a funnel to get the chutney into the glass jars or cut the top off a milk bottle or juice carton and use it upside down as a funnel. 

Seal the hot chutney with a lid and decorate when cooled. 

Nothing says Christmas in Australia like a nice fresh pineapple! So why not cook some of this delicious chutney, bottle it up and give to your friends and family. Not only will you save some money, but they will surely be thankful for the time you took to make it. 

Not to mention how yummy it is!

Merry Christmas to you. 

And a pineapple Too.

Mental Lentils!!!

Lentil burgers are a less than usual menu addition for a weeknight meal, but let that not suggest anything less than a taste sensation, for they can be just as good if not better than your average sloppy joe. 

Lentils are a pulse full with protein and are great source of dietary fibre making them a healthy option not just for your vegetarians but for everyone! And the taste? Lentils are very good at absorbing flavours so when cooked properly are irresistibly morrish. 

If you've never fondled with a Lentil before and would like to get to know the amazing pulse a little better this is the best place to start. A burger. Flavoured with a touch of curry paste and topped with some sour cream and Sweet Chilli Sauce your lips will be licking and your tummy smiling. 

Here's a quick recipe to start you off. I used a can of lentils so you don't have to worry with the cooking of them just yet.  

Recipe for Lentil Brugers:
1 Onion
1 Carrot
1/2 Red capsicum
2 eggs
300g bread crumbs
1 tbs of Curry paste ( I like to use Tikka Paste)
1 tsp Mustard
1 400g Can of brown lentils

Halloumi
Sour cream
Sweet chilli sauce
Lettuce
Sliced tomato
Burger Buns.

Method:
Dice your onion, carrot and capsicum and saute in a pan with some olive oil until soft.
In a bowl put your lentils, breadcrumbs, eggs and mix together
Add your curry paste and mustard to the onion mix, then mix it all together with the lentils.
Form patties, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to make sure they stay together.

Cook in a pan so they're golden on both sides, along with your halloumi. Pop the halloumi on top of the patty and put in the oven for 5 minutes with your bread rolls.
Assemble with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and sweet chilli.

Devour as neccessary. You will be pleasantly surprised.

*For a gluten free option you can use almond meal instead of bread crumbs and replace the bread for a gluten free option. 
*Vegans can discard the sour cream and halloumi

LENTICCHIE, LENTILLES, LENTILS - However you say it, they are sure to be a winner. 
Delicious and Filling!

So Nummy and Good for the Tummy!