3 BREAKFASTS......

MONDAY........6th April

Seafood salad on toast ( Easter leftovers )

TUESDAY....7th April

1 Chia wrap 

Spread one 1/2 the wrap with green tomato pickle

Heat your flat surfaced toast maker , and line the base with baking paper .

Cut a round of pecorino cheese and slice into 3

Place these over the pickles on the wrap

Peel and slice 1 firm pear , laying the slices on the cheese

A portion of left over tomato was sliced and added to the wrap . ( optional )

Fold the wrap in half .

Place on the heated toaster , cover the top of the wrap with a sheet of baking paper .

Close the lid without force

Remove when the wrap begins to colour and the cheese starts to ooze

Serve with a spoon of pickles .

A great combination of flavours that really work together .

 

Wednesday 8th April

Salted Porridge with Honey

1 cup of rolled oats  ( not quick oats or flavoured quick oats ).

Add the oats to 2 cups of water in a saucepan over moderate heat.

Stir constantly .

Remove once it thickens and pour into a bowl .

Add 2 tsp of salt , a drizzle of olive oil and 2 tbs of honey .

Stir to combine .

This was our staple winter breakfast during my childhood , back then we used butter in place of the oil .

IT`S ALREADY APRIL....

Easter has been and gone , I watched the lunar eclipse with Shaun and Dee , it was spectacular in a clear cloudless sky.
My son Shaun turned 37 and all this in the first 7 days of April .

What`s in season ?
Apples , lemons , sweet juicy table grapes , pears  ( and the wasps are loving them  ) ,mandarins , figs , limes .plums , quince , rhubarb ,almonds .
Beans , beetroot , broccoli , cabbage , capsicums , carrots b, celery , chillies , cucumbers , eggplants , fennel , onions , parsnips , peas , pumpkin , zucchini .
The rains are due today and soon there will be mushrooms aplenty rising from the warm ground .
If you grow your own vegetables and fruit ...food is plentiful.
The meals are full of goodness and simple to make .

MUSHROOM PAPPARDELLE

 You will need 400 gm of  fresh field mushrooms for this recipe .
Make your own pasta using 3 cups of flour to 4 eggs ... otherwise purchase some good dried egg pappardelle .
Bring a large pot with water to the boil .
Saute 1 sliced onion and   2  sliced cloves of garlic in a pan with a tbs of oil .
Add 1/2 a handful of finely chopped fresh sage .
It is now time to add the pasta to the boiling water .
Clean and finely slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan with the garlic , sage and onions .
Add 1 red chilli finely sliced with seeds
1 tbs of oil .
Drain the pasta and add   to the pan and toss to combine .
Season with cracked pepper .
Top with grated parmesan and a scant scatter of torn sage leaves .
Serve in warmed bowls .

 

EASTER LEFTOVERS .....Salmon Mousse

MONDAY  BREAKFAST

Seafood salad on toast seasoned with cracked black pepper

 

MONDAY LUNCH

 

Salmon Mousse

Spray a ramequin and line the base  with a sheet of cling film .

Hard boil 1 egg .

Thinly slice 3 gherkins in rounds and  place on top of  the cling film .

Dissolve 1 and 1/2 tbs of gelatine in a cup of hot water .

Stir in a cup of white wine  and 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of lemon juice .

Pour a little of this over the gherkins.

Refrigerate till set.

I`ve got about 400gm of salmon left from lunch yesterday , so I flake the salmon with a fork .

Chop up the hard boiled egg and 1 gherkin  and mix in with the  flaked salmon .

Pour over the remaining gelatine.

Scoop the mixture into the ramequin and refrigerate till set.

Serve with sliced cucumber and tomato wedges seasoned with cracked pepper.

 

 

MONDAY DINNER

 

The last of the salmon was wrapped in baking paper  heated in the toast maker ..

Served on a chia wrap with a spinach , pasta and tomato salad .

 

EASTER SUNDAY MENU AT CASTLE GARDEN

ENTREE
Lemon dressed prawns
Seafood salad

MAINS
Salmon baked with a Tuscan herbed crust
Pork belly with crackling
Succulent roast chicken
Whole pumpkin oven roasted
Twice cooked .....( steamed and deep fried )  potatoes
Garden fresh spinach , tomato , olive and feta salad .

DESSERT
Chocolate Mud and Strawberry Trifle in jars.

WINE
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Reisling  2013 .

 

HAPPY EASTER

 

( right to left ) Paul , Max and Dee in Castle Garden kitchen , out of  frame is Dale ,Shaun , Marc and Jack.

Boys rule this Easter .

Nicole is on night shift in Alice Springs , Ella is spending Easter  with her mum .

 

CHILLED COCONUT PRAWN SOUP

You will need 500 gm of  cleaned and cooked prawns  ( I keep the tails on ).
You will need to blend the following ingredients to a paste ...
1/2 cup of sliced spring onions
2 sliced garlic cloves
3 anchovy fillets 
1 tsp of sugar
1 dsp of soy sauce
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of ground black pepper
4 coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of tabasco sauce ....in a food  processor .

Place 2 cups of coconut milk
1 and 1/2 cups of cream
Along with the paste
...in a saucepan .
Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.
Add 500gm of prepared prawns
The grated rind of 1/2 lemon ..
Heat through .
Cool and chill well before serving in chilled soup bowls .





 

MUSHROOM LIVER PATE

Homemade pate is the best  and even better when it can be prepared a hours ahead of serving .. This is a terrific recipe .. it ticks all the boxes, easily prepared, fridge friendly ingredients and full of flavour. You will need 125gm of sliced mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in 30 gm of butter / marg till golden brown. Drain off any excess liquid. Add the mushrooms to the food processor along with...... 250gm of cream cheese. 250gm of liverwurst. 2 tbs of red wine vinegar. Blitz to a smooth paste. Divide mixture between individual terines. Chill in refrigerator, till you are ready to serve. Serve with savoury biscuits and crisp radishes.

PINEAPPLE AND CUCUMBER SAMBAL

1 Fresh pineapple , ( if fresh pineappale is unavailable 1large tin of strained pineapple pieces ) .
2 small cucumbers cut into cubes the same size as the pineapple pieces.
Mix the pineapple and cucumber with 3/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
Make a dressing with 1/2 cup of cream , 1/4 cup of lemon juice , seasoned with salt and pepper .
Pour the dressing over the pineapple and cucumber mix .
Chill till ready to serve .