Chickpea, Beetroot and Nut Salad - Cooking to Combat Cancer

You don't need to look very far around here to find people impacted by cancer. And it is hard to know what to say about such a catastrophic topic in a post like this. Some of my close people have won their fight, others lost, some are currently fighting the battle. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to who develops it - just a horrible random lottery. I am comforted by President Obama's pledge to find a cure in our time, and hope that philanthropic dollars continue to make their way to researchers despite the GFC. And a cure is coming. In a great recent development, my daughters will be immunised against cervical cancer thanks to the pioneering work of Dr Ian Frazer. More power to him and all the other scientists and doctors on the frontlines.

Chris at Mele Cotte is hosting her third annual Cooking to Combat Cancer, challenging bloggers to post recipes that feature ingredients believed to be anti-cancer. This salad strikes me as a great choice for the challenge. Filled with beetroot and carrot (both high in anti-oxidants), chickpeas (high in fibre), nuts and seeds (including brazil nuts and flax seeds linked to anti-cancer benefits), flavoured with turmeric, ginger and chilli (also linked to possible anti-cancer benefits), it is very good for you. Even better, it tastes sensational, and it keeps for several days as the tastes develop more and more. It comes from NZ's Cuisine magazine which I currently love, love, love! I found it in the pages at the back where they collect recipes requested by readers from helpful chefs. The reader after this recipe said it was so good she had to order a second serving. I can only agree.....

Chickpea, Beetroot & Nut Salad
Courtesy of Vilagrad Vineyard - Chef Kristian Nooyen

For the salad mix
¾ cup dried chickpeas, soaked then cooked until tender with 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 medium beetroot, cut into matchsticks, rinsed and set aside to dry off
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
4 spring onions, sliced
2 sticks celery, diced
1 thumb fresh ginger, very thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 cup coriander leaves

For the nut mix
2 cups mixture of peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon each salt, cumin and coriander powder
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
25g chilled butter

For the dressing and to serve
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil

For the salad mix

Toss together all the ingredients, setting aside half the coriander leaves for garnish.

For the nut mix

Bake the nuts and seeds for 5 minutes at 180°C then sprinkle with a mixture of the sugar, salt and spices. Grate the butter over. Bake for 10 minutes more, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

For the dressing and to serve

Mix all the ingredients together well. Toss the vinaigrette and 2⁄3 of the nut mixture with the salad mix. Garnish with the remaining nuts

Parmesan Bread - An Easy Piece of Kitchen Alchemy

I have always been a bit scared of making bread. The alchemy of yeast and water and flour seems as impressive and mysterious to me as conjuring a rabbit out of a hat. However the February issue of Gourmet magazine from the US seduced me completely with a cover of varied rolls looking amazingly beautiful (check out the image at the bottom). Even better the recipes seemed remarkably achievable. I decided to opt for what appeared to be the easiest of them - no kneading and no hassling, just time. This seems to be one of the joys of bread - do a bit then disappear for a few hours, then do a bit more. My timings were not dictated by the recipe - the resting at each stage was at least an hour longer than the recipe called for (busy day and out of the house for most of it). But the scant attention I paid to the dough was amply rewarded with beautiful fresh bread - cheesy and delicious.

And I managed to get through this post without a single bread pun as well.... but I can tell you it was tempting.

Parmesan Pull-Aparts
Makes1 dozen rolls
Active time:35 min
Start to finish:4 3/4 hr (includes rising) - I would have taken 6+ hours

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon mild honey or sugar
2/3 cup warm milk (105–115°F), divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 Tbsp for sprinkling
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/3 oz)
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp pieces and softened
1 tablespoon water

Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/3 cup warm milk in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Whisk together flour (2 1/2 cups), cheese, and salt, with a paddle attachement on a stand mixer, then mix into yeast mixture along with remaining 1/3 cup warm milk at low speed. Increase speed to medium and beat in 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, until a very soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, until dough is elastic, about 2 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)

Scrape dough into center of bowl and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down dough (do not knead) and turn out onto a floured surface. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in a circular motion. Arrange rolls 1 inch apart in a buttered 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together remaining egg with water and brush on tops of rolls. (You will have leftover egg wash.) Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Loosen edges of rolls from pan with a sharp knife and invert rolls onto a rack, then reinvert and cool at least 20 minutes.

Cooks’ note: Rolls are best the day they're made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Croque Monsieur - The Uber Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Croque Monsieur should be on the list of dishes that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. Creamy, cheesy, indulgent, the croque monsieur is to a toasted cheese sandwich what the Eiffel Tower is to a sandcastle. Unfortunately it is also probably on the Heart Foundation's list of dishes people should try no more than once in a lifetime. According to Wikipedia, the croque monsieur was born more than 100 years ago when workers left ham and cheese sandwiches near radiators that melted the cheese. By 1910, you could order one in a Parisian cafe, and by 1918, Proust had added the croque monsieur to his madeleine memories in "Remembrance of Things Past". In the intervening years, the recipe for a croque has been further modified to include a bechamel sauce over the top, and a spreading of dijon in the sandwich itself.

This Barefoot Contessa recipe is (as far as I can tell anyway), a fairly authentic take on the croque monsieur, as still served in Paris. It was chosen by Kathy of All Food Considered - thanks for the indulgence! We made these as a wicked breakfast treat. Next time I make these, they will be bite-size appetizers... for me, this level of indulgence is best taken one mouthful at a time, and after 7:30am.

Croque Monsieur

from "Barefoot in Paris" by Ina Garten

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
350g Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces ham, sliced but not paper thin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Quick Chicken Salad for an Unexpected Lunch

If you walked into my house unannounced this morning, you would find two school hats sitting near the front door, in the same spot they landed before Easter. There is a very large pile of newspapers, magazines and mail on the dining table. You would also find the oven trays and pans from last night washed but still sitting in the drainer waiting to be put away. My daughter's Egypt project sits with some school notes that need to be dealt with. There are a couple of spare pairs of shoes tossed to one side. There are some coffee cups yet to be put in the dishwasher. Ironing is sitting out waiting to be put away. The house is clean but it is certainly not tidy. I'm embarrassed to say that my house looks like this most mornings.

You will not be surprised to know that when visitors are coming, my house does not look like this. I run around making sure that everything is returned to where it belongs, ensuring that the tables that usually accumulate daily clutter are clear, the draining rack in the kitchen is empty and ideally most of the kitchen prep has been done too so that (on a good day) there is not even a chopping board sitting around. This takes time and creativity (one of my proudest moments was when I figured out that my washing machine could be used as a hiding spot - just don't forget what is inside or you could be creating a disaster). So a surprise visitor for lunch means a recipe that is both quick and simple to allow for a mad dash around the house returning everything to the places they belong. Please tell me that other people do this too...



This salad is lovely and easy, and the flavour combination is great. It also keeps really well - it was a delicious lunch for me for a few days. The recipe is from "The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins which was published in 1984, and is still a great resource for me. Lots of really delicious ideas once you sift out the occasional 1980s horror - if you see this book in a secondhand bookshop, grab it. Just the thing for seeing an old friend, (and admiring how nice everything looks when all our clutter is put away). And it only takes about 15 minutes to make.



Chicken Salad With Red Grapes and Pecans
from "The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

4 whole chicken breasts (8 halves) poached and skinned (I used a cooked rotisserie chicken, skinned)
1 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
Salad leaves
Roquefort Mayonnaise

Cut the chicken into 3cm chunks, then combine with celery, grapes and pecans in a large bowl.
Make the mayonnaise. Toss the salad with the mayonnaise and refrigerate until cold. Seve on a bed of salad leaves.

Roquefort Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
1 tbl dijon mustard
2 tbls sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup crumbled roquefort (I used a goats cheese instead)


Process egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a blender for 30 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the oil to make a thick mayonaise. Add cheese and pulse a couple of times (until just combined, not smooth). Season to taste.

A Bowl of Mussels for Anthony Bourdain

This month's Cook The Books choice is "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. The tale of a chef on the restaurant frontlines in NY, this book made an enormous splash when it was first published. Bourdain brings us alarming tales of poor hygiene and drugged up chefs, as well as allegations of supplier racketeering and managerial incompetence, all against an ultra macho kitchen background. It's a place where a posse of guys treat each other in the same way that I imagine soldiers or pro-footballers or any other male only gang would - simultaneously taking each other apart, while watching each others backs. Readers who are prudish about language, drugs and sex are probably best advised to read something else - but they are also probably people who have never been near this kind of professional kitchen.



This is the second time I have read Kitchen Confidential - the first time I was completely swept along by the anarchy. This time my favourite parts of the book are the tiny details of the restaurant world eg who would have imagined that reach-ins have no light so chefs need to find everything by touch. Or that the lousy pieces of meat are saved for people who ask for it well-done (glad I don't). Or that patissiers are the obsessive compulsives of the kitchen world (well maybe we all could have guessed that one..) I was also amused by Bourdain's tips on what to avoid in restaurants. Among them:
- bargain sushi
- fish on a monday
- brunch
- swordfish
- and of course mussels.


Bourdain opines that "I don't eat mussels in restaurants unless I know the chef, or have seen, with my own eyes, how they store and hold their mussels for service. I love mussels. But, in my experience, most cooks are less than scrupulous in their handling of them. It takes only a single bad mussel, one treacherous little guy hidden among an otherwise impeccable group... If I'm hungry for mussels, I'll pick the good-looking ones out of your order."



So in honour of Anthony Bourdain, I have made mussels. Mussels are now being lauded as an environmentally friendly choice, they are cheap and they are about the fastest thing you will ever cook. The liquid at the bottom of the pot is also delicious - make sure you have some good bread on hand to sop it all up.

Moules Marinieres
(my version adapted from Stephanie Alexander in "The Cook's Companion")
1 onion or 2 shallots, chopped finely
1 hot chilli, deseeded and chopped finely
1 large tomato chopped finely
1 bay leaf
Five peppercorns
500ml dry white wine
2 kg mussels, cleaned and debearded

Tip mussles into a large wok with onion, peppercorns and herbs. Pour in wine, cover tightly and turn the heat up to high. In 4-5 minutes, open the lid, remove all mussels that have sprung open. Allow unopened mussels to cook for a minute longer, then remove those that have opened. Any that are still unopened should be thrown away. Strain pot juices over mussels and serve.

Chicken Bonne Maman

Can a soupy chicken dish make you a bonne maman or a good mother? I came across this recipe when I was struggling a little with organising my life and my family. I had recently given up full time work, but had yet to work out how to manage a family (yes I can be slower than the average bear). One of my daughter's pre-school teachers suggested that I have a look at the Flylady website for help in getting everything together. This site sends multiple email reminders every day, from "have you done a load of washing?" to "have you organised dinner yet?" Sounds basic, but at the time, this sort of prompt was exactly what I needed. They also sent out this recipe as part of some sort of de-cluttering challenge they were doing. And while it is a long time since I have subscribed to Flylady, this recipe still gets made often.

I wish the photo was better but sadly the strength of this dish lies in the taste and the smell, not its beauty. A long slow cook in the oven leaves the house smelling comforting and secure, just like a good mother's home should. Tender chicken, lots of vegetables and some chicken soup - it's really really good. Incidentally, also like a good mother, this recipe is very forgiving - use what you have or the quantities that make sense to you.

A bowl of poulet bonne maman is being sent over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays. If you are looking for a little bit of soupy inspiration, drop by and have a look at her great selection.

Poulet Bonne Femme

from Leanne Ely via Flylady.net

1 1/2 tbl olive oil

12 chicken thighs

12 baby carrots or 4 large chopped into batons

12 pearl onions or 4 large, quartered

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tsps tarragon

1/2 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

5 potatoes peeled and sliced

Brown chicken thighs in oil on both sides (no need to cook through), then season well with salt and pepper. Place in an oven-proof casserole pot or a slow cooker.

Add onions and carrots (and extra oil if necessary) and saute till onions are golden. Add vegetables to casserole pot or slow cooker. Pour chicken brother into saute pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom. Pour stock over chicken. Add herbs and potatoes to chicken. Cover and cook at 130 for 4 hours or in a slow cooker for about 6 hours (or until chicken is done).

Thirteen Meal Ideas To Get Kids and Parents Eating Together

I get asked all the time what I cook the children for dinner. People with little children, who are stuck making kids food and adult food, also ask how I got the whole family eating the same dinner. Here are my picks for meals that both children and adults are happy to eat, at least in this house. Hope this list gives you some ideas for some new meals to drop into your rotation.
Parmesan Crusted Fish With Braised Vegetables - This is a good choice to help your kids start eating fish. Choose a white fish with a mild taste - they will love it. Serve with the braised vegetables as suggested, or a salad.






Oven Baked Risotto - if chicken and asparagus isn't a combination that works for your family, think about other possibilities like chicken and mushroom or pumpkin. This meal is lovely and soft for little teeth!





Chicken Bonne Maman - This dish is halfway between a bowl of chicken soup and a casserole. It helped my kids get into having soups. The long slow cook makes it perfect for an afternoon of running around - put it on at lunch time and you will return to dinner ready for you in the oven.




Old-Fashioned Roast Lamb With Vegetables and Gravy - This is more for a special occasion, or maybe a slap-up Sunday dinner. And the leftovers make wonderful sandwiches for school (with tomato and lettuce).





Meatball Spaghetti - certainly not glamourous, but this is a classic that makes everyone happy. Get the kids involved in making the meatballs for you as well.











Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel - since nuggets are such a popular kids meal, why not shift them onto a more grown-up version? My kids love doing the dredging for me as well.







Salmon burgers - these are fun to eat, and you will probably have all the ingredients in your cupboard already. Just don't over do the mayonnaise!






Fish pie - A tried and true classic, and mild enough to appeal to those who aren't that keen on fish (or think they aren't). Work some vegetables into the mix for a one dish meal.






Finger Licking chicken drumsticks - need I say more.










Beef sukiyaki - thin slices of beef stir fried, and served with noodles and vegetables. Adapt the vegetables to your family's tastes.







Roasted garlic chicken - garlic loses its pungency after the roasting so that this chicken is not too overwhelming for little ones.










Spaghetti carbonara - a meeting of bacon and eggs and pasta. Even Ruth Reichl says she never met a kid that didn't like this. Oh - and no cream involved.








Asian-style sticky chicken wings - these take no time at all to marinade and after an hour in the oven, they are fantastic. Serve over rice with salad or vegetables.