Today I sent Adriano off with the shopping list which included wonton wrappers. Well, he picked me up 20 minutes late after work because he had been scouring the supermarket from top to bottom for said wrappers - and didn't find any. I was frozen stiff from standing in the chilling wind which whistles down the main street of Remuera, where I work and in no mood to find out we were without wonton wrappers. I made him pull into another supermarket on the way home and sent him inside in search of the essential ingredient for my dinner menu. He returned rather chuffed with himself because, even though he couldn't find wonton wrappers, he had found spring roll wrappers, which he reckoned looked similar. Actually they are not. So no wontons and we had spring rolls instead. I used the same filling and it worked except that the wrappers are paper thin and kept ripping so I had to double wrap them. Lesson learned - don't place hot filling in spring roll wrappers or they will cause you a … [Read more...] about Pork Spring Rolls – a learning experience
healthy meals
Crab & Brie Cups
I'm sticking with the little food. They are a bit more work but it means I eat less and that's always good. Our holiday back to Italy to see family is only a few weeks away and I don't want to look balloon-like. I'm getting older but I don't need to get fatter. So little food it is. I made this recipe up and some purists might say that you can't combine the Thai flavours of chili and ginger with French Brie but I did and they tasted great. The evidence is the lack of a crumb left. I also had left over a bit of the tart filling from last night so I filled a few pastry cases with that, hence the two fillings in the photo. This recipe is not low Fodmap. Crab & Brie Cups Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients Savory short pastry 1 tbsp flour 1 tbsp butter Milk 1 red chili, chopped finely 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated 1 garlic, crushed 1 can of crabmeat ½ a wedge of brie Method Turn the oven on to 180°C/350°F. Oil 12 deep muffin cups Cut out … [Read more...] about Crab & Brie Cups
Chicken, Mushroom and Rosemary Tarts
Left-over chicken and a desire to make tarts resulted in the above works of art. Small tarts like this always look so pretty, it seems like a sacrilege to eat them but eat them we did. I forgot to tell Adriano to buy the creme fraiche so ours were made with milk instead. They were just fine like this but the creme fraiche would make them richer. For a vegetarian version, these would work without the chicken. This is not a low Fodmap recipe. Chicken, Mushroom and Rosemary Tarts Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients 375g/13.25oz savory short pastry 8 portobello mushrooms 1 cup chopped up cooked chicken 2 tbsp butter 1 onion finely chopped 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 2 eggs 200ml milk or creme fraiche ½ cup grated Parmesan Rosemary Method Preheat oven to 200°C/360 °F. Line 4 x 12cm tart pans with pastry and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove the pans from the oven and take out the weights. Reduce the oven to 180°C/350°F. Reserve 4 mushrooms and finely chop … [Read more...] about Chicken, Mushroom and Rosemary Tarts
Guest blogging at Cravings of a Lunatic
Today I am guest blogging at the Cravings of a Lunatic blog. Kim is a barefoot cook who hates eggs, tomatoes and mac n cheese and if different foods touch on her plate, she throws a hissy fit. Did you notice the name of her blog? All this plus plenty more makes her one very entertaining woman and she sure can cook. Look at the side bar on her blog and those photos of mouthwatering food will knock your socks off. Two which make me want to reach right in and grab them are her Pistachio Chocolate Frozen Mousse and her Strawberry Cannoli Parfaits with Pistachios. Anyway I blogged about the Pesto, Mozzarella Polenta Appetizers in the photo above. The recipe is below and also on her blog but if you want to hear about the day I lifted a mighty heavy stove right off my tiny son with one hand, you will have to go visit her over there. And you won't regret it because she has great recipes and stories that make you smile. Pesto, Mozzarella Polenta Bites Print Author: Suzanne … [Read more...] about Guest blogging at Cravings of a Lunatic
Stuffed Calamari – Low Fodmap & Gluten-Free
Adriano cooked this dish. It is a classic Italian dish with the addition of walnuts for a bit of crunch. He also made a tomato/carrot puree to accompany it. He's useful to have around. I have probably mentioned before that my parents owned a seafood processing factory after we left the farm when I was ten. During my teens I worked there in the school holidays and loved it. it made me feel like an adult. I worked in the production lines either processing wet fish or crayfish. I met a lot of colourful characters there and no more so than Sam. It's a while ago now and I can't remember if he was Tongan or Maori but I do remember his quirkiness. One day he arrived at work wearing glasses and assured us that he now needed them. Later in the day I watched him rub his eye through where the lens should have been. Yes, no lenses. He explained that he was sure he could see better with them on. Sam was always short of money but one day he told us he had bought a car. We were rather … [Read more...] about Stuffed Calamari – Low Fodmap & Gluten-Free