Tag Archives: quick

Pan Fried Chorizo, Octopus & Sweet Potatoes with Chimichurri & Aioli

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This recipe was inspired by a dish being served by my favourite lunch time bistro in Canberra,

Deakin & Me is in my suburb which is called Deakin, and it ticks all the boxes. The food is interesting, healthy and delicious. The staff are friendly and efficient and they don’t mind splitting the bill for groups. They only do breakfast, brunch and lunch and the place is always full.

I didn’t order this dish, but one of my friends sitting next to me did. I looked delicious and she confirmed that it was. I made a note of the ingredients in order to make it at home.

Cooked, vacuum packed octopus can be found in Costco and I used sweet potatoes instead of ordinary potatoes. Chimichurri is a South American salsa. Any leftover can be served to add a bit of zing to steak, chicken, fish or fried eggs.

1 sweet potato (see variations)
2 tsp paprika
200g cooked octopus, sliced
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
4 eggs
Olive oil
Aioli:
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably home made)
2-3 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
Chimichurri:
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley
1 small red chilli, very finely diced (with or without the seeds)
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbs fresh oregano or marjoram, chopped
¼ of a red onion, finely diced
Pinch of sugar

Make the Aioli by mixing the ingredients together. Make the Chimichurri by mixing the ingredients together. Don’t use a food processor you will end up with mush.

Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 2cm cubes. Mix with a tablespoon of olive oil, the paprika and salt to taste. Cook in an air fryer or a hot oven (spread out on a paper lined tray) until lightly browned and cooked.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the octopus and chorizo and stir fry for 5-8 minutes or until the chorizo is lightly browned. Add some of the sweet potato cubes so there’s about the same amount of them as of the chorizo and octopus. You will have some sweet potato left over. Stir for a minute or two to combine.

Meanwhile, in another frying pan, fry the eggs in a little olive oil (serve them sunny side up) and toast the sourdough.

Divide the octopus, chorizo and sweet potato amongst the slices of toast, with the fried egg on top or on the side. Add a good dollop of aioli and a few spoonfuls of chimichurri to the plates.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Variations: use cooked ordinary potatoes cut into chunks instead of sweet potatoes.

No-Knead Bread

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My son in law makes this “no-knead bread” and says it’s so easy, so I thought it was time I had a go. The time involved in making it is less than five minutes, plus baking time. Minimum mess, quick and easy and tastes fantastic – just like a shop-bought ciabatta. If you look on Google you will find that there are heaps of variations of this recipe, though I believe it was first published in the New York Times. Here’s my version.

3 cups plain flour
¼ tsp dry yeast
1 heaped tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil (optional)
1½ cups very hot water from the tap

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until you’re ready to bake the bread. In summer anywhere will do, but in the middle of winter it’s probably a good idea to put it somewhere cosy like the microwave or the oven, making sure you tell people not to switch it on! Recipes on Google vary on how long the dough needs to rise, so I reckon it’s fairly flexible. Anywhere between 4 and 24 hours you can go to the next stage.

At this stage, i.e. after the 24 hour rising period, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days and this time in the fridge actually improves the flavour of the bread.

Place an iron pot with a lid in the oven – a le Creuset-type pot holding 6-8 litres – and turn the oven on to 250C or as high as it will go if it doesn’t go that high. Meanwhile tip the bread dough out onto a floured surface. Fold and flip it over on itself a few times, then form into a ball with the seams underneath and place on a piece of baking paper. Turn on the oven and let the bread rise a bit while it comes up to temperature. This could take around half an hour. If the dough has been in the fridge for a couple of days then give it 2 hours to come to room temperature and rise before baking.

When the oven is up to temperature use the paper to put the bread into the pot on the paper and make two slashes in the top with a pair of scissors. Cover with the lid and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove lid and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until nicely browned. It depends on your oven how fast it browns, so keep an eye on it. In such a hot oven it browns fast. Remove and cool on a rack.

Korean Beef in an Air Fryer

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Korean Beef, or Bulgogi, is a tasty, quick and easy alternative to your usual Chinese stir fry. Serve it with steamed rice for a delicious mid-week dinner.

Making this recipe in an air fryer results in crispy meat without the need for deep frying.

300g lean beef (flank, rump, topside, sirloin)
2 tsp oil
2 Tbs cornflour
2 Tbs soy sauce
1-2 Tbs brown sugar, to taste
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup water
To serve:
Steamed rice
2 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
Sesame seeds

Cut meat into thin strips as you would for a stir fry. Add the oil and mix well, then mix in the cornflour. Spray the tray of an air fryer with oil, then arrange the meat strips over it, in one layer. If doubling the recipe, you will probably need to cook the beef in two lots. If you don’t have an air fryer, deep fry the beef in oil.

Cook beef on high for 5-8 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. Meanwhile place soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic and water in a frying pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute or two or until thickened a bit. Add the cooked beef and stir to coat well with the sauce.

Serve with steamed rice and garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds.

Serves 2

Chia Puddings

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You may have seen chia seeds in the supermarket and wondered what to do with them. When mixed with liquid and left for a few hours or overnight, they set into a sort of pudding or chunky jelly.

Our son James says that for him chia puddings are in the same category as tapioca pudding and bubble tea, a popular drink filled with chewy tapioca balls. He is not a fan, whereas I love them.

Chia puddings are very easy to make and involve no cooking. To make one serving you just need half a cup of any kind of milk and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. Mix thoroughly and leave in the fridge overnight, then top with fresh or frozen berries, sliced banana, muesli, yoghurt, or a combination and you’ve got a healthy breakfast or dessert, loaded with fibre and protein. A hundred grams of chia seeds contains 17g of protein.

2 Tbs chia seeds
½ cup any kind of milk (cow’s, oat, soya, almond, coconut)
To serve:
Berries or sliced banana, mango, peaches etc
Toasted muesli
Plain yoghurt
Maple syrup or honey

Thoroughly mix the chia seeds with milk and place in an individual bowl or glass, leaving space for toppings. After an hour or so, stir the mixture again to avoid any big lumps forming. Refrigerate overnight.

Serve topped with fruit, muesli and yoghurt.  Drizzle with a little maple syrup or honey. If you’re feeling decadent, drizzle with a little cream.

You can always mix up a larger quantity, allowing 4 Tbs chia seeds for every cup of milk. Tip the mixture into a plastic storage container with a lid. It will keep for a several days in the fridge.

Makes one serving

Tortilla Crêpes

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This recipe is just French toast made with wheat tortillas instead of bread.

But it’s a brilliant idea. So if you’re looking for a quick and tasty idea for Sunday breakfast or brunch, or a quick snack to feed the grandkids when they call in, look no further.

The time-saving idea of turning a packaged tortilla into a light and fluffy pancake was invented by the late Kenny Shopsin, a self-taught cook who ran a grocery store and restaurant in New York, with his wife Eve. Kenny was a colourful character who had certain rules, for example anyone using a mobile device rather than engaging in conversation risked being kicked out. Since his death in 2018, the business has been run by his daughter Tamara and her two siblings.

I’m going to try making a savoury version, so watch this space.

1 punnet strawberries
2 tsp runny honey
2 Tbs cream
2 eggs
2 tsp maple syrup
1 packet thin wheat tortillas or soft tacos
Butter for frying
Extra maple syrup or honey to serve (optional)

Wash the strawberries, then halve or slice into a bowl. Drizzle with a little honey.

In a bowl wider than the tortillas, beat cream with eggs and maple syrup using a fork. Add one tortilla and turn to coat. Leave it submerged while you heat a little butter in a small non-stick frying pan. When the tortilla is well soaked, drain off excess egg mixture and place the tortilla in the pan. Cook until golden and puffed one one side, then turn and cook on the other side. Cook remaining tortillas. The egg mixture will be enough for 4 tortillas – maybe more – depending on their size.

Serve two tortillas per person, garnished with the strawberries. Drizzle with extra maple syrup or honey, if liked.

Serves 2

Crisp-Skin Barramundi with Curry Sauce & Green Beans

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In January we spent a week on the island of Nusa Lembongan just off Bali.

Curry Traders Restaurant and Bar has excellent, reasonably-priced food and was definitely the best restaurant we found during our stay on the island.

This is my adaptation of a dish we enjoyed when we dined there to celebrate our daughter Catherine’s birthday. I used barramundi and my recipe for a creamy red curry sauce, which goes with everything.

The first photo shows the dish in the restaurant, surrounded by some of the other dishes we ordered, including rice and Indian bread. The second photo is my version. Sorry I forgot to put a sprig of coriander on top of the fish!

4 fillets barramundi or another firm-fleshed white fish with the skin on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Red Curry Sauce
400g green beans, steamed until al dente
1 clove garlic, crushed
20g butter
2 lemons, halved
Coriander sprigs

Go to the link and make the Red Curry Sauce.

Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then place skin down in a cold, lightly-oiled frying pan, preferably non-stick. Turn on the heat and cook over moderate temperature for 5-6 minutes or until the skin is crisp, then turn and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side, or until cooked through. Remove fish from pan, then add the lemon halves, cut side down, and cook until they are starting to blacken.

Meanwhile, heat butter and garlic in another pan. Add the steamed beans and seasoning and toss them to coat well.

Divide beans between 4 warmed serving plates. Serve fish on the beans. Heat the curry sauce and place some in four ramekins.  Arrange the lemon and the curry sauce on the plates, garnish the fish with the coriander and serve immediately with steamed rice and/or Indian bread.

Freeze any leftover curry sauce for another time.

Serves 4

Lithuanian Pink Soup

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The proper name for this delicious cold beetroot soup is Šaltibarščiai which means cold beets in Lithuanian. My Lithuanian friend Jurate who gave me the recipe says most people call it Pink Soup. It’s a creamier version of the well-known beetroot soup called Borscht.

If you have time, cook your own beetroots, but ready-cooked beetroots from the supermarket work well and save time.

This soup is perfect for a hot summer’s day. Serve it as a starter or, with the addition of boiled new potatoes, as a main course. Jurate serves hardboiled eggs separately in a bowl, for guests to peel and chop onto their soup, if they like. My husband is not a big fan of hardboiled eggs and prefers the soup without the egg, so you choose.

Delicious and very refreshing on a warm summer’s evening.
500g cooked, peeled beetroots
600 ml buttermilk or kefir (see note below)
2 stock cubes dissolved in a little hot water (chicken, vegetable)
Cider vinegar and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, thickly sliced and halved or quartered
Optional extras for serving:
Fresh crusty bread such as sourdough and butter
Hardboiled eggs, one per person
Boiled new potatoes, served hot

 

Grate beetroots coarsely and mix them with the buttermilk or kefir and the stock cubes. Add a splash of cider vinegar and some black pepper, to taste. If you’re in a hurry, with no time to grate the beetroots, just whiz them in a blender or food processor. If necessary adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more buttermilk, kefir, yoghurt or water. I didn’t find it needed any additional salt, but taste and see what you think. Add a tablespoon or two of cider vinegar, to taste.

Chill for several hours. Serve in bowls garnished with the cucumber chunks, the dill and the hardboiled eggs, halved or chopped. Or serve the eggs in a separate bowl for people to help themselves and peel themselves. Serve with crusty bread and, if you want to make a more substantial meal, buttered steamed new potatoes.

Serves 6

Note: instead of buttermilk or kefir, you can use 400ml of thick plain yoghurt thinned down with about 200ml water.

Quinoa Salad

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This healthy quinoa salad can be made in no time and adapted to include what you have on hand. I used some Tri-Colour Quinoa from Costco, but ordinary white quinoa will do. Serve this salad alone or with grilled chicken or fish.

2 cups cooked and drained quinoa (measure after cooking)
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp mustard (Dijon or English)
¾ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Lebanese cucumber thickly sliced and quartered
½ cup lightly toasted nuts (pistachios, pine nuts, cashews)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (or substitute a creamy goat cheese)
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl and serve.

Serves 4

Variations: add some halved cocktail tomatoes, small broccoli or cauliflower florets. Use sliced spring onions instead of red onion. If you like things a bit spicy, add one small red chilli, seeds removed and finely sliced. Add some sweetcorn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned. Add drained and rinsed canned beans instead of chickpeas.

Roast Beef Salad with Quick Caesar Dressing & Croutons

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This is a great way to use up leftover roast beef or leftover cooked steaks from last night’s barbecue. It’s so quick and easy. Just make sure that the meat is nice and pink in the middle, otherwise it will be tough.

I haven’t put quantities because this is one of those recipes you do by eye. To make a vegetarian version, use quartered hard boiled eggs instead of beef.  Even some people who say they hate anchovies have become converts to this Caesar salad dressing. It really packs a punch and I suggest you make double and try it with other salads.

Once I discovered how easy it was to make croutons in an air fryer I’ve been making them all the time, to serve with soups and salads.  Here is a recipe for the crunchiest pork crackling ever, made in an air fryer. Indeed, if you put “air fryer” in the Café Cat search box you will find quite a few recipes. I’m definitely a convert!

A word of advice. If you decide to buy an air fryer, get a cheap basic one which just has a button for time and another for temperature. Don’t buy an expensive model which takes up half the kitchen bench and has so many bells and whistles you’ll be reluctant to use it.

If you want to be fancy, remove the crusts from the bread and make small, dainty croutons. Mine are large and rustic.

Salad greens – preferably something crunchy like cos lettuce
2 slices bread (or more)
Olive oil
Rare roast beef sliced then cut into smaller pieces
Quick Caesar dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably home made)
3 anchovies (canned in oil)
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbs lemon juice
1tsp Worcestershire sauce|
1 tsp mustard (I used hot English)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbs water

Arrange salad leaves, broken into bite-sized pieces, on individual plates. Cut bread into cubes, mix with a little olive oil, then cook for 7-10 minutes on high in an air fryer – shaking the pan every now and then – or in a hot oven for 10-15 mins, until golden brown.

Process all ingredients for dressing in food processor then scrape into a jar or bowl. It will  keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Arrange beef and croutons over the lettuce and drizzle with some of the dressing. Sit back and enjoy with a glass of wine.

 

 

Sticky Peanut Steak

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This is an adaptation of a recipe, from Jamie Oliver’s book One: Simple One-Pan Wonders.

Serve the steak with the stir-fried noodles and veg or with a mixed salad.

1 x 250g sirloin or porterhouse steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
Olive oil
2 Tbs peanuts
Stir fried noodles and veg (optional):
320g packet of stir fry veg, or make your own
2 Tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbs teriyaki sauce
1 pkt (about 400g) pre-cooked/straight to wok noodles

Trim steak of any sinew or fat, then use a meat hammer to flatten it to about ½ to 3/4 cm thick. Place it in a dish with the ginger, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread it over both sides of the meat, massaging it in.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the steak on high for about two minutes. Turn it over and add the peanuts and chilli sauce to the pan. Continue to cook for a minute or two, spooning the sauce over the meat and allowing the chilli sauce to thicken a bit and get sticky. Remove steak to a serving dish and scrape out the sauce on top. Let it rest while you prepare the noodles and vegetables.

To the pan where you cooked the meat, add the noodles, veg and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes then add the teriyaki sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the steak and serve it with the noodles and veg.

Serves 2